Kiev principality: geographical location and characteristics of the government. South Russian principalities in the 12th - early 13th centuries

Already in the middle of the XII century. the power of the Kiev princes began to have real significance only within the Kiev principality itself, which included lands along the banks of the tributaries of the Dnieper - the Teterev, the Irpen and the semi-autonomous Porose, inhabited by the "Black Hoods" vassals from Kiev. The attempt of Yaropolk, who became the prince of Kyiv after the death of Mstislav I, to autocratically dispose of the "fatherlands" of other princes was decisively suppressed.
Despite the loss of all-Russian significance by Kiev, the struggle for possession of it continued until the invasion of the Mongols. There was no order in the inheritance of the Kiev table, and it passed from hand to hand depending on the balance of power of the fighting princely groups and, to a large extent, on the attitude towards them from the powerful Kiev boyars and the Black Hoods. In the context of the all-Russian struggle for Kyiv, the local boyars sought to end the strife and to political stabilization in their principality. In 1113, the boyars’ invitation of Vladimir Monomakh to Kiev (bypassing the then accepted order of succession) was a precedent used later by the boyars to justify their “right” to choose a strong and pleasing prince and conclude a “row” with him that protected them territorially. corporate interests. The boyars who violated this series of princes were eliminated by going over to the side of his rivals or by conspiracy (as, perhaps, Yuri Dolgoruky was poisoned, overthrown, and then killed in 1147 during a popular uprising, Igor Olgovich Chernigov, unpopular among the people of Kiev). As they are drawn into the struggle for Kyiv, everyone more The princes of Kiev boyars resorted to a peculiar system of princely duumvirate, inviting representatives from two of several rival princely groups as co-rulers to Kiev, which for some time achieved relative political balance, which was so necessary for the Kiev land.
As Kiev loses the all-Russian significance of individual rulers of the strongest principalities, who have become “great” in their lands, the appointment of their henchmen in Kyiv, “handmaids”, begins to satisfy.
Princely strife over Kyiv turned Kyiv land into an arena of frequent hostilities, during which cities and villages were ruined, and the population was driven into captivity. Kyiv itself was subjected to cruel pogroms both by the princes who entered it as victors and by those who left it as a vanquished and returned to their "homeland". All this predetermined the emerging from the beginning of the XIII century. the gradual decline of the Kyiv land, the outflow of its population to the northern and northwestern regions of the country, which suffered less from princely strife and were virtually inaccessible to the Polovtsians. Periods of temporary strengthening of Kyiv in the reign of such prominent politicians and organizers of the fight against the Polovtsy, like Svyatoslav Vsevolodich of Chernigov (1180-1194) and Roman Mstislavich Volynsky (1202-1205), alternated with the rule of colorless, kaleidoscopically succeeding princes. Daniil Romanovich Galitsky, in whose hands Kyiv passed shortly before Batu took it, had already limited himself to appointing his posadnik from the boyars.

Vladimir-Suzdal Principality

Until the middle of the XI century. The Rostov-Suzdal land was ruled by posadniks sent from Kyiv. Her real “reigning” began after she went to the younger “Yaroslavich” - Vsevolod Pereyaslavlsky - and was assigned to his descendants as their tribal “volost” In the XII-XIII centuries. The Rostov-Suzdal land experienced an economic and political upsurge, which made it one of the strongest principalities in Rus'. fertile lands Suzdal "Opole", boundless forests, cut through by a dense network of rivers and lakes, along which ancient and important trade routes ran to the south and east, the availability of iron ore available for mining - all this favored the development of agriculture, cattle breeding, rural and forestry crafts, handicrafts and trade. In the acceleration of economic development and the political rise of this forest region, the rapid growth of its population at the expense of the inhabitants of the southern Russian lands, subjected to Polovtsian raids, was of great importance. In the 11th-12th centuries, a large princely and boyar (and then church) land ownership was formed and strengthened here, absorbing communal lands and involving peasants In personal feudal dependence In the XII - XIII centuries almost all the main cities of this land arose (Vladimir, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Dmitrov, Starodub, Gorodets, Galich, Kostroma, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, etc.), built Suzdal princes on the borders and within the principality as stronghold fortress and administrative centers and built up trade and craft settlements, the population of which was actively involved in political life. Under 1147, the annals first mentioned Moscow, a small border town built by Yuri Dolgoruky on the site of the estate of the boyar Kuchka, confiscated by him.
In the early 30s of the XII century, during the reign of Monomakh's son Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky (1125-1157), the Rostov-Suzdal land gained independence. The military-political activity of Yuri, who intervened in all princely strife, extended his " long arms”to cities and lands far from his principality, made him one of the central figures in the political life of Rus' in the second third of the 11th century. Started by Yuriy and continued by his successors, the struggle with Novgorod and the wars with Volga Bulgaria marked the beginning of the expansion of the principality's borders towards the Dvina and the Volga-Kama lands. Under the influence of the Suzdal princes fell Ryazan and Murom, "pulled" earlier to Chernigov.
The last ten years of Dolgoruky's life were spent in an exhausting and alien to the interests of his principality struggle with the southern Russian princes for Kiev, the reign in which, in the eyes of Yuri and the princes of his generation, was combined with the "elder" in Rus'. But already the son of Dolgorukiy, Andrei Bogolyubsky, having captured Kiev in 1169 and brutally robbed it, transferred it to the control of one of his vassal princes, “handmaids”, which testified to a turning point on the part of the most far-sighted princes in their attitude towards Kiev, which had lost its significance. all-Russian political center.
The reign of Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky (1157 - 1174) was marked by the beginning of the struggle of the Suzdal princes for the political hegemony of their principality over the rest of the Russian lands. The ambitious attempts of Bogolyubsky, who claimed the title of Grand Duke of all Rus', to completely subjugate Novgorod and force other princes to recognize his supremacy in Rus' failed. However, it was in these attempts that the tendency to restore the state-political unity of the country on the basis of the subordination of specific princes to the autocratic ruler of one of the strongest principalities in Rus' was reflected.
With the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the revival of the traditions of the power policy of Vladimir Monomakh is associated. Relying on the support of the townspeople and the nobility-druzhinniks, Andrei severely cracked down on the recalcitrant boyars, expelled them from the principality, confiscated their estates. To be even more independent from the boyars, he moved the capital of the principality from a relatively new city - Vladimir-on-Klyazma, which had a significant trade and craft settlement. It was not possible to finally suppress the boyar opposition to the “autocratic” prince, as Andrei was called by his contemporaries. In June 1174, he was killed by boyar conspirators.
The two-year strife unleashed after the murder of Bogolyubsky by the boyars ended with the reign of his brother Vsevolod Yurievich Big Nest(1176-1212), who, relying on the townspeople and the retinue layers of the feudal lords, severely cracked down on the rebellious nobility and became the sovereign ruler in his land. During his reign, the Vladimir-Suzdal land reached its highest prosperity and power, playing a decisive role in the political life of Rus' at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries. Spreading his influence on other Russian lands, Vsevolod skillfully combined the power of arms (as, for example, in relation to the Ryazan princes) with skillful politics (in relations with the South Russian princes and Novgorod). The name and power of Vsevolod were well known far beyond the borders of Rus'. The author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign proudly wrote about him as the most powerful prince in Rus', whose numerous regiments could scatter the Volga with oars, and scoop water from the Don with helmets, on whose name alone "all countries trembled" and the rumor about which "filled the whole earth."
After the death of Vsevolod, an intensive process of feudal fragmentation began in the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The strife of the numerous sons of Vsevolod over the grand ducal table and the distribution of principalities led to a gradual weakening of the grand ducal power and its political influence on other Russian lands. Nevertheless, until the invasion of the Mongols, the Vladimir-Suzdal land remained the strongest and most influential principality in Rus', which retained political unity under the leadership of the Grand Duke of Vladimir. When planning an aggressive campaign against Rus', the Mongol-Tatars associated the result of the surprise and power of their first strike with the success of the entire campaign as a whole. And it is no coincidence that North-Eastern Rus' was chosen as the object of the first strike.

