History

Soligorsk District was founded in 1924. Back then it was called Starobin District. In 1962 it was made part of Lyuban District. Three years later, in 1965, the district was reinstated under the name of Soligorsk.

The town of Soligorsk is the district’s center with a population of over 102,300. The city lies 132km south of Minsk. It is the country’s mining and chemical hub.

Soligorsk is one of Belarus’ youngest cities. Its construction was launched in 1958 simultaneously with the start of the Starobin potash deposit development.

The first potash factory was commissioned in 1963, the second one in 1965, the third in 1969, the fourth in 1979, the fifth in 2009, and the sixth one in 2012.

Soligorsk District is located in the south of Minsk Oblast. It borders on Slutsk District, Lyuban District, and Kopyl District of Minsk Oblast, Zhitkovichi District of Gomel Oblast, Luninets District and Gantsevichi District of Brest Oblast. The total area of the region is 2,500 square kilometers. Forests cover 35.8% of the district’s territory. The Minsk-Mikashevichi motorway crosses the district from north to south.

Soligorsk District is divided into eleven rural councils. It has 170 settlements with a total population of 135,094 (103,961 of them living in urban areas).