Concept of satellite towns was meant to foster development of settlements across Belarus

Belarus is experiencing a dynamic expansion of its satellite towns, exemplifying the successful implementation of a national decentralization program aimed at distributing the population more evenly across the country.

The growth of these satellite cities is supported not only by large-scale construction projects but also by the creation of employment opportunities, social infrastructure, and improved transportation links with the capital.

On May 19, Natalya Petkевич, the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, paid a visit to Smolevichi.

Development of Satellite Towns

In the Year of Beautification, Belarus has outlined priority directions for strengthening regional centers and satellite towns. Today, during her inspection of the social infrastructure in Smolevichi, Natalya Petkевич emphasized these initiatives.

Over the past few years, Smolevichi has seen significant growth in many indicators, most notably in population and overall city area. Eight new residential buildings have been constructed, with plans for an additional nineteen. A new clinic and a school have been commissioned, and according to the master plan, by 2035, the population of this satellite town is projected to reach 50,000 residents. Currently, it numbers around 22,000.

Natalya Petkевич, First Deputy Head of the Belarusian Presidential Administration, stated:

"The Presidential Administration is now actively monitoring the situation of satellite towns. This initiative, launched ten years ago at the President’s behest, has proven to be both magnificent and comprehensive. It is a multi-faceted project designed to relieve the burden on larger cities while promoting regional development—expanding outward. Essentially, the idea behind satellite towns was also to continue developing settlements across the country, aiming for the primary goal of ensuring a balanced quality of life in all localities, regardless of their size or region. Currently, there are eight such towns. Before visiting Smolevichi, we traveled to Skidel and Zhabinka in the Grodno Region. Today, we are in the third such town in the Minsk region. In fact, Smolyevichi is an almost ideal example."

The overarching focus of this meeting was on addressing the complex task of maintaining Minsk as a comfortable place to live. Equally important is creating dignified living conditions in the satellite towns so that their residents enjoy a standard of living no worse than in the capital.

Among the directives from the head of state for further enhancing connectivity between Minsk and these satellite towns are plans to introduce tram lines or ground-level metro systems, promising to significantly improve transportation links.