Chernigov and Smolensk principalities

These two large principalities under the Dnieper had much in common in their economy and political system with other southern Russian principalities, which were the ancient centers of culture of the Eastern Slavs. Here already in the IX-XI centuries. a large princely and boyar land ownership was formed, cities grew rapidly, becoming centers of handicraft production, serving not only the surrounding rural districts, but having developed external relations. Extensive trade relations, especially with the West, had the Smolensk principality, in which the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper and Western Dvina converged - the most important trade routes of Eastern Europe.
Allocation of the Chernihiv land in an independent principality occurred in the second half of the XI century. in connection with its transfer (together with the Muromo-Ryazan land) to the son of Yaroslav the Wise, Svyatoslav, for whose descendants it was assigned. Even at the end of the XI century. the ancient ties between Chernigov and Tmutarakan, cut off by the Polovtsians from the rest of the Russian lands and falling under the sovereignty of Byzantium, were interrupted. At the end of the 40s of the 11th century. The Chernihiv principality was divided into two principalities: Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversk. At the same time, the Muromo-Ryazan land became isolated, falling under the influence of the Vladimir-Suzdal princes. Smolensk land separated from Kyiv at the end of the 20s of the XII century, when it went to the son of Mstislav I, Rostislav. Under him and his descendants (“Rostislavichs”), the Smolensk principality expanded territorially and strengthened.
The median, connecting position of the Chernigov and Smolensk principalities among other Russian lands involved their princes in all the political events that took place in Rus' in the 12th-13th centuries, and above all in the struggle for their neighboring Kiev. The Chernigov and Seversk princes, indispensable participants (and often initiators) of all princely strife, were especially active in politics, unscrupulous in the means of combating their opponents and more often than other princes resorted to an alliance with the Polovtsy, with whom they devastated the lands of their rivals. It is no coincidence that the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign called the founder of the dynasty of Chernigov princes Oleg Svyatoslavich "Gorislavich", the first to start "forging sedition with a sword" and "sowing" the Russian land with strife.
The grand princely power in the Chernihiv and Smolensk lands could not overcome the forces of feudal decentralization (zemstvo nobility and rulers of small principalities), and as a result, these lands at the end of the 12th - first half of the 13th centuries. fragmented into many small principalities, only nominally recognizing the sovereignty of the great princes.

Polotsk-Minsk land

The Polotsk-Minsk land showed early tendencies towards separation from Kyiv. Despite the unfavorable soil conditions for agriculture, the socio-economic development of the Polotsk land proceeded at a high pace due to its favorable location at the crossroads of the most important trade routes along the Western Dvina, Neman and Berezina. Lively trade relations with the West and neighboring Baltic tribes (Livs, Lats, Curonians, etc.), who were under the sovereignty of the Polotsk princes, contributed to the growth of cities with a significant and influential trade and craft stratum in them. A large-scale feudal economy with developed agricultural crafts, the products of which were also exported abroad, also developed here early.
At the beginning of the XI century. Polotsk land went to the brother of Yaroslav the Wise, Izyaslav, whose descendants, relying on the support of the local nobility and townspeople, fought for the independence of their “fatherland” from Kiev for more than a hundred years with varying success. Polotsk land reached its greatest power in the second half of the 11th century. in the reign of Vseslav Bryachislavich (1044-1103), but in the XII century. it began an intensive process of feudal fragmentation. In the first half of the XIII century. it was already a conglomeration of petty principalities, only nominally recognizing the power of the Grand Duke of Polotsk. These principalities, weakened by internal strife, faced a difficult struggle (in alliance with the neighboring and dependent Baltic tribes) with the German crusaders who invaded the Eastern Baltic. From the middle of the XII century. The Polotsk land became the object of an offensive by the Lithuanian feudal lords.

