Maladzyechna Molodechno | |
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 .jpg)  From top, left to right: Park, Prytytskaha Street, College | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Maladzyechna | |
| Coordinates:54°19′15″N26°51′26″E / 54.32083°N 26.85722°E /54.32083; 26.85722 | |
| Country | Belarus |
| Region | Minsk Region |
| District | Maladzyechna District |
| First mentioned | 16 December 1388 |
| Area | |
• Total | 30 km2 (10 sq mi) |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
• Total | 89,068 |
| • Density | 3,000/km2 (7,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK) |
| Postal code | 222301-10 |
| Area code | +375 176 |
| License plate | 5 |
| Website | Official site |
Maladzyechna orMolodechno (Belarusian:Маладзечна,romanized: Maladziechna,[a]IPA:[maɫaˈdzʲetʂna];Russian:Молодечно;Polish:Mołodeczno) is a town inMinsk Region,Belarus.[1] It serves as the administrative centre ofMaladzyechna District (and formerly ofMolodechno Region from 1944 to 1960).[1] Maladzyechna is located 72 kilometres (45 mi) northwest ofMinsk. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 98,514 inhabitants.[2] As of 2024, it has a population of 89,068.[1]
Located on theUsha River, it has been a settlement since 1388 when it was part of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. It was also home to theCold War facilityMaladzyechna air base.
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Thefortification on the right bank of theUsha River [ru] was first mentioned in 1388, although it is probable it was erected even before that date. Rectangular earthworks with stone walls 3,5 metres high and 11 metres wide formed the basis of the future castles and military camps formed on that location.[3] The town itself was first mentioned the following year in a document issued byKaributas, Prince ofSeverian Novgorod, who on December 16 assured his tributary fidelity to his cousin, KingWładysław II Jagiełło andJadwiga of Poland.[4]
In 1501, the Maladzyechna was donated by KingSigismund I the Old to certain Michael ofMstsislaw, on the condition that the latter provided a safe river passage for the nobles and hunters dwelling in the area. The privilege was further confirmed on July 12, 1511.[5]
After Michael's heirless death, the locality passed through different hands until finally in 1567 it was acquired by PrincessNastazja Zbaraska, wife of Stafan Zbaraski, thevoivode of Trakai.[4] In 1568, that is the following year, a battle took place in the vicinity of the castle, in which the 40,000 men strong army of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth defeated the forces ofMuscovy. In 1617 it was bought byLew Sapieha, theGrand Chancellor of Lithuania.[4] Around that time the village had 1,000 inhabitants. On August 20, 1631, Sapieha sold it to Stanisław Szemiott, the chamberlain ofSamogitia, who then divided the villages surrounding Maladziečna among his sons.[4] Following a testament conflict between the descendants of Szemiott andAleksander Gosiewski, the Voivode ofSmolensk, the town remained a property of the Gosiewski family. During their ownership of Maladziečna the fortifications were extended and strengthened significantly by addition of severalbastions. Around that time Maladziečna started to be referred to as a town, even though it was officially a village and was not granted with a city charter. Nevertheless, it served as a centre of trade and commerce for the surrounding villages and also gained significant profits from transit between Lithuania and Poland. In 1708 the castle was one of the headquarters of theSwedish Army of KingCharles XII of Sweden, which led to its partial devastation in the effect of a battle between the Swedes and the Russian forces.
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On September 18, 1711, BishopBogusław Gosiewski, sold the town to the mightyOgiński family.[4] Among the owners of the area wereKazimierz Ogiński andTadeusz Ogiński, the Castellan ofTrakai (Lithuania). The Ogiński family became the main benefactors of the area, as they made it one of the main centres of their domain. They erected a new, classicist palace with notable frescoes, as well as a late renaissance church. It was also them to ask the kingSigismund II Augustus to grant the town with a city charter. Although it was not granted, in 1730 the monarch granted the town with the privilege of organization of two fairs a year and 2 markets every week. In mid-18th century the Ogiński's also founded a monastery of theTrinitarians there.[4]
Within theGrand Duchy of Lithuania, Maladziečna was part ofMinsk Voivodeship.
