Pages: 328-337

The article deals with the earliest (Ancient Russian) stage in the process of urbanisation on the above-mentioned territory. On this stage (middle of X – beginning of XI centuries) socially and economically most developed settlements just reached the level of  feudal centres – prince’ s fortresses surrounded by open and unfortified satellite settlements. They were on the stage of early urban settlements, proto-towns, when the process of their further development was interrupted, most likely by intrusion of nomad Turks.