During the history the Dvina River was a big and active water-road of international importance. Here, in favorable and unbelievably beautiful place the small settlement of Kopez Gorodok (means “earth fortress”) has been founded by new tribes in Podvinje – the Slaves - approximately in X century. The Dvina River in this time was a part of grandiose transnational transport corridor - a way "from the varagians to Greek". Asks, snaekas and lodjas of the Vikings - the best Europeans merchants and warriors of that time were passing near the Kopez. Later, the Kopez fortress was a shelter for the capital of Polotsk from quite often attacks of the Livonian Order knights. The first mentioning about the fortresses in the mouth of the Disna River is just connected with one of such foray (1374 AD).

Disna became the real full-fledged city in 1569 when the second Coat of Arms (the Rook) and the self-governing privilege (the Magdeburg Right) have been granted by the Grand Duke of Sigizmund August. The city was built by regular plan designed by German architect Hedemann. At the same time the castle of Kopez was extended by S. Gengo – architect who had been invited from Italian city of Urbino .

During the Livonian War Disna was a residence of the king Stephan Batory, gathering place of the huge army prepared for assaulting Polotsk - taken over by Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The events of Russian-Swedish North war (1700-1721) fortunately skirted Disna but within those years city burned out completely twice. Even Alexander Menshikov the head city administrator and very rich prince couldn't prevent Disna decay.

City of Disna was known for its tolerance. Several Christian denominations (Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Uniats and Protestants) peacefully coexisted here. The Orthodox Priory of Resurrection and the Catholic Monastery of Franciscans were functioning in Disna. By the XIX century the population of Disna increased due to Jews (as a majority of Belarussian cities). By the beginning of the following XX century Jews became the prevailing inhabitants in Disna. During the World War II this nation suffered the great disaster. 3800 Jews were murdered in Disna in 1942; it was nearly the half of the city population before the war!

For decades the city population doesn't exceed 2,5 thousand but it was more then 10 000!

You can fell the spirit of the small town of XIX century in Disna. It's the place where balls were conducted by local nobility on Christmas, where Adam Mickevich poetized to the landlords wives, where the professional Belarussian theatre has been founded by Ignat Buynickij, where you can find small paved streets.

Today Disna is the smallest town in Belarus . Loss of navigation along the Dvina River and railway construction afar of Disna was a reason of including it into the Miory district in 1959 becoming the town of regional submission.

Nowadays the population of Disna is 2420 inhabitants. There are 7 enterprises, 27 organizations, 18 outlets, 4 Christian denominations and … 9 km of the coast line, it's own island, centennial bridge, miraculous icon, clean nature and hospitable inhabitants!!! Welcome to Disna!