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Krivichs Kryvian The Krivichs (Кривичи́ in Russian, Крывічы́ in Belarusian or Krivichi), a tribe of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries, which inhabited the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina, the southern part of the Lake Peipus and parts of the Neman basin. The name of the tribe probably derives from the name of their forefather Prince Kriv, who bore the nickname of Krivoy ("Handicapped") due to some possible birth defect. It is likely that the Krivichs were the first of the East Slavs to leave the Carpathian Mountains in the 6th century and head northeast, absorbing scanty Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes (the Krivichs couldn't move towards northwest or west because of their encounters with strong Lithuanian and Finnish tribes). Having settled around the Road from the Varangians to the Greeks, the Krivichs traded with the Varangians called Rhos: according to De Administrando Imperio Krivichs (and other Slavic tribes) made boats for Varangians. The Krivichs left many archaeological monuments, such as the remnants of agricultural settlements with traces of ironworks, jeweler's art, blacksmith's work and other handicrafts; long kurgans of 6-9 centuries with cremated bodies; burial mounds of rich warriors with weapons (especially in the Gnezdovo kurgans); sets of distinctive jewelry (bracelet-like temporal rings and glass beads made out of streched wire). By the end of the first millennium, the Krivichs had already had well-developed farming and cattle-breeding. Principal cities of the Krivichs were Izborsk, Polotsk, Smolensk and, probably, Pskov. According to a number of chronicles, the Krivichs had had their own princely rule in the second half of the 9th century before becoming a part of the Kievan Rus. The Krivichs as a tribe, subjugated by Kiev, took part in Oleg's and Igor's military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire. The Krivichs were last mentioned in a chronicle in 1162, when their lands had already been a part of the Smolensk and Polotsk principalities and Novgorod. The Krivichs played a big role in colonization of the area between the rivers of Volga and Klyazma. Together with the Dregovichs, they were the forefathers of the Belarusian nation. Krivichs
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