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Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the
Neman River The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
border and 30 km (19 mi) away from
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. In 2019 the city had 373,547 inhabitants. Grodno is the capital of Grodno Region and Grodno District.


Alternative names

In Belarusian Classical Orthography (
Taraškievica Taraškievica or Belarusian Classical Orthography (, be, тарашкевіца / клясычны правапіс) is a variant of orthography of the Belarusian language, based on the literary norm of the modern Belarusian language, the fir ...
) the city is named as (Horadnia). In Latin it was also known as (), in Polish as , in Lithuanian as , in Latvian as , in German as , and in
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
as (Grodne).


History

The modern city of Gordno originated as a small fortress and a fortified trading outpost maintained by the
Rurikid The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
princes on the border with the lands of the
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
tribal union of the Yotvingians. The first reference to Grodno dates to 1005. ''Археографический ежегодник за 1964 год''.
The Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1965, pg. 271. The name derives from the
Old East Slavic Old East Slavic (traditionally also Old Russian; be, старажытнаруская мова; russian: древнерусский язык; uk, давньоруська мова) was a language used during the 9th–15th centuries by East ...
verb ''gorodit'', i.e., ''to enclose, to fence'' (see " grad" for details) or
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
'gardas', i.e., "a fence"(se
Lithuanian language dictionary
for details), both from an old Indo-Europeanbr>word
The official foundation year is 1127. In this year Grodno was mentioned in the
Primary Chronicle The ''Tale of Bygone Years'' ( orv, Повѣсть времѧньныхъ лѣтъ, translit=Pověstĭ vremęnĭnyxŭ lětŭ; ; ; ; ), often known in English as the ''Rus' Primary Chronicle'', the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', or simply the ...
as Goroden and located at a crossing of numerous trading routes, this
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
settlement, Along with Navahrudak, Grodno was regarded as the main city on the western borderlands of
Black Ruthenia Black Ruthenia ( la, Ruthenia Nigra), or Black Rus' ( be, Чорная Русь, translit=Čornaja Ruś; lt, Juodoji Rusia; pl, Ruś Czarna), is a historical region on the Upper Nemunas, including Novogrudok (Naugardukas), Grodno (Gardinas) a ...
. The border region neighboured the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was often attacked by various invaders, especially the Teutonic Knights. In the 1240–1250s the Grodno area, as well as the most of
Black Ruthenia Black Ruthenia ( la, Ruthenia Nigra), or Black Rus' ( be, Чорная Русь, translit=Čornaja Ruś; lt, Juodoji Rusia; pl, Ruś Czarna), is a historical region on the Upper Nemunas, including Novogrudok (Naugardukas), Grodno (Gardinas) a ...
, was controlled by princes of
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
origin ( Mindaugas and others) to form the
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
state— Grand Duchy of Lithuania—on these territories, which since 1385 formed part of the
Polish–Lithuanian union Polish–Lithuanian can refer to: * Polish–Lithuanian union (1385–1569) * Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) * Polish-Lithuanian identity as used to describe groups, families, or individuals with histories in the Polish–Lithuanian ...
. After the
Prussian uprising The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Old Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took place in the 13th century during the Prussian Crusade. The crusading military order, support ...
s a large population of Old Prussians sought refuge in the region. The famous Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas was the prince of Grodno from 1376 to 1392, and he stayed there during his preparations for the Battle of Grunwald (1410). Since 1413, Grodno had been the administrative center of a powiat in
Trakai Voivodeship lt, Trakų vaivadija pl, Województwo trockie , conventional_long_name = Trakai Voivodeship , common_name = Trakai , subdivision = Voivodeship , nation = Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1413–1569) Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) , year_ ...
.


Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

To aid the reconstruction of trade and commerce, the grand dukes allowed the creation of a Jewish commune in 1389. It was one of the first Jewish communities in the grand duchy. In 1441 the city received its charter, based on the Magdeburg Law. As an important centre of trade, commerce, and culture, Grodno was a notable
royal city Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...
and was also one of the royal residences and political centers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The
Old Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
and New Castles were often visited by the Commonwealth monarchs including famous
Stephen Báthory of Poland Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
who made a royal residence there. Kings Casimir IV Jagiellon and Stephen Báthory died there. Grodno was one of the places where the Sejms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were held, incl. the last Sejm in the history of the Commonwealth in 1793. The city was the site of two battles,
Battle of Grodno (1706) The Battle of Grodno (1706) refers to the battle during the Great Northern War. Grodno was a city of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth at this time. Background Battle The blockade of Grodno by the 31,000 men (21,000 Swedes, 10,000 Poles) ...
and Battle of Grodno (1708) during the Great Northern War. After the Second Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and a subsequent administrative reform of the remainder of the Commonwealth, Grodno became the capital of the short-lived Grodno Voivodeship in 1793. In 1795, Russia annexed the city in the Third Partition of Poland. It was in the New Castle on 25 November that year that the last Polish king and Lithuanian grand duke
Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...
abdicated Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...
. In the Russian Empire, the city continued to serve its role as a seat of Grodno Governorate since 1801. The industrial activities started in the late 18th century by
Antoni Tyzenhaus Antoni Tyzenhauz (1733 – March 31, 1785) was a noble from the Tyzenhaus family, son of Benedykt Tyzenhauz. As a personal friend of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Tyzenhaus became Treasurer of the G ...
, continued to develop. Count Aleksander Bisping was arrested and imprisoned here during the
January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
(1863-1864) before his exile to Ufa.Anderson, F.L.M., 1864, Seven Months' Residence in Russian Poland in 1863, London: Macmillan and Co. Like many other cities in Eastern Europe, Grodno had a significant Jewish population before the Holocaust: according to
Russian census of 1897 The first general census of the population of the Russian Empire in 1897 (Russian alphabet#Letters eliminated in 1917–18, pre-reform Russian: ) was the first and only nation-wide census performed in the Russian Empire (the Grand Duchy of Fi ...
, out of the total population of 46,900, Jews constituted 22,700 (around 48%, or almost half of the total population).


World War I and interwar Poland

After the outbreak of World War I, Grodno was
occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2 ...
by Germany (3 September 1915) and ceded by
Bolshevist Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918. After the war the German government permitted a short-lived state to be set up there, the first one with a ''Belarusian'' name—the Belarusian People's Republic. This declared its independence from Russia in March 1918 in Minsk (known at that time as Mensk), but then the BNR's ''Rada'' (Council) had to leave Minsk and fled to Grodno. All this time the military authority in the city remained in German hands. After the outbreak of the Polish–Bolshevik War, the German commanders of the Ober Ost feared that the city might fall to Soviet Russia, so on 27 April 1919 they passed authority to Poland, which just regained independence several months earlier. The city was taken over by the Polish Army the following day and Polish administration was established in the city. The city was lost to the Red Army on 20 July 1920 in what became known as the First Battle of Grodno. The city was also claimed by Lithuanian government, after it was agreed by the Soviet–Lithuanian Treaty of 1920 signed on 12 July 1920 in Moscow that the city would be transferred to Lithuania. However, Soviet defeat in the Battle of Warsaw made these plans obsolete, and Lithuanian authority was never established in the city. Instead, the Red Army organised its last stand in the city and the
Battle of Neman The Battle of the Niemen River (sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Grodno) was the second-greatest battle of the Polish–Soviet War. It took place near the middle Neman River between the cities of Suwałki, Grodno and Białystok. Af ...
took place there. On 23 September the Polish Army recaptured the city. After the
Peace Treaty of Riga The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga ( pl, Traktat Ryski), was signed in Riga on 18 March 1921, among Poland, Soviet Russia (acting also on behalf of Soviet Belarus) and Soviet Ukraine. The treaty ended the Polish–Soviet War. ...
, Grodno remained in Poland. Initially, prosperity was reduced due to the fact that the city remained only the capital of a powiat, while the capital of the voivodeship was moved to
Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
. However, in the late 1920s the city became one of the biggest Polish Army garrisons. This brought the local economy back on track. Also, the city was a notable centre of Jewish culture, with roughly 37% of the city's population being Jewish, while Poles constituted 60% of the inhabitants of Grodno.


