A city with almost a thousand years of history, recorded in 1085, Lutsk historically served as an administrative, cultural and religious center inVolhynia. The city contains several landmarks in various styles, includingRenaissance,Baroque andNeoclassical, the most known being the medievalLubart's Castle.
Lutsk is an ancientSlavic town, mentioned in theHypatian Chronicle asLuchesk in the records of 1085. The etymology of the name is unclear. There are three hypotheses: the name may have been derived from the Old Slavic wordluka (an arc or bend in a river), or the name may have originated fromLuka (the chieftain of theDulebs), an ancient Slavic tribe living in this area. The name may also have been created afterLuchanii (Luchans), an ancient branch of the tribe mentioned above.
According to the legend, Luchesk dates from the 7th century. The first known documentary reference dates were from the year 1085. In the 11th century, along with the region of Volhynia, the town was contested by theKyivan Rus' andPoland.[3] The town served as the capital of a separate principality from 1154, and after 1225 came under the rule of thePrincipality of Volhynia with the capital inVolodymyr, later part ofGalicia-Volhynia.[4] The town grew around a wooden stronghold built by a local branch of theRurik Dynasty. At certain times the location functioned as the capital of the principality, but the town did not become an important centre of commerce or culture.[citation needed]
The town began to prosper during the period of Lithuanian rule. PrinceLubart (died 1384), son ofGediminas, who ruled Lutsk starting from 1340,[4] erectedLubart's Castle as part of his fortification programme. From 1385, the city was part of thePolish-Lithuanian union, yet it remained an object of Lithuanian-Polish rivalry. Polish KingWładysław II Jagiełło appointed Polishstarosts, brought inDominican monks and staffed the Catholic bishopric, intending to connect it to the PolishArchdiocese of Lwów, while Lithuanian DukeVytautas sought to diminish Polish influence and develop the city to become Lithuania's second capital afterVilnius.[5] Vytautas invited colonists (mostlyJews,Tatars, andCrimean Karaites).[5] In 1427 he transferred the Catholic bishopric from Volodymyr to Luchesk. Vytautas was the last monarch to use the title of "Duke of Volhynia" and to reside in Lubart's Castle.
The town grew rapidly, and by the end of the 15th century, there were 19 Orthodox and two Catholic churches. It was the seat of twoChristian bishops, one Catholic and one Orthodox. Because of that, the town was sometimes nicknamed "theVolhynian Rome." The cross symbol of Lutsk features the highest Lithuanian Presidential award, theOrder of Vytautas the Great.[citation needed]
In 1432, Volhynia became afief of theCrown of the Kingdom of Poland and Lutsk became the seat of the governors, and later the Marshalls of the Land of Volhynia. That same year, the city was grantedMagdeburg rights by King Władysław II Jagiełło.[6] Between 1440 and 1453 the city once again served as capital of theappanage Principality of Volhynia underSvitrigaila.[4] It was one of the minor centers ofArmenians in Poland, with an Armenian church.[7] In 1497,Alexander Jagiellon confirmed the city's oldprivileges.[6] In 1569, Volhynia was fully incorporated into the Polish kingdom and the town became the capital of both the Łuck powiat andVolhynian Voivodeship in theLesser Poland Province. After theUnion of Lublin, the local Orthodox bishop converted toEastern Catholicism. AJesuit college was established in Lutsk. The LutskBrotherhood of the Holy Cross, founded in 1617, contributed to the foundation of anOrthodox school in 1621.[4]
The city continued to prosper as an important economic centre of the region. By the mid-17th century, Łuck had approximately 50,000 inhabitants and was one of the largest towns in the area[citation needed]. During theKhmelnytsky Uprising, the town was seized by the forces ofcolonel Kolodko. Up to 4,000 people were slaughtered, approximately 35,000 fled, and the city was looted and partially burnt. It never fully recovered. In 1781, the city was struck by a fire which destroyed 440 houses, both cathedrals, and several other churches. In 1788, Łuck was the 25th largest city of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[8] The city embraced theConstitution of 3 May 1791.[8]
