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BELSK (BIELSKI) UEYZD OR DISTRICT

 

List of Towns in Bielsk District
Bielsk	52° 46'	23° 12'
Bocki	52° 39'	23° 03'
Bransk	52° 44'	22° 51'
Ciechanowiec	52° 40'	22° 31'
Czeremcha	52° 31'	23° 21'
Drogoichin
Kleszczele	52° 53'	23° 19'
Malesze	52° 48'	22° 58'
Melenik
Narew	52° 55'	23° 31'
Niemirow	52° 18'	23° 45'
Nurzec	52° 29'	23° 10'
Orla	52° 42'	23° 20'
Siemiatycze	52° 27'	22° 53'

   No coordinator at present, please volunteer!
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BIELSKI (52 11', 25 09') UEZD INFORMATION: including Aleksin, Aleksinskaya, Bocky, Belsk, Botzki, Bryansk, Cehanovec, Drogichin, Dubyazhin, Dubyzhinskaya, Gacki, Grodek, Grodisk, Grodiskaya, losinka, Kleniki, Klenikskaya, Kleshiely, Klestcheli, Losinskaya, Maleshki, Maleshevskaya, Melnik, Narev, Nemerivo, Novoberezovskaya, Orlya, Orlyanskaya, Pasynki, Pasykovaya, Pavly, Pavlovskaya, Putyski, Raiskaya, Semetichi, Semyatichi, Shkurec, Shkureckaya, Tehanovets, Tzehanovetz

Belsk
 According to the chronicles, the town was destroyed by the horde of Khan Batyi. Troops of Danil Romanovich, who tried to conquer Lithuania, also reached Belsk. In 1284, Duke Vladimir Vasiljevich presented the local church with the icons and books. The following year, Belsk was conquered, descimated, and abandoned by Duke Yuri Lvovich. Other sources provide information that this same Duke Vladimir Vasiljevich founded the church of St.Boris and Gleb there in 1288. At the same time, and in 1377, the palace in Belsk was attacked and finally burned in 1570. Belsk first was granted the Right in 1430 by Bitavt. Very soon, it became the main town uniting three povets: Bransk, Tykotsinski and Surazhski. In 1495, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, granted Maideburg Rights to Belsk that were reconfirmed in 1499 and in 1501. The owner of Belsk, Zhigimont Stary, presented the town to the widow of Grand Duke Alexandr. She obtained the right to own Belsk until the end of her life. In 1508, the church was founded in Belsk Palace. Shortly, in 1596, the fight lasting one hundred years between Catholic and Orthodox churches commenced. The majority of the population belonged to the Orthodox church. Belsk burned in 1664.The North War and the famine in 1710 emptied Belsk lands. In 1698, the Catholic church was built, with a second one was built in 1780. After the division of Rech Pospolotaya, Belsk was given to Prussia. In 1807, it was included in the Russian Empire, first in Belostok district and later in Grodno gubernya. In 1857, Belsk had five Orthodox churches, ten brick houses and 316 wooden houses. The population was 2,788. At the same time, there were five factories in the town and the total number of masters was 212, of whom 188 had a very high qualification. Judicially, the Belsk governor administered seven villages: Vidava, Spichki, Shastaly, Striki, Partsevo, Avgustav and Pasechniki. The population was 1,169 men and 1,188 women. In 1897, the population of Belsk was 5,780 (3,968 Jews, 940 Orthodox, 865 Catholics and seven Evangelicals). 1880: Yitzchak Zvi Horvitz was the Bielsk correspondent for Hamelitz . Now, Belsk belongs to Poland and is the povet center in Belostok voevodstvo.
 

