Ancient Polotsk
 Polotsk (Polock, Poltesk or Polotesk) is the oldest town of our
fatherland and one of the most ancient of the Eastern Slavs. First
mentioned in “A Tale of Years Past” in 862, Polotsk has always been a
major trading centre and an important fortress with a remarkably
stormy history.
 Polotsk is situated on the Western Dvina River at its confluence with
the Polota. In ancient Scandinavian sagas Polotsk is mentioned long
before prince Ruric. It is shown as a wealthy and powerful principality
ruled by its own duke.
 Western (Zapadnaya) Dvina River served as one of the branches of
the famous ancient trade route “from Varangians to Greeks” (from the
Baltic to the Black Sea). There was a busy waterway between Polotsk
and Kiev. A water-way to the east, to Vitebsk and Smolensk, was also
of great importance. Such an advantageous geographical location
contributed to Polotsk’s fast economic, cultural and political
development.
 The ruins of an ancient settlement (gorodische) have remained on
the right bank of the Western Dvina River at its confluence with the
Polota. This settlement, called Dzyatsinez or later Verhny Zamok (The
Upper Castle), had a shape of an irregular triangle and was encircled
with a bank. St Sophia Cathedral (built in the 11th century) towers
above the south part of the Upper Castle. Okol’ny Gorod (The Lower
Castle) sided with Dzyatsinez to the north-east of it. The territory along
the Western Dvina River - to the east of the Upper Castle and to the
south of the Lower Castle – was occupied with a vast trading quarter
(Posad). An ancient burial ground was situated behind it. The dead
there were buried according to heathen customs.
 The Upper Castle was protected by rivers on three sides and by moat
on the fourth one. It had two gates: the first one led to Veliky Posad
(The Great Trading Quarter), the second one led to Zapolotye.
 Unfortunately, the monumental constructions of the 9-10th cent.,
connected with heathenism, haven’t remained. Under the legend, a
heathen temple of Peroun existed in Polotsk not far from Volovye Lake.
 It is known, that Eastern Slavs’ art of those times reflected heathen
magic ideas. Burial grounds near villages Ekiman’, Borky, Glinishe and
Bel’chicy on the outskirts of Polotsk have been explored.
 Polotsk, as all towns of those times, was built of wood. Wooden
buildings were easier to heat, they’re always dry inside. Ordinary
people’s dwellings, as well as boyar’s mansions, were made of logs.
 With the spreading of Christianity, architects raised monumental
buildings of worship. A few buildings of stone architecture stood out
against a background of various wooden buildings. They embody not
only ingenuity of people, but also their creativity and sense of beauty.
 Polotsk has no equal among other Belorussian towns, if we speak
about the number of monumental buildings of the 12th century.
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 Stone architecture of the Kievan period is in most cases presented by
buildings of worship. Churches were raised by most talented architects.
The interior and exterior of the churches impressed people greatly.
 St Sophia Cathedral is the oldest monumental construction in
Belarus. It was built by Duke Useslau Brachyslavavich in the middle of
the 11th century in place of a wooden cathedral which had been burnt
down. Kiev and Novgorod cathedrals were also named after St Sophia
and that reflects deep cultural relations between Slavs as well as a
single historical fortune of these three towns.
 The erection of St Sophia Cathedral is connected with the rise of
Polatsk’s political role. This architectural monument reflects Polotsk
Dukes’ power and authority. St Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk, like the one
in Kiev, served for the main public-service institution of the town, in
which ambassadors were received, wars declared and peace made. It
was a vast cathedral for those times. Its dimensions were: width – 26.4
m, length – 31.5 m (taking account of apses).
 Archaeological materials, dating from the 10-13th centuries, are
evidence of developing various handicrafts, such as ceramics and
blacksmith’s work, jeweler’s art and tanning industry, shoemaking and
cooper’s craft. During the excavation of the Upper Castle there has been
found a large number of hand-made goods and scrap, unfinished goods
and remains of handicraft workshops.
 The key industry was the production of consumer goods – leather
footwear, utensils and adornments for women. Here prospered typical
medieval handicrafts. Livestock-farming and plant-growing were
sources of raw materials for making cloths. Long-fibred flax, hemp and
wool were good raw materials for spinning and weaving. The improved
loom called “chrosna” appeared at the beginning of the 13th century.
 Craftsmen were making up a sizeable part of the townspeople. They
lived not only at the Great Trading Quarter, but also in the eastern part
of the Upper Castle. The density of population here was very high. The
buildings were joined to each other by their side walls. An average room
had an area of 12 – 25 square meters. All yards were small and were
separated from each other by paling (a fence formed by a line of
pointed stakes vertically planted in the ground).
