Siemiatycze [ɕɛmʲaˈtɨt͡ʂɛ] ( Belarusian : Сямятычы Siamiatyčy ) is a town in eastern Poland , with 14,391 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Siemiatycze County in the Podlaskie Voivodeship .
53-715: The history of Siemiatycze dates back to the mid-16th century, when the village was part of the Podlasie Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . In 1542, King Sigismund II Augustus granted town charter to Siemiatycze, and with the 1569 Union of Lublin , it passed to the Kingdom of Poland within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . For centuries Siemiatycze remained property of several Polish-Lithuanian magnate families. The town, conveniently located along
106-547: A low level of national identity during the census usually choose the major nationality in their region. Orthodox autochthonous inhabitants are known as khakhly (without any negative connotations, though today in Ukraine it is known as an ethnic slur for Ukrainians). According to Mykhailo Lesiv, this name appeared after it was used to denote locals in the Russian Imperial Army . Many scientific researches prove that
159-571: A result, boundaries of Podlasie proper changed. In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , the voivodeship had two senators, who were the voivode and the castellan of Podlasie. It was divided into three lands, those of Drohiczyn, Bielsko and Mielnik. Each land had its own regional government, and elected two envoys to the Sejm . Furthermore, the voivodeship sent two deputies to the Lesser Poland Tribunal at Lublin or Radom ". In 1795, most of it
212-429: Is Drohiczyn that lies into northern and southern parts. The former is included in the modern-day Podlaskie Voivodeship with its capital at Białystok (the historical boundary goes exactly through the city). Sometimes, Siedlce has been considered the capital of the region. Podlaskie Voivodeship is a multicultural and multi-religious region. It is the region where people's identity has been shaped throughout history by both
265-411: Is a historical region in north-eastern Poland . Its largest city is Białystok , whereas the historical capital is Drohiczyn . Similarly to several other historical regions of Poland, e.g. Greater Poland , Lesser Poland , Mazovia , Pomerania , Silesia , Warmia , Podlachia possesses its own folk costumes, unique traditional architecture and cuisine. Between 1513 and 1795 it was a voivodeship with
318-549: The Bug River , and near local administrative centers at Drohiczyn and Mielnik , became a popular market place, where farmers sold their produce. The disastrous Swedish invasion of Poland (1655–60) did not bring widespread destruction to Siemiatycze. The town continued to prosper, at the expense of other municipalities of the region of Podlachia , some of which burned to the ground by the Swedish, Transilvanian and Russian invaders. In
371-719: The Central Powers puppet Kingdom of Poland ) while the areas further east, including Białystok and the Suwałki Governorate, fell under Ober Ost . In the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution , parts of the region, particularly Białystok, were contested by several states but ultimately became part of the Second Polish Republic following the Polish–Soviet War . During the interwar period
424-664: The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons . Podlachia is located along the middle stretch of the Bug River between Mazovia in the west, Polesia and Volhynia in the east, the Narew River in the north and the Chełm Land in the south. The borders of Podlachia changed with time and was not the same as historical Podlaskie Voivodeship . Podlachia is sometimes divided into two parts (southern and northern), which had different administrative subordination. Traditional capital of Podlachia
477-752: The Middle Ages Podlachia was only partially under Polish rule, and since 1446 until 1569 the area belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . A better variant of this theory holds that the name originates from the period when the territory was within the Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, along the borderline with the Mazovia province, primarily a fief of the Poland of the Piasts and later on part of
530-735: The Pogoń , depicting a Lithuanian knight. Cities and towns of the voivodeship after 1566: The governor of the Podlaskie Voivodeship was first located in Bielsk Podlaski , but later moved to Drohiczyn . Voivodes included 52°23′44″N 22°39′28″E / 52.395496°N 22.657896°E / 52.395496; 22.657896 Podlachia Podlachia, also known by its Polish name Podlasie ( Polish: [pɔˈdlaɕɛ] ; Lithuanian : Palenkė ; Belarusian : Падляшша , romanized : Padliashsha ),