Galicia-Volyn land

Galicia-Volyn land stretched from the Carpathians and the Dniester-Danube Black Sea region in the south and southwest to the lands of the Lithuanian Yotvingian tribe and Polotsk land in the north. In the west, it bordered on Hungary and Poland, and in the east, on Kyiv land and the Polovtsian steppe. The Galicia-Volyn land was one of the oldest centers of plowed agricultural culture of the Eastern Slavs. Fertile soils, mild climate, numerous rivers and forests, interspersed with steppe spaces, created favorable conditions for the development of agriculture, cattle breeding and various crafts, and at the same time the early development of feudal relations, large feudal princely and boyar land ownership. Handicraft production reached a high level, the separation of which from agriculture contributed to the growth of cities, of which there were more than in other Russian lands. The largest of them were Vladimir-Volynsky, Przemysl, Terebovl, Galich, Berestye, Holm, Drogichin and others. A significant part of the inhabitants of these cities were artisans and merchants. The second trade route from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea (Vistula-Western Bug-Dniester) and overland trade routes from Rus' to the countries of South-Eastern and Central Europe passed through the Galicia-Volyn land. The dependence of the Dniester-Danube lower land on Galich made it possible to control the European navigable trade route along the Danube with the East.
Galician land until the middle of the XII century. was divided into several small principalities, which in 1141 were united by Przemysl prince Vladimir, Volodarevich, who moved his capital to Galich. The Principality of Galicia reached its highest prosperity and power under his son Yaroslav Osmomysl (1153-1187) - a major statesman of that time, who highly raised the international prestige of his principality and successfully defended in his policy all-Russian interests in relations with Byzantium and the European states neighboring Russia. The author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign dedicated the most pathetic lines to the military power and international authority of Yaroslav Osmomysl. After the death of Osmomysl, the Principality of Galicia became the scene of a long struggle between the princes and the oligarchic aspirations of the local boyars. Boyar landownership in the Galician land was ahead of the princely in its development and significantly exceeded the latter in its size. The Galician “great boyars”, who owned huge estates with their own fortified castle cities and had numerous military retainers-vassals, resorted to conspiracies and rebellions in the fight against princes they did not like, entered into an alliance with the Hungarian and Polish feudal lords.
The Volhynian land became isolated from Kyiv in the middle of the 12th century, having secured itself as a tribal “fatherland” for the descendants of the Kyiv Grand Duke Izyaslav Mstislavich. Unlike the neighboring Galician land, a large princely domain formed early in Volhynia. Boyar land ownership grew mainly due to princely grants to the serving boyars, whose support allowed the Volyn princes to start an active struggle to expand their "fatherland". In 1199, the Volyn prince Roman Mstislavich managed to unite the Galician and Volyn lands for the first time, and with his occupation in 1203, Kyiv, under his rule, was the whole of South and South-Western Rus' - a territory equal to the large European states of that time. The reign of Roman Mstislavich was marked by the strengthening of the all-Russian and international position of the Galicia-Volyn region
land, successes in the fight against the Polovtsy, the fight against the recalcitrant boyars, the rise of Western Russian cities, crafts and trade. Thus, the conditions were prepared for the flourishing of South-Western Rus' during the reign of his son Daniil Romanovich.
The death in 1205 in Poland of Roman Mstislavich led to a temporary loss of the achieved political unity of Southwestern Rus', to a weakening of princely power in it. In the struggle against princely power, all groups of the Galician boyars united, unleashing a devastating feudal war that lasted over 30 years.
The boyars colluded with the Hungarian and
Polish feudal lords, who managed to seize the Galician land and part of Volhynia. In the same years, there was an unprecedented case in Rus' when the boyar Vodrdislav Kormilich reigned in Galich. The national liberation struggle against the Hungarian and Polish invaders, which ended in their defeat and expulsion, served as the basis for restoring and strengthening the position of princely power. Relying on the support of the cities, the serving boyars and the nobility, Daniil Romanovich established himself in Volhynia, and then, having occupied Galich in 1238, and Kiev in 1240, he again united all of South-Western Rus' and the Kievan land.

