From the 12th century, the territory was a part of Chernigov principality. Tatar-Mongol invasion entailed desolation of the region. In the 15th century, Chernigov-Severskaya land including lands along the Donets and Oskol rivers was won back from Golden Horde by Great Lithuanian Principality. In 1500, Vassily Ivanovich Shemyachich who owned these lands came to serve Moscow Great Prince Ivan III Vassilyevich.