583-624: The Soviet Union following World War II, Poland was left with only 2 Tatar villages, Bohoniki and Kruszyniany (both outside the historical borders of Podlachia). Some Tatars from the territories annexed to the USSR have been repatriated to Poland and clustered in cities, particularly Białystok. In 1925 the Muslim Religious Union ( Muzułmański Związek Religijny ) was formed in Białystok. In 1992,
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#1732854708860636-598: The Union of Tatars of the Republic of Poland ( Związek Tatarów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej ) with autonomous branches in Białystok and Gdańsk began operating. The dominant language in Podlaskie Voivodeship is Polish. Autochthonous inhabitants speak a Podlachian variety . Many linguists relate them to the Ukrainian language. Linguists have been exploring them since 19th century, when they were also known as Siedlce dialects (because of
689-503: The Yotvingians resided (...) After the 1241 Mongol invasion of Poland , Podlasie turned into a desert, with population decimated by Asiatic hordes. Poles did not return here until the late 13th century, despite the fact that the province was already controlled by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (...) King Sigismund I the Old created Podlasie Voivodeship, which was part of Lithuania, but in 1569
742-654: The 1795 Third Partition of Poland which brought an end to Poland-Lithuania, the former Podlachia Voivodeship was divided between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Habsburg monarchy ( Austrian Empire from 1804), with the Bug forming the border between them. Part of Podlachia's eastern border became the boundary between Prussia and the Russian Empire . Within Prussia the Podlachian territory
795-494: The 18th century, Siemiatycze was among most developed towns of the region. At that time it belonged to the Sapieha family, which founded the town hall, synagogue and other buildings. Noblewoman Anna Jabłonowska founded a midwifery institute, hospital, Christian monastery , palace with a museum and a new printing house. She also obtained a permission from the kings of Poland for the town to hold two annual fairs . In 1807 Siemiatycze
848-708: The Bug ever since. At the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815, the Congress of Vienna transformed most of the Duchy of Warsaw, including the formerly Podlachian parts, into " Congress Poland " (formally the Kingdom of Poland) and placed it in a personal union with Russia; with that, all of Podlachia fell under Russian control. In theory this kingdom was created as an autonomous entity but in practice its separate laws and freedoms were simply ignored by
901-798: The Drohiczyn Uyezd was merged into Bielsk Uyezd . In 1844 the Podlachian Governorate was merged into the Lublin Governorate . In the 19th century the region was a stronghold of Polish resistance against Russian rule. Stanisław Brzóska , the last partisan of the January Uprising, operated there until 1865. He was hanged publicly by the Russians in Sokołów Podlaski in May 1865. As a result of
954-592: The Duchy of Warsaw lay within the Łomża Department , itself based on the territory of the Prussian Białystok Departement after the removal of the Belostock Oblast. The Habsburg part of Podlachia became part of the Duchy of Warsaw by the 1809 Treaty of Schönbrunn , forming much of the Siedlce Department . Although Prussian and Austrian rule was brief, it has remained administratively divided by
1007-837: The Emperors and control was steadily centralised, particularly following the November and January Uprisings (1830–31, 1863–64). Within Congress Poland the former Siedlce Department became the Podlachia Voivodeship, while the former Łomża Department became the Augustów Voivodeship ; these became the Podlachian and Augustów Governorates in 1837. In 1842 the Belostok Oblast was dissolved and merged into Grodno Governorate , and
1060-727: The Greek-Catholic faith in northern Podlachia and it disappeared from the area. In 1875, Russians forbade this rite in the southern portion as well, and all Greek-Catholic inhabitants were forced to accept the Eastern Orthodox faith. However, the resistance of the local people was surprisingly strong and Ruthenian speakers from this area rejected the separation from the Pope . In 1874, blessed Wincenty Lewoniuk and 12 companions were killed by Russian soldiers in Pratulin . In reaction to these measures,
1113-526: The Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, and since the Reformation, also by Evangelical churches. Until today, Podlaskie has been considered Poland's most culturally diverse region. Throughout its early history, Podlachia was inhabited by various tribes of different ethnic roots. In the 9th and 10th centuries, the area was inhabited by East Slavic tribes, mostly by Drevlians , with settlements of Dregoviches to