Novgorod feudal republic

A special political system, different from the principalities-monarchies, developed in the XII century. in Novgorod land, one of the most developed Russian lands. The ancient core of the Novgorod-Pskov land was the land between Ilmen and Lake Peipus and along the banks of the Volkhov, Lovat, Velikaya, Mologa and Msta rivers, which were divided geographically into "pyatinas", and
in the administrative - into "hundreds" and "graveyards". Novgorod "suburbs" (Pskov, Ladoga, Staraya Russa, Velikie Luki, Bezhichi, Yuriev, Torzhok) served as important trading posts on trade routes and military strongholds on the borders of the land. The largest suburb, which occupied a special, autonomous position in the system of the Novgorod Republic (the “younger brother” of Novgorod), was Pskov, which was distinguished by a developed handicraft and its own trade with the Baltic states, German cities, and even with Novgorod itself. In the second half of the XIII century. Pskov actually became an independent feudal republic.
From the 11th century active Novgorodian colonization of Karelia, Podvinya, Prionezhye and the vast northern Pomorye, which became Novgorod colonies, began. Following the peasant colonization (from the Novgorod and Rostov-Suzdal lands) and the Novgorod trade and fishing people, the Novgorod feudal lords also moved there. In the XII - XIII centuries. there were already the largest patrimonial possessions of the Novgorod nobility, who jealously did not allow feudal lords from other principalities to penetrate into these areas and create princely landed property there.
In the XII century. Novgorod was one of the largest and most developed cities in Rus'. The rise of Novgorod was facilitated by its exceptionally advantageous location at the beginning of trade routes important for Eastern Europe, linking the Baltic Sea with the Black and Caspian Seas. This predetermined a significant share of intermediary trade in Novgorod's trade relations with other Russian lands, with Volga Bulgaria, the Caspian and Black Sea regions, the Baltic states, Scandinavia and North German cities. The trade of Novgorod relied on the handicraft and various trades developed in the Novgorod land. Novgorod artisans, distinguished by their wide specialization and professional skills, worked mainly to order, but some of their products went to the city market, and through merchants-buyers to foreign markets. Craftsmen and merchants had their own territorial (“Ulichansky”) and professional associations (“hundreds”, “brothers”), which played a significant role in the political life of Novgorod. The most influential, uniting the top of the Novgorod merchants, was the association of wax merchants (“Ivanskoye Sto”), who were mainly engaged in foreign trade. The Novgorod boyars also actively participated in foreign trade, effectively monopolizing the most profitable trade in furs, which they received from their possessions "in the Dvina and Pomorye and from specially equipped trading and fishing expeditions to the Pechersk and Yugorsk lands.
Despite the predominance of the trade and craft population in Novgorod, the basis of the economy of the Novgorod land was agriculture and related crafts. Due to unfavorable natural conditions, grain farming was unproductive and bread was a significant part of Novgorod's imports. Grain stocks in the estates were created at the expense of food rent collected from smerds and used by the feudal lords for speculation in frequent lean years of famine, to entangle the working people in usurious bondage. In a number of areas, the peasants, in addition to the usual rural trades, were engaged in the extraction of iron ore and salt.
In the Novgorod land, a large boyar, and then a church landownership early developed and became dominant. The specifics of the position of the princes in Novgorod, sent from Kiev as princes-governors, which excluded the possibility of turning Novgorod into a principality, did not contribute to the formation of a large princely domain, thereby weakening the position of princely power in the fight against the oligarchic aspirations of the local boyars. Already the end! V. the Novgorod nobility largely predetermined the candidacies of the princes sent from Kyiv. So, in 1102, the boyars refused to accept the son of the Kyiv Grand Duke Svyatopolk to Novgorod, threatening the latter: “if your son has two heads, then eat him.”
In 1136, the rebellious Novgorodians, supported by the Pskovians and Ladoga residents, expelled Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich, accusing him of "neglecting" the interests of Novgorod. In the Novgorod land liberated from the power of Kyiv, a peculiar political system was established, in which the republican governing bodies stood side by side with and above the princely power. However, the Novgorod feudal lords needed the prince and his retinue to fight against the anti-feudal uprisings of the masses and to protect Novgorod from external danger. In the first period after the uprising of 1136, the scope of the rights and activities of the princely power did not change, but they acquired a service-executive character, were subject to regulation and were placed under the control of the posadnik (primarily in the field of court, which the prince began to administer together with the posadnik). As the political system in Novgorod acquired an increasingly pronounced boyar-oligarchic character, the rights and sphere of activity of princely power were steadily reduced.
The lowest level of organization and management in Novgorod was the association of neighbors - "convicted" with elected elders at the head. Five urban districts - "ends" formed self-governing territorial-administrative and political units, which also had special Konchan lands in collective feudal ownership. At the ends, their veche gathered, electing the Konchan elders.
The city veche meeting of free citizens, owners of city yards and estates was considered the highest body of power, representing all ends. The bulk of the urban plebs, who lived on the lands and estates of the feudal lords in the position of tenants or bonded and feudal-dependent people, were not entitled to participate in the issuance of veche sentences, but thanks to the publicity of the veche, which met on Sophia Square or Yaroslav's Court, could follow the course of the veche debate and with her stormy reaction she often exerted a certain amount of pressure on the Vechnikovs. The veche considered the most important issues of domestic and foreign policy, invited the prince and entered into a series with him, elected the posadnik, who was in charge of administration and court and controlled the activities of the prince, and the tysyatsky, who led the militia and had a special significance in Novgorod, the commercial court.
In the entire history of the Novgorod Republic, the positions of posadnik, Konchansky elders and thousandths were occupied only by representatives of 30-40 boyar families - the elite of the Novgorod nobility ("300 golden belts").
In order to further strengthen the independence of Novgorod from Kiev and turn the Novgorod bishopric from an ally of princely power into one of the instruments of their political domination, the Novgorod nobility managed to elect (since 1156) the Novgorod bishop, who, as the head of a powerful feudal church hierarchy, turned soon one of the first dignitaries of the republic.
The veche system in Novgorod and Pskov was a kind of feudal "democracy", one of the forms of the feudal state, in which the democratic principles of representation and election of officials at the veche created the illusion of "people's power", the participation of "all Novgorodgorod in governance, but where in reality all the fullness of power was concentrated in the hands of the boyars and the privileged elite of the merchant class. Taking into account the political activity of the city plebs, the boyars skillfully used the democratic traditions of Konchan self-government as a symbol of Novgorod liberty, covering their political dominance and providing them with the support of the city plebs in the struggle against princely power.
Political history Novgorod in the XII - XIII centuries. It was distinguished by the complex interweaving of the struggle for independence with the anti-feudal actions of the masses and the struggle for power between the boyar groups (representing the boyar families of the Sofia and Trade sides of the city, its ends and streets). The boyars often used the anti-feudal actions of the urban poor to remove their rivals from power, dulling the anti-feudal character of these actions to the point of reprisals against individual boyars or officials. The largest anti-feudal movement was the uprising in 1207 against the posadnik Dmitry Miroshkinich and his relatives, who burdened the city people and peasants with arbitrary exactions and usurious bondage. The rebels destroyed the city estates and villages of Miroshkinichi, confiscated their debt bondages. The boyars, hostile to the Miroshkinichs, took advantage of the uprising to remove them from power.
Novgorod had to wage a stubborn struggle for its independence with the neighboring princes, who sought to subjugate the rich "free" city. The Novgorod boyars skillfully used the rivalry between the princes to choose among them strong allies. At the same time, rival boyar groups drew the rulers of neighboring principalities into their struggle. The most difficult for Novgorod was the struggle with the Suzdal princes, who enjoyed the support of an influential group of Novgorod boyars and merchants, connected by trade interests with North-Eastern Russia. An important instrument of political pressure on Novgorod in the hands of the Suzdal princes was the cessation of the supply of grain from North-Eastern Rus'. The positions of the Suzdal princes in Novgorod were significantly strengthened when their military assistance to the Novgorodians and Pskovians became decisive in repelling the aggression of the German Crusaders and Swedish feudal lords, who were striving to capture the western and northern Novgorod territories.

The geographical position of which we will consider further existed from 1132 to 1471. Its territory included the lands of the Polyans and Drevlyans along the Dnieper River and its tributaries - the Pripyat, Teterev, Irpen and Ros, as well as part of the left bank.

Kiev principality: geographical location

This territory bordered on Polotsk land in the northwestern part, and Chernihiv was located in the northeast. Western and southwestern neighbors were Poland and the Principality of Galicia. The city, built on the hills, was ideally located militarily. Speaking about the peculiarities of the geographical position of the Kyiv principality, it should be mentioned that it was well protected. Not far from it were the cities of Vruchiy (or Ovruch), Belgorod, and Vyshgorod - they all had good fortifications and controlled the territory adjacent to the capital, which provided additional protection from the western and southwestern sides. From the southern part, it was covered by a system of forts built along the banks of the Dnieper, and nearby well-defended cities on the Ros River.

Kiev principality: characteristics

This Principality should be understood as a state formation in Ancient Rus', which existed from the 12th to the 15th century. Kyiv was the political and cultural capital. It was formed from the separated territories of the Old Russian state. Already in the middle of the 12th century. the power of the princes from Kyiv had significant significance only within the borders of the principality itself. The all-Russian significance was lost by the city, and the rivalry for control and power lasted until the invasion of the Mongols. The throne passed in an incomprehensible order, and many could claim it. And also, to a large extent, the possibility of obtaining power depended on the influence of the strong boyars of Kyiv and the so-called "black hoods".

Public and economic life

The location near the Dnieper played a big role in economic life. In addition to communication with the Black Sea, he brought Kyiv to the Baltic, in which Berezina also helped. The Desna and the Seim provided communication with the Don and Oka, and the Pripyat with the Neman and Dniester basins. Here was the so-called route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which was a trade route. Thanks to fertile soils and a mild climate, agriculture developed intensively; cattle breeding, hunting were widespread, the inhabitants were engaged in fishing and beekeeping. Crafts were divided early in these parts. "Woodworking" played a rather significant role, as well as pottery and leather crafts. Due to the presence of iron deposits, the development of blacksmithing was possible. Many types of metals (silver, tin, copper, lead, gold) were delivered from neighboring countries. Thus, all this influenced the early formation of trade and craft relations in Kyiv and the cities located next to it.

