The oldest town and village in Belarus. Polotsk is the most ancient city in Belarus. Cities of Belarus by population
In chapter Other about cities and countries to the question Which city in Belarus is the oldest? given by the author Lenka 10.07 the best answer is Polotsk (Belarusian Polatsk) - a city in the Vitebsk region, the administrative center of the Polotsk region, the most ancient city Belarus and one of the oldest cities Kievan Rus. It is located at the mouth of the Polota River, which flows into the Western Dvina. Population 82.8 thousand people
The first chronicle mention of Polotsk dates back to 862. In the middle of the 10th century, the Principality of Polotsk arose. It occupied the territory in the basin of the Western Dvina, the upper reaches of the Berezina and the Neman. The first known prince of Polotsk, who is mentioned in chronicle sources, is Rogvolod (d. c. 978). In 988-1001, Izyaslav Vladimirovich reigned in Polotsk, the son of Rogneda Rogvolodovna and Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the ancestor of the dynasty of Polotsk princes Izyaslavich. The foundation of the Polotsk diocese dates back to 992 (according to some sources, 1104).
In 1003-1044, Bryachislav Izyaslavich reigned in Polotsk. He significantly expanded the territory of the Principality of Polotsk, annexing the cities of Usvyat and Vitebsk, as well as the lands between the Western Dvina and Disna, where he founded the city of Bryachislavl (Braslav).
During the reign of Vseslav Bryachislavich (with some interruptions from 1044 to 1101), St. Sophia Cathedral was built (between 1030-1060), one of the earliest temples of Ancient Russia. Vseslav Bryachislavich is the only representative of the Polotsk branch of the Rurikids on the throne of Kiev (1068-1069). Under Vseslav Bryachislavich, the Principality of Polotsk reached its highest power.
Answer from Anet[guru]
The most ancient Belarusian city - Polotsk (The first annalistic mention of Polotsk dates back to 862.) - a city in the Vitebsk region, the administrative center of the Polotsk region and one of the oldest cities of Kievan Rus. It is located at the mouth of the Polota River, which flows into the Western Dvina. Then follows Vitebsk (947) and Turov (980), the youngest city in the country - Narovlya, which received city status in 1971.
Ancient cities as one of the main types of archeological monuments. Planning structure of the ancient city. The concept of the cultural layer. Polotsk and Turov as centers of ancient Slavic statehood and culture. The first annalistic references. Location and history of origin. Etymology of the name. Planning and building of the ancient cities of Belarus. Conservation and reconstruction.
Polotsk and Turov.
cultural layer- a layer of earth at the site of a human settlement, preserving traces of human activities.
Cities on the territory of Belarus began to emerge in the Middle Ages. Most of them developed from former settlements, fortified settlements and castles. Trade routes played a particularly important role in their appearance. The most ancient cities of Belarus are Polotsk, Vitebsk and Turov.
The most ancient city in Belarus is Polotsk (the first mention in the annals dates back to 862), which is located at the mouth of the river. Cloths. This city developed thanks to trade routes. It reached its greatest rise in the 10th-12th centuries, when it was the center of the Polotsk principality. For a thousand-year history, the status of Polotsk has changed about 30 times, and now it is one of the cities of the Vitebsk region.
The oldest cultural monuments of the city are St. Sophia Cathedral (XI century) and Spaso-Efrosinevsky Monastery (XII century). Ancient Polotsk consisted of three parts: Upper Castle, Lower Castle and Zapolotye. The ramparts of the Lower Castle are well preserved. The upper castle also had a shaft with a wooden wall. In addition, the fortress wall consisted of seven towers. The ground wooden frame (12-25 m²) served as the main type of city building.
The city of Turov, located on the river. Pripyat. It was first mentioned in a written source in 980. Subsequently, the city became the center of the Turov Principality. Now it is a small town in the Gomel region.
Ancient Turov consisted of a roundabout city and a citadel. Detinets from the southeast was surrounded by a defensive moat filled with water. From the 13th century there was a castle on the territory of the citadel. In modern Turov, the ruins of ancient residential buildings and the foundation of the church of the 11th-12th centuries remained. This church was the largest monumental building in the western ancient Russia(length 29.3 m; width 17.9), but it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1230. According to the largest researcher of Russian antiquities, academician A. A. Shakhmatova, chronicle message about Prince Ture is nothing more than an etymological legend designed to explain the origin of the name of the city Turov.