Bielski Uezd Population by Religion in 1887
 

Religion	Belsk			Drogichin			Bryansk			Narev			Klestsheli			Melnik			Belski uezd
	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.
Orthodox	1248	1495	620	340	125	136	895	865	574	551	380	410	32758	32096
Catholic	936	972	350	280	481	500	280	290	87	79	240	270	24855	25180
Protestant	13	11	4	6							7	3	238	215
Jewish	1267	876	150	200	578	626	249	257	220	200	103	89	6849	7496
Moslem	5	3
Total	3469	3360	1124	826	1184	1262	1424	1412	881	830	730	772	64693	64984

1887 Bielski Uezd Population by Social Class
 

	Title of the Estates	Belsk town			Drogichin			Bryansnk			Narev			Kletsheli			Melnik			Belski uezd<= /TD>
		men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.	men	wom.
	Nobility	1) hereditary	15	11			9	12	1	2	4	3			1037	1070
2) personal		22	16	6	2	3	5		1	2	5	7	4	38	44
Clergy		1) Orthodox "White"	5	19	13	14	2	4	2		3		8	11	104	126
	1) Orthodox "Monkish"
	2) Catholic "White"	1		1		1		1						15
2) Catholic "Monkish"
3)
4)
5) Jewish	1	1	1		2		1		1		1		17	11
6) Moslem
Urban Estates	1) Citizens (hereditary)	3	4					2	1
	1) Citizens (personal)	4	3	1		6	10	1	1	4	1			69	74
	2) Merchants	39	39	645	727	840	960	1320	1350	829	813	580	620	20038	21286
3) Middle-class	2773	3044			241	166							616	546
4)	52	41
Rural Estates	1) State peasants													11980	12100
	2) Settlers			50	65	4	11					60	49	24705	26750
	3) Peasants-proprietors
4) town peasants
5) Free people													10	13
6)			365										1221	7
Military Estates	1) regular troops	343	35
	2) irregular troops			20	12	35	36	25		15		22	27	2097	905
	3)	117	69	18		25	39	35		10		45	58	1737	1000
4) retired lower ranks	56	49			5	7	35	55	10	6			308	359
5) soldiers' children	32	24	4	6	11	12	1	1	3	2	7	3	289	279
Foreign	VI. Foreign Subjects	6	5
	VII. People who do not belong above<= /TD>
	TOTAL	3469	3360	1124	826	1184	1262	1424	1412	881	830	730	772	64693	64984

Bielski uezd, Grodno gubernia fairs in 1887

Bielsk: 6 Jan, 1st Wed of Lent; Wed of 4th week of Lent; Ascension Da= y, Trinity Day,

Bartolomei the Apostle Day, 8 Sep. 6 Dec

Briansk: 21 Feb, Trinity Day, 10 Jun, 17 Sep, 22 Nov

Kleshiely: 9 May, 1 Oct

Botzki: 8 Sep, 8 Nov, 27 Dec

Tzinanovetz: 9 Sep, 18 Nov

Grodek village: Mon after Palm Sunday, 24 Apr, 10 May, 17 Jun, 30 Oct, 7 = Dec

Bielsk town and Bielski uezd Livestock in 1884:

Horses: 246/19272

Cattle: 591/61846

Sheep, simple: 487/74354

Sheep with thin fleece: 0/0

Pigs: 387/44632

Goats: 0/139

Donkeys/mules: 0/6

Total livestock in Bielsk: 1,711

Total livestock in Bielski uezd: 225,006

Buildings in Belsk town in 1887: stone/wood

Habitations =96public: 4/

- church/monastery: 1/6

- social: 3/9

- private: 7/586

Public shop:

Social shop: /3

Private shop: 2/8

Social store: 2/1

Private store: 5/81

Theater:

Total: 24/694

Buildings in Kleshielu, Belsk in 1887: stone/wood

Habitations =96public:

- church/monastery: /4

- social: /3

- private: 1/557

Public shop:

Social shop:

Private shop: 1/1

Social store: /4

Private store: /12

Theater:

Total: 2/581

Buildings in Melnik, Belsk in 1887: stone/wood

Habitations =96public:

- church/monastery: 1/1

- social: /1

- private: 1/232

Public shop:

Social shop:

