XIII century - The Settlement was founded as a
village and a harbour on the banks of Ptych and Krasnaya rivers.
2nd half of the
XVth century - Gorodok, known that time as Glusk (different from Glusk Dombrovitsky)
was mentioned
in the documents as a possession of Golshansky dukes (Brothers Yuri and Gleb
Golshanskies were the owners).
The castle was constructed there.
1483 - as a result
of intermarriages, Gorodok (Glusk) became a possession of the
Gashtold-Golshansky noble family.
1505-
Gorodok (Glusk) became a possession of Lithuanian Hetman (supreme Military
Commander) Duke Konstantin Ostrozhsky (magnate family), because he
married one of Golshansky women.
1555-1560s - Gorodok
(Glusk) was an possession of Polish King and Lithuanian Great Prince Sighizmund
II August.
1560s - Polish King
and Lithuanian Great Prince Sighizmund II August returned Gorodok (Glusk) to
Ostrozhsky-Polubinsky family.
1570 - a renter of Gorodok (Glusk) nobleman
Zabolotsky burned Gorodok (Glusk) old castle away, because he did not agree with the owners about something. Since
that time Gorodok (Glusk) became known as Glusk Pogorely (English trans,
"burned away").
1597 - Gorodok (Glusk Pogorely) became a possession
of Slutsk Duke Radzivill Perun.
1597-1793 - Gorodok (Glusk Pogorely) was a
possession of Slutsk Radzivill family.
Beg. of XVII
century - Jewish population appeared.
1506 - 1791 - a
shtetle in Great Lithuanian Princedom.
1791-1793 - a shtetle in PolishKingdom.
Since 1793 - a shtetle in Russian Empire.
1801-1917 - a shtetle in Bobruisk District of
Minsk Province.
1814 - local believers built an Orthodox church of St. Kozma & Demyan in wood.
1866 - local believers built 2nd
Orthodox church in wood.
Vital Statistics
Date
Jews
Non-Jews
Comments
% Total Pop.
1st half of XVI century
Jewish
Population appeared
1861
314
297
Both sexes
51.4%
1897
387
379
Both sexes
50.5%
1909
402
No info
Total population
No info
1917
473
466
Both sexes
50.4%
Jewish Life
Since
the 2nd half of the XlXth century Jewish community of Gorodok had their own
co-mayor. That co-mayor was elected by local Jews (the 2nd .co-mayor was
Orthodox Christian). In 1896 Jewish co-mayor was LIOKUMOVICH Iosel son of Srol.
In the beg. XX century there were 2 praying houses in Gorodok.
Economic Review
Traditional activities of local Jewish population were
trade with timber, vodka and flax fabric. Since early time Ptych river was the main road for
local habitants.
The
shtetle began to develop after Radzivill family became its master (1597). In
1620 there were 96 houses and two wooden
Roman Catholic churches in Gorodok. But the events of the XVII-XVIII centuries
undermined Gorodok economy and the Shtetle fell in decay. During Russian
principality vodka trade was under state hard control and became less popular
among Jewish businessmen. But Russian authorities did a lot to develop the
region because of military and fiscal reasons mostly. First of all, old
communications were reconstructed there:
road
Bobruisk - Gorodok - Glusk;
old harbour.
In XIX, because of development of the All-Russian
Market, new types of communications appeared in the area in 1873. Construction
of the railroad provoked new increase of the development of the region. But it
did not rapidly effect development of Gorodok, because the closest railway station was 31 km afar from the Shtetle in Bobruisk.
Timber
and fabrics stayed the most popular goods among local Jews. Ptych river stayed
the main trade way also.
In
1846 there were 30 houses in Gorodok. By 1882 there were over 40 wooden houses
already.
In
1897 in Gorodok there were 48 houses, a
water mill, an inn, a grain shop-storehouse and 3 other shops.
In 1902 the major business and trade enterprise of Gorodok
and the Subdistrict was the timber trade enterprise, owned by the Jew GOLODETS Izrael son of Berko,
situated in the estate of Glusha.
In
1909 in Gorodok there were 63 houses. In
1917 - 66 houses.
