“Polotsk is known in Sweden from ancient chronicles”

The V international conference titled “The History of Polotsk and Polotsk Lands” was held in Polotsk last week. A well-known Swedish historian, professor of the Archeology and Antiquity department of the Stockholm University, Ingmar Jansen also took part in it. 

Professor Jansen is one of the most renowned researchers of Scandinavian history. He studies the ancient Viking culture including its influence on the territories of modern-day Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. It is the third time, he comes to Polotsk. 

“We know about this city in Sweden. From the ancient chronicles, we know that Scandinavian warrior Ragvalod came precisely to Polotsk and became its Prince”, – says Ingmar Jansen. 

The Swedish professor gave high estimation to the conference in Polotsk. 

“Many interesting reports were given, – Mr. Jansen noted in an interview to Eurobelarus.info correspondent. – Obviously, my Belarusian colleagues managed to gather a lot of historical material, which we could use to obtain information about the contacts between Polotsk Principality and Scandinavia as early as the I millennium B.C. E.g. burial sites in Belarus, Ukraine and Western Russia resemble Scandinavian in many features. We can speak about great impact of the Scandinavians on the Slavonic nations. But the interesting thing is: in Polotsk there are only a few archeological findings that could be classified as Scandinavian. Perhaps, many still await us. And it’s obvious that the influence was mutual: the Scandinavians, who came here didn’t just bring their own culture, but also accepted something from the local one”.  

In Professor Jansen’s opinion, the potential for further Belarusian-Swedish cooperation in studying history is enormous. It lies in studying the common history of the Scandinavians and the ancestors of today’s Belarusians, especially the ancient Polotsk. 

During the conference, many reports, improving the knowledge about the most ancient Belarusian city were made. 

“Twenty years ago we still had to explain and prove that Polotsk is the beginning of Belarusian statehood and culture, the beginning of Christianity in Belarus. Now it goes without saying, – thinks Sergei Tarasov, a well-known Belarusian historian. – Today another problem arises – a deeper study of Polotsk”.

In Sergei Tarasov’s opinion, a full-scale work on Polotsk should be published. Before, only separate spheres were studied – numismatics, architecture, archeology, topography. 

“All this research should be gathered in one book. There are things, to illustrate it with. Believe me, museums of Polotsk hold enough treasures to show the richness of Polotsk culture”, – assures Sergei Tarasov. 

Andrej Aljaksandrau

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