Polotsk Region

Polotsk Region Belarusian: Полацкая вобласць Russian: Полоцкая область
Region of the Byelorussian SSR
1944–1954
Capital	Polotsk
History
• Established	20 September 1944
• Disestablished	8 January 1954
Political subdivisions	15 districts
Preceded by Succeeded by Vileyka Region Vitebsk Region Molodechno Region Vitebsk Region

Polotsk Region (Belarusian: Полацкая вобласць; Russian: Полоцкая область) was an administrative division in the Byelorussian SSR. It was created on 20 September 1944. It included territories of eastern Polesia and consisted of 15 districts. The administrative centre was Polotsk.

History

In August 1944, there were serious considerations to transfer Polotsk and its surrounding areas (18,000 square kilometers) with ~400,000 people from the Byelorussian SSR to the Russian SFSR, however Joseph Stalin, persuaded by Panteleimon Ponomarenko, eventually rejected to approve the already prepared transferring documents and subsequently Polotsk functioned as the center of Polotsk Region between 20 September 1944 and 8 January 1954.

On 8 January 1954, the region was abolished and became part of the Vitebsk and Molodechno Regions. The city of Polotsk became part of the former.

External links

• Administrative divisions of Belarus: history (Russian)