Vitebsk is one of the oldest towns in Belarus . An exact date of its beginning hasn`t arranged yet . The first mention about it belongs to the 12-th century in connection with a war between the Kiev and the Polotsk Principalities . The prince of Kiev Yaroslav Mudry gave the town on the Vitsba River to the prince of Polotsk Bryacheslav.Vitebsk arose as a fortress for defence against of exterior enemies . It was built on the high bank of the Western Dvina River, where the Vitsba and the Luches Rivers flow into it . Vitebsk often exposed invesions of conquerors, because it had the advantageous geografical position . Its fortifications were formed from the Upper Castle (the 13-th century) and the Lower Castle (the 14-th century). At the end of the 16-th -- the beginning of the 17-th centuries Vzgorskiy Castle was erected as a fortification, too . In 1320 the Vitebsk Principality was included into the structure of Lithuania . Vitebsk regiments took part in the rout of the Tevton Order under Grunvald . At the beginning of the 18-th century , during the Northern War of Sweden against Russia and Poland, Vitebsk was burnt down almost completely.
Blagoveshchenskaya Church was built at the end of the 12-th century . It is situated in the territory of the former Lower Castle . The former palace of the governor (end of the 18-th century) was the residence of all governors of Vitebsk Province . In 1812 Napoleon staied here . A monument was built near the palace . It was devoted to the victory of the Russian people in the Patriotic War in 1812 . Kazanskaya Church was built in 1760 . It is on the right bank of the Western Dvina River.
Today Vitebsk is a large industrial town in Belarus . Machine-building, production of construction materials the food and the light industrias , production of TV-sets are main branches in Vitebsk . Highly qualified specialists are prepared in the pedagogical, medical, veterinary, technological and other institutes.
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