View source for Vawkavysk

{{Short description|Town in Grodno Region, Belarus}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                   = Vawkavysk
| official_name          = 
| native_name            = {{lang|be|Ваўкавыск}}
| other_name             =
| settlement_type        = [[List of cities and largest towns in Belarus|Town]]
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 270
| image_style = border:1;
| perrow = 1/2/2
| image1 = Волковыск, Волковысский район, Гродненская область, Беларусь 31.jpg
| caption1 = Central Square with a statue of [[Vladimir Lenin]]
| image2 = Волковыск, Волковысский район, Гродненская область, Беларусь 40.jpg
| caption2 = [[Church of Saint Wenceslaus, Vawkavysk|St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church]]
| image3 = Ваўкавыск. Царква.jpg
| caption3 = Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church
| image4 = Ваўкавыск. На Замкавай гары. 2020 (10).jpg
| caption4 = Castle [[Mound]]
| image5 = Цэнтр Ваўкавыска 3.jpg
| caption5 = Old buildings in central Vawkavysk
}}
| image_flag             = BIA Wołkowysk flag.svg
| flag_size              = 150
| shield_size            = 75
| image_seal             = 
| image_shield           = Coat of Arms of Vaŭkavysk, Belarus.svg
| nickname               = 
| pushpin_map            = Belarus
| pushpin_map_caption    = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|53|10|N|24|28|E|region:BY|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = [[Belarus]]
| subdivision_type1      = [[Regions of Belarus|Region]]
| subdivision_name1      = [[Grodno Region]]
| subdivision_type2      = [[District]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[Vawkavysk District]]
| established_title      = Founded
| established_date       = 1005
| government_type        = 
| leader_title           = [[Mayor|Chairman of the Executive Committee]]
| leader_name            = Mikhail Sitko
| area_footnotes         = 
| area_total_km2         = 29
| area_urban_km2         = 
| area_metro_km2         = 
| area_metro_sq_mi       = 
| elevation_footnotes    = 
| elevation_m            = 161
|population_as_of        = 2025
|population_footnotes = <ref name="pop">{{cite web|url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/naselenie-i-migratsiya/naselenie/statisticheskie-izdaniya/index_148168/|title=Численность населения на 1 января 2025 г. и среднегодовая численность населения за 2024 год по Республике Беларусь в разрезе областей, районов, городов, поселков городского типа|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329210112/https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/naselenie-i-migratsiya/naselenie/statisticheskie-izdaniya/index_148168/|archive-date=29 March 2025|website=belsat.gov.by|access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref>
| population_total       = 41,020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone               = [[Moscow Time|MSK]]
| utc_offset             = +3
| timezone_DST           = N/A
| utc_offset_DST         = 
| postal_code_type       = Postal code
| postal_code            = 231900
| area_code              = (+375) 1512
| blank_name             = [[Vehicle registration plates of Belarus|Car plates]]
| blank_info             = 4
| website                = {{URL|http://volkovysk.grodno-region.by}}
}} <!-- Infobox ends -->
'''Vawkavysk'''<!--See WP:BELARUSIANNAMES--> or '''Volkovysk'''{{efn|{{langx|be|Ваўкавыск|Vaŭkavysk}}; {{langx|ru|Волковыск}}; {{langx|pl|Wołkowysk}}; {{langx|yi|וואלקאוויסק}}.}} is a town in [[Grodno Region]], in western [[Belarus]]. It serves as the administrative center of [[Vawkavysk District]].<ref name="pop"/> It is located on the {{ill|Ros (Neman tributary)|lt=Ros|be|Рось (рака)}} and {{ill|Vawkawyya|be|Ваўкавыя}} rivers, roughly {{convert|98|km|mi}} from the city of [[Grodno]] and {{convert|271|km|mi}} from [[Minsk]], the national capital. As of 2025, it has a population of 41,020.<ref name="pop"/> It is one of the oldest towns in the region.

Vawkavysk was first unofficially mentioned in the [[Turov, Belarus|Turov]] annals in 1005 and this year is widely accepted as the founding year for Vawkavysk. At that time it was a city-fortress on the border of the Baltic and the Slavic ethnic groups. Since the 12th century, Vawkavysk was the center of a small princedom. The [[Hypatian Codex|Hypatian Chronicle]] mentions the city in 1252.

==Toponymy==
Vawkavysk was mentioned in a manuscript written by the priest D. Bułakowski at the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th century. It was stored in the [[Sapieha]] family's library in [[Ruzhany Palace]], where it was translated into Russian in 1881 and published in a [[Vilnius]] gazette. According to the legend recorded in the manuscript, in the place where Vawkavysk is now situated, were large swathes of forest, where travelers were frequently attacked. Within this forest, two robbers, named Woloko and Wisek, had their hide-out. A certain prince named Watislaw Zawejko, upon hearing of these attacks, tracked down the robbers and hung them on trees for the birds to feed upon. He built a settlement for his serfs in the location of the robbers' hide-out, which was named Wolokowysek. At the execution site, a large stone was placed but, according to local tradition, was later broken up to be used to build a temple.<ref name="ziemia">{{cite web|url=http://foto.volkovysk.by/wp-content/uploads/ziemia-1.1.pdf|title=ZIEMIA WOŁKOWYSKA|author=Witold Karpyza |access-date=30 June 2014|language=pl}}</ref><ref name="Legends">{{cite web|url=http://volkovysk.name/hist.php?action=legends|language=be|title=Legends}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIII | date = 11 July 2014 | page = 876 | url = http://dir.icm.edu.pl/pl/Slownik_geograficzny/Tom_XIII/876}}</ref>

Another suggestion that it was named after the Vawkawyya river, the name of unclear etymology.

