russian: Вилейская область , conventional_long_name = Vilyeyka Region , common_name = Vilyeyka , subdivision =

Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

, nation = the

Byelorussian SSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

, year_start = 1939 , date_start = 4 December , year_end = 1944 , date_end = 20 September , p1 = Wilno Voivodeship (1926–1939) , flag_p1 = Flag of Poland.svg , s1 = Molodechno Region , flag_s1 = Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1937-1951).svg , image_flag = , image_map = Вілейская вобласць БССР (студзень 1940).svg , image_map_caption = Map of the

in 1940,
of which Vilyeyka Voblast was a part. , capital = Vilyeyka , coordinates = , political_subdiv = 22

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

s , stat_year1 = 1941 , stat_area1 = 20700 , stat_pop1 = 938000 , footnotes = Vilyeyka Region ( be, Вілейская вобласць, translit=Viliejskaja voblasc; russian: Вилейская область, translit=Vileyskaya oblast) was a territorial entity in the

Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

created on 4 December 1939 out of the eastern powiats of the Wilno Voivodeship after the

Soviet annexation of Western Belorussia On the basis of a secret clause of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union invaded Poland on September 17, 1939, capturing the eastern provinces of the Second Polish Republic. The eastern provinces of interwar Poland were inhabited by an ...

of (then part of the

Kresy Zachodnie Western Borderlands (Polish: ''Kresy Zachodnie'', ) is a term used to refer to the western parts of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that in the partitions were annexed by Prussia. This name refers specifically to the regions of Eastern Po ...

region in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

) into the

on 14 November 1939. The administrative centre of the region was the city of

Vilyeyka Vilyeyka ( be, Вілейка, Viliejka, ; russian: Вилейка, Vileyka) is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vilyeyka District. It is located on the Viliya River, northwest of Minsk. The first his ...

. Initially the region consisted of

Ashmyany Ashmyany ( be, Ашмя́ны; Łacinka: ''Ašmiany''; russian: Ошмя́ны; lt, Ašmena; pl, Oszmiana; yi, אָשמענע, ''Oshmene'') is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus, located at 50 km from Vilnius. The town is Ashmyany Distri ...

Braslaw Braslaw or Braslav ( be, Браслаў, Braslaŭ; russian: Браслав, Braslav) is a town in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus, an administrative center of the Braslaw District. History The town was first mentioned in 1065 as a castle in th ...

Dzisna Dzisna ( be, Дзісна, russian: Дисна, lt, Dysna, pl, Dzisna) is a town in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus. It is located on the left bank of the Daugava River, near the confluence of Dysna. It has 1,500 inhabitants (2017 estimate) w ...

Pastavy Pastavy ( be, Паставы, lt, Pastovys, russian: Поставы, pl, Postawy) is a city in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus, an administrative center of Pastavy District. Location Pastavy is located on the river Myadelki. Postavy Air Bas ...

, and Sventiany districts. In January 1940, it consisted of 22 districts:

Astravyets Astravyets ( be, Астравец, Astraviec, , rus, Островец, Ostrovets, ɐstrɐˈvʲɛts, lt, Astravas, pl, Ostrowiec) is a city in the Grodno Region of Belarus, an administrative center of the Astravyets District. History Within the ...

, Ashmyany, Braslaw,

Vidzy Vidzy (; ; ; ; ) is an urban settlement in the Vitebsk Region, in Belarus. In 2014, its population was .Official estimation of the population on 1 January 2014, se''pop-stat.mashke.org'' History During World War II, Vidzy was occupied by Nazi Ge ...

, Gadutsishki,

Hlybokaye Hlybokaye or Glubokoye ( be, Глыбокае, translit=Hłybokaje, russian: Глубокое, translit=Glubokoye, pl, Głębokie, lt, Glubokas, yi, גלובאָק, Glubok) is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus, the capital of Hlybokaye Raion ( ...

, Dzisna,

Dokshytsy , , image_caption = In the center of town , image_flag = Flag of Dokšycy and Dokšycy Rajon.svg , flag_alt = , image_seal = , seal_alt = , image_shield = Coat of ...