The Republic of Belarus has an ancient and glorious history, and its cities were founded in the days Old Russian state, and were important trade, cultural and craft centers. Despite its convenient location, almost in the very center of Europe, Belarus has not yet fully revealed its potential to tourists. Today we will try to fill this gap, and in a small tourist review we will see the most beautiful cities of this amazing and beautiful republic with such a beautiful name "Belaya Rus".
Our top of the most beautiful cities in Belarus opens with an ancient city founded in 1128. The city ranks first in the republic in terms of the number of historical monuments and architectural sights of antiquity.
Objects of historical heritage are the most important points in tourist routes. Among the unique monuments, we note the Old and New Castles, the Kolozha Church, built back in the pre-Mongolian period in the history of Russia.
It is noteworthy that in Grodno the historical center of the city, harmoniously blending into modern buildings, has remained almost unchanged. But among the modern cultural and entertainment facilities, you should definitely visit the large Grodno zoo.
The city is known all over the world for being the birthplace of the talented artist Marc Chagall, and in Vitebsk there are many memorable places associated with the life of the painter.
For example, future artists are educated at an art school, which was once founded by their famous fellow countryman. And thousands of tourists come to visit the Marc Chagall Museum, as well as enjoy the masterpieces of painting in the art center.
Among the historical buildings, profitable and merchant houses of the late 18th-19th centuries have been preserved. At night, the center of Vitebsk is illuminated by thousands of lights, and, like during the day, this is a great place for hiking.
A small Belarusian town, founded in 1223, today has only 15 thousand inhabitants, but can be proud of the monuments that have been preserved within its boundaries since ancient times.
First of all, this is the Nesvizh Castle, founded in the distant 1583 by Prince Radziwill Sirotka. Due to its uniqueness, the monument is included in the UNESCO heritage list. Here you can also visit the Farny Church, and not far from the city there is a medieval convent.
Nesvizh stands on the banks of the Usha River and its picturesque surroundings attract thousands of tourists and just nature lovers. The city has almost no major industrial production, so the air here is clean and, according to the old-timers, has healing properties.
Pinsk is located in picturesque places where the river Pina merges with the waters of Pripyat, and at one time, in the XII century, it was even the center of an independent Pinsk principality. But the mention of him was preserved in the first ancient Russian chronicles.
This town is the second in terms of the number of preserved monuments of antiquity, and is second only to Grodno. The ancient traditions of Polissya architects have been preserved in urban development, and modern buildings have absorbed various architectural styles.
The layout of the streets and squares of Pinsk is also interesting, preserving the old radial-ring system, which was formed in the Middle Ages. But in the Soviet period, new quarters were located along the Pina River.
Conclusion
So our journey through the beautiful and amazing cities of the Republic of Belarus has come to an end, and it is difficult to determine which of them is the most beautiful city Belarus.
One thing is clear that it is impossible to convey all the charm and beauty of Belarusian cities in one article. We simply advise you to visit Belarus, and, as they say, get in touch with the beauty of the magnificent Belarusian cities “live”. This will allow you to plunge into the historical splendor, as well as feel the spirit of antiquity, which lurks among the architectural and historical sights of Belarusian cities.
In the IX-XI centuries. communities of Krivichi, Dregovichi, Radimichi formed on the territory of modern Belarus, which formed the ethnic core of the most ancient early feudal Belarusian states - Polotsk (X-XII centuries) and Turov (X-XIV centuries) principalities. The lands of the Middle Bug region with some of the most ancient cities united around their main city Berestye (Brest), Northern Posozhye - were part of the Smolensk principality, and the cities of Gomel, Chechersk, Rechitsa - were part of the Chernigov principality. On the lands of the Upper Ponemanye in the XII-XIII centuries. Gorodensk and Novogorodsk (Novogrudok) specific principalities arose. Social development of the lands of Belarus early medieval went in a common direction with other Eastern Slavs.
