Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
, situated on the
Dvina River. It is the center of the
Polotsk District
Polotsk District is a second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the Vitebsk Region
Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́т ...
in
Vitsebsk Voblast
Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...
. Its population is more than 80,000 people. It is served by
Polotsk Airport
Polotsk Airport (also Polotsk South) is a civilian airfield in Belarus, located 9 km south of Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, ...
and
Borovitsy
Borovitsy (also Borovitsi, Polotsk Northwest, and Borovtsy) is an air base in Belarus, located 16 km northwest of Polatsk. It has a sprawling taxiway area and pads for about 40 aircraft. During the Soviet era, in the 1960s it was home to atta ...
air base.
Nomenclature
The
Old East Slavic
Old East Slavic (traditionally also Old Russian; be, старажытнаруская мова; russian: древнерусский язык; uk, давньоруська мова) was a language used during the 9th–15th centuries by East ...
name, ''Polotesk'', derives from the
Polota
Palata () or Polota () is a river in Belarus and Russia, a tributary of the Western Dvina river. Rising in Pskov Oblast of Russia and flowing through northern Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russi ...
river, which flows into the neighboring
Western Dvina
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic Se ...
. The
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
s rendered that name as ''Palteskja''.
History
![Polatsk XVI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Polatsk_XVI.jpg)
Polotsk is one of the most ancient cities of the
Eastern Slavs
The East Slavs are the most populous subgroup of the Slavs. They speak the East Slavic languages, and formed the majority of the population of the medieval state Kievan Rus', which they claim as their cultural ancestor.John Channon & Robert Hud ...
. 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 ...
'' (a history 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 ...
from about 850 to 1110, compiled in
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
about 1113) listed Polotsk in 862 (as Полотескъ, /poloteskŭ/), together with
Murom
Murom ( rus, Муром, p=ˈmurəm; Old Norse: ''Moramar'') is a historical city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls along the left bank of the Oka River. Population:
History
In the 9th century AD, the city marked the easternmost settle ...
and
Belozersk
Belozersk (russian: Белозе́рск), known as Beloozero (russian: Белоозеро, label=none) until 1777, is a town and the administrative center of Belozersky District in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the southern bank of Lake Be ...
. However, an archaeological expedition from the Institute of History of the
National Academy of Sciences of Belarus suggests that Polotsk existed in the first half of the 9th century.
The first known prince of Polotsk was
Rogvolod
Rogvolod (russian: Рогволод, translit=Rogvolod; be, Рагвалод, translit=Rahvałod; 920978) was the first chronicled prince of Polotsk (945–978). In the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', he is known as , probably a slavicized versio ...
(ruled 945–978). He had two sons and a daughter named
Rogneda. Rogvolod promised Rogneda to the
prince of Kiev,
Yaropolk, as a wife. But Yaropolk's brother,
Vladimir, had attacked Polotsk before Yaropolk came. He killed Rogvolod, his wife and sons, and married Rogneda.
Vladimir and Rogneda had five children and the eldest of them,
Izyaslav, became Prince of Polotsk (ruled 989–1001).
Between the 10th and 12th centuries, the
Principality of Polotsk
The Principality of Polotsk ( be, По́лацкае кня́ства, ''Polackaje kniastva''; la, Polocensis Ducatus), also known as the Duchy of Polotsk or Polotskian Rus', was a medieval principality of the Early East Slavs. The origin and ...
emerged as the dominant center of power in what is now Belarusian territory, with a lesser role played by the
Principality of Turov
The Principality of Turov, also called Principality of Turov and Pinsk ( be, Турава-Пінскае княства, russian: Турово-Пинское княжество, uk, Турово-Пінське князівство) or Turovian Rus ...
to the south. It repeatedly asserted its sovereignty in relation to other centers 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 ...
, becoming a political capital, the
episcopal see
An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
and the controller of
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
territories among
Balts in the west. Its most powerful ruler was Prince
Vseslav Bryachislavich, who reigned from 1044 to 1101. A 12th-century inscription commissioned by Vseslav's son
Boris may still be seen on a
huge boulder installed near the St. Sophia Cathedral. For a full list of the Polotsk rulers, see the
list of Belarusian rulers
Belarusian statehood can be traced to the medieval Principality of Polotsk. From the 13th century, the lands of modern-day Belarus became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which later evolved into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the 19t ...
