Polans (eastern)
Encyclopedia
The Polans; also Polianians; were a Slavic tribe
between the 6th and the 9th century, which inhabited both sides of the Dnieper river
from Liubech
to Rodnia and also down the lower streams of the rivers Ros'
, Sula
, Stuhna, Teteriv
, Irpin', Desna and Pripyat
. The name derives from the Old East Slavic language
word поле or поляна (polyana), which means “field”) because the Polans used to settle in the open fields. Polans were dominated by Rus Waregs and played a key role in the formation of Ukrainian genetics.
The land of the Polans was at the crossroads of territories, belonging to different Eastern Slavic tribes, such as Drevlyans
, Radimichs
, Drehovians and Severians
and connected them all with water arteries. An important trade route
called the Road from Varangians to Greeks passed through the land of the Polans and connected Northern Europe
with the Black Sea
and the Byzantine Empire
.
In 9th and 10th century the Polans had a well-developed arable land
farming, cattle-breeding
, hunting
, fishing
, wild-hive beekeeping
and various handicraft
s such as blacksmith
, casting
, pottery
, jewelers art
etc. Thousands of pre- Polans kurgan
s, found by the archaeologists in the Polan region, indicate that that land had a high population density
. They lived in small families in semi dug-outs (“earth-houses”) and wore homespun clothes and modest jewelry. Before converting to Christianity
, the inhabitants used to burn their dead and erect kurgan-like embankments over them.
In the 9th century, the Polans were ruled by the Khazars
and had to pay tribute to them. In the 860s, the Varangians
arrived and organized a few successful military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire, the Pechenegs and the Polochans
. In the 880s, the land of the Polans was conquered by Oleg of Novgorod
and would become the centre and the driving force of the Rus
statehood
.
The biggest cities of the Polans were Kiev
, Pereyaslav, Rodnia, Vyshhorod
, Belgorod
(now Bilohorodka village at Irpin
river), Kaniv
. In the 10th century, the term "Polans" was virtually out of use and exchanged for "Rus". The Polans as a tribe were last mentioned in a chronicle
of 944.
Chronicles repeatedly note that socio-economic relations in the Polan communities were highly developed compared to the neighboring tribes. The chronicalized legends name the Polans as the precursors of the Kievan Rus'
and founders of Kiev (see Kyi, Schek and Khoryv), making them the tribe that had contributed the most to the development of the Rus statehood.
----
In the Early Middle Ages
there were two separate Slavic tribes bearing the name of Polans. Between the 6th and the 9th century,the Eastern Polans inhabited both sides of the Dnieper river from Liubech to Rodnia and also down the lower streams of the rivers Ros', Sula, Stuhna, Teteriv, Irpin', Desna and Pripyat. name derives from the Old East Slavic language word, polyana), meaning "field". This may have been because the Polans used to settle in the open fields. By the 9th century, the Polans were ruled by the Khazars paid tribute to them. The land of the Polans was conquered by Oleg of Novgorod during the 880's, and became the center, and are said to have been the driving force of the Rus statehood. According to chronicalized legends, The largest cities of the East Polans were Kiev, Pereyaslav, Rodnia, Vyshhorod, Belghorod (now Bilohorodka, on the Irpin river), and Kaniv. Polans as a tribe were last mentioned in a chronicle of 944.
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
between the 6th and the 9th century, which inhabited both sides of the Dnieper river
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
from Liubech
Liubech
Liubech or Lyubech is a small ancient town connected with many important events since the times of the Kievan Rus'. It is currently a small settlement located in Ripky Raion, in the Chernihiv Oblast of northern Ukraine...
to Rodnia and also down the lower streams of the rivers Ros'
Ros' River
Ros is a river in Ukraine, 346 km in length, a right tributary of the Dnieper river. The Ros river finds its source in the village of Ordyntsi in Pohrebyschenskyi Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast....
, Sula
Sula River
The Sula River is a left tributary of the Dnipró or Dnieper River with a total length of 365 km and a drainage basin of 19,600 km²....
, Stuhna, Teteriv
Teteriv River
The Teteriv River is a right tributary of the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It has a length of 365 km and a drainage basin of 15,100 km²....
, Irpin', Desna and Pripyat
Pripyat River
The Pripyat River or Prypiat River is a river in Eastern Europe, approximately long. It flows east through Ukraine, Belarus, and Ukraine again, draining into the Dnieper....
. The name derives from the Old East Slavic language
Old East Slavic language
Old East Slavic or Old Ruthenian was a language used in 10th-15th centuries by East Slavs in the Kievan Rus' and states which evolved after the collapse of the Kievan Rus...
word поле or поляна (polyana), which means “field”) because the Polans used to settle in the open fields. Polans were dominated by Rus Waregs and played a key role in the formation of Ukrainian genetics.
The land of the Polans was at the crossroads of territories, belonging to different Eastern Slavic tribes, such as Drevlyans
Drevlyans
The Drevlians were a tribe of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 10th century, which inhabited the territories of Polesia, Right-bank Ukraine west of Polans, down the stream of the rivers Teteriv, Uzh, Ubort, and Stviga...
, Radimichs
Radimichs
The Radimichs , were a tribe of West Slavs of the last few centuries of the 1st millennium, which inhabited upper east parts of the Dnieper down the Sozh River and its tributaries...
