2483 - Gomel, Gomel Oblast, Belarus

Gomel Го́мель is an old city first mentioned in 1142, however it was probably founded two or three hundred years before that. Today it is a city of over half a million people and is Belarus' second largest city.

In 1986, Gomel suffered radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. It significantly worsened both the ecological situation and socio-economic crisis that had struck the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. There was a sharp decline in living standards and a gradual depopulation of Gomel that lasted until the early 2000s.

In an effort to improve the health of the population, the government of Gomel spent a great deal on developing and building sporting facilities.

HK Gomel is the professional hockey team that plays in the Belarusian Extraleague, the top league in Belarussian professional hockey. The team was founded in 2000 and have been the Extraleague champions once in 2004. They have also won the Belarusian Cup four times - 2003, 2007, 2012, 2017.

Volha's card is a painting by Lyudmila Breeva.

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3227 - Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mölln is a small city of about 20 000 located in northern Germany. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal flows through the town, and there are eight small lakes that surround the city. It was founded in the 12th century and was a part of the Old Salt Route. Salt that was produced in the salt mines of Lower-Saxony was shipped to the Baltic Sea. Till Eulenspiegel, a legendary trickster known for exposing vices and provoking thought, is said to have lived in Mölln the last year of his life. He apparently died of the plague in 1350, but his existence has never been proven. Mölln has several monuments dedicated to him.

3322 - Hamburg, Germany

Happy birthday to me! What a lovely handmade card from the sender. Beautiful penmanship. Am Rothenbaum is the site of the main court of the German Open Tennis Championships. The International German Open has been played at the Rothernbaum since 1892, making it Germany's longest running tennis tournament. The current stadium was built in 1999 and can hold 13 200 people.

3232 - Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light was built in 1882. There were nine keepers of the light until 1897. It was redesigned in 1903 and is 12 meters high. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was started in 1872 and wasn't opened for large-scale watercraft until 1890. The canal is 2.1 kilometers long that goes from Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan to Green Bay. There are no locks on this canal. The canal was sold to the United States government in 1893 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal.

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