This period is characterized by the development feudal relations, the adoption of Christianity according to the Byzantine rite, progress in the field of culture. In the conditions of deepening the social division of labor and the separation of craft from agriculture, the development of trade, the appearance in the 9th century. sustainable monetary circulation Numerous fortified cities, surrounded by fortress walls, arise and grow. They become the centers of economic and cultural life of the territories of various Slavic tribes and their principalities. During this period, the foundations of urban planning and monumental stone architecture were laid.
The first cities on the territory of Belarus arose in the 9th-13th centuries. as fortified, fenced settlements ("grads"). Some cities grew up on the sites of former settlements of the Iron Age period, others developed from the former centers of tribal settlements, border fortresses (Grodno), feudal castles, as established centers of crafts and trade in large agricultural territories.
For urban development importance had their placement on water and land trade routes, where the earliest and most famous cities arose: Polotsk, Vitebsk, Drutsk, Turov, Berestye (Brest), Gorodnya (Grodno), Pinsk and others. . along the trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" (to Byzantium; in the 9th-13th centuries, its middle part passed through the territory of Belarus), from the Baltic to Black Sea, saw many settlements surrounded by walls. Therefore, they called the lands of the Krivichi and Polotsk along the Western Dvina "Gardarik" ("country of cities").
In the north and north-west of Belarus in the 9th-10th centuries. cities arose as the support centers of the tribes as a result of the settlement of the territory of Belarus by the Eastern Slavs. These cities include: Polotsk, Vitebsk, Lukoml, Minsk, Drutsk, Orsha, Zaslavl, Logoisk, Braslav, Shklov, Volkovysk, Novogrudok. The cities were the points where the Drevlyans, Dregovichi, Krivichi brought polyudye.
The Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus compiled a description (circa 948) “About the Ruses coming from Russia on monoxyls (one-tree boats) to Constantinople: “The winter and harsh way of life of these same Russ is as follows. When the month of November comes, their princes immediately leave Kyiv with all the Russ and go to polyudye, that is, to a circular detour and precisely to the Slavic lands of the Vervians (Drevlyans) Druguvits (Dregoviches) Kriviteins (Krivichi) Severiev (North) and other Slavs paying tribute to Rus. Feeding there for the whole winter, they return to Kyiv in the month of April, when the ice on the Dnieper River melts. Then they take their odnodrevki ... equip and go to Byzantium ... "
In 945, Prince Igor of Kyiv, "... desiring more estates," decided to gather polyudye twice during one winter, but was killed by the rebellious Drevlyans.
The intensive growth of cities in Belarus began in the 11th-12th centuries. as a result of progress in development Agriculture and crafts. In the southern part of Belarus, cities arose as centers of crafts and trade, serving large agricultural regions. In the XI-XIII centuries. on the territory of the present Gomelytsyna, a necklace of ancient cities grew up: Gomel, Mozyr, Rogachev, Streshin, Chechersk, Bragin, Rechitsa.
In the IX-XIII centuries. there were more than 40 cities on the territory of Belarus. There is information about 35 of them in the Slavic chronicles (“The Tale of Bygone Years”, XII century), others written sources. Some have been discovered as a result of archaeological discoveries. By the 9th century refers to the emergence of Polotsk; in the X century. Zaslavl, Turov, Volkovysk arose; in the 11th century - Braslav, Brest, Vitebsk, Drutsk, David-Gorodok, Kopys, Logoisk, Lukoml, Minsk, Orsha, Pinsk; in the 12th century - Borisov, Bragin, Gomel, Grodno, Kletsk, Mozyr, Mstislavl, Novogrudok, Rogachev, Slutsk, Proposhesk (Propoisk, since 1945 - Slavgorod), Chechersk; in the thirteenth century - Volkovysk, Zditov (now the village of Zditovo in the Berezovsky district), Kamenets, Kopyl, Kobrin, Rechitsa, Slonim, Turiysk (now the village of Tureisk in the Shchuchinsky district).
Many ancient cities of Belarus bear the names of their founding princes. Among them: Borisov, Zaslavl, Braslav, David-Gorodok, Turov, Mstislavl. A number of cities are named after their location on the rivers: Minsk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Pinsk, Slutsk.
From the beginning of their existence, cities have become centers of the economic and cultural life of the surrounding territories, establishing and developing trade relations with near and far groups of the East Slavic population.
