Kapyl
Encyclopedia
Kapyl is an urban settlement and the capital of Kapyl Raion
in Belarus
. It is located 34 kilometres (21.1 mi) west-northwest of Slutsk
and 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) south-southwest of Minsk
. The current population estimate of 9,900 for the town is based on the provisional figures from the 2009 census.
The postal codes for Kapyl are 223910 and 223927.
. In 1395 it came into the possession of Prince Vladimir Olgerdovich
and his heirs, the Olelkovich
family, where it remained until 1612. Kapyl was part of the dowry of Zofia Olelkowicz Słucka
and was one of the seven fortified towns left to her husband Janusz Radziwill upon her death in 1612.
Kapyl was attacked by the Tatars
numerous times and was sacked on at least one occasion during the 16th century.
On August 27, 1652, Kapyl received the Magdeburg Law and gained its own seal, a coat of arms depicting a hunting horn on a gold field. With this privilege came the right to hold fairs and weekly auctions. During the 16th century weaving became established in the town, including the production of velvet. Six guilds came into existence as a result of the growth of the weaving industry.
After the Second Partition of Poland
in 1793 Kapyl became part of the Russian Empire
. From 1832 it became a personal holding of Prince Wittgenstein
. During the 19th century local businesses included a brewery, 2 water mills, and 6 shops. Other local institutions included 3 schools, churches (including a Calvinist church), and 2 Jewish synagogue
s.
Towards the end of the 19th century Kapyl had over 350 houses and over 2000 inhabitants. At that time a majority of the town’s population was Jewish. By 1900 the Jewish population was 2,671.
In 1924, Kapyl became the capital city of the Kapyl District.
During World War II
the Slutsk-Kapyl area was the subject of a German military operation code-named Erntefest II (Harvest Festival) which ended in February 1943. Although ostensibly aimed at suppressing the activities of Soviet partisans in the area the operation resulted in the deaths of 2,325 of the local inhabitants (against the loss of six German soldiers), which can only be characterized as a campaign of genocide and terror.
One of Kapyl district’s major architectural monuments is a 19th century church in the town itself.
Kapyl Raion
Kapyl Raion is a second-level administrative subdivision of Minsk Voblast, Belarus. Its capital is the town of Kapyl....
in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. It is located 34 kilometres (21.1 mi) west-northwest of Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
and 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) south-southwest of Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
. The current population estimate of 9,900 for the town is based on the provisional figures from the 2009 census.
The postal codes for Kapyl are 223910 and 223927.
History
Kapyl, first mentioned in 1274, was a walled town that was noteworthy by the 14th century, and is listed in the atlas of Ortelius of 1574. During the 14th century the town was part of the Grand Duchy of LithuaniaGrand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. In 1395 it came into the possession of Prince Vladimir Olgerdovich
Vladimir Olgerdovich
Vladimir Olgerdovich was a son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his first wife Maria of Vitebsk. He was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1362 to 1394. His sons Ivan and Alexander started the Belsky and Olelkovich families....
and his heirs, the Olelkovich
Olelkovich
The Olelkovich family was a 15th–16th-century noble family from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Their main possession was the Duchy of Slutsk–Kapyl; therefore, they are sometimes known as Slutskys. They hailed from the Lithuanian Gediminids and Russian Rurikids...
family, where it remained until 1612. Kapyl was part of the dowry of Zofia Olelkowicz Słucka
Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill
Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill was the last descendant of the family Olelkovich-Slutsk who were descended from Prince Algirdas. She was canonized by the Orthodox Church in 1983. The church of St...
and was one of the seven fortified towns left to her husband Janusz Radziwill upon her death in 1612.
Kapyl was attacked by the Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
numerous times and was sacked on at least one occasion during the 16th century.
On August 27, 1652, Kapyl received the Magdeburg Law and gained its own seal, a coat of arms depicting a hunting horn on a gold field. With this privilege came the right to hold fairs and weekly auctions. During the 16th century weaving became established in the town, including the production of velvet. Six guilds came into existence as a result of the growth of the weaving industry.
After the Second Partition of Poland
Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the second of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the War in Defense of the Constitution and the Targowica Confederation of 1792...
in 1793 Kapyl became part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. From 1832 it became a personal holding of Prince Wittgenstein
Peter Wittgenstein
Ludwig Adolph Peter, Prince Wittgenstein was a Russian Field Marshal distinguished for his services in the Napoleonic wars.-Life:...
. During the 19th century local businesses included a brewery, 2 water mills, and 6 shops. Other local institutions included 3 schools, churches (including a Calvinist church), and 2 Jewish synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s.
Towards the end of the 19th century Kapyl had over 350 houses and over 2000 inhabitants. At that time a majority of the town’s population was Jewish. By 1900 the Jewish population was 2,671.
In 1924, Kapyl became the capital city of the Kapyl District.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Slutsk-Kapyl area was the subject of a German military operation code-named Erntefest II (Harvest Festival) which ended in February 1943. Although ostensibly aimed at suppressing the activities of Soviet partisans in the area the operation resulted in the deaths of 2,325 of the local inhabitants (against the loss of six German soldiers), which can only be characterized as a campaign of genocide and terror.
One of Kapyl district’s major architectural monuments is a 19th century church in the town itself.
External links
- Kapyl, Belarus at JewishGen.Org
- Geographical Dictionary of Polish Kingdom and other Slavic countries (in Polish), vol 4, edited by F. Sulimirskiego, B. Chlebowski, W. Walewski, Warsaw 1883, pp 386-387.
- Kapyl District at Treklens
- Kopyl raion page at Minsk Oblispolkom website
- Rodoh Forum: Major Antipartisan Operations in Belorussia
- Kopyl Region Executive Committee
- Belarus City Population