Origins of the Belarussian statehood: concepts and millennium facts

The concept of creation of the common Old Russian state of the eastern Slavs is dominant in belorussian historical science. According to the concept Kiev united described in chronicles tribal unions in one territorial and political structure and had been the center of the state. Centers of the tribal unions being part of the state ruled over individual regions, and during the period of its fragmentation (XII-ХШ centuries), the appanage principalities - the lands. A new concept of formation and development of early state formations of the eastern Slavs is based on the new facts. Three main territorial and political centers of the tribe period, Kiev, Novgorod and Polotsk became the local base of statehood of the eastern Slavs. Polotsk was the center of the early state formation “the Polotsk land” that had its own territory and ruling  dynasty. The Polotsk land covered the territory of modern North and Central Belarus. The aims of external and internal policy of this formation were strengthening its political and economic prestige, preservation of integrity during X – first half of XIII centuries. Lands of South and West Belarus during above mentioned period on different terms and at different times had been part of early state formation “Kievan Rus”. Communicated by Corresponding Member Aleksandr A. Kovalenia