In 1795, as a result of theThird Partition of Poland, theRussian Empire annexed Lutsk. The Voivodeship was liquidated and the town lost its significance as the capital of the province (which was moved toZhytomyr), becoming a centre of one of thecounties. After theNovember Uprising (1830–1831), efforts increased to remove Polish influence. Polish schools were closed in 1831 and Catholic monasteries were seized in 1840–1853.[9] Russian became the dominant language in official circles. Though, the Ukrainian population continued to speakUkrainian; the Polish population spokePolish; and the Jewish population spokeYiddish (only in private circles). TheGreek Catholic churches was turned intoOrthodox Christian ones, which led to the self-liquidation of the Uniates here. In 1845, another great fire struck the city, resulting in further depopulation. By 1864 only around 5,000 inhabitants lived in Lutsk.[4]
In 1850, three major forts were built around Lutsk, and the town became a small fortress calledMikhailogorod. Neglected under Russian rule, by the late 19th century, the city lost its leading economic position in Volhynia toRivne,Kovel andZdolbuniv.[9] As of 1897 Lutsk had 14,800 inhabitants, 79% of themJews. By 1912 the city's population had risen to 26,600.[4]
During theFirst World War, the town was seized byAustria-Hungary on 29 August 1915. The town sustained a small amount of damage. During more than a year of Austro-Hungarian occupation, Lutsk became an important military centre with the headquarters of the IV Army under ArchdukeJosef Ferdinand stationed there. A plague ofepidemic typhus decimated the city's inhabitants.
On 4 June 1916, four Russian armies under generalAleksei Brusilov started what later became known as theBrusilov Offensive. After up to three days of heavy artillery barrage, theBattle of Lutsk began. On 7 June 1916 the Russian forces reconquered the city.
During thePolish-Ukrainian War, on 16 May 1919, Lutsk was taken over by the forces of Poland'sBlue Army after a heavy battle with theKholmdivision of theUkrainian People's Army.[10][4] The city was devastated and largely depopulated. It witnessed theSoviet offensive of 1920 and was taken on 12 July 1920. It was recaptured by Poland's 45th Rifles regiment and field artillery on 15 September 1920.[11] According to American sociologist Alexander Gella "the Polish victory [over the Red Army] had gained twenty years of independence not only for Poland but at least for an entire central part of Europe.[12] Łuck was designated by the newly-reborn nation ofPoland as the capital of theWołyń Voivodeship.
Office of the Wołyń Voivodeship in interwar Poland
The population of Lutsk grew from 21,200 in 1921 to 35,600 in 1931.[4] The city was connected by railroad toLviv (then Lwów) andPrzemyśl. Several brand new factories were built both in Łuck and on its outskirts producing farming equipment, wood, and leather products among other consumer goods. New mills andbreweries opened. An orphanage was built, and a big new bursary. The first high school was soon inaugurated. In 1937, an airport was established in Łuck with an area of 69 hectares (170 acres).[11]
Under the Polish rule during the 1920s and 1930s Lutsk served as the main centre of the Ukrainian community in Western Volhynia. A branch ofProsvita functioned in the city between 1918 and 1932, when it was liquidated by Polish authorities, followed by thePeter Mohyla society. A private gymnasium, a theatre and several cultural and religious organizations were organized by local Ukrainians, and the city became a centre of Ukrainian publishing.[4]
The 13thKresowy Light Artillery Regiment was stationed in the city, together with aŁuckNational Defense (Poland) Battalion. In 1938, construction of a large modern radio transmitter began in the city (seePolish Radio Łuck). As of 1 January 1939 Łuck had 39,000 inhabitants (approximately 17,500 Jews and 13,500 Poles). The powiat formed around the town had 316,970 inhabitants, including 59% Ukrainians, 19.5% Poles, 14% Jews and approximately 23,000Czechs andGermans.
