Brest

City and river port in Belarus, capital and economic and cultural centre of Brest oblast, at the junction of the Western Bug and Mukhavets rivers and near the Polish frontier; population (1990) 268,800. Situated 346 km/215 mi southwest of Minsk, it is a busy centre of rail and road communications, and its industries include engineering and textile manufature. Brest was a Polish town until 1795 when it was acquired by Russia, and reverted to Poland (1919-39). In World War I, the Russian truce with the Central Powers, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (an older Russian name for the city), was signed here in March 1918.

Brest was an important fortress town from medieval times. In 1596 Brest was the meeting-place of the council which established the United Catholic (or Uniate) Church. The city saw heavy fighting in both world wars. After German occupation in World War II, it was taken by the USSR in 1944.

Prior to World War II, Brest had a thriving Jewish community, and was the birthplace of Israeli premier Menachem Begin (1913-92).