LEGENDS ABOUT "PRUZHANY"

The spot on which the town was established was empty and barren. The river Muchaviec flowed among the many marshes that covered the area. One day, a woman landowner passed through the area holding a small child. When she reached the river, a serpent jumped out of the water, snatched the baby from her hands and swallowed it. The mother built a church on the spot in memory of her child. The church drew worshippers and very slowly the settlement of Pruzana was established in memory of the founder. This legend was perpetuated in the emblem of the town: a snake swallowing a baby down its throat.

According to a second version, the name of the baby was Pruzina and the mother called the church by this name. A third version ignores the name Pruzina and explains the name Pruzana as from the word "Pozareia" in Byelorussian or "Pozarta" in Polish, that means "swallowed".

The well-known Polish historian Balinski relates a similar story. He recounts the nurse of the children of landowners in the area dropped a child into the river, that engulfed the child and the spot was called "Pozaria" and later the name was changed to Pruzana. There is also another legend, in which the area around the present town was wooded and contained several scattered settlements. But the area on which Pruzana was established was empty and barren. It was called "Poroznia" in Byelorussian or "Pruznia" in Polish, which means empty. This name became attached to the settlement that was built.

Historic documents show, the name Pruzana was given to the city at the end of the 16th century. Until that time, the place was called Dobuczyn like the name of the village that is seven kilometres north-east of the town.

ÜPRUZHANY PHOTOS