==Geography==
[[File:Harodnia province, Vaǔkavysk district.svg|thumb|left|Map of [[Vawkavysk District]] within Grodno Region]]

Vawkavysk is located in the valley basin of the Wołkowyja River near its confluence with the Ros River, which flows, in turn, directly north about {{convert|25|km|mi}} to the [[Neman River]]. The historical core of Vawkavysk lies on the left bank of the river. The town has been expanding to the west and south. The town has an urban area of {{convert|79|km2|sqmi}}, while together with its metropolitan area it covers {{convert|1192|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="AreaFeatures">{{cite web|url=http://volkovysk.grodno-region.by/ru/region/xarakter|language=be|title=Official website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714190610/http://volkovysk.grodno-region.by/ru/region/xarakter|archive-date=2014-07-14}}</ref> Forests occupy an area of {{convert|288.69|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, swamps {{convert|33.42|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, and water facilities {{convert|14.36|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Its [[raion]] is bordered by those of [[Masty district|Masty]] to the north, [[Zel’va district|Zel’va]] to the east, [[Pruzhany district|Pruzhany]] of [[Brest Oblast]] to the south, [[Svislach district|Svislach]] to the southwest, and [[Byerastavitsa raion|Byerastavitsa]] to the west.

On the left bank of the Wołkowyja River, the town is surrounded on three sides by hilly terrain,<ref name="ziemia"/> while the highest point of Vawkavysk is [[Shvedskaya Gora]] ('Swedish Mountain'), located on the southeastern outskirts of town, with its height from the base to the top of its defensive wall varying from {{convert|28|to|32.5|m|ft}}. The mountain's base is round with a diameter of about {{convert|350|m|ft}}. The flat top of "the Swedish mountain" is nearly round and is {{convert|55|m|ft}} wide east to west. The perimeter of the flat top is surrounded by a powerful defensive wall broken in the south by the entrance. The mountains of Zamchishche ('Castle Mountain') and Muravelnik ('Mouse Mountain') lie to the west and east of Swedish Mountain, respectively.<ref name="mountain">{{cite web|url=http://www.volkovysk.com/static-volkovyskarheolog.html|language=be|title=Swedish Mountain}}</ref>

===Climate===
Vawkavysk lies in the [[Humid continental climate#Dfb.2FDwb.2FDsb: Mild to warm summer subtype|warm summer continental]] or [[hemiboreal]] (Dfb) [[Köppen climate classification|climate zone]], with four seasons and uniformly spread precipitation. Monthly averages range from -5.0&nbsp;°C (23&nbsp;°F) in January to 17.9&nbsp;°C (64.2&nbsp;°F) in July. On average, there are 95 days a year when there is snow cover. Vawkavysk receives about {{convert|632|mm|in}} of precipitation a year. The average period of vegetation is 194 days, and it lasts from April to October. The highest officially recorded temperature in Vawkavysk was 36&nbsp;°C (96.8&nbsp;°F) in 1959, while on the other end, the lowest temperature was -38&nbsp;°C (-36.4&nbsp;°F) in 1950.<ref name="AreaFeatures"/>

{{Weather box
| location     = Vawkavysk
| metric first = Yes
| single line  = Yes
| Jan record high C = 11.6
| Feb record high C = 17.3
| Mar record high C = 22.3
| Apr record high C = 29.4
| May record high C = 32.2
| Jun record high C = 35.0
| Jul record high C = 37.8
| Aug record high C = 37.3
| Sep record high C = 31.5
| Oct record high C = 28.6
| Nov record high C = 19.9
| Dec record high C = 15.4
| year record high C = 37.8
| Jan high C = -1.4
| Feb high C = -0.3
| Mar high C = 5.1
| Apr high C = 13.4
| May high C = 20.1
| Jun high C = 22.7
| Jul high C = 24.8
| Aug high C = 24.3
| Sep high C = 18.7
| Oct high C = 12.4
| Nov high C = 4.7
| Dec high C = -0.4
| year high C = 12.0
| Jan mean C = -4.1
| Feb mean C = -3.3
| Mar mean C = 1.2
| Apr mean C = 8.3
| May mean C = 14.5
| Jun mean C = 17.4
| Jul mean C = 19.2
| Aug mean C = 18.6
| Sep mean C = 13.4
| Oct mean C = 7.8
| Nov mean C = 1.7
| Dec mean C = -2.8
| year mean C = 7.7
| Jan low C = -6.7
| Feb low C = -6.1
| Mar low C = -2.2
| Apr low C = 3.7
| May low C = 9.1
| Jun low C = 12.3
| Jul low C = 14.1
| Aug low C = 13.4
| Sep low C = 8.9
| Oct low C = 4.0
| Nov low C = -0.8
| Dec low C = -5.2
| year low C = 3.7
| Jan record low C = -35.5
| Feb record low C = -33.6
| Mar record low C = -24.2
| Apr record low C = -12.7
| May record low C = -2.8
| Jun record low C = 2.5
| Jul record low C = 5.2
| Aug record low C = 1.5
| Sep record low C = -4.5
| Oct record low C = -11.4
| Nov record low C = -24.6
| Dec record low C = -27.2
| year record low C = -35.5
| Jan precipitation mm = 29
| Feb precipitation mm = 28
| Mar precipitation mm = 30
| Apr precipitation mm = 45
| May precipitation mm = 50
| Jun precipitation mm = 94
| Jul precipitation mm = 86
| Aug precipitation mm = 67
| Sep precipitation mm = 61
| Oct precipitation mm = 31
| Nov precipitation mm = 38
| Dec precipitation mm = 35
| year precipitation mm = 594
| Jan humidity = 85
| Feb humidity = 83
| Mar humidity = 78
| Apr humidity = 68
| May humidity = 66
| Jun humidity = 72
| Jul humidity = 72
| Aug humidity = 71
| Sep humidity = 76
| Oct humidity = 80
| Nov humidity = 86
| Dec humidity = 88
| year humidity = 77
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| source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net<ref name="pogoda">{{cite web
  | url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/33562.htm
  | title = Weather and Climate-The Climate of Vawkavysk
  | access-date = 7 July 2014
  | language = ru
  | publisher = Weather and Climate }}</ref>
| date     = July 2013
}}