.
![Polacak, 1579](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Po%C5%82acak._%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B0%D0%BA_%281579%29.jpg)
In 1240, Polotsk became a vassal of the Lithuanian princes. The
Grand Duke of Lithuania
The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania, which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties that managed to stay in power—House ...
Vytenis
Vytenis ( be, Віцень, Vicień; pl, Witenes) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from c. 1295 to c. 1316. He became the first of the Gediminids, Gediminid dynasty to rule for a considerable amount of time. In the early 14th century his reputa ...
annexed the city by military force in 1307, completing the process which the Lithuanian princes had begun in the 1250s.
[ Polotsk received a charter of autonomy guaranteeing that the grand dukes "will not introduce new, nor destroy the old".][The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 1300-c. 1415. pp.769-770] It was the earliest to be so incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
. By doing so, the Lithuanians managed to firmly grasp the Dvina trade route in their hands, securing an important element for the surrounding economies.[The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 1300-c. 1415. p.706] Magdeburg law
Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within c ...
was adopted in 1498. Polotsk functioned as a capital of the Połock Voivodship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
until 1772. Captured by the Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n army of Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584.
Ivan ...
in 1563, it was returned to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
just 15 years later. It was again captured by Russia on 17 June 1654, but recaptured by Poland–Lithuania on 30 October 1660 during the Russo-Polish War (1654–67)
Armed conflicts between Poland (including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) and Russia (including the Soviet Union) include:
Originally a Polish civil war that Russia, among others, became involved in.
Originally a Hungarian revolution b ...
.
In 1772 Russia seized Polotsk (then Połock) as part of the First Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
.
Since the Russian Empress Catherine II
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...
did not acknowledge the Papal suppression of the Society of Jesus
The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...
(1773–1814), the Jesuit branches in these lands were not disbanded, and Połock became the European centre of the Order, with a novitiate
The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
opening in 1780, and with the arrival of distinguished Jesuits from other parts of Europe who brought with them valuable books and scientific collections. Jesuits continued their pastoral work and upgraded the Jesuit College in Polotsk (opened in 1580 by decree of the Polish king Stefan Batory
Stefan may refer to:
* Stefan (given name)
* Stefan (surname)
* Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname
* Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname
* Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer
* Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...
, with the Jesuit Piotr Skarga
Piotr Skarga (less often Piotr Powęski; 2 February 1536 – 27 September 1612) was a Polish Jesuit, preacher, hagiographer, polemicist, and leading figure of the Counter-Reformation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Due to his oratoric ...
(1536–1612) as its first rector) into the Połock Academy (1812–1820), with three faculties (Theology, Languages and Liberal Arts), four libraries, a printing house, a bookshop, a theatre with 3 stages, a science museum, an art gallery and a scientific and literary periodical, and a medical-care centre. The school was also the patron of the college in Petersburg, the mission to Saratov
Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...
and an expedition to Canton.
During the French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
the district saw two battles, the First Battle of Polotsk (August 1812) and the Second Battle of Polotsk
The Second Battle of Polotsk (18–20 October 1812) took place during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. In this encounter the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein attacked and defeated a Franco-Bavarian force under Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr. ...
(October 1812).
In 1820 pressure from the Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
influenced the Russian Emperor Alexander I to exile the Jesuits and to close the Polock Academy, there were 700 students studying there. The Russian authorities also broke up the Academy's library of 40,000–60,000 volumes, the richest collection of 16th- to 18th-century books — the books went to St. Petersburg, Kiev and other cities, 4000 volumes (along with books from other closed Jesuit schools) going to the St. Petersburg State University Scientific Library.
Polotsk came under occupation by the German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
between 25 February 1918 and 21 November 1918 in World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, by Poland between 22 September 1919 and 14 May 1920 in the Polish–Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921)
* russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...
and by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
between 16 July 1941 and 4 July 1944 in World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Polotsk functioned as the center of Polatsk Voblast between 20 September 1944 and 8 January 1954. A reorganisation of the area between Vitebsk
Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
and Molodechno
Maladzyechna ( be, Маладзе́чна, Maladziečna, ; russian: Молоде́чно, Molodechno; pl, Mołodeczno) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, an administrative centre of the Maladzyechna District (and formerly of the Maladzyech ...
voblasts left Polotsk part of the former.
