Slutsk Principality

a feudal principality that became separated from the Turov-Pinsk Principality in the 1190’s. In the early 12th century the Slutsk Principality, whose capital was the city of Slutsk, covered the territory of the Sluch’ River basin. A dependency of the Galician-Volynian Principality, it became a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1326; in 1395 it was transferred to the Lithuanian duke Vladimir Ol’ger-dovich. His descendants, called Olel’kovichi after Aleksandr Olet’ko, the son of Vladimir Ol’gerovich, ruled the Slutsk Principality until 1612.

The princes of the Slutsk Principality maintained active relations with northeastern Rus’. Mikhail Olel’kovich was elected prince by the Novgorodians in 1470 and was later executed for conspiring to annex Russian, Byelorussian, and Ukrainian lands to the Russian state. In 1582 the principality was divided among three Olel’kovichi. In 1612 it passed to Prince Radziwiłł, husband of the last representative of the Olel’kovichi, Princess Sofiia. The Slutsk Principality was abolished in 1791.