==History==

===Prehistory===
{{Quote box |width=25em |align=right   |bgcolor=#B0C4DE
| title    = Historical affiliations
| fontsize = 85% |quote=[[Kievan Rus]] prior to 1084<br/>
[[Balts|Baltic tribes]] 1084-1239<br/>
{{flagicon image|Vilnius district COA.svg}} [[Duchy of Lithuania]] 1239–1254<br/>
{{flag|Golden Horde}} 1254–1269<br />
∟ {{flag|Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia}} 1254–1269<br/>
{{flagicon image|Alex_K_Grundwald_flags_1410-03.svg}} [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] 1269–1289<br/>
{{flag|Golden Horde}} 1289–1293<br />
∟ {{flag|Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia}} 1289–1293<br/>
{{flagicon image|Alex_K_Grundwald_flags_1410-03.svg}} [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] 1293–1569<br/>
{{flagicon image|Chorągiew królewska króla Zygmunta III Wazy.svg}} [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] 1569–1795<br/>
{{flagicon image|Flag_of_Russia.svg}} [[Russian Empire]] 1795–1918<br/>
{{flagicon image|Flag_of_Belarus_(1918,_1991-1995).svg}} [[Belarusian People's Republic]] 1918–1919<br/>
{{flagicon image|Flag_of_Poland_(1928-1980).svg}} [[Second Polish Republic]] 1919–1939<br/>
{{flag|Soviet Union|1936}} 1939–1941 (''occupation'')<br/>
∟ {{flagicon image|Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1937–1951).svg}} [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]] 1939–1941<br/>
{{flagicon image|Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg}} [[Nazi Germany]] 1941–1944 (''occupation'')<br/>
{{flag|Soviet Union}} 1944–1991<br/>
∟ {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Byelorussian_SSR.svg}} [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]] 1944–1991<br/>
{{flagicon image|Flag_of_Belarus_(1918,_1991-1995).svg}} {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Belarus.svg}} [[Republic of Belarus]] 1991–present
}}

Prior to the 10th century, there were three fortified settlements on the territory of Vawkavysk. Swedish Mountain, along with Muravelnik, and Zamchishcha are considered the territories of current Vawkavysk. Swedish Mountain is a remnant of one of these fortifications. Gradually, as the settlement grew, the boundaries of the town extended to the neighboring hill of Zamchishcha. Industrial and commercial sites were located at the foot of Swedish Mountain along its northern, eastern, and southern sides. Muravelnik was also inhabited, but was not as populated as Swedish Mountain and Zamchishcha. Due to flooding of the Wołkowyja River, there are no other known archaeological sites.

===Middle Ages===
Vawkavysk is one of the oldest towns in Eastern Europe and has played a role in the political development of medieval Slavic civilization. It is believed that Vawkavysk was founded in the 10th century. The origin of the town is developed by legends, one of which tells about a certain prince Wadislaw Zawejko, who in 738 found robbers named Woloko and Wisek and killed them. In the place of their shelter, 10 huts were built, which expanded into a settlement. According to the legend, the name Vawkavysk is derived from the names of the two robbers.<ref name=Legends/> Another legend states that the town was founded by the King of Lithuania, [[Mindaugas]].

There is little historical evidence pertaining to the period when the town was founded. Archaeological excavations conducted at the site of the ancient town attest that a Slavic settlement had already existed in the area by the late 10th century, based on the dwellings and defensive works which were discovered during the excavation.<ref>[http://belta.by/7days_plus.nsf/All/D799335202633D72422571F000327FEF?OpenDocument For example, if early fortified settlements in Volkovysk (in Russian).] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120525004915/http://belta.by/7days_plus.nsf/All/D799335202633D72422571F000327FEF?OpenDocument |date=2012-05-25 }}</ref>

Vawkavysk lies in a region formerly referred to as [[Black Ruthenia]] that was subjugated to various invading forces from [[Balts|Baltic]] and [[Slavic people|Slavic]] tribes. At various times, the town was influenced by the [[Principality of Polotsk]] and [[Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia|Galicia-Volhynia]]. On the nights of 15 and 16 February 1038, the town was destroyed by a Baltic tribe of [[Yatvingians]].<ref name="Chronology">{{cite web|url=http://volkovysk.name/hist.php?action=hronos|language=be|title=Chronological dates in the history of the Vawkavysk area}}</ref> Up until 1084, this territory belonged to Slavic [[Kievan Rus]] and later became a dependent vassal state. After Mindaugas conquered the area in 1239, it was incorporated into what would later become the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] and was administered from [[Navahrudak]] from the 1240s to the 1250s.

Vawkavysk's location on the border between Lithuania and neighboring Galicia-Volhynia resulted in frequent fighting over these territories. The [[Hypatian Codex|Ipatiev Chronicle]] mentions Vawkavysk in connection with an invasion of the Galicia-Volhynian prince [[Daniel of Galicia|Daniel Romanovich Galitsky]] and his brother [[Vasilko Romanovich|Vasilko]] in 1252. Power exchanged periodically during the years of 1254-1258 between the princes of these two kingdoms. The chronicle continues with describing that a peace treaty was signed in 1254 where the Grand Duke of Lithuania, [[Vaišvilkas]], transferred Vawkavysk, along with several other towns, to Daniel's son, [[Roman Danylovich|Roman Danylovich Galitsky]].<ref name=el>{{cite encyclopedia | editor=Simas Sužiedėlis | encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Lituanica]] | title=Vaišvilkas | year=1970–1978 | publisher=Juozas Kapočius | volume=VI | location=Boston, Massachusetts | pages=29–30| lccn=74-114275 }}</ref> Sometime after this event, in 1255, a prince named Gleb, who acknowledged himself as a vassal of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, became the ruler of Vawkavysk. Prince Gleb participated in a Galicia-Volhynian campaign against the [[Yatvingians]] in 1256.

