Rechytsa
Rechitsa (Belarusian: Рэчыца, pronounced [ˈrɛtʂɨtsa]; Russian: Речица, Lithuanian: Riečica) is a town in the Homiel Province of Belarus. It is center of Rechitsa district. City is situated at the mouth of Rechitsa river, flowing into Dnieper. The population is near 70,000.
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Rechitsa is one of the oldest towns of Belarus. First settlements in this region are dated back to the epoch of mesolite (9-5th centuries B.C.). Later on the area was inhabited by the Dregovichi tribe. The town was first mentioned in the Novgorod chronicle in 1213 as a town of the Chernigov Principality. Rechitsa was also ruled by Kiev and Turov Grand Dukes. At the time of Gedimin reign (1311-1341) the town was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Rechitsa as well as Orsha, Shklov, Mogilev, Staryi Bykhov and Rogachev formed a well-developed frontier defense system at the River Dnepr.
1392-1430 – the reign of Grand Duke Vitovt. He constructed a fortified castle with five towers in the area of the detinets /old Belarusian for the downtown/ on the bank of the Dnepr. At that time the town had three fortification lines in the form of water trenches and ramparts with bastions. In the area between the fortress and the second fortification line there was a territory for rich mansions, Church of the Order of Friars Preachers and a trade square. The town inhabitants settled lived between the second and third fortification lines. The construction of the town had clear right-angled forms.
In 1561 the town was partially granted the Magdeburg law.
In the middle of the 17th century Rechitsa was practically destroyed during the Cossack war of 1648-1651. After the Truce of Anrusovo the town became a part of Rzecz Pospolita. In 1793 Rechitsa joined Russia and became an uezd center of the Minsk province.
The first permanent town plan of Rechitsa was approved in 1800. During the Patriotic War in 1812 the town was a temporary residence of the Minsk governor.
Today Rechitsa – a town of Belarusian oil industry - is an industrial and cultural center of Gomel oblast.
Rechitsa products are well known in the CIS member-states as well as in other countries. Rechitsa produces watercrafts, furniture, beer, which are exported to England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and several African countries.