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Lutsk (, ; see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
for other names) is a city on the
Styr River The Styr (; ; ) is a right tributary of the Pripyat, with a length of . Its basin area is and located in the historical region of Volhynia. The Styr begins near Brody, Lviv Oblast, then flows into Rivne Oblast, Volyn Oblast, then into Bre ...
in northwestern
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. It is the
administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
of
Volyn Oblast Volyn Oblast () or simply Volyn (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in northwestern Ukraine. It borders Rivne Oblast to the east, Lviv Oblast to the south, Poland to the west and Belarus to the north. Its Capital city ...
and the administrative center of
Lutsk Raion Lutsk Raion () is a raion (district) in Volyn Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Lutsk Lutsk (, ; see #Names and etymology, below for other names) is a city on the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the ...
within the oblast. Lutsk has a population of A city with almost a thousand years of history, recorded in 1085, Lutsk historically served as an administrative, cultural and religious center in
Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...
. The city contains several landmarks in various styles, including
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
,
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
and Neoclassical, the most known being the medieval
Lubart's Castle Lutsk Castle (;, ), also locally known as Liubart's Castle (, ''Замок Любарта'', ''Zamok Liubarta'') or Upper Castle (, ''Верхній замок'', ''Verkhnii zamok''), began its life in the mid-14th century as the fortified seat o ...
.


Names and etymology

Lutsk is an ancient
Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...
town, mentioned in the
Hypatian Chronicle The ''Hypatian Codex'', also known as Hypatian Letopis or Ipatiev Letopis, is a compendium of three Rus' chronicles: the ''Primary Chronicle'', ''Kievan Chronicle'' and '' Galician-Volhynian Chronicle''. It is the most important source of histori ...
as Luchesk in the records of 1085. The etymology of the name is unclear. There are three hypotheses: the name may have been derived from the Old Slavic word ''luka'' (an arc or bend in a river), or the name may have originated from ''Luka'' (the chieftain of the ''
Dulebs The Dulebes, Dulebs, Dudlebi or Dulibyh () were one of the tribal unions of Early Slavs between the 6th and the 10th centuries. According to medieval sources they lived in Western Volhynia, as well as southern parts of the Duchy of Bohemia and th ...
''), an ancient Slavic tribe living in this area. The name may also have been created after ''Luchanii'' (Luchans), an ancient branch of the tribe mentioned above. The city of Lutsk is also historically known by different names in other languages – , ; ; as well as a number of other names.


History

According to the legend, Luchesk dates from the 7th century. The first known documentary reference dates were from the year 1085. In the 11th century, along with the region of Volhynia, the town was contested by the
Kyivan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of Russ ...
and
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. The town served as the capital of the Principality of Halych-Volynia (founded in 1199) until the rise of
Volodymyr Volodymyr (, ; ) is a Ukrainian given name of Old East Slavic origin. The related Ancient Slavic, such as Czech, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, etc. form of the name is Володимѣръ ''Volodiměr'', which in other Slavic languages became Vladimi ...
. The town grew around a wooden stronghold built by a local branch of the
Rurik Dynasty The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the ...
. At certain times the location functioned as the capital of the principality, but the town did not become an important centre of commerce or culture.


