Voitovtsy (Grodno region)

Located in the western part of Belarus 21 km from the city of Grodno, 8 km from the village of Sopotskin , near the border with Poland and Lithuania. (14 km in both directions)

The total land area is 30, 2 hectares, the length of the borders is 8 km 590 m. The village is part of the Zarechny-Agro SEC, the Sopotskin Council, it borders the lands of the villages Selivanovtsi, Belichany, Shinkovtsy, Sambiry. The small river Krynica flows with a length of more than 1 km.

Voitovtsy - one of the ancient villages of the Grodno region.

The first mention in the years 1713 - 1714. The likely derivation from the word Voight - that is, Voight - is the head in the countryside, Saltys.

There is a version that the village came from the Polish male name Wojtech (Wojtak): the Wojtak stove, who was famous for his ability to make stoves, allegedly lived in these parts.

According to the annals of 1827, the village is part of the Kingdom of Poland , the Suval region, the August district, the commune of Bale Wielka, the parish Gozha-Silvanovce. In 1744, in the paraphy of Bala Castelna. At the end of the 50s of the twentieth century, about 150 people lived in the village. Nowadays, in the village, for the summer season, the population doubles in number due to visitors - more than a hundred people can be registered. The village of Voitovtsy itself is divided into three districts - this is the Yard (New Village), Vyoska (Old Village) and Kalenya (Khutor). The main attraction of Voitovtsev is a mountain (hill) with a Catholic cross on a hill - this is the main symbolism in the coat of arms of the village. In the pre-war years there was a seven-year school, teachers at one time were pan Jan Krivitsky with his wife Anna Krivitskaya

From June 23 to August 29, 1944, the troops of the Second Belorussian Front took part in the battle of the Belarusian strategic operation Bagration . At the end of July, some of the military liberation operations took place northwest of the city of Grodno .

On July 21, at 9:00 a.m., the 50th Army, under the command of Colonel General Boldin I.V., with 69 and 81 rifle corps, supported by 6-19 tanks and self-propelled guns, repelled up to 12 counterattacks by the Nazi troops and seized several settlements. At 18:00, the Army fought at the turn of the villages of Shimkovtsy, Voitovtsy , Silvanovtsy, as well as east of the environs of Loyka, Balya Tserkovna (now Zarechanka) and the villages of Golovichi, Nightingale and Zhidovism. Soviet troops moved forward, inflicting crushing losses on the enemy.

On July 22, during the day, in parts of 69 infantry corps, soldiers of the 50th Army repelled the enemy’s counterattacks by force to an infantry battalion with 4-10 tanks and, under pressure from part of the 324th infantry division, left the villages of Voitovtsy and Shymkovets.

Thus, the date of the liberation of the village of Voitovtsy from Nazi invaders should be taken into account on July 22, 1944.

The coat of arms of Voitovtsev is practically divided by two colors: blue and green. Blue color means azure, sky, that is, the Holy Spirit, a symbol of immortality. Green color symbolizes greenery, nature is the color of hope and joy. In the center of the coat of arms there is a green hill with three hills - this is Khvoyna (a place overgrown with coniferous trees). In the middle of the hill rises a Catholic cross or kryzh ( Polish.-Krzyz) - as the locals habitually call it - a symbol of eternal life after death.