Hrodna

Grodno, or Hrodna is a metropolis in western Belarus. It is placed at the Neman close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania. It has 373,547 population. It is the capital of Grodno Region and Grodno District. The present day town of Grodno originated as a small castle and a fortified buying and selling outpost maintained by the Rurikid princes at the border with the lands of the Baltic tribal union of the Yotvingians. The first reference to Grodno dates to 1005. The legitimate basis year is 1127. At this yr Grodno become mentioned within the Primary Chronicle as Goroden' and located at a crossing of severa trading routes, this Slavic settlement, probable originating as a ways because the past due 10th century, have become the capital of a poorly attested but separate principality, dominated by means of Yaroslav the Wise's grandson and his descendants.

Along with Navahrudak, Grodno became seemed as the main metropolis on the western borderlands of Black Ruthenia. The border region neighboured the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It become often attacked with the aid of various invaders, especially the Teutonic Knights. In the 1240–1250s the Grodno vicinity, in addition to the maximum of Black Ruthenia, turned into controlled by means of princes of Lithuanian foundation to shape the Baltic nation Grand Duchy of Lithuania on these territories.