The Zonal State Archives in Orsha presents a virtual exhibition «Tolochin Through the Lens of Centuries»

On June 5, 2026, as part of the industry-wide virtual exhibition project «Cities of Belarus», the Zonal State Archives in Orsha prepared a virtual exhibition of archival documents, «Tolochin Through the Lens of Centuries».

Tolochin is a small town with a population of 9,500 people in the Vitebsk region.

Tolochin was first mentioned in the works of Luke of Holemberg on the history of the reign of Vladislav Jagiello in 1433 as a town within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At that time, it was part of the Orsha district of the Vitebsk voivodeship. There are several versions of the origin of the city’s name. One theory suggests that Tolochin derives its name from the word «toloka» (meaning «toloka»). In those distant times, ancient forests grew here, and people would work together, or «toloka», to cut them down, float them down the river, and build huts. Thus, a village named Tolochin grew up on the banks of the Drut River.

Tolochin was granted city status on June 22, 1955.