Cultural heritage
The city's Saint Sophia Cathedral
Churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom (''Hagia Sophia'', also rendered ''Saint Sophia'') include:
See also
{{commons category, Holy Wisdom churches
* Sophia of Rome#Churches, for churches named after Saint Sophia of Rome
* Sofia Church (disambiguati ...
(1044–1066) was a symbol of the independent-mindedness of Polotsk, rivaling churches of the same name in Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
and Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
. The name referred to the original ''Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
'' in Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, and thus claims imperial prestige, authority and sovereignty. The cathedral had been ruined by the troops of Peter I of Russia
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
. Hence th
present baroque building
by Johann Christoph Glaubitz
Johann Christoph Glaubitz ( – 30 March 1767) was an architect of German descent who is generally considered to be the most prominent Baroque architect in the lands of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Early life
Glaubitz was born in Sc ...
dates from the mid-18th century. Some genuine 12th-century architecture (notably Transfiguration Church) survives in the Convent of Saint Euphrosyne, which also features a neo-Byzantine cathedral, designed and built in 1893—1899 by Vladimir Korshikov
Vladimir may refer to:
Names
* Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name
* Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name
* Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
.
Cultural achievements of the medieval period include the work of the nun Euphrosyne of Polotsk
Euphrosyne (; grc, Εὐφροσύνη), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, was one of the Charites, known in ancient Rome as the ''Gratiae'' (Graces). She was sometimes called Euthymia (Εὐθυμία) or Eutychia (Εὐτυχία).
Fa ...
(1120–1173), who built monasteries, transcribed books, promoted literacy and sponsored art (including local artisan Lazarus Bohsha's famous " Cross of Saint Euphrosyne," a national symbol and treasure lost during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
), and the prolific, original Church Slavonic
Church Slavonic (, , literally "Church-Slavonic language"), also known as Church Slavic, New Church Slavonic or New Church Slavic, is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzeg ...
sermons and writings of Bishop Cyril of Turaw
Cyril of Turov, alternately Kirill of Turov (Church Slavonic Кѷриллъ Туровськiй, be, Кірыла Тураўскі, russian: Кирилл Туровский; 1130–1182) was a bishop and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. H ...
(1130–1182).
The first Belarusian printer, Francysk Skaryna
Francysk Skaryna (alternative transcriptions of his name: ''Francišak Skaryna'' or ''Francisk Skaryna''; lat, Franciscus Scorina, be, Францыск (Францішак) Скарына ; pl, Franciszek Skaryna, cs, František Skorina; ...
, was born in Polotsk around 1490. He is famous for being the first to print the Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
in the Old Belarusian
Ruthenian ( Belarusian: руская мова; Ukrainian: руська мова; Ruthenian: руска(ѧ) мова; also see other names) is an exonymic linguonym for a closely-related group of East Slavic linguistic varieties, particularly ...
language (East Slavic language) in 1517, several decades after the first-ever printed book by Johann Gutenberg
Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its kind, earlier designs ...
and just several years after the first Czech Bible (1506).
In September 2003, as " Days of Belarusian Literacy" were celebrated for the 10th time in Polotsk, city authorities dedicated a monument to honor the unique Cyrillic Belarusian letter Ў, which is not used in any other Slavic language. The original idea for the monument came from the Belarusian calligraphy
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
professor Paval Siemchanka, who has been studying Cyrillic
, bg, кирилица , mk, кирилица , russian: кириллица , sr, ћирилица, uk, кирилиця
, fam1 = Egyptian hieroglyphs
, fam2 = Proto-Sinaitic
, fam3 = Phoenician
, fam4 = G ...
scripts for many years.
Sports
The city has produced players for the Belarus national bandy team. In October 2011, the team planned to participate in the Russian Cup in rink bandy
Rink bandy is a variant of the larger sport of bandy. Unlike bandy which is played on a large bandy field, rink bandy is played on significantly smaller ice hockey sized ice rinks.