Political history

As the capital loses its all-Russian significance, the rulers of the strongest principalities begin to send their proteges - "handmaids" to Kyiv. The precedent in which, bypassing the accepted order of succession to the throne, Vladimir Monomakh was invited, the boyars subsequently used to justify their right to choose a strong and pleasing ruler. The principality of Kiev, whose history is characterized by civil strife, turned into a battlefield, where cities and villages suffered significant damage, were ruined, and the inhabitants themselves were captured. Kyiv saw the time of stability during the periods of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich Chernigov, as well as Roman Mstislavovich Volynsky. Other princes who quickly replaced each other remained more colorless for history. The Kiev principality suffered greatly, geographical position which allowed him to defend himself well for a long time, during the Mongol-Tatar invasion in 1240.

Fragmentation

The Old Russian state initially included tribal principalities. However, the situation has changed. Over time, when the local nobility began to be forced out thanks to the Rurik family, principalities began to form, which were ruled by representatives from the younger line. The established order of succession to the throne has always caused discord. In 1054, Yaroslav the Wise and his sons began to divide the principality of Kiev. Fragmentation was an inevitable consequence of these events. The situation escalated after the Lyubechensky Cathedral of Princes in 1091. However, the situation improved thanks to the policies of Vladimir Monomakh and his son Mstislav the Great, who managed to maintain integrity. They were able to once again place the Kiev principality under control of the capital, the geographical position of which was quite favorable for protection from enemies, and for the most part only internal civil strife spoiled the position of the state.

With the death of Mstislav in 1132, political fragmentation set in. However, despite this, Kyiv for several decades retained the status of not only a formal center, but also the most powerful principality. His influence has not disappeared completely, but has significantly weakened compared to the situation at the beginning of the 12th century.

In modern historiography, the title "Kyiv princes" is used to designate a number of rulers of the Kyiv principality and the Old Russian state. The classical period of their reign began in 912 with the reign of Igor Rurikovich, who was the first to bear the title of "Grand Duke of Kyiv", and lasted until about the middle of the 12th century, when the collapse of the Old Russian state began. Let's take a brief look at the most prominent rulers during this period.

Oleg the Prophet (882-912)

Igor Rurikovich (912-945) - the first ruler of Kyiv, called the "Grand Duke of Kyiv." During his reign, he conducted a number of military campaigns, both against neighboring tribes (Pechenegs and Drevlyans), and against the Byzantine kingdom. The Pechenegs and the Drevlyans recognized the supremacy of Igor, but the Byzantines, militarily better equipped, put up stubborn resistance. In 944, Igor was forced to sign a peace treaty with Byzantium. At the same time, the terms of the agreement were beneficial for Igor, since Byzantium paid a significant tribute. A year later, he decided to attack the Drevlyans again, despite the fact that they had already recognized his authority and paid tribute to him. Igor's warriors, in turn, got the opportunity to cash in on the robberies of the local population. The Drevlyans ambushed in 945 and, having captured Igor, executed him.

Olga (945-964)- The widow of Prince Rurik, who was killed in 945 by the Drevlyane tribe. She headed the state until her son, Svyatoslav Igorevich, became an adult. It is not known exactly when she transferred power to her son. Olga was the first of the rulers of Rus' to accept Christianity, while the whole country, the army and even her son were still pagans. Important facts of her reign were the subjugation of the Drevlyans who killed her husband Igor Rurikovich. Olga installed exact dimensions taxes that had to be paid by the lands subject to Kyiv, systematized the frequency of their payment and the timing. Was held administrative reform, dividing the lands subordinate to Kyiv into clearly defined units, each of which was headed by a princely official "tiun". Under Olga, the first stone buildings appeared in Kyiv, Olga's tower and the city palace.

Svyatoslav (964-972)- the son of Igor Rurik and Princess Olga. characteristic feature reign was that Olga actually ruled most of his time, first due to the minority of Svyatoslav, and then because of his constant military campaigns and absence in Kyiv. Assumed power around 950. He did not follow the example of his mother, and did not accept Christianity, which was then unpopular among the secular and military nobility. The reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich was marked by a series of continuous conquest campaigns that he carried out against neighboring tribes and state formations. The Khazars, Vyatichi, the Bulgarian kingdom (968-969) and Byzantium (970-971) were attacked. The war with Byzantium brought heavy losses to both sides, and ended, in fact, in a draw. Returning from this campaign, Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs and was killed.

Yaropolk (972-978)

Vladimir the Saint (978-1015)- Kiev prince, best known for the baptism of Rus'. He was a prince of Novgorod from 970 to 978, when he seized the throne of Kiev. During his reign, he continuously conducted campaigns against neighboring tribes and states. He conquered and annexed to his state the tribes of the Vyatichi, Yatvyag, Radimichi and Pechenegs. He carried out a number of state reforms aimed at strengthening the power of the prince. In particular, he began minting a single state coin, replacing the previously used Arab and Byzantine money. With the help of invited Bulgarian and Byzantine teachers, he began to spread literacy in Rus', forcibly sending children to study. He founded the cities of Pereyaslavl and Belgorod. The main achievement is the baptism of Rus', carried out in 988. The introduction of Christianity as the state religion also contributed to the centralization of the Old Russian state. The resistance of various pagan cults, then widespread in Rus', weakened the power of the Kyiv throne and was brutally suppressed. Prince Vladimir died in 1015 during another military campaign against the Pechenegs.

SvyatopolkCursed (1015-1016)

Yaroslav the Wise (1016-1054) is the son of Vladimir. He feuded with his father and seized power in Kyiv in 1016, driving his brother Svyatopolk away. The reign of Yaroslav is represented in history by traditional raids on neighboring states and internecine wars with numerous relatives who claimed the throne. For this reason, Yaroslav was forced to temporarily leave the throne of Kiev. He built the churches of Hagia Sophia in Novgorod and Kyiv. It is to her that the main temple in Constantinople is dedicated, therefore the fact of such a construction spoke of the equality of the Russian church with the Byzantine one. As part of the confrontation with the Byzantine Church, he independently appointed the first Russian Metropolitan Hilarion in 1051. Yaroslav also founded the first Russian monasteries: the Kiev Caves Monastery in Kyiv and the Yuryev Monastery in Novgorod. For the first time he codified feudal law by issuing a code of laws "Russian Truth" and a church charter. He did a great job of translating Greek and Byzantine books into Old Russian and Church Slavonic, constantly spending large sums on the correspondence of new books. He founded a large school in Novgorod, in which the children of elders and priests learned to read and write. He strengthened diplomatic and military ties with the Varangians, thus securing the northern borders of the state. He died in Vyshgorod in February 1054.

