History of Minsk

Early East Slavs settled the forested hills of today’s Minsk by the 9th century. They had been migrating from further south and pushing the preceding Balts northwards. The valley of Svislach river was settlement boundary between two Early East Slavs' tribal unions – Krivich and Dregovichs. By 980 the area was incorporated into the early medieval Principality of Polatsk, one of the earliest East Slav states alongside with the principalities of Kiev and Novgorod.

 There is no exact historical record for the date when Minsk was founded. It was first mentioned (as Mensk) in the Primary Chronicle in 1067. That year the chronicle recorded a bloody battle between troops of Polatsk and Kiev princes on the banks of Niamiha river (tributary of Svislach). Minsk, which was a Principality of Polatsk town, was burnt down by the Kievan army during a war between Kiev and Polatsk. 1067 is now widely attributed as a founding year of Minsk, though the town (by then fortified by wooden walls) should have existed for some time before it could have been burnt down. Some historians believe that Minsk evolved (developed) from an earlier village, which may have been founded as early as the 9th or 10th centuries. Recent archeological excavations support this idea.

 There is a theory, that initially Minsk was located 16 km to the southwest, on the banks of Menka river. According to this view, Kievan troops first seized the town and then marched to the mouth of Niamiha, location of a small fort, where the chronicle battle occurred. Later the fort was rebuilt and re-named Mensk .

 There are several theories on the origin of the name.

1. The settlement on the banks of Menka river to the southwest of today’s Minsk. Remnants of a 10th century settlement on the banks of the Menka were found by archeologists in the 1930s.

2. There is a legend of a giant man with a name ‘Menesk’ who lived in the area and gave the name to a settlement.

3. The city name comes from Slavonic word “мена” (“miena” – “barter” or “trade” in English”), as Minsk initially served as a trading settlement around a marketplace. However, it is less likely, as Slavs rarely used names for trade or craft for their towns. Most towns and cities have been named after rivers or governing princes.

4. Niamiha river may have had another name then, possibly Meniha. This would explain why a settlement on its banks would be named Mensk.