The most ancient cities of Russia. The structure and characteristics of the settlement in the old days. The oldest Russian city - Veliky Novgorod

Introduction

The question of when the Slavs appeared on the territory where the Old Russian state later developed has not yet been resolved.

Some researchers think that the Slavs are the original population of this territory, others believe that non-Slavic tribes lived here, and the Slavs moved here much later, only in the middle of the 1st millennium AD. In any case, the Slavic settlements of the 6th - 7th centuries on the territory modern Ukraine already well known. They are located in the southern part of the forest-steppe, almost on the border of the steppes. Apparently, the situation here at that time was calm and one could not be afraid of enemy attacks - Slavic settlements were built unfortified.

Later, the situation changed dramatically: hostile nomadic tribes appeared in the steppes, and cities began to be built here.

The purpose of this work is to consider cities Ancient Russia- their structure, management, the life of citizens, as well as the influence of the location of cities on the occupation of the population, on their role in the history of Russia.

Such an excursion will help us better understand the life of the ancient Slavs, their culture, meaning historical events, designate the role of ancient cities in the political, spiritual and cultural life Russia.

The emergence of cities in ancient Russia

The Slavs, as a Central European agricultural people, had stable agricultural production skills based on plow farming, and had, in comparison with local tribes, more developed forms social organization society. Besides, in recent centuries I millennium AD The territory of Eastern Europe was crossed by two major trade and military routes of the Middle Ages - the Baltic-Volga route and the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks." The first of them played a significant role in the history of the region.

The addition of the route between the Baltic and the East provided strong influence on the economy of the surrounding areas. Its centers began to play a decisive role as administrative, military, trade and craft centers of the territories.

The formation of the state territory in the south and north of Russia, as well as the formation of cities as the supporting centers of new social and economic relations and connections, undoubtedly, on the one hand, obeyed general patterns development of East Slavic society, but, on the other hand, had a lot specific traits. It is traditionally believed that the city is the product of its district and cities arise in areas with the highest concentration of the rural population. This was the case with most cities. Southern Russia in the Middle Dnieper, where the appearance of the first cities was preceded by a certain period of stability in the development of Slavic society, which followed the resettlement of Slavic tribes from the more western and southwestern regions of Europe.

In Northern Russia it was by no means the needs of the agricultural population that created cities. The latter grew in key areas of vast river systems that blocked the communications of vast territories. Such a location gave the city the opportunity to collect tribute from the population of large areas and control trade routes. It was a long-distance trade, military-administrative control of river systems and a craft that served the highest social stratum of the cities themselves and trade routes.

The story of the beginning of the Russian land does not remember when these cities arose: Kyiv, Pereslavl, Chernigov, Smolensk, Lyubech, Novgorod, Rostov, Polotsk. At the moment from which she begins her story about Russia, most of these cities, if not all of them, apparently, were already significant settlements. A cursory glance at the geographical distribution of these cities is enough to see that they were created by the success of Russia's foreign trade. Most of them stretched out long chain along the main river route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", along the line of the Dnieper - Volkhov; only a few, Pereslavl on Trubezh, Chernigov on the Desna, Rostov in the region of the Upper Volga, advanced eastward from this, how to say, operational basis of Russian trade, as its eastern outposts, indicating its flank direction to the Azov and Caspian Seas. The emergence of these large trading cities was the completion of a complex economic process, which began among the Slavs in new places of residence.

Eastern Slavs settled along the Dnieper and its tributaries in lonely fortified courtyards.

With the development of trade, prefabricated trading posts arose among these one-yards, places of industrial exchange, where trappers and beekeepers converged for trade, for guests, as they used to say in the old days. Such collection points are called graveyards. Subsequently, with the adoption of Christianity, in these local rural markets, as habitual human gatherings, first of all, Christian temples: then the graveyard received the value of the place where the rural parish church stands. The rural administrative division coincided with or coincided with the parishes: this informed the graveyard of the importance of a rural volost.

Small rural markets were drawn to the larger ones that arose on particularly busy trade routes. Of these major markets who served as intermediaries between native industrialists and foreign markets, and our oldest trading cities along the Greek-Varangian trade route. These cities served shopping malls and the main storage points for the industrial districts formed around them.

