Almost all regional centers of Belarus are located on rivers, water sources played a decisive role in the appearance of the first settlers, and continue to participate in the life of modern cities. The history of Grodno is inextricably linked with the Neman, as well as with neighboring states, Lithuania and Poland, since the city is located at the very border.
For centuries Grodno was a part of various administrative-territorial entities, the most famous of them are:
- Kievan Rus (from the XII to the middle of the XIII centuries);
- The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (from the middle of the XIII century to 1795);
- Russian Empire (from 1795 to 1917);
- BSSR (January 1919, September 1939 - 1991);
- Republic of Belarus (since December 1991).
Each of the states has made a hand in the development of the region and various sectors of the urban economy, the construction of residential and public buildings.
Ancient city
Indeed, this is one of the most ancient Belarusian cities; in Russian chronicles it has been mentioned since the 12th century under the name of Goroden. At this time, the settlement is already quite large, it is the center of the Gorodensky principality, and is part of the Old Russian state.
Since the XII century, this settlement is among the European cities that played an important role in the economy, trade, and culture. The latter direction is also important, residents remember the local school of architecture, the most vivid witness is the preserved Kolozhskaya church, built in the 12th century.
Grodno in the Middle Ages
These centuries in the life of the settlement are associated with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its successor, the Commonwealth. The second important point is that this period in the history of Grodno could be briefly described as a time of wars. It was visited by Tatars, Galicia-Volyn princes, Teutons and crusaders, Vitovt and Yagailo fought for the city.
Since 1392, the period of the reign of Prince Vitovt begins, the city becomes the center of the Grodno governorship. Then Grodno is already a part of the Commonwealth, and after the third partition, in 1795, it is part of the Russian Empire.
The era of revolutionary changes
The 19th century was marked by a revolution in the scientific field, the development of all spheres of city life, the appearance of a telephone, electricity, and new types of transport. Scientific and technological progress continued in the twentieth century, but this century was marked by the most terrible wars in the history of both the city and Europe.
The Germans occupied Grodno twice - in 1915 and in 1941. And twice the city was liberated from the invaders. The townspeople returned to a peaceful life, once again restoring residential areas, public buildings, monuments and landmarks.