On Thursday 7 September 1939, at about 5 p.m., the Polish government, which had leftWarsaw the day before, arrived at Łuck. German intelligence quickly found out about it, and the city was twice bombed by theLuftwaffe, on 11 and 14 September. After panzer units of theWehrmacht had crossed theBug river, on 14 September the government of Poland left Łuck and headed southwards, toKosów Huculski, which at that time was located near the Polish–Romanian border.
As a result of theinvasion of Poland from both sides and theMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Łuck, along with the rest of western Volyn, was annexed by the Soviet Union. Most of the factories (including the almost-finished radio station) were dismantled and sent east to Russia. Approximately 10,000 of the city's Polish inhabitants (chiefly ethnic Poles, but alsoPolish Jews) were deported in cattle trucks toKazakhstan and 1,550 were arrested by theNKVD.[13][14]
Destroyed synagogue during World War II
After the start ofOperation Barbarossa the city was captured by theWehrmacht on 25 June 1941.Thousands of Polish and Ukrainian prisoners were shot by the retreating NKVD responsible for political prisons. The inmates were offered amnesty and in the morning ofJune 23 ordered to exit the building en masse. They were gunned down by Soviet tanks.[15] Some 4,000 captives including Poles, Jews and Ukrainians were massacred.[16]
Upon Nazi occupation, most of the Jewish inhabitants of the city were forced into a newŁuck Ghetto and then murdered at the execution site on Górka Połonka hill not far from the city.[17] In total, more than 25,000 Jews were executed there at point-blank range,[18] men, women and children.[19] The Łuck Ghetto was liquidated entirely throughthe Holocaust by bullets.[20] In 1941–1942, the German occupiers also operated aforced labour camp for Jews in the city.[21] During themassacres of Poles in Volhynia approximately 10,000 Poles were murdered by theUkrainian Insurgent Army in the area. It was captured by theRed Army on 2 February 1944.
After the end of the war, the remaining Polish inhabitants of the city were expelled, mostly to the areas that are sometimes referred to as the PolishRegained Territories. The city became an industrial centre in theUkrainian SSR. The major changes in the city's demographics had the final result that by the end of the war, the city was almost entirely Ukrainian. During theCold War, the city hosted theLutsk air base.
Under the Soviet rule Lutsk became a centre of food production, as well ascasting, mechanical, machine-building, construction andlight industry. A pedagogical school (nowLesya Ukrainka Volyn National University), adrama theatre, a philharmonic hall and a museum were opened in the city.[4]
As one of the largest cities in western Ukraine, Lutsk became the seat of the General Consulate of Poland in 2003.[22]
On 21 July 2020, ahostage crisis took place, involving a man armed with a firearm and explosives who stormed a bus and took 16 peoplehostage at about 9:25 a.m. Police said that they had identified the hostage-taker and that he had expressed dissatisfaction with "Ukraine's system" on social media.Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy said that shots gas had been heard and that the bus had been damaged. The incident led to police blocking off the city centre. The standoff was eventually resolved after several hours, with all of the hostages being freed and the hostage taker being arrested.[23][24][25]
Fire at a fuel depot in Lutsk after Russian shelling on 27 March 2022
On 11 March 2022, as part of theRussian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army fired four missiles at Lutsk military airfield killing two Ukrainian servicemen and wounding six.[26] On 27 March, a fuel depot in Lutsk was struck by a Russian missile.[27] The city took in refugees from Ukrainian territories affected by warfare.[28] As of 28 March 2022, there were 15,000 refugees accommodated in Lutsk and the surrounding area.[29] Their number increased to about 68,000 by 9 June.[30] On 22 October, a missile strike was launched at a local energy infrastructure facility.[31] On the night of 9 July 2025, Russian forces launched a massive drone strike, targeting Lutsk in particular.[32]
