BOBRUISK

bobruisk, a town and formerly a first-class fortress of russia, in the government of minsk, and 100 m. by rail s.e. of the town of minsk, in 53 deg. 15' n. lat. and 28 deg. 52' e. long., on the right bank of the berezina river, and on the railway from libau and vilna to ekaterinoslav. pop. (1860) 23,761; (1897) 35,177, of whom one-half were jews. in the reign of alexander i. there was erected here, at the confluence of the bobruiska with the berezina, nearly a mile from the town, a fort, which successfully withstood a bombardment by napoleon in 1812, and was made equal to the best in europe by the emperor nicholas i. it was demolished in 1897, the defences being antiquated. the town has a military hospital and a departmental college. there are ironworks and flour-mills; and corn and timber are shipped to libau. the town was half burnt down in 1902.