Private shop:

Social store:

Private store: /9

Theater:

Total: 2/243

Buildings in Narev, Belsk in 1887: stone/wood

Habitations =96public:

- church/monastery: /2

- social: /1

- private: 1/410

Public shop:

Social shop:

Private shop:

Social store: /3

Private store: /10

Theater:

Total: 1/426

Belski Uezd statistics in 1887 for these zashtatnye cities, places, an= d posady
 

Name of Settlement	1887 Population	Distance from Gubernia city=	Distance from district city=	Lat/			Long			Postal Address (P.S)
Bocky p	1625	141	16	52	39	41	13	Bocky
Belsk d.c.	2446	126	24	52	45	41	49	Bryansk
Belostok d.c.	6829	125		52	46	41	21	Belsk
Drogichin z.c.	1950	179	54	52	24	40	49	Drogichin
Klescheli z.c.	1711	148	23	52	35	41	29	Belsk
Melnik z.c.	1502	172	47	52	20	41	13	Semyatichi
Narev p	2836	155	30	52	55	41	41	Belsk
Nemerivo p	516	179	54	52	17	41	20	Semyatichy
Orlya p.	4158	135	10	52	42	41	30	Belsk
Semyatichi p	9355	170	45	52	26	41	1	Semyatichi
Cehanovec p	4480	160	47	52	41	40	40	Cehanovec

Belski uezd 1887 GRODNO camps (colony?) and Volosts with postal addres= ses (volost=3Dsmallest administrative/territorial unit of pre-Revolution= ary Tsarist Russia; Guberniya=3DBasic administrative/territorial unit of pre= -Revolutionary Russia.

1 desyatina =3D 1.0925 hektar; 1 hectar =3D 10,000 square meters
 

CAMP	Designa-tion	Name of district camps	name of places: camp flats & volosts go= vernment	Post Address	Distance from camp flat (unit unknown)	Distance from district city	Distance from gubernia city
1st	Volost		place: Orlya	city: Belsk		10	135
1st	Volost	Orlyanskaya	place: Orlya	city: Belsk		10	135
1st	Volost	Novoberezovskaya	f. Putyski	city: Belsk	18	25	115
1st	Volost	Losinskaya	village: losinka	city: Belsk	25	30	105
1st	Volost	Klenikskaya	village: Kleniki	city: Belsk	20	20	105
1st	Volost	Pasykovaya	village: Pasynki	city: Belsk	15	10	112
1st	Volost	Dubyzhinskaya	village: Dubyazhin	city: Belsk	12	10	115
2nd		2nd camp	city: Bryansk	city: Bryansk		24	126
2nd	Volost	Aleksinskaya	village: Aleksin	city: Belsk	8	24	145
2nd	Volost	Maleshevskaya	village: Maleshki	city: Belsk	10	18	130
2nd	Volost	Pavlovskaya	village: Pavly	city: Belsk	40	22	100
2nd	Volost	Raiskaya	village: Gacki	city: Belsk	25	10	113
3rd		3rd camp	place: Cehanovec	place: Cehanovec		47	160
3rd	Volost	Shkureckaya	village: Shkurec	place: Cehanovec	12	50	155
3rd	Volost	Grodiskaya	village: Grodisk	place: Semyatichki	20	40	160
4th		4th camp	place: Semyatichi	place: Semyatichi		45	170
4th	Volost	Semyatichskaya	place: Semyatichi	place: Semyatichki		45	170
4th	Volost	Aleksandrovskaya	village: Aleksandrovka	place: Semyatichki	16	48	171
4th	Volost	Naroiskaya	village: Naroiki	place: Semyatichki	12	45	168

