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It is the center of Polatsk district in Vitsebsk voblast. It is situated by the Dvina river. The population is approximately 79,000 residents.
Polatsk is one of the most ancient sities of the Slavs. Mentioned for the first time in 862 in ancient documents the name is also spelt as Polotesk, Polteks, Paltejsborg. Its name derives from the Polota river, that flows into Dvina at Polatsk.
Between the 9th and 12th centuries, the principality of Polatsk (now northern Belarus) emerged as the dominant center of power on Belarusian territory, with a lesser role played by the principality of Turaw in the south. It repeatedly asserted its sovereignty in relation to other centers of Ruthenia, becoming a political capital, the episcopal see of a bishopric and the controller of vassal territories among Balts in the west. Polatsk becomes a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as of 1307Events October 13 All Knights Templar in France are simultaneously arrested by agents of Phillip the Fair, to be later tortured into "admitting" heresy. November 18 (Legendary) William Tell shoots an apple off his son's head. Edward II becomes King of Eng, and it is said to have been the main center of trade in the state. The Magdeburg law was adopted in 1498Events May 20 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut (now Kozhikode), India, becoming the first European to get there by sailing around Africa. May 23 Girolamo Savonarola, ruler of Florence, is executed for criticizing the Pope. July 31 On h. However it did not remain independent for long as it was captured by the RussiaThe Russian Federation ( Russian: , transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija , or Russia (Russian: , transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Withn army of Ivan IV of RussiaIvan IV ( August 25, 1530 March 18, 1584) was the first ruler of Russia to assume the title of tsar. He is also known as Ivan the Terrible ( , Ivan Grozny). This tsar retains his place in the Russian folk tradition simply as Ivan Vasilyevich , Vasily III' in 1563Events February 18 The Duke of Guise is assassinated while besieging Orleans March Peace of Amboise. Negotiated between the Prince of Conde and Anne de Montmorency, it accords some toleration to the Huguenots, especially to aristocrats. The combined Hugue. Although liberated by the PolishThe Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (or The Republic of the Two Nations Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodow in Polish; Latin: Regnum Serenissima Poloniae; Belarusian: ) was a federal monarchy- republic formed by the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania Army in 1579Events January 6 The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. January 23 The Union of Utrecht united the northern Netherlands in a confederation called the United Provinces., this period saw the gradual decline of the city.
After the first partition of Poland Polatsk degraded to the status of a small provincial town of the Russian Empire.
The city's Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom ( 1044- 1066) was a symbol of the independent-mindedness of Polatsk, rivaling churches of the same name in Novgorod and Kyiv and referring to the original Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (and thus to claims of imperial prestige, authority and sovereignty).
Cultural achievements of the Polatsk period include the work of the nun Euphrosyne of Polatsk ( 1120- 1173), who built monasteries, transcribed books, promoted literacy and sponsored art (including local artisan Lazarus Bohsha's famous "Cross of Euphrosyne," a national symbol and treasure stolen during World War II), and the prolific, original Church Slavonic sermons and writings of Bishop Cyril of Turaw ( 1130- 1182).
Belarusan first printer Francysk Skaryna was born in Polatsk around 1490. He is famous for the first printing of the Bible in an East Slavic language, an Old Belarusian (or Old Ruthenian) in 1517, several decades after the first ever printed book by Johann Gutenberg and just several years after the first Czech Bible ( 1506).
In September 2003, as "Days of Belarusian Literacy" were celebrated for the 10th time in Polacak, city authorities opened a monument to honor the unique Cyrillic Belarusian letter, which is not used in any other Slavic language. The original idea for the monument came from the Belarusian calligraphy professor Paval Siemchanka who has been studying Cyrillic fonts for many years.
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