Grand Duchy of Lithuania

In 1240, Mongols seized and looted the nearby town but left the castle unharmed. In 1321, George, son of
Lev Lev or LEV may refer to: People and fictional characters *Lev (given name) *Lev (surname) Places *Lev, Azerbaijan, a village *Lev (crater), a tiny lunar crater Religion *an abbreviation for Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Bible and the ...
, the last prospective heir of Halych-Volynia, died in a battle with the forces of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
n forces seized the castle. In 1349, the forces of King
Casimir III of Poland Casimir III the Great (; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, retaining the title throughout the Galicia–Volhynia Wars. He was the last Polish king fr ...
captured the town, then Lithuania soon retook it, but it remained contested by Lithuania and Poland until 1382. The town began to prosper during the period of Lithuanian rule. Prince
Lubart Liubartas or Demetrius of Liubar (died ) was a Lithuanian prince from the Gediminid dynasty. He was the prince of Volhynia, and from 1320, he ruled over Lutsk, Liubar and Zhytomyr. Liubartas was also the last ruler of the Kingdom of Galicia–V ...
(died 1384), son of
Gediminas Gediminas ( – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. He is considered the founder of Lithuania's capital Vilnius (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands from t ...
, erected
Lubart's Castle Lutsk Castle (;, ), also locally known as Liubart's Castle (, ''Замок Любарта'', ''Zamok Liubarta'') or Upper Castle (, ''Верхній замок'', ''Verkhnii zamok''), began its life in the mid-14th century as the fortified seat o ...
as part of his fortification programme. From 1385, it was part of the Polish-Lithuanian union, yet it remained an object of Lithuanian-Polish rivalry. Polish King
Władysław II Jagiełło Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło (),Other names include (; ) (see also Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło) was Grand Duke of Lithuania beginning in 1377 and starting in 1386, becoming King of Poland as well. ...
appointed Polish
starost Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands. The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...
s, brought in Dominican monks and staffed the Catholic bishopric, intending to connect it to the Polish
Archdiocese of Lwów The Archdiocese of Lviv (of the Latins) () () is a Latin Church in Ukraine, Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western Ukraine. Its Cathedral archiepiscopal see is a Minor Basilica and (Minor) World ...
, while Lithuanian Duke
Vytautas Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...
sought to diminish Polish influence and develop the city to become Lithuania's second capital after
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
. Vytautas invited colonists (mostly
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
,
Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...
, and
Crimean Karaites Crimean Karaites or simply Karaites (Crimean Karaim language, Karaim: Кърымкъарайлар, ''Qrımqaraylar'', singular къарай, ''qaray''; Trakai dialect: ''karajlar'', singular ''karaj''; ; ; ), also known more broadly as Eastern E ...
). In 1427 he transferred the Catholic bishopric from Volodymyr to Luchesk. Vytautas was the last monarch to use the title of "Duke of Volhynia" and to reside in Lubart's Castle. The town grew rapidly, and by the end of the 15th century, there were 19 Orthodox and two Catholic churches. It was the seat of two
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
bishops, one Catholic and one Orthodox. Because of that, the town was sometimes nicknamed "the ''Volhynian Rome''." The cross symbol of Lutsk features the highest Lithuanian Presidential award, the
Order of Vytautas the Great The Order of Vytautas the Great () is the Lithuanian Presidential Award.''Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija. 84 straipsnis''. Priimta 1992 It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguish ...
. In 1429 Lutsk was the meeting place selected for a conference of monarchs hosted by
Władysław II Jagiełło Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło (),Other names include (; ) (see also Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło) was Grand Duke of Lithuania beginning in 1377 and starting in 1386, becoming King of Poland as well. ...
and
Sophia of Halshany Sophia of Halshany (; ; ; – 21 September 1461 in Kraków), known simply as Sonka, was a princess of Lithuanian Alšėniškiai princely family who was Queen of Poland as the fourth and last wife of Jogaila, King of Poland and Supreme Duke ...
to deal with the Tatar threat. Those invited to attend included Sigismund, King of Hungary and Bohemia; Grand Duke
Vasili II of Russia Vasily II Vasilyevich (; 10 March 141527 March 1462), nicknamed the Blind or the Dark (), was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1425 until his death in 1462. He succeeded his father, Vasily I, only to be challenged by his uncle Yuri of Zvenig ...
;
Eric of Pomerania Erik of Pomerania ( 1381/1382 – 24 September 1459) ruled over the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439. He was initially co-ruler with his great-aunt Margaret I of Denmark, Margaret I until her death in 1412. Erik is known as Erik III as King of ...
, king of
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
; the Grand Master of the
Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...
Zisse von Rutenberg; the Duke of
Szczecin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Poland-Germany border, German border, it is a major port, seaport, the la ...
Casimir V Duke Casimir V of Pomerania (or, counting differently, Casimir VI; after 1380 – 13 April 1435) was a member of the House of Griffins and a Duke of Pomerania. He ruled in Pomerania-Stettin together with his brother Otto II, Duke of Pomerani ...
; Dan II, the ''Hospodar'' of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
; and
Prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...
s of most of the countries of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
.


Kingdom of Poland

In 1432, Volhynia became a
fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
of the
Crown of the Kingdom of Poland The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (; ) was a political and legal concept formed in the 14th century in the Kingdom of Poland, assuming unity, indivisibility and continuity of the state. Under this idea, the state was no longer seen as the Pat ...
and Lutsk became the seat of the governors, and later the Marshalls of the Land of Volhynia. That same year, the city was granted
Magdeburg rights Magdeburg rights (, , ; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages gr ...
by King Władysław II Jagiełło. It was one of the minor centers of
Armenians in Poland Armenians in Poland (; ) are one of nine legally recognized national minorities in Poland, their historical presence is going back to the Middle Ages. According to the Polish census of 2021 there are 6,772 ethnic Armenians in Poland. They are s ...
, with an Armenian church. In 1497,
Alexander Jagiellon Alexander Jagiellon (; ; 5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1492 and King of Poland from 1501 until his death in 1506. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV and a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Alexander was el ...
confirmed the city's old privileges. In 1569, Volhynia was fully incorporated into the Polish kingdom and the town became the capital of both the Łuck powiat and Volhynian Voivodeship in the Lesser Poland Province. After the
Union of Lublin The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...
, the local Orthodox bishop converted to
Eastern Catholicism The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...
. The city continued to prosper as an important economic centre of the region. By the mid-17th century, Łuck had approximately 50,000 inhabitants and was one of the largest towns in the area. During the
Khmelnytsky Uprising The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...
, the town was seized by the forces of Colonel Kolodko. Up to 4,000 people were slaughtered, approximately 35,000 fled, and the city was looted and partially burnt. It never fully recovered. In 1781, the city was struck by a fire which destroyed 440 houses, both cathedrals, and several other churches. In 1788, Łuck was the 25th largest city of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. The city embraced the
Constitution of 3 May 1791 The Constitution of 3 May 1791, titled the Government Act, was a written constitution for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was adopted by the Great Sejm that met between 1788 and 1792. The Commonwealth was a dual monarchy comprising th ...
.


