Detinets

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A detinets (Russian: детинец [dʲɪˈtʲinʲɪts]; Ukrainian: дитинець [dɪˈtɪnɛtsʲ]) or detinetz (/ˈdɛtɪnɛts/ DET-in-ets) is an ancient Rus' city-fort or central fortified part of a city, similar to the meaning of kremlin or citadel. The term was used in many regions, including: Kievan Rus', Chernihiv, Novgorod, and Kyiv.^[1][2][3]

Old Russian manuscripts mention detinets in various places of Kievan Rus' since the end of the 11th century.^[4] From the 13th to the 14th century, detinets were used only in the Russian Pskov-Novgorod region.^[5]

The origin of the term is uncertain. Some derive it from the Old East Slavic word deti—"children", suggesting it was used to hide children and other less able people during a siege.^[6] Polish philologist Lucyjan Malinowski derives the similarly sounding Polish term dziedziniec–"courtyard", from detinets.^[7]