PolotskPolotsk, or Polatsk, is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a population of 79,285.
Rogneda of PolotskRogneda or Rogned (Church Slavonic: Рогънѣдь, romanized: Rogŭnědĭ; Christian name: Anastasia; c. 960 – c. 1000), also known as Ragnhild (Ragnheiðr), is a person mentioned in the Primary Chronicle as having been a princess of Polotsk, the daughter of Rogvolod (Ragnvald), who came from Scandinavia and established himself at Polotsk in the mid-10th century. Vladimir the Great is narrated as having killed her father and taking her as one of his wives.
Grand Duchy of LithuaniaThe Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 partitions of Poland–Lithuania. The state was founded by Lithuanians, who were at the time a polytheistic nation of several united Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija.
Kievan Rus'c. 880–1240 East Slavic state in EuropeKievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus', was the first East Slavic state and, later, an amalgam of principalities, in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. Encompassing a variety of polities and peoples, including East Slavic, Norse, and Finnic, it was ruled by the Rurik dynasty, founded by the Varangian prince Rurik.
Vladimir the GreatDynastyRurikFatherSviatoslav I of KievMotherMalushaReligionChalcedonian Christianity (from 988)prev.Slavic paganVladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, romanized: Volodiměr Svętoslavič; Christian name: Basil; c. 958 – 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015.
RogvolodRogvolod (Russian: Рогволод; Belarusian: Рагвалод, romanized: Rahvalod; c. 920 – 978) was the first chronicled prince of Polotsk. He reigned until 978, when he and his two sons were killed by Vladimir the Great, then the prince of Novgorod, who took his daughter Rogneda as a wife.
RurikidsThe Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the year 862. The Rurikids were the ruling dynasty of Kievan Rus' and its principalities following its disintegration.
LatviaLatvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,573 km (24,932 sq mi), with a population of 1.83million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga.
BelarusCountry in Eastern EuropeBelarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a population of 9.1 million. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is administratively divided into six regions.
Novgorod Land862–1240: Ancient Rus'Rurik • Baptism of Rus' • Russkaya Pravda • Council of Liubech • Council of Uvetichi • Mongol conquest1240–1547: Appanage RussiaBlack Death • Battle of Kulikovo • MuscoviteCivil War • Great Stand on the Ugra River • Sudebnik of 14971547–1917: Tsarist RussiaTime of Troubles • Zemsky Sobor • Treaty ofNystad • Petrovian reforms • Patriotic War • Decembrist Revolt • Emancipation reform • Russo-Japanese War • 1905 Revolution • October Manifesto • Second Patriotic War1917–1922: Russian RevolutionFebruary Revolution • Provisional Government • Dvoyevlastiye • July Days • Kornilov affair • Directorate • Constituent Assembly (election) • Bolshevik Coup • Civil War • White Guard • Red Army • Soviet-Polish War • PriamuryeGovt.
KrivichsThe Krivichs, or Kryvichs (Belarusian: Крывічы, romanized: Kryvičy, IPA: [krɨvʲiˈt͡ʂɨ]; Russian: Кривичи, romanized: Krivichi, IPA: [ˈkrʲivʲɪtɕɪ]), were a tribal union of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries. It is suggested that originally the Krivichi were native to the area around Pskov.
Belarusian languageBelarusian is an East Slavic language. It is one of the two official languages in Belarus, the other being Russian. It is also spoken in parts of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland (where it is the official language in 5 bilingual municipalities), Ukraine, and the United States by the Belarusian diaspora. Before Belarus gained independence in 1991, the language was known in English as Byelorussian or Belorussian, or alternatively as White Russian.
Romanization of BelarusianRomanization or Latinization of Belarusian is any system for transliterating written Belarusian from Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.