We found out how villagers live in the center of the Berezinsky Nature Reserve

In the Lepel region, the only settlement included in the republican project “Village of the Future” is Domzheritsy. Why did they receive such promising status? What does this have that others don’t? A “VV” correspondent looked into these issues.

Along the main street with... a raccoon 

– Domzheritsy, with a population of 370 people, is located in the very center of the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. It is this circumstance that leaves a huge imprint on the way of life and way of thinking of the people living here,” emphasized Deputy Chairman of the Lepel District Executive Committee Veronica Khombak .

– Tourists come to us from all over to pitch a tent in nature and go kayaking down the Berezina. There are a lot of Belarusians and Russians. Last year, the reserve was visited by more than 100 thousand people,” emphasized the nature conservation inspector of the biosphere reserve Stanislav Popovsky, whom we met at the Domzheritsky village executive committee.

– Are there poachers in protected areas? – I asked.

“There are practically no malicious violations,” said the inspector. – Local residents know very well how much illegal hunting or fishing costs. If you suddenly come across a fisherman with nets, then for one fish - large or small - you will have to pay up to 16 BV, and during the spawning period - the same amount six times.

– So if deer, roe deer, raccoons walk early in the morning along Central Domzheritsy Street (and this is not uncommon), we simply watch them. Forest animals are not afraid and feel great around people,” noted the chairman of the village executive committee, Anatoly Yankovsky , who until recently worked in the biosphere reserve.

To confirm this, the head of the village executive committee showed a video: on the outskirts of the village, he captured a huge bear, which calmly looked in his direction, and then headed into the forest.

The population of the “village of the future” knows that tractors, motorcycles, and mopeds cannot be driven on forest roads. Therefore, the most common equipment in the protected area is an electric bicycle.

Children's hubbub pleases the soul

“Near the scientific, ecological and cultural center everything is spinning and spinning,” continued Anatoly Yankovsky. – Not only local residents work in the reserve; 40 people come from Lepel, 20 from Begoml. There is enough work for everyone. There is an environmental center, a hotel, a restaurant, museums - local history and honey. This is not counting the kindergarten, basic school, library, club, music school, first aid station, and two shops. Housing is allocated for young families and professionals. The plan includes the construction of a 24-apartment building, where half of the apartments will go to the Berezinsky Nature Reserve, and the other part will be managed by the district executive committee, providing living space for educators, social and medical workers, and teachers.  

“If a village is full of voices, it lives,” business manager Tatyana Golovashko supported the conversation . – In this regard, Domzheritsy is promising. There are 42 children studying in the basic school, and 21 children are attending kindergarten. There are many families raising three or more children. What is noteworthy: there is not a single dysfunctional one. And all because people have housing, work, decent wages, and growth prospects. There is a place to relax: there is a gym, a rope course, and an ecological trail.

– I’ve lived in the village since 2003; my husband and I bought our own home here. The eldest son Alexander is graduating from the Lepel Agricultural and Technical College with a degree in gas-electric welder, and after practice he is going to return to Domzheritsy. The youngest daughter studies at school. So all our plans – ours and the children’s – are connected with our small homeland,” shared Yulia Padabed , who dropped into the first aid station during her lunch break to measure her blood pressure and write out a prescription.

The head of the FAP, Yulia Mashkevich , emphasized that young mothers with children, students, and pupils come to see her. You can get tested at the point. There are usually five calls a week, and the FAP serves 10 villages with a population of almost 700 people.

The head of postal services, Valentina Muravitskaya , said that residents of the “village of the future” are also active readers: almost every second villager has a copy of periodicals.

Transformations are coming

Bringing living conditions in the village of Domzheritsy closer to urban ones is a real prospect. Already today, most of the residents of the settlement have housing with central water supply and hot water in six apartment buildings. By July, optical fiber will be laid, which will increase Internet speed. Funds have been allocated for these purposes from the regional and local budgets. The power supply networks are being reconstructed and new substations are being installed. The population will have the opportunity to receive more kilowatts for their personal households, which can be heated using electric boilers. A large amount of improvement work is planned. After the mythological holiday “Shlyakham Tsmoka”, the local authorities will closely deal with the issues of replacing the heating mains on the central streets and renovating the school. Asphalt will be laid on the last three of the ten existing streets, and the facades of apartment buildings will take on a bright appearance. A landscaped forest park area would be a good gift for local residents, especially families with children. A network of paths and paths with modern street lighting will appear, the park will be decorated with gazebos and original small architectural forms. All these transformations are timed to coincide with the upcoming 100th anniversary of the reserve, which is planned to be celebrated in 2025. Photos by the author and from open sources.