VYSHGOROD OF KYIV IN XI-XII CENTURIES: FROM THE HISTORY OF A SMALL TOWN OF THE RUSSIAN LAND

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development of small towns of the Russian land in XI-XII centuries. One of the small towns was Vyshgorod, which was originally a Kyiv suburb. Having arisen in the middle of X century as a fortified settlement of Dnieper peoples ( Rhos ), who controlled the Dnieper waterway to Byzantium, Vyshgorod by the beginning of XI century became one of the key points of defense of Kyiv, and later - a full-fledged city with its own princely throne. A significant role in the rise of Vyshgorod was played by the cult of the first Russian holy princes Boris and Gleb, whose tomb was in the city. A large role in the formation of the Vyshgorod cult of holy princes was played by representatives of the Olgovich dynasty, who was supported by the Vyshgorod community throughout the first half of XII century. In the future, Vyshgorod relied on the Smolensk Rostislaviches and maintained allied relations with them till the end of XII century.