URBAN SPACE AND SOCIAL TOPOGRAPHY OF POLOTSK ACCORDING TO THE EXPLORATION DATA OF 1765

Abstract

In the article there is a text of exploration of Polotsk of 1765, the original of which is stored in Vitebsk regional local history museum. The exploration gives an idea of sizes of urban areas, their owners (cloisters, feudal lords, petty bourgeois and Jews), the disposition of these areas, directions and arrangement of streets on the territory of former urban suburbs (Velikij and Krivtsovij), and also on both Polotsk castles (Verhnij and Nizhnij). In the text there is a translation into Russian of all the text of the exploration, which is composed in traditions of that time in Polish. The author’s comments are given, which concern the disposition of mentioned in the exploration of topographic objects (streets, separate courts, localities) on the modern map of Polotsk and on the maps of XVIIIth century. The data is given about the quantity of trade professions, mentioned in the exploration, about the quantity of courts. Polotsk exploration of 1765 is the only preserved till nowadays maximum full description of building of Polotsk of XVIIIth century included in Rech Pospolitaya.