The Principality of Smolensk was founded in 1054.

During World War II, Smolensk once again saw wide scale fighting during the first Battle of Smolensk when the city was captured by the Germans on July 16, 1941.

Smolensk Oblast (, Smolenskaya oblast ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast).

During his childhood, he lived and studied in the city of Vitebsk, now part of Belarus, and later spent 10 years in Smolensk living with his grandparents and attending the Smolensk Grammar School, spending summer vacations in Vitebsk.

After the Germans captured the city in 1941, they found the intact archives of Smolensk Oblast Committee of the Communist Party, the so called Smolensk Archive.

History Medieval origins Smolensk is among the oldest Russian cities.

The last sovereign monarch of Smolensk was Yury of Smolensk during his reign the city was taken by Vytautas the Great of Lithuania on three occasions in 1395, 1404, and 1408.

In August 1812, two of the largest armies ever assembled clashed in Smolensk.

Three Smolensk regiments proved decisive during the Battle of Grunwald against the Teutonic Knights.

The rare title of Hero City was bestowed on Smolensk after the war.

The census took place in all parts of the Golden Horde, including Smolensk and Vitebsk in 1274 75.

Twin towns and sister cities Tomsk is twinned with Monroe, Michigan, United States Toledo, Ohio, United States Tbilisi, Georgia Novorossiysk, Russia Smolensk, Russia Ulsan, South Korea See also Akademgorodok in Tomsk References Notes Sources External links Tomsk Cultural treasure in the taiga Pictures for the 400th anniversary of Tomsk The Pictures of Tomsk on Flickr.com Tomsk live webcams Pictures of Tomsk

In August 1941, German forces captured Smolensk, an important stronghold on the road to Moscow.

After the measured victories at Smolensk and Borodino Napoleon occupied Moscow, only to find it burned by the retreating Russian army.

To commemorate this event, the Tsar founded the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow and dedicated it to the icon of Our Lady of Smolensk.

In 1632, the Uniate bishop Lew Kreuza built his apartments in Smolensk they were later converted into the Orthodox Church of Saint Barbara.

In March 1918, while the city remained a part of Russia, Belarusian People's Republic, proclaimed in Minsk under the German occupation, declared Smolensk a part of it.

April 10 The President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, is among 96 killed when their airplane crashes in Smolensk, western Russia while on their way to commemorate the Soviet Katyn massacre.

Smolensk () is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west southwest of Moscow.

In De Administrando Imperio (c. 950) he described Smolensk as a key station on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks.

Early years Lissitzky was born on November 23, 1890 in Pochinok, a small Jewish community southeast of Smolensk, former Russian Empire.

Apart from other military monuments, central Smolensk features the Eagles monument, unveiled in 1912 to mark the centenary of Napoleon's Russian campaign.

The Germans attempted to stabilise their eastern front along the hastily fortified Panther Wotan line, however, the Soviets broke through it at Smolensk and by the Lower Dnieper Offensives.

By the end of the 12th century, the princedom was one of the strongest in Eastern Europe, so that Smolensk Dynasty frequently controlled the Kievan throne.

The town was first attested two decades earlier, when the Varangian chieftains Askold and Dir, while on their way to Kiev, decided against challenging Smolensk on account of its large size and population.

Kutuzov now held the rank of Field Marshal and had been awarded the victory title of His Serene Highness Knyaz Smolensky (Светлейший князь Смоленский) having achieved this title for a victory over part of the French army at Smolensk in November 1812.

Through a series of long marches Napoleon pushed the army rapidly through Western Russia in an attempt to bring the Russian army to battle, winning a number of minor engagements and a major battle at Smolensk in August.

After the successful Battle of Smolensk, Hitler ordered Army Group Centre to halt its advance to Moscow and temporarily divert its Panzer groups to aid in the encirclement of Leningrad and Kiev.

It was in Smolensk that they supposedly mended any leaks and small holes that might have appeared in their boats from being dragged on the ground and they used tar to do that, hence the city name.

Between Russia, Lithuania, and Poland Although spared by the Mongol armies in 1240, Smolensk paid tribute to the Golden Horde, gradually becoming a pawn in the long struggle between Lithuania and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

After the city's incorporation into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, some of Smolensk's boyars (e.g., the Sapiehas) moved to Vilnius descendants of the ruling princes (e.g., the Tatishchevs, Kropotkins, Mussorgskys, Vyazemskys) fled to Moscow.

Modern history Smolensk has been a special place to Russians for many reasons, not least for the fact that the local cathedral housed one of the most venerated Orthodox icons, attributed to St. Luke.

According to Russian Primary Chronicle, Smolensk (probably located slightly downstream, at the archaeological site of Gnezdovo) was located on the area settled by the West Slavic Radimichs tribe in 882 when Oleg of Novgorod took it in passing from Novgorod to Kiev.

Later years In the Russian campaign Junot's record was erratic he was blamed for allowing the Russian army to retreat following the Battle of Smolensk (17 August), but at the Battle of Borodino (7 September 1812) he commanded the 8th Corps competently.

The Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, (also known as the Kingdom of Poland, or just Poland) was a dualistic state, a bi confederation, of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch, who was both the king of Poland and the grand duke of Lithuania.

Lech Aleksander Kaczyński ( 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005.