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82-719: This region is located at both sides of the river Memel north of Nadruvians and south of Samogitia . In the North-East it stretched to rivers Šešupė , Ežeruona and Jūra . In the East it bordered on Sudovia , in the North-West on river Minija , in the West on the Curonian Lagoon and in the South-West on river Gilija . The center were the towns of Rusnė , Ragainė and Tilžė . The meaning

164-599: A sanatorium , and numerous guest houses and hotels. Lithuanian and Polish literature often mention the Nemunas. One of the most famous poems by Maironis starts: Smaller rivers and rivulets in Lithuania with names morphologically derived or cognate are the Nemunykštis, Nemuniukas, Nemunynas, Nemunėlis and Nemunaitis. The etymology is disputed: some say that "Nemunas" is an old word meaning "a damp place", while others that it

246-499: A city of many languages. Initially most of its residents spoke Ruthenian (which later developed into modern Belarusian ). However, after 1569 the official language was Polish . In the 19th-century Russian became the official language and by the end of that century it had become the language of administration, schools and newspapers. The Belarusian national revival increased interest in the Belarusian language – its use has grown since

328-585: Is "mute, soundless river" (from nemti, nėmti "to become silent", also memelis, mimelis, mėmė "slow, worthless person"). The name is possibly derived from the Finnic word niemi "cape". Art critics praised its depiction in the paintings by Michał Kulesza . Much of the river is used for fishing, hydropower generation, water supply, industry, agriculture, recreation, tourism, and water transport. Lithuania has tabled local plans to dredge it, below Kaunas, to make it more consistently usable. The largest cities on

410-474: Is 220 metres (720 ft). The physical geography of Minsk was shaped over the two most recent ice ages . The Svislach River , which flows across the city from the northwest to the southeast, is in the urstromtal , an ancient river valley formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age. There are six smaller rivers within the city limits, all part of the Black Sea basin. Minsk

492-493: Is in the area of mixed forests typical of most of Belarus. Pinewood and mixed forests border the edge of the city, especially in the north and east. Some of the forests were preserved as parks (for instance, the Chelyuskinites Park ) as the city grew. The city was initially built on the hills, which allowed for defensive fortifications, and the western parts of the city are the most hilly. In 5 km (3.1 mi) from

574-558: Is open to visitors. Minsk has the highest crime rate in Belarus ;– 193.5 crimes per 10,000 citizens. 20–25% of all serious crimes in Belarus, 55% of bribes and 67% of mobile phone thefts are committed in Minsk. However, attorney general Grigory Vasilevich stated that the homicide rate in Minsk in 2008 was "relatively fine". The crime rate grew significantly in 2009 and 2010: for example,

656-511: Is the capital and largest city of Belarus , located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region and Minsk District . As of 2024, it has a population of about two million, making Minsk the 11th-most populous city in Europe . Minsk is one of the administrative capitals of

738-411: Is the country's principal user of the river; the local industries that impact the river are hydropower generation, machinery, chemical, wood processing and paper production, furniture production, textile and food-processing. In Kaliningrad, industrial centers near the river include Sovetsk and Neman, which have large pulp and paper production facilities. Above Kaunas a dam was built in 1959 to serve

820-715: Is uncertain: skalwa "splinter (living split off)" or skalauti "between waters". According to Prussian legends, the tribe's name is derived from one of the sons of King Widewuto named Schalauo. The inhabitants can be traced back to burial grounds with cremated remains and occasional graves of horses. Judging from the diggings, Scalovians are assumed to have been related to other Western Balts such as Curonians and more distantly to Prussians . Typical Scalovian sepulchral relics are found in Strewa , Skomanten , Jurgaiten , Nikeln , Paulaiten , Wilku Kampas , Weszaiten , Greyszönen , Lompönen and Wittgirren . The center of Scalovia

902-491: Is unstable and tends to change relatively often. The average January temperature is −4.2 °C (24.4 °F), while the average July temperature is 19.1 °C (66.4 °F). The lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January 1940, at −39.1 °C (−38 °F) and the warmest on 8 August 2015 at 35.8 °C (96 °F). Fog is frequent, especially in the autumn and spring. Minsk receives 686 millimetres (27.0 in) of precipitation annually, of which one-third falls during

