- Beshankovichy
Infobox Settlement
official_name = Бешанко́вічы Бешенко́вичи Biešankovičy / Beshenkovichy
nickname =
imagesize = 250px
image_
map_caption =
subdivision_type = Country Subdivision
subdivision_name =Belarus Vitebsk
leader_title =
leader_name =
established_title = First mentioned
established_date = 15th century
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 =
area_land_km2 =
area_water_km2 =
population_as_of = 2004
population_note =
population_total = 8,200
population_metro =
population_density_km2 =
timezone = EET
utc_offset = +2
timezone_DST = EEST
utc_offset_DST = +3
elevation_m =
postal_code =
area_code =
blank_name =
blank_info =
website =
footnotes =Biešankovičy also spelled Beshankovichy and Beshenkovichi ( _be. Бешанко́вічы; _ru. Бешенко́вичи, "Bashenkovichi", _pl. Bieszenkowicze) is a town in the Vitebsk Province of
Belarus and a port on theWestern Dvina river. It is 51 km west ofVitebsk on the railway line betweenOrsha andLepiel . The population is 8,200 (2004).History
In the early 16th century, the small village was part of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania ruled by the Drutskoy-Sokolinsky princes. In 1552 it numbered 34 houses.In 1630, the village was purchased by Vilnius Voivode K.
Sapieha and underwent rapid expansion and was grantedMagdeburg rights in 1634. At that time, new stone houses were built andtrade fair s were held semiannually, frequented by 4 to 5 thousand visitors fromBelarus ,Russia and abroad.After the first partition of the
Rzeczpospolita in 1772 (seeHistory of Poland (1569–1795) ), control of the village was passed to theRussian Empire . By the end of the 18th century, Beshenkovichi was a township of theLepel Uyezd and later became the center of thevolost .According to a 1897 census, the town's population was 4,423 people, there were 1,099 buildings, a post office, a telegraph, a school, 3 people's schools, 127 shops and a hospital.
Beshenkovichi was then a largely
Jewish settlement, numbering 3,182 Jewish citizens in 1900. TheJewish Encyclopedia , published between 1901 and 1906, describes the town's population as four fifths Jewish of whom 576 areartisan s. The town had asynagogue , many houses of prayer, three benevolent societies, and numerous religious schools.Under
Soviet power, Beshenkovichi became an urban settlement and was the center of theraion for several years. It later became part of the Vitebskoblast .During the
Great Patriotic War , Beshenkovichi fell under German control and was almost entirely destroyed. 10,276 persons from Beshenkovichi and theraion were massacred, including the entire Jewish population. The town was liberated onJune 25 ,1944 by the1st Baltic Front .External links
* [http://www.belarus.by/en/belarus/territory/vitebsk/beshenkovichi/] - The history of the town
* [http://www.vitebsk-region.gov.by//en/vitebsk-region/districts/beshenkovichski_rn/d5560a7bb847bd29.html Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee] - Information about the Beshenkovichy district
* [http://www.belarusguide.com/cities/besankovichy.html Belarus Guide] - Some historical photographs of Beshenkovichy
*/ru icon [http://www.regadmin.vitebsk.by/index-e.html Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee]
* [http://www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/newsletter/frey.htm The Road to Beshincovichi] - Dr. David L. Frey's search for the Jewish cemetery of Beshenkovichy
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.