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The capital was Polatsk. Other important towns were Minsk, Vitsebsk, Iziaslav, Drutsk, Lahoisk, Lukoml, Svislach, Braslau, and Barysau. The principality's economic importance derived from its connection via the West Dvina and the Neman rivers to the centers of Baltic trade. <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CG%5CR%5CGrandPrince_01.htm">Grand Prince</a> <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CV%5CO%5CVolodymyrtheGreat.htm">Volodymyr the Great</a> of <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyiv.htm">Kyiv</a> conquered the principality in the late 10th century, killed its ruler, Rogvolod (Rahvolod), and married Rogvolod’s daughter, Rohnida (Rahneda, Rogned). The principality's population was subsequently Christianized, and a bishopric was established in Polatsk. Volodymyr and Rohnida's son, Iziaslav, inherited the principality. Iziaslav's son, Briachyslav (Brachyslau, 1001–44), attained independence from <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyiv.htm">Kyiv</a> in 1023, but struggle for control of the principality with <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyiv.htm">Kyiv</a> continued. Briachyslav's son, Vseslav (Usiaslau, 1044–1101), began a war with <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyiv.htm">Kyiv</a> in 1065, but he was routed by <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CI%5CZ%5CIziaslavYaroslavych.htm">Iziaslav Yaroslavych</a> and imprisoned in Kyiv. In 1068 Kyiv's inhabitants rebelled against Iziaslav Yaroslavych and installed Vseslav on the Kyivan throne (see <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyivUprisingof1068hD79.htm">Kyiv Uprising of 1068–9</a>), but a year later Vseslav was forced to abandon <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyiv.htm">Kyiv</a> by the forces of Iziaslav Yaroslavych and his cousin <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CB%5CO%5CBolesK5awIItheBold.htm">Bolesław II the Bold</a> of <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CP%5CO%5CPoland.htm">Poland</a> and to return to Polatsk. Thereafter Polatsk principality remained independent of Kyiv. Internecine struggles among Vseslav's six sons arose after his death, however, and the principality was consequently divided among them and their many sons into feuding appanages. <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CM%5CS%5CMstyslavIVolodymyrovych.htm">Mstyslav I Volodymyrovych</a> was the last Kyivan grand princeto attempt to annex the principality. He conquered it in 1130, but soon thereafter it regained its independence. In the second half of the 12th century the principality came under the domination of the northern Rus’ princes of Smolensk. In the 13th century it suffered invasions by the Livonian Knights and the <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CG%5CR%5CGrandDuchyofLithuania.htm">Grand Duchy of Lithuania</a>, which asserted its political control over Polatsk and annexed it in 1307. Under Lithuanian rule the principality retained a measure of <a href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CA%5CU%5CAutonomy.htm">autonomy</a> until 1385.</P><P class="padingHistoryLand">BIBLIOGRAPHY<BR>Danilevich, V. <I>Ocherk istorii Polotskoi zemli do kontsa XIV stoletiia</I> (Kyiv 1896)<BR>Alekseev, L. <I>Polotskaia zemlia (ocherki istorii severnoi Belorussii) v IX–XIII vv.</I> (Moscow 1966)<BR>Shtykhov, G. <I>Goroda Polotskoi zemli (IX–XIII vv.)</I> (Minsk 1978)</P><P class="padingHistoryLand" style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">Mykhailo Zhdan</P><P class="padingHistoryLand" style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">[This article originally appeared in the <I>Encyclopedia of Ukraine</I>, vol. 4 (1993).]</P><BR> <CENTER> <P class="padingHistoryLand"></P></CENTER> </div> <div class="clear"></div>  <div class="bg9 marginbottom tc">    <div class="dr20 tc marginZero TotalWidth"> <A name="linksaddress"> </A> <BR> <HR class="marginZero"> <H2 class="tc mb b rozmiar50">List of related links from Encyclopedia of Ukraine pointing to <span class="FontDarkBlue b "> Polatsk principality</span> entry: <BR> </H2> <Div> <label for="groovybtn1" class="visuallyhidden">1 Belarus</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn1" name="groovybtn1" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 1 Belarus " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CB%5CE%5CBelarus.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn2" class="visuallyhidden">2 Chernihiv principality</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn2" name="groovybtn2" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 2 Chernihiv principality " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CC%5CH%5CChernihivprincipality.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn3" class="visuallyhidden">3 History of Ukraine</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn3" name="groovybtn3" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 3 History of Ukraine " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CH%5CI%5CHistoryofUkraine.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn4" class="visuallyhidden">4 Iziaslav Mstyslavych</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn4" name="groovybtn4" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 4 Iziaslav Mstyslavych " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CI%5CZ%5CIziaslavMstyslavych.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn5" class="visuallyhidden">5 Krivichians</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn5" name="groovybtn5" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 5 Krivichians " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CR%5CKrivichians.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn6" class="visuallyhidden">6 Kyivan Rus’</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn6" name="groovybtn6" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 6 Kyivan Rus’ " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CY%5CKyivanRushDA.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn7" class="visuallyhidden">7 Lithuania</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn7" name="groovybtn7" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 7 Lithuania " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CL%5CI%5CLithuania.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn8" class="visuallyhidden">8 Mstyslav I Volodymyrovych</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn8" name="groovybtn8" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 8 Mstyslav I Volodymyrovych " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CM%5CS%5CMstyslavIVolodymyrovych.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn9" class="visuallyhidden">9 Polatsk</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn9" name="groovybtn9" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 9 Polatsk " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CP%5CO%5CPolatsk.htm'"> <label for="groovybtn10" class="visuallyhidden">10 Yaroslav the Wise</label> <INPUT id="groovybtn10" name="groovybtn10" class="groovybutton" TYPE=BUTTON VALUE=" 10 Yaroslav the Wise " ONCLICK="document.location.href='https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CY%5CA%5CYaroslavtheWise.htm'"> </Div> <BR> <P class="tc"> <form name="bbback" action="self">  </form> <p class="tc b">A referral to this page is found in 10 entries.</p> <BR> </DIV> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=" bg8 tc marginZero FontWhite FontVerdana" aria-label="local"> <br> Click Home to get to the IEU Home page; 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