World War II

During the
Polish Defensive War The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week after ...
of September to October 1939 the garrison of Grodno was mostly used for the formation of numerous military units fighting against the invading Wehrmacht. In the course of the Soviet invasion of Poland (initiated on 17 September 1939) heavy fighting took place in the city between Soviet and improvised Polish forces, composed mostly of march battalions and volunteers.''The Fate of Poles in the USSR 1939–1989'', by Tomasz Piesakowski Page 36 In the course of the Battle of Grodno (20-22 September) the Red Army lost some hundred men (according to Polish sources; according to Soviet sources – 57 killed and 159 wounded) and also 19 tanks and 4 APCs destroyed or damaged. The Polish side suffered at least 100 killed in action, military and civil, but losses still remain uncertain in detail (Soviet sources claim 644 killed and 1543 captives with many guns and machine guns etc. captured). Over 300 captured Polish defenders of the city, including Polish Army officers and youth, were massacred afterwards by the Soviets. After the Soviet forces surrounded the engaged Polish units, the escaping Polish units withdrew to Lithuania. In accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, the city was
occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2 ...
by the Soviet Union and annexed into the
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
. Several thousand of the city's
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
inhabitants were deported to remote areas of the Soviet Union. On 23 June 1941 the city came under
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
occupation that lasted until 16 July 1944. It was administered as part of the Bialystok District. Surviving inmates of the Grodno prison were released and the scale of the
NKVD prisoner massacres The NKVD prisoner massacres were a series of mass executions of political prisoners carried out by the NKVD, the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union, across Eastern Europe, primarily Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states, a ...
revealed. Institute of National Remembrance
Lato 1941 – polski dramat (Summer of 1941 – the Polish drama).
Special Issue, 22 June 2011. PDF file, 1.63 MB.
In the course of the Operation Barbarossa in World War II, the majority of Jews were herded by the Nazis into the
Grodno Ghetto The Grodno Ghetto ( pl, getto w Grodnie, be, Гродзенскае гета, he, גטו גרודנו) was a Nazi ghetto established in November 1941 by Nazi Germany in the city of Grodno for the purpose of persecution and exploitation of J ...
and subsequently killed in
extermination camps Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (german: Vernichtungslager), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocaust. The v ...
. The Germans also operated a Nazi prison in the city. Since 1945, the city has been a centre of one of the provinces of the
Byelorussian SSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
, now of the independent Republic of Belarus. Most of the Polish inhabitants were expelled or fled to Poland in 1944–1946 and 1955–1959. However nowadays Poles are still the second-most numerous nationality in the city (25%), after Belarusians (60%).


Jewish community

Jews began to settle in Grodno in the 14th century after the approval given to them by the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas. During the next years, their status had changed several times and in 1495 the Jews were deported from the city and banned from settling in Grodno (the ban was lifted in 1503). In 1560 there were 60 Jewish families in Grodno. They were concentrated on the "Jewish street" with their own synagogue and "hospital". In the year 1578 the great synagogue of Grodno was built by rabbi Mordehai Yaffe (Baal ha-Levush). The synagogue was severely damaged in a fire in 1599. The community was not affected by the
Khmelnytsky uprising The Khmelnytsky Uprising,; in Ukraine known as Khmelʹnychchyna or uk, повстання Богдана Хмельницького; lt, Chmelnickio sukilimas; Belarusian language, Belarusian: Паўстанне Багдана Хмяльніц ...
but suffered during the 1655 Cossack uprising and during the war with Sweden (1703–1708). After Grodno was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1795 the Jewish population continued to grow and in 1907 there were 25,000 Jews out of a total population of 47,000. In the period of independent Poland, a yeshiva had operated in the city ( Shaar ha-Tora) under the management of Rabbi Shimon Shkop. Before the German-Soviet invasion of Poland there were about 25,000 Jews in Grodno out of 50,000 total population. During the German occupation of the city, on 1 November 1942 the Jews were concentrated in 2 ghettos. 15,000 men were confined to the old part of the city where the main synagogue was located. A high wall of 2 meters was built around the ghetto. The second ghetto was located in the Slovodka part of the city with 10,000 inhabitants. The head of the Judenrat was appointed Dr. Braur (or Brawer), the school's headmaster, who served in this duty until his execution in February 1943 during a roundup for a deportation to Treblinka. Several local Jews were rescued by Poles who either hidden them in the city or transported them to other locations. On 2 November 1942 the deportations to the death camps began and during 5 days in February 1943, 10,000 Jews were sent to
Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
. Later, on 13 February, 5,000 Jews were sent to Treblinka. During the deportations, many synagogues were looted and some people were murdered. The last Jews were deported in March 1943. By the end of the war, only one Jew had remained in the ghetto. However, a few hundred survived in the camps or in hiding in the area. Perhaps as many as 2000 survived, including those who fled or were deported to the USSR. After the war, the Jewish community was revived. Most of the Jews emigrated after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today there are several hundred Jews in the city with most of the community's activity centralized in the main synagogue that had been returned to the community by the authorities in the 1990s. The head of the community is Rabbi Yitzhak Kaufman. A memorial plaque, commemorating the 25,000 Jews who were exterminated in the two ghettos in the city of Grodno was placed on a building in Zamkavaja vulica, where the entrance to the ghetto once was.


Geography

The following rivers flow through the city: the Neman River, the Lasosna River and the Haradničanka River with its branch the
Yurysdyka The Haradnichanka, Haradnitsa ( be, Гараднічанка, Гарадніца; russian: Городничанка, Gorodnichanka; lt, Gardinėlė) is a river in Grodno and Grodno District, Belarus. The headwaters of the Haradnichanka river are ...
River.


Climate

The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is " Dfb" (Warm Summer Continental Climate).


