Velizh

Welisch (Russian Велиж ) is a town in Smolensk Oblast (Russia) with 7620 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ).

Geography

The city is located about 130 kilometers northwest of the Oblasthauptstadt Smolensk on the Daugava.

Welisch is the administrative center of the homonymous Rajons.

History

Welisch was first mentioned at the end of the 14th century. Since the end of 15./Anfang of the 16th century the village belonged to the Grand Duchy of Moscow. However, the official year is 1536, when a new fort was built on the site of old mounting remnants. The name is probably derived from the former name of the upper reaches of the Daugava river, Welja.

While the clashes between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia possession of the city changed hands several times. From 1580 to 1655 Welisch part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as part of Poland-Lithuania, then to 1678 and 1722 to Russia and Poland-Lithuania again, before it finally came into the possession of Russia.

The town charter was granted in 1776. The main industry of the time was the construction of river barges and timber rafting.

Until the 1920s existed in Welisch an important Jewish community, which became famous in connection with the unjustified collective conviction for ritual murder in 1824. The conviction was overturned in 1835.

During World War II Welisch was occupied on 14 July 1941 by the German Wehrmacht and recaptured on 20 September 1943 by troops of the Kalinin Front Red Army under the Duchowschtschina - Demidower operation.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Culture and sights

The city has a Historical and Folk Museum.

Economy

Welisch is a center of the timber industry and processing ( furniture factory ). In addition, companies in the textile, electrical and food industry.