Vaŭkavysk

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Vaŭkavysk (Belarusian: Ваўкавыск, Russian: Волковыск, Volkovysk, Polish: Wołkowysk) is a town in the Hrodna Province of Belarus. It is the center of Vaŭkavysk district. The population is near 43,000.

Vaŭkavysk is an old town, first mentioned as a possession of the Rurikid princes of Hrodna in the 12th century. Archaeologists discovered remains of a six-pillared church with only one apse and flat pilasters on the outside. A square tower with a rood stair adjoined its south-western corner. The church was started in the first years of the 13th century, but the site was abandoned and it was never completed, as building materials were left piled nearby. Other local sights include the Roman Catholic church of St. Vaclaw (1846-48, picture) and the Peter Bagration Museum.