Modern city

The city has one of the largest concentrations of
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in Belarus. It is also a centre of
Polish culture The culture of Poland ( pl, Kultura Polski ) is the product of its geography and distinct historical evolution, which is closely connected to an intricate thousand-year history. Polish culture forms an important part of western civilization and ...
, with a significant number of Poles living in Belarus residing in the city and its surroundings. The Eastern Orthodox population is also widely present. The city's Catholic and Orthodox churches are important architectural treasures. The city houses the Grodno State Medical University where many students from different parts of Belarus acquire academic degrees, as do a number of foreign students. Other higher educational establishments are
Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (russian: Гродненский государственный университет имени Янки Купалы, be, Гарадзенскі дзяржаўны унівэрсітэт імя Янк ...
(the largest education centre in Grodno Province) and Grodno State Agrarian University. To support the Polish community, a Polish school was built in 1995, where all subjects are taught in
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
and students are able to pass exams to get accepted into Polish universities.


Architecture

The town was planned to be dominated by the Old Grodno Castle, first built in stone by Grand Duke Vytautas and thoroughly rebuilt in the Renaissance style by Scotto from Parma at the behest of Stefan Batory, who made the castle his principal residence. Batory died at this palace seven years later (December 1586) and originally was interred in Grodno. (His
autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
there was the first to take place in Eastern Europe.) After his death, the castle was altered on numerous occasions, although a 17th-century stone arch bridge linking it with the city still survives. The Wettin monarchs of Poland were dissatisfied with the old residence and commissioned
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1736) was a German master builder and architect who helped to rebuild Dresden after the fire of 1685. His most famous work is the Zwinger Palace. Life Pöppelmann was born in Herford in Westphalia on 3 ...
to design the
New Grodno Castle The New Castle in Grodno, Belarus is a royal palace of Augustus III of Poland and Stanisław August Poniatowski where the famous Grodno Sejm took place in 1793. New Grodno Castle is above sea level. The royal residence was built on the high bank ...
, whose once sumptuous Baroque interiors were destroyed during World War II.


Medieval

The oldest extant structure in Grodno is the Kalozha Church of Sts. Boris and Gleb (Belarusian: ''Каложская царква''). It is the only surviving monument of ancient
Black Ruthenia Black Ruthenia ( la, Ruthenia Nigra), or Black Rus' ( be, Чорная Русь, translit=Čornaja Ruś; lt, Juodoji Rusia; pl, Ruś Czarna), is a historical region on the Upper Nemunas, including Novogrudok (Naugardukas), Grodno (Gardinas) a ...
n architecture, distinguished from other Orthodox churches by prolific use of polychrome faceted stones of blue, green or red tint which could be arranged to form crosses or other figures on the wall. The church was built before 1183 and survived intact until 1853, when the south wall collapsed, due to its perilous location on the high bank of the Neman. During restoration works, some fragments of 12th-century frescos were discovered in the apses. Remains of four other churches in the same style, decorated with pitchers and coloured stones instead of frescos, were discovered in Grodno and Vaŭkavysk. They all date back to the turn of the 13th century, as do remains of the first stone palace in the Old Castle.


Baroque

The Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier stands on
Batory Square Savieckaja Square ( be, Савецкая плошча, russian: Советская площадь, Sovetskaya Square) is the central square for the city of Grodno in Belarus. The Muraujou House ( be, Дом купца Мураўёва) located on ...
(now: Soviet Square). The cathedral was a
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
church until 1773. This specimen of high Baroque architecture, exceeding 50 metres in height, was started in 1678. Due to wars that rocked Poland-Lithuania at that time, the cathedral was consecrated only 27 years later, in the presence of
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
and Augustus the Strong. Its late Baroque frescoes were executed in 1752. The extensive grounds of the Bernardine monastery (1602–18), renovated in 1680 and 1738, display all the styles flourishing in the 17th century, from Gothic to Baroque. The interior is considered a masterpiece of so-called Vilnius Baroque. Other monastic establishments include the old Franciscan cloister (1635), Basilian convent (1720–51, by Giuseppe Fontana III), the church of the
Bridgettine The Bridgettines, or Birgittines, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Savior (; abbreviated OSsS), is a monastic religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Birgitta or Bridget of Sweden in 1344, and approved by Pope Urban ...
cloister (1642, one of the earliest Baroque buildings in the region) with the wooden two-storey dormitory (1630s) still standing on the grounds, and the 18th-century buildings of the Dominican monastery (its cathedral was demolished in 1874). Other sights in Grodno include the Orthodox cathedral, a polychrome Russian Revival extravaganza from 1904; the botanical garden, the first in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, founded in 1774; a curiously curved building on the central square (1780s); a 254-metre-high TV tower (1984); and Stanisławów, a summer residence of the last Polish king.