SvyatopolkCursed (1018-1019)- secondary interim rule

Izyaslav (1054-1068)- son of Yaroslav the Wise. According to his father's will, he sat on the throne of Kyiv in 1054. Throughout almost the entire reign, he was at enmity with his younger brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, who sought to seize the prestigious Kiev throne. In 1068, the troops of Izyaslav were defeated by the Polovtsians in a battle on the Alta River. This led to the Kyiv uprising in 1068. At the veche meeting, the remnants of the defeated militia demanded that they be given weapons in order to continue the fight against the Polovtsy, but Izyaslav refused to do this, which forced the people of Kiev to revolt. Izyaslav was forced to flee to the Polish king, his nephew. With the military help of the Poles, Izyaslav regained the throne for the period 1069-1073, was again overthrown, and ruled for the last time from 1077 to 1078.

Vseslav Charodey (1068-1069)

Svyatoslav (1073-1076)

Vsevolod (1076-1077)

Svyatopolk (1093-1113)- the son of Izyaslav Yaroslavich, before taking the throne of Kyiv, he periodically headed the Novgorod and Turov principalities. The beginning of the Kyiv principality of Svyatopolk was marked by the invasion of the Polovtsy, who inflicted a serious defeat on the troops of Svyatopolk in the battle near the Stugna River. This was followed by several more battles, the outcome of which is not known for certain, but in the end, peace was concluded with the Polovtsy, and Svyatopolk took the daughter of Khan Tugorkan as his wife. The subsequent reign of Svyatopolk was overshadowed by the continuous struggle between Vladimir Monomakh and Oleg Svyatoslavich, in which Svyatopolk usually supported Monomakh. Svyatopolk also repelled the constant raids of the Polovtsians led by the khans Tugorkan and Bonyak. He died suddenly in the spring of 1113, possibly by poisoning.

Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125) was a prince of Chernigov when his father died. He had the right to the Kiev throne, but gave it to his cousin Svyatopolk, because he did not want war at that time. In 1113, the people of Kiev raised an uprising, and, having thrown Svyatopolk, they invited Vladimir to the kingdom. For this reason, he was forced to accept the so-called "Charter of Vladimir Monomakh", which alleviates the situation of the city's lower classes. The law did not affect the foundations of the feudal system, but regulated the conditions of enslavement and limited the profits of usurers. Under Monomakh, Rus' reached the peak of its power. The Minsk principality was conquered, and the Polovtsy were forced to migrate east of the Russian borders. With the help of an impostor who pretended to be the son of the previously killed Byzantine emperor, Monomakh organized an adventure aimed at placing him on the Byzantine throne. Several Danubian cities were conquered, but success could not be further developed. The campaign ended in 1123 with the signing of peace. Monomakh organized the publication of improved editions of The Tale of Bygone Years, which have survived in this form to this day. Monomakh also created several works on his own: the autobiographical Ways and Fishes, the code of laws “the charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich” and “Instructions of Vladimir Monomakh”.

Mstislav the Great (1125-1132)- the son of Monomakh, formerly the prince of Belgorod. He ascended the throne of Kyiv in 1125 without resistance from the other brothers. Among the most outstanding deeds of Mstislav, one can name a campaign against the Polovtsians in 1127 and the sacking of the cities of Izyaslav, Strezhev and Lagozhsk. After a similar campaign in 1129, the Principality of Polotsk was finally annexed to the possessions of Mstislav. In order to collect tribute, several campaigns were made in the Baltic states, against the Chud tribe, but they ended in failure. In April 1132, Mstislav died suddenly, but managed to transfer the throne to Yaropolk, his brother.

Yaropolk (1132-1139)- Being the son of Monomakh, he inherited the throne when his brother Mstislav died. At the time of coming to power, he was 49 years old. In fact, he controlled only Kyiv and its environs. By his natural inclinations he was a good warrior, but he did not possess diplomatic and political abilities. Immediately after the assumption of the throne, the traditional civil strife began, connected with the succession to the throne in the Principality of Pereyaslavl. Yuri and Andrei Vladimirovich expelled Vsevolod Mstislavich from Pereyaslavl, who was imprisoned there by Yaropolk. Also, the situation in the country was complicated by the frequent raids of the Polovtsy, who, together with the allied Chernigov, plundered the outskirts of Kyiv. The indecisive policy of Yaropolk led to a military defeat in the battle on the Supoy River with the troops of Vsevolod Olgovich. The cities of Kursk and Posemye were also lost during the reign of Yaropolk. This development of events further weakened his authority, which was used by the Novgorodians, who announced their separation in 1136. The result of the reign of Yaropolk was the actual collapse of the Old Russian state. Formally, only the Principality of Rostov-Suzdal retained submission to Kyiv.

Vyacheslav (1139, 1150, 1151-1154)

Kievan Rus and Russian principalities of the XII-XIII centuries. Rybakov Boris Alexandrovich

Kiev principality

Kiev principality

For the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Principality of Kiev was the first among all Russian principalities. He soberly looks at the contemporary world and no longer considers Kyiv the capital of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev does not order other princes, but asks them to enter "into the golden stirrup ... for the Russian land," and sometimes, as it were, asks: "Do you think to fly here from afar to guard your father's golden throne?" So he turned to Vsevolod the Big Nest.

“The author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign has great respect for sovereign sovereigns, princes of other lands, and does not at all suggest redrawing the political map of Rus'. When he talks about unity, he means only what was quite real then - a military alliance against the "nasty", a single defense system, a single plan for a distant raid into the steppe. But he does not claim the hegemony of Kiev, since Kiev has long turned from the capital of Russia into the capital of one of the principalities and was almost on an equal footing with such cities as Galich, Chernigov, (Vladimir on Klyazma, Novgorod, Smolensk. Kiev distinguished from these cities only its historical glory and the position of the church center of all Russian lands. Until the middle of the 12th century, the Kiev principality occupied significant areas on the Right Bank of the Dnieper: almost the entire Pripyat basin and the Teterev, Irpen and Ros basins. Only later did Pinsk and Turov separate from Kiev, and the lands west of Goryn and Sluch went to the Volyn land.

A feature of the Kyiv principality was a large number of old boyar estates with fortified castles, concentrated in the old land of Polyany to the south of Kyiv. To protect these estates from the Polovtsians back in the 11th century. along the river Rosi (in "Porosye") were settled by significant masses of nomads expelled by the Polovtsy from the steppes: Torks, Pechenegs and Berendeys, united in the XII century. common name - Black Cowls. They seemed to anticipate the future border noble cavalry and carried out border service in the vast steppe space between the Dnieper, Stugna and Ros. Cities populated by the Chernoklobutsky nobility (Yuriev, Torchesk, Korsun, Dveren, etc.) arose along the banks of the Ros. Defending Rus' from the Polovtsy, the Torks and Berendeys gradually adopted the Russian language, Russian culture, and even the Russian epic epic.