Russian Empire

In 1795, as a result of the
Third Partition of Poland The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polis ...
, the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
annexed Lutsk. The Voivodeship was liquidated and the town lost its significance as the capital of the province (which was moved to
Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( ; see #Names, below for other names) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Zhytomyr Oblast (Oblast, province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding ...
). After the
November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...
(1830–1831), efforts increased to remove Polish influence. Polish schools were closed in 1831 and Catholic monasteries were seized in 1840–1853. Russian became the dominant language in official circles. Though, the Ukrainian population continued to speak Ukrainian; the Polish population spoke
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
; and the Jewish population spoke
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
(only in private circles). The
Greek Catholic churches Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite: ** The Albanian Greek Catholic Church ** The Belarusian Gree ...
was turned into Orthodox Christian ones, which led to the self-liquidation of the Uniates here. In 1845, another great fire struck the city, resulting in further depopulation. In 1850, three major forts were built around Lutsk, and the town became a small fortress called ''Mikhailogorod''. Neglected under Russian rule, by the late 19th century, the city lost its leading economic position in Volhynia to
Rivne Rivne ( ; , ) is a city in western Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast (province), as well as the Rivne Raion (district) within the oblast.
,
Kovel Kovel (, ; ; ) is a city in Volyn Oblast, northwestern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kovel Raion within the oblast. Population: Kovel gives its name to one of the oldest runic inscriptions which were lost during World War I ...
and
Zdolbuniv Zdolbuniv (, ; ) is a small city in the Rivne Raion of Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It has an important railway station and cement plant (there is a deposit of chalk). Population: History The town was mentioned in 1497 in the ...
. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the town was seized by
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
on 29 August 1915. The town sustained a small amount of damage. During more than a year of Austro-Hungarian occupation, Lutsk became an important military centre with the headquarters of the IV Army under Archduke Josef Ferdinand stationed there. A plague of
epidemic typhus Epidemic typhus, also known as louse-borne typhus, is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters where civil life is disrupted. Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact wit ...
decimated the city's inhabitants. On 4 June 1916, four Russian armies under general
Aleksei Brusilov Aleksei Alekseyevich Brusilov (, ; rus, Алексей Алексеевич Брусилов, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsʲejɪvʲɪdʑ brʊˈsʲiɫəf; – 17 March 1926) was a Russian and later Soviet general most noted for the developmen ...
started what later became known as the Brusilov Offensive. After up to three days of heavy artillery barrage, the
Battle of Lutsk The Battle of Lutsk took place on the Eastern Front during World War I, from June 4 to June 6, 1916. This was the opening attack of the Brusilov Offensive under the overall command of Alexei Brusilov. The Russian 8th Army made a decisive bre ...
began. On 7 June 1916 the Russian forces reconquered the city. After the signing of the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), by which Russia withdrew from World War I. The treaty, whi ...
in 1917, the city was seized by Germany on 7 February 1918. On 22 February 1918 the town was transferred by the withdrawing German army to the forces loyal to
Symon Petlura Symon Vasyliovych Petliura (; – 25 May 1926) was a Ukrainian politician and journalist. He was the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian People's Army (UNA) and led the Ukrainian People's Republic during the Ukrainian War of Independence, a pa ...
.


