Early History of Minsk

The area of today's Minsk was settled by the Early East Slavs in the 9^th century AD. The Svislach River valley was the settlement boundary between two Early East Slavic tribes –the Krivichy and the Dryhavichy. By 980, the area was incorporated into the early medieval Principality of Polatsk, one of the earliest East Slavic states alongside with the principalities of Kiev and Novgorod.

There is no exact historical record for the date when Minsk was founded. It was first mentioned as Mensk in the Primary Chronicle in 1067. That year the chronicle recorded a bloody battle between the troops of Polatsk and Kiev princes on the banks of the Niamiha River. 1067 is now widely accepted as the founding year of Minsk. The City authorities consider the date of 2 September 1067 to be the exact founding date of the city,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsk - cite_note-8 though the town (by then fortified by wooden walls) should have existed for some time before it could have been burnt down. Some historians believe that Minsk evolved from an earlier village, which may have been founded as early as the 9^th or 10^th centuries. The exact origin of the name is unknown but there are several theories. According to one of them the name “Minsk” derives from the name of the river “Menka”.

In the early 12th century, the Principality of Polatsk disintegrated into smaller fiefs. The Principality of Minsk was established by one of the Polatsk dynasty princes. In 1129, the Principality of Minsk was annexed by Kiev, the dominant principality of Kievan Rus; however in 1146 the Polatsk dynasty regained control over the principality. By 1150, Minsk rivalled Polatsk as the major city in the former Principality of Polatsk. The princes of Minsk spent years in struggles trying to unite all the lands under the rule of Polatsk.

II. Answer the questions:

1. Who was the territory of today’s Minsk settled by in the 9^th century?

2. When was the valley of Svislach river incorporated into the early medieval Principality of Polatsk?

3. When and where was Minsk first mentioned?

4. What is the origin of the name “Minsk”?

5. What is known about the place where the Niamiha metro station is now located?

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