Lutsk is one of the most ancient cities of Ukraine. The name “Lutsk” was first seen in the Ipatiev Chronicle of 1085, when the city appeared in the center of the internal fight between the heirs of Yaroslav the Wise. However, archaeological research gives reason to believe that the settlement was founded in about 1000 A.D. or earlier.

The most truthworthy version of the origin of the name Lutsk (ancient – Luchesk) is connected with the geographical position of the city at the bend (luka in old Slavic) of the river Styr. The settlement appeared on the island formed by the Styr and its tributaries, located here for defence reasons. On the present-day maps the site is indicated as the location of the State Historical and Cultural Preserve “The Old Lutsk”.

At the time of the Kyivan Rus, Lutsk was the capital of the local prince’s territory, covering part of  Volyn and  later of Galicia-Volyn. In the ХІІ century Lutsk had mighty wooden fortifications, which enabled the citizens of the city to withstand a six weeks’ siege in the spring of 1150 by the regiments of Yuriy Dolgorukiy, the founder of Moscow. During the siege his son, young prince Andriy, was close to death.

Lutsk also witnessed the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The chronicles state that in 1259 the city withstood the siege of khan Kuremsa. But in 1267 Prince Vasylko, responding to the demand of khan Kuresma's commander Buronday, destroyed the fortifications.

Emergence of Lutsk as the capital of Volyn lands is closely connected with the rule of Lyubart-Dymytry in the second half of ХІV century. He changed the outward appearance of the fortifications of Lutsk, replacing the wooden construction with brick. The son of the grand Lithuanian duke Gedymin, Lyubart was married to the local princess and became a true protector of Volyn. Under his rule Lutsk Castle was the seat of the administrative, court and religious bodies that governed Volyn.

After Lyubart’s death Lutsk remained the residence of Lithuanian and Russian princes: Vitovt (1392-1430) and Svydrygailo (1431-1452). Under Vitovt’s ruling in 1429 Lutsk hosted the famous meeting of European monarchs to address the ongoing Tatar threat to Europe. Participants included the Lithuanian prince, Polish king Vladyslav II Yagaylo and emperor Sygizmund of Luxemburg among others. The granting of Magdeburg right was an important moment in the social, political and economic life of Lutsk citizens of the ХV century. With the grant the inhabitants of Lutsk were ensured their elective bodies of self-government.

By the late ХVІ century the Lutsk castle had lost its significance as a defence stronghold but the city remained the worldly and spiritual capital of the land. Because of a large number of sacral buildings, contemporaries called it “Rome of Volyn”. Polish poet Sebastian Klionovic wrote: "Who could pass Lutsk by, the city is worthy a song?”(1584).

After the Lublin Union in 1569 Volyn was integrated into the Kingdom of Poland and Lutsk became the capital of a newly formed voevodship and a residence of voevods. The city gradually became more and more Polish as legal guarantees of Russian nobles and clergy proved to be only written promises.

Reflecting resistance to the Polish influence and Beresteyska Union (1596) an orthodox brotherhood appeared in Lutsk at the beginning of XVII century. On September 1, 1619, the brotherhood was officially recognized by the king and was given the privilege to build a church and a shelter.

The late XVII and the XVIII century was a period of slow decay in Lutsk. Frequent fires, floods and epidemics were devastating. The cultural and religious Ukrainian life in the city was gradually stifled. In the government offices of the voevodship Ukrainian language was replaced by Polish and Poles took the positions of the officials.

In 1795, after the third division of Poland, the area was joined to the territory of  the Russian Empire. The capital of a newly created Volyn province became Zhytomyr, while Lutsk remained the centre of the povit (region).

The XIX century saw a continued stagnation of economic and social life in the city. Only after the construction of the South-Eastern railroad branch in 1890’s did Lutsk begin to experience an economic recovery. At that time (1895) the population of Lutsk was 15125 people.

During World War I Lutsk became the scene of fierce battlefield combat. In the summer of 1915 the famous Brusylivsky Breakthrough took place in Lutsk suburbs and entered the history of the World War I.

After the February Revolution in 1917 the blue and yellow flag was hoisted above the city for the first time. In April 1917, the first Ukrainian socio-political society “Ukrainian Community”appeared. During the Hetmanate period, in August, 1918, the organization called “Prosvita” was created. On December 20, 1918, detachments of the Ukrainian nationalist leader Symon Petlyura came to Lutsk.

However, on May 16, 1919, Lutsk was occupied by the Polish army and according to the Riga Treaty of 1920 the Western part of Volyn became part of the territory of the Rich Pospolyta II. In March, 1921, Lutsk became the capital of the new Volyn voevodship. In 1939 in another historic change, the city became a part of the Soviet Union, becoming the centre of Volyn region, composed of the Western part of the former Volyn voevodship.

On June, 1941, World War II swept into Lutsk, as the city was occupied by the German troops. However, on June 23, in a terrible prelude to the German occupation, nearly three thousand prisoners were executed in the yard of Lutsk prison by a special squad of the retreating Soviet military forces. Tragically, under German domination, thousands more Lutsk citizens were systematically eliminated.

In the post-war period Lutsk gradually was rebuilt and renewed, with more rapid development of the city in the 1960’s-70’s. In 1973 new boundaries of the city were established and now the city occupies 4267 hectares. At the same time, new enterprises were initiated: bearing plant, textile factory and other industrial projects, which led to a significant population explosion. That in turn triggered a boom in housing construction in greater Lutsk including the Zavokzalny and Gnidavsky districts.

After Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, Lutsk retained its leading position in the political, economic, cultural and religious life of Volyn. The city is one of the largest cities in the Western Ukraine (about 210,000 inhabitants). In addition, the location of Volyn Oblast, on the borders of Poland and Belarus, makes Lutsk a center for international trade. New economic development helps the city to continue to grow and prosper.

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