Navahrudak, Novgorodok or Novogrudok (Belarusian: Навагрудак, IPA: [nava'ɣrudak]; Russian: Новогрудок) also known as Polish: Nowogródek an Lithuanian: Naugardukas) is a city in the Hrodna voblast, Belarus. The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast (Гродзенская вобласць Гродненская область is a Voblast ( Province) in northwestern Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east

Early history

Ruins of Navahrudak Castle, by Napoleon Orda. Napoleon Orda ( Febr 11, 1807 -- April 26, 1883) was a Polish-Lithuanian Belarusian ref name="Album_widoków"> musician

First mentioned in the Hypatian Codex under 1252 as Novogorodok (i. The Hypatian Codex ( Hypatian Chronicle, Ipatiev Chronicle, Ипатьевская летопись is a compendium of three Chronicles Primary Chronicle e. "new little town") the town was a major settlement in the remote western lands of the Krivichs that came under the control of the Kievan Rus at the end of the 10th century. The Krivichi (Крывічы Kryvičý Кривичи krʲivʲi'tɕi was one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan Later hypothesis is disputed, as there are earliest archaeological findings from 11th century only. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos ^[1]

In the 13th century, the fragile unity of the Rus disintegrated due to nomadic incursions from Asia, which reached a climax with the Mongol Horde's sacking of Kiev (1240), leaving a geopolitical vacuum in the region, which was known as Black Ruthenia at the time. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Black Ruthenia, Black Rus' or Black Russia are variant term used for a region around Novgorodok (Navahrudak in the western part of contemporary Belarus The Early East Slavs splintered along preexisting tribal lines into a number of independent and competing principalities. The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages.

Mindaugas of Lithuania made use of the plight to annex Navahrudak, which also became part of Kingdom of Lithuania ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}, later Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca The Kingdom of Lithuania was a Lithuanian Monarchy which existed from 1251 to roughly 1263 The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje During the 16th century, Maciej Stryjkowski was the first who, in his chronicle ^[9], proposed theory, that Navahrudak became the capital of the 13th century state. Maciej Stryjkowski (also referred to as Strykowski and Strycovius; ca This statement is supported by several other scholars, while others dispute this notion, mainly because contemporary chronicles of the 13th century do not give any reference about Navahrudak as capital, even stating that city was transferred to the king of Halych-Volhynia ^[10]. The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was Vaišvilkas, the son and successor of Mindaugas, took monastic vows in Lavrashev Monastery^[11]near Novgorodok and founded an Orthodox convent there. Vaišelga or Vaišvilkas (also spelled as Vojszalak, Vojšalk, Vaišalgas, killed on December 9 1268) was the Prince ^[12]

Later history

Navahrudak was a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth following the Union of Lublin in 1569. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia In 1795 it was incorporated into Grodno Governorate of Imperial Russia due to the Partitions of Poland. The Grodno Governorate, ( Гро́дненская губе́рнiя, gubernia grodzieńska Gardino gubernija was a Governorate ( Guberniya The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the In the First World War, it was under German occupation from 1915 to 1918, and was occupied by the Polish Army at first, later the Red Army, during the Polish-Bolshevik war. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Polish Land Forces (Wojska Lądowe RP is a branch of Poland 's Armed Forces. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya It was returned to Poland by the treaty of Riga, following which Navahrudak became the capital of Nowogródek voivodship. The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga; (Ри́жский ми́рный договóр -- Romanisation Rízhsky Mírny dogovór --, Rīgas

Ruins of Navahrudak Castle. Current state.

Soviet troops entered the city in September 1939 and it was annexed into the Byelorussian SSR. The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (abbreviated as Byelorussian SSR or BSSR) (Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка In the administrative division of the new territories, the city briefly (2nd of November to 4th of December) was the centre of the Navahrudak Voblast. Navahrudak Voblast or Novogrudak Oblast (Навагрудская Вобласць Новогрудская Область was a Voblast of the Byelorussian Afterwards the administrative centre moved to Baranavichy Voblast, the city became the centre of the Navahrudak Raion (15th of January 1940). Baranavichy Oblast (Баранавіцкая вобласць Барановичская Область was a territorial unit in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic created On the 22nd of June 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the USSR and Navahrudak was occupied on the 4th of July following one of the more tragic events when the Red Army was surrounded in what's known as the Novogrudok Cauldron. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 During German occupation it became part of the Ostland. Reichskommissariat Ostland was the German name for the Nazi civil administration of part of the occupied Eastern territories of the Third Reich, occupied Partisan resistance immediately began, with most famous Bielski partisans made of Jewish volunteers operated in the region. The Bielski partisans (the official name was changed several times was the largest group of the Jewish partisans in the course of the World War II who fought against The Red Army liberated the city almost exactly three years after its occupation on 8th July 1944. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya During the war more than 45 thousand people were killed in the city and in the surrounding area, and over 60% of housing was destroyed.

After the war, the BSSR retained the city, and rapid rebuilding process quickly restored most of the destroyed infrastructure. On 8th of July 1954, following the disestablishment of the Baranavichy Voblast, the rajon, along with Navahrudak became part of the Hrodna Voblast, in which it remains to this day, in modern Belarus. Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast (Гродзенская вобласць Гродненская область is a Voblast ( Province) in northwestern Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east

Navahrudak was an important Jewish center. It was the birthplace of the Musar movement as well as the hometown of Yiddish lexicograph Alexander Harkavy. Alexander Harkavy ( אַלעקסאַנדר האַרקאַווי Александр Гаркави Aleksandr Garkavi, May 5, 1863, born

Sights

The stone castle, so called Mindaugas' Castle, built in the 14th century is now in ruins; as it was burnt down by the Swedes in 1710. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca The Orthodox Cathedral of Sts. Boris and Gleb, started in 1519 in the Gothic style, was not completed until the 1630s; it was extensively repaired in the 19th century. Other architectural attractions include the Transfiguration Church (1712–23), where Adam Mickiewicz was baptised, and the Church of St. Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (pronounced ] in Belarusian, Адам Міцкевіч; in Lithuanian, Adomas Bernardas Mickevičius; December Michael, renovated in 1751 and 1831.

Navahradak was an important shtetl and home to the Harkavy Jewish family, including Alexander Harkavy. A shtetl (שטעטל diminutive form of Yiddish shtot שטאָט "town" pronounced very similarly to the South German diminutive "Städtle" "little Harkavy is surname which may refer to Abraham Harkavy (1839-1919 historian Alexander Harkavy (1863 -1939 writer Alexander Harkavy ( אַלעקסאַנדר האַרקאַווי Александр Гаркави Aleksandr Garkavi, May 5, 1863, born Some of the Harkavy are buried at the old Jewish cemetery of Navahrudak. A house is shown where the poet Adam Mickiewicz was born; there are also his statue and the "Mound of Immortality", created in his honour by the Polish administration in 1924–31. Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (pronounced ] in Belarusian, Адам Міцкевіч; in Lithuanian, Adomas Bernardas Mickevičius; December Mound of Immortality (Курган Бессмертия Kurgan Bessmertiya is the name of several memorials/monuments in several places of the former Soviet Union that commemorate

Notes and references

External links

• City administration
• Photos on Radzima.org