Transport

The city is served by
Grodno Airport Grodno Airport is an airport that serves Grodno, Belarus. History The airport opened in 1984. Airlines and destinations As of December 2021, there are no regular scheduled services at the airport. References External links Grodno (Hrodna) ...
located 18 km south-east of Grodno. Some seasonal international and charter flights are available throughout the year. The city's public transport includes trolleybuses, which began operating in Grodno on 5 November 1974. The trolleybus system is operated by the city, and in 2009 it had 12 routes and carried around 66.5 million passengers per year. Additional routes have been opened subsequently, including routes 21 and 22 in November 2019.


Sport

The main sport venues of the city are: Neman Stadium official CSC Nyoman (8800 seats), based teams: FC Neman Grodno, FHC Ritm (Grodno);
Grodno Ice Sports Palace Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish bo ...
(2539 seats), based teams:
HC Neman Grodno Hockey Club Neman Grodno (, ''HK Nioman Hrodna'') is a professional ice hockey team from Grodno, Belarus that plays in the Belarusian Extraleague. History Team names *1980–1986 ''KSM Grodno'' *1986–1988 ''ShVSM Grodno'' *1988–1991 ''Progre ...
,
HC Neman Grodno Hockey Club Neman Grodno (, ''HK Nioman Hrodna'') is a professional ice hockey team from Grodno, Belarus that plays in the Belarusian Extraleague. History Team names *1980–1986 ''KSM Grodno'' *1986–1988 ''ShVSM Grodno'' *1988–1991 ''Progre ...
;
Grodno Indoor ice rink Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
in Pyshki; Sport complex "Viktoryya", based teams: basketball club Grodno-93, women basketball club Alimpiya, handball club Kronan, women handball club Haradnichanka


Education

Grodno State University Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (russian: Гродненский государственный университет имени Янки Купалы, be, Гарадзенскі дзяржаўны унівэрсітэт імя Янк ...
named after Yanka Kupala, Grodno State Medical University, Grodno state agrarian university
Grodno State Agrarian University - The information website for foreign students
Grodno Higher Theological Seminary
Вышэйшая Духоўная Семінарыя ў Гродне
many colleges, 41 middleschools (or secondary schools).


Culture

In 21 club municipal office more than 220 collectives, circles and also studios of amateur performances work. In them about 6500 children and adults are engaged. From 83 on-stage performance groups the rank "national" is carried 39, "exemplary" — 43, "professional" — 1. Since 1996 the biggest in Belarus Festival of National Cultures is hold in Grodno Every two years the Festival of National Cultures invites many guests into the city. Various festivals, national holidays and ceremonies are held annually in Grodno, among them "Student's spring", an international celebration of piano music or the republican festival of theatrical youth. In 2001 the Grodno regional executive committee founded Alexander Dubko's award — the governor of Grodnenshchina — for the best creative achievements in the sphere of culture. 84 persons have been awarded this prize.


Visa-free entrance to Grodno

From 26 October 2016 residents of 77 countries can travel to Grodno and the Grodno District without a visa and stay there for up to 10 days.