It was not until 1258, after several years of war, that Vawkavysk and [[Slonim]] settled as vassal states of Lithuania<ref name="ziemia"/>  with Vaišvilkas again reigning from Navahrudak as a vassal of Mindaugas. In 1260, Vaišvilkas and another Lithuanian prince, Toth, captured and killed Roman, which resulted in Daniel marching to the upper reaches of the Neman River to recapture Vawkavysk and take Gleb as prisoner. The chronicle fails to explain what ended this particular campaign. Meanwhile, in 1263, Mindaugas of Lithuania was murdered. In the chaos that followed Mindaugas' assassination, the lands of the Grand Duchy were in disarray, with both local and foreign rulers struggling for power. Additionally, in 1264, Daniel died and his son [[Svarn|Svarn Danylovich Galitsky]] received nominal overlordship over all of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia as its duke, including Vawkavysk. Ownership of the town in 1269 belonged to prince Vladimir.<ref name=Chronology/>

Following Svarn's loss of the throne in 1269, his brother [[Lev I of Galicia]] entered into conflict with Lithuania. In 1274–1276 he fought a war with the new Lithuanian ruler [[Traidenis]] but was defeated, and Lithuania annexed the territory of Black Ruthenia with its city of Navahrudak.

During a campaign against the Lithuanians in 1277, the [[Rus' people|Rus]] army and their princes, Mstislav Danylovich, another son of Daniel; Vladimir Vasilkovich; and Yuri Lvovich, stopped for the night in Vawkavysk. The last time Vawkavysk is mentioned in the Ipatiev Chronicle is when Lithuanian Grand Duke [[Butigeidis]] transferred Vawkavysk to prince Mstislav Danylovich in exchange for peace in 1289.<ref>M. I. Ermolovich . Budikid / / Encyclopedia of History of Belarus . In 6 vols 2 Belitskaya - Anthem / Belarusian. Encyclopedia.; Editorial Board.: BI Sachenko (ed.). Etc..; Mast. EE Zhakevich. - Mn.: BelEn, 1994. S. 113.</ref>

===Grand Duchy of Lithuania===
Vawkavysk came under the rule of Grand Duke [[Vytenis]] and became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1293.<ref name=Chronology/>

It was from a now non-existent castle in Vawkavysk that, in 1385, [[Władysław II Jagiełło|Jogaila]] sent his envoys to [[Kraków]] to ask for the hand of the Queen of Poland, [[Jadwiga of Poland|Jadwiga]]. He declared that [[Union of Krewo|he along with the Lithuanian people was to adopt the Catholic faith]], and received the Polish envoys after a long-awaited decision on 11 January 1386.<ref name="ziemia"/> In 1386 Jogaila was baptized as Władysław II Jagiełło in Kraków and became King of Poland. Jagiełło, while in Vawkavysk in 1387, ordered the destruction of pagan deities.

In 1409 the town was attacked and plundered by the [[Teutonic Knights]] under the command of [[Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights|Grand Master]] [[Ulrich von Jungingen]] and its residents taken captive.<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIII|year=1893|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=877}}</ref> On 16 March 1410, the town was seized again and burnt under the command of [[Teutonic order#Medieval organization of the order|Marshal]] Frederic von Wallenrode and its residents were murdered. On 15 July 1410, the Vawkavysk banner participated in the [[Battle of Grunwald]] against the [[State of the Teutonic Order|Teutonic Order]]. In 1430 the church of St. Nicholas was built.<ref name=Chronology/> Vawkavysk was included in the composition of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1441 after being under its authority since 1258.

In 1503 Vawkavysk was granted [[Magdeburg rights|Magdeburg city rights]]<ref name="ziemia"/> by Polish king [[Alexander Jagiellon]]. These rights were confirmed by different kings up to 1773.<ref name=Chronology/> The town received its personal coat of arms of a wolf's head on a blue background.<ref>[http://knihi.com/hierb/vauka.html Vawkavysk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006112229/http://knihi.com/hierb/vauka.html |date=2008-10-06 }} // Літаратура/Геральдыка беларускіх места к</ref> In 1507, Vawkavysk became part of the [[Nowogródek Voivodeship (1507–1795)|Nowogródek Voivodeship]]<ref name=Chronology/> and was capital of Wołkowysk [[powiat]] until 1795. By 1513, Vawkavysk had 9 streets.<ref name="evkl">[[Валеры Грынявецкі|Валерый Грынявецкі]]. Ваўкавыск // Літаратура/ЭВКЛ 1к С. 394.</ref> A church was mentioned as having existed since 1536, while a monastery of Jesuits was founded in 1598. From 1566, Vawkavysk was also a venue for [[Sejmik#Types|General Sejmiks]], which provincial delegates and senators attended, that were held for the whole of Lithuania.<ref name="bardach">Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, ''Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego'' (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987), p.&nbsp;217–219</ref><ref name="Jędruch1982-43-45">{{cite book|author=Jacek Jędruch|author-link=Jacek Jędruch|title=Constitutions, elections, and legislatures of Poland, 1493–1977: a guide to their history|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rmx8QgAACAAJ|access-date=13 August 2011|year=1998|publisher=EJJ Books|isbn=978-0-7818-0637-4|pages=43–45}}</ref>  The most prominent nobility of Vawkavysk at this time included the Gołgowski and Piotrowicz families.

===Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth===
The [[Union of Lublin]] was signed July 1, 1569, in [[Lublin]], [[Poland]], and created a single state, the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. It replaced the personal union of the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland]] and the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] with a [[real union]] and an [[elective monarchy]], since [[Sigismund II Augustus]], the last of the [[Jagiellons]], remained childless after three marriages. Subsequent to this, Vawkavysk became a [[royal city|royal town]] within the Commonwealth.

The 17th century was a very difficult time in the history of Vawkavysk, in particular, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in general. The region became the scene of many wars.  It was during this time that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entered into a series of mid-17th century campaigns, known as [[The Deluge (Polish history)|The Deluge]], consisting of uprisings, invasions and [[Northern Wars]] with Russia and Sweden. Following the popular uprising led by [[Bohdan Khmelnytsky]] in [[Dnieper Ukraine|Ukraine]], the rebellion brought into focus the rivalry between Russia and the Commonwealth for hegemony over Ukraine and over the eastern Slavic lands in general. In October 1653 the Russian [[zemsky sobor]] declared war on the Commonwealth and in June 1654, the forces of Tsar [[Alexis of Russia]] invaded the eastern half of Poland-Lithuania, starting the [[Russo-Polish War (1654–67)|Russo-Polish War of 1654-67]]. During this time, Vawkavysk was captured twice by Russian troops in 1655 and 1662 and left heavily damaged.

At the same time, the [[Swedish Empire]], which technically already was in conflict, although with a cease-fire agreement, with the Commonwealth from the [[Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629)|Polish-Swedish War of 1626-29]], invaded in July 1654 and occupied the remaining half of the country. In 1656, after three days of battle, Vawkavysk was destroyed and burned by the army of King [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden]].<ref name=Chronology/> The administrative center of the town was a castle on the river near the road to Izabelin, which was destroyed alongside the town.

[[File:Vaŭkavysk. Ваўкавыск (1700).jpg|thumb|upright|Municipal seal from the 18th century]]
During the [[Great Northern War]] in 1706, the Swedes attacked Vawkavysk again, which resulted in the residents demanding large indemnity.<ref name=Chronology/>

In 1736, a Jesuit mission was formed at the expense of a E. Linovskiy, as well as a school in 1747. By the second half of the 18th century, several Jesuit and [[Marianites of Holy Cross|Marianite]] monasteries operated in Vawkavysk. As of 1792, the town had about 1,000 buildings, and a church in which the [[Uniate]]s used as well.

The region participated in the [[Kościuszko Uprising]] in 1794, temporarily freeing the area from under the Russian occupation.

By the end of the 18th century, the town had only 362 houses, where the population consisted of 2,127 people.

===Russian Empire===
Vawkavysk eventually became a part of the [[Russian Empire]] in 1795, following the [[third partition of Poland]]. It was placed under the administration of the [[Grodno Governorate#Slonim Governorate .281795.E2.80.931796.29|Slonim Governorate]] as a province and  in 1802 became the capital of its own district within the [[Grodno Governorate#Lithuania-Grodno Governorate .281801.E2.80.931840.29|Lithuania-Grodno Governorate]].<ref name=Chronology/>

During the [[French invasion of Russia]] in 1812, Vawkavysk housed the headquarters of General [[Pyotr Bagration]], commander of the 2nd Russian Army. From 17 June to {{OldStyleDate|15 November|1812|3 November}}, the town housed [[Napoleon]]'s army. On {{OldStyleDate|14–16 November|1812|2–4 November}}, during a battle between the French and Russian forces, Vawkavysk was burned (see [[Battle of Wolkowisk]]). Russian General [[Fabian Gottlieb von Osten-Sacken]] defeated the [[VII Corps (Grande Armée)|VII Saxon Corps]] of French General [[Jean Reynier]].<ref name=Chronology/> The [[Congress of Vienna]] in 1815 confirmed Vawkavysk's belonging to Russia.

In 1844, Vawkavysk had a wooden church and another church, a parish school, two hospitals, and a pharmacy. In 1845, the town received new Russian coat of arms. As of 1860, Vawkavysk had four hundred ninety-two homes, two schools, [[St. Wenceslas church]], seven Jewish prayer houses, a synagogue, a brick factory, two mills, a hospital, and fifty-eight shops.

In 1863, a company from Vawkavysk under the command of [[Gustaw Strawiński]] took part in the [[January Uprising]].

In 1885, the town began construction of what would become an important railway junction between [[Baranovichi]] and [[Białystok]]. The railway station was opened in 1886.

[[File:Vaŭkavysk, Šyrokaja-Rynkavaja. Ваўкавыск, Шырокая-Рынкавая (1901-14).jpg|thumb|Early 20th-century view]]
By 1891, Vawkavysk had 19 industrial enterprises. In 1906, the town began construction of a railway line to [[Siedlce]]; once construction was completed in 1907, the town became an important railway junction.

===World War I and the Interbellum===
During the First World War, Vawkavysk was the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the [[Northwestern Front (Russian Empire)|North-Western Front]]. In the autumn of 1915, the town was occupied by German troops. Following the collapse of Imperial Russia in 1917, the subsequent emergence of the new [[Bolshevik]] government of the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]], and the signing of the [[armistice between Russia and the Central Powers]], Vawkavysk and the surrounding area temporarily laid within Russian territory. The signing of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] on 3 March 1918, between Russia and the Central Powers ([[German Empire|Germany]], [[Austria-Hungary]], [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], and [[Ottoman Empire|Turkey]]) ended Russia's participation in [[World War I]]. In this peace treaty, Russia renounced all territorial claims in [[Finland]] (which it had already acknowledged), the future [[Baltic state]]s ([[Estonia]], [[Latvia]] and [[Lithuania]]), [[Belarus]], and [[Ukraine]]. During the negotiations of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Belarus first declared independence under German occupation on 25 March 1918, forming the [[Belarusian People's Republic]].<ref name="birgerson">(Birgerson 2002:105–106)</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Ioffe | first = Grigory | title = Understanding Belarus and How Western Foreign Policy Misses the Mark | publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc | date = 25 February 2008 | page = 57 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=00B6wxgftH8C&q=west+belarus&pg=PA150  | isbn = 978-0-7425-5558-7 }}</ref> Meanwhile, an independent [[Second Polish Republic|Polish state]] was restored in 1918, but its borders were not formally determined.