While a bandy field is about the same size as a football pitc ...
, but did not after all.
Notable people
* Uładzimir Arłou
Uładzimir Arłou, known as U. A. Arlou ( be, Уладзімір Аляксеевіч Арлоў, russian: Владимир Алексеевич Орлов, Vladimir Aljakseevich Orlov; born 25 August 1953 in Polotsk, Byelorussian SSR, Sovi ...
(b. 1953), Belarusian historian and writer
* Lyavon Barshchewski
Lyavon Barshchewski ( be, Лявон Баршчэўскі) (born March 4, 1958) is a Belarusian philologist and opposition politician.
Born on March 4, 1958 in Polotsk, Barshchewski graduated from Minsk State Linguistic University in 1980. He was ...
(b. 1958), Belarusian philologist and politicianLyavon Barshchewski: “I could become а prime minister. But not a president. And not a member of parliament. (Лявон Баршчэўскі: «Я прэм’ер-міністрам мог бы стаць. Але не прэзыдэнтам. І не дэпутатам»)
*
Boris Galerkin
Boris Grigoryevich Galerkin (russian: Бори́с Григо́рьевич Галёркин, surname more accurately romanized as Galyorkin; –12 July 1945) was a Soviet mathematician and an engineer.
Biography
Early days
Galerkin was born on ...
*
Andrei of Polotsk
Andrei of Polotsk ( be, Андрэй Альгердавіч, lt, Andrius Algirdaitis, pl, Andrzej Olgierdowic, ca. 1325 – 12 August 1399, in the Battle of the Vorskla River) was the eldest son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and ...
*
Bryachislav of Polotsk
Bryachislav Izyaslavich ( be, Брачыслаў Ізяславіч, russian: Брячислав Изяславич) (c. 997 – 1044) was the prince of Polotsk between 1001 and 1044. His name, possibly, may have been of something in approximatio ...
*
Euphrosyne of Polotsk
Euphrosyne (; grc, Εὐφροσύνη), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, was one of the Charites, known in ancient Rome as the ''Gratiae'' (Graces). She was sometimes called Euthymia (Εὐθυμία) or Eutychia (Εὐτυχία).
Fa ...
*
Francysk Skaryna
Francysk Skaryna (alternative transcriptions of his name: ''Francišak Skaryna'' or ''Francisk Skaryna''; lat, Franciscus Scorina, be, Францыск (Францішак) Скарына ; pl, Franciszek Skaryna, cs, František Skorina; ...
*
Gabriel Lenkiewicz
Gabriel Lenkiewicz, actually Gabriel Lenkiewicz-Ipohorski, Kotwicz coat of arms, (15 March 1722, Polotsk – 21 November 1798, Polotsk) was a Polish-Lithuanian Jesuit priest, and ''Temporary Vicar General'' of the Society of Jesus from 1785 until 1 ...
*
Izyaslav of Polotsk
Izyaslav (russian: Изяслав, be, Ізяслаў) was the son of Vladimir I of Kiev and Rogneda of Polotsk. When his father converted to Christianity in 988, he had to divorce all his previous wives, including Rogneda. She and her son Izyas ...
*
Josaphat Kuntsevych
Josaphat Kuntsevych, OSBM ( – 12 November 1623) was a Basilian monks, Basilian monk and eparch, archeparch of the Ruthenian Uniate Church, Ruthenian Catholic Church who on 12 November 1623 was killed by an angry mob in Vitebsk, in the ...
(c.1580-1623) Basilian monk, Archeparch of
Polotsk and Vitebsk, and Saint in the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
*
Mary Antin
Mary Antin (born Maryashe Antin; June 13, 1881 – May 15, 1949) was an American author and immigration rights activist. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography ''The Promised Land (autobiography), The Promised Land'', an account of her emi ...
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Rogneda of Polotsk
Rogneda of Polotsk (962–1002) is the Slavic name for Ragnheiðr, a Princess consort of Rus'. She was the daughter of Ragnvald (Slavic: Rogvolod) who came from Scandinavia and established himself at Polotsk in the mid-10th century.
Life
It ...