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984-524: The 2010 presidential election were imprisoned in the KGB jail along with other prominent politicians and civil activists. Ales Michalevic , who was kept in this jail, accused the KGB of using torture. On 15 November 2020, more than 1,000 protesters were arrested during an anti-government protest. Protesters took to the streets in the capital, Minsk, following the death of an opposition activist, Roman Bondarenko. The activist died after allegedly being beaten up by

1066-737: The Caucasus countries – Armenians , Azerbaijanis and Georgians each numbering about 2,000 to 5,000. They began migrating to Minsk in the 1970s, and more immigrants have joined them since. Many work in the retail trade in open-air markets. A small but prominent Arab community has developed in Minsk, primarily represented by recent economic immigrants from Syria , Lebanon , Egypt , Algeria , etc. (In many cases, they are graduates of Minsk universities who decide to settle in Belarus and bring over their families). A small community of Romani , numbering about 2,000, are settled in suburbs of north-western and southern Minsk. Throughout its history Minsk has been

1148-634: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). First mentioned in 1067, Minsk became the capital of the Principality of Minsk , an appanage of the Principality of Polotsk , before being annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1242. It received town privileges in 1499. From 1569, it was the capital of Minsk Voivodeship , an administrative division of

1230-582: The Curonian Lagoon , narrowly connected to the Baltic Sea . The 937 km (582 mi) long Neman is a major Eastern European river. It flows generally west to Grodno within 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of the Polish border, north to Kaunas , then westward again to the sea. The largest river in Lithuania, and the third-largest in Belarus, it is navigable for most of its length. It starts from two small headwaters merging about 15 kilometers (9 mi) southwest of

1312-414: The Curonian Lagoon . It provides the main water inflow to the lagoon and keeps the water almost fresh. This allows fresh water and brackish water animals to survive there. As the delta extends north the lagoon opposite narrows. Since the delta is in Lithuania, it is often referred to as Nemunas Delta . Nemunas Delta Regional Park was created in the delta in 1992. The following rivers are tributaries to

1394-458: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland entered into a union. Minsk became the centre of Minsk Voivodship (province). In 1441, as Grand Duke of Lithuania , Casimir IV included Minsk in a list of cities enjoying certain privileges, and in 1499, during the reign of his son, Alexander I Jagiellon , Minsk received town privileges under Magdeburg law . In 1569, after the Union of Lublin ,

1476-780: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland merged into a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . By the middle of the 16th century, Minsk was an important economic and cultural centre in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . It was also an important centre for the Eastern Orthodox Church . Following the Union of Brest , both the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Roman Catholic Church increased in influence. In 1655, Minsk

1558-833: The Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant . The resulting Kaunas Reservoir ( Lithuanian : Kauno marios ) is the largest such lake in Lithuania. It occupies 63.5 km ( 24 + 1 ⁄ 2  sq mi); its length is 93 km (58 mi); its greatest depth is 22 m (72 ft). The reservoir is a popular destination for Lithuanian yachting . The Augustów Canal , built in the 19th century, connects Neman to Vistula river. Fish found include the: perch , pike , zander , roach , tench , bream , rudd , ruffe , and bleak . Its tributaries have borne stone loach , three-spined stickleback , minnows , trout , sculpins , gudgeon , dace and chub . Atlantic salmon migrated upstream to spawn; however, dams on

1640-542: The Minsk Metro opening in 2020. More development is planned for several areas outside the city centre, while the future of the older neighborhoods is still unclear. Minsk is located on the southeastern slope of the Minsk Hills, a region of rolling hills running from the southwest (upper reaches of the river Nioman ) to the northeast – that is, to Lukomskaye Lake in northwestern Belarus . The average altitude above sea level

1722-767: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . It was part of the territories annexed by the Russian Empire in 1793, as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland . From 1919 to 1991, after the Russian Revolution , Minsk was the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic , which became a republic of the Soviet Union in 1922. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union , Minsk became

