page_title: Red Ruthenia
section_title: 1199 to 1772
hierarchical_section_title: Red Ruthenia / History / Political history / 1199 to 1772
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Grody Czerwieńskie w końcu panowania Bolesława Chrobrego - 1025 r na tle granic państwowych 2010 r
context_page_description: Red Ruthenia or Red Rus' is a term used since the Middle Ages for the south-western principalities of the Kievan Rus', namely the Principality of Peremyshl and the Principality of Belz. Nowadays the region comprises parts of western Ukraine and adjoining parts of south-eastern Poland. It has also sometimes included parts of Lesser Poland, Podolia, "Right-bank Ukraine" and Volhynia. Centred on Przemyśl and Belz, it has included major cities such as: Chełm, Zamość, Rzeszów, Krosno and Sanok, as well as Lviv and Ternopil.
  First mentioned by that name in a Polish chronicle of 1321, Red Ruthenia was the portion of Ruthenia incorporated into Poland by Casimir the Great during the 14th century. The disintegration of Rus', Red Ruthenia was contested by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Ruthenia. After the Galicia–Volhynia Wars, for about 400 years most of Red Ruthenia became part of Poland as the Ruthenian Voivodeship.
  A minority of ethnic Poles have lived since the beginning of the second Millennium in northern parts of Red Ruthenia. The exonym "Ruthenians" usually refers to members of the Rusyn and/or Ukrainian ethnicity.
context_section_description: During the early Middle Ages, the region was part of Kievan Rus' and, from 1199, the independent Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia.
  It came under Polish control in 1340, when Casimir the Great acquired it. During his reign from 1333 to 1370, Casimir the Great founded several cities, urbanizing the rural province.
  The Polish name Ruś Czerwona (translated as "Red Ruthenia") came into use for the territory extending to the Dniester, centring on Przemyśl (Peremyshl). Since the reign of Władysław Jagiełło (d. 1434) the Przemyśl Voivodeship was called the Ruthenian Voivodeship (województwo ruskie), centring on Lwów. The voivodeship consisted of five regions: Lwów, Sanok, Halicz (Halych), Przemyśl (Peremyshl), and Chełm. The town of Halych gave its name to Galicia.During the 1340s, the influence of the Rurik dynasty ended; most of the area passed to Casimir the Great, with Kyiv and the state of Volhynia falling under the control of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Polish region was divided into a number of voivodeships, and an era of German eastward migration and Polish settlement among the Ruthenians began. Armenians and Jews also migrated to the region. A number of castles were built at this time, and the cities of Stanisławów (Stanyslaviv in Ukrainian, now Ivano-Frankivsk) and Krystynopol (now Chervonohrad) were founded.
  In October 1372, Władysław Opolczyk was deposed as count palatine. Although he retained most of his castles and goods in Hungary, his political influence waned. As compensation, Opolczyk was made governor of Hungarian Galicia. In this new position, he contributed to the economic development of the territories entrusted to him. Although Opolczyk primarily resided in Lwów, at the end of his rule he spent more time in Halicz. The only serious conflict during his time as governor involved his approach to the Orthodox Church, which angered the local Catholic boyars. Under Polish rule 325 towns were founded from the 14th century to the second half of the 17th century, most during the 15th and 16th centuries (96 and 153, respectively).
  Ruthenia was subject to repeated Tatar and Ottoman Empire incursions during the 16th and 17th centuries and was impacted by the Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648–1654), the 1654–1667 Russo-Polish War and Swedish invasions during the Deluge (1655–1660); the Swedes returned during the Great Northern War of the early 18th century. Red Ruthenia consisted of three voivodeships: Ruthenia, whose capital was Lviv and provinces were Lviv, Halych, Sanok, Przemyśl and Chełm; Bełz, separating the provinces of Lviv and Przemyśl from the rest of the Ruthenian voivodeship; and Podolia, with its capital at Kamieniec Podolski.
  Ruthenian Voivodeship
  Chełm Land (Ziemia Chełmska), Chełm
  Chełm County, (Powiat Chełmski), Chełm
  Powiat of Ratno, (Powiat Ratneński), Ratno
  Halych Land (Ziemia Halicka), Halicz
  Powiat of Halicz, (Powiat Halicki), Halicz
  Kolomyja County, (Powiat Kołomyjski), Kołomyja
  Trembowla County, (Powiat Trembowelski), Trembowla
  Lwów Land (Ziemia Lwowska), Lwów
  Powiat of Lwów, (Powiat Lwowski), Lwów
  Powiat of Żydaczów, (Powiat Żydaczowski), Żydaczów* Przemyśl Land (Ziemia Przemyska), Przemyśl; Its area was 12,000 km². and in the 17th century it was divided five smaller regions (county, powiaty).
  Przemyśl County (Powiat Przemyski), Przemyśl
  Powiat of Sambor, (Powiat Samborski), Sambor
  Powiat of Drohobycz, (Powiat Drohobycki), Drohobycz
  Powiat of Stryj, (Powiat Stryjski), Stryj
  Sanok Land (Ziemia Sanocka), Sanok
  Sanok County (Powiat Sanocki), Sanok: Intensive settlement occurred from the 13th to 15th centuries in an area flanked by the Wisłok, San and Wisłoka Rivers. The Vlachs primarily engaged in agriculture; moving west, they established a number of villages during the 15th century. In Sanok Land were six Jewish communities, with synagogues and kahal organizations. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Jewish Communities were also autonomous in criminal law.
   
  Bełz Voivodeship
  Belz County, (Powiat Bełzski), Bełz
  Grabowiec County, (Powiat Grabowiecki), Grabowiec
  Horodło County, (Powiat Horodelski), Horodł
caption: The Red Cities region is central to the historic Red Ruthenia.
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