Vshchizh (first named in 1142 as Shchizh), on the right bank of the Desna north-west of Bryansk, is an appanage seat of the Chernigov land from the 12th century; Oleg Sviatoslavich held it from 1166 (en.wikipedia), after the death of Sviatoslav Vladimirovich, the last of David's line.
Rybakov excavated it in 1940 and 1948-1949. The Mongols destroy it in 1238.
Who holds it
- Title
- Lord of the town
- Since
- See the lord's record
- Confidence
- low
How things stand that morning
An Olgovichi town; holder not pinned.
Charter
None: Rus' towns of this age have no charters; the townsmen live under the prince's law (the Russkaya Pravda) and his officers' courts.
Council
None recorded.
Communities
Retainers and townsmen.
Militia
The garrison and the people of the district.
Walls and castle
Timber and earth fort on the Desna bluff.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Excavated; holder in 1200 unknown.
Primary sources for Chernigov (the Olgovichi)
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 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 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
- 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
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.