Kyiv land. Pereyaslav land (east of the Dnieper) (according to A. N. Nasonov)

The capital of the semi-autonomous Porosye was either Kanev or Torchesk, a huge city with two fortresses on the northern bank of the Ros.

Black hoods played an important role in the political life of Rus' in the 12th century. and often influenced the choice of one or another prince. There were cases when the Black Hoods proudly declared to one of the pretenders to the Kiev throne: “In us, prince, there is both good and evil,” i.e., that the achievement of the grand prince’s throne depends on them, border cavalry constantly ready for battle, located two days from the capital.

For half a century that separates "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" from the time of Monomakh, the Kiev Principality lived a difficult life.

In 1132, after the death of Mstislav the Great, Russian principalities began to fall away from Kiev one after another: either Yuri Dolgoruky would ride from Suzdal to seize the Pereyaslav principality, then the neighboring Chernigov Vsevolod Olgovich, together with his Polovtsy friends, “went fighting villages and cities ... and people even came to Kiev…” Novgorod finally freed itself from the power of Kiev. The Rostov-Suzdal land was already acting independently. Smolensk voluntarily accepted the princes. Galich, Polotsk, Turov had their own special princes. The horizons of the Kyiv chronicler narrowed down to the Kiev-Chernigov conflicts, in which, however, the Byzantine prince, the Hungarian troops, the Berendeys, and the Polovtsy took part.

After the death of the unlucky Yaropolk in 1139, the even more unlucky Vyacheslav sat on the Kiev table, but lasted only eight days - he was expelled by Vsevolod Olgovich, the son of Oleg "Gorislavich".

The Kiev Chronicle depicts Vsevolod and his brothers as cunning, greedy and crooked people. The Grand Duke waged incessant intrigues, quarreled with his relatives, granted dangerous rivals distant destinies in bearish corners in order to remove them from Kyiv.

An attempt to return Novgorod to Kyiv was unsuccessful, since the Novgorodians expelled Svyatoslav Olgovich “for his malice”, “for his violence”.

Igor and Svyatoslav Olgovichi, brothers of Vsevolod, were unhappy with him, and all six years of reigning passed in mutual struggle, violations of the oath, conspiracies and reconciliations. Of the major events, one can note the stubborn struggle between Kyiv and Galich in 1144–1146.

Vsevolod did not enjoy the sympathy of the Kyiv boyars; this was reflected both in the annals and in the characterization that V. N. Tatishchev took from sources unknown to us: “This Grand Duke was a man of great stature and very fat, had little hair on his head, a wide beard, considerable eyes, a long nose. Wise (cunning - B.R.) was in the councils and courts, for that - whom he wanted, he could justify or accuse. He had many concubines and practiced more in fun than in reprisals. Through this, the burden of him was great for the people of Kiev. And when he died, hardly anyone, except for his beloved women, wept, but more were glad. But at the same time, they feared more burdens from Igor (his brother. - B.R.), knowing his ferocious and proud temper.

The protagonist "" The Tale of Igor's Campaign "- Svyatoslav of Kiev - was the son of this Vsevolod.

Vsevolod died in 1146. Subsequent events clearly showed that the main force in the principality of Kiev, as well as in Novgorod and other lands at that time, was the boyars.

Vsevolod's successor, his brother Igor, the same prince of a ferocious temper, whom the people of Kiev so feared, was forced to swear allegiance to them at the veche "with all their will." But the new prince had not yet had time to leave the veche meeting for dinner, when the “kiyans” rushed to smash the courtyards of the hated tiuns and swordsmen, which was reminiscent of the events of 1113.

The leaders of the Kiev boyars, Uleb Tysyatsky and Ivan Voitishich, secretly sent an embassy to Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich, the grandson of Monomakh, in Pereyaslavl with an invitation to reign in Kiev, and when he approached the walls of the city with his troops, the boyars threw down their banner and, as agreed, surrendered to him. Igor was tonsured a monk and exiled to Pereyaslavl. A new stage of the struggle between the Monomashichs and the Olgoviches began.

Smart Kyiv historian of the late XII century. hegumen Moses, who had a whole library of annals of various principalities, compiled a description of these turbulent years (1146-1154) from fragments of the personal chronicles of the warring princes. It turned out to be a very interesting picture: the same event is described from different points of view, the same act was described by one chronicler as a good deed inspired by God, and by others as the intrigues of the “all-sly devil”.

The chronicler of Svyatoslav Olgovich carefully conducted all the economic affairs of his prince and, with each victory of his enemies, pedantically listed how many horses and mares were stolen by the enemies, how many haystacks were burned, what utensils were taken in the church and how many troughs of wine and honey stood in the prince's cellar.

Of particular interest is the chronicler of Grand Duke Izyaslav Mstislavich (1146–1154). This is a man who knew military affairs well, participated in campaigns and military councils, and carried out the diplomatic missions of his prince. In all likelihood, this is the boyar, Kievan thousand Peter Borislavich, mentioned many times in the annals. He conducts, as it were, a political account of his prince and tries to put him in the most favorable light, to show him as a good commander, a managerial ruler, a caring overlord. Exalting his prince, he skillfully vilifies all his enemies, showing an outstanding literary talent. To document his chronicle-report, obviously intended for influential princely-boyar circles, Peter Borislavich widely used the authentic correspondence of his prince with other princes, the people of Kiev, the Hungarian king and his vassals. He also used the minutes of princely congresses and diaries of campaigns. Only in one case does he disagree with the prince and begins to condemn him - when Izyaslav acts against the will of the Kyiv boyars.

The reign of Izyaslav was filled with a struggle with the Olgovichi, with Yuri Dolgoruky, who twice managed to briefly capture Kiev.

In the process of this struggle, Prince Igor Olgovich, a prisoner of Izyaslav (1147), was killed in Kyiv, by the verdict of the veche.

In 1157 Yuri Dolgoruky died in Kyiv. It is believed that the Suzdal prince, unloved in Kyiv, was poisoned.

During these strife in the middle of the XII century. the future heroes of The Tale of Igor's Campaign are repeatedly mentioned - Svyatoslav Vsevolodich and his cousin Igor Svyatoslavich. So far, these are third-rate young princes who went into battle in the avant-garde detachments, received small cities as inheritance and “kissed the cross with all their will” of the older princes. Somewhat later, they are fixed in major cities: since 1164 Svyatoslav in Chernigov, and Igor in Novgorod-Seversky. In 1180, not long before the events described in the Tale of Igor's Campaign, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke of Kyiv.

Monetary hryvnias of the XII century.

