Vetka
Encyclopedia
Vetka is a small, historical town in Belarus
, situated on the bank of the Sozh River.It is the principal centre in Vetka Raion
in Gomel Region.
It was established in 1685 by the Old Believer Priest Group (a branch of the Orthodox Christian Church)) who were known as the Theodesians
and who had migrated from Central Russia. At the time it was founded, Vetka was on Lithuania
n territory.
The town's prosperity brought on the wrath of the Russian Empire
and as result, it was gutted twice (1735 and 1764) by the Tsarist army in the 18th century. Vetka, on the left bank of the Sozh River, is located in an area which was highly radioactive due to the nuclear fallout
of the Chernobyl disaster
that occurred on April 26, 1986.
As of 2003, the population of the district was 19,700. While urban population was 9,000 in 1992, the population of Vetka town was 5,982 (42.6% is Jewish), living in 11 stone and 994 wooden buildings. During this period six rope plants and six windmills, four forges, four stone and 120 wooden shops were reported. The population of Vetka increased to 7,200 in 1997. The main vocations were of jewellery, small trade and handicrafts with the Jews
concentrating on timber trading, operating from Vetka wharf
.
rites, migrated to Vetka and established a number of villages in the vicinity, under the leadership of Hieromonk
Fedosie.
(JNKJ) and had prospered in Russia. They found favour with the Tsar
s and the Imperial Government vis-à-vis the Non-Priest Group. After moving to Vetka, they practiced their religion with freedom and they also had economic opportunities to prosper. This resulted in Vetka becoming a town of about 40,000 people around 1730. Thus, during the 17th–18th centuries, in Vetka and surrounding suburbs with neighbouring settlements, there was a proliferation of monasteries and priories. It became known as the "centre of Raskolniks" with distinct assimilation and preservation of the "traditions of the Moscow Russia". The main square of the town was also named the Red Square, as in Moscow, which name is still in vogue here. This ensued a period of the proliferation of the artistic culture of "icon painting and manuscript book design" and Vetka wood carving.
However, in 1733 Anna of Russia
forced the Vetka Old Believer Group to relocate to Russia, and when they refused, they were forcibly moved out of Vetka to Central Russia. Epifane, the Bishop of the Vetka community, was subject to incarceration in 1733. Following this, those living in villages around Vetka organized themselves and started building up a flourishing economy. However, this was not tolerated by Catherine the Great and the entire group of Old Believers were forcibly transported to Siberia
thus putting an end to their presence in Vetka. Finally, in 1772, the Russian Empire
took over Vetka.
In 1917, Vetka was absorbed into the administrative jurisdiction of the Gomel Region. German
troops occupied Vetka in 1918 during World War I
. A power station was built in Vetka in 1924. It received a status of a town and a district in 1925. Vetka became a part of Russian Federation of Soviet Socialist Republic in 1926 and the centre of region in the Belorussian Soviet Socialistic Republic. From 1933, the "Za bolshevistskie tempi" ("For Bolshevik tempos") newspaper was published here. Soviet authorities opened a Jewish school in Yiddish, in Vetka. The population of Vetka in 1939 was 6,000 people at the beginning of the World War II. During World War II
, from August 18, 1941, till September 27, 1943, Axis forces occupied the town. The Nazis murdered 656 citizens.
The Chernobyl catastrophe which occurred on April 26, 1986, also caused immense depletion of population; as many as 40,000 were resettled in areas away from radiation effect, and the remaining population of the town was reported as only 7,000 on the first anniversary of the disaster.
A cement factory is being set up in Vetka utilizing chalk available at the Shyrokoye and Podkamennoe deposits, close to Vetka.
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, situated on the bank of the Sozh River.It is the principal centre in Vetka Raion
Vetka Raion
Vetka Raion is an administrative subdivision, a raion of Homiel Voblast, in Belarus.- External links :* *...
in Gomel Region.
It was established in 1685 by the Old Believer Priest Group (a branch of the Orthodox Christian Church)) who were known as the Theodesians
Raskol
Raskol |schism]]') was the event of splitting of the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the Old Believers movement in mid-17th century, triggered by the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in 1653, aiming to establish uniformity between the Greek and Russian church practices.-The Raskol:...
and who had migrated from Central Russia. At the time it was founded, Vetka was on Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n territory.
The town's prosperity brought on the wrath of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and as result, it was gutted twice (1735 and 1764) by the Tsarist army in the 18th century. Vetka, on the left bank of the Sozh River, is located in an area which was highly radioactive due to the nuclear fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
of the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
that occurred on April 26, 1986.
