Bratonezh

Bratonezh (Братонеж in Cyrillic) was a fortified settlement and, later, a small town that existed in the territory of present-day Russia during the medieval period. It was strategically located on the Don River, serving as an important outpost for the Principality of Chernigov and later the Grand Duchy of Moscow in controlling the steppe frontier and defending against nomadic incursions, primarily those of the Polovtsians (Cumans) and later the Golden Horde.

Bratonezh's primary function was military. It housed a garrison of soldiers and served as a rallying point for local militias in the event of an attack. Its fortifications, consisting of earthen ramparts, wooden walls, and possibly a moat, were crucial in delaying and disrupting raiding parties.

Historical sources about Bratonezh are limited, relying primarily on chronicles and archaeological findings. It is known that the settlement played a role in regional conflicts and trade routes. The town's importance gradually declined with the expansion of Muscovite control further south and the shift in the main routes of invasion and trade. Eventually, Bratonezh was abandoned, and its precise location is a subject of ongoing archaeological research, although several locations in the present-day Lipetsk Oblast are considered potential sites.