Brest-Litovsk, a very ancient town, emerged in the early XI century from the sea of obscurity into the field of history, and the closer we approach our time, the more often it makes itself known.

At the present time, the year of its founding is still unknown. Brest was first mentioned in Russian chronicles in 1016. The chronicle text describes the great (Russian) Prince Yaroslav besieging Berestiy (Brest). The siege failed.

Hence, Golovatsky   /1/ Preface to the Acta issued by the Vilna Archaeological Commission, Volume III. Vilna, 1870 concludes, that Brest was already a fortified town in those days   /2/ Ibid. . Further he suggests,that Brest was one of those towns (in Red Ruthenia) that Grand Duke (Russian) Vladimir (981) seized from Lachy (the Poles)  /3/ Laurentian Chronicle: Vladimir goes to lyahom ? and takes their city, etc. .

But P. Batyushkov in his work Kholmskaya Rus' suggests that by that time, however, the Poles did not own the lands of Red Ruthenia which still belonged to no state   /4/ Produced by the Ministry of Interior, Petersburg, 1887. . Further Batyushkov ascertains,that in 1018-1025, under the rule of the Poles in the towns of Red Ruthenia a lot of them (the Poles) settled, a part of them ?????   /5/ Ibid. Here we must add that Kholmskaya Rus' was constructed in order to prove that part of Siedlce and Lublin Province were from time immemorial the heritage of Russian princes.

{6} Jaroslaw brought as captives and alloted them land in the Kiev region. Nevertheless, both the Poles and Russians (of Galicia) claimed rights to the land of Brest, considering them as their own due to the proximity of the lands that they had conquerd long ago and which had were populated by their tribe. Wastelands and forests, untouched by anyone, stretched between the Brest lands and theirs. The Russians and the Poles used to travel there often on rivers, making stops in some points to which they were eager to extend their rule. The first step was made by the Poles.

Anyway, Brest was a well-known town already in 1016.

And hence it is evident that Brest at that time was already a significant city, where the prince could not find him all right. In all probability, a considerable amount of time had passed from the founding of the city until 1019.

The city is built at the mouth of the Mukhovets River, meeting the Bug [River]   /2/ In 1831. transported to the city one mile farther east. , and is now the southwest corner of Lithuania. On its south is Vohlyn, and on its West is Poland.

But at the beginning of Brest none of these boundaries existed. At the time, no towns were in the area surrounding Brest. The Kingdom of Poland was near as it was later. Lithuania Polessye, Podlasie as well as Volhynia and Galicia did not belong to anyone yet. Poland was closer to these lands, and the Poles were first to make claims in the area. Little by little these lands were inhabited by the Lachy. The sound of their language was heard and their nationality became formed. Being kin to the Lachy, Russian princes claimed rights to Galicia and Vohlyn, then Lithuania and other lands near their borders.But the Lachy claimed bigger cultural and expansionist rights.   /3/ The first wild inhabitants of these places were Yatvagi, which now no trace. In Lithuanian Woods lived and Lithuanians.

Around Brest there were known then or even only later: Drogichin, Vladimir-Volyn, Chelm, Lublin, Lutsk, Pinsk, Troki, Pruzany, Kamenetz, Kobrin and others. Between them there were no communications, or only a minimum, namely, by waterways. Traveling merchants (guests) somehow linked the towns, trading with them using barter or hard cash.Guests mostly traveled by floating down the rivers, and rarely went by land.

The Mukhavets, until recently,   /4/ In Brest lately boats and barges stopped going to Mukhavets River, and only the rafts still float via Brest, abroad on the Mukhavets, the Bug, and the Wisla [Vistula]. was a navigable river.

{7} By Pripyat, Mukhavets and other rivers existed since antiquity direct line of communication between the peoples of Russian and Polish, between east and west. Here (with Bug) occurred as their political and territorial clashes and bloody wars, so Brest moves each time then the Polish winner who won the whole region, then to the Russian.

Russian merchants transported from east to Poland (and sometimes even more) for the rivers (Dnieper, Berezin). Chorus, Mukhavets, Bug, Vistula and others, Russian products: bread, wax, honey, furs, timber and other (Krakow, Danzig, etc.). Polish and German merchants brought salt to Russia (Wieliczka, near Krakow), iron, jewelry, cloth, slaves, etc.

By Mukhavets merchants met frequently, sometimes the case they had to stay there and maybe rested as a middle of the road.

Village on Mukhavets was rich in forests, bark, tar, resin, etc. At Brest, birch trees grew. In all of these products needed merchants, first to repair barges, ships, fuel, and then to trade. Then have often stayed constant for cutting birch (berestovs) trees this place. Here is the beginning, the base city of Brest . Little by little the merchants stopped here on a permanent, residence or leave their permanent salaried people, workers, servants or wild Yatvingians (who learned the language of their masters, spoiling it). Built tents, huts, huts. City (or place) is called Brest, meaning Berestove birch tree, a local product   /1/ The village is near the most Beryozovka Brest, the nearby town of Bereza Kartuzskaya, Berezina river, along which many of birch forest and a large trade show that merchants to pinpoint the exact path of trade and called on local products. Berestechko (Volyn province) on the border of Galicia has similar conditions. .

Slavs liked to call the village and town on tree species, which abounds in place, do not usually fruit, (but there are fruit) as an object of trade. Elec, Dubno, Starodub, Lipetsk, Vyazma different Birches.

