Ignalina

Ignalina (Belarusian: Ігналіна) is a small village in Verkhnyadzvinsk District, Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is close to the borders with Latvia and Russia.

History

In the Middle Ages, the area was part of the lands of the Principality of Polotsk. Later it became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

After the First Partition of Poland in 1772, the area became part of the Russian Empire. In the 19th century, it belonged to the Vitebsk Governorate.

After the Russian Empire collapsed, the area was controlled by the Soviet government. Ignalina later became part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.

During World War II, the village area was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 until 1944. The wider district suffered from killings, anti-partisan operations and the destruction of villages.

After the war, Ignalina remained part of the Byelorussian SSR. Since 1991, it has been part of independent Belarus.

Population

The village is mainly populated by Belarusians. In 2019, Ignalina had 80 inhabitants.