| Ruzhany | |
| Native Name: | Ружаны |
| Native Name Lang: | be |
| Other Name: | Polish: Różana Yiddish: ראָזשינאָי |
| Settlement Type: | Urban-type settlement |
| Pushpin Map: | Belarus#Europe |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Belarus##Location within Europe |
| Pushpin Relief: | y |
| Coordinates: | 52.8667°N 78°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Belarus |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Brest Region |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pruzhany District |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1552 |
| Population Total: | 2,808 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Timezone1: | MSK |
| Utc Offset: | +3 |
Ruzhany (Belarusian: Ружаны|Ružany; Russian: Ружаны; Polish: Różana; Yiddish: ראָזשינאָי|Rozhinoy; also spelled Rozana or Ruzhana)[2] is an urban-type settlement in Pruzhany District, Brest Region, Belarus.[1] As of 2023, it has a population of 2,808.[1]
Ruzhany is situated on the river Ruzhanka and surrounded by picturesque hills. It is located away from Brest, from Ivatsevichy (where the nearest railway station is located), and north-east from Pruzhany, on the crossing of the roads from Pruzhany to Slonim and from Vawkavysk to Kosava.
The earliest mentioning of Ruzhany dates back to 1552.[3] Following the First World War the town was part of Poland until September 1939, when it was occupied by the Soviet Union and incorporated into the Byelorussian SSR. From 23 June 1941 until 13 July 1944, Ruzhany was occupied by Nazi Germany and administered as a part of Bezirk Bialystok. Almost the entire pre-war population of 3,500 Jews were killed in the Holocaust, mostly at Treblinka extermination camp.[4]
On 19 September 1659, Yisrael ben Shalom and 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: