Mahilyow
Mahilyow, or Mahileu (Belarusian: Магілёў; Russian: Могилёв (Mogilev), Polish Mohylew or Mogilew) is a city in the eastern Belarus, close to the border to Russia with about 300,000 inhabitants. It is the center of Mahilyow voblast.
History
The city was founded in 1267. Since 14th century a part of Lithuania, after the Union of Lublin transferred to Poland. The city flourished as one of the main nodes of the east-west and north-south trading routes. In 1577 king Stefan Batory granted it with city rights. After the First Partition of Poland it was annexed by Imperial Russia and was the center of the Mogilev guberniya. In 1915 occupied by Germany and in 1918 transferred to the short-lived Belarusian National Republic. In 1919 captured by the forces of Bolshevist Russia and incorporated into Byelorussian SSR. Between 1941 and 1944 under German occupation. Since Belarus gaining its independence in 1991 Mahilyow remains one of its principal cities.
It was the birthplace of the physicist Leonid Isaakovich Mandelshtam and of the mathematician Issai Schur.
Economy
Mahilyov is one of the main economical and industrial centres of Belarus. After World War II a huge metalurgy centre with several major steel mills was built. Also, there are several major factories of cranes, cars, tractors and a chemical plant. The city is home to a major inland port at the Dnieper river and a domestic airport.
Sites of interest
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