, Drehovians and Severians
Severians
The Severians or Severyans or Siverians were a tribe or tribal union of early East Slavs occupying areas to the east of the middle Dnieper river around the rivers Desna, Sejm and Sula on the territory of the archaeological Romny culture....
and connected them all with water arteries. An important trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
called the Road from Varangians to Greeks passed through the land of the Polans and connected Northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
.
In 9th and 10th century the Polans had a well-developed arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
farming, cattle-breeding
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, wild-hive beekeeping
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
and various handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s such as blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, casting
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
, pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, jewelers art
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
etc. Thousands of pre- Polans kurgan
Kurgan
Kurgan is the Turkic term for a tumulus; mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves, originating with its use in Soviet archaeology, now widely used for tumuli in the context of Eastern European and Central Asian archaeology....
s, found by the archaeologists in the Polan region, indicate that that land had a high population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
. They lived in small families in semi dug-outs (“earth-houses”) and wore homespun clothes and modest jewelry. Before converting to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the inhabitants used to burn their dead and erect kurgan-like embankments over them.
In the 9th century, the Polans were ruled by the Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
and had to pay tribute to them. In the 860s, the Varangians
Varangians
The Varangians or Varyags , sometimes referred to as Variagians, were people from the Baltic region, most often associated with Vikings, who from the 9th to 11th centuries ventured eastwards and southwards along the rivers of Eastern Europe, through what is now Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.According...
arrived and organized a few successful military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire, the Pechenegs and the Polochans
Polochans
Polochans were a tribe of early East Slavs, who inhabited the area in the middle of the Western Dvina in the 9th century. Alternative meaning: inhabitants of Polotsk....
. In the 880s, the land of the Polans was conquered by Oleg of Novgorod
Oleg of Novgorod
Oleg of Novgorod was a Varangian prince who ruled all or part of the Rus' people during the early 10th century....
and would become the centre and the driving force of the Rus
Rus' (people)
The Rus' were a group of Varangians . According to the Primary Chronicle of Rus, compiled in about 1113 AD, the Rus had relocated from the Baltic region , first to Northeastern Europe, creating an early polity which finally came under the leadership of Rurik...
statehood
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
.
The biggest cities of the Polans were Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Pereyaslav, Rodnia, Vyshhorod
Vyshhorod
Vyshhorod is a city in the Kiev Oblast , in central Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Vyshhorodskyi Raion , and is located along the Dnieper River upstream from the national capital, Kiev...
, Belgorod
Belgorod Kievsky
Bilhorod Kyivsky was a city-castle of Kievan Rus' on the right bank of Irpin River. The city was quite prominent in the 10th-12th centuries but ceased to exist after 1240 destruction of Kiev by the Mongols. Currently there is a small village of Bilohorodka, Kiev Oblast near the location of the...
(now Bilohorodka village at Irpin
Irpin
Irpin , or Irpen is a city located on the Irpin River in Kiev Oblast of northern Ukraine. The city's population is 40,275 ....
river), Kaniv
Kaniv
Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper...
. In the 10th century, the term "Polans" was virtually out of use and exchanged for "Rus". The Polans as a tribe were last mentioned in a chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
of 944.
Chronicles repeatedly note that socio-economic relations in the Polan communities were highly developed compared to the neighboring tribes. The chronicalized legends name the Polans as the precursors of the Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
and founders of Kiev (see Kyi, Schek and Khoryv), making them the tribe that had contributed the most to the development of the Rus statehood.
----
In the Early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
there were two separate Slavic tribes bearing the name of Polans. Between the 6th and the 9th century,the Eastern Polans inhabited both sides of the Dnieper river from Liubech to Rodnia and also down the lower streams of the rivers Ros', Sula, Stuhna, Teteriv, Irpin', Desna and Pripyat. name derives from the Old East Slavic language word, polyana), meaning "field". This may have been because the Polans used to settle in the open fields. By the 9th century, the Polans were ruled by the Khazars paid tribute to them. The land of the Polans was conquered by Oleg of Novgorod during the 880's, and became the center, and are said to have been the driving force of the Rus statehood. According to chronicalized legends, The largest cities of the East Polans were Kiev, Pereyaslav, Rodnia, Vyshhorod, Belghorod (now Bilohorodka, on the Irpin river), and Kaniv. Polans as a tribe were last mentioned in a chronicle of 944.
See also
- Polans (western)Polans (western)The Polans were a West Slavic tribe, part of the Lechitic group, inhabiting the Warta river basin of the historic Greater Poland region in the 8th century.During the reign of King Svatopluk I of Great Moravia , who subdued the tribes of the Vistulans and Ślężanie...
- DrevlyansDrevlyansThe Drevlians were a tribe of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 10th century, which inhabited the territories of Polesia, Right-bank Ukraine west of Polans, down the stream of the rivers Teteriv, Uzh, Ubort, and Stviga...
- SeveriansSeveriansThe Severians or Severyans or Siverians were a tribe or tribal union of early East Slavs occupying areas to the east of the middle Dnieper river around the rivers Desna, Sejm and Sula on the territory of the archaeological Romny culture....
- List of Medieval Slavic tribes