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Vitebsk

Vitebsk (Viciebs or Witebsk) is a Belarussian city situated on the North-East of the Belarus in the land of glacier lakes on the picturesque banks of the three rivers: the Zakhodnyaya Dzvina (in Russian - Zapadnaya Dvina, in old Belarusian -Rubon, in Latvian - Daugava) river, the Vitba and the Luchesa river. It is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. According to a legend Vitebsk was founded in 974 by Princess Olga of Kiev after successful campaign against the Baltic tribe Jacviahi. But the first information about the town in chronicles was in 1021. It had sprung up on a busy road "from Varangians to Greeks" and stood witness to a great number of glorious events and heroic deeds. Since early times the town had been known as a "warrior". So it is not by chance that its ancient emblem featured a horseman holding a spear and shield.