Dzyarzhynsk, or Dzerzhinsk, formerly known as Koydanava until 1932, is a town in
Minsk Region,
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
. It serves as the administrative center of
Dzyarzhynsk District.
As of 2025, it has a population of 29,630.
History
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, the village belonged to the
Radziwiłłs, a
Polish–Lithuanian aristocratic family.
Jewish community
Jews lived in Koidanova as early as 1620.
Koidanova became the site of a new
Hasidic
Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
H ...
in 1833 when Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Perlow (1797–1862) became the first
Koidanover Rebbe
A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...
.
He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Boruch Mordechai Perlow (1818–1870), grandson, Rabbi
Aharon Perlow (1839–1897), and great-grandson, Rabbi Yosef Perlow of Koidanov-
Minsk
Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
(1854-1915), who was the last Koidanover Rebbe to live in the town. After World War I, the dynasty was moved to
Baranovichi, then in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.
In 1847, Koidanova had 2,497 Jewish inhabitants.
In 1897, the city had a total population of 4,744, of whom 3,156 were Jews.
Inter-war period
In May 1932, it was granted the status of a city and was renamed Koidanau () or Koydanov (). In June of that year it was renamed again as Dziaržynsk by the
Communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
authorities, in honour of
Felix Dzerzhinsky
Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (; ; – 20 July 1926), nicknamed Iron Felix (), was a Soviet revolutionary and politician of Polish origin. From 1917 until his death in 1926, he led the first two Soviet secret police organizations, the Cheka a ...
(1877–1926), a famous Bolshevik creator and chief of the "Extraordinary Commission" (
CHEKA
The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ( rus, Всероссийская чрезвычайная комиссия, r=Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya, p=fsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskəjə tɕrʲɪzvɨˈtɕæjnəjə kɐˈmʲisʲɪjə, links=yes), ...
) – the Soviet secret police - who was born in a Dziaržynava estate not far from the city, although on the other side of the then Polish-Soviet border.
The city was the capital of the short-lived
Dzierzynszczyzna Polish Autonomous District during 1932–38.
World War II
It fell under
German occupation during World War II. It was captured on 28 June 1941.
The
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, 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, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
n Twelfth
Schutzmannschaft (auxiliary police) Battalion's 1st Company, led by Lieutenant Z. Kemzura, massacred approximately 1,600 Jews from the city on 21 October 1941, shooting them and throwing them into a pit; many were buried alive.
As it is reported in ''The Complete Black Book of Russian Jewry'': "For three hours the earth covering the mass grave would move; people still alive were trying to crawl out of their grave."
On 1–2 March 1942 the
Einsatzgruppen
(, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the imp ...
transported several thousand Jews from throughout Belarus and murdered them in Koidanov. The city was liberated by the Soviet
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
on 6 July 1944.
Modern day

In 1998, the city had 24,700 inhabitants.
Now part of Belarus, the name Kojdanava () is becoming popular again (it is the official name for the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
of Dzyarzhynsk), but the official name remains unchanged.
Geography
The highest point of Belarus,
Dzyarzhynskaya Hara, is several kilometers from Dzyarzhynsk.
Transport
There is a rail route across the city from
Minsk Passazhirsky to Baranovichi Polesskie.
There is only one bus route in Dziarzhynsk; there are 18 stops.
Sport
The local football club is the
Arsenal Dzerzhinsk, playing in the
Belarusian First League
The Belarusian First League () is the second tier of professional association football, football in Belarus. It was created in 1992, following the Belarusian independence.
History and format
The typical format of the league involves 16 clubs playi ...
. Its home ground is the
City Stadium.
Notable residents
*
*
Avrom Reyzen (1876–1953), Yiddish writer, poet, and editor
*
Joseph Schlossberg
Joseph Schlossberg (in Yiddish: יוסף שלאסבערג; May 1, 1875 – January 15, 1971) was a Belarusian-born Jewish-American garment worker, newspaper editor, labor leader, and politician who served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Amalgamat ...
(1875–1971), American labor union activist
*
Aharon Perlow (1839–1897) – third
rebbe
A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...
of
Koidanov
*
Karol Hutten-Czapski,
Leliwa coat of arms
Leliwa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several hundred szlachta families during the existence of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and remains in use today by many of the descendants of these families. The ...
, (1860-1904).
Polish Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
and philanthropist. President of
Minsk
Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
,
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, 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, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
(1890-1901)
*
Emeryk Hutten-Czapski,
Leliwa coat of arms
Leliwa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several hundred szlachta families during the existence of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and remains in use today by many of the descendants of these families. The ...
, (1828–1896).
Polish Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
, scholar, ardent historical collector and
numismatist
A numismatist is a specialist, researcher, and/or well-informed collector of numismatics, numismatics/coins ("of coins"; from Late Latin , genitive of ). Numismatists can include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholar-researchers who use coi ...
Notes
References
External links
*
Dzerzhinsk (in Russian)
{{Authority control
Populated places in Minsk region
Dzyarzhynsk district
Populated places in Belarus