Notable people

; Born in the town *
David of Grodno David ( be, Давыд Гарадзенскі, lt, Dovydas Gardiniškis, killed in 1326) was a castellan of Grodno and one of the most famous military commanders of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. He might have been a son of Daumantas of Psk ...
(died 1326), one of the famous military commander of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania *
January Suchodolski January Suchodolski (; September 19, 1797 – March 20, 1875) was a Polish painter and Army officer, and a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Life Suchodolski was born in Grodno and was the brother of Rajnold Suchodolski. He joined the ...
(1797–1875), Polish painter and Army officer * Zygmunt Wróblewski (1845–1888), Polish physicist and chemist *
Moisey Ostrogorsky Moisey Yakovlevich Ostrogorsky (also Moisei Ostrogorsky; russian: Моисе́й Я́ковлевич Острого́рский, Moisey Yakovlevich Ostrogorskiy; be, Майсей Якаўлевiч Aстрaгорскi, Majsiej Jakaŭlievič Ast ...
(1854–1921), political scientist, co-founder of political sociology * Bronisław Bohatyrewicz (1870–1940), Polish General, murdered in the Katyn Massacre * Juliusz Rómmel (1881–1967), Polish military officer, General of the Polish Army *
Karol Rómmel Karol Rómmel (russian: Карл Альфонсович Руммель, german: Karol von Rummel; 23 May 1888 – 7 March 1967) was a Polish and Russian military officer, sportsman and horse rider. He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics ...
(1888–1967), Polish military officer and sportsman * Anton Gretzky (1892-1973), Polish-born grandfather of ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky *
Helena Antipoff Helena Wladimirna Antipoff (25 March 1892 – 9 August 1974) was a Russian-born Brazilian psychologist. Born in Grodno in what is now Belarus to an aristocratic family, they moved from the Russian Empire to Paris due to increasing social unrest. W ...
(1892-1974), Russian-born Brazilian psychologist. *
Anne Azgapetian Anne Azgapetian (May 26, 1888 — September 1, 1973), also seen as Ann Azgapetian and later as Anne Heald or Aya Heald, was a Red Cross worker during World War I, and a lecturer and fundraiser after the war, and a writer. She was born in Russia, ...
(born 1888), nurse during World War I, fundraiser for Armenian relief causes * Aleksei Antonov (1896–1962), Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army from February 1945 *
David Rubinoff David Rubinoff, also known as Dave Rubinoff (September 3, 1897, Grodno, Russian Empire, now Belarus – October 6, 1986), was a popular violinist who was heard during the 1930s and 1940s on various radio programs playing his $100,000 Stradivari ...
(1897–1986), American violinist * Meyer Lansky (1902–1983), central figure in the Jewish Mafia and highly influential figure in the Italian Mafia *
Herman Yablokoff Herman Yablokoff (August 11, 1903 – April 3, 1981, yi, הערמאַן יאַבלאָקאָף, russian: link=no, Герман Яблоков, born Chaim Yablonik, Хаим Яблоник), sometimes written Herman Yablokov, Herman Yablokow, ...
(1903–1981), Jewish American actor, singer, composer, poet, playwright, director and producer * Henryk Hlebowicz (1904–1941), Polish Diocesan Priest (Blessed) *
Chaim Dov Rabinowitz Chaim Dov Rabinowitz (1909 – April 2001) was a Lithuanian born rabbi who authored a monumental commentary on the Hebrew Bible (''Daat Soferim'') and a history of the Jewish people (''From Nechemia to the Present''). Biography Rabinowitz was the ...
(1909–2001), Hebrew rabbi noted for his commentary on the Hebrew Bible *
Zelik Epstein Zelik Epstein, also known as Zelig Epstein (full name Aharon Zelig Epstein) (July 10, 1914 – August 3, 2009), was a prominent Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah-Grodno, a private Talmudical institution in Kew Garde ...
(1914–2009), prominent Orthodox Rabbi and head of a yeshiva *
Eitan Livni Yeruham "Eitan" Livni ( he, ירוחם "איתן" לבני; 1 April 1919 – 27 December 1991) was a Revisionist Zionist activist, Irgun commander and Israeli politician, father of Israeli politician Tzipi Livni. Life and career Livni was born in ...
(1919–1991), Israeli politician, Irgun activist and father of Tzipi Livni *
Kanstantsin Lukashyk Kanstantsin Leonidovich Lukashyk ( be, Канстанцін Леонідовіч Лукашык, Kanstancin Leonidovič Łukašyk, born September 18, 1975 in Hrodna) is a Belarusian pistol shooter, most known for winning the 50 metre pistol eve ...
(born 1975), shooter who became the youngest gold medalist in shooting during the 1992 Olympics * Paul Baran (1926–2011), Internet pioneer and technology entrepreneur * (1927–1996), Polish poet and author * Jerzy Maksymiuk (born 1936), Polish musician and director *
Alaksandar Milinkievič Alaksandar Uladzimyeravič Milinkyevič ( be, Аляксандар Уладзімеравіч Мілінкевіч, translit=Alyaksandar Uladzimyeravich Milinkyevich, russian: Александр Владимирович Милинкевич, trans ...
(born 1947), Belarusian politician, candidate in the 2006 presidential elections * Olga Korbut (born 1955), gymnast and four-time gold medallist at 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games *
Valery Levaneuski Valery Stanislavovich Levaneuski (russian: Вале́рий Станисла́вович Левоне́вский, be, Вале́ры Станісла́вавіч Леване́ўскі, pl, Walery Lewoniewski) is a Belarusian political and so ...
(born 1963), entrepreneur, politician and former political prisoner *
Valery Tsepkalo Valery Tsepkalo (russian: Валерий Цепкало) or Valery Tsapkala ( be, Валерый Цапкала; Doctor of Law, born 22 February 1965) is a Belarusian politician, diplomat, executive, and entrepreneur. He holds a Doctorate degree i ...
(born 1965), diplomat and executive, founder of Belarus Hi-Tech Park. *
