Town · Principality of Polotsk · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Borisov

Borisov, on the Berezina, takes its name from Boris (Rogvolod) Vseslavich, Vseslav's son, who is said to have founded it in 1102 (en.wikipedia, citing the Laurentian Codex); it is named again in 1127, when Kiev's host marched on the Polotsk land by Strezhev and Borisov (as usually cited).

A fort with a market settlement on the Berezina crossing.

Who holds it

Title
lord
Confidence
low

en.wikipedia (Barysaw)

Lord in 1200

Not pinned: a fort of the Polotsk land on the Berezina, named after Rogvolod (Boris) Vseslavich; its holder in 1200 is unknown.

Council

Not recorded.

Communities

Townsmen of the Polotsk land.

Militia

Not recorded.

Walls and castle

Fort of earth and timber.

Trade and crafts

The Berezina crossing and waterway.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Foundation and first mentions only; nothing for 1200.

Primary sources for Polotsk

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

  • The Chronicle of Novgorod (kept year by year; the Synodal manuscript written in the 13th and 14th centuries). Novgorod's own record, kept at St Sophia. Read online
  • The Hypatian Chronicle (the Kievan Chronicle compiled about 1200 at the Vydubichi monastery; the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle in the 13th century). The southern record. Read online
  • The Livonian Chronicle of Henry, Henry of Livonia (1225 to 1227). The chief source for the Baltic mission. Read online
  • Charter book of Livonia, Estonia and Courland, volume 1, 1093 to 1300 (documents of 1093 to 1300, edited 1853). The documents of the Livonian mission: Innocent III's bull of 5 October 1199 calling for a crusade to protect the Livonian church, the privileges for Bishop Albert, Archbishop Hartwig of Bremen's acts for the see of Üxküll, and the later charters that settle who held what on the Düna.
  • The Tale of Igor's Campaign (about 1187 to 1200 (disputed)). A poem on Igor Sviatoslavich's defeat by the Polovtsians in 1185 that addresses the princes of the day by name: Vsevolod of Vladimir, Rurik and David Rostislavich, Yaroslav of Galich, Roman of Volhynia and the Olgovichi of Chernigov, of whom Igor himself was prince from 1198. Read online

Sources and studies

  1. Wikipedia (en): Barysaw

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.