Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi: Encyclopedia II - Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi - History

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi - History

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi played a significant role in the history of Ukraine. It was mentioned for the first time in the text of the Rus' treaty with the Byzantine Empire (911) as Pereyaslav-Russki, to distinguish it from Pereyaslavets in Bulgaria. Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev built here in 992 the large fortress to protect the southern limits of Kievan Rus' from raids of nomads from steppes of currently Southern Ukraine. It was a capital of the Principality of Pereyaslav from the middle of the 11th century until its demolition by Tatars in 1239, during the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'.

In the second half of the 16th century it became a center of the Ukrainian Cossacks. Bohdan Khmelnytsky called here the "Council of Pereyaslav", where the Ukrainian Cossacks had voted for a military alliance with Muscovy and accepted the Treaty of Pereyaslav. This event led finally to the unification of the Left-Bank Ukraine with Russia. The town was renamed Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi in 1943 to honour this event.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki