A Ryazan fortress on the Moskva near its mouth in the Oka, first named in the chronicles under 1177, during Vsevolod III's war with Gleb of Ryazan, and probably older (Ilovaisky).
It is the first strongpoint on the waterway by which the Suzdal princes reach the Ryazan land, and the same route joins the Suzdal land to Smolensk and the Vyatichi. In 1180 a Chernigov force under Sviatoslav's son Gleb came to Kolomna to aid Ryazan. Gleb Rostislavich is said to have refused Vsevolod's demand to give up Kolomna as the price of his freedom (Ilovaisky).
Who holds it
- Name
- not pinned (a Ryazan prince or the senior prince's governor)
- Title
- Ryazan border fort
- Confidence
- low
Ilovaisky 1858 p. 109
Lord in 1200
A Ryazan prince or governor, not pinned.
How things stand that morning
Ryazan's, facing Vladimir's Moscow upstream.
Charter
None: Rus' towns had no charters; the prince's rights and the townsmen's customs governed.
Council
None recorded.
Communities
Not recorded.
Fairs and markets
None recorded.
Militia
None recorded.
Walls and castle
Earth-and-timber fort.
Trade and crafts
River crossing and toll point on the Moskva-Oka route.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: First notice 1177; nothing dated 1199-1200.
Primary sources for Ryazan
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 Laurentian Chronicle (the Suzdal continuation kept in the late 12th and 13th centuries; manuscript 1377). The court record of Vsevolod III of Vladimir. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.