Pereyaslavets ( East Slavic: ) or Preslavets ( bg, Преславец) was a trade city located near mouths of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

. The city's name is derived from that of the Bulgarian capital of the time,

Preslav The modern Veliki Preslav or Great Preslav ( bg, Велики Преслав, ), former Preslav ( bg, link=no, Преслав; until 1993), is a city and the seat of government of the Veliki Preslav Municipality (Great Preslav Municipality, new B ...

, and means Little Preslav (). In Greek it was also known as Presthlavitza (). Several theories exist regarding the exact location of the city: either at Preslav or in its vicinity in Bulgaria, or at

Isaccea Isaccea (; tr, İshakçı) is a small town in Tulcea County, in Northern Dobruja, Romania, on the right bank of the Danube, 35 km north-west of Tulcea. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 4,955. The town has been inhabite ...

Nufăru Nufăru is a commune in Tulcea County, Northern Dobruja, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders B ...

Murighiol Murighiol (''Independența'' from 1983 to 1996) is a commune in Tulcea County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is composed of seven villаges: * Murighiol * Plopul (formerly Beibudzac) * Colina (russian: Калина) * Dunavățu de Jos (russian: Д ...

Jurilovca Jurilovca (russian: link=no, Журиловка; ''Unirea'' from 1983 to 1996) is a commune in Tulcea County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Jurilovca, Vișina and Sălcioara (''Caramanchioi'' until 1934; ''Vintilă B ...

in Romania. A thriving trade centre of the

First Bulgarian Empire The First Bulgarian Empire ( cu, блъгарьско цѣсарьствиѥ, blagarysko tsesarystviye; bg, Първо българско царство) was a medieval Bulgar- Slavic and later Bulgarian state that existed in Southeastern Europ ...

, it was captured by Prince Svyatoslav of

Kievan Rus Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

in 968 (See

Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria refers to a conflict beginning in 967/968 and ending in 971, carried out in the eastern Balkans, and involving the Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, and the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines encouraged the Rus' ruler Sviatos ...

). During Svyatoslav's absence from the city following the

Siege of Kiev (968) The siege of Kiev by the Pechenegs in 968 is documented in the '' Primary Chronicle'', an account that freely mixes historical details with folklore. According to the chronicle, while Sviatoslav I was pursuing his campaign against the First ...

, part of the citizens revolted and opened the gate to Bulgarian forces. According to

Vasily Tatischev Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev (russian: Васи́лий Ники́тич Тати́щев) (19 April 1686 – 15 July 1750) was a prominent Russian Imperial statesman, historian, philosopher, and ethnographer, best remembered as the author of the ...

, Svyatoslav's governor Volk managed to escape. Upon his return to Bulgaria, Svyatoslav promptly suppressed the rebellion and, to the chagrin of his mother and relatives, transferred the capital from Kiev to Pereyaslavets. According to the

Primary Chronicle The ''Tale of Bygone Years'' ( orv, Повѣсть времѧньныхъ лѣтъ, translit=Pověstĭ vremęnĭnyxŭ lětŭ; ; ; ; ), often known in English as the ''Rus' Primary Chronicle'', the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', or simply the ...

(its record for year 969), Svyatoslav explained to his courtiers that it was to Pereyaslavets, the centre of his lands, that "all the riches would flow: gold, silks, wine, and various fruits from Greece, silver and horses from Hungary and Bohemia, and from Ruthenia furs, wax, honey, and ancient laws". Two years later, the town fell to the Byzantines, who had launched their own invasion of Bulgaria, and became the seat of a Byzantine ''

strategos ''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...

''. Excavations have identified a late 10th century Byzantine fortress at the village of

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

(known as Prislav until 1968), on the

Sfântu Gheorghe branch The Sfântu Gheorghe branch ( ro, Brațul Sfântu Gheorghe; uk, Георгіївське гирло) is a distributary of the river Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today ...

of the Danube, just 11 km east of

Tulcea Tulcea (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 73,707 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. Names Th ...

, which may indicate it was the location of the Presthlavitza mentioned in Byzantine source.

References

See also