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#17328547088601166-911: The Pact would have given all of Podlachia to the Soviet Union, the final border agreed upon in the German–Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty signed after the invasion gave the southern part to the Nazi General Government , while the northern part of Podlachia was annexed by the Soviet Union as the Belastok Region of the Byelorussian SSR . Nazi Germany would annex the Soviet part as the Bialystok District in 1941. Under German occupation,
1219-714: The Polish nation ). Nowosiółki was the site of a massacre of hundreds of patients of a psychiatric hospital as part of Aktion T4 . German forces also committed crimes against Italian and French POWs at subcamps of the Stalag 366 POW camp with executions and massacres of Italians and French in Międzyrzec Podlaski and Hola , respectively, with the Italians also subjected to mass starvation, epidemics, beatings and killings at Biała Podlaska . Many Poles from Podlachia were among
1272-650: The Ruthenians of southern Podlachia began to identify themselves with the national movement of the Roman Catholic Poles. To preserve the full communion with the Pope, they changed their rite from Eastern to Latin before the compulsory conversion of Greek Catholics into Orthodox. In 1912, Russian authorities issued a tolerance edict that made it possible to change confession from Orthodox to Roman Catholic (but not to Greek-Catholic, which had been completely deleted). A majority of
1325-1029: The capital in Drohiczyn . Now the part north of the Bug River is included in the modern Podlaskie Voivodeship with the capital in Białystok , whereas southern parts are located in the Masovian and Lublin Voivodeships . The region is called Podlasie , Podlasko or Podlasze in Polish , Palenkė in Lithuanian , Padliašša (Падляшша) in Belarusian , Podljas’e (Подлясье) in Russian , "Podlyashe" (פּאָדליאַשע) in Yiddish , and Podlachia in Latin . There are two hypotheses regarding
1378-496: The eastern parts. According to Polish census of 2002 , in Podlaskie Voivodeship there were 46,041 Belarusians (3.9%) and 1,366 Ukrainians (0.1%). Autochthonous inhabitants have difficulties in national self-identification and identifying of their language. They often identify their nationality as " tutejszy " (literally "locals"). Based on comparison of a survey and the census, Marek Barwiński supposes that people with
1431-408: The inhabitants of southern Podlachia changed their faith from Orthodox to Roman Catholic. At present, very few people in this area speak Ruthenian and nearly all consider themselves Poles. Meanwhile, the eastern part of northern Podlachia is still populated by Belarusians. Podlachia is also the cultural center of Poland's small Tatar minority as well. After the annexation of eastern Poland into
1484-405: The lower leagues. Siemiatycze is twinned with: Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513%E2%80%931795) The Podlaskie Voivodeship was formed in 1513 by Sigismund I the Old as a voivodeship in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , from a split off part of the Trakai Voivodeship . After Lithuania's union with the Kingdom of Poland in 1569 and formation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ,
1537-523: The name of Siedlce Governorate , where the dialects were mostly investigated). There is a problem if they should be considered as part of west Polisian dialects subgroup [ uk ] or as a separate subgroup of northern dialectal group [ uk ] of the Ukrainian language. In the Northern Podlachia Podlachian subdialects are also often considered to be Belarusian dialects or sometimes Ruthenian dialects. Since
1590-477: The north beyond the Narew River and likely Dulebes to the south, although a Masovian -like population had also been present. In the 14th century the area was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , although it later briefly fell under Mazovian Piast rule. In 1446, Podlachia became part of the Grand Duchy again, but from 1496 southwestern parts of Podlachia ( Drohiczyn Land and Mielnik Land ) and from 1501
1643-560: The northern part ( Bielsk Land ) used Polish law instead of Lithuanian. In 1513 King Sigismund I the Old formed the Podlaskie Voivodeship (adjective of Podlasie ). In 1566, the southeastern part of the Voivodeship became part of the newly formed Brest Litovsk Voivodeship as Brest Litovsk County. In 1569, after the Union of Lublin which formally united Poland and Lithuania as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , Podlasie
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1696-400: The northern part fell entirely within the Białystok Voivodeship while the southern part belonged to the Lublin Voivodeship ; the April 1938 reforms transferred Węgrów and Sokołów from Lublin to the Warsaw Voivodeship . In 1939 Poland was invaded and partitioned between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union following the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact . Although the border agreed upon in