Belski uezd surnames and occupation in 1887
 

TOWN	1887? OCCUPATION	SURNAME	First Name	Pharmacy Number
Semetichi	physician	Cherkovski	Ludvig-Mikhael Oomich
Klestcheli	pharmacy owner	Gorbachovski		#33
Briansk	pharmacy owner	Kusha		#27
Tzehanovetz	pharmacy owner	Loman		#28
Belsk	physician	Masjya	Izrael Mihelevich
Botzki	pharmacy owner	Namitkevich		#30
Botzki	pharmacy owner	Namitkevich		#30
Drogichin	pharmacy owner	Neviarovski		#31
Semiatichi	pharmacy owner	Neviarovski		#29
Orlya	pharmacy owner	Oginski		#32
Belsk	pharmacy owner	Shpitzbart		#26
Tehanovets	physician	Sventski	Pavel Rohavich
Bryansk	physician	Tarashkevich	Ivan Ivanovich
Botki	physician	Verzhbitski	Adrei Feliksovich

Bielski Uezd towns:

Bielsk (Bielsk Polaski), Belsk: BEL'SK

According to the chronicles, the town was destroyed by the horde of Khan Batyi. Troops of Danil Romanovich, who tried to conquer Lithuania, also reached Belsk. In 1284, Duke Vladimir
Vasiljevich presented the local church with the icons and books. The following year, Belsk was conquered, descimated, and abandoned by Duke Yuri Lvovich. Some other sources provide information that this same Duke Vladimir Vasiljevich founded the church of St.Boris and Gleb there in 1288. At the same time, and in 1377, the palace in Belsk was attacked and finally burned in 1570.

Belsk first was granted the Right in 1430 by Bitavt. And very soon, it became the main town uniting three povets: Bransk, Tykotsinski and Surazhski. In 1495, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, granted Maideburg Rights to Belsk that were reconfirmed in 1499 and in 1501. The owner of Belsk, Zhigimont Stary, presented the town to the widow of Grand Duke Alexandr. She obtained the right to own Belsk until the end of her life.

In 1508, the church was founded in Belsk Palace. Shortly, in 1596, the fight lasting one hundred years between Catholic and Orthodox churches commenced. The majority of the population belonged to the Orthodox church. Belsk burned in 1664.The North War and the famine in 1710 emptied Belsk lands. In 1698, the Catholic church was built, with a second one was built in 1780.

After the division of Rech Pospolotaya, Belsk was given to Prussia. In 1807, it was included in the Russian Empire, first in Belostok district and later in Grodno gubernya. In 1857, Belsk had five Orthodox churches, ten brick houses and 316 wooden houses. The population was 2,788. At the same time, there were five factories in the town and the total number of masters was 212, of whom 188 had a very high qualification. Judicially, the Belsk governor administered seven villages: Vidava, Spichki, Shastaly, Striki, Partsevo, Avgustav and Pasechniki. The population was 1,169 men and 1,188 women. In 1897, the population of Belsk was 5,780 (3,968 Jews, 940 Orthodox, 865 Catholics and seven Evangelicals). 1880: Yitzchak Zvi Horvitz was the Bielsk correspondent for Hamelitz .

Now, Belsk belongs to Poland and is the center of the povet in Belostok voevodstvo.

EJ has an article "Bielsk (Bielsk Podlaski).

Kagan and Levin (Yiddish and Hebrew Encyclopedias of Lithuania):1243.
 
 

Melnik, Mielnik: on Bug River

Kagan and Levin (Yiddish and Hebrew Encyclopedias of Lithuania) 5030.

Yanov (Yanova, Yanov Sokolski, Janow).

Kagan and Levin (Yiddish and Hebrew Encyclopedias of Lithuania) 3980. 

1880 Hamelitz article by Yitzak Izik Bantzevski about Rabbi Nisan = Perlshtein and Rabbi Yehoshua Pralush's efforts at town improvements.

1887 Hamelitz correspondent: Israel Zvi Pisar.

1920: report by rabbi of Sokolka that several area rabbis died of hunger = and of illness in family of Rabbi Zalman Kosovski of Yanova.

see Piechotka, Maria and Kazimierz. Wooden Synagogues, 1959.
--part1