The Princes of Polotsk ruled 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 ...
within the realm of Kievan Rus or within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the mid ninth century to 1307.
Rogvold, a non-
Rurikid
The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
Varangian
The Varangians (; non, Væringjar; gkm, Βάραγγοι, ''Várangoi'';[Varangian]
" Online Etymo ...
, was the first Prince of Polotsk. When
Vladimir the Great
Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych ( orv, Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, ''Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь'';, ''Uladzimir'', russian: Владимир, ''Vladimir'', uk, Володимир, ''Volodymyr''. Se ...
returned from exile in Scandinavia in 980 to try to claim the Kievan throne that his brother,
Yaropolk, held, he sought an alliance with Rogvolod through a marriage with his daughter,
Rogneda. When she refused, calling Vladimir the "son of a slave," he attacked Polotsk, killed Rogvold and his son, and took Rogneda by force to be his wife. Polotsk was then granted to Vladimir's son,
Izyaslav
Iziaslav ( uk, Ізя́слав, ) or Zaslav ( uk, Заслав, links=no, ; pl, Zasław) is one of the oldest cities in Volhynia. Situated on the Horyn river ( uk, Горинь, links=no) in western Ukraine, the city dates back to the 11th ce ...
, around the time of Christianization (988), and when Izyaslav predeceased his father in 1001, the throne of Polotsk was passed on to Izyaslav's son,
Briacheslav, and the Polotsk line (the senior branch of Vladimir's sons) became
izgoi
Izgoi is a term that is found in medieval Kievan Rus'. In primary documents, it indicated orphans who were protected by the church. In historiographic writing on the period, the term was meant as a prince in Kievan Rus' who was excluded from succe ...
and was not legally allowed to succeed to the Kievan throne, although Bryacheslav's son,
Vseslav, held briefly the Kievan throne in 1068-1069, after it was granted to him by the
veche
Veche ( rus, вече, véče, ˈvʲet͡ɕe; pl, wiec; uk, ві́че, víče, ; be, ве́ча, viéča, ; cu, вѣще, věšte) was a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries.
In Novgorod and in Pskov, where the veche acquired gr ...
following the
Kiev Uprising.
[Martin, ''Medieval Russia'', 29.]
List of princes of Polotsk
*
Rogvolod, fl. 977
Rurikids / Izyaslavichi of Polotsk
* 987–1001
Iziaslav I Vladimirovich
* 1001–1003 Vseslav I Iziaslavich
* 1003–1044
Briacheslav I Iziaslavich
* 1044–1069
Vseslav II Briacheslavich
* 1069
Vseslav II Briacheslavich,
Sviatopolk I Iziaslavich and Mstislav I Iziaslavich
* 1069–1071
Vseslav II Briacheslavich and
Sviatopolk I Iziaslavich
* 1071-1101
Vseslav II Briacheslavich (alone)
* 1101–1129 Davyd Vseslavich
* 1127–1128 Boris I Vseslavich
* 1129–1132 Iziaslav II Mstislavich
* 1132–1132 Sviatopolk II Mstislavich
Vseslavichi of Polotsk
* 1132–1144 Vasilko Sviatoslavich (Prince of Vitebsk)
* 1144–1151 Rogvolod Borisovich (Prince of Drutsk)
* 1151–1159 Rostislav Glebovich (Prince of Minsk)
* 1159–1162 Rogvolod Borisovich (again)
* 1162–1167 Vseslav III Vasilkovich (Prince of Vitebsk)
* 1167–1167
Volodar Glebovich (Prince of Minsk)
* 1167–1180 Vseslav III Vasilkovich (Prince of Vitebsk)
* 1186–1215 Vladimir Vseslavich (Princes of Vitebsk)
* 1215–1222 Boris II Vseslavich (Prince of Drutsk)
* 1222–1232 Sviatoslav Mstislavich
* 1232–1242 Bryachislav II Vasilkovich (Prince of Vitebsk)
Lithuanian assimilation
* 1252–1263
Tautvilas
* 1264–1267 Gerdine
* ''1267–1270 Iziaslav III of Vitebsk'' (?)
* 1270–1290 Konstantin the Armless
* 1290–1307 occupation by the
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order,
formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation.
History
The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after th ...
(
Archbishopric of Riga
The Archbishopric of Riga ( la, Archiepiscopatus Rigensis, nds, Erzbisdom Riga) was an archbishopric in Medieval Livonia, a subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 as the bishopric of Livonia at Ikšķile, then after moving to Rig ...
)
Gediminids
* 1307–1336
Vainius Vainius or Voin (died between 1338 and 1342) was the Prince of Polotsk from 1315 to his death. Very little is known about Vainius, brother of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. He is mentioned in written sources in 1324 for the first time. In 1328 ...
(Voin)
* 1336–1345
Narimantas
Narimantas or Narymunt (baptized ''Gleb''; 1277 or just before 1300 (according to Wasilewski 1992) – 2 February 1348) was the second eldest son of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. During various periods of his life, he ruled Pinsk and Polat ...
* 1345–1399
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 ...
* 1377–1397
Skirgaila
Skirgaila ( la, Schirgalo; be, Скіргайла; pl, Skirgiełło, also known as Ivan/Iwan; ca. 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev (Kyiv); baptized 1383/1384 as ''Casimir'') was a regent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for his broth ...
Notes
{{Reflist
References
* Алексеев Л. В. Полоцкая земля // Древнерусские княжества Х—XIII вв. — М., 1975., pp. 202—239.
* Богуславский В. В. Славянская энциклопедия. Киевская Русь — Московия: в 2 т. — М.: Олма-Пресс, 2001.
* Данилович В. Е. Очерк истории Полоцкой земли до конца XIV столетия. — К., 1896. p. 731
* Martin, Janet, ''Medieval Russia, 980-1584'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995
* Рыжов К. Все монархи мира. Россия. — Москва, Вече, 1998.
* Selart A.:
Fürst Konstantin von Polock und die Geschichte Livlands im dritten Viertel des 13. Jahrhunderts in:
Forschungen zur baltischen Geschichte 2006, vol. 1.
External links
Polotsk princes on litopys.org.ua
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...
Noble titles of Kievan Rus
Princes of Polotsk