HRODNO

also spelled Grodno, city and administrative centre, Hrodno oblast (province), Belarus, on the Neman River. First mentioned in 1128 as the seat of a princedom, Hrodno has had a stormy history, being sacked by the Tatars in 1241 and by the Teutonic Knights in 1284 and 1391. It passed to Lithuania in the 13th century and later to Poland, reverting to Russia in 1795; it was under Poland from 1921 to 1939. Among relics of Hrodno's past are the ruins of the castle (1580) of the Polish king Stephen Bthory and of an 18th-century castle. Modern Hrodno is a major industrial centre, especially for fertilizers, synthetic fibres, and numerous consumer goods. The town has medical, agricultural, and teacher-training institutes. Pop. (1991 est.) 284,800.