, Dunilavichy,

Ilya Ilya, Iliya, Ilia, Ilja, or Ilija (russian: Илья́, Il'ja, , or russian: Илия́, Ilija, ; uk, Ілля́, Illia, ; be, Ілья́, Iĺja ) is the East Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Eliahu), meaning "My God is Yahu/ Jah ...

, Kryvichy, Kuraniets,

Maladzyechna Maladzyechna ( be, Маладзе́чна, Maladziečna, ; russian: Молоде́чно, Molodechno; pl, Mołodeczno) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, an administrative centre of the Maladzyechna District (and formerly of the Maladz ...

Miory Miory ( be, Мёры; russian: Миоры; lt, Mėrai; pl, Miory) is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus, and the administrative center of Miory District. History The town was first mentioned in 1514. Miory was occupied by Soviet forces in Se ...

Miadzieł Myadzyel ( be, Мядзел, ''Miadzieł'' ; russian: Мядель, ''Mjadelj''; pl, Miadzioł; lt, Medilas) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus. It is the centre of Myadzyel District. Myadzyel is located on the eastern shore of lake Miast ...

, Pastavy, Plisa,

Radashkovichy Radashkovichy ( be, Радашко́вічы, russian: Радошкóвичи, pl, Radoszkowicze, lt, Radaškonys) - is a town in the Maladzyechna District of Minsk Region, Belarus. A watershed of the Vileyka-Minsk water system is located in t ...

, Smarhon, Sventiany,

Svir The Svir (, Veps: , Karelian/ Finnish: ) is a river in Podporozhsky, Lodeynopolsky, and Volkhovsky districts in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows westwards from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest ...

and

Sharkawshchyna Sharkawshchyna or Sharkovshchina ( be, Ша́ркаўшчына, Šarkaŭščyna; russian: Шарковщина; pl, Szarkowszczyna; yi, שאַרקוישטשינע, Sharkoyshtchine) is an urban-type settlement in Vitebsk Region, Belarus, and the ...

. In November 1940, the Gadutsishki and Sventiany districts, as well as parts of the Astravyets, Ashmyany, Pastavy and Svir districts were transferred to the

Lithuanian SSR The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; lt, Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika; russian: Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Litovskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialistiche ...

. Also, during the German occupation between 1941 and 1944, Ashmyany District was part of Wilna Land General Bezirk at Litauen and was part of General Bezirk Weissruthenien in

Reichskommissariat Ostland The Reichskommissariat Ostland (RKO) was established by Nazi Germany in 1941 during World War II. It became the civilian occupation regime in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the western part of Byelorussian SSR. German planning documents initi ...

. On 20 September 1944, the oblast was renamed to Molodechno Region, and the administrative centre was relocated to

. On the same day, Vidzy, Hlybokaye, Dzisna, Dokshitsi, Dunilovichi, Miory, Plisa, and Sharkovshchina Districts, as well as Kuropolye village in Postavy District were transferred to Polatsk Voblast, and the

Iwye Iwye ( be, Іўе ; lt, Yvija; russian: Ивье ; pl, Iwje; yi, איוויע ''Ivye'') is a city and former shtetl in Belarus in the Grodno Region, 158 km east of Grodno. It is a station on the railway line between Lida and Maladzyec ...

Valozhyn Valozhyn, Vałožyn or Volozhin ( be, Вало́жын, , russian: Воло́жин, lt, Valažinas, pl, Wołożyn, yi, וואָלאָזשין ''Volozhin''; also written as Wolozin and Wolozhin) is a town in the Minsk Region of Belarus. The pop ...

, and Yuratsishky districts of

Baranavichy Region russian: Барановичская область , common_name = Baranavichy , subdivision = Voblasts , nation = Byelorussian SSR , p1 = Navahrudak Region , flag_p1 ...

were transferred to Molodechno. Vilyeyka, the former regional centre, was part of Kuraniets District and became a district centre after the district was renamed Vilyeyka on 5 July 1946.

External links

Administrative division of Belarus: a historical information
Former subdivisions of Belarus Soviet occupation of Eastern Poland 1939–1941 {{Belarus-geo-stub