The Institute of Technical Acoustics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is the first academic research institute in the Vitebsk region (established in 1975).
The Institute conducts fundamental and applied research in the fields of semiconductor physics, magnetoelectric phenomena, ultrasonic vibrations, thermoelastic phase transformations, etc.
A Branch Office of the Republican Centre for Technology Transfer is established in the Institute.
The Republican Center for Ultrasonic Technologies operates on the basis of the Institute. It is an interdisciplinary science and technological center for advanced scientific research.
Vitebsk is the northernmost regional city of Belarus, a large administrative, industrial, scientific and cultural center, founded in 974 by Princess Olga. Over the millennium history of the city of Vitebsk it has accumulated a large number of cultural and historical sites. The Regional Museum of Local Lore , the Marc Chagall Museum , the Museum of the History of Vitebsk Folk Art School deserve special attention. the Museum of the History of Vitebsk Folk Art School was founded by Marc Chagall. Marc Chagall, Kazimir Malevich, Yudel Pen, and others worked here.
Marc Chagall is one of the most prominent representatives of the culture of the city of Vitebsk. The Marc Chagall Museum, consisting of a house where the artist was born and raised is among the most visited museum in Vitebsk, one of the main tourist attractions of the city.
Vitebsk is the regional center of one of the six regions of the country. Belarus is located in Eastern Europe and, due to its position, is a buffer between Western Europe and Russia. According to some information, the geographical center of Europe is located 50 kilometers from Polotsk near Lake Sho. Belarus is one of the ten most forest-rich countries in Europe which is about 38.8% of the country. It is one of the few countries in Europe that has neither the sea nor the mountains. Belarus is one of the most literate countries in the world. According to the UNESCO rating , Belarus has a high level of literacy (the adult literacy rate is 99.7%). The most widely spoken language in Belarus is Russian. Belarus is the home country of many famous people (Hollywood actresses Lisa Kudrow and Scarlett Johansson, Nobel laureates Zhores Alferov, Svetlana Alexievich, hockey player Wayne Gretzky, artist Marc Chagall) and many others.
Belarus is a country for startups. World of Tanks, Viber messenger, the MSQRD selfie app and many others were developed here. The Belarusian High-Tech Park is sometimes referred to as Eastern Europe's Silicon Valley.