Alexander Butko Aleksandr Anatolyevich Butko (russian: Александр Анатольевич Бутько; born 18 March 1986) is a Russian volleyball player, a member of Russia men's national volleyball team and Russian club Zenit Kazan, 2012 Olympic Games ...
(born 1986), Olympic volleyball player *
Andrey Ashyhmin Andrey Ashyhmin ( be, Андрэй Ашыхмін; russian: Андрей Ашихмин; born 2 December 1974) is a Belarusian professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to s ...
(born 1974), footballer *
Pavel Savitski Pavel Olegovich Savitsky ( be, Павел Алегавіч Савіцкі; russian: Павел Олегович Савицкий; born 12 July 1994) is a Belarusian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Neman Grodno a ...
(born 1994), footballer *
Sergey Grinevich Sergey Grinevich ( be, Сяргей Грыневіч; born 25 February 1960, in Grodno) is a Belarusian painter. Biography Grinevich was born in 1960 in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic near Grodno. From 1971 to 1978 he was a studen ...
(born 1960) Belarusian painter. *
Dzianis Ivashyn Dzianis Jaŭhienavič Ivashyn (also Dzyanis Ivashyn, Denis Ivashin; be, Дзяніс Яўгенавіч Івашын; russian: Денис Евгеньевич Ивашин; born 6 June 1979, Hrodna, USSR) is a Belarusian journalist. He works as ...
(born 1979), Belarusian journalist and political prisoner ; Active in Grodno * Vytautas the Great (1350–1430), Grand Duke of Lithuania, commander of the forces of the Grand Duchy in the Battle of Grunwald *
Antoni Tyzenhaus Antoni Tyzenhauz (1733 – March 31, 1785) was a noble from the Tyzenhaus family, son of Benedykt Tyzenhauz. As a personal friend of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Tyzenhaus became Treasurer of the G ...
(1733–1785),
starost The starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', german: link=no, Starost, Hauptmann) is a term of Slavic origin denoting a community elder whose role was to administer the assets of a clan or family estates. Th ...
of Grodno, founder of numerous factories in the area *
Jean-Emmanuel Gilibert Jean-Emmanuel Gilibert (21 June 1741, in Lyon – 2 September 1814, in Lyon) was a French politician, botanist, freemason, medical doctor and member of the Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts of Lyon __NOTOC__ The Academy of Sciences, Human ...
(1741–1814), French medic, botanist and biologist *
L. L. Zamenhof L. L. Zamenhof (15 December 185914 April 1917) was an ophthalmologist who lived for most of his life in Warsaw. He is best known as the creator of Esperanto, the most widely used constructed international auxiliary language. Zamenhof first dev ...
(1859–1917), Polish physician, creator of
Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...
*
Pyotr Stolypin Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin ( rus, Пётр Арка́дьевич Столы́пин, p=pʲɵtr ɐrˈkadʲjɪvʲɪtɕ stɐˈlɨpʲɪn; – ) was a Russian politician and statesman. He served as the third prime minister and the interior minist ...
(1862–1911) in 1903 as a governor * Maksim Bahdanovič (1891–1917), a Belarusian poet, journalist and literary critic. *
Józef Olszyna-Wilczyński Józef Konstanty Olszyna-Wilczyński (; 27 November 1890 – 22 September 1939) was a Polish people, Polish general and one of the high-ranking commanders of the Polish Army. A veteran of World War I, the Polish-Ukrainian War and the Polish-Sovi ...
(1890–1939), Polish general, commander of the military region, murdered nearby by the Soviets * Jan Kochanowski, a Polish creator of the local ZOO, murdered by the Nazis * Paweł Jasienica (1909–1970), a Polish historian and author, started his career as a history teacher in Grodno in the 1920s and 1930s * Vasil’ Bykaw (1924–2003), a Belarusian author * Solomon Perel (born 1925), a German Jew who survived World War II by masquerading as an ethnic German. He spent two years at a
Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (russian: link=no, Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи (ВЛКСМ), ), usually known as Komsomol (; russian: Комсомол, links=n ...
-run orphanage in Grodno, before Operation Barbarossa *
Czesław Niemen Czesław Niemen (; February 16, 1939 – January 17, 2004), born Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki, and often credited as just Niemen, was one of the most important and original Polish singer-songwriters and rock balladeers of the 20th century, singing ...
(1939–2004), Polish musician, composer and one of the pioneers of progressive rock studied at a local music school * Andżelika Borys (born 1973), former leader of Grodno-based
Union of Poles in Belarus The Union of Poles in Belarus ( pl, Związek Polaków na Białorusi, be, Саюз палякаў Беларусі, ''Sajuz paliakaŭ Bielarusi'') is an organisation located in Belarus. The group, which has a membership of 20,000 people, represe ...
; Died in Grodno * Casimir IV Jagiellon (1427–1492),
King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...
and Grand Duke of Lithuania *
Saint Casimir Casimir Jagiellon ( la, Casimirus; lt, Kazimieras; pl, Kazimierz; 3 October 1458 – 4 March 1484) was a prince of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Second son of King Casimir IV Jagiellon, he was tutored by Johannes ...
(1458–1484), Roman Catholic saint and the patron saint of
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
* Stephen Báthory (1533–1586), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania *
Alexander Süsskind of Grodno Alexander Susskind ben Moses of Grodno was a kabbalist of the eighteenth century. He died at Grodno in 1794. He wrote "''Yesod we-Shoresh ha-'Abodah''" (''The Essence and Root of Worship''), Novydvor, 1782, a work frequently republished. It contai ...
(died 1794), Kabbalist * Nachum Kaplan (1811–1879), preacher and philanthropist * Eliza Orzeszkowa (1841–1910), Polish writer, born nearby and active in Grodno


