Rogvolod (; ; 920978) was the first chronicled prince of
Polotsk
Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...
. He reigned until 978, when he and his two sons were killed by
Vladimir the Great
Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (; Christian name: ''Basil''; 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015. The Eastern Orthodox ...
, then the
prince of Novgorod
The Prince of Novgorod () was the title of the ruler of Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod in present-day Russia. From 1136, it was the title of the figurehead leader of the Novgorod Republic.
The position was originally an appointed one until the late ...
, who took his daughter
Rogneda
Rogneda Rogvolodovna (; Christian name: ''Anastasia''; ), also known as Ragnhild (Ragnheiðr), is a person mentioned in the ''Primary Chronicle'' as having been a princess of Polotsk, the daughter of Rogvolod (Ragnvald), who came from Scandinav ...
as a wife.
Name
In the ''
Primary Chronicle
The ''Primary Chronicle'', shortened from the common ''Russian Primary Chronicle'' (, commonly transcribed ''Povest' vremennykh let'' (PVL), ), is a Rus' chronicle, chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110. It is believed to have been or ...
'', he is known as , probably a slavicized version of the
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
name ''
Ragnvald Ragnvald, Rögnvald or Rognvald or Rægnald is an Old Norse name (Old Norse ''Rǫgnvaldr'', modern Icelandic ''Rögnvaldur''; in Old English ''Regenweald'' and in Old Irish, Middle Irish ''Ragnall''). Notable people with the name include:
* Ragnval ...
.'' The name has also been connected with the Russian words ''рог'' and ''володеть,'' from which the formation of the name may have come.
Life
He was a
Varangian
The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian ," Online Etymology Dictionary were
Polotsk
Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...
in the mid-10th century, most likely having come from overseas (i.e., from Scandinavia or the Southern Baltic). According to the ''
Primary Chronicle
The ''Primary Chronicle'', shortened from the common ''Russian Primary Chronicle'' (, commonly transcribed ''Povest' vremennykh let'' (PVL), ), is a Rus' chronicle, chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110. It is believed to have been or ...
'',
Vladimir
Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria ().
Etymology
...
, the
prince of Novgorod
The Prince of Novgorod () was the title of the ruler of Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod in present-day Russia. From 1136, it was the title of the figurehead leader of the Novgorod Republic.
The position was originally an appointed one until the late ...
, sought an alliance with him by marrying his daughter
Rogneda
Rogneda Rogvolodovna (; Christian name: ''Anastasia''; ), also known as Ragnhild (Ragnheiðr), is a person mentioned in the ''Primary Chronicle'' as having been a princess of Polotsk, the daughter of Rogvolod (Ragnvald), who came from Scandinav ...
, but she refused, insulting his parentage, and married his brother, Yaropolk. In revenge, Vladimir attacked Rogvolod and his family, killing him and his sons, after which he forcibly took her as his bride before launching an attack on his brother Yaropolk in 978.Janet Martin, ''Medieval Russia 980-1584'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), 1.