Sebezh (Russian: Се́беж) is a town and the administrative center of Sebezhsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in a picturesque setting between Lakes Sebezhskoye and Orono 189 kilometers (117 mi) south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast.

[10] Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1414–1535 Grand Duchy of Moscow 1535–1547 Tsardom of Russia 1547–1618 Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1618–1772 Russian Empire 1772–1917 Russian Republic 1917 Soviet Russia 1917–1922 Soviet Union 1922–1991 Russian Federation 1991–present It was first mentioned in 1414 as a fortress protecting Pskov from the south, when Vytautas of Lithuania sacked it.

In the 16th century, the fortress defended the Western approaches to the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

In 1581, King Stephen Báthory of Poland demanded the restoration of Siebież from Muscovy to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but to no avail,[11] however Lithuanian and Polish troops recaptured it during the Polish–Muscovite War of 1605–1618 and held it until the First Partition of Poland.

In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 59.3% Jewish, 22.8% Belarusian, 14.3% Russian, and 2.8% Polish.

[12] On August 1, 1927, the uyezds and governorates were abolished and Sebezhsky District, with the administrative center in Sebezh, was established as a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Leningrad Oblast.

[2] On August 22, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast.

Many Jews managed to escape during this period, via a cattle car sent by Major Solomon Zharzhavsky to evacuate the city[citation needed].