Virtual excursion

Polatsk. Virtual excursion

Day 1. Kryvichs

By Larysa Jackievič   

Dear friends, lets begin our excursion around Polatsk. It will last for several days. This day is the first. You will see that same place, where Belarus was born. Polatsk is the unique town. The one who wants to know the history of Belarus should definetily get acquainted with the Polatsk history. That is because here all the quirks and milestones of the Belarusian history have been concentrated.

Today we are going to see the first settlement place of future Belarusians. We are at the ancient hillfort.

Polatsk chronicles are keeping silent. But Scandinavian sages tell us something. Exactly this place the Baltic tribe had chosen for the settlement. They came from the Baltic sea by the Dzvina river. This fine place near the Palata river had appealed to them. The settlers built the hillfort here, it was not big - with the area of 1 hectare. At the VIth cent. the Slavs began to settle the Eastern Europe, mixing with the Balts. The new formed tribe of Polatsk Kryvichs continued their living in this region. Polatsk appeared as the trading center belonging to Kryvichs on Dzvina river.

That time they probably didn't imagine that their settlement named after the Palata river will become the capital of the great Polatsk principality in the Eastern Europe, and their followers will be named Litvins and Belarusians. Exactly here the Polatsk principality administrative center will be situated and the prince Ragvalod will reign here in the Xth cent. Who will attack and ruin this principality and how it will be revived? About this in our future meeting.