Cities appeared in ancient times. These were fortified settlements of farmers and pastoralists. Russian word"city" comes from the words "fence", "fence". The settlement was surrounded by a defensive fence - an earthen rampart, a palisade or a wall.

In Ancient Russia, any residential place surrounded by such a protective fence was called a city. Over time, the inhabitants of the cities began to engage in crafts and trade, markets and fairs appeared everywhere. The area for trade was called trade. Shops of merchants and public buildings were located here. Guest yards were built for visiting merchants. Cities often arose along the shores of seas and rivers or at crossroads: it was easier for merchants to bring goods on ships or horses. The proximity of the crossing - a bridge or a ford - also mattered. Sometimes a city arose next to a portage - a dry path along which shipbuilders "dragged" ships with goods from one river to another (this is how Volokolamsk appeared). Sometimes the city grew up around a large monastery (like Sergiev Posad).

The city consisted of a fortress (Kremlin) and a suburb. Posad was divided into settlements. In each of them lived artisans of the same profession - potters, tanners, blacksmiths. The city could appear at the behest of the prince or king. So, Vladimir-on-Klyazma was founded by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. And preparing a trip to Kazan, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to build a fortress Sviyazhsk on the Sviyaga River - a tributary of the Volga.

The city survived if there was a well-established agriculture in its district. City life had the imprint of rural life. Often the enemies burned the ancient cities to the ground, but the inhabitants rebuilt them from the ashes and ruins. The city could “disappear” if the petty principality to which it belonged ceased to exist or the district was depleted of valuable raw materials for the extraction of which the city was built. People also left the "restless" cities, tired of the constant raids of the steppe nomads.

There were many artisans among the inhabitants. The townspeople were served by masters of “costume” (weavers, tailors, tanners), masters of “cooking” (pancake makers, butchers, fermenters), masters of “construction” (boilermakers, masons, locksmiths). The life of merchants passed on the market. There were service people in the city, headed by the governor, as well as the military - archers, gunners, collars.

What is an ancient Russian city like? The city was wooden. Temples and rarely chambers were built of stone. Residential buildings were most often one-story. Often, a city surrounded by a wooden (and later stone) wall and a moat was additionally protected by an earthen rampart or another wooden wall. People lived between the Kremlin and these fortifications. So, in the center of Moscow there was the Kremlin and Kitay-gorod. At a distance from them was another defensive wall - the White City. And then came the next fortification - an earthen rampart.

Since its inception, Russia has been famous for its densely populated and fortified villages. It was so famous that the Varangians, who later began to rule it, called Slavic lands Gardariki is a country of cities. The Scandinavians were amazed by the fortifications of the Slavs, since they themselves spent most of their lives at sea. Now we can figure out what an ancient Russian city is and what it is famous for.

Reasons for the appearance

It is no secret that man is a social being. For better survival, he needs to gather in groups. And if earlier the tribe became such a “center of life”, then with the departure of barbarian customs, it was necessary to look for a civilized replacement.

In fact, the appearance of cities in people's lives is so natural that it could hardly be otherwise. They differ from a village or village in one important factor - the fortifications that protected the settlements. In other words, walls. It is from the word "to fence" (strengthening) that the word "city" came from.

The formation of ancient Russian cities is connected, first of all, with the need to protect against enemies and create an administrative center for the principality. After all, it was in them that most often was " blue blood» Rus. For these people, a sense of security and comfort was important. All merchants and artisans flocked here, turning the settlements into vibrant Novgorod, Kiev, Lutsk.

In addition, the newly created settlements became excellent trading centers, merchants from all over the world could flock here, receiving a promise to be protected. military squad. Due to the incredible importance of trade, cities in Russia were most often built on the banks of rivers (for example, the Volga or the Dnieper), since at that time the waterways were the safest and most fast way delivery of goods. The settlements located on the banks of the rivers were enriched as never before.

Population

First of all, the city could not exist without a ruler. It was either a prince or his viceroy. The building in which he lived was the richest secular housing, it became the center of the settlement. He solved various legal issues and set the rules.

The second part of the ancient Russian city is the boyars - people close to the prince and able to influence him directly with their word. They occupied various official positions and lived in such settlements richer than anyone, except perhaps merchants, but they did not stay in one place for a long time. At that time, their life was an endless road.

Next, you need to remember about the various artisans of all possible professions, from icon painters to blacksmiths. As a rule, their living quarters were located inside the city, and the working workshops were outside the walls.

