Horki

Horki (Belarusian: Горкі) is a town in the Mogilev Region of Belarus, serving as the administrative center of Horki District. Its population was 32,777 in 2009 and 28,961 in 2024. First mentioned in 1544 as a village in "The Lithuanian Chronicles," it was owned by various noble families, including the Sapieha family, who established a Catholic church there. Horki became an estate center in the 17th century and was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until its annexation by the Russian Empire in 1772.

The town gained prominence with the establishment of agricultural institutions, such as the Horki Agricultural School (1840) and later the Horki Agricultural Institute. These contributed to its economic development, including the opening of an iron foundry, post office, pharmacy, and meteorological station. In 1861, it was granted town status.

During the January Uprising (1863–1864), Horki was a site of conflict between Polish insurgents and Russian troops. The Agricultural Institute was later moved to Saint Petersburg, leaving only schools in Horki. The town's coat of arms, approved in 1867, features three hills symbolizing its agricultural roots.

Horki's Jewish population peaked at around 300 before World War II but suffered greatly during the Holocaust, with an Einsatzkommando detachment massacring the community in October 1941. Notable residents include Raphael Kalinowski, a Polish saint and former student of the Horki Agricultural Institute, Lev Razgon, a journalist and human rights activist, and Sergei Tikhanovsky, a pro-democracy activist.

The town's current heraldic symbols were approved by presidential decree in 2006.