Sąsiadka

Sąsiadka [sɔ̃ˈɕatka] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sułów, within Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) south-west of Sułów, 26 km (16 mi) west of Zamość, and 61 km (38 mi) south of the regional capital Lublin. The village has a population of 500.

Map of S%C4%85siadka, Poland

Currently Sasiadka is a small village, located at the edge of the Roztocze, but its history is very long, dating back to the early Middle Ages. Next to contemporary village lies an ancient Slavic gord, which was one of the most important administrative centers of the so-called “Cherven Towns” (“Grody Czerwienskie”), a historic region between Poland and Rus’.

Due to extensive archaeological research, which began in 1936, the gord of Sasiadka is one of the best known of all such locations in eastern Poland. According to archaeologists, Sasiadka was three times completely destroyed, and each time a new gord was established on the ruins of the previous one. Most likely, the gord was founded by Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, who in 1034 - 1039 built a fortified settlement called Sutiejsk, which guarded the border with Poland.

In 1069, Sutiejsk was captured by Bolesław II Śmiały, during his raid over Rus’. The gord was burned, and quickly rebuilt by Poles, who controlled it until the late 11th century. Sutiejsk was a very important trade and administrative center, with several meetings of Polish and Rus dukes taking place here.

Some time between 1086 and 1097, Poles returned the gord to the Volhynian Duke Dawid Igorewicz, who visited it several times, as archaeologists found five lead seals with his name on them. Polish rulers remained keenly interested in Sutiejsk, and in 1121, Boleslaw Krzywousty captured it during his raid over Volhynia and Ruthenia. Sutiejsk was once again destroyed and rebuilt, and used as a military base for further Polish raids. At that time, its total area was 21 hectares, divided into three parts, with a walled center, the seat of a local duke. Three rings of ramparts, which protected the gord, were up to six meters high, and several hundred meters in circumference.

Sutiejsk was finally destroyed in 1205, when Duke of Volodymyr Roman raided Polish-controlled territories. The gord was rebuilt, but in 1241, during the Mongol invasion of Poland, it was probably burned to the ground, never to be rebuilt. Also, in the 13th century, ancient East - West trade route, which went through Sutiejsk, lost its importance, and was replaced by the one which goes from Krakow to Przemysl and Lwow/Lviv.

The village of Sasiadka remained a private property, since 1605 until 1944 part of the Zamoyski Family Fee Tail