And the last in the social ladder were the peasants, they did not live inside the settlement, but were located on the lands that they cultivated. As a rule, they got into the Old Russian gorodoni only on commercial or legal matters.

The cathedral

The center of the ancient Russian city is the church. The cathedral, located in front of the main square, was a real symbol. The most monumental, decorated and rich building, the temple was the center of spiritual power.

The larger the city became, the more churches appeared inside it. But none of them had the right to be grander than the main and first temple, which personified the entire settlement. Princely cathedrals, parish and home churches - all of them were supposed to stretch towards the main spiritual center.

A special role was played by monasteries, which sometimes became literally cities within cities. Often a fortified settlement in general could arise precisely around the place of residence of the monks. Then the main temple of the monastery became dominant in the spiritual life of the city.

Cathedrals were actively decorated, and gilded domes appeared for a reason: they could be seen for many kilometers, and they were a "guiding star" for travelers and lost souls. The temple, with its splendor, was supposed to remind people that earthly life is nothing, and only God's beauty, which was the church, can be considered true.

Gates

The gates, which in the fortified villages were up to four pieces (on the cardinal points), were given, oddly enough, great value. As the only passage to the ancient Russian city, they were of great symbolic significance: “to open the gates” meant to give the city to the enemy.

They tried to decorate the gates as much as possible, but it is better to make at least one front entrance through which the prince and noble people would enter. They were supposed to instantly shock the visitor and testify to prosperity and happiness. local residents. No money or effort was spared for a good finish of the gate, they were often repaired by the whole city.

It was also customary to consider them a kind of sacred place, which was protected not only by earthly troops, but also by saints. In the rooms above the gate there were often many icons, and right next to them there was a small chapel, the purpose of which was to protect the entrance by the Will of God.

Bargain

A small area, usually near a river (most of the settlements were founded around them), was a necessary part of economic life. The ancient Russian cities of Russia could hardly exist without trade, in which merchants were the main ones.

Here, at the auction, they placed and unloaded their goods, and the main transactions took place here. Often, already spontaneously, a market appeared here. Not the one where the peasants traded, but a rich place created for the elite of the city with a lot of foreign goods, expensive jewelry. He represented not a symbolic, but a true "quality mark" of the settlement. It was by bargaining that one could understand how rich the settlement was, because the merchant would not stand idle where there was no profit.

Mansions

incarnation secular power was the dwelling of the prince or governor. It was not only the residence of the ruler, but also an administrative building. Various legal issues were resolved here, a court was held, an army gathered before campaigns. Often it was the most fortified place in the city, having a protected courtyard, where all the inhabitants had to run in case of a military threat.

Less wealthy boyar houses were located around the chambers of the ruler. Most often they were wooden, in contrast to the prince's house, which could afford Old Russian cities were architecturally rich precisely thanks to the dwellings of the nobility, who tried to decorate their house as much as possible and show material wealth.

Ordinary people were accommodated in separate wooden one-story houses or huddled in the barracks, which most often stood on the very edge of the city.

fortifications

As already mentioned, cities ancient Russian state created primarily to protect people. For this, fortifications were organized.

At first, the walls were wooden, but over time, stone defenses appeared more and more often. It is clear that only wealthy princes could afford such a “pleasure”. Fortifications created from heavy logs pointed at the top were called stockades. A similar word originally denoted each city in the Old Russian language.

In addition to the palisade itself, the settlement was protected by an earthen rampart. In general, most often settlements appeared already at advantageous strategic points. In the lowland, the city would not have existed for long (until the first military conflict), and therefore most often they were based on high points. We can say that we do not know anything about poorly fortified settlements, because they instantly disappeared from the face of the earth.

layout

For modern, very chaotic and confusing settlements, a real sample is an ancient Russian city. Fortress where she lived most of population, was really skillfully and accurately planned, as nature itself would dictate.

In fact, the cities of that time were a rounded shape. In the middle, as already mentioned, there were two important centers: spiritual and secular. This is the main cathedral and the prince's estate. Around them, spinning in a spiral, were the rich houses of the boyars. Thus, wrapping around, for example, a hill, the city descended lower and lower, to the walls. Inside, it was divided into "streets" and "ends", which threads passed through the spirals and went from the gate to the main center.

