The Crossing of the Dnipro River near the Town of Trepol in the 11th — 13th Centuries

Abstract

The article identifies the location of the crossing over the Dnipro River near the town of Trepol in the 11th-13th centuries, where the border between the lands of the Kyiv and Pereiaslav principalities passed. Chronicle reports covering events during this period confirm the fact and methods of crossing the Dnipro near the town. The location of the neighboring right-bank towns of Khalep, Vytiachiv, and Sviatopolch on the high bank of the river allowed observation of both the crossing point and movement on the opposite bank. It was there that four small settlements were located, which also served as fortresses. Their small size and rounded shape indicate that they were used exclusively for military purposes. Such a concentration of fortifications on opposite banks is unique for the Dnipro River. The use of military topographic maps created between the second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries made it possible to reconstruct the network of field roads that led to the riverbank on both sides. The location of fortified settlements, settlements, and burial grounds dating from the 11th — 13th centuries on these roads indicates the probable location of a crossing near Trepol during the time of Аncient Rus.