Due to the fact that Kyiv was often a bone of contention between the princes, the Kiev boyars entered into a “row” with the princes and introduced a curious duumvirate system that lasted the entire second half of the 12th century. Duumvir co-rulers were Izyaslav Mstislavich and his uncle Vyacheslav Vladimirovich, Svyatoslav Vsevolodich and Rurik Rostislavich. The meaning of this original measure was that at the same time representatives of two warring princely branches were invited and thereby partly eliminated strife and established a relative balance. One of the princes, who was considered the eldest, lived in Kyiv, and the other - in Vyshgorod or Belgorod (he disposed of the land). On campaigns, they acted together and diplomatic correspondence was carried out in concert.

The foreign policy of the Kyiv principality was sometimes determined by the interests of this or that prince, but, in addition, there were two constant directions of struggle that always required readiness. The first and most important is, of course, the Polovtsian steppe, where in the second half of the XII century. feudal khanates were created, uniting separate tribes. Usually Kyiv coordinated its defensive actions with Pereyaslavl (which was in the possession of the Rostov-Suzdal princes), and thus a more or less unified Ros-Sula line was created. In this regard, the significance of the headquarters of such a general defense passed from Belgorod to Kanev. Southern border outposts of the Kyiv land, located in the X century. on the Stugna and on the Sula, now moved down the Dnieper to Orel and Sneporod-Samara.

Kyiv bracelets of the 12th-13th centuries.

The second direction of the struggle was the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Since the time of Yuri Dolgoruky, the northeastern princes, freed by their geographical position from the need to wage a constant war with the Polovtsy, directed their military forces to subjugate Kyiv, using the border Principality of Pereyaslavl for this purpose. The arrogant tone of the Vladimir chroniclers sometimes misled historians, and they sometimes believed that Kyiv at that time was completely stalled. Particular importance was attached to the campaign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the son of Dolgoruky, against Kiev in 1169. The Kiev chronicler, who witnessed the three-day robbery of the city by the victors, described this event so colorfully that he created an idea of ​​some kind of catastrophe. In fact, Kiev continued to live a full-blooded life as the capital of a wealthy principality even after 1169. Churches were built here, an all-Russian chronicle was written, and “The Tale of the Regiment…” was created, incompatible with the concept of decline.

The Kievan prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodich (1180-1194) is characterized by the "Word" as a talented commander. His cousins ​​Igor and Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, with their haste, awakened the evil that Svyatoslav, their feudal overlord, managed to cope with shortly before:

Svyatoslav the formidable great Kiev thunderstorm

Byashet ruffled his strong regiments and haraluzhny swords;

Step on the Polovtsian land;

Pritopta hills and yarugi;

Stir up rivers and lakes;

Dry up streams and swamps.

And the filthy Kobyak from the bow of the sea

From the great iron regiments of the Polovtsians,

Like a whirlwind, vytorzhe

And falling Kobyak in the city of Kyiv,

In the grid of Svyatoslavl.

Tu Nemtsi and Veneditsi, that Gretsi and Morava

Sing the glory of Svyatoslav

Prince Igor's cabin...

The poet meant here the victorious campaign of the united Russian forces against Khan Kobyak in 1183.

Svyatoslav's co-ruler was, as it is said, Rurik Rostislavich, who reigned in the "Russian Land" from 1180 to 1202, and then became for some time the Grand Duke of Kyiv.

The Tale of Igor's Campaign is entirely on the side of Svyatoslav Vsevolodich and says very little about Rurik. Chronicle, on the contrary, was in the sphere of influence of Rurik. Therefore, the activities of the duumvirs are biased by the sources. We know about the conflicts and disagreements between them, but we also know that Kyiv at the end of the XII century. experienced an era of prosperity and even tried to play the role of an all-Russian cultural center. This is evidenced by the Kiev annals of 1198 of Abbot Moses, which entered together with the Galician chronicle of the XIII century. in the so-called Ipatiev Chronicle.

The Kiev collection gives a broad idea of ​​the various Russian lands in the 12th century, using a number of annals of individual principalities. It opens with The Tale of Bygone Years, which tells about the early history of all of Rus', and ends with a recording of Moses' solemn speech on the construction of a wall at the expense of Prince Rurik, strengthening the banks of the Dnieper. The orator, who prepared his work for the collective performance of “one mouth” (cantata?), calls the Grand Duke the king, and his principality magnifies “an autocratic power ... known not only in Russian borders, but also in distant overseas countries, to the end of the universe.”

After the death of Svyatoslav, when Rurik began to reign in Kiev, his co-ruler in the "Russian land", that is, the southern Kiev region, was briefly his son-in-law Roman Mstislavich Volynsky (great-great-grandson of Monomakh). He received the best lands with the cities of Trepol, Torchesky, Kanev and others, which made up half of the principality. However, Vsevolod the Big Nest, the prince of the Suzdal land, who wanted to be in some form an accomplice in the management of the Kiev region, envied this "goddamn volost".

A long enmity began between Rurik, who supported Vsevolod, and the offended Roman Volynsky. As always, the Olgovichi, Poland, and Galich were quickly drawn into the strife. The case ended with the fact that Roman was supported by many cities, Black hoods, and, finally, in 1202, "opened the gates for him."

In the very first year of the great reign, Roman organized a campaign deep into the Polovtsian steppe "and took the Polovtsian vezhe and brought a lot of souls full of Christians from them (from the Polovtsians. - V.R.), and there was great joy in the lands of Rus'."

Rurik did not remain in debt and on January 2, 1203, in alliance with the Olgovichi and "the whole Polovtsian land" took Kyiv. “And great evil was created in the Russtey of the earth, what evil was not from baptism over Kiev ... Podolia took and burned; otherwise you took Mount and plundered Saint Sophia and the Tithes (church) as metropolitan ... plundered all the monasteries and adorned icons ... then put everything in your chest. Further, it is said that Rurik's allies, the Polovtsians, hacked to death all the old monks, priests and nuns, and took the young black women, wives and daughters of the people of Kiev to their camps.

Obviously, Rurik did not hope to gain a foothold in Kyiv, if he robbed him like that, and went to his own castle in Ovruch.

In the same year, after a joint campaign against the Polovtsians in Trepol, Roman captured Rurik and tonsured his entire family (including his own wife, Rurik's daughter) as monks. But Roman did not rule long in Kyiv - in 1205 he was killed by the Poles, when he drove too far from his squads while hunting in his western possessions.

The poetic lines of the chronicle are connected with Roman Mstislavich, which, unfortunately, has come down to us only partially. The author calls him the autocrat of all Rus', praises his mind and courage, noting especