The town of Lida was founded in 1323 by Grand Duke Gediminas. From the end of the 14th century to the beginning of the 16th century, Lida ranked among the five most powerful towns of the Great Principality of Lithuania.
In 1590, Lida received the Magdeburg Right and the emblem.
Lida was an administrative, forensic and commercial center of the powiat, uezd, region. From 1759 to 1834, there was Collegium of the Piarists. Some of its graduates became outstanding scientists and literary men. Famous botanist S.B. Yundzill, the Professor of Vilno University, graduated from this collegium.
In 1795, the town with prevailing Jewish population was included into the Russian empire.
Beginning the second half of the 19th century, the industry of Lida started to develop rapidly owing to the appearance of a railway route. Lida was growing both in population and size. New breweries, tobacco factories, iron foundries, machine works, saw-mills, confectioneries and plants as well as shops, restaurants and hotels appeared there. The town’s present-day shape formed in the 1960-1980s. The Lida architecture is rather poor. Only three architectural monuments survive: a castle built by Monarch of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Gediminas in the 14th century, a Roman Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Cross built to a design of architect J. K. Glaubitz and St. Michael Temple-Rotunda of the 19th century. Several interesting buildings erected at the beginning of the 19th – end of the 20th centuries as well as a Catholic cemetery founded in the early 19th century survive as well.
Academicians Arkadiy Migdal and Piotr Kogan, composer Konstantin Gorsky, actress Polya Raksa and sportsman Valeriy Tsilent were born in Lida.
There are more than 300 streets and side streets in the town with a population of over 100 thousand people. The Belarusians account for about 40% of the total population, the Poles – 35% and the Russians – 20%. There are 18 big industrial companies in Lida – Lakokraska, Optik, Lidselmash, Lidapischekontsentraty, Agroprommash, Neman, a brewery, a foundry, a car-repair plant, a plant of electrical appliances, a shoe factory, a furniture plant, a company producing construction materials, a house building factory, a concentrated milk factory, a meat packing plant, two bread-baking plants and many banks. Lida boasts 15 secondary schools, a gymnasium, a lyceum, technical and pedagogical colleges, a musical college and three vocational schools. Lida is one of the oldest towns of Belarus. Lida is considered to be founded in 1380. However, it was first mentioned in the Hamburg encyclopedia in 1180. A castle was founded at the junction of the Lideya and Kamenka Rivers to protect citizens from the raids of the Tatars and Teutonic knights.
In 1590, the town was granted the Magdeburg right. For hundreds of years it was part of the Great Principality of Lithuania, Rzecz Pospolita and Russia.
We invite you to visit our town – comfortable and hospitable…
The Lida region is one of the biggest administrative-territorial and industrial centers of the Republic of Belarus with a population of over 140 thousand people and the monthly production output worth of more than Br45 billion. The leading industries are chemical, food, machine-building, metal and woodworking, electrotechnical, construction and military branches. There are such large companies as Lakokraska, Neman, Lidakhleboprodukt and others in the region.
The geographical situation of the Lida region is rather favorable. It is located at the crossroads of important motorways, railroads and airlines. Our task is to step up production volumes, to upgrade and retool production facilities, to create new modern companies, to boost export supplies and to establish direct links with importers.
We are always ready for mutually beneficial cooperation and will be glad to see you among our business partners.