Second Polish Republic

During the Polish-Bolshevik War, on 16 May 1919, Lutsk was taken over by the forces of Poland's Blue Army after a heavy battle with the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
. The city was devastated and largely depopulated. It witnessed the Soviet counter-offensive of 1920 and was taken on 12 July 1920. It was recaptured by Poland's 45th Rifles regiment and field artillery on 15 September 1920. According to American sociologist Alexander Gella "the Polish victory ver the Red Armyhad gained twenty years of independence not only for Poland but at least for an entire central part of Europe.Aleksander Gella (1988), ''Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland and Her Southern Neighbors'', SUNY Press,
Google Print, p. 23.
/ref> Łuck was designated by the newly-reborn nation of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
as the capital of the Wołyń Voivodeship. The city was connected by railroad to
Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
(then Lwów) and
Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...
. Several brand new factories were built both in Łuck and on its outskirts producing farming equipment, wood, and leather products among other consumer goods. New mills and
breweries A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of be ...
opened. An orphanage was built, and a big new bursary. The first high school was soon inaugurated. In 1937, an airport was established in Łuck with an area of . The 13th ''Kresowy'' Light Artillery Regiment was stationed in the city, together with a ''Łuck''
National Defense (Poland) National Defense (, ON) was a volunteer military formation of the Second Polish Republic. Its units (brigades and demi-brigades, divided into battalions) were subordinated to various Polish corps and armies. National Defense is most commonly r ...
Battalion. In 1938, construction of a large modern radio transmitter began in the city (see
Polish Radio Łuck Polish Radio Łuck () was a radio station of the Polskie Radio, Polish Radio, planned to be opened in autumn of 1939 in the Volhynian city of Łuck (now Lutsk, Ukraine). Construction of the station's campus, together with the studio, began in July 1 ...
). As of 1 January 1939 Łuck had 39,000 inhabitants (approximately 17,500 Jews and 13,500 Poles). The powiat formed around the town had 316,970 inhabitants, including 59% Ukrainians, 19.5% Poles, 14% Jews and approximately 23,000
Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...
and
Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
.


World War II

On Thursday 7 September 1939, at about 5 p.m., the Polish government, which had left
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
the day before, arrived at Łuck. German intelligence quickly found out about it, and the city was twice bombed by the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
, on 11 and 14 September. After panzer units of the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
had crossed the
Bug river The Bug or Western Bug is a major river in Central Europe that flows through Belarus (border), Poland, and Ukraine, with a total length of .Kosów Huculski, which at that time was located near the Polish–Romanian border. As a result of the
invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
from both sides and the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and also known as the Hitler–Stalin Pact and the Nazi–Soviet Pact, was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Ge ...
, Łuck, along with the rest of western Volyn, was annexed by the Soviet Union. Most of the factories (including the almost-finished radio station) were dismantled and sent east to Russia. Approximately 10,000 of the city's Polish inhabitants (chiefly ethnic Poles, but also
Polish Jews The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jews, Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the long pe ...
) were deported in cattle trucks to
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
and 1,550 were arrested by the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
.Tadeusz Piotrowski (1998),
Poland's Holocaust
' (Google Books). Jefferson: McFarland, pp. 17-18, 420. .
After the start of
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
the city was captured by the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
on 25 June 1941. Thousands of Polish and Ukrainian prisoners were shot by the retreating NKVD responsible for political prisons. The inmates were offered amnesty and in the morning of ordered to exit the building en masse. They were gunned down by Soviet tanks. Some 4,000 captives including Poles, Jews and Ukrainians were massacred.Piotrowski 1998, p. 17
The Murder of the Jews of Lutsk
at
Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...
website
Upon Nazi occupation, most of the Jewish inhabitants of the city were forced into a new
Łuck Ghetto The Lutsk Ghetto (, ) was a Nazi ghetto established in 1941 by the SS in Lutsk, Western Ukraine, during World War II. In the interwar period, the city was known as Łuck and was part of the Wołyń Voivodeship (1921–1939) in the Second Polish R ...
and then murdered at the execution site on Górka Połonka hill not far from the city.Andrzej Mielcarek
Wieś i kolonia Hnidawa, inaczej Gnidawa, powiat Łuck
Interactive 1936 map included. ''Strony o Wołyniu'' Wolyn.ovh.org in Polish. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
In total, more than 25,000 Jews were executed there at point-blank range,Yad Vashem, Note: village Połonka ( or it

subdivision) is misspelt in the documentary, with the testimony of eyewitness
Shmuel Shilo Shmuel Shilo (; 1 December 1929 – 4 October 2011) was an Israeli actor, director and producer, best remembered for his role on the Israeli production of Rechov Sumsum, a popular TV show based on Sesame Street. In 1983 he founded the Negev T ...
. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
men, women and children.YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
Lutsk.
Ghetto history. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
The Łuck Ghetto was liquidated entirely through ''the Holocaust by bullets''. Retrieved 20 July 2015. In 1941–1942, the German occupiers also operated a
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
camp for Jews in the city. During the
massacres of Poles in Volhynia The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia (; ) were carried out in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), German-occupied Poland by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), with the support of parts of the local Ukrainians, Ukrainian popu ...
approximately 10,000 Poles were murdered by the
Ukrainian Insurgent Army The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (, abbreviated UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist partisan formation founded by the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) on 14 October 1942. The UPA launched guerrilla warfare against Nazi Germany, the S ...
in the area. It was captured by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
on 2 February 1944.


