Cherven Cities

(Russian, Chervenskie goroda), a group of cities that included Cherven, Lutsk, Suteisk, and Brody. The Cherven cities were located on the upper course of the Zapadnyi Bug, on the Zapadnyi Bug’s tributaries the Khuchva and Luga, and in the region of the upper course of the Styr’. The cities lay on the border between Rus’ and Poland and were often the subject of disputes and armed conflicts.

In the 980’s, the Cherven cities became part of the ancient Russian state as a result of campaigns by the prince of Kiev, Vladimir Sviatoslavich. In 1018 the cities were conquered by the prince of Poland, Boleslaw I the Brave. The Cherven cities were incorporated into Kievan Rus’ in the early 1030’s and later became part of the Vladimir-Volyn Principality.