A little later, with the development of settlements, the workshops, which were originally located outside the main line, were also surrounded by walls, creating secondary fortifications. Gradually, over the course of centuries, cities grew in exactly this way.

Kyiv

Of course, the modern capital of Ukraine is the most famous ancient Russian city. You can find confirmation of all the theses mentioned above in it. In addition, it must be considered the first truly large fortified village on the territory of the Slavs.

The main city, surrounded by fortifications, was on a hill, and Podil was occupied by workshops. In the same place, next to the Dnieper, there was a bargain. The main entrance to Kyiv, its main entrance is the famous Golden Gate, which, as was said, had not only practical, but also sacred meaning, especially since they are named so in honor of the gates of Constantinople.

It became the spiritual center of the city. It was to him that the rest of the temples and churches stretched, which he excelled in both beauty and grandeur.

Velikiy Novgorod

It is impossible to list the ancient Russian cities of Russia without mentioning This densely populated center of the principality served the most important purpose: it was an extremely “European” city. It was here that diplomats and merchants from the Old World flocked, since Novgorod was in the middle of the trade routes of Europe and the rest of Russia.

The main thing that we have now received thanks to Novgorod is an incomparably huge number of various historical monuments. Unique opportunity to see them right now by buying a plane ticket, there is because Novgorod was not destroyed and captured in times Mongolian yoke, although he paid exorbitant tribute.

The so-called "Novgorod Kremlin", or Novgorod Detinets, is widely known. These fortifications long time served as a reliable fort to the great city. In addition, it is impossible not to mention the Yaroslav's Court - a huge region of Novgorod on the banks of the Volkhov, where bargaining and many houses of various wealthy merchants were located. In addition, it is assumed that the prince's abode was also located there, although it has not yet been found in Veliky Novgorod, perhaps due to the absence of an integral princely system as such in the history of the settlement.

Moscow

The history of ancient Russian cities, of course, defies description without the presence in the list of such a grandiose settlement as Moscow. She got the opportunity to grow and become the center modern Russia thanks to its unique location: in fact, every major northern trade route passed by it.

Of course, the main historical attraction of the city is the Kremlin. It is with him that the first associations now arise at the mention of this word, although initially it simply meant “fortress”. Initially, as for all cities, the defense of Moscow was made of wood and much later acquired a familiar look to us.

The Kremlin also houses the main temple of Moscow - the Assumption Cathedral, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. His appearance literally personifies the architecture of its time.

Outcome

Many names of ancient Russian cities were not mentioned here, however, the goal was not to create a list of them. Three is enough for a clear demonstration of how conservative the Russian people were in establishing settlements. And you can’t say that they had this quality undeservedly, no, the appearance that the cities had was dictated by the very nature of survival. The plan was as practical as possible and, in addition, created a symbol of the real center of the region, which the fortified settlements were. Now such a construction of cities is no longer relevant, but it is possible that someday they will talk about our architecture in the same way.

urban population in ancient Russia constituted the main basis of state life and decisively prevailed over the rural population. Chronicles mention in the pre-Tatar era up to three hundred cities. But, without a doubt, this number is far from corresponding to their actual number, if by city we mean what was understood in antiquity, that is, any fortified or fenced settlement.

Before the unification of Russia under one princely family, and in general in the pagan era, when each tribe lived separately and was divided into many communities and principalities, not only external enemies, but also frequent mutual quarrels forced the population to fence themselves off from enemy attacks. Cities inevitably and gradually multiplied along with the transition of the Slavic-Russian tribes from a nomadic and wandering life to a settled one. As early as the 6th century, according to Iornand, forests and swamps replaced cities for the Slavs, i.e. served them instead of fortifications against enemies. But this message cannot be taken literally. Already in those days, in all likelihood, there were fortified settlements and even significant trading cities. With the great development of settlement and agriculture, their number greatly increased in subsequent centuries. About three centuries after Iornand, another Latin writer (unknown, by the name of the Bavarian geographer) enumerates the Slavic and non-Slavic tribes that inhabited Eastern Europe, and counts their cities in tens and hundreds, so that the complexity is several thousand cities. Even if his news were exaggerated, it nevertheless points to a huge number of cities in ancient Russia. But from such a number it is still impossible to conclude about the density and large number of the country's population itself. These cities were actually towns or small settlements, dug in with a rampart and a moat with the addition of a tyn, or palisade, and only partly had walls made of wicker and log cabins filled with earth and stones with towers and gates. IN Peaceful time their population was engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, fish and animal trade in the surrounding fields, forests and waters. These rural occupations of the townspeople are directly indicated by the chronicle, putting into the mouth of Olga following words, addressed to the besieged inhabitants of Korosten: "What do you want to sit out; all your cities have already been transferred to me and have pledged to pay tribute and cultivate their fields and their land; and you want to starve yourself better than pay tribute." But at the first military alarm, the population took refuge in their towns, ready to withstand the siege and repulse the enemy. In accordance with the needs of protection, the very place for the city was usually chosen somewhere on the coastal elevation of a river or lake; on at least one side it adjoined the wilds and swamps, which not only prevented an enemy attack from this side, but also served as a shelter in case the town was taken. Of course, the more open the country was, the more it was subjected to enemy attacks, the greater the need for settlements dug in with ramparts, as was the case in the southern strip of Ancient Russia. In places wooded, swampy and generally protected by nature itself, fortified in this way, there were, of course, fewer villages.

