13th century Volhynia was a geographical area neighbouring on the west with Christian Poland and on the north with the Yotvingian region. The death of Roman Mstislavovich in 1205 brought an unstable situation in the Halich-Vladimyrian land. The policy of his sons was in the beginning based on using the Yotvingian-Lithuanian forces to increase their power and position. From the 1240s, being in alliance with Mazovia, they pursued to control and subdue the Yotvingian forces. Evident testimony to their efforts was the collection of tribute from the subjugated territory by Konstantin, which was then divided between the Rus and the Poles. This common policy was negated by the Mongol commander Burunday, who not only crushed Daniel rebellion, but also led to the destruction of the alliances carefully constructed by the King of Rus. The aim of the lecture is to show the stages of the conquest of the Yotvingian lands by the Mazovian- Rus coalition in the context of the Romanovichs' policy.

Written at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century, the Chronicle of Halych-Volhynia is the only surviving chronicle from the Rus' area. Textological research has shown that we can distinguish at least two ‘authors’ of this work. The aim of the lecture will be to demonstrate the knowledge of Byzantine writing traditions in the territory of western Rus and the question of what Chronicle of Halych-Volhynia was for its last editor.