originally a minor center of severia, trubchevsk had its own princes sporadically throughout the middle ages, in 1164–1196, 1202–1211, 1212–1240, 1378–1399, and finally in 1462–1503. the last dynasty eventually settled in moscow, where they became known as princes trubetskoy. between 1609 and 1644, the town belonged to the polish–lithuanian commonwealth and its name was spelled as trubczewsk.