Concept of Dynastic Seniority by the Ryurikovichs' in XI-XIII: Princes of Polotsk

The following research is going to explore the concept of "outcasting" as a definitive one for the Polotsk princes' characterisation. Early death of Izyaslav, Vladimir's son, lead to the retirement of Izyaslaviches from the traditional system of princes' cooperation in Old Russia, which caused tension between Izyaslaviches and Yaroslaviches, documented in chronicles. Recreation of the Polotsk dynasty chronicle representation system, including various image-creating devices and its evolution in political changes' context became the main objective of this work. An attempt to connect the concept of an "outcast prince" with a representation trajectory in the chronicle was undertaken. The research also demonstrates the influential power of the Polotsk principality in the politics of the XI century and emphasizes special treatment toward the figure of Vseslav of Polotsk, which was present in the XII century when Polotsk already lost its dominant position. The work is mainly based on the analysis of various stories from Old Russian literature, which reflected the cultural perception of Polotsk princes and embodied the ideological directive of the descriptions. As a result all known information about Polotsk princes is summarized here alongside with an attempt to demonstrate a structured concept of their representation in the chronicle.