Belz (; ; ) is a small city in Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administration of Belz urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Its population is approximately . Origin of name There are a few theories as to the origin of the name: Celtic – belz (water) or pelz (stream), German – (fur, furry) Old Slavic and the Boyko language – «белз» or «бевз» (muddy place), Old East Slavic – «бълизь» (white place, a glade in the midst of dark woods). The name occurs only in two other places, the first being a Celtic area in antiquity, and the second one being derived from its Romanian name: Belz (department Morbihan), Brittany, France Bălți (/Beljcy, also known in Yiddish as Beltz), Moldova (Bessarabia) History Early history Belz is situated in a fertile plain which tribes of Indo-European origin settled in ancient times: Celtic Lugii, next (2nd-5th century) Germanic Goths, slavized Sarmatians (White Croats), and at last Slavic Dulebes (later Buzhans), who eventually become part of the Kievan Rus' in 907, when Dulebs took part in Oleg's military campaign against Czargrad (Constantinople). Mainly рolish historiography located here also Lendians tribe whо also paid tribute to Kievan Rus'. The town has existed at least since the 10th century as one of the Cherven Cities which were under Polish rule in the 970s. In 981 Belz was incorporated into Kievan Rus'. In 1170 the town became the seat of a duchy. In 1234 it was incorporated into the Duchy of Galicia–Volhynia, which would control Belz until 1340 when it came under Lithuanian rule. Belz was under Polish rule from 1366 to 1772, first as a fief, and since 1462 as the capital of a voivodeship. On October 5, 1377, the town was granted rights under the Magdeburg law by Władysław Opolczyk, the governor of Red Ruthenia. A charter dated November 10, 1509 once again granted Belz privileges under the Magdeburg rights. In 1772, Belz was incorporated into the Habsburg Empire (later Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire) where it was a part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. Belz received a railway connection in 1884 with the opening of the railway line Jarosław–Kowel. Modern history With the collapse of Austria-Hungary following World War I in November 1918, Belz was