Liubech

Coat of arms

Liubech or Lyubech (Ukrainian: Любеч, Polish: Lubecz) is a small ancient town (first mentioned in 882) connected with many important events since the times of the Kievan Rus'. It is currently a small settlement (2,600 inhabitants – 2001) located in Ripky Raion, in the Chernihiv Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Liubech is 250 kilometers (160 mi) north of the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, and located near the Belarusian border.

History

In 1018 there was a great battle between the army of the Grand Prince of Kiev Sviatopolk the Accursed and the Prince of Novgorod Yaroslav the Wise who was rushing to seize power in the whole Rus'. In 1097 the Council of Liubech, also known as the Congress of Rus' Princes, was held here. It was initiated by Vladimir II Monomakh and divided the land of the Kievan Rus' between the princes.

In the 14th century, Lyubech became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1632, Polish King Sigismund III Vasa granted Lubecz city rights. It was a royal city of Poland. From 1635 to 1667 it was part of the Chernihiv Voivodeship of the Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown.

St. Anthony of the Caves (Anthony of Kiev) also known as Antony Pechersky, was born in Liubech in 983. He established the first Ukrainian monastery known now as Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and is considered to be the father of East Slavic monasticism.

References

• Любеч and article in Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary