Velizh

Also known as Vielizh, Wieliż, Welisch, Welish, Veližas

Velizh () is a town and the administrative center of Velizhsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Western Dvina, from Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:

Key facts

Russian inhabited locality.mun_admctr_of1: Velizhsky Municipal District
Russian inhabited locality.en_name: Velizh
Russian inhabited locality.ru_name: Велиж
Russian inhabited locality.image_skyline: Vieliž (11).png
Russian inhabited locality.image_caption: In central Velizh
Russian inhabited locality.map_label_position: right
Russian inhabited locality.image_coa: Coat of arms of Velizh 1781.svg
Russian inhabited locality.federal_subject: Smolensk Oblast
Russian inhabited locality.adm_district_jur: Velizhsky District
Russian inhabited locality.adm_selsoviet_jur: Velizhskoye
Russian inhabited locality.adm_selsoviet_type: Urban settlement
Russian inhabited locality.adm_ctr_of1: Velizhsky District
Russian inhabited locality.adm_ctr_of2: Velizhskoye Urban Settlement
Russian inhabited locality.inhabloc_cat: Town
Russian inhabited locality.mun_district_jur: Velizhsky Municipal District
Russian inhabited locality.urban_settlement_jur: Velizhskoye Urban Settlement
Russian inhabited locality.mun_admctr_of2: Velizhskoye Urban Settlement
Russian inhabited locality.area_km2: 226.62

via Wikipedia infobox

~5 min read

Encyclopedic overview

11 sections

Contents

History
Administrative and municipal status
Economy
Industry
Transportation
Culture and recreation
Notable people
References
Notes
Sources
External links

==History== thumb|left|upright=0.7|Seal of the Royal city in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Royal Town of Wieliż from the times of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] In the late 14th century, it used to be a border fortress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Muscovy recaptured it in 1536. Lithuania recaptured it in 1562, then Muscovy again in 1563, then Polish forces led by Jan Zamoyski captured it in 1580, confirmed by the 1582 Truce of Yam-Zapolsky. In 1585, King Stephen Báthory of Poland established the coat of arms and granted privileges for the townspeople. In 1654 it was occupied by Russia, but in 1667 it was restored to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Velizh” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.