Snow – white, fluffy, crumbly… Where to find it in this "April" weather? Here, of course.

Snow – white, fluffy, crumbly… Where to find it in this "April" weather? Here, of course. While white cover is nowhere to be found across the country during the day, the ski-roller track in the Vorobyovy Gory tract near Horadok is snowy, just like in the sports complexes of Raubichi, Logoisk, and Silichi.

At the end of January, upon returning from competitions in Switzerland, the condition and readiness of the track were assessed by the coach of the Vitebsk region cross-country skiing team, Yuri Abrosimov.

— The training base for regional and national teams in Horadok is equipped with powerful snow generators, or snow cannons; they "shoot" at minimal sub-zero temperatures and can cover the entire track with snow within 24 hours. This year, it received a new snow groomer – a machine for preparing ski tracks. Even the current "zero" winter, as meteorologists have dubbed it, could not prevent training sessions from taking place,— says Yuri Fedorovich.

One and a half kilometres of artificial snow were "shot" onto the track in January; rain and positive temperatures have already "eaten" almost a kilometre, so athletes are currently training on five hundred metres of snow.

This year, representatives of military and law enforcement agencies have already held competitions here: the Centre for the Disposal of Ammunition and Air Munitions, the Department of Security, and the Department of Internal Affairs of the Regional Executive Committee. Cross-country skiing competitions of the Regional Investigative Committee and the law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are planned.

Andrei Alikin, a biathlon coach at the Regional Centre for Olympic Reserve in Winter Sports, who is conducting training sessions with the young athletes at Vorobyovy Gory, notes:

— In mid-February, it is planned to hold the youth final stage of the Belarusian Biathlon Federation Cup for participants born between 2000 and 2008 at this sports facility. Our region's team has won this significant competition for two consecutive years. A shooting range compliant with international standards and rules is equipped here. Additional target installations have been purchased this year.

Vorobyovy Gory is a small "Finland" – this is how skiers admiringly refer to it, appreciating the natural beauty and the challenging course. Laid out in a forest massif, winding through hills among the trees, it allows athletes to practice advanced techniques and gain excellent conditioning. The unique natural terrain seems tailor-made for winter sports. In summer, the course allows for roller skiing training.

Pavel Mezhuev, head of the training base for regional and national teams in Gorodok, explained that the length of its loops is 7.5 km, 5 km, 3 km, 2.5 km, and 1.5 km, but thanks to a well-thought-out junction system, the distance can be easily altered. The track width of 7 metres is the widest among Belarusian ski tracks. The number of ascents and descents varies across different distances, with the greatest elevation difference being 28 metres. Completing the course is a demanding challenge even for professionals, and it is no wonder that it has received high praise from the International Biathlon Union, which recognised its European level.

Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done to bring the complex in Vorobyovy Gory into compliance with the rules of international sports federations. To obtain a license and host major world competitions in Gorodok, in addition to the roller ski track, developed infrastructure is needed.

Although renowned athletes from neighbouring countries have already positively assessed the conditions created here and are willing to train in the north of Belarus. It is sometimes even problematic to accommodate all those who wish to come. Teams are accommodated in the "Sportivny Gorodok" hotel, next to which a swimming pool has been built – athletes can use it for recovery and relaxation after training. Skiers and biathletes are also accommodated in the comfortable dormitory of the Gorodok State Agrarian-Technical College. Teams from Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, and even Kamchatka come for training camps, and the women's cross-country skiing team of Poland has trained here. The schedule of arrival and departure of athletes and the arrival of new groups is planned six months in advance.