Lyubavichi
Encyclopedia
Lyubavichi is a rural locality (a village) in Rudnyansky District
of Smolensk Oblast
, Russia
.
since at least 1654 . In 1784 mentioned as a small town , then a possession of the magnate Lubomirski family . During the French invasion of Russia
in 1812, the village was occupied by Napoleonic troops for two weeks.
In the days of the Russian Empire
, the village was a shtetl
in Orshansky Uyezd of Mogilev Governorate
. In 1857, it had a population of 2,500. However, according to another source from ca.1880, only 1516 inhabitants (978 Jews) were reported there, as well as 313 houses, 2 orthodox churches and 2 houses of prayer (shuls) .
In the late 19th–early 20th centuries, the largest market in Mogilev Governorate, with a turn-over of over 1.5 million roubles, was held in Lyubavichi. After the October Revolution
, the Hasidic leadership left Lyubavichi, and the Jewish population of the village gradually declined and secularized.
During World War II
, on November 4, 1941, 483 local Jews were massacred by the Nazis and their collaborators.
The village is primarily known worldwide as the namesake and former headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch
branch of Hasidic Judaism
.
Rudnyansky District, Smolensk Oblast
Rudnyansky District, Smolensk Oblast is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 25 in Smolensk Oblast, Russia....
of Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its area is . Population: -Geography:The administrative center of Smolensk Oblast is the city of Smolensk. Other ancient towns include Vyazma and Dorogobuzh....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
History
The village is known to have existed in the former Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
since at least 1654 . In 1784 mentioned as a small town , then a possession of the magnate Lubomirski family . During the French invasion of Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
in 1812, the village was occupied by Napoleonic troops for two weeks.
In the days 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...
, the village was a shtetl
Shtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
in Orshansky Uyezd of Mogilev Governorate
Mogilev Governorate
The Mogilev Governorate or Government of Mogilev was a governorate of the Russian Empire in the territory of the present day Belarus. Its capital was in Mogilev....
. In 1857, it had a population of 2,500. However, according to another source from ca.1880, only 1516 inhabitants (978 Jews) were reported there, as well as 313 houses, 2 orthodox churches and 2 houses of prayer (shuls) .
In the late 19th–early 20th centuries, the largest market in Mogilev Governorate, with a turn-over of over 1.5 million roubles, was held in Lyubavichi. After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, the Hasidic leadership left Lyubavichi, and the Jewish population of the village gradually declined and secularized.
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...
, on November 4, 1941, 483 local Jews were massacred by the Nazis and their collaborators.
The village is primarily known worldwide as the namesake and former headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch is a Chasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's larger and best-known Chasidic movements, its official headquarters is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York...
branch of Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
.