Postwar

After the end of the war, the remaining Polish inhabitants of the city were expelled, mostly to the areas that are sometimes referred to as the Polish
Regained Territories The Recovered Territories or Regained Lands () are the lands east of the Oder-Neisse line that over the centuries were gradually lost by Poland and colonized by the Germans, and that returned to Poland after World War II. This term includes W ...
. The city became an industrial centre in the
Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...
. The major changes in the city's demographics had the final result that by the end of the war, the city was almost entirely Ukrainian. During the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, the city hosted the Lutsk air base. As one of the largest cities in western Ukraine, Lutsk became the seat of the General Consulate of Poland in 2003. On 21 July 2020, a
hostage crisis A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...
took place, involving a man armed with a firearm and explosives who stormed a bus and took 16 people
hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...
at about 9:25 a.m. Police said that they had identified the hostage-taker and that he had expressed dissatisfaction with "Ukraine's system" on social media.
Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...
said that shots gas had been heard and that the bus had been damaged. The incident led to police blocking off the city centre. The standoff was eventually resolved after several hours, with all of the hostages being freed and the hostage taker being arrested. On 11 March 2022, as part of the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, the Russian army fired four missiles at Lutsk military airfield killing two Ukrainian servicemen and wounding six. On 28 March, Lutsk was struck by another Russian missile.


Population

As of 1 January 2022, the population of the Lutsk city territorial community was 244,678 people, and 215,986 people in the city of Lutsk.


Ethnic groups

Distribution of the population by ethnicity according to the
2001 Ukrainian census The 2001 Ukrainian census is to date the only census of the population of independent Ukraine. It was conducted by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on 5 December 2001, twelve years after the last Soviet Union census in 1989.2001 census: According to a survey conducted by the
International Republican Institute The International Republican Institute (IRI) is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and funded and supported by the United States federal government. Most of its board is drawn from the Republican Party. Its public mission is to a ...
in April-May 2023, 98% of the city's population spoke Ukrainian at home, and 1% spoke Russian.


Geography


Climate

Lutsk has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(''Dfb'' in the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
).


Industry and commerce

Lutsk is an important centre of industry. Factories producing cars, shoes, bearings,
furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...
, machines and
electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
, as well as weaveries, steel mills and a
chemical plant A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures (or otherwise processes) chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transfor ...
are located in the area. * VGP JSC – manufacture of sanitary and hygienic products *
LuAZ LuAZ (, short for ''Луцький автомобільний завод'', ''Lutskyi Avtomobilnyi Zavod''; Lutsk Automobile Plant) was a Ukrainian automobile manufacturer in the city of Lutsk built in the Soviet Union. Since 2009 it has bee ...
– automobile-manufacturing plant, part of
Bogdan group Bogdan Corporation () is a leading Ukrainian automobile trading and manufacturing group founded by Bogdan Motors. The corporation was famous for its Bogdan public transport brand that used to produce its models in Cherkasy and Lutsk. The produc ...
*
SKF AB SKF (, 'Swedish Ball Bearing Factory') is a Swedish bearing (mechanical), bearing and seal (mechanical), seal manufacturing company founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1907. The company manufactures and supplies bearings, seals, lubrication an ...
– manufacture of bearings, seals, lubrication and lubrication systems, maintenance products, mechatronics products, power transmission products and related services globally * Modern-Expo Group – one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of equipment (metal shelving, high racks systems, checkouts,
catering Catering is the business of providing food services at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio. History of catering The earliest account of major service ...
equipment,
refrigeration Refrigeration is any of various types of cooling of a space, substance, or system to lower and/or maintain its temperature below the ambient one (while the removed heat is ejected to a place of higher temperature).IIR International Dictionary of ...
equipment, POS-equipment and
guidance systems A guidance system is a virtual or physical device, or a group of devices implementing a controlling the movement of a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or any other moving object. Guidance is the process of calculating the changes in pos ...
) for
retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholes ...
and
warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...
use in Central and
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
. * Lutsk is the capital of the
Drupal Drupal () is a free and open-source web content management system (CMS) written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Drupal provides an open-source back-end framework for at least 14% of the top 10,000 websites worldwide ...
web development


