Rogvolod Vseslavich, baptismal name Boris, was the Prince of
Drutsk and
Polotsk. He was the son of
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 ...
, Grand Prince of Rus. Rogvolod probably was named in honor of his ancestor
Rogvolod.
Some historians, including
Mikhail Pogodin, believe that Rogvolod-Boris are two different princes. It is also not clear whether or not Rogvolod was the older brother of Davyd and
Gleb Gleb (Russian and be, Глеб) or Hlib ( uk, Гліб) is a Slavic male given name derived from the Old Norse name ''Guðleifr'', which means "heir of god." According to another version, the name Gleb comes from the name Olaf. It is popular in Rus ...
. However, if he was given the Principality of Drutsk it, probably, corresponds to the ''line of succession'' which presumably made him second in that line.
It also possible that he was the
Prince of Polotsk right after his father's death, but that account is rebutted by another fact which is supported by some Slavic chronicles that call Davyd Vseslavich as the leader of the Polotsk armed forces and possibly the main successor of the Polotsk throne. According to
Vasily Tatishchev, Rogvolod has found the city of
Barysaw in 1102,
[ Mykhailo Hrushevsky. ''History of Ukraine-Rus''. Vol.2. Kiev 1992] hence are the main speculation him being also called Boris. In 1106 he possibly participated in the united campaign of Polotsk Principality against the
Semigallians, which ended in defeat. Sometime in 1120 Rogvolod founded a princely residence near
Polotsk in Belchitsy.
References
Sources
List of Princes of Rus at hrono.ru (as Rogvolod Vseslavich)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vseslavich, Rogvolod
11th-century births
1128 deaths
Princes of Polotsk
Izyaslavichi family (Polotsk)
12th-century princes in Kievan Rus'