1749-441: The origin of the name of the region. According to the first one, the name is derived from the Polish word las ("forest"), and means "near the forest". A common folk derivation is from the Proto-Slavic word les or las meaning "forest", i.e., it is "by the wood(s)" or an "area of forests", making Podlachia close in meaning to adjacent Polesia . The theory has been questioned, as it does not properly take into consideration
1802-424: The orthodox population in Podlachia have Ukrainian origin (19th century censuses, historical and linguistic researches), though today the number of people with the Ukrainian identity is very small. Until the 19th century, Podlachia was populated by the Polish-speaking yeomanry ( drobna szlachta ), Jews (primarily in towns), and Ruthenian Greek-Catholics speaking a dialect related to modern Ukrainian –
1855-574: The population was subjected to mass arrests, executions and deportations to forced labour , concentration camps and Nazi ghettos , whereas under Soviet occupation the population was subjected to mass arrests, executions, deportations to forced labour in Siberia , Central Asia and the Far North . Sites of German massacres of either Polish or Jewish civilians include Mień , Olszewo (also Polish prisoners of war ), Moskwin , Grabarka , Białystok , Tykocin , Rajsk , Paulinów , Krasowo-Częstki , Wnory-Wandy , Jabłoń-Dobki (see Nazi crimes against
1908-468: The separate Brest Litovsk Voivodeship was formed. In 1569, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus transferred Podlaskie voivodeship, together with the Kiev , Volhynian and Bracław Voivodeships to the Polish Crown. Podlaskie remained part of Poland until the Partitions of Poland . Zygmunt Gloger gives the following description of Podlasie Voivodeship: "Historic Podlasie stretched from north to south for some 30 miles, and
1961-428: The so-called Khakhlak ( Chachlak ) dialect, which derived its name from a derogatory term for Ukrainians ( khakhol or khokhol being the name of the traditional haircut of Ukrainian Cossacks ). In the 19th century, the inhabitants of Podlachia were under the rule of the Russian Empire , with southern Podlachia constituting a part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland . After 1831, Russian authorities forbade
2014-425: The uprising, in 1867 Congress Poland was formally absorbed into Russia as the Vistula Land (Privislinsky Krai), although the Kingdom still nominally existed. The Podlachian Governorate was also restored under the name Siedlce Governorate , and the Augustów Governorate was split between the Łomża and Suwałki Governorates ; Augustów itself went to Suwałki Governorate while the rest of the Podlachian territory went to
2067-452: The victims of the Soviet-perpetrated Katyn massacre . The region once again returned to Polish control in 1945. In 1999 the modern Podlaskie Voivodeship was established which encompasses the northern part of historic Podlachia, including Białystok and Drohiczyn, as well as surrounding areas, including Łomża and Suwałki. Its southern border lies along the Bug. While today Podlachia is mostly inhabited by Poles , many Belarusians live in
2120-424: The voivodeship was transferred to the Polish Crown , where it belonged to the Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown . In ca. 1274, the historical Podlachia region was added to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . In 1391, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila attempted to transfer the region to Duke Vytautas ' brother-in-law, Janusz I of Warsaw , Duke of Masovia , but from 1413 on Podlaskie
2173-465: The vowel shifts "a" > "e" > "i" in various Slavic languages (in fact, it mixes vowels from different languages). According to the second theory, the name is derived from the word liakh (or lach , Ukrainian : лях , "Pole"), and means "near Poland". The second theory holds that the term comes from the expression pod Lachem , which may be translated literally as "under the Poles" (see: Lechia ). Some claim it to mean "under Polish rule", though in
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2226-456: The western and northern parts of Prussian Podlachia, became part of the Duchy of Warsaw , a Polish client state of the First French Empire , while the southeastern part including Białystok fell under Russian rule as the Belostok Oblast . The Podlachian territory within the Belostock Oblast corresponded with the Bielsk and Drohiczyn Uyezds (roughly "counties") and the western part of Belostok Uyezd. The small amounts of Podlachian territory in
