The Duchy of Drutsk ( be, Княства Друцкае) was a small

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...

principality of the Polotsk principality and was centred in

Drutsk Druck or Drutsk ( be, Друцк, ; pl, Druck, russian: Друцк, also known as ''Дрютескъ'' (''Dryutesk'') or ''Дрюческъ'' (''Druchesk'') in the Middle Ages), is a historical town in Belarus, 40 kilometres (ca. 25 miles) west ...

. It was located on a three way stick between Vitebsk, Minsk and Mogilev regions in modern

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 ...

. The

duchy of Drutsk was established after the death of Vseslav, the

Prince of Polotsk The Princes of Polotsk ruled the Principality of Polotsk within the realm of Kievan Rus or within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the mid ninth century to 1307. Rogvold, a non-Rurikid Varangian, was the first Prince of Polotsk. When Vladimir t ...

, in 1101 and the division of the Polatsk territory between Vseslav's sons. Drutsk was given to Rogvolod-Boris. Soon its territory was taken over by another appanage duchy of Polotsk, Duchy of Minsk governed by

Gleb Vseslavich Gleb Vseslavich ( be, Глеб Усяславіч, russian: Глеб Всеславич) (died September 13, 1119) was the prince of Minsk between 1101 and 1119. During his reign Minsk was at war with Kiev and Polatsk. He started the Minsk branch ...

. In 1116, the duchy of Drutsk was taken over by the Grand Duchy of Kiev governed by Volodymyr Monomakh, but by 1150s it was returned to Duchy of Minsk. Eventually Drutsk was entirely taken over by the

Principality of Minsk The Principality of Minsk was an appanage principality of the Duchy of Polotsk and centered on the city of Minsk (today in Belarus). It existed from its founding in 1101 until it was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1242, and only no ...

in the second half of the 13th century and in early 14th century by another appanage duchy of Polotsk,

Principality of Vitebsk The Principality of Vitebsk ( be, Віцебскае княства) was a Ruthenian principality centered on the city of Vitebsk in modern Belarus, that existed from its founding in 1101 until it was inherited into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in ...

. It is believed that

Algirdas Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd; – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his bro ...

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 ...

, acquired the Duchy by marriage to

Maria of Vitebsk Maria of Vitebsk (died before 1349) was the first wife of Algirdas, future Grand Duke of Lithuania (marriage took place around 1318). Very little is known about her life. The only child of a Russian prince Yaroslav, Maria was the only heir to the P ...

. The Duchy became part of 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 ...

where it existed as an autonomous principality until an administrative reform in 1565–1566, when it was included into the

Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...

county of

Vitebsk Voivodeship Vitebsk Voivodeship ( be, Віцебскае ваяводзтва, pl, Województwo witebskie, la, Palatinatus Vitebsciensis) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (from 1569 Polish–Lithu ...

Princes of Drutsk

* 1151–1158: Gleb of Drutsk, son of prince Rostislav of Minsk * 1101–1119: Boris I of Polotzk, son of grand-prince

Vseslav of Kiev 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 ...

* 1140–1146:

Rogvolod II of Polotzk 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 ...

, son of Boris I * 1146–1151: Gleb of Drutsk, son of Rogvolod II * from 1163: Gleb of Drutsk, son of Rogvolod II * 1161–1171:

''(again)'' * until 1196:

Boris of Drutsk Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name *:''See'': List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) * Boris I of Bulgaria (died 907), the first Christian ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire, canonized after his d ...

, son of Gleb * about 1217: Vojtech of Drutsk, son of prince

Boris II of Polotzk Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name *:''See'': List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) * Boris I of Bulgaria (died 907), the first Christian ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire, canonized after his d ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drutsk, Principality of States and territories established in 1101 Medieval Belarus Principalities of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Subdivisions of Kievan Rus'