Vawkavysk

Vawkavysk Ваўкавыск
Town
Central Square with a statue of Vladimir Lenin St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church Castle Mound Old buildings in central Vawkavysk
Flag Coat of arms
Vawkavysk
Coordinates: 53°10′N 24°28′E / 53.167°N 24.467°E / 53.167; 24.467
Country	Belarus
Region	Grodno Region
District	Vawkavysk District
Founded	1005
Government
• Chairman of the Executive Committee	Mikhail Sitko
Area
• Total	29 km2 (11 sq mi)
Elevation	161 m (528 ft)
Population  (2024)[1]
• Total	41,510
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK)
• Summer (DST)	N/A
Postal code	231900
Area code	(+375) 1512
Car plates	4
Website	volkovysk.grodno-region.by

Vawkavysk or Volkovysk (Belarusian: Ваўкавыск, romanized: Vaŭkavysk; Russian: Волковыск; Polish: Wołkowysk; Yiddish: וואלקאוויסק) is a town in Grodno Region, in western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vawkavysk District.^[1] It is located on the Wolkowyja River, roughly 98 kilometres (61 mi) from the city of Grodno and 271 kilometres (168 mi) from Minsk, the national capital. As of 2024, it has a population of 41,510.^[1] It is one of the oldest towns in the region.

Vawkavysk was first unofficially mentioned in the Turov annals in 1005 and this year is widely accepted as the founding year for Vawkavysk. At that time it was a city-fortress on the border of the Baltic and the Slavic ethnic groups. Since the 12th century, Vawkavysk was the center of a small princedom. The Hypatian Chronicle mentions the city in 1252.