| |
History:
This is one of the most ancient of Russian towns. Already in the early 9th
century the bank of Lake Belozero was inhabitated by Fino-Ugrick tribes. The
location of the town has been shifted serveral times. In 862 it was mentioned
for the first time in the "Povesti bremenni let" and was then located
on the northern bank of the lake near thee town Kisnyema. At the end of the
10th century Vladimir Svyatoslavich moved the town to the mouth of the Sheeksni
River. In the middle 14th century when the town suffered an epedemic it was
moved to 20 km further west. The ancient history of Belooozero is not well
known. In the 7th to 8th centuries Ves and Meria tribes lived in this region.
At the end of the 8th century the Slavic peoples began to arrive. According to
the chronicles Rurik himself gave the town to his brother Sinyeus and then to
Turov and alfter their deaths to his 'men' to control. We don't know who
actually governed the twon up to the middle 11th century. Evidentally it was
part of Kiev Rus and was controled by a namestnik. In 1207 Vsyevolod Bol'shoye
Gnesdo gave it with Rostov and surrounding areas to Konstatin from whom it
passed in turn to Vasiliko and was part of the Rostov principality. The Mongol
invasion devestated the Rostov-Suzdal lands and killed Vasil'ko
Konstantinovich. After 1238 Beloozero with its surrounding lands was taken out
of the Rostov principality and became independent under the leadership of Gleb,
Vasil'ko's younger son. Gleb expanded the territory including the basin of the
Beloozero Lake and the lower course of the Sheksin River and basin of Kubenski
Lake as well. Thanks to its georgraphic location Beeloozero was spared from
most depredations by nomads and became one eof the important northern Rus
centers to which were gradually attracted settlers from southern regions. Gleb
Vasil'kovich's policies also contributed to the town and principality's growth
and wealth. But Gleb didn't sever all ties with Rostov. In 1277 he became the
senior prince of his clan and reunited both principalities into his own hands.
But this unification and resulting power upset the social-political balance of
northern Rus.
After 1286 with Mikhail Glebovich as ruler, Beloozero again became fully
independent of Rostov. Mikhail too active part on the inter-princely polticial
struggles. In 1293 he was an ally of Andrei
Aleksandrovich, prince of Gorodets, in his struggle against the grand prince
Dmitrii Aleksandrovich for the grand princely title.
I nthe emiddle 14th century the principality began to break up. In the 1340's
it became a part of the sphere of influence of Moscow. The Moscow princes were
not only interested in Beloozero's economic importance and wealth but also in
its strategic location as a springboard against Novgorod. The anit-Muscovite
policy of Roman Mikhailovich worsened relations with Ivan I.
Ivan married off his daughter to prince Fyedor Romanovich. That brought
Beloozero for practical purposes into Moscow's power. In 1389 with the death of
Dmitri Ivanovich Donskoi his testament stated that Beloozero had been purchased
by Ivan. But historians today don't know when or how that 'purchase' came
about. Anyhow at that time Beloozero had been split into several udels. The
whole thing fell to Moscow. Many Beloozero families became famous as Muscovite
service princes.
|
|
