EFL - Enciclopedia delle Famiglie Lombarde

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/RUSSIA,%20Rurik.htm The principalit y of Polotsk was situated to the west of Smolensk and to the north o f Turov. It was independent from Kiev during the 11th and 12th centuri es, having been inherited by Iziaslav, the oldest son of Vladimir I Gr and Prince of Kiev, whose descendants were passed over in the successi on to Kiev and never bore the title Grand Prince. After enjoying a per iod of strength during the 11th century under Prince Briacheslav and h is son Prince Vseslav, after the death of the latter in 1101 it fragme nted into different districts assigned to their descendants. The Lithu anians attacked Polotsk from [1240/45], and by the early 1250s the wes tern part of Polotsk was recognised as Lithuanian territory under th e terms of a truce concluded by Vaišvilkas, son of Mingaudas Grand Du ke of Lithuania [1]. Very little information has been found about th e Rurikid Princes of Polotsk. Baumgarten names the members of the fami ly shown below, citing primary sources [2]. RAGNVALD, son of --- (-[9 78/80]). The ''Primary Chronicle'' records that he arrived "from overs eas" and installed himself on the Western Dvina at Polotsk, where he w as known as ROGVOLOD and enjoyed princely status [3]. He and his two s ons were killed by Vladimir, later Grand Prince of Kiev, after he refu sed the latter's offer to marry his daughter Rogned [4]. m ---. The na me of Rogvolod´s wife is not known. [1] Fennell (1983), p. 102. [2 ] Baumgarten (1927), pp. 7-8 and 32-38. [3] Russian ''Primary Chronic le'' (1973), 978-980, p. 91, and Franklin & Shepard (1998), p. 152. [ 4] Russian ''Primary Chronicle'' (1973), 978-980, p. 91.