Hierviaty is a former town of the historical Vilienščyna. Today, this is a village of the Astraviec district, Homiel region, standing on the Loša river, and an administrative centre of the Hierviaty rural council.

The first written mention of Hierviaty dates back to 1434. In 1563, it was mentioned as a town. After the 1565–1566 administrative reform, it was a part of the Viĺnia paviet, Viĺnia voivodeship. In 1795, after the third division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the town numbering 49 yards appeared to be a part of the Russian Empire in the Viĺnia paviet, Viĺnia province. In the 19th – early 20th century, Hierviaty was owned by the Damiejka noble family. Compared to the end of the 18th century, the population of the town gradually decreased. Thus, in 1885 there were only 20 yards.
In 1915, during World War I, Hierviaty was under the Nazi occupation. In 1919–1920, it was ruled by turns by Polish troops and the Red Army. In 1920, it was a part of Middle Lithuania, and in 1922 – of the Second Republic of Poland.
In 1939, after the beginning of World War II, Hierviaty became a centre of the Astraviec district rural council in the BSSR. Its status was downgraded to a village. 
It is one of the few Belarusian Vilienščyna villages, where Lithuanian was used for quite a long time, there even was a Lithuanian school; сhurch services were in Lithuaninan, Polish and Belarusian. Today, Lithuanian got out of wide use.

Publication date: 20.07.2022.

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