Rechke

Rechke (Рэчкі, רעטשקי) is a village in Belarus, located on the Zhuchka River. It is part of the Krivoselsky Village Council (Krivoselsky Selsoviet) in the Vilyeyka District of the Minsk Region. As of 2008, the population was 118 people. The village is situated 16 km northeast of Vileika, and 14 km from the Knyaginin railway station (line Maladzyechna — Polotsk), on the Vileika — Dokshytsy highway.

Rechke is an old shtetl of the historical Ashmyany region (part of the Vilna Governorate). Among the local attractions, the Church of the Holy Spirit (Rechke) stood out, a monument of traditional Belarusian wooden architecture of the 18th century, which was initially damaged by Russian reconstruction and burned down in 2007. A new church was built on the same site.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Rechke was first mentioned in the 16th century. In 1520, it was owned by the Narushkevich family, who donated land to the village's Kavalevskaya Church.

Following the administrative-territorial reform of 1565–1566, Rechke became part of the Ashmyany District of the Vilna Governorate. In 1664, Rechke had the status of a town and was owned by V. Shmeling, the starosta of Vilkomir. In 1765, the town was part of the Gubska Starostvo and had 5 households.

Russian Empire
As a result of the Second Partition of Poland (1793), Rechke became part of the Russian Empire, in the Vilyeyka District of the Vilna Governorate. By 1800, the town was state-owned and had 12 households, a church, and a Jewish prayer school. In 1859, Rechke had 21 households. In 1864, to promote Russification of Belarus, Russian authorities opened a public school here. By 1866, the town had 24 households. In 1886, Rechke was part of the Rabun volost and had 26 households, a church, and a synagogue, a school, a windmill, and 2 taverns. According to the 1897 census, there were 39 households, a church, and a synagogue, a public school, 2 shops, and 3 taverns. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were the village of Rechke (322 acres of land) and an estate with the same name (33 acres of land).

During World War I, Rechke was occupied by German troops in February 1918.

Modern Period
On March 25, 1918, according to the Third Constituent Charter, Rechke was declared part of the Belarusian People's Republic. On January 1, 1919, according to the decision of the First Congress of the CP(b) of Belarus, it became part of the Byelorussian SSR. According to the Riga Peace Treaty (1921), Rechke became part of interwar Poland and was the center of a gmina in the Vileika County of the Vilna Voivodeship. By 1923, it had 50 households. In 1938, the town was part of the Kuranets gmina and had 60 households.

In 1928, Aharon Meirovitz, the editor of the Kurenitz Yizkor book, was a teacher in Rechke. At that time, there were only about ten Jewish families left in the village. Nachum Alperovich recounted his memories of Rechke, describing it as a tiny town famous for its hills, which they called the "Ratzkelberg". During the winter, locals would go to Rechke to sled on these hills, which they viewed as mountains.

In 1939, Rechke became part of the BSSR, in the Kuranets District of the Vilyeyka District, from 1944 in the Molodechno Region, and since 1960 in the Minsk Region. On October 12, 1940, Rechke became the center of the Rechke Rural Council (Vileika District), and at this time it had 60 households, a mill, lime, and brick factories, pottery and fishing industries. The settlement's status was downgraded to a village. During World War II, from June 25, 1941, to July 3, 1944, the village was under Nazi Germany occupation.

During Nazi occupation, many Jews in the region, including those in Rechke, resisted the Nazi forces with remarkable bravery. In nearby Kurenets, elderly residents such as Zusia and Leah Benes, and Leib Motosov, chose death over capture by setting their homes on fire and jumping into the flames. Youth members of the Hashomer Hatzair movement, like Yitzhak Einbinder and Benjamin Shulman, organized underground resistance, distributing anti-Nazi flyers and acquiring weapons. However, the Jewish community of Rechke was decimated during the Holocaust, and by the end of World War Two zero Jews remained.

In 1988, Rechke had 82 households, and there was an 8-year school, a cultural center, a library, a tile shop, a complex reception point, a post office, and a store. On July 24, 1995, the village was transferred to the Kurenets Rural Council, and on May 28, 2013, to the Kryvaselski Rural Council. As of 2008, there were 50 households.

Climate
Rechke has a moderately continental climate influenced by Atlantic cyclones. Winters are mild, and summers are warm. The climate conditions are favorable for agriculture, especially for growing cereals, potatoes, and vegetables.

Tourist Attractions
- Church of the Holy Spirit: Originally built in the 18th century, it was a fine example of traditional Belarusian wooden architecture. The church was burned down in 2007 and a new one was built on the same site.

- Historic Buildings: Several 19th-century structures remain, offering a glimpse into the village's past.

Lost Heritage
The original Church of the Holy Spirit, a significant cultural and historical monument, was lost to fire in 2007. Efforts have been made to preserve and reconstruct the village's heritage sites.