Etymology
The town is named Vetka after an island in the Sozh River. "Vetka" means "branch" in Russian and Belorussian languages.Geography
The town is located in the Gomel region on the right bank of the Sozh River and is surrounded by forest and marshy land. It is situated 22 kilometres (13.7 mi) away from Gomel. The Gomel and Dobrush road passes through the town. It has 139 inhabited areas in 57 resettled suburbs in the district which extends over an area of 156.3 km² (60.3 sq mi).As of 2003, the population of the district was 19,700. While urban population was 9,000 in 1992, the population of Vetka town was 5,982 (42.6% is Jewish), living in 11 stone and 994 wooden buildings. During this period six rope plants and six windmills, four forges, four stone and 120 wooden shops were reported. The population of Vetka increased to 7,200 in 1997. The main vocations were of jewellery, small trade and handicrafts with the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
concentrating on timber trading, operating from Vetka wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
.
History
A fairly large priest group, the Old Believer Priest Group from Central Russia, who were ordained under the Pre-NikonPatriarch Nikon
Nikon , born Nikita Minin , was the seventh patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church...
rites, migrated to Vetka and established a number of villages in the vicinity, under the leadership of Hieromonk
Hieromonk
Hieromonk , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism....
Fedosie.
17th-18th centuries
The Old Believer Priest Group, known as Theodesians, believed in Jesus of Nazareth, King of the JewsKing of the Jews
-History:Ruler of historic Jewish kingdoms and client states:* Kingdom of Israel * Kingdom of Judah * Hasmonean dynasty * Herodian Dynasty Others:...
(JNKJ) and had prospered in Russia. They found favour with the Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
s and the Imperial Government vis-à-vis the Non-Priest Group. After moving to Vetka, they practiced their religion with freedom and they also had economic opportunities to prosper. This resulted in Vetka becoming a town of about 40,000 people around 1730. Thus, during the 17th–18th centuries, in Vetka and surrounding suburbs with neighbouring settlements, there was a proliferation of monasteries and priories. It became known as the "centre of Raskolniks" with distinct assimilation and preservation of the "traditions of the Moscow Russia". The main square of the town was also named the Red Square, as in Moscow, which name is still in vogue here. This ensued a period of the proliferation of the artistic culture of "icon painting and manuscript book design" and Vetka wood carving.
However, in 1733 Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
forced the Vetka Old Believer Group to relocate to Russia, and when they refused, they were forcibly moved out of Vetka to Central Russia. Epifane, the Bishop of the Vetka community, was subject to incarceration in 1733. Following this, those living in villages around Vetka organized themselves and started building up a flourishing economy. However, this was not tolerated by Catherine the Great and the entire group of Old Believers were forcibly transported to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
thus putting an end to their presence in Vetka. Finally, in 1772, the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
took over Vetka.
19th-20th centuries
Ships were manufactured here from 1840 and the rich people of the town were known to own steamships.In 1917, Vetka was absorbed into the administrative jurisdiction of the Gomel Region. German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
troops occupied Vetka in 1918 during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. A power station was built in Vetka in 1924. It received a status of a town and a district in 1925. Vetka became a part of Russian Federation of Soviet Socialist Republic in 1926 and the centre of region in the Belorussian Soviet Socialistic Republic. From 1933, the "Za bolshevistskie tempi" ("For Bolshevik tempos") newspaper was published here. Soviet authorities opened a Jewish school in Yiddish, in Vetka. The population of Vetka in 1939 was 6,000 people at the beginning of the World War II. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from August 18, 1941, till September 27, 1943, Axis forces occupied the town. The Nazis murdered 656 citizens.
The Chernobyl catastrophe which occurred on April 26, 1986, also caused immense depletion of population; as many as 40,000 were resettled in areas away from radiation effect, and the remaining population of the town was reported as only 7,000 on the first anniversary of the disaster.
Economy
There are many industries in Vetka, which have boosted the economy of the region. These include milk and meat production, cotton mills and weaving mills. There are four agricultural production cooperatives, many agricultural companies, four farms, 23 dairy and four hog-breeding farms and a stud farm. Economic survey of Vetka gives a picture of all round socioeconomic development with 10.4 % industrial production in 2007 with a trade turnover of 13.8%. Exports are reported to have increased by 74.1% with imports recording 126.7%. The trade surplus is also reported.A cement factory is being set up in Vetka utilizing chalk available at the Shyrokoye and Podkamennoe deposits, close to Vetka.