▁no ▁documented ▁points ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁original ▁found ing ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁on ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁Ber az ino , ▁it ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁it ▁origin ated ▁as ▁a ▁trad ing ▁post ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁Bere z ina ▁which ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁trade ▁route ▁from ▁the ▁Var ang ians ▁to ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁of ▁the ▁K ie van ▁Rus . ▁The ▁first ▁chron icles ▁of ▁a ▁settlement ▁date ▁from ▁ 1 5 0 1 , ▁which ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁present ▁date ▁of ▁its ▁found ing . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁the ▁city ▁belonged ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁might iest ▁dynast ies ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁- ▁the ▁S ap ie ha ▁Family , ▁who ▁controlled ▁many ▁other ▁territ ories ▁in ▁Central ▁Bel arus . ▁In ▁ 1 6 4 1 ▁the ▁Duke ▁Kaz im ierz ▁Leon ▁S ap ie ha ▁built ▁a ▁wooden ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁which ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁attra ctions ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁In ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Rus so - Pol ish ▁War ▁( 1 6 5 4 – 1 6 6 7 ) ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁Russian - C oss ack ▁forces ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 5 , ▁but ▁was ▁taken ▁away ▁from ▁them ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 1 ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Min sk ▁Vo iv odes hip . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Northern ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 8 , ▁upon