Tovichy and never belonged to the Principality of Polotsk. In 1116, Monomakh went to Glba: “Dregovichi fought and burned Sluchesk” (Ip. 208), and then Monomakh was in possession of the Turov principality, next, Sluchesk was Turovsyu torod. In 1127, Klechesk belonged to Vyacheslav Yaropolchich (Ip. 210). In 1162, Rogvolod fled from the Polotsk rulers to Slucheek, fleeing from the persecution of Polotsk and Polotsk princes (In. p. 355), etc. d.
Historical sketch, 1*).
The Krivichi and Dregovich tribes played, especially the first, a prominent role already in that distant time when Rus' was being formed. But information about them is extremely confusing, incomplete and uncertain. This character of our tribes dates back to later times, so that there was hardly another tribe in ancient Rus' whose historical past would have been so dark, despite the vast territory it occupied. The reasons for this attitude towards our sources, of course, should be sought in the fact that we have to look at the most ancient history of the Yokrivichs and Dregovichs using those meager reports that were found in Vevsyu, Novgorod and Volyn chronicles; recent sources mention our tribes in passing, only during particularly important clashes between Novgorod and Yuev with Smolensk, Polotsk and Turov. But these lands lay on the outskirts, avoided the general affairs of Rus', and therefore, when confronted with the first few, were insignificant. Only Smolensk and then from half of the HP century. enter into closer relations with Yuev and Novgorod and therefore
*) This chapter was first published by us in the “Calendar of the North-Western Region” for 1890 (Moscow), p. 16-85 (and a separate reprint below the title “Essays on the history of Bylorusan. Ist. Kriv. and Dregovich. until the end of the 10th century,” M. 1890), Here this chapter appears in a significantly revised form.
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I'm a little more complete. Thus, even the external political history of the Krivichs and Dregovichs, of course, the oldest, is distinguished by its fragmentation and incompleteness, not to mention the internal one. Even despite Turov’s political dependence on Eva, their territorial proximity, internal! its structure cannot be traced; Of course, the same must be said about Polotsk and partly about Smolensk lands, even more distant from the center of our chronicle. (The aforementioned tribes’ own photo-records have not survived, although fragments of them, at least from the Smolensk m5r, can be found in later arches.
Reliable information about Krivichakh and Dregovichakh does not go back earlier than the 10th century. Actually, half of this story refers to the mention of the Vrivichs and Dregovichs of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. He says that the boats on which the Russians (mainly Yuevsve) arrive in Constantinople are made in Milinisk (Smolensk), Chernigov and Vyshgorod. These Slavs, Krivichs, Lyutichs and others, who pay tribute to the Russ, prepare boats for sale in the winter, lower them into nearby lakes and rivers, and in the spring they go along their rivers to the Dneir, from there to Noev, Gdz, pulling their boats ashore for inspection, they sell them to the Yuevsky Russ'). In another place, the same writer reports that in the winter the Eyuevsve princes from VLev went to the cities of the tribes that paid them tribute, of which the author names Dregovich, Yorivich, Severyan and, apparently, Tivertsev. There the princes and their retinue live throughout the winter, and return in the spring 2). There is nothing in the words of the Greek Emperor that could contradict the true situation of Rus' at that time, which is quite natural, for he knew well the life of his dangerous neighbors. That at this time the Vrivichs and Dregovichs were subordinated to the Yuev princes, our writings also prove, as we will now see; the described custom of collecting tribute by princes is well known from other sources; he was called a polyude.
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T. KRIVICHI AND PREGOVICH LAND 65
There is also one mention of the Dregovichs in Arabic sources, however, it is quite dubious and does not explain anything at all in their ancient history. Arab writer of the half of the 10th century. Al-Masudi mentions the Baranjabinz tribe, in which some want to see the Dregovichs (based on the reading of the Tranjabins, the Drangubites - the Drugovites of Konstantin Poreirodny). But this guess cannot have any serious significance 3).