Maladzyechna Voblast
Encyclopedia
Maladzyechna Voblast or Molodechno Oblast was a Voblast of the Byelorussian SSR
. Initially the Voblast was formed on December 4, 1939 following the annexation of West Belarus
into the BSSR from the Second Polish Republic
as the Vileyka Voblast
. However after the liberation of Byelorussia by the Red Army
in July 1944, most of the pre-war civil administration was not possible for a number of reasons, one of which was that the city of Vileyka
was heavily damaged during the war, and the transportation links between it and the rest of the Voblast were too.
However the nearby city of Maladzyechna
(only 20km away from Vileyka) escaped heavy destruction, and as a result on 20 September 1944, the Maladzyechna Voblast of Byelorussia was established. Initially it contained all 14 raions. However on January 8 1954, in course of administrative-territorial reform of the BSSR, the neighbouring Polatsk
and Baranavichy Voblast
s (along with others) were disestablished.
Maladzyechna Voblast incorporated 10 raions from the two Voblasts with its size growing from 14.8 to 24.3 thousand square kilometres. However on 20th of January 1960, Maladzyechna Oblast too was disestablished. Its territory, with 848 thousand people was divided between the modern Vitsebsk
, Hrodna
and Minsk Voblasts, with the city of Maladzyechna being incorporated into the latter. This turned to be the last of the administrative division reform in Belarus, and since then the Voblast borders gained their present form.
Byelorussian SSR
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
. Initially the Voblast was formed on December 4, 1939 following the annexation of West Belarus
West Belarus
West Belarus is the name used in reference to the territory of modern Belarus which belonged to the Second Polish Republic between 1919 and 1939. The area of West Belarus was annexed into the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic following staged elections soon after the Nazi-Soviet Invasion of...
into the BSSR from the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
as the Vileyka Voblast
Vileyka Voblast
Vileyka Voblast was a territorial unit in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic created out of the eastern powiats of the Wilno Voivodeship after the annexation of West Belarus into the BSSR in November 1939. The administrative centre of the province was the city of Vileyka. The Voblast...
. However after the liberation of Byelorussia by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in July 1944, most of the pre-war civil administration was not possible for a number of reasons, one of which was that the city of Vileyka
Vileyka
Vileyka – town in Republic of Belarus, the capital of the Vileyka Raion in the Minsk Voblast. It is located on the river Viliya, 100 km to northwest from Minsk. First documental record: 16 November 1460....
was heavily damaged during the war, and the transportation links between it and the rest of the Voblast were too.
However the nearby city of Maladzyechna
Maladzyechna
Maladzyechna , is a city in the Minsk Voblast of Belarus, an administrative centre of the Maladzyechna district . It has 98,514 inhabitants and is located 72 km northwest of Minsk. Located on the Usha River, it has been a settlement since 1388 when it was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania...
(only 20km away from Vileyka) escaped heavy destruction, and as a result on 20 September 1944, the Maladzyechna Voblast of Byelorussia was established. Initially it contained all 14 raions. However on January 8 1954, in course of administrative-territorial reform of the BSSR, the neighbouring Polatsk
Polatsk Voblast
Polatsk Voblast or Polotsk Oblast was an administrative division in Soviet Belarus. It was created on September 20, 1944. It included territories of eastern Polesia and consisted of 15 raions. The administrative centre was Polatsk....
and Baranavichy Voblast
Baranavichy Voblast
Baranavichy Oblast was a territorial unit in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic created after the annexation of West Belarus into the BSSR in November 1939. The administrative centre of the province was the city of Baranavichy....
s (along with others) were disestablished.
Maladzyechna Voblast incorporated 10 raions from the two Voblasts with its size growing from 14.8 to 24.3 thousand square kilometres. However on 20th of January 1960, Maladzyechna Oblast too was disestablished. Its territory, with 848 thousand people was divided between the modern Vitsebsk
Vitsebsk Voblast
Vitsebsk Voblast or Vitebsk Oblast is a province of Belarus with its administrative center being Vitebsk .As of a 2009 estimate, the voblast has a population of 1,230,800...
, Hrodna
Hrodna Voblast
Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast is a voblast in northwestern Belarus.The capital - Grodno is the biggest city of the province. It lies on the Neman River. Grodno's existence is attested to from 1127. Two castles dating from the 14th - 18th centuries are located here on the steep right bank of...
and Minsk Voblasts, with the city of Maladzyechna being incorporated into the latter. This turned to be the last of the administrative division reform in Belarus, and since then the Voblast borders gained their present form.