Places of interest

*
Lubart's Castle Lutsk Castle (;, ), also locally known as Liubart's Castle (, ''Замок Любарта'', ''Zamok Liubarta'') or Upper Castle (, ''Верхній замок'', ''Verkhnii zamok''), began its life in the mid-14th century as the fortified seat o ...
. The Upper Castle from the 13th century and the Lower Castle from the 14th century * Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral. A Catholic cathedral built 1610 as a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
church, reconstructed in 1781 * Great Synagogue built in 1626–1629 * Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral built 1755 as a church and monastery of Bernardines *
Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
* Complex of Lutsk Orthodox Fellowship *
Market square A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...
* Lesya Ukrainka street *Monasteries, both Catholic and Orthodox: Basilians (17th century),
Dominicans Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...
(17th century),
Trinitarians The Trinitarians, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (; abbreviated OSsT), is a mendicant order of the Catholic Church for men founded in Cerfroid, outside Paris, in the late 12th century. From the very o ...
(18th century) and Charites (18th century) *Two 16th century Greek-Catholic churches *Lutsk compact overhead powerline, a powerline of an unusual type. *
One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
of the longest buildings in the world: Apartment house on Sobornosti av. and Molodi st. (50.761219°N, 25.368719°E) Length: 1750 m. File:Луцк. Собор Петра и Павла..jpg, St. Peter and Paul Cathedral Собор святих Петра і Павла (Луцьк) - Підземелля - Крипта Магдалини.jpg, Cells of the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral File:07-101-0021 Синагога.jpg, Great Synagogue File:СоборЛуцькГол-2.jpg, Holy Trinity Cathedral File:Luts'k Karayims'ka 16 Kirkha 04 (YDS 8005).jpg, Lutheran church


Theatres and museums

*Drama Theatre, built in 1939 (uk) *Children's Puppet Theater *Museum of Regional Studies. Address: Shopena St. 20 *Museum of Ukrainian army and ammunition opened in 1999. Address: Lutsk, vul. Taborishi 4 *Museum of Volyn Icon was opened in August 1993. A relatively small museum in the centre of the town. Has some interesting and very old icons. Address: vul. Yaroshchuka 5. (behind the Lesia Ukrainka Volyn State University)
THE KORSAKS’ MUSEUM OF THE CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN ART
. Address: vul. Karbysheva 1


Religion

The city was the
episcopal seat A cathedral is a church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations with an episcop ...
of the Eparchy of Lutsk–Ostroh in the
Ruthenian Uniate Church The Ruthenian Uniate Church (; ; ; ) was a Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, particular church of the Catholic Church in the territory of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was created in 1595/1596 by those clergy of the Ea ...
. The city was also the centre of the short-lived
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Volhynia, Polesia and Pidliashia The Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Volhynia, Polesia and Pidliashia was a short-lived (1931–44) pre-diocesan Eastern Catholic (notably Byzantine Rite, Ukrainian language) jurisdiction in three parts of present Ukraine. History * Es ...
. Currently, it is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lutsk The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lutsk was first established in the 13th century as the diocese of Luceoria (Latin) or Łuck (Polish). After the victory of Napoleon, the diocese was joined with the Diocese of Zhytomyr, forming the diocese of Lutzk- ...
and of the Exarchate of Lutsk in the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a Major archiepiscopal church, major archiepiscopal ''sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Cathol ...
. In the
Orthodox Church of Ukraine The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (; OCU), also called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Ukraine. It was granted autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople on . Some of the Eastern Orthodox Churche ...
, the former Catholic
cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
of the
Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...
is the seat of the Eparchy of Volhynia.


