Bobynichi, Babynichi (Belor. Babynichy) – a village in the Polotsk district of the Vitebsk region of Belarus, the center of the Bobynichsky village council. 80 yards. Population 193 people (2016).

Geography

The village is located 40 km southwest of Polotsk. The village stands on an isthmus between two lakes: Bobino and Nesito. The Vetrino – Ushachi highway passes through Bobynichi, other local roads connect Bobynichi with the surrounding villages. The nearest railway station is in the village of Kulgai, 7 km to the north-west (the Polotsk – Molodechno line). In the village work: ATS, FAP, a kindergarten-secondary school complex, a club-library, a shop, a forestry, a farm, an agriturismo _Gascinny Dvor" (on Lake Bobyna). A memorial sign in memory of 108 Jews of the Bobynichi ghetto shot by the Nazis. The St. Nicholas Church (brick) is in operation. Mass grave of Soviet soldiers, Jewish cemetery.

The first mention in sources refers to the second half of the 16th century, when it belonged to the Korsakov family. In the 17th century, the settlement received the status of a town.

As a result of the second partition of the Rzecz Pospolita (1793), the Bobynichi became part of the Russian Empire, where they became the center of the Lepel district of the Vitebsk province. At the beginning of the 20th century, there existed the town of Bobynichi, the Bobynichi-Yurovshchina estate (70 houses, owned by V. Korsak), the Bobynichi-Vovel farm (owned by A. Tomashevich), the town, and then the Ugly-Bobynichi estate (Ugly Bobynichsky, owned by F. Rusetsky). During this period, the majority of the population of the town were Jews.

In 1930, the first chairman of the collective farm M. Mialeshko was killed.

From 1919 to 1924, the Bobynichi were part of the RSFSR, from 1924 – in the BSSR. Bobynichi became the center of the village council of the Vetrinsky district, after its abolition in 1960 – in the Polotsk district.

During the Great Patriotic War, Bobynichi was occupied by the Nazis, the Bobynichi ghetto was created here, and almost all Jews – 108 people – were shot. During the war, 26 households with 112 inhabitants were burned down. Until the 1990s. – the center of the collective farm named after M. Meleshko, then until 2007 SPK „Meleshko" (joined in 2007 to JSC „Bliznitsa"). In 2009, together with the village of Dretun, it became the first tourist village in Belarus. Since 2009, the holiday „Babynitski Fest" has been held.