====Polish–Soviet War====
{{Main|Polish–Soviet War}}
By 1919 Bolsheviks took control over Belarus and forced the country's democratic government into exile. Immediately afterwards, the [[Polish–Soviet War]] ignited, and the territory of Belarus was divided between Poland and Soviet Russia. On 8 February 1919 Vawkavysk was occupied by Polish troops. The town was then captured by the 16th Bolshevik Army on 24 July 1920<ref>{{cite book | last = Wyszczelski | first = Lech | title = Wojna polsko-rosyjska 1919–1920| page = 600| chapter = Odwrót znad Auty i Berezyny| volume = 1}}</ref> and subsequently recaptured on 27 September 1920 by the [[3rd Legions Infantry Division (Poland)|3rd Legions Infantry Division]] under the command of General [[Leon Berbecki]].

====Second Polish Republic====
[[File:Vaŭkavysk. Ваўкавыск (1930).jpg|thumb|Wołkowysk in the 1930s]]
The [[Treaty of Riga]] was signed in [[Riga]] on 18 March 1921, between [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]], [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Soviet Russia]] (acting also on behalf of [[Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Belarus]]) and [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Ukraine]]. The treaty ended the Polish–Soviet War.<ref>K. Marek. ''Identity and Continuity of States in Public International Law''. Librairie Droz 1968. pp. 419-420.</ref> Afterwards, the city remained part of the interwar [[Second Polish Republic]], and was the seat of the [[Wołkowysk County]] in the [[Białystok Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Białystok Voivodeship]] and the seat of [[gmina]] Biskupice.

On 8 December 1922 the 3rd [[Regiment]] of Mounted Riflemen entered the town's barracks. In 1924 the 8th Cavalry Brigade [[Command (military formation)|Command]] was created. As of 1939 Vawkavysk contained an iron foundry, two brick factories, two sawmills, and other small businesses. On the outskirts of town was a cement plant, which was considered one of the most powerful companies in what is now western Belarus.

===World War II===
{{See also|Vawkavysk Ghetto}}
Upon the [[invasion of Poland]] by [[Nazi Germany]] and the [[Soviet Union]], the Wołkowysk Reserve Cavalry Brigade was formed. Wołkowysk came under [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|Soviet occupation]] on 18 September 1939 as a result of the [[German–Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation]]. On 2 November 1939, Vawkavysk, along with the rest of Western Belarus, was annexed by the Soviet Union. On November 14, 1939, it was included into the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. Vawkavysk became the regional capital of the [[Belastok Region]] within the Byelorussian SSR on 15 January 1940. The town was a point of detention and deportation of German and [[Polish prisoners-of-war in the Soviet Union after 1939|Polish prisoners of war]], including [[prisoner-of-war camp]] 281 by the [[Red Army]] until 1941.

[[File:Vaŭkavysk Centralny. Ваўкавыск Цэнтральны (1941).jpg|thumb|Railway station in 1941]]
Vawkavysk was occupied by the [[Wehrmacht|German Army]] on 28 June 1941. At that time, about 7,000 Jews lived in the town, around 40 percent of the population. Around 1,000 people, mostly but not entirely Jews, were killed in the [[Luftwaffe]] bombardment of the town. Upon arrival, the Germans, with some assistance by local [[Polish people|Poles]] and [[Belarusians]], murdered several dozen Jews within the first week; another 200 were murdered in mid July, mostly business and professional men along with those who had handicaps. That summer, the Germans established [[Vawkavysk Ghetto|a ghetto]], forcing the town's Jewish population into it. Five to ten families lived in each residence. The Germans conscripted Jews for forced labor of demolishing buildings and constructing new ones.

The ghetto became a transit ghetto for Jews of Kreis Wolkowysk.  About 20,000 Jews passed through it; most were sent on to [[Treblinka]] where they were immediately murdered.  Others died in the ghetto from typhus or starvation. In December 1942, part of the transit camp was converted to a closed ghetto for about 2,000 Jews, mostly essential male workers who were allowed to leave each day to go to the work sites. As many as 500 Jews were transferred to the [[Bialystok ghetto]], some of them were able to escape into the local forest. Several women cut their hair and dressed as men to pass for male laborers.

In January 1943, the final group of ghetto dwellers was sent to [[Auschwitz]] where most were murdered immediately.  About 70 Jews  of the original 7,000 Jewish residents survived the war.  Some of the survivors had fled to the Soviet Union at the beginning of the war; others fought in the forests as partisans and a few survived Auschwitz.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Megargee |first1=Geoffrey |title=Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos |date=2012 |publisher=University of Indiana Press |location=Bloomington, Indiana |isbn=978-0-253-35599-7 |page=Volume II 974–976}}</ref>

During the [[Belostok Offensive]], on 14 July 1944, the [[2nd Belarusian Front]] of the [[Red Army]] was able to recapture the town. The town became the regional center of [[Grodno Region]] in the BSSR on 20 September 1944.

===After World War II===
Following the conclusion of the European front of World War II in 1945, Vawkavysk came under the authority of the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic]] until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since 1991, Vawkavysk has belonged to the [[Belarus|Republic of Belarus]].

