Vitebsk land has an ancient history. Here are some milestones of the region’s history: in the mid 12th century, after the fall of the Kievan Rus, two individual states appeared on the territory of Belarus, namely, the Principalities of Polotsk and Turov.

The Principality of Vitebsk segregated from the Principality of Polotsk after the death of Prince Vseslav Bryachislavovich in 1101. However, in 1393 Great Duke of Lithuania Vitovt abolished the Principality of Vitebsk and appointed Fyodor Vesna governor of Vitebsk. Olgerd’s younger son Svidrigailo made a revolt in order to restore the Principality. Although the revolt was supported by Orsha and Drutsk, it was repressed and the Principality of Vitebsk was made vicegerency.

In 1508 Vitebsk Province was set up on the territory of the former Vitebsk Principality. After the 1565-1566 administration reform, the Vitebsk Province was divided into the Vitebsk and Orsha districts. Governors of the Vitebsk Province: I. S. Sapega (1508–1514), I. B. Sapega (1520–1528), Prince S. A. Zbazhinsky (1555–1564), M. P. Sapega (1588–1599), P. Y. Sapega(1646–1656), Prince A. Y. Khrapovitsky (1669–1683), L. Patsei (1686–1695), L. A. Patsei (1705–1728), M. M Aginsky(1730–1750).

Big parts of the Vitebsk region were given to Princes Andrei Vladimirovich (Ostrovno), Drutsky (Dricheluki and Verkhovye), Zhilinsky (Tulovo), etc.

During the Livonian War Surazhsky Castle was built on the territory of Dricheluki estate. 

The Vitebsk uyezd was annexed to the Russian Federation after the first partition of the Rzecz Pospolita (1772). Since 1772, it was part of the Pskov province, since 1776 – the Polotsk province, since 1796 – the Belorusskaya province and since 1802 – the Vitebsk province. Within that period the territory of the uyezd considerably shrunk: it lost the Velizh, Gorodok and Surazh uyezds. In 1866 the territory of the latter was divided between the Vitebsk and Velizh uyezds.

In 1867 the Vitebsk uyezd covered the area of 1861.1 versts (one verst = 3500 ft.) with a population of 177 thousand 066 people of them the Belarusians – 51%, Jews – 22%, Russians – 20%, Poles – 3% and Letts – 2%.

Before the October Socialist Revolution the Vitebsk region was constantly brought under political, national and economic pressure. There was one literate person per 160 people then. No medical, cultural and educational services were rendered at the state level. That is why the population welcomed the revolution events taking place in St. Petersburg. The Vitebsk uyezd council of peasants’ and soldiers’ deputies was founded in early January 1918. The Vitebsk uyezd became part of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic /SSR/ after its creation on January 1, 1919.

In February 1919 after the formation of the Lithuanian-Belarusian SSR the uyezd was annexed to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic as part of the Vitebsk province. Till 1920 the Vitebsk uyezd united 23 volosts (districts).

In 1923 the uyezd territory was extended. On March 3, 1924 the uyezd (within the boundaries of the 1920 administrative-territorial division) was brought back under the jurisdiction of the Belarusian SSR.

The Great Patriotic War

The Great Patriotic War brought dramatic changes. Thousands of workers, employees and collective farmers joined the Red Army and partisan units.

In recognition of courage and heroism 15 of them were conferred a title of a Hero of the Soviet Union. The territory of the region became a field of fierce battles with the occupants. There were two underground Communist Party and two Komsomol regional committees on the occupied territory. Six partisan brigades were formed in the Vitebsk region during the war including First Belarusian Partisan Brigade headed by Minai F. Shmyrev, a man-legend, a Hero of the Soviet Union and a native of Belarus, First Vitebsk Partisan Brigade headed by Mikhail F. Biriulin and the Lenin Komsomol Partisan Brigade headed by Daniil F. Raitsev.

The war severely wounded the region. Some 143 settlements were erazed to the ground; the Nazis completely plundered collective farms and executed over 10 thousand civilians.