How vacant homes in Postavy District are given a second life
The working visit of Igor Sergeenko, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and authorized representative of the Head of State in the Vitebsk region, to the Postavy region began with the issue of involving unused property in economic circulation and reducing the number of vacant houses. This complex topic was discussed at a meeting of the district executive committee.
Property must work
In 2025, it was planned to involve 41 real estate objects in economic circulation in the Postavy district. These included buildings, premises, and outbuildings that were unused or inefficiently used for various reasons. Decisions were made for each object to sell them through auction. Bids were held regularly. As a result, 5 objects were put into circulation. Additionally, a large premise of more than 550 square meters in the district center was sold. The total amount from the sales of unused objects amounted to almost 650 thousand rubles.
Revenue to the district budget from property sales amounted to 185 percent of the previous year's level.
A separate area is leasing. As of early 2026, more than 5 thousand square meters of municipal property are leased. A significant part of the area has been transferred to small and medium-sized businesses. Over the year, rental payments amounted to almost 200 thousand rubles.
A striking example is the former bathhouse building in the center of Postavy. The new owner, Woodman LLC, intends to create a multifunctional shopping complex here, which is much needed by the city. The project also involves creating new jobs. Thus, the vacant building will get a new life.
Attention to rural areas
Special attention at the meeting was paid to working with vacant houses in rural areas.
Since 2023, 363 houses have been included in the register of vacant houses. More than half of them have already been excluded – some demolished, others sold, and still others brought into proper condition by their owners.
Last year, 62 houses were put into economic circulation against a target of 51. 35 houses were demolished, 27 were sold, with 23 houses sold for one basic unit. This mechanism allows not only to get rid of dilapidated buildings but also to attract new residents.
Houses were most actively sold in suburban rural councils. One example is the provision of a land plot free of charge in the agro-town of Yunki, effectively a suburb of Postavy. Here, a young family acquired a plot where a dilapidated house had previously been demolished and built new housing in its place. Today, the lights are on in the windows again.
Borderland problems
The Postavy district is a borderland. And this imposes its own specifics. In many villages, the owners or heirs of houses live in Lithuania. Communication with them is often difficult. Sent notifications remain unanswered. This complicates the legal procedure for recognizing houses as vacant.
As of the beginning of the year, there are 165 vacant houses in the register. More than 100 of them have already been deemed subject to demolition, but there are insufficient funds to carry out all the work. In 2026, 90 thousand rubles are allocated for demolition. This will be enough for approximately 30 objects.
Priority will be given to the Lyntupy, Kamai, and Kuropolsky rural councils, where the largest number of vacant buildings are concentrated in the border zone.
— In this matter, it is necessary to maintain a reasonable balance between the interests of people and the state, — noted Igor Sergeenko.
Work for the future
In 2026, the district plans to involve 36 real estate objects and 66 vacant houses in economic circulation. Seven objects are included in the plan for the first time – among them are the building of a former kindergarten, warehouses, and a bathhouse in the agro-town of Paris.
The task was set to more actively inform potential buyers, post photos of objects on the website of the district executive committee, and expand work through online platforms.
Following the meeting, the work of the relevant services for 2025 was recognized as satisfactory. At the same time, emphasis was placed on strengthening control, accelerating document processing, and personal responsibility of leaders.
So that houses are not empty
Igor Sergeenko took part in the district meeting "Postavshchina Trudovaya," dedicated to the results of the socio-economic development of the district.
Summing up the day, Igor Sergeenko noted:
— Today, several events were held, including an open meeting of the district executive committee, which discussed an important issue – involving unused property in economic circulation and demolishing vacant and dilapidated houses. This topic is important for all rural areas of our country. In the Postavy district, this work is organized and carried out at an acceptable level. Questions arise about simplifying work due to the long search for potential homeowners. For the legislative initiatives currently being considered in parliament to be implemented, it is necessary to involve those who are engaged in this work on the ground – land management services, rural councils.
Behind the dry figures are the fates of villages. Each sold house is a chance for a new family, and a restored building is a step towards the development of the village.