In 1793, Maladziečna was acquired by theRussian Empire as a result of theSecond Partition of Poland. The palace was abandoned soon afterwards. The castle was also neglected. During the final stages ofNapoleon's invasion of Russia it was there that theGrande Armée made its last stand in former Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In early November 1812Napoleon Bonaparte gave his last orders to his marshals there, after which he left forVilnius. On November 21 of that year the Polish-born Russian generalYefim Chaplits arrived at the French camp there and defeated the already-routed French forces led byMarshal Victor. In the effect of the fights the town was completely demolished, as were the monastery and the castle. Because of that, in mid-19th century the town had not more than 500 inhabitants.
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It was not until the later part of the century that the town started to gradually recover. In 1864 a Russian-language school was opened there and in 1871 anOrthodox church ofIntercession of Our Most Holy Lady was built at the main town square. In 1873 it was linked to the world by theMinsk–Vilna railway, which sparked a period of economic recovery of the entire region. In early 20th century an additional rail line was opened, linkingSaint Petersburg andPolotsk withLida andSiedlce. This made the town a major railway junction and attracted many new settlers, in large part Jewish. By the outbreak of World War I the town had already over 2,000 inhabitants.
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During the war, the town was the headquarters of the Russian 10th Army of the Western Front. Between February and December 1918 it was under German occupation, but was then seized by theBolshevik forces during theRussian Civil War. On July 4, 1919, the town was captured by thePolish Army units led by Gen.Stanisław Szeptycki,[3] during their advance towards Minsk. However, the town was again held by the Russian forces in the course of thePolish–Soviet War between 12 July 1920 and 12 October 1920. Following theRiga Peace Treaty it was transferred to theSecond Polish Republic, but the border between Poland and the Soviet Union was only 30 kilometres to the east, which cut Mołodeczno, as the town was known in Polish, from much of its economical background.
It became agarrison town of the Polish Army, with the 86th Infantry Regiment stationed there since 1922.[6] To counter the threat of economic decline, it became a capital of separatepowiat (county) within theWilno Voivodeship on April 1, 1927,[7][8][9] and on April 26, 1929, the town was granted withcity rights and its city limits were expanded.[10]
On 17 September 1939, Maladzyechna wasoccupied by the Red Army and, on 14 November 1939, incorporated into theByelorussian SSR. On 4 December 1939, Maladzyechna became a part of the newly formedVileyka Region of the Byelorussian SSR. TheNKVD expropriated the local school for teachers and set up one of itsconcentration camps there.
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From 25 June 1941 until 5 July 1944, Maladzyechna wasoccupied by Nazi Germany and administered as a part of theGeneralbezirk Weißruthenien ofReichskommissariat Ostland. On 13 and 18 July, the GermanSonderkommando 7a andEinsatzkommando 9 committed massacres of some 100 people, almost entirely Jews.[11] In June 1942, theJewish ghetto was liquidated with some 700 Jews massacred near the city by theSicherheitsdienst, and then some 25–30 Jews from a localforced labour camp were massacred on 7 September 1942, and the camp was eventually dissolved in July 1943 with the remaining Jews deported toWilejka.[11] In addition, the German Wehrmacht has set up the infamousStalag 342 for the Soviet prisoners of war there, in which at least 30,000 people were killed.[3]
On 5 July 1944, the advancingRed Army recaptured Maladzyechna in the course of theVilnius Offensive. The town resumed its status as a part of theByelorussian SSR. The heavy damage thatVileyka suffered during the war made it unsuitable to perform the role of the administrative centre, thus Maladzyechna, which was located only 20 kilometres away from Vileyka, became the new administrative centre when the civilian control was restored in the BSSR on 20 September 1944.
Molodechno Region also survived the 1954 reform which halved the amount of regions in the BSSR, but on 20 January 1960, the Region was disestablished, and the town of Maladzyechna became part of the modernMinsk Region, in which it remains today as part of the Republic of Belarus.
HC Dynama-Maladzechna of theBelarusian Extraleague is the local pro hockey team.
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Near Maladziečna there is a VLF-transmitter for transmittingtime signals.
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1 Administrative center of Minsk Region but administratively separated | ||
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