The earliest reference to a Jewish presence in Lutsk dates to 1409, in 1432 the Jews of the town were granted the same rights as their counterparts inKrakow andLithuania. The Jews of the city were affected by the expulsions of theJews from Lithuania but both theRabbinic andKaraite communities were reestablished in 1503. In 1552 56 of the 229 households in Lutsk were Jewish and they made their revenues by leasing the revenues of the Lutskcustoms house. But during theKhmelnytsky Uprising the Jews of the city were massacred and by the uprising end only 32 of the 75 households survived. By 1662 the Jews accounted for half of the population of Lutsk and the city was one of main centers ofJudaism in Volhynia. Despite blood libels in 1696 and 1764 and despite oppression but the Russian Empire, the Jewish population continued to grow and by 1897 they numbered 9468 and were 60% of the cities population.[33]
By the end of the eighteenth century, severalHasidic groups had established themselves in the city, and by the 1830's a small circle ofmaskilim had also established themselves. During the earlytwentieth century, aprivate school, aTalmud Torah for poor children, and ayeshiva were established, and duringWorld War I, under threat threat of war or expulsions the city's Jews entrusted their relics to the ethnographerS. An-sky. From 1918-1920 under threat of thepogroms of Russian Civil War, Jewish self-defense groups were active in the city. In theinterwar period, the town became a provincial Jewish center with active political parties, Jewish participation in government, and successfully elected a Jew to theSejm; Jewish cultural life included newspapers, schools, a Beit Yosef yeshiva, and about 50 synagog, and from 1929 to 1939 the community was led by Rabbi Zalman Sorotskin, with Jews numbering 15,879, about 40 percent of the population, in 1937. After theSoviet annexation in 1939, Jewish institutions were closed and leaders arrested, and following theGermaninvasion, pogroms, mass shootings, ghettoization, and deportations to concentration camps led to the murder of more than 25,000 Jews in the city duringthe Holocaust, though some prisoners resisted during the liquidation of a labor camp in December 1942.
After the Soviets recaptured the city in 1944, only about 150 Jews returned, and by 1959 just 600 remained, while Jewish sites, including synagogues and cemeteries, were repurposed or destroyed. By the 1990's only 160 Jews were left in city with most of them being elderly.[33]
According to a survey conducted by theInternational Republican Institute in April–May 2023, 98% of the city's population spoke Ukrainian at home, and 1% spoke Russian.[36]
Lutsk is an important centre of industry. Factories producing cars, shoes,bearings,furniture, machines andelectronics, as well as weaveries, steel mills and achemical plant are located in the area.
VGP JSC – manufacture of sanitary and hygienic products
SKF – manufacture of bearings, seals, lubrication and lubrication systems, maintenance products, mechatronics products, power transmission products and related services globally
Museum of Regional Studies. Address: Shopena St. 20
Museum of Ukrainian army and ammunition opened in 1999. Address: Lutsk, vul. Taborishi 4
Museum of Volyn Icon was opened in August 1993. A relatively small museum in the centre of the town. Has some interesting and very old icons. Address: vul. Yaroshchuka 5. (behind the Lesia Ukrainka Volyn State University)
^Beider, Alexander (2012)."Eastern Yiddish Toponyms of German Origin"(PDF).Yiddish Studies Today. ISBN 978-3-943460-09-4, ISSN 2194-8879 (düsseldorf university press, Düsseldorf 2012). Retrieved26 December 2023.
^Stopka, Krzysztof (2010). "Ormianie". In Kopczyński, Michał; Tygielski, Wojciech (eds.).Pod wspólnym niebem. Narody dawnej Rzeczypospolitej (in Polish). Warszawa: Muzeum Historii Polski, Bellona. p. 118.ISBN978-83-11-11724-2.
^abAntoni Tomczyk (2013)."Łuck - Miasto bliskie sercom naszym".Kresowe Stanice. Stowarzyszenie Rodzin Osadników Wojskowych i Cywilnych Kresów Wschodnich. Retrieved18 June 2013.
^Sangal, Aditi; Caldwell, Travis; Regan, Helen; Woodyatt, Amy; Chowdhury, Maureen; Kurts, Jason; Snowdon, Kathryn (28 March 2022)."It's 2 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know".CNN. No. 28 March 2022 Russia-Ukraine Notices. p. 1.Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved15 April 2022.
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