International relations


Twin towns - sister cities

Grodno is twinned with: *
Alytus Alytus is a city with municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the capital of Alytus County. Its population in 2022 was 53,925. Alytus is the historical centre of the Dzūkija region. The city lies on the banks of the Nemunas River. The maj ...
, Lithuania * Ashkelon, Israel * Cheboksary, Russia * Druskininkai, Lithuania * Dzerzhinsk, Russia *
Khimki Khimki ( rus, Химки, p=ˈxʲimkʲɪ) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, 18.25 kilometres northwest of central Moscow, and immediately beyond the Moscow city boundary. History Origins and formation Khimki was initially a railway station tha ...
, Russia * Kraljevo, Serbia * Lazdijai, Lithuania *
Limoges Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
, France *
Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...
, Germany *
Qabala District Qabala District ( az, Qəbələ rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north of the country and belongs to the Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Oghuz, Shaki, Agdash, G ...
, Azerbaijan *
Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States which was incorporated in 2003. It is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area. The population was 64,776 at the 2010 census. In 2010 and 2019, Rancho Cordova was named ...
, United States * Shchukino District (Moscow), Russia * Tambov, Russia *
Tuapsinsky District Tuapsinsky District (russian: Туапси́нский райо́н) is an administrative district (raion), one of the thirty-eight in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.Reference Information #34.01-707/13-03 As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Tu ...
, Russia * Vologda, Russia * Žilina, Slovakia Former twin towns: *
Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...
, Poland *
Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
, Poland * Słupsk, Poland In March 2022, the Polish cities of Augustów, Białystok and Słupsk terminated their partnership with Grodno as a consequence of Belarus's involvement in the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
.


Significant depictions in popular culture

* Grodno is one of the starting towns of
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
in the turn-based strategy game Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms. * Grodno is a location for one of the missions in the alternate history RTS '' Command and Conquer: Red Alert''; Grodno was part of the Soviet Union and the Allied forces must work to rescue a special operative before her execution in a Soviet military base.


See also

*
Battle of Grodno (1939) The Battle of Grodno took place between 20 September and 22 September 1939, during the Soviet invasion of Poland.Zaloga, S.J., 2002, Poland 1939, Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., It was fought between improvised Polish units under Gen. Wacław P ...
*
Disputed territories of Baltic States Territorial changes of the Baltic states refers to the redrawing of borders of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia after 1940. The three republics, formerly autonomous regions within the former Russian Empire and before that of former Polish–Lithua ...
*
List of early East Slavic states The following is a list of tribes who lived on the territories of contemporary Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. The tribes were later replaced or consolidated by Slavs, starting with the formation of Kievan Rus', including the semi-autonomous prin ...
*
Gordon (disambiguation) Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...
* Great Synagogue (Grodno) *
Grodno Ghetto The Grodno Ghetto ( pl, getto w Grodnie, be, Гродзенскае гета, he, גטו גרודנו) was a Nazi ghetto established in November 1941 by Nazi Germany in the city of Grodno for the purpose of persecution and exploitation of J ...


References


Further reading

;Published in the 18th–19th centuries * * ;Published in the 20th century * * * *


External links

*
Hrodna Region: The Land of Catholics and Smugglers
*
Grodno
in the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland (1881) * (Belarus)''
Grodno Municipal Government website
* (Belarus)''
"Вечерний Гродно" newspaper published in Russian and Belarusian
* (Belarus)''
Street map of Grodno
* (Belarus)''
Grodno Zoological Park
* {{Authority control Cities in Belarus Populated places in Grodno Region Trakai Voivodeship Grodnensky Uyezd Białystok Voivodeship (1919–1939) Belastok Region Magdeburg rights Articles containing video clips Holocaust locations in Belarus Jewish communities destroyed in the Holocaust