The Zelva region is located in the south of the Grodno oblast. It was founded on January 15, 1940. Occupies 870 square kilometers. The population is as large as 22,000 people, the urban population accounts for 35.5% of the total (7,800 people). The region’s centre is located in the town of Zelva. The region consists of 126 rural communities and 10 village councils. The region’s territory lies on the Volkovysk and Slonim Summits, which are separated by the valley of the River Zelvianka, with the Neman Depression in the north. The relief is made up of elevations and tableland-like areas. Heights 150-200 meters above the sea level are prevailing, the highest point — 239 meters near the village of Modeyka.
Minerals: peat, gravel, pottery and cement clays.
Rivers: Zelvianka, Schara with tributaries Lukonitsa and Bereza. The reservoir Zalvenskoye (the area - 1190 hectares, maximum depth – 7.5m, average depth – 2.6m) is the biggest reservoir in Grodno oblast and ranks 18th by area in the country. Forests are mainly coniferous, spruce, birth and aspen. There are also oak tree and hornbeam forests. Forests occupy about 16.1% of the territory of the region, of them 35% are man-made. There are two national reserves in the regions. These are the bio-reserve Medukhovo and game-preserve Staroselskiy. Natural heritage sites: a stone-boulder, three-trunk oak tree. Upland swamps Korevin Lug (44,5ha) and Vishnevka (143,2ha) have been named local natural heritage sites.
The list of agricultural producers in the region features ten producers' co-operatives, one agricultural affiliate, two regional unitary agricultural companies and nine farms.
The industry features food companies and producers of construction materials. The railway route connects Grodno with Baranovichi, roads - Volkkovysk with Slonim, and Slonim with Mosty.
The construction sector is represented by Zelva MPMK-148, Zelvaremstroi, Zelva Mobile Mechanical Division, Zelva department of reclamation work and also construction companies of the oblast and the country.
The regional agricultural producer’s cooperatives have recently boosted the construction of housing for young specialists.
Fifteen types of consumer services are rendered by 12 collection centres. There is also a hotel, rent service and health facility.
Consumer’s co-operation plays a leading role in trade services.
Medical services are provided by: - central regional hospital for 175 beds; - Montiaki skilled nursing facility for 25 beds; - an outpatient department for 185 visits per shift; - 7 rural medical centres; - 16 doctor’s-obstetrician centres; - 4 emergency teams.
There are 22 secondary schools in the region.
The list of architectural sites features: a mansion (late 19th century) in the village of Aleksandrovschina, St. Jan Church (late 19th century) in the village of Ostrovo, Holy Transfiguration Church (mid 19th century) in the village of Derechin, St. George Roman-Catholic Church (1617), St. Michael Roman-Catholic Church (1782 год) in the village of Lukonitsa, Holy Annunciation Roman-Catholic Church (1912) in the village of Mizherichi, the church of the late 18th-early 19th century in the village of Slovatichi, water-mill (late 19th century) in the village of Staraya Golynka, the church-fortress (15th -16th centuries) in the village of Synkovichi.
