8 November, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. Vitebsk and Smolensk travel agencies are developing the first cross-border tourist route "On the Routes of the Patriotic War of 1812: 200 Years Later", as reported to BELTA correspondent by the Department of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. The journey will cover the territories of Vitebsk and Smolensk regions, the sites of the most significant battles with the French army. The Belarusian part of the route will include Polotsk, Rossonsky district with the village of Klyastitsy, Beshenkovichsky district with the village of Ostrovno, and Vitebsk. Tourists will not only be shown monuments and memorials erected in honour of the victory over the enemy and told about heroic battles, but also experience an element of animation during the excursion. For example, in Klyastitsy, a school museum operates with a unique exhibition dedicated to the victory of Russian troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Wittgenstein over superior French forces led by Marshal Oudinot, which halted the Napoleonic army's advance towards Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. Here, schoolchildren stage costumed scenes illustrating this battle. Historians, archivists, and local lore experts are involved in the development of the tourist route project from the Belarusian side. Before the route is presented to tourists, it will be evaluated by scientists from the National Academy of Sciences, specialists from the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of Culture. As noted by the Regional Executive Committee, the cross-border route dedicated to the War of 1812 will be the first, but not the last joint project with Russian tourism companies. Currently, the possibility of creating an international tourist route for youth groups and schoolchildren, involving Smolensk tour operators, is being discussed. -0-

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