Novogrudok

Novogrudok or Navahrudak (Belarusian: Навагрудак; Russian: Новогрудок; Polish: Nowogródek, Lithuanian: Naugardukas; Yiddish: נאַוואַראַדאָק, romanized: Navaradok) is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2025, it has a population of 27,624.

In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by King Mindaugas' son Vaišvilkas.

During and after Mindaugas' rule, Novogrudok was part of the Kingdom of Lithuania, and later the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was later part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the 14th century, it was an episcopal see of the Metropolitanate of Lithuania.

From 1795 to 1915, the Russian Empire ruled over the lands, with brief periods of intercession, e.g. Napoleon's Grande Armée in 1812 and the Uprisings of 1831 and 1863. After 1915, Novogrudok was occupied by the Imperial German Army for three years in World War I, by the Second Polish Republic until the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. Thereafter, the Soviet Union annexed the area to the Byelorussian SSR. From 1941 to 1944, Novogrudok was occupied by the German Army, thereafter returning to the Soviet Union until 1991.

The name comes from the Old East Slavic words "New town". It was a large settlement in the remote Western lands of the Krivichs, which came under the control of the Ancient Rus' state at the end of the 10th century. The ancient name of Novgorodok (Nov'gorodok, Nov'gorodok', though leaning both parts: to Novagorodka, in Novegorodtsy, "between Novym'gorodkom'", from "Novagorodka" in "Novegorodche"). In some sources, it is called Maly Novgorod.

Archaeological excavations made by Gurevich F. D. in different places of the city, gave a huge number of interesting finds (Byzantine glass, jewellery, and even the ruins of a house with painted walls from the inside, which had suspended lanterns in which oil was lit) this, as well as the conclusion of the archaeologist that the city appeared on this site no later than the 9th century, allows Novogrudok to claim the role of historical chronicle Novgorod.^{[citation needed]} In favour of this version of localization is the fact that in the earliest annals of Novgorod called "Novgorodou", and [ou] in the end later added the letter "k" turned [ouk], so the chronicle "Novgorodou" transformed into "Novgorodouk" and was later simplified to "Novogrudok".^{[citation needed]}

Locals use the older name "Navаgradak", especially the older people. The place of stress is recorded in the publication of the "Tribunal for the inhabitants of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania'" (Vilna, 1586), where it is marked in print "in Novа́gorodku".

At the time of entry into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the traditional Belarusian pronunciation Navа́gradak led to Polish exonym Nowogródek. In turn, this led to the written Russian exonym Novogrudok, and the written Ukrainian exonym Novohrudok.^{[citation needed]}