Vitebsk is a city in the north-east of Belarus, the administrative center of the Vitebsk region and the Vitebsk region. Located in the eastern part of the region on the Western Dvina River. The third largest city in the country in terms of population (after Minsk and Gomel). Population – 364 800 people (as of January 1, 2020). Area – 134.6 km² (as of August 16, 2017). The second oldest city in Belarus (974) after Polotsk. It arose on the high banks of the Western Dvina and Vitba, which gave it its name, on the way from the Varangians to the Greeks. According to an urban legend of the 18th century, it was founded by Princess Olga. The city was formed as one of the centers of unification of the Slavs-Krivichi, and a convenient geographical position at the intersection of the most important trade routes contributed to its growth and prosperity over the next centuries.