3 March 1963 it became a town of regional subordination. 12 April 2001 held approval emblem and flag of the city. In 2004 it conducted the Vawkavysk republican festival of rural workers' [[Dozhinki]].{{clarify|date=July 2014}}

==Administration==
[[File:Vaŭkavysk, Kramianickaja-Alaksandraŭski. Ваўкавыск, Крамяніцкая-Аляксандраўскі (1919-39) (3).jpg|thumb|upright|Town hall in the interbellum]]
Local issues are represented by the locally elected Councils of Deputies. These local councils operate on three levels:
[[Selsoviet|primary]] (villages and towns), [[List of urban-type settlements in Belarus|basic]] (towns and regional councils), and regional (oblast) (Regional Council of Deputies). Deputies are elected for four-year terms to deal with local issues and represent the local population in decisions on issues relating to health, education, social welfare, trade, and transport. Local Councils of Deputies make decisions on local issues within the framework of national legislation.<ref name="government">{{cite web|url=http://www.belarus.by/en/government/government|language=be|title=The Government in Belarus}}</ref>

Settlements in the surrounding Vawkavysk region are Izabelin, Ros, [[Mstibovo]], and [[Voŭpa]].

The district includes the townships Krasnosel'skii and Ross, as well as 191 rural settlements.

In Region 2, Township Council - Rossky, Krasnosel'skii and nine village councils: Vereykovsky, Volkovysskii, Volpovsky, Gneznovsky, Elizabethan, Podorossky, Replevsky, Subochsky and Shilovichi.

==Demographics==

{{Historical populations
| state   = collapsed
| shading = on
|1840|2992
|1849|2267
|1860|3472
|1889|7071
|1891|8057
|[[Russian Empire Census|1897]]|10323
|1907/8|11200
|1921|11100
|1931|15000
|1939|16700
|1959|18283
|1967|21000
|1970|23266
|1979|29074
|[[Soviet Census (1989)|1989]]|40374
|1991|42000
|1998|43500
|1999|46600
|2002|43100
|2009|44167
|2012|43886
|2013|43839
|2014|43826
|2023|41991
|2024|41510
|2025|41020
| footnote = at 1 January of respective year.<ref name="popstat">{{cite web|url=http://www.citypopulation.de/Belarus.html|title=City Population - Population Statistics for Countries, Administrative Areas, Cities and Agglomerations – Interactive Maps – Charts: Belarus}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.populstat.info/Europe/belarust.htm|title=Belarus: Historical demographical data of the urban centers}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webgeo.ru/index.php?r=33|title=Census population of the USSR in 1959, 1970, 1979}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003542943#page2?page=13|title= Statistitšeskija tablitsy o sostojanii gorodov Rossijskoi imperii. Statistical Tables are the cities of the Russian Empire (1840). Lida publication can be found on page 14/41 title Grodnenskaja Gubernija connection.|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/publications/izdania/public_bulletin/index_67469/|title=Численность населения на 1 января 2023 г. и среднегодовая численность населения за 2022 год по Республике Беларусь в разрезе областей, районов, городов, поселков городского типа|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417144107/https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/publications/izdania/public_bulletin/index_67469/|archive-date=17 April 2023|website=belsat.gov.by|access-date=10 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/naselenie-i-migratsiya/naselenie/statisticheskie-izdaniya/index_89355/|title=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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402055418/https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/naselenie-i-migratsiya/naselenie/statisticheskie-izdaniya/index_89355/|archive-date=2 April 2024|website=belsat.gov.by|access-date=11 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="pop"/>
}}

The town and surrounding area has a population of 74,000, while the urban area of Vawkavysk (with adjacent urban settlements of Ros and Krasnosel'skii included) has about 56,000 inhabitants, and the population of the rural area stands at 18,000 people. The main population groups according to nationality in the town of Vawkavysk are: Belarusians (63.4%), Poles (25%), Russians (8.7%), and other nationalities (2.9%). There are people of a total of 50 nationalities living in the area.<ref name="AreaFeatures"/>

According to the [[1921 Polish census]], the population of the city was 57.3% Polish, 39.3% Jewish, 2.2% Belarusian and 1.1% Russian.<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Skorowidz miejscowości Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Tom V|year=1924|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Główny Urząd Statystyczny|page=94}}</ref>

===Religion===
According to the Russian census, the population of Vawkavysk was 10,323 people (5,982 women and 4,341 men) in 1897.<ref name="1897 Russian census">{{cite web|url=http://www.prlib.ru/elfapps/pageturner2d/viewer.aspx?orderdate=02.07.2011&DocUNC_ID=4952&Token=9JopSD8yRZGSC4Pn87joXw==&lang=ru-RU|language=ru|title=Grodno province - Populated places of the Russian Empire in 500 or more inhabitants specifying the total cash in those areas, the number of inhabitants and the prevailing religions, according to the first general census in 1897|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121050609/http://www.prlib.ru/elfapps/pageturner2d/viewer.aspx?orderdate=02.07.2011&DocUNC_ID=4952&Token=9JopSD8yRZGSC4Pn87joXw==&lang=ru-RU|archive-date=2011-11-21}}</ref> The main population groups according to religion were: Jews (5,528),<ref>[http://www.beljews.info/Volkovysk1.htm  Jewish population of Volkovysk according to the 1897 Russian Census].</ref> Orthodox (2,716), and Roman Catholic (1,943).<ref name="1897 Russian census"/>

==Economy==
The industrial sections of the city are dominated by the building materials industry (46.4%), and food processing (44%).