When the Russian tribe, through its own squads, extended its dominance in Eastern Europe and when these squads united Eastern Slavs under the rule of one princely family, naturally, both the danger from neighbors and mutual fights between Slavic tribes. Russia, on the one hand, curbed external enemies, whom it often smashed in their own land; and on the other hand, the princely power forbade fights in their possessions that arose because of the possession of a field, forest, pasture, fishing or because of kidnapped women, as well as attacks for the purpose of robbery, extraction of slaves, etc. Imposing tribute on the native population, the princes in return, in addition to external protection, gave them court and punishment, i.e. they were obliged to more or less protect the weak from the insults of the strongest, in other words, laid the foundation for the state system. Therefore, the inhabitants of many towns, due to greater security than before, could gradually settle in surrounding places in unfortified farms and towns in order to more conveniently engage in agriculture; the towns themselves often acquired a more peaceful character, gradually turning into open villages. Hence more and more multiplied rural population devoted to agriculture and other economic pursuits. This was predominantly the case in the interior; but along the outskirts and where there was more danger, as well as in the lands of conquered foreigners, the princes themselves took care of maintaining and building well-fortified cities in which they placed their warriors. In general, in this Russian-princely era, a distinction was gradually developed between the urban and rural populations.

If the number of fortified settlements was not as numerous as before, then the cities themselves became more significant and began to accommodate a population more diverse in their division into classes and estates. They are gradually becoming the focus for the surrounding area, both in military and governmental terms, and in industrial and commercial terms; at least this must be said of the most significant cities. Such cities usually consisted of two main parts: "detinets" and "fort". Detinets, otherwise the Kremlin, was considered the inner part, although it was rarely inside, and usually on one or two sides it was located above the very coastline. It housed the cathedral church and the courtyard of the prince or his mayor, as well as the courtyards of some boyars and clergy. There was also a part of the younger squad, or children's, who made up the city defense (from them the name "detinets"). Ostrog was the name of the outer, or roundabout, city adjacent to the citadel. It was also surrounded by a shaft, walls and towers, and from the outside - by a moat filled with water; such a moat was usually called rowing. The walls and towers in Ancient Russia were wooden; only in a few cities there were stone ones. It is clear that with an abundance of forests and a lack of mountains and stone, fortifications in Eastern Europe were of a different nature than in Western Europe, where castles and cities were fortified even after the model of Roman colonies. Subsequently, the roundabout city became better known under the name "posada"; it was predominantly inhabited by a merchant population and various kinds of artisans. Its necessary affiliation was a “torzhok” or “torzhok”, where on certain days people from the surrounding villages came to exchange their works. In large cities, with the multiplication of the population around the prison, new settlements were planted, bearing the names "suburbs", "backyards", and later - "settlements", the inhabitants of which were engaged in either agriculture or gardening, fishing and other industries. These suburbs, in turn, were surrounded by a rampart. In addition, ramparts were piled up near large cities at a more or less significant distance from them so that in the event of an enemy invasion, the surrounding villagers could hide behind them not only with their families and with grain supplies, but also with their herds. Especially in Southern Russia, where there was a constant danger from nomads, and until now you can see the remains of numerous ramparts in the neighborhood of the most important ancient cities.

