Vitebsk (Ві́цебск), Belarus

The Marc Chagall Home Museum in Vitebsk
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BY_Vitebsk_Mark_Chagall_Home_Museum1.jpg
Author: Paju


Vitebsk (Belarusian: Ві́цебск, Russian: Ви́тебск), in northeastern Belarus, is the fourth largest city in the country. Located not far from the border with Russia, the city has a population of 345,000 people (2011 estimate). It is located by the Vitba River.

Vitebsk is said to have been founded in AD 947, though the story of its founding is based on legend. The earliest recorded mention of the city appeared in 1021. Vitebsk was a seat of a minor principality in the 12th and 13th century, before being incorporated, in 1320, into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

When Poland and Lithuania formed a union in 1569, Vitebsk became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Over the centuries, the Commonwealth declined in power, until it was eventually partitioned between Russia, Prussia and Austria. Vitebsk became part of the Russian Empire following the First Partition of Poland in 1772.

View of Lenin Street in Vitebsk, Belarus
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BY_Vitebsk_central_Lenin_Street.jpg
Author: Paju


By the turn of the 20th century, Vitebsk had a sizable Jewish population. Perhaps the most famous Jew to come out of Vitebsk was the famous painter Marc Chagall. The Jewish population was to drop significantly during the Second World War, as the Nazis implemented widescale genocide. Many also perished in the Vitebsk Ghetto massacre on 11 July 1941.

After the Second World War, Vitebsk became part of the Soviet Union, under the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. When the Soviet Union collapsed, it became a city within the independent state of Belarus.

Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, Vitebsk
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitebsk-blagoveschcerkov.jpg
Author: Andrey Schelkunov


Despite the upheavals of the past century, Vitebsk has managed to restore and preserve many of its historic buildings which are now getting the attention of tourists to the city.

Visiting Vitebsk

The most practical way to reach Vitebsk is to take a train from Minsk.

Sights & Attractions in Vitebsk

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