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1804-755: The Second World War , Minsk had a population of 300,000 people. The Germans captured Minsk in the Battle of Białystok–Minsk , as part of Operation Barbarossa ; after it had been devastated by the Luftwaffe . However, some factories, museums, and tens of thousands of civilians had been evacuated to the east. The Germans designated Minsk the administrative centre of Generalbezirk Weißruthenien . Communists and sympathisers were killed or imprisoned, both locally and after being transported to Germany. Homes were requisitioned to house invading German forces. Thousands starved as food

1886-704: The Soviet partisan resistance movement against the invasion, in what is known as the German-Soviet War . For this role, Minsk was awarded the title Hero City in 1974. Minsk was recaptured by Soviet troops on 3 July 1944 in Minsk Offensive as part of Operation Bagration . The city was the centre of German resistance to the Soviet advance and saw heavy fighting during the first half of 1944. Factories, municipal buildings, power stations , bridges, most roads, and 80% of

1968-667: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk , German forces occupied Minsk on 21 February 1918. On 25 March 1918, Minsk was proclaimed the capital of the Belarusian People's Republic . The republic was short-lived; in December 1918, Minsk was taken over by the Red Army . In January 1919 Minsk was proclaimed the capital of the Byelorussian SSR , though later in 1919 (see Operation Minsk ) and again in 1920,

2050-604: The influence of Russian this form also became official in Belarusian. The direct continuation of the name in Belarusian is Miensk ( Менск , IPA: [ˈmʲɛnsk] ), which some Belarusian-speakers continue to use as their preferred name for the city. When Belarus was under Polish rule, the names Mińsk Litewski ("Minsk of Lithuania ") and Mińsk Białoruski ("Minsk of Belarus") were used to differentiate this place name from Mińsk Mazowiecki 'Minsk in Masovia '. In modern Polish, Mińsk without an attribute usually refers to

2132-775: The 1880s and 1930s, many Jews, as well as peasants from other backgrounds, emigrated from the city to the United States as part of a Belarusian diaspora . The high mortality of the First World War and the Second World War affected the demographics of the city, particularly the destruction of Jews under the Nazi occupation of the Second World War. Working through local populations, Germans instituted deportation of Jewish citizens to concentration camps, murdering most of them there. The Jewish community of Minsk suffered catastrophic losses in

2214-404: The 1890s, especially among the intelligentsia . In the 1920s and early 1930s Belarusian was the major language of Minsk, including use for administration and education (both secondary and tertiary). However, since the late 1930s Russian again began gaining dominance. A short period of Belarusian national revival in the early 1990s saw a rise in the numbers of Belarusian speakers. However, in 1994

2296-639: The 1960s and 1970s changed the ethnic composition further. By 1979 Belarusians made up 68.4% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups included Russians (22.2%), Jews (3.4%), Ukrainians (3.4%), Poles (1.2%) and Tatars (0.2%). According to the 1989 census, 82% percent of Minsk residents have been born in Belarus. Of those, 43% have been born in Minsk and 39% – in other parts of Belarus. 6.2% of Minsk residents came from regions of western Belarus (Grodno and Brest Regions) and 13% – from eastern Belarus (Mogilev, Vitebsk and Gomel Regions). 21.4% of residents came from central Belarus (Minsk Region). According to

2378-440: The 1990s, after the fall of Communism, the city continued to change. As the capital of a newly independent country, Minsk quickly acquired the attributes of a major city. Embassies were opened, and a number of Soviet administrative buildings became government centres. During the early and mid-1990s, Minsk was hit by an economic crisis and many development projects were halted, resulting in high unemployment and underemployment. Since

2460-454: The 1999 census, Belarusians make up 79.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups include Russians (15.7%), Ukrainians (2.4%), Poles (1.1%) and Jews (0.6%). The Russian and Ukrainian populations of Minsk peaked in the late 1980s (at 325,000 and 55,000 respectively). After the break-up of the Soviet Union many of them chose to move to their respective mother countries, although some families had been in Minsk for generations. Another factor in

2542-711: The 20th century, Minsk was a major centre for the worker's movement in Belarus. The 1st Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , the forerunner to the Bolsheviks and eventually the CPSU , was held there in 1898. It was also one of the major centres of the Belarusian national revival , alongside Vilnius . However, the First World War significantly affected the development of Minsk. By 1915, Minsk

Skalvians - Misplaced Pages Continue

2624-685: The Dange River, now called the Danė ). In German road maps and lexika, only the 112-kilometer (70 mi) section within Prussia (starting at Schmalleningken ) was named Memel; the bulk of the river was Niemen. The border between the State of the Teutonic Order and Lithuania was fixed in 1422 by the Treaty of Lake Melno and remained stable for centuries. The Treaty of Tilsit between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I

2706-458: The Holocaust . From more than half the population of the city, the percentage of Jews dropped to less than 10% more than ten years after the war. After its limited population peaked in the 1970s, continuing anti-Semitism under the Soviet Union and increasing nationalism in Belarus caused most Jews to emigrate to Israel and western countries in the 1980s; by 1999, less than 1% of the population of Minsk

2788-517: The Kaliningrad section include high concentrations of BOD, lignosulphates, and nitrogen . In Lithuania, the Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant barrage affects the riparian ecosystem . Co-operation which would be beneficial is complicated by the geographical split between three nations but water quality improvement initiatives are underway. Minsk Minsk ( Belarusian : Мінск [mʲinsk] ; Russian : Минск [mʲinsk] )

2870-563: The Moscow- Warsaw road was laid through Minsk. In 1871, a railway link between Moscow and Warsaw ran via Minsk, and in 1873, a new railway from Romny in Ukraine to the Baltic Sea port of Libava ( Liepāja ) was also constructed. Thus Minsk became an important rail junction and a manufacturing hub. A municipal water supply was introduced in 1872, the telephone in 1890, the horse tram in 1892, and

2952-502: The Skalvians. It could also haven been a transitional language between Eastern and Western Baltic languages. Neman River Neman , Niemen or Nemunas is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast , Russia 's western exclave , which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains into

3034-480: The US, and Germany. Today only about 10,000 Jews live in Minsk. The traditional minorities of Poles and Tatars have remained at much the same size (17,000 and 3,000 respectively). Rural Poles have migrated from the western part of Belarus to Minsk, and many Tatars have moved to Minsk from Tatarstan . Some more recent ethnic minority communities have developed as a result of immigration. The most prominent are immigrants from

3116-536: The army of Peter the Great . The last decades of the Polish rule involved decline or very slow development, since Minsk had become a small provincial town of little economic or military significance. Minsk was annexed by Russia in 1793 as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland . In 1796, it became the centre of the Minsk Governorate . All of the initial street names were replaced by Russian names, though

3198-507: The brothers Pogins and Skirgaila (1359). In 1411, a campaign of the Samogitians under their leader Rumbaudas Valimantaitis against the castles of Ragnit, Tilsit and Splitter is testified. The last mention of the Scalovians was between 1542 (inhabitants of the castle of Ragnit) and 1563 (inhabitants of Splitter). Skalvian, or Scalovian, is the presumed West Baltic language or dialect of

3280-453: The capital of the newly independent Republic of Belarus. The Old East Slavic name of the town was Мѣньскъ (i.e. Měnsk < Early Proto-Slavic or Late Indo-European Mēnĭskŭ ), derived from a river name Měn (<  Mēnŭ ). The resulting form of the name, Minsk (spelled either Минскъ or Мѣнскъ), was taken over both in Russian (modern spelling: Минск) and Polish ( Mińsk ), and under

3362-482: The city in Belarus, which is about 50 times bigger than Mińsk Mazowiecki; (cf. Brest-Litovsk and Brześć Kujawski for a similar case). The Svislach River valley was the settlement boundary between two early East Slavic tribes – the Krivichs and Dregovichs . By 980, the area was incorporated into the early medieval Principality of Polotsk , one of the earliest East Slavic principalities of Kievan Rus' . Minsk

Skalvians - Misplaced Pages Continue

3444-738: The city was controlled by the Second Polish Republic during the course of the Polish-Bolshevik War between 8 August 1919 and 11 July 1920 and again between 14 October 1920 and 19 March 1921. Under the terms of the Peace of Riga , Minsk was handed back to the Russian SFSR and became the capital of the Byelorussian SSR, one of the founding republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . A programme of reconstruction and development

3526-626: The city's culture as had the Poles in the earlier centuries. At the time of the 1897 census under the Russian Empire, Jews were the largest ethnic group in Minsk, at 52% of the population, with 47,500 of the 91,000 residents. Other substantial ethnic groups were Russians (25.5%), Poles (11.4%) and Belarusians (9%). The latter figure may be not accurate, as some local Belarusians were likely counted as Russians. A small traditional community of Lipka Tatars had been living in Minsk for centuries. Between

3608-537: The cold period of the year (as snow or rain) and two-thirds during the warm period. Throughout the year, winds are generally westerly or northwesterly, bringing cool and moist air from the Atlantic. The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Centre of Radioactive and Environmental Control. During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons . The change from gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened

3690-547: The ecological situation. However, the majority of overall air pollution is produced by cars. Belarusian traffic police DAI every year hold operation "Clean Air" to prevent the use of cars with extremely polluting engines. Sometimes the maximum normative concentration of formaldehyde and ammonia in air is exceeded in Zavodski District . Other major contaminants are Chromium -VI and nitrogen dioxide . Zavodski, Partyzanski and Leninski districts, which are located in

3772-584: The first "Landesprivileg," and in 1289 the castle of order Ragnit was built. Between 1281 and 1383, privileges were made out: 1338 in Pleikischken near Plaschken, 1312 and 1333 near Sasavo in the region between Laugßargen and Tauragė , 1307 in Sintine near Tilsit, 1307 Gigen (near present-day Pagėgiai ), 1309 Linkone , 1350 Linkonen (Linkuhnen) as well as Weinoten near Tilsit, Tusseinen near Ragnit and Linkuhnen . Lithuanian immigrants were Sipe (1339) and

3854-462: The first line of defense against forays by the Teutonic knights . At its delta Nemunas splits into a maze of river branches and canals mixing with polders and wetlands and is a very attractive destination for eco-tourism . The four main distributaries are Atmata, Pakalnė, Skirvytė (the southern mouth, marking the international border) and Gilija. The river plays a crucial part in the ecosystem of

3936-474: The first local newspaper, Minskiye gubernskiye vedomosti ("Minsk province news") went into circulation. The first theatre was established in 1844. By 1860, Minsk was an important trading city with a population of 27,000. There was a construction boom that led to the building of two- and three-story brick and stone houses in Upper Town . Minsk's development was boosted by improvements in transportation. In 1846,

4018-408: The first power generator in 1894. By 1900, Minsk had 58 factories employing 3,000 workers. The city also boasted theatres, cinemas, newspapers, schools and colleges, as well as numerous monasteries, churches, synagogues, and a mosque. According to the 1897 Russian census , the city had 91,494 inhabitants, with some 47,561 Jews constituting more than half of the city population. In the early years of

4100-453: The first stanza of the song, written in 1841, the river is mentioned as the eastern border of a (then politically yet-to-be united) Germany : Lithuanians refer to Nemunas as "the father of rivers" ( Nemunas is a masculine noun in Lithuania). Countless companies and organizations in Lithuania have "Nemunas" in their name, including a folklore ensemble, a weekly magazine about art and culture,

4182-500: The houses were reduced to rubble. In 1944, Minsk's population was reduced to a mere 50,000. The historical centre was replaced in the 1940s and 1950s by Stalinist architecture , which favoured grand buildings, broad avenues and wide squares. Subsequently, the city grew rapidly as a result of massive industrialisation. Since the 1960s Minsk's population has also grown apace, reaching 1 million in 1972 and 1.5 million in 1986. Construction of Minsk Metro began on 16 June 1977, and

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4264-459: The late 1990s, there have been improvements in transport and infrastructure, and a housing boom has been underway since 2002. On the outskirts of Minsk, new mikroraions of residential development have been built. Metro lines have been extended, and the road system (including the Minsk BeltWay ) has been improved. In recent years Minsk has been continuously decentralizing, with a third line of

4346-432: The loop. Nemunas flows along the double bend between Balbieriškis and Birštonas for 48 km (30 mi) and then moves in a northerly direction for only 4.5 km ( 2 + 3 ⁄ 4  mi). The loops are not conventional river meanders ; they follow underlying tectonic structures. The faults are the source of local mineral springs. The area is historically and culturally significant. Its castles served as

4428-528: The lower basin. Due to their location, "the Nemunas loops" are often described using the Lithuanian name for the river. In 1992 Nemunas Loops Regional Park was founded. Its goal is to preserve the loops (Lithuanian: vingis ) that the river makes in the Punia forest. Near Prienai , the river makes a 17-kilometer-long (11 mi) loop (like a teardrop) coming within 1.2 km ( 3 ⁄ 4  mi) of completing

4510-418: The major city in the former Principality of Polotsk. The princes of Minsk and Polotsk were engaged in years of struggle trying to unite all lands previously under the rule of Polotsk. Minsk escaped the Mongol invasion of Rus in 1237–1239. In 1242, Minsk became a part of the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania . It joined peacefully and local elites enjoyed high rank in the society of the Grand Duchy. In 1413,

4592-441: The name is unknown but there are several theories. In the early 12th century, the Principality of Polotsk disintegrated into smaller fiefs. The Principality of Minsk was established by one of the Polotsk dynasty princes. In 1129, the Principality of Minsk was annexed by Kiev , the dominant principality of Kievan Rus' ; however in 1146 the Polotsk dynasty regained control of the principality. By 1150, Minsk rivalled Polotsk as

4674-456: The newly elected president Alexander Lukashenko slowly reversed this trend. Most residents of Minsk now use Russian exclusively in their everyday lives at home and at work, although Belarusian is understood as well. Substantial numbers of recent migrants from the rural areas use Trasyanka (a Russo-Belarusian mixed language) in their everyday lives. There are no reliable statistics on the religious affiliations of those living in Minsk, or among

4756-431: The northwestern edge of city lies large Zaslawskaye reservoir , often called the Minsk sea. It is the second largest reservoir in Belarus, constructed in 1956. Minsk has a warm summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), although its weather is oftentimes unpredictable, given its location between the strong influence of the moist air over the Atlantic Ocean and the dry air over the Eurasian landmass. Its weather

4838-497: The number of corruption crimes grew by 36% in 2009 alone. Crime detection level varies from 13% in burglary to 92% in homicide with an average 40.1%. Many citizens are concerned for their safety at night and the strongest concern was expressed by residents of Chizhovka and Shabany microdistricts (both in Zavodski District ). The SIZO-1 detention center, IK-1 general prison, and the KGB special jail called " Amerikanka " are all located in Minsk. Alexander Lukashenko 's rivals in

4920-402: The part of the river flowing through historic Prussia has been called die Memel at least since about 1250, when Teutonic Knights built Memelburg castle and the town of Memel at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon, naming it after the indigenous name of the river, Memel. The city of Memel, now in Lithuania, is known today as Klaipėda (confusingly, another city of Memel was on

5002-433: The population of Belarus generally. The majority of Christians belong to the Belarusian Orthodox Church , which is the exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus. There is a significant minority of Roman Catholics . As of 2006, there are approximately 30 religious communities of various denominations in Minsk. The only functioning monastery in the city is St Elisabeth Convent ; its large complex of churches

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5084-432: The retail trade and as craftsmen, as other opportunities were prohibited by discrimination laws). During the last centuries of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , many Minsk residents became polonised , adopting the language of the dominant Poles and assimilating to its culture. After the second partition of Poland-Lithuania in 1793, Minsk and its larger region became part of the Russian Empire . The Russians dominated

