Myadzyel is a city in Belarus, a regional center in the Minsk
region. Located between lakes Myastro and Batorino. 143 km from
Minsk, 31 km from Knyaginin station on the Molodechno - Polotsk
line, on the Minsk - Naroch highway.
Origin of name
The
name of the town of Myadel comes from the eponymous lake Myadzyel.
The version of the Baltic origin of the toponym goes back to the
Russian scientist A.A. medis "tree". Later this version was
supported by V.N. Toporov and O.N. Trubachev and, already in
relation to the Belarusian city, V.A.Zhuchkevich.
According
to L. Bednarchuk, the toponym Myadzyel through the intermediate
Baltic form * Mendelas goes back to the Finno-Ugric Mendes, which he
compares with the Estonian mänd "pine". This is confirmed by the
second name of Lake Myadel - Sosnovoye.
IM Prokopovich
believes that the name Myadzyel comes from the Finno-Ugric mets -
"forest" and spruce - "forest stream, river", that is, "forest
river".
According to another version, the toponym Myadzyel is
explained from the Finno-Ugric modzol “spruce forest with mossy
soil”.
According to legend, city once stood on the shore of
Lake Myadel and after the plague was transferred to the shore of
Lake Myastro. On one of the islands of Lake Myadzyel, the remains of
the city fortifications of the 11th century remain. - border
fortress of the Polotsk principality.
Since about the 16th
century, it has been the center of the Myadel Elder of the Oshmyany
District of the Vilna Voivodeship. In Myadzyel, Zemsky and Grodsky
courts were also held on a par with the center of the powiat.
Until the XX century. was divided into Old and New Myadzyel. Old Myadzyel
has been known since 1454 as part of the Vilnius Voivodeship.
Belonged to the Radziwills, Frantskevichs, Raisky, Grabkovsky. In
1667, there were 36 smokes in Stary Myadel. In 1687, Old Myadzyel
with the land was acquired by the clerk of the Vilnius Zemsky
Mikhail Koschits for 95 thousand zlotys from Jan Bonaventura, the
hunter of Ruzhansky. Since 1736 the town, in 1762 received the
Magdeburg Law.
New Myadzyel has been known since 1463. It was
surrounded by a rampart, the remains of which were destroyed. During
the war with the Russian state it was destroyed (1519). On the
peninsula of Lake Myastro, there was a Myadel royal stone castle
(ruins remained), surrounded by earthen fortifications of the
bastion system and moats with water. During archaeological
excavations, painted tiles, weapons, and household items were found.
Since 1793, Old and New Myadel, part of the Russian Empire, were
part of the Vileika district. At the end of the XIX century. in
Staryi Myadzyel 312 inhabitants, 46 courtyards, an Orthodox church,
a Jewish prayer house, a brewery. At the end of the XIX century. New Myadzyel
town, 783 inhabitants, 99 courtyards, an Orthodox church, a church,
a synagogue, three shops.
In November 1917, Soviet power was
established, and in 1918 the Volost Revolutionary Committee and the
Soviet of Soldiers 'and Agricultural Laborers' Deputies were
created.
In 1921-1938 as part of Poland in
Vileika powiat.
Since 1939 as part of the BSSR, since January
15, 1940, the center of the region.
Myadel was occupied by
German troops for 3 years - from July 2, 1941 to July 4, 1944. The
Jews of Myadzyel were driven into the ghetto by the Nazis and almost
all were killed.
On November 17, 1959, the village of Myadzyel
was transformed into an urban settlement.