Slutsk

Slutsk (officially transliterated as Sluck, Belarusian: Слуцк; Russian: Слуцк; Polish: Słuck) is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River 105 km (65 mi) south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400. Slutsk is the administrative center of Slutsk Raion.

Geography

The town is situated in the south-west of its Region, 26 km (16 mi) north of Soligorsk.

History

Slutsk was first mentioned in writing in 1116. It was part of the Principality of Turov and Pinsk, but in 1160 it became the capital of a separate Slutsk Principality. From 1320–1330 it was part of the domain of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Later it was owned by the Olelkovich and Radziwiłł families, which transformed the city into a center of the Polish Reformed Church with a Gymnasium that existed until 1918. It was part of Russian Empire after Second Partition of Poland in 1793. It was occupied by Germany in 1918 and again between 1941-1944, and by Poland between 1919 and 1920 during Polish Soviet War.

Following the 17th century the town became famous for its manufactories of kontusz belts, some of the most expensive and luxurious pieces of garment of the szlachta. Because of the popularity of the belts made in Slutsk, all the belts worn over the żupan were often called the Belts of Slutsk, despite their real place of origin.