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Rogvolod
Rogvolod (russian: Рогволод, translit=Rogvolod; be, Рагвалод, translit=Rahvałod; 920978) was the first chronicled prince of Polotsk (945–978). In the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', he is known as , probably a slavicized versio ...
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Rogvolod Vseslavich
Rogvolod Vseslavich, baptismal name Boris, was the Prince of Drutsk and Polotsk. He was the son of Vseslav of Polotsk, Grand Prince of Rus. Rogvolod probably was named in honor of his ancestor Rogvolod.
Some historians, including Mikhail Pogodi ...
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Sophia of Minsk
Sophia of Minsk or Sophia of Polotsk (died 5 May 1198) was a Danish queen consort by marriage to King Valdemar I of Denmark, and a landgravine of Thuringia by marriage to Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia.
Life Origin
Sophia was the daughter ...
, Queen of Denmark
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Symeon of Polotsk
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Vseslav of Polotsk
Vseslav of Polotsk or Vseslav Bryachislavich ( 1029 – 24 April 1101), also known as ''Vseslav the Sorcerer'' or ''Vseslav the Seer'', was the most famous ruler of Polotsk and was briefly Grand Prince of Kiev in 1068–1069. Together with Rostis ...
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Vyacheslav Gordanov
Vyacheslav Vyacheslavovich Gordanov (russian: Вячеслав Вячеславович Горда́нов; 1902–1983) was a Soviet and Russian cinematographer. He worked on the 1949 film ''Ivan Pavlov''.Beumers p.203
Selected filmography
* ' ...
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Marina Osman
Marina Vasilieva Starostenkova Osman (; born 1965 in Polotsk, Belarus), is a Belarusian classical and jazz concert pianist.
Biography
Early life and studies
Marina Vasilieva was born in 1965 in Polotsk, Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, ...
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Igor Shitov
Igor Sergeyevich Shitov, sometimes written Ihar Shytaw ( be, Ігар Сяргеевіч Шытаў; russian: Игорь Серге́евич Шитов; born 24 October 1986) is a Belarusian former football right back.
Career Club
On 5 July 2 ...
Gallery
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Cathedral of Sophia-2.jpg, Saint Sophia Cathedral
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Cathedral of Sophia-3.jpg, Saint Sophia Cathedral
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Boris Stone.jpg, Boris stone
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Monastery of Epiphany-2.jpg, Bogoyavlensky Convent
File:Bog-2.jpg, Bogoyavlensky Cathedral
File:Polatsk-St. Euphrosine4.JPG, Convent of Saint Euphrosyne
File:Polatsk-St. Euphrosine3.JPG, Convent of Saint Euphrosyne
File:Dzvina Hotel and Frantsyska Skaryny Avenue in Polack.jpg, Polotsk main square with Hotel Dzvina
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Railway Station-3.jpg, Railway station
File:Білорусь 041.jpg, Former Lutheran church
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Church of Protection of Holy Virgin-8.jpg, Church of Protection of Holy Virgin
File:Belarus-Polatsk-Church of Andrew Babola-4.jpg, Church of Andrew Babola
See also
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Krivichs
The Krivichs (Kryvichs) ( be, крывічы, kryvičý, ; rus, кри́вичи, p='krʲivʲɪtɕɪ, kríviči) were a tribal union of Early East Slavs
The early Slavs were a diverse group of tribal societies who lived during the Migration P ...
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Novopolotsk
Novopolotsk ( be, Наваполацк (Cyrillic), Navapołack ( Łacinka), translit=Navapolatsk, ; russian: Новополоцк, translit=Novopolotsk, ) is a city in Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus, with a population (2008 estimate) of 107,458. Founde ...
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Plock
References
External links
Official site of the city of Połack - Официальный сайт города ПолоцкаPolotskPolotsk Chat ForumPhotos on Radzima.orgWeather PolotskePOLOTSK.com*
{{coord, 55, 29, N, 28, 48, E, region:BY_type:city, display=title
Cities in Belarus
Populated places in Vitebsk Region
Polotsky Uyezd
Polotsk Voivodeship
Polochans
Magdeburg rights
Trading posts of the Hanseatic League