2279-505: The Łomża Governorate. According to the Russian Imperial Census of 1897 , the most spoken languages in the Siedlce Governorate were Polish (66.13%), Yiddish (15.56%) and Ukrainian (13.95%). At the same time the most spoken languages in Bielsk Uyezd were Ukrainian (39.1%), Polish (34.9%), Yiddish (14.9%), Russian (5.9%) and Belarusian (4.9%); those in the Białystok Uyezd were Polish (33.95%), Yiddish (28.34%), Belarusian (26.13%), Russian (6.68%) and German (3.59%). In 1912 Siedlce Governorate
2332-407: Was almost completely exterminated by the Nazis (with the help of the local Poles) in the Holocaust , although a few Jews survived by paying their neighbors to hide them. After the war, the population of the town shrank to 4,000. From 1975 to 1998, it was administratively located in the Białystok Voivodeship . The local football club is Cresovia Siemiatycze [ pl ] . It competes in
2385-418: Was annexed by the Russian Empire , and during January Uprising , the Battle of Siemiatycze took place here, after which most of the town was destroyed, together with the Jabłonowski Palace, which has never been rebuilt. Following World War I , Poland regained independence and control of the town. During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland , which started World War II in September 1939, Siemiatycze
2438-413: Was ceded to the Kingdom of Poland . It was the northernmost part of the Lesser Poland Province of Poland. The voivodeship was divided into three lands ( ziemie ): Drohiczyn, Mielnik and Bielsk. In the 18th and 19th century the private town of Białystok became the main center of the region, thanks to the patronage of the Branicki family and the development of the textile industry . Following
2491-400: Was invaded by Germany, which then handed it over to the Soviets in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact . The Soviets carried out arrests of prominent local Poles, including the town's mayor. The Soviet Union occupied the town until 1941, and afterwards it was occupied by Germany until 1944. Siemiatycze was to a large extent destroyed during the war, and its significant Jewish community
2544-469: Was located between Mazovia and Rus principalities of Brześć and Grodno (...) It was a sparsely populated province, covered by dense forests, with four major rivers: the Biebrza , the Narew , the Bug and the Krzna . Due to population growth in Mazovia and Rus, Podlasie became a settlement area - Mazovians settled near Tykocin , Rajgród and Goniądz , while Ruthenians settled near Bielsk Podlaski . In northern districts of Podlasie, near Augustów ,
2597-526: Was managed as part of Lithuania's Trakai Voivodeship . After the administrative reform of 1514, Podlaskie was isolated from Trakai Voivodeship as a separate voivodeship, with the capital at the town of Drohiczyn . King of Poland Sigismund gave a privilege to Ioannes Sapieha [ pl ] to form a government of Podlaskie Voivodeship on 29 August 1513. It originally consisted of the following former Trakai lands: Drohiczyn , Mielnik , Bielsk , and Brest Litovsk . In 1566 based on Brest Litovsk lands,
2650-440: Was once again abolished and divided between the Lublin , Łomża and Kholm Governorates , with all three gaining some parts of the former Podlachia; Kholm Governorate was also removed administratively from the Vistula Land, instead being made part of the Kiev General Governorate . During World War I the area was occupied by the German Empire , with most of the Vistula Land falling under the Government General of Warsaw (later
2703-442: Was organised as part of the Białystok Department of New East Prussia , which also included parts of the former Mazovian and Trakai Voivodeships ; the Habsburg portion lay mostly within the Siedlce Kreis of West Galicia ( Galicia and Lodomeria from 1803). In 1807, by the Treaties of Tilsit , Prussia ceded all of its gains in the second and third partitions, as well as part of the first. Most of this territory, including
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#17328547088602756-409: Was taken over by the Kingdom of Prussia as part of New East Prussia , but these lands were later part of the Duchy of Warsaw . Then, parts of it belonged to Congress Poland or the Russian Empire until 1915. The Voivodeship consisted of the following ziemias : The emblem of the region is connected by two arms of Polish and Lithuanian – the Polish Piast Eagle without a crown on a red field, and
2809-405: Was transferred to Poland, after the Union of Lublin (...) After the third partition of Poland, most of the voivodeship was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia . When in 1815, Congress Poland was divided into new provinces, the Podlasie Voivodeship was re-created, but it covered only a small part of Podlasie itself, together with areas belonging to historic Mazovia, Polesie and Lesser Poland . As
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