Kałłaur family

The Kałłа́ur family (Kałłaur; Калавур, Kalavur; Каллаур) was a szlachta family originating from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

History
The Grand Duke Vitaūt founded the Kałavur fortress to protect the southern border of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in XIV c. The fortress was not preserved. However, the forest near Rașcov, where the citadel was located, still bears the name of Kałaur. Most likely, the surname originates from there.

The earliest written mention was dedicated to Pinsk boyar Chviedzka Lienkavič Kałaur. He concluded a land-sale contract with a royal servant, Ždan Kyhir, in 1521. The members of the family took part in the Army census of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1528-1567, which underlined their status. Chviedzka Lienkavič participated in the 1528 census as a mounted knight. Four members were numbered among the cavalry within the 1567 census: an officer of the court in Pinsk, Pronko, Radko Siamionavič, «the son of Chviedzka» and Ivan.

The village Kałaur (modern Kałłaurowicze), where the local branch of the household settled, was mentioned for the first time in 1567. The family played an important role in the region. For instance, Piotr Kałłaur was elected as a representative of the nobility of the uyezd of Pinsk in 1853. The members of the family supported the January Uprising in 1863–1864. The monument in honor of the rebels Vasil, Siamion Kałłaur and Anton Šałamicky was opened near Pinsk in 1933.

Some members of the family were subjected to repression in the 1940-1950s. According to the open lists, 7 people were persecuted in the Pinsk Region of the Belarusian SSR.

Notable people with surname Kałłaur

 * Chviedzka Lienkavič Kałaur, XV c.—after 1567, boyar, Pinsk landowner, official and military.
 * Vasily Kallaur, 1838–1919, chief of Aulie-Ata uyezd, archaeologist and orientalist.
 * Mikołaj Kałłaur, 1920-2017, Polish military person, diplomat and essayist.
 * Pavel Kallaur, b. 1962, Belarusian economist and head of the National Bank of Belarus.