In the center of the city there was a citadel (fortress), fortified with wooden palisades or log wooden walls - gorodny, ditches and earthen ramparts, and later - stone walls (in some western cities - with donjon towers). In the citadel there was a feudal lord's castle, an administrative office, a church, a monastery. Near the citadel there was a roundabout city with a second line of fortifications. It is usually composed of a suburb (suburb) - a trade and craft part of a feudal city. All ancient Belarusian cities had settlements, in large cities they were divided into districts (ends).
The predominant population of the settlements were artisans and merchants. Already in the X century. in the largest cities of Belarus there are over 40 types of crafts. In addition to crafts, part of the urban population was engaged in crafts, arable farming, gardening and cattle breeding.
The layout of streets in large cities was radial-circular or radial-fan. The main street started from the city gates. Streets 2-5 m wide were paved with logs and wooden blocks laid on log logs. In some large cities (Polotsk, Minsk) there were drainage devices on the streets to drain water.
For Belarusian trade and craft cities, a planning structure with two centers was typical - a feudal castle and a market square with shops, craftsmen's workshops, and trading warehouses. Along the city streets there were yards of citizens with houses and outbuildings (workshops, sheds, warehouses), surrounded by fences with entrance gates (gates) under a gable roof.
Housing and economic construction in the cities of the XI-XII centuries. was made of wood. Small one-chamber (single-room) ground-type dwellings of a log structure were erected on estates from logs, less often from beams (Minsk, Davyd-Gorodok) with an area of 12-16 square meters. m. The building was distinguished by the density of the location of buildings. Yards were usually surrounded by strong wooden fences. Archaeological studies of the habitation of the townspeople of feudal Vitebsk, carried out in 1981-1989, showed the process of its development from simple single-chamber huts to multi-chamber huts with a vestibule, which appeared in the 12th century.
In the southern part of Belarus, terrestrial frame houses and semi-dugouts.
Houses often had wooden floors made of chipped boards. Small windows were cut in the upper crowns of the walls; in the houses of wealthier owners they were made of mica or glass. The buildings were covered with gable roofs made of shingles. An adobe or stone stove was used to heat the room, which stood in the corner of the house closest to the entrance.
In some cities (Novogrudok, Berestye, Slonim) there are two-chamber houses with an area of several tens of square meters. So, in Novogrudok in the XII-XIII centuries. on the territory of the roundabout city there was a quarter with two-room residential buildings of wealthy citizens with an area of \u200b\u200bhousing up to 75 square meters. m. Most of the buildings had plastered walls, large windows with round glass disks, and were distinguished by “white” stoves. various types.
In the XII-XIII centuries. crafts were further developed in the cities, among which blacksmithing, jewelry, leather, shoemaking, tailoring, pottery, cooperage, and bone carving prevailed. The production of various iron products, household tools (locks, axes, knives, sickles, coulters, nails, etc.), weapons and ammunition (swords, chain mail, shells, spearheads, horseshoes, etc.) has become widespread. The production of clothing and footwear, household utensils (pottery, cooperage), jewelry, pendants, temple rings, bracelets, beads, buttons, etc. increased. Archaeological finds of that time include bone combs, chess pieces, knife handles, etc.
Unique is the find on the territory of the roundabout city in Gomel of a destroyed workshop of the first half of the 13th century, where “plank armor” was made - rectangular convex iron plates for military armor. There were 1,500 such plates in the workshop, which were manufactured and processed there, which indicates a well-established, large-scale production of protective weapons in the ancient Belarusian borderland.
Various products of artisans of the most ancient cities are exhibited today in the historical, archaeological and local history museums of Belarus.
Among the various strata of the townspeople, writing developed, known in the Belarusian lands from the 10th century. Its earliest monuments are inscriptions on the lead seal of the Polotsk prince Izyaslav (X century), on a brick from the St. Sophia Cathedral (XI century), the text of the Turov Gospel (XI-XII centuries), the inscription on the cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk (XII century) . Inscriptions from the 12th century are known. on household items: whorls from excavations in Drutsk, Pinsk, Grodno, amphoras found in Novogrudok and Pinsk, on epigraphic monuments - Borisov stones (XII century) and Rogvolod stone (XII century). Archaeologists found in the Brest settlement a boxwood comb with a part of the alphabet carved on it, as well as birch bark writings of the 13th-14th centuries. in Vitebsk (1959) and Mstislavl (1980).
