Zelva (Belarusian: Зэльва, romanizedZеĺva;[a] Russian: Зельва; Polish: Zelwa; Yiddish: זעלווא) is an urban-type settlement in Grodno Region, in western Belarus.[1] It serves as the administrative center of Zelva District.[1][2] It is situated by the Zelvyanka River. As of 2024, it has a population of 6,296.[1]

Zelva
Зэльва (Belarusian)
Зельва (Russian)
Flag of Zelva
Official seal of Zelva
Zelva is located in Belarus
Zelva
Zelva
Coordinates: 53°09′N 24°49′E / 53.150°N 24.817°E / 53.150; 24.817
CountryBelarus
RegionGrodno Region
DistrictZelva District
First mentioned1258
Area
 • Total15 km2 (6 sq mi)
Elevation
138 m (453 ft)
Population
 (2024)[1]
 • Total6,296
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK)
Area code+375-1564

History

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Panorama from the 1910s

Initially Zelwa was a private possession of various nobles, by the mid-16th century it became a possession of the Polish Crown, and in the 17th century it became again a private possession of nobility, including the Sapieha, Połubiński, Radziwiłł, Jarmołowicz and Konarzewski families.[3] In 1720 weekly markets and annual fairs were established.[3] In 1739 a Piarist monastery was founded.[3]

In the interbellum, it was administratively located in the Wołkowysk County in the Białystok Voivodeship of Poland. According to the 1921 census, the population was 63.4% Jewish, 31.1% Polish and 5.3% Belarusian.[4]

Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, it was first occupied by the Soviet Union until 1 July 1941, and then by Nazi Germany until 12 July 1944 and administered as a part of Bezirk Bialystok. When the Germans entered the town, they killed 40 to 50 Jewish men and kept the Jews of the town imprisoned in a ghetto in very harsh conditions. In November 1942, the Jews were deported and murdered at the Treblinka extermination camp.[5]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Численность населения на 1 января 2024 г. и среднегодовая численность населения за 2023 год по Республике Беларусь в разрезе областей, районов, городов, поселков городского типа". belsat.gov.by. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  2. ^ Gaponenko, Irina Olegovna (2004). Назвы населеных пунктаў Рэспублікі Беларусь: Гродзенская вобласць. Minsk: Тэхналогія. p. 205. ISBN 985-458-098-9.
  3. ^ a b c Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIV (in Polish). Warszawa. 1895. pp. 566–567.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Skorowidz miejscowości Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Tom V (in Polish). Warszawa: Główny Urząd Statystyczny. 1924.
  5. ^ "History - Jewish community before 1989 - Zelwa - Virtual Shtetl". www.sztetl.org.pl. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02.