Šcucyn
Encyclopedia
Shchuchyn is a town in the Hrodna Voblast
of Belarus
. It is the center of the Shchuchyn district. The population is nearly 18,000.
(the Book of Lithuanian vital records), kept in the Governmental archive in Lithuania
.
Ownership of Shchuchyn passed from one noble family to another: The Radziwiłł family, then the Drutskiya-Liubetskis, the Scipions, and others ruled Shchuchyn in turn. In the 15th–18th centuries, Shchuchyn became a member of the Lida
council of the Vilnius
office of voivode. In the first half of the 17th century, Shchuchyn was governed by the outsider marshal of the Lithuanian principality, Scipio de Campo. Shchuchyn was an average-sized privately-owned village in terms of population.
A Catholic Monasterial Order was established 1726 in Shchuchyn by the resolution of the Sejm. The Board of Shchuchyn was considered to be one of the biggest in Belarus.
Shchuchin was subject to ruin and ravage more than once in its history. The biggest was in the time of the North War, after the town was seized by the Swedish king Karl XII. After the third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Shchuchin became a part of the Russian Empire
. In June 1812 Shchuchyn was occupied by French troops. And again in 1915, by the German Kaiser. In 1919 the Red Army attempted to seize Belarusian land by taking and fortifying the Martinkantsy - Shchuchin - Shchara - lake Vygonovskoe line. However, the superior defence forces of the "Land of Grodnenskaya", together with Poland, forced the Red Army back. In 1939, Western Belarus, together with Shchuchyn, went under the control of the Soviet authorities. In World War II, Shchuchyn was occupied by German troops.
In 1962, Shchuchyn was granted town status.
The city had one of the biggest Soviet air force bases (5,000 personnel).
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...
of 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 the center of the Shchuchyn district. The population is nearly 18,000.
History
The first known official written mention of Shchuchyn is recorded in 1436, but its foundation as a settlement dates back to 1537, when 'Shchuchyn was mentioned in the Book of Acts of the Lithuanian MetricaLithuanian Metrica
The Lithuanian Metrica or the Metrica of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is a collection of the 14–18th century legal documents of the Chancellery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania...
(the Book of Lithuanian vital records), kept in the Governmental archive in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
Ownership of Shchuchyn passed from one noble family to another: The Radziwiłł family, then the Drutskiya-Liubetskis, the Scipions, and others ruled Shchuchyn in turn. In the 15th–18th centuries, Shchuchyn became a member of the Lida
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
council of the Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
office of voivode. In the first half of the 17th century, Shchuchyn was governed by the outsider marshal of the Lithuanian principality, Scipio de Campo. Shchuchyn was an average-sized privately-owned village in terms of population.
A Catholic Monasterial Order was established 1726 in Shchuchyn by the resolution of the Sejm. The Board of Shchuchyn was considered to be one of the biggest in Belarus.
Shchuchin was subject to ruin and ravage more than once in its history. The biggest was in the time of the North War, after the town was seized by the Swedish king Karl XII. After the third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Shchuchin became a 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...
. In June 1812 Shchuchyn was occupied by French troops. And again in 1915, by the German Kaiser. In 1919 the Red Army attempted to seize Belarusian land by taking and fortifying the Martinkantsy - Shchuchin - Shchara - lake Vygonovskoe line. However, the superior defence forces of the "Land of Grodnenskaya", together with Poland, forced the Red Army back. In 1939, Western Belarus, together with Shchuchyn, went under the control of the Soviet authorities. In World War II, Shchuchyn was occupied by German troops.
In 1962, Shchuchyn was granted town status.
Industry
Important industry: the "Avtoprovod" plant, a dairy (the Belarus largest), and a bread factory.The city had one of the biggest Soviet air force bases (5,000 personnel).
Education
Primary and secondary education: three schools, a VTS (Vocational Technical School), a gymnasium.External links
- The history of Ščučyn. Щучин online (Ščučyn online)
- Photogallery of the town on Ščučyn online
- Photos on Radzima.org
- Photo gallery of the town
- Slownik Geograficzny Entry: Szczuczyn
- Diocese of Grodno. Site of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus
- «Scucin - the city of aviators» Site about Scucin and its long avia history