Dregovichs, Dregovichi, Dryhavièy The name of the tribe probably derives from the Old
Ruthenian word (drehva, or dryahva, which means "swamp") due to the fact that the
Dregovichs used to live in the marshlands. By the 12th century they were assimilated into the
main East Slavic peoples.
Original Record of:
Herodotus , Tacitus 2nd cent.
The first known reference to Dregovichi is in the Primary Chronicle where they are listed among the twelve
nations. Dregovichs left some archaeological monuments of the 9th and the 10th century along the
Pripyat In the 10th century, the lands of the Dregovichs became a part of the Kievan Rus and later—the
Turaw Principality. The northwestern part of the land of the Dregovichs became a part of the Polotsk
Principality.
Cities or towns:
Turow (Turov) (Latitude 52:06, Longitude 27:73), Slutsk , (originally known as Sluchesk ) , Kletsk and
Drutsk, Hrodno/Grodno/Kolozohn,Brest,Polotsk, Rechitsa was first mentioned in the Novgorod chronicle in
1213 as a town of the Chernigov Principality, Bragin, Yelsk, Troychan, Ostrov,
Language: Old Ruthenian related
Recorded Names:
male: Olel'ko Vladimiroch 1300's descended from Rurik,
Neighbors
9th Century:
Radimichi was on the E
Krivichi on the N
Viatichi on the W
Drevylane on the SE
Polish tribes to the west
Sources for Research:
Primary Chronicle
The Early Slavs P.M. Barford
Vernadsky’s works Kievan Rus
Fragments from the History of Byelorussia (To 1700)
Material for Historical Research and Study of the Subject by Prof. R. Ostrowski
Interesting Links:
Some history of Brest area: http://www.tric.info/topic_en.php?tid=198