With the adoption in the X century. Christianity in the ancient cities of Belarus began the construction of monumental stone cross-domed churches built of plinths - a wide and flat baked brick 3-3.5 cm thick. In the X-XI centuries. for their construction, craftsmen from Byzantium were invited, which contributed to the assimilation by East Slavic masters of the best traditions of creating cult Orthodox churches. In 1001, one of the first churches on the lands of the Eastern Slavs was built in Drutsk, and in the 12th century. in the cities of Belarus there were about 20 Orthodox churches.
In the XII century. in the cities of the ancient Belarusian principalities, under the influence of Byzantine, Old Russian and Western European architecture, characteristic local architectural schools - Polotsk and Grodno - were formed. The architectural school as a certain direction in architecture is characterized by a manifestation of originality in style principles and a certain chronological framework, as well as the presence of architectural monuments created by the students and followers of the famous master. Based on the best traditions of architecture of previous centuries, Belarusian architectural schools were also formed on a local folk basis. Chronicles have preserved the names of ancient architects - the creators of architectural schools - Polotsk John and Grodno Peter Milanego.
The monumental architectural masterpieces of the ancient Belarusian cities of the 12th-13th centuries are distinguished by originality and originality: St. Sophia Cathedral and the Savior-Euphrosyne Church in Polotsk, the Church of the Annunciation in Vitebsk, the Borisoglebskaya (Kolozhskaya) Church in Grodno. The monumental stone cathedrals in Novogrudok, Turov, Volkovysk also corresponded to the level of the best monuments of ancient Russian culture of their time.
The viable and original Belarusian culture, emerging from the cradle of Byzantine and East Slavic traditions, confidently and successfully developed in all specific principalities, and then in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In 2012, the oldest city in Belarus, Polotsk, celebrated its 1150th anniversary. Now it is a very small town with a population of 82 thousand people.
And in the Middle Ages, Polotsk was largest city Grand Duchy of Lithuania. But after numerous troops, now from the great Polotsk there remains a small but pleasant town, walking around which you plunge into the atmosphere of bygone times.
The highlight of the city is the Spaso-Evfrosinievskiy Convent,
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which women are allowed to enter only wearing long skirts and hoodies.
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And we, like true Christians, obeyed. The courtyard of the monastery is decorated with fragrant roses,
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and five black round domes of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral, built in the neo-Byzinthian style, give it majesty and monumentality.
In this temple, the holy relics of Euphrosyne of Polotsk rest, entering which I felt some kind of spiritual peace and lightness, which for some reason is not felt in ordinary churches.
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The city tour did not disappoint us either. The entrance to the souvenir shop in the city center is decorated with an original cart with flower pots.
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In the store I liked the stylish mannequins,
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puppet couple bride and groom
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and ceramic souvenirs on all sorts of topics.
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I love hedges.
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Epiphany Cathedral of the 18th century
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Lutheran church, built in the 19th-20th centuries, in the building of which the Museum of Local Lore is now located.
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And another highlight of the city is St. Sophia Cathedral, the oldest stone building on the territory of Belarus, built between 1030-1060. It was a symbol of the adoption of Christianity by Polochans.
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It was blown up in 1710 by the Russian Tsar Peter I, but restored in the Vilna Baroque style in the middle of the 18th century. Now the cathedral houses a museum, tours, concerts and festivals of organ music are held.
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Near the cathedral there is an 8-meter Borisov stone with inscriptions and crosses carved into it. Found near the village of Podkosteltsy, 5 km from Polotsk, in 1981 it was transported to St. Sophia Cathedral. According to one version, the stones marked the routes trade routes.
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Climbing up to the cathedral from above, a view of the Western Dvina River opens up.
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Wandering along the narrow streets of Polotsk, you can see a very diverse building
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and a boulder with pagan symbols carved into it.
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The most central in the city is Freedom Square,
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the central place of which is occupied by a monument to the heroes Patriotic War 1812, built in 2010 instead of its predecessor (By the way, in the early 1930s, the monument was demolished "for metal for the needs of the first five-year plan." Instead of it, the ubiquitous Ilyich flaunted for some time.).