Polessye people still call Brest - Berestie . This word is one of the Slavic dialects, spoiled (with imitation) or the present, but more close to the Polish, means - birch. From this we can infer that more Poles participated in the founding of the city, or in connection with the first wild inhabitants, which Poles tamed and taught their language (and, of course, has deteriorated along with the accent and pronunciation, but in spirit. And material changes to the words more stores all Polish, and goes to him more and closer than to any other).  /1/ [[to be supplied]]

{8} The Poles due to the properties of their language,   /1/ Russian and other Slavic “r” go into Polish “rz”, “st” in “sć” (Russian: “щ”). Therefore, it is not necessary to seek in the Polish name “Brześć” meaning (a river bank, dawn). The French city Brest, Italian Brescia and Bressana, despite the fact that in ancient times there have been Slavs (History of Slavs), have their own meaning, not Slavic. “Berestie” was altered by the Russians into “Brest”. later altered the names of towns on their way, according to the pronunciation and some meaning. So Brest was called Brześć, Bereza-Brzeza, Berezin-Brzozin, Brzezin etc. Later there were other Brześćs (Kujawski).

From the word Brześć the Jews, who arrived later, borrowed name Brisk. The Poles for long time used to write with Gothic letters   /2/ Historja Literatury Polskiej, Król i Nitowski. In some Polish cities they spoke and wrote acts in German. Count D.Tolstoy. Roman Catholicism in Russia. Volume I, p 479, 485. /. Br(z)esc, (Bresz) came to existance. The Jews were accustomed to the German spelling and therefore called the city Brisk ( בּריסק ). This name is strictly adhered to, when a get is issued   /3/ The ruling of one of the rabbis of Brest Y.M. Padua, (the second half of XIX century) [[Hebrew text to be added here]] . Yet the first local Jews called it Berestye.

So, the city of Brest was founded by travelling merchants. There were Jews among the merchants, as it will be proved further. Here we would point out that the foundation of the city commonly occurred on a river bank, where it is easy to defend, and if necessary, escape by sailing away. And, as on the river bank there were almost exclusively Jewish houses   /4/ All historical non-Jewish quarters and streets, mentioned further on, are located away from the river bank, or on the other side of the Mukhavets River the later extensions. ), and as the Jews in Brest were always a larger and prevailing part, carrying on ordinary daily life of Brest, one must conclude that, if the founders of Brest were not exclusively Jews, then, at least, they were among the founders. Moreover, the Jews remained in that place to develop and expand the city, while the others sailed off. Thus, the Jews quite rightly, along with others, can lay claim to this city   /5/ If the long residing city founders or developers of the culture and commerce, who have increased the population and wealth, if the fact of their long-term residence in one place allows to consider them as the native inhabitants of this place, enjoying full rights of citizens, so the Jews can claim to many of the Polish and then Lithuanian cities, of which they are alone founders or developers and which they developed to the highest degree. Brest was the first of them. However, if the sword decides the question of citizenship, the Jews, of course, are not the citizens, because the sword-bearers of this world have not given the sword to the Jews. Even the Jews themselves could not and did not want to take it later, experiencing the conditions in exile.

{9} The city was built. The number of homes every time increases. And here on the coast for a whole city. But we must not be thought myself then Brest in a way in which we see the city nowadays. If the streets are called wide straight road between two neat rows of houses, the Brest such had not. The house is very small, without a plan and order, scattered, presented himself of some colossus mounds, where the people live. Did not care about the beauty and sustainability. And even then, when the dispute over the ownership of these and surrounding lands; lyahami between Russian and led to clashes and wars, after which each winner tried on building, settlement and strengthen their wastelands, and the towns and villages have risen with astonishing speed and settled people winning side of her inner lands, even tried not about beauty, but only on population, the strengthening, the strategic importance of   /1/ History of Slavs. Russian Vladimir-Volyn prince Vladimir Vasylkovych, starting to build a town of Kamenetz-Litovsk (near Brest ) in the XIII century sent skilful Gorodnikov ( builder of cities ) Oleshko look for a place to build it ( Kamenetz). Select subsequent place Vladimir approved. This proves that Gorodnikov did not care about the beauty of planning and city Kamenetz for none of that. Gorodnikov searched strategically convenient place for better protection from enemy attacks. During the same base Brest and Gorodnikov was not. The founders themselves were at such a place. But neither plan nor good appearance Brest had: a bunch of huts.

Increased rapidly and increasingly growing Brest. Passing merchants continue to settle here and lead, as slaves. Poles and Russian each time left here, its people. Wild forest dwellers, fishermen and hunters are concentrated in the city, and. Villages (Yatvingians - Poleshuki ). All it together with a gain increase Brest and villages in a circle. Landowners formed with his peasants (from the slaves and others). In the town lived tradesmen fishermen, craftsmen, traders, local administration and the bureaucracy. Jews engaged in trade and crafts.

As they increase in Brest with even more power was made subject of controversy Poles and Russian. With the conquest of Brest each warring parties provide for themselves, all the lands to Brest. By the time the

Population in need of supreme power was needed leader. And if the other places where people were descended from the same family, and is akin to increasing over time, so that was really a generation, whose total   /2/ Ibid. .

{10} And before Brest land had moved out of their own environment prince, it is captured Poles, the Russian princes. In 1016, Grand Duke Yaroslav besieging Brest, but in vain (some, however, believe that even before it was taken away from the Poles). Prior to 1040 Brest, was twice at the Poles and twice in Russian. In 1020 Brest captured Polish King Boleslaw the Brave. In 1022, Yaroslav again fought near Brest. In 1040 again returned to Brest's Prince Yaroslav the Russian land and since then remained for some time under Russian rule.