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Pinsk Town

Pinsk was first mentioned in 1097 in “Nestor's chronicles”. It arose as craft and trade town of Turov principality at place of junction of the rivers Pina and Pripyat.

Between 1167 and 1174 it became a centre of independent principality. During XII – XIII centuries it has been under the influence of Vladimir-Volynsky and Kiev principalities. In the beginning of XIV century Pinsk principality became a part of Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). In XVI century Pinsk was a large town with wooden castle, 16 churches, Orthodox and Catholic monasteries, synagogue. On its importance in GDL Pinsk yielded only to the capital Vilno and paid to treasury as tax as Polotsk, Grodno and Kiev. Since 1569 Pinsk has been formed a part of Rzecz Pospolita (Poland). In 1581 it received Magdeburg Code of Law (self-government) and emblem in the form of golden bow with an arrow against a red background. In 1648 at the time of insurrection of hetman Bogdan Khmelnitski’s Cossacks for the Ukraine to stop to form a part of Rzecz Pospolita Pinsk was destroyed greatly, more than 3000 people of its citizens died. During the war between Russia and Poland in 1654 – 1667 Pinsk was again ransacked and burned. In 1706 during the North War troops of Swedish Charles XII captured and sacked the town. After the second division of Rzecz Pospolita in 1793 Pinsk formed a part of Russian empire. During the World War I since 1915 the town has been occupying by Kaiser army during four years. In March 5, 1919 the town was occupied by Polish troops of Pilsudsky and in accordance with Riga treaty of peace Pinsk has been forming a part of bourgeois Poland since 1921 till 1939. In September of 1939 Soviet regime came to West Belarus and Pinsk. Since July 5, 1941 till July 14, 1944 the town has been occupying by Hitlerite troops.

Sights: Collegium (it formed a part of Jesuit monastery of XVII century; today museum of Belarusian Polesie is situated in this building); monastery of Minorites and Roman-Catholic church of Assumption of the Saint Virgin Maria (it was founded in 1396, there are architectonic monuments of Baroque taste of XVI – XVII centuries, functioning Roman-Catholic church there, there is a Catholic theological seminary in monastic buildings); Roman-Catholic church of Karl Baromey (it was founded in 1695, now it is used as concert hall of organ music); Cathedral of Saint Barbara (since 1786 till 1832 it has been a Roman-Catholic church of Bernards, now it is Orthodox convent); Butrimowicz Palace (it was built in 1794 for Mateusz Butrimowicz, a political and economical figure of Polesie, a constructor of Dnepr-Bug canal); gymnasium (a building of the year 1853, the first president of Israel Khaim Veitsman was its graduate); synagogue of XIX century (it’s former prayerful house of rabbis; Tsvi (Hirsch) - a son of founder of Hassidism Baal-Shem-Tov and Aaron I Karlinsky - a founder of carolin-stolin trend in Hassidism and his son are buried in Pinsk); park with a name of Dnepr flotilla (it springs from Italian park of prince Vishnevetsky; there is an armoured launch on the bottom of the park, it is a monument to seamen of Dnepr military flotilia, who liberated the town in 1944).