In those days when there was no strict division according to classes and occupations, when there was such a strong need to protect themselves, their families, their property and homes, the entire free population had to have the habit of weapons in order to join the ranks of the army if necessary. . The townspeople, for the most part, retained their warlike character; in the defense of cities, as well as in large campaigns, princely combatants constituted only the core military force; but, of course, they were better armed, and more accustomed to military affairs, more skillful in the use of weapons. The zemstvo army, apparently, had its own special chiefs in the person of "thousand" and "sotsky". These names are reminiscent of those times when the entire free population was divided into thousands and hundreds, and with such a division went to war. And then the sotskys and tenths turned into zemstvo officials who ran some current affairs, a special layout and collection of tributes and duties.

Benefits for public relations and institutions of Ancient Russia serve Ploshinsky "The urban state of the Russian people in its historical development". St. Petersburg. 1852. Pogodin "Research and lectures". T. VII. Solovyov "History of relations between the princes of the Rurik house". M. 1847. V. Passeka "Princely and pre-princely Russia" (Thurs. 1870, book 3.) Sergeevich "Veche and Prince", M. 1867. (For a detailed review of Gradovsky on this work, see Zh. M. 1879. Limbert "Objects of the department of the veche in the princely period. Warsaw. 1877. Samokvasov" Notes on the history of Russian state structure and management "(J. M. N. Pr. 1869. November and December). His own "Ancient cities of Russia". St. Petersburg. 1870. His own "Beginnings of the political life of the Old Russian Slavs". Issue I. Warsaw. 1878. In In the last two works of Professor Samokvasov, he proves the inconsistency of the previously prevailing opinion about the small number of cities in ancient Russia - an opinion based on several fortune-telling phrases of the chronicler about the life of the Russian Slavs before the so-called vocation of the Varangians (Some writers, due to lack of criticism, had previously relied on these phrases that the very construction of cities in Russia was considered the work of the called-up Varangians.) The best review on the theory of cities by Prof. Samokvasov belongs to Prof. Leontovich (Collection of State Knowledge. Vol. II. St. Petersburg, 1875).

In the last work of Mr. Samokvasov ("The Beginning of Political Life"), an overview of various theories of the political life of the Russian Slavs in the era of vocation is presented; such are the theories: tribal, communal, out-of-community and mixed. Representatives of the patriarchal and tribal way of life are Solovyov and Kavelin, the communal way of life is Belyaev, Aksakov and Leshkov, the out-of-community way of life is Leontovich (see his article in Zh. ("On the influence of the struggle between cities and estates on the formation of the system of the Russian state in the pre-Mongol period." Reading Ob. I. and Others 1874). Criticism of Prof. Sergeevich in Zh. M. N. Pr. 1876. No. 1. Prof. Nikitsky ("Theory of tribal life in ancient Russia." "Bulletin of Europe". 1870. August) develops the theory of a fictitious or political kind. The aforementioned prof. Samokvasova " Highlights in state development ancient Russia ". Warsaw. 1886. (Adjacent to the tribal theory of inter-princely relations.) Prof. Khlebnikov " Russian state and the development of the Russian personality (Kyiv. University. Izvestia. 1879. No. 4). We do not enter into an analysis of all these theories; since they more or less take as their starting point the imaginary calling of the Varangian princes, considering it historical fact and considering it the beginning of Russian state life. Even Mr. Zatyrkevich, recognizing more ancient origin Russian state life, at the same time somehow intertwines it with the vocation of the Varangians and considers Russia to come from Scandinavia. For our part, we are building the beginning of our state life with native Russian princes at the head to a time much earlier than the era of the alleged calling of the Varangians. In internal relations, we see in Ancient Russia the existence of a community and a veche next to the retinue-princely beginning, but with obvious subordination to this latter. (For a few of my thoughts on the origin of state life in general, see Izvestia of the Moscow General Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography for 1879: "On Some Ethnographic Observations".) As for the local Slavic princes who existed before their subordination to the Kievan Russian princely house, then the chronicle has preserved several names for us. These are: in the X century, the Drevlyansky Mal and the Polotsk Rogvolod, and later we meet Khodota among the Vyatichi, a contemporary of Vladimir Monomakh. Vyatichi later than other tribal princes submitted to the Kiev princely family. This clan, in place of the defeated princes, planted its members, or its posadniks.