Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-06-27
THE WAR PRIMER
BY National Geographic Society

Dubno, which the Russians have re-
taken in their recent offensive against
the Austrians on a front extending
from the Pripet River on the North to
the Roumanian border on the South,
is the subject Of today'S war geogra-
ply bulletin of the National Geogra-
phic Society, issued from it's Wash
lngton headquarters, which says:
Together with Lutsk, Dubno con-
stituted Russia's second line of de-
tense in Poland when the great war
began. Then it was a town of %, 600
inhabitants, but since that time the
whole region has been impoverished
and the population doubtless dininish-
ed by the fuctuating fortunes of the
armies that have passed back and
forth through it. The city is situated
on the marshy banks of the Ikwa River,
which flows in northwesterly direc-
ton, making q juncture With the Styr
twenty miles south Of Lutsk at Tor
govitsy, one OF the towns recently re-
occupied by the Russians.
"A lasting blow to Dubilo's prestige
as trade center WIS delivered in
1897 when the great Contracts fair
the most important sugar-marr III
Russia, was transferred to Kiey. In
recent times these fairs have not
played a role of such prime import
ance in the comercial life of Polish and
Russian cities as in the days before
the railEo2ds brought towns and sub
urban sections into constant touch
with each other. In the last years Of
the eighteenth century. however, the
transfer to this annual event To fhe
city known as the Jerusalem of Rus
STA gave it tremendous impetus, at
| the same time having corresponding
detrimental effect on Dubno.
Two of Dubno's neighbOring towns
are OF great interest to the student Of
history. Thirty-two miles to the
east is Ostrog, where the first trans
| lation of the Bible into old Slay was
made and printed in 1881 Twenty
fve miles to the south, at Kremenetz
are he ruins of a once famous chateau
or the beautiful queen, Bona Sforza
who introduced much of the grace and
| the elegance of her native Italy into
the court life of the Polish king, Sinis-
mund ], but who during The last years
Of her husbands reign earned tsies de-
testation of the Poles by her greed and
her corruption. She was even ac-
cused of having poisoned her sons
wife i've days after the latter's coro-
/ nation as queen. Fate reserved for her
a similar end. A few years later she
was poisoned by one Of her italian
lovers
while the suffering which the pres
emit war has entai1ed uon Tie civilians
in the Dubno district undoubtedly las
been severe 1t is not to be Compared
with the holocaust of horror which
D1uhS over VI1S region IN the middle
Of the seventeenth century when the
Cossack chieftain, Bogdan ChmieI-
nieka. melted to rebellion by Polish
ne1ghbor who had stolen his hayrici1s
and logged his infant son to aeath
brought about the uprising known al
the Serfs' Fury. This reign OF an
archy and outrage has seldom IL ever
been equaIed in world history. Most
OF the manor houses of the colintrv
were burned and their owners burned
or hayed alive. or else sa;wn asunder
Priests were hung before their own al.
tars with a follower Of a. rival fsligfon
one one side and a. despised animal an
: the other.
"Ostrog was one Of fEse cities which
Tell before the CossaOk hetu1aYlss wrath
and time and again the pride OF, PoIisf
chiYaaTy was routed by the Followers
OF the ruthless rebel In 1649 he madr
g triumphant entry into Kiev. clad II
cloth Of gold and riding on a white
charger. At Berestecsko, In 1e5ts b.
went into battle welding a sworl
| which had lain on the Holy SepuIchrv
and ws1ich had been bestowed upoI
him by the archbishop oE Cornith. bq1
here ne met with hisTlrBt defeat. Tvvv
! years later at zranfa he was again,fae
, 1eated, Nwhereupon he declared his an
legtance to the Car, placing the TJlx
raine under Russian protection. thu
anticipating the ACKNOWLEDGMENT or Pc
land which came more than q centu1.