Major companies in Vawkavysk (unless otherwise indicated, all are "open joint stock companies"):
* [[Krasnoselskoe-Materials]] – produces sixteen types and brands of cement and asbestos cement sheets from slate, asbestos pipes and fittings, dry mortar, lime and hydrated developer, soft-granular chalk, concrete slabs for pavements, polyethylene shrink film, blocks of cellular concrete.
* Vawkavysk meat processing plant – one of the largest manufacturers of meat and meat products in the Grodno region and Belarus. The company produces more than 330 kinds of products, including the following: 
** Beef, pork, horsemeat and offal category 1 and 2;
** Semi-bone, à la carte, fleshy, beef, burgers, dumplings;
** Sausages, fats, dry food, skins and technical products;
** Endocrine-enzyme raw materials.
* Bellakt – the only company in Belarus that produces powdered infant formula and cereals for babies from the first days of life to one year and older. The company produces more than 40 types of powdered infant formula and cereals. The company also produces a wide range of dairy products, such as dried whole and skim milk, butter, whole milk, and a wide range of low-fat dairy products, soft cheeses, and whey products for animal feed.
* Vawkavysk Machine Building Plant – has a monopoly within the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] in the field of casting pan mixers and mixers for abrasive masses. In addition, the company manufactures equipment for the preparation of concrete and mortar, press-forging equipment, farm use (grinding-mixing plants for the preparation of feed, dung conveyors, pumps for liquid manure). The company produces a wide range of consumer good of metal and plastic.
* Vawkavysk factory HMAC – production capacity and structure of primary production is divided into pressing and welding, mechanical and assembly plant located in the main building and allowing to work a closed technological cycle. The company specializes in the production of construction and finishing machines, including:
** Machines for painting works (installations for applying paint formulations, spray guns, tanks & paint injectors);
** Machines for plastering (units plastering, spackling, plastering and painting);
** Mixer.
** Consumer goods (hardware and lock products, rubber products for sanitary devices, hardware tools, gardening tools).<ref name="industry">{{cite web|url=http://volkovysk.grodno-region.by/ru/economy/promyshlennost|language=be|title=Industry in Vawkavysk|access-date=2014-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714151348/http://volkovysk.grodno-region.by/ru/economy/promyshlennost|archive-date=2014-07-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Sites of interest ==
The Vawkavysk archaeological complex includes three hills: "the Swedish mountain", Zamchishche, and Muravelnik. "The Swedish mountain" is located in a southeast suburb of modern Vawkavysk. There is a legend that during [[Deluge (history)|The Deluge]], "the Swedish mountain" was created by Swedish soldiers above the tomb of their commander. It is the highest point of associated hills in Vawkavysk.{{clarify|date=August 2011}}

The archaeological study of Vawkavysk begun in 1925 by the director of the [[Grodno Museum of History-Archaeology]], {{Ill|Jozef Jodkowski|be|Юзаф Ядкоўскі|lt|Juzefas Jodkovskis|pl|Józef Jodkowski|ru|Иодковский, Юзеф|uk|Юзеф Ядковський}}, who was the author of several history books about the area as well as travel guides on Grodno and the vicinity, which were popular in the [[Second Polish Republic]].

Other local sights include the [[Roman Catholic Church of St. Wenceslas]] (1846–1848) and the [[Peter Bagration Museum]].

==International relations==
List of Vawkavysk's [[sister cities|twin towns]] and other forms of city cooperation and friendship: 
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Gusev, Kaliningrad Oblast|Gusev]], Russia
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Siedlce]], Poland
* {{flagicon|MDA}} [[Șoldănești]], Moldova

==People==
* [[Mikalay Autukhovich]] (born 1963), Belarusian businessman and political dissident, political prisoner<ref>{{cite news |title=Belarusian Businessman Autukhovich, Associates Begin Trial On Terrorism Charges He Rejects |newspaper=Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/autukhovich-belarus-trial-terrorism/31856827.html |access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref>
* [[Ludwik Benoit]] (1920–1992), Polish actor
* [[Benjamin Blumenfeld]] (1884–1947), Russian chess master
* [[Aleksandr Dedyushko]] (1962–2007), Russian television actor, best known for war dramas and the Russian version of "[[Dancing with the Stars]]".
* [[Eliyahu Golomb]] (1893–1945), leader of the Jewish defense effort in [[Mandatory Palestine|Mandate Palestine]] and architect of the [[Haganah]] between 1920 and 1948.
* [[Dawid Janowski]] (1868–1927), Jewish-Polish chess player
* [[Paul Khomich]] (1893–1942), Roman Catholic Church priest
* [[Tadeusz Kruczkowski]] (born 1961), historian, president of [[Związek Polaków na Białorusi]] (2000–2005)
* [[Raphael Lemkin]] (1900–1959), known for defining the term ''genocide'' and drafting the [[Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide]]
* [[Teresa Torańska]] (1944–2013), Polish journalist, writer, historian
* [[Maksim Vitus]] (born 1989), football player
* [[Zerach Warhaftig]] (1906–2002), Israeli lawyer and politician and a signatory of [[Declaration of Independence (Israel)|Israel's Declaration of Independence]].
* [[Yanina Zhejmo]] (1909–1987), Soviet actress.
*Ida Oranovich Creskoff (1899-1982), Graduate  of Temple University (1921) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1924).  First woman ever appointed Clerk of a U.S. Federal Court of Appeals (1947), and still only woman to hold the position upon her retirement in 1967.

==See also==
{{Commons category|Vaŭkavysk}}
*[[Grodno Governorate]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* [http://www.volkovysk.com/ Portal of Vawkavysk. Photos, articles, history, news, forum, etc.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100927065153/http://volk.by/ Independent, most popular site of Volkovysk and Volkovysk district]
* [http://www.radzima.org/eng/town/vaukavysk.html Photos on Radzima.org]
* [http://volkovysk.clan.su/photo/1-1 Photogallery of Vawkavysk]
* [http://volkovysk.name/hist.php Histori of Vawkavysk in democratic site]
* {{JewishGen-LocalityPage|1951082|Vawkavysk, Belarus}}

{{Hrodna Voblast}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vawkavysk}}
[[Category:Vawkavysk| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Belarus]]
[[Category:Populated places in Grodno region]]
[[Category:Historic Jewish communities in Belarus]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Belarus]]
[[Category:Vawkavysk district]]