 A log cabin was the main type of houses. It had a gable roof put on
rafters; its frame was often placed on wooden blocks. These buildings
had no chimneys.
 There were two types of trade in Polotsk in the 9-12th centuries:
home trade and foreign trade. The home barter was made within the
bounds of the town and on its outskirts. Big towns of individual
principalities traded with one another. Glassware, kaolin clay and
folding bronze crosses (encolpions) were brought from Kiev. They have
been found during the excavations in Polotsk.
 Inter-regional trade relations exceeded the bounds of Rus and were
transit. Amber was brought from the Baltic coast and transported to
Polotsk, Vitebsk and Smolensk by the Western Dvina River. These
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towns were those large centers the Baltic amber went through on its
way to the neighboring Old Russian lands.
 Foreign trade is evidenced by imports. Amphoras were brought from
Byzantine Empire (via Kiev). Beads made of cornelian were brought
from the East. They were made in Central Asia and brought to Polotsk
through the mediation of foreign merchants. Combs have been found
during the excavations at the Upper Castle. They were made of boxtree, which grew in forests of the Greater Caucasus and on the Black
Sea coast.
 Long since the inhabitants of Polotsk had been trading with the
Gotland Island. After that Riga became the centre of trade. There were
constant trade relations between Polotsk and Riga. The first trade
agreement between these two towns was signed in 1210. The second
one – Smolenskaya Torgovaya Pravda of 1229 – regulated the barter
between Smolensk, Polotsk, Vitebsk and Riga. This trade agreement
allowed the German merchants to trade outside Smolensk; the Russian
merchants were allowed to go as far as Lubek.
 The economic development of Polotsk was closely connected with the
development of other towns and principalities of Kievan Rus, in spite of
political fragmentation and feudal intestine wars.
 The most ancient written sources don’t contain a connected and
logical chronology of the Polotsk Principality and Polotsk. The local
Polotsk chronicles haven’t remained. They’ve disappeared during
numerous wars and fires that repeatedly destroyed the town. Never the
less, even separate annalistic data make it possible to describe social
and political life of ancient Polotsk in a general way.
 The territory of Polotsk land included the greater part of
contemporary Belarus and lied basically along the Western Dvina River,
Berezina River, upper reaches of the Vilyuy River and their tributaries.
In the 11-12th centuries the lands of dukes of Polotsk were stretching
almost to the Gulf of Riga, including towns within Latvia, such as
Koknesse (Kukenois) and Ersiku (Gersike). Such towns as Minsk,
Vitebsk, Druzk, Lukoml’, Zaslavl’, Logoysk, Braslav, Barysaw and Orsha
were part of the lands of Polotsk. Polotsk was the chief and the oldest
town of the oblast (province). In the 9-12th centuries the word “land”
(principality) was often replaced by the name “Polotsk”. Instead of
calling the territory “the lands of Polotsk” people called it “Polotsk”.
 Comparatively high economic development of Polotsk in the 11-12th
centuries contributed to its transformation into the centre of an
independent principality. The isolation of Polotsk land established owing
to the feudal division of the Old Russian State. The feudal division
existed because of developing feudal relations.
 Intestine struggle was becoming more aggravated. In 1021 Duke of
Polotsk Brachyslau Izyaslavich attacked Novgorod, captured great spoils
and made his way towards Polotsk. Brachyslau headed strong and
numerous armed forces. But on his way back his army was defeated by
Duke of Kiev Yaroslav’s forces, so he had to return all the captured
material. Yaroslav, in spite of his victory over Brachyslau, was trying to
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gain him over. Vitebsk and Usvyaty were granted to Duke of Polotsk. As
a result, Dukes of Polotsk instituted their control over the water-way
from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
 The golden age of the Polotsk Principality is counted as being during
the rule of Duke Useslau Brachyslavavich (1044-1101). People called
him Charadzei (the Sorcerer). It is unlikely that he really was a wizard,
but he definitely was an intelligent and brave man who loved the place
where he was born and raised. “A Lay of Igor's Campaign” (“The Song
of Igor's Campaign”) shows Useslau as a man of foresight, as an
experienced manager and a talented military leader, who took part in
many armed conflicts.
 After Useslau’s death in 1101, the lands of Polotsk were divided
between his sons. The Polotsk Principality was divided into the following
appanage principalities: the Polotsk Principality and the Minsk
Principality, the Vitebsk Principality and the Druzk Principality, the
Izyaslavl’ Principality and the Logoysk Principality. The Polotsk Throne
was considered to be the main one and Polotsk continued being the
major economic and political centre of the region.
Translated by Sergey Simonov
Перевод статьи «Полоцк древний. К 1145-летию г.Полоцка»
Перевёл Сергей Симонов, учащийся Минской Государственной Лингвистической
гимназии-колледжа №24.
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