Notable people

*
Shlomo Ben-Yosef Shlomo Ben-Yosef (; May 7, 1913 – June 29, 1938) was a member of the Revisionist Zionist paramilitary group Irgun. He is most noted for his participation in an April 21, 1938, attack on a bus carrying Arab civilians, intended as a retaliation fo ...
(1913–1938) a member of
Revisionist Zionist Revisionist Zionism is a form of Zionism characterized by territorial maximalism. Revisionist Zionism promoted expansionism and the establishment of a Jewish majority on both sides of the Jordan River. Developed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky in the 1920s ...
underground group
Irgun The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...
. * Volodymyr Bondar (born 1968), politician,
Governor of Volyn Oblast The governor of Volyn Oblast is the head of executive branch for the Volyn Oblast in Ukraine. The office of governor is an appointed position, with officeholders being appointed by the president of Ukraine, on recommendation from the prime mini ...
2005-2007 * Benedykt Chmielowski (1700–1763), a Polish priest, author of the encyclopedia, Nowe Ateny * Count Włodzimierz Czacki (1834–1888) a Polish
Cardinal (Catholic Church) A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
from 1882 *
Alojzy Feliński Alojzy Feliński (1771–1820) was a Polish writer. Life Feliński was born in Łuck. In his childhood he met Tadeusz Czacki. He was educated by the Piarists in Dąbrownica, later in Włodzimierz Wołyński. In 1778 he settled in Lublin, wh ...
(1771–1820), Polish scientist and writer *
Abraham Firkovich Abraham (Avraham) ben Samuel Firkovich (Hebrew - ''Avraham ben Shmuel''; Karayce: Аврагъам Фиркович - ''Avragham Firkovich'') (Sept. 27, 1786–June 7, 1874) was a famous Karaite writer and archaeologist, collector of ancient ...
(1786–1874) a Karaite writer and
Hakham ''Hakham'' (or ''Chakam(i), Haham(i), Hacham(i), Hach''; ) is a term in Judaism meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise th ...
and collector of ancient manuscripts *
Shlomo Flam Shlomo Flam (died January 1813), known as the Lutzker Maggid, was a Volhynian Hasidic rabbi and ''maggid'' in Lutsk and in Sokal. He was a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch and the teacher of several prominent rabbis including Rabbi Shol ...
(died 1813),
Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...
rabbi and
maggid A maggid (), also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a ''Darshan (Judaism), darshan'' (). The title of ''m ...
in Lutsk * Kateryna Gornostai (born 1989) is a Ukrainian film director, screenwriter and film editor. *
Bolesław Kontrym Lieutenant Bolesław Kontrym (Zatruka, Russian Empire, 27 August 1898 – 20 January 1953, Warsaw, Poland), also known by codenames ''Żmudzin'', ''Biały'', ''Bielski'' and ''Cichocki'', was a Polish Army officer, a Home Army soldier, participan ...
(1898–1953), a Polish Army officer, a participant in the
Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...
*
Mikołaj Kruszewski Mikołaj Habdank Kruszewski, ( Russianized, ''Nikolay Vyacheslavovich Krushevsky'', Никола́й Вячесла́вович Круше́вский) (December 18, 1851, Lutsk – November 12, 1887, Kazan) was a Polish linguist active in the R ...
(1851–1887), a Polish linguist, co-inventor of the concept of
phoneme A phoneme () is any set of similar Phone (phonetics), speech sounds that are perceptually regarded by the speakers of a language as a single basic sound—a smallest possible Phonetics, phonetic unit—that helps distinguish one word fr ...
s * Dinora Pines (1918–2002), British physician and psychoanalyst, especially
feminine psychology Feminine psychology or the psychology of women is an approach that focuses on social, economic, and political issues confronting women all throughout their lives. It emerged as a reaction to male-dominated developmental theories such as Sigmun ...
*
Krystyna Piotrowska Krystyna Piotrowska (5 July 193826 January 2022) was a Polish geologist, cartographer, professor of earth sciences and researcher of the Tatra Mountains. A practitioner of summer and winter mountaineering, she remained scientifically involved in ...
(1938–2022), Polish geologist, cartographer, professor * Oleksandr Polozhynskyi (born 1972), a Ukrainian singer and presenter * Volodymyr Runchak (born 1960) a Ukrainian accordionist, conductor and composer *
Shmuel Shilo Shmuel Shilo (; 1 December 1929 – 4 October 2011) was an Israeli actor, director and producer, best remembered for his role on the Israeli production of Rechov Sumsum, a popular TV show based on Sesame Street. In 1983 he founded the Negev T ...
(1929–2011), an Israeli actor, director and producer *
Florian Siwicki Florian Siwicki (; 10 January 1925 – 11 March 2013) was a Polish military officer, diplomat and communism, communist politician. He was a General (Poland), generał in the Polish Land Forces, Polish Army and Defence minister, Minister of De ...
(1925–2013), a Polish military officer, diplomat and communist politician. * Zalman Sorotzkin (1881–1966), an Orthodox rabbi who served as the rabbi of Lutsk and author * Mordecai Sultansky (ca. 1772–1862), Karaite Jewish
hakham ''Hakham'' (or ''Chakam(i), Haham(i), Hacham(i), Hach''; ) is a term in Judaism meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise th ...
and scholar * Tartak (founded 1994), music band; all members were born in Lutsk * Shimshon Unichman (1907–1961), Israeli politician and member of the Knesset * Svitlana Winnikow (1919–1981), engineer, first woman professor of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at
Michigan Technological University Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Uppe ...
*
Oksana Zabuzhko Oksana Stefanivna Zabuzhko (, born 19 September 1960) is a Ukrainian novelist, poet, and essayist. Her works have been translated into several languages. Life Zabuzhko was born 19 September 1960 in Lutsk, Ukraine. The writer's father, Stefan ( ...
(born 1960), contemporary Ukrainian poet, writer and essayist * Svetlana Zakharova (born 1979), a Ukrainian prima ballerina with the
Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest Ballet company, ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it ca ...
* Joseph Zinker (born 1934),
Gestalt psychology Gestalt psychology, gestaltism, or configurationism is a school of psychology and a theory of perception that emphasises the processing of entire patterns and configurations, and not merely individual components. It emerged in the early twent ...
therapist, painter and sculptor.


