Turov, Belarus
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Turaŭ Ту́раў |
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Town Hall
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 Turaŭ
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| Coordinates: 52°4′12″N 27°44′24″E / 52.07000°N 27.74000°E | |||
| Country |
 Belarus
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| Region | Gomel Region | ||
| District | Zhytkavichy Disctict | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 3,100 | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
Turaŭ (Belarusian: Ту́раў, Russian: Туров / Turov, Ukrainian: Ту́рів, Polish: Turów) is a town in the Zhytkavichy District of Gomel Region of Belarus and the former capital of the medieval Principality of Turov and Pinsk.
Turov was an ancient capital of the Dregovichs tribe - one of the three Eastern Slavic tribes that are considered ancestors of the modern Belarusian people (the others being Krivichs and Drevlians). Turov was first mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years from 980. It is located in the southern part of Belarus, in the historical region of Polesia.
According to legend, the city was founded at the crossing of Yazda and Strumen rivers by Duke Tur - hence the name Turov. Other etymology draws the name from Tur, the Slavic name of the Aurochs. Both rivers join with the Pripyat river, which in turn flows into the Dnieper and then leads to the Black Sea. This river route was known to Vikings, who used it extensively for communication and during their frequent raids to Constantinople.
The Varangian dynasty of Ruriks became dukes in the neighboring Duchy of Kiev. Soon Turov also came under the dominion of a local branch of dukes of the Rurik Dynasty and particularly of Izyaslav I, son of Yaroslav the Wise. In that period the town of Turaŭ was not only an important trade center within the Kievan Rus, due to its proximity to major trade routes running from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, but also one of the most important cities of the Rus among Kiev, Chernihiv, Novgorod, and Pereyaslav. The Prince of Turov, the main contender to the throne of Grand Duchy of Rus before their subjugation to Monomakhs considerably influenced early politics of the neighboring Duchy of Poland in the 11th century having together an intertwined history.
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Wikipedia