Russian Vitebsk
City (pop., 2001 est.: 349,000), northeastern Belarus.
First mentioned in 1021, it was a major fortress and trading centre and was the chief town of an independent principality for some 200 years. It passed to Lithuania in 1320, later to Poland, and then to Russia in 1772. It was destroyed by the Poles in the 16th century, by the Swedes in the Great Northern War, by Napoleon in 1812, and by the Germans in World War II. There are two museums dedicated to Marc Chagall , a native of the city. A major industrial centre, it produces machine tools, electrical instruments, and a range of consumer goods.