Sport

*
Peter Bondra Peter Bondra (; born 7 February 1968) is a Ukrainian-born Slovak former professional ice hockey player. He was the general manager of the Slovakia national team from 2007 to 2011. A two-time 50-goal scorer, Bondra became the 37th player in Nati ...
(born 1968), Ukrainian-born Slovak ice hockey player *
Oleksandr Chyzhevskyi Oleksandr Chyzhevskyi (; born 27 May 1971) is a Ukrainian football coach and a former player who coaches Ahrobiznes Volochysk. He is on the fourth place the all-time appearance leader in the Vyscha Liha. Playing career On 12 December 2009, ...
(born 1971) football coach and former player with 513 club caps. * Iurii Kostiuk (born 1977) a Ukrainian biathlete and gold medallist at the Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Paralympics * Volodymyr Mozolyuk (born 1964) is a Ukrainian retired footballer with over 540 club caps. *
Anzhelika Savrayuk Anzhelika Savrayuk (; born 23 August 1989 in Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union) is a Ukrainian-born Italian rhythmic gymnast. Career Savrayuk has competed in two Olympic Games. She and the Italian group competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics ...
(born 1989), Italian rhythmic gymnast, team bronze medallist at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
* Vyacheslav Shevchuk (born 1979) is a retired footballer with 34 club caps and 56 with
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
*
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk Anatoliy Oleksandrovych Tymoshchuk ( , ; born 30 March 1979) is a Ukrainian association football, football coach and former midfielder. Since 2017, he has served as an assistant coach of the Russian Premier League club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg ...
(born 1979), a footballer with 533 club caps and 144 for
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...


In popular culture

The NKVD and Nazi massacres are mentioned in the
Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt ( , "The Goncourt Prize") is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward of only 10 euros, but resul ...
awarded novel '' The Kindly Ones'' by
Jonathan Littell Jonathan Littell (born October 10, 1967) is a writer living in Barcelona. His first novel written in French, '' The Kindly Ones'' (2006; ''Les Bienveillantes''), won two major French awards, including the Prix Goncourt and the Prix de l'Académi ...
. Lutsk is a location taken over by post-apocalyptic slavers in the sci-fi/adventure novel ''The Crisis Pendant'' by Charlie Patterson.


Twin towns – sister cities

Lutsk is twinned with: *
Bandırma Bandırma ()Greek: Panormos(Πανορμος)is a municipality and district of Balıkesir Province, northwestern Turkey. Its area is 755 km2, and its population is 167,363 (2024). Bandırma is located in the south of the Marmara Sea, in the ...
, Turkey *
Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...
, Poland * Brest, Belarus *
Chełm Chełm (; ; ) is a city in eastern Poland in the Lublin Voivodeship with 60,231 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is located to the south-east of Lublin, north of Zamość and south of Biała Podlaska, some from the border with Ukraine. The ...
, Poland *
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
, Lithuania *
Kyjov Kyjov (; or ''Geyen'') is a town in Hodonín District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monum ...
, Czech Republic *
Lippe (district) Lippe () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The ...
, Germany *
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, Poland *
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, Poland *
Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the county seat, seat of Rzeszów C ...
, Poland *
Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
, Poland *
Trakai Trakai (; see Trakai#Names and etymology, names section for alternative and historic names) is a city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania or just from the administrative limits of the Lithuanian capi ...
, Lithuania *
Xiangtan Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...
, China *
Zamość Zamość (; ; ) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. Zamość was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski ...
, Poland *
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, USA


Gallery

File:Lutskadministr.jpg, Volyn's regional administration in Lutsk File:ЛуцькКафГол.jpg, Kafedralna street File:ЛуцькВоліГВ.jpg, Modern architecture File:Монастир Домініканів.jpg, Dominican monastery File:ЛуцькБрВиг.jpg, Orthodox Fellowship building File:ЛуцькГалВ.jpg, Daniel of Galicia street File:ЛуцькЛесіКрилова.jpg, Lesya Ukrainka street


References


External links

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Official tourist websiteLutsk - historical description
(in Ukrainian)
Orthodox Lutsk
(in Ukrainian)

* *


Bibliography

* {{Authority control Magdeburg rights Cities in Volyn Oblast Historic Jewish communities in Ukraine Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Ukraine Oblast centers in Ukraine Sites of World War II massacres of Poles