5166-404: The river Neman/Nemunas (from source to mouth): From west to east, the largest settlements are Sovetsk/Tilsit , Neman , Kaunas , Alytus , Druskininkai , Grodno , and Masty . Ptolemy referred to Neman as Chronos (although competing theories suppose Chronos was in fact Pregolya ). The river has lent its name to the Neman Culture , a Neolithic archaeological subculture. In German ,

5248-448: The river are Grodno in Belarus, Alytus and Kaunas in Lithuania, and Sovetsk in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. The river basin has a population of 5.4 million inhabitants. Industrial activities in the Belarusian section include metal processing, chemical industries, pulp and paper production, and manufacturing of building materials, as well as food-processing plants. In Lithuania, the city of Kaunas, with about 400,000 inhabitants,

5330-522: The river, most of them built in the 20th century, have depleted them. The dam at Kaunas does not provide fish ladders . The spawning season took place in the fall. Ethnographic studies, from before the dams, state night fishing, using torches and harpoons , was a common technique. A report by the Swedish EPA (Environmental Protection Administration) rates the river's quality in Lithuania as moderately polluted to polluted. High concentrations of organic pollutants, nitrates and phosphates occur in parts of

5412-436: The river. Environmental issues include water quality ( eutrophication and pollutants largely due to outdated technology sewage treatment works), changes in the hydrological regime, and flooding control. The environmental problems in each of the countries that make up the basin are slightly different. In Belarus, the main problems are oil products as well as nitrogen and BOD (biological oxygen demand). The environmental issues in

5494-424: The security forces. The protesters put flowers at the site where he was detained before succumbing to his injuries. Minsk is the economic capital of Belarus. It has developed industrial and services sectors which serve the needs not only of the city, but of the entire nation. Minsk's contributions form nearly 46% of Belarusian budget. According to 2010 results, Minsk paid 15 trillion BYR to state budget while

5576-410: The shifting demographics of the city was the changing self-identification of Minsk residents of mixed ancestry – in independent Belarus they identify as Belarusians. The Jewish population of Minsk peaked in the early 1970s at 50,000 according to official figures; independent estimates put the figure at between 100,000 and 120,000. Beginning in the 1980s, there has been mass-scale emigration to Israel,

5658-409: The southeastern part of Minsk, are the most polluted areas in the city. During its first centuries, Minsk was a city with a predominantly Early East Slavic population (the forefathers of modern-day Belarusians ). After the 1569 Polish–Lithuanian union , the city became a destination for migrating Poles (who worked as administrators, clergy, teachers and soldiers) and Jews ( Ashkenazim , who worked in

5740-403: The spelling of the city's name remained unchanged. It was briefly occupied by the Grande Armée during French invasion of Russia in 1812. Throughout the 19th century, the city continued to grow and significantly improve. In the 1830s, major streets and squares of Minsk were cobbled and paved. A first public library was opened in 1836, and a fire brigade was put into operation in 1837. In 1838,

5822-526: The system was opened to the public on 30 June 1984, becoming the ninth metro system in the Soviet Union. The rapid population growth was primarily driven by mass migration of young, unskilled workers from rural areas of Belarus, as well as by migration of skilled workers from other parts of the Soviet Union . To house the expanding population, Minsk spread beyond its historical boundaries. Its surrounding villages were absorbed and rebuilt as mikroraions , districts of high-density apartment housing. Throughout

5904-584: The town of Uzda – about 55 km (34 mi) southwest of capital city Minsk . Only 17 kilometres (11 mi), an eastward meander, contributes to the Belarus–Lithuania border . Thereafter the river includes notable loops along a minor tectonic fault. Its drainage basin settled in the late Quaternary to be roughly along the edge of the last glacial sheet so dates to about 25,000 to 22,000 years BC. Its depth varies from 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) in its upper courses to 5 meters (16 ft) in

5986-589: The whole income from all other regions was 20 trillion BYR. In the period January 2013 to October 2013, 70.6% of taxes in the budget of Minsk were paid by non-state enterprises, 26.3% by state enterprises, and 1.8% by individual entrepreneurs. Among the top 10 taxpayers were five oil and gas companies (including two Gazprom 's and one Lukoil 's subsidiaries), two mobile network operators ( MTS and A1 ), two companies producing alcoholic beverages (Minsk-Kristall and Minsk grape wines factory) and one producer of tobacco goods. In 2012, Gross Regional Product of Minsk

6068-569: Was Jewish. In the first three decades of the post-war years, the most numerous new residents in Minsk were rural migrants from other parts of Belarus; the proportion of ethnic Belarusians increased markedly. Numerous skilled Russians and other migrants from other parts of the Soviet Union migrated for jobs in the growing manufacturing sector. In 1959 Belarusians made up 63.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups included Russians (22.8%), Jews (7.8%), Ukrainians (3.6%), Poles (1.1%) and Tatars (0.4%). Continued migration from rural Belarus in

6150-538: Was a battlefront city. Some factories were closed down, and residents began evacuating to the east. Minsk became the headquarters of the Western Front of the Russian army and also housed military hospitals and military supply bases. The Russian Revolution had an immediate effect in Minsk. A Workers' Soviet was established in Minsk in October 1917, drawing much of its support from disaffected soldiers and workers. After

6232-450: Was begun in 1922. By 1924, there were 29 factories in operation; schools, museums, theatres and libraries were also established. Throughout the 1920s and the 1930s, Minsk saw rapid development with dozens of new factories being built and new schools, colleges, higher education establishments, hospitals, theatres and cinemas being opened. During this period, Minsk was also a centre for the development of Belarusian language and culture. Before

6314-560: Was conquered by troops of Tsar Alexei of Russia. Russians governed the city until 1660 when it was regained by John II Casimir , Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. By the end of the Polish-Russian War , Minsk had only about 2,000 residents and just 300 houses. The second wave of devastation occurred during the Great Northern War , when Minsk was occupied in 1708 and 1709 by the army of Charles XII of Sweden and then by

6396-536: Was first mentioned in the name form Měneskъ (Мѣнескъ) in the Primary Chronicle for the year 1067 in association with the Battle on the River Nemiga . 1067 is now widely accepted as the founding year of Minsk. City authorities consider the date of 3 March 1067 to be the exact founding date of the city, though the town (by then fortified by wooden walls) had certainly existed for some time by then. The origin of

6478-409: Was formed mainly by industry (26.4%), wholesale (19.9%), transportation and communications (12.3%), retail (8.6%) and construction (5.8%). GRP of Minsk measured in Belarusian rubles was 55 billion (€20 billion) or around 1/3 of Gross domestic product of Belarus. Minsk city has highest salaries in Belarus. As of December 2023 average gross salary in Minsk was 3,240 BYN per month (~ US$ 1,000). Minsk

6560-511: Was seized by the German Army and paid work was scarce. Minsk was the site of one of the largest Nazi-run ghettos in the Second World War, temporarily housing over 100,000 Jews (see Minsk Ghetto ). Some anti-Soviet residents of Minsk, who hoped that Belarus could regain independence, did support the Germans, especially at the beginning of the occupation, but by 1942, Minsk had become a major centre of

6642-648: Was signed on a raft in the river in 1807. Napoleon's crossing at the outset of the 1812 French invasion of Russia is described in War and Peace and also mentioned in Pan Tadeusz . In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles made the river the border separating the Memel Territory from German East Prussia as of 1920. At that time, Germany's Weimar Republic adopted the Deutschlandlied as its official national anthem . In

6724-591: Was the castle of Ragnit . Peter von Dusburg told about a wooden castle which could not be conquered by force or starvation because the inhabitants of the stronghold had put in an artificial lake, stocked with fish. The conquerors had to burn down the castle. In 1276–1277, Scalovia was subjugated by the Teutonic Knights . In the chronicles of the Knights were mentioned the nobles Sarecka (Sareikā), Surbantas , Svirdotas and Surdota . In 1281, Jondele Schalwithe got

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