Ruzhany (Belarusian: Ружаны, Polish: Różana, Yiddish: ראָזשינאָי; former / alternative spellings include Różana and Ruzhinoy) is a small town located in Pruzhany Raion of Brest Region, Belarus.
Ruzhany is situated on the river Ruzhanka and surrounded by picturesque hills. It is 140 km away from Brest, 38 km from Ivatsevichy (where the nearest railway station is located), 45 km north-east from Pruzhany, on the crossing of the roads from Pruzhany to Slonim and from Vaukavysk to Kosava.
The earliest mentioning of Ruzhany dates back to 1552. Following the First World War the town was part of Poland until 1945. Almost the entire pre-war population of 3,500 Jews were killed in the Holocaust, mostly at Treblinka extermination camp.
On Sept. 19, 1659, R.Yisrael ben Shalom and R.Tuvyah Bachrach were killed in Ruzhany on Rosh HaShana 5420, in the infamous blood libel.
Some notable past residents of Ruzhany include:
Interesting sights in Ruzhany include:
Coordinates: 52°52′N 24°54′E / 52.867°N 24.900°E