The administrative centre of the Vitebsk obtast The population is 373,000 people. Telephone code 8-0212 (2).
History
Founded in 974. First Vitebsk was within the Polotsk Principality, then as a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Situated on the cross-roads of trade ways, the city had commercial relations with Riga and the German cities. In 1597 the city was granted the Magdeburg Rights. In 1772 it formed a part of the Russian Empire.
Places of interest
There is a Regional Museum in the building of the former town hall, 12th Century Blagoveshchenskaya (Annunciation) Church, the Basilian Cloister (1743-1785), the Kazan Church (1760) and others. The outstand¬ing painter Marc Chagall was bom, lived and worked in Vitebsk (his house survived). Chagall’s art festivals, music festivals, including the great Inter¬national song festival «The Slavic Bazaar», are regularly held in Vitebsk.
Map of the city of Vitebsk
Hotels
VITEBSK — Zamkovaya 5/2a Tel. 37-72-80,37-26-30, fax 36-95-36.
ERIDAN — Sovetskaya 21/17. Tel. 36-24-56, fax 36-24-56.
DVINA — Ilyinskogo 41/18. Tel. 36-27-73.
Restaurans
VITEBSK — Zamkovaya 5/2a. Tel. 36-06-23
ZELENA GURA — Frunze Av. 44. Tel. 4-11-88.
AURORA — Lenina 53. Tel. 36-54-62.
KAUNAS — Pobedy (Victory) Av. 8. Tel. 2-80-67.
SYABRINA — Brovky 5a. Tel. 1-99-48
Useful telephone numbers
| Bus Station inquiry office | 363-194 |
| Railway Station inquiry office | 364-333 |
| Airport inquiry office | 51-142 |
| Air ticket information | 53-307 |
| Bus ticket booking | 29-330 |
| Railway ticket bookina | 002 |
| City telephone inquiries | 09 |
| Pharmacies information | 29-509 |
| Taxi | 061 |
| Telegrams by phone | 006 |