Vitebsk - City Information

Vitebsk info

Vitsyebsk, city in northeastern Belarus, capital of Vitsyebsk Oblast. Vitsyebsk is a port on the Daugava River and an important railroad junction and industrial center. Population (1996 estimate) 356,400.

The city developed from the river harbor. According to the official legend it was founded by Olga of Kiev in 947. In the middle ages it was the part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and in 1772 it was taken over by Russian Empire in the First Partition of Poland. As a part of Imperial Russia the town had large Jewish population. The most famous of its Jewish natives was the painter Marc Chagall. During the Second World War, the city was under German occupation and most of the local Jews perished in the Vitebsk Ghetto massacre. Vitebsk was almost totally destroyed. 93% of its residential area was in ruins. The city was liberated by the Red Army on 23 June 1944. Only 118 citizens out of 167,3 thousand people of Vitebsk survived the war.

The city was rebuild in after war years and became industrial center with machinery, construction materials, foodstuffs, and clothing as the leading industries.

Vitebsk is a part of Independent Belarus since 1990. As the other Belarus cities it survived the economical crisis and gradually revived from the beginning of the 21st century. Free Economic Zone "Vitebsk" was established in 1999. Vitebsk Ice Palace was built, the building of the Central Stadium reconstructed, new residential areas are being built.

Vitebsk main sights include one of the oldest buildings in the country - 12th-century the Annunciation Church, rebuilt and restored in 1992; Marc Chagall Museum, WWII Museum, Vitebsk Zoo.

Since 1992, Vitebsk has been hosting the annual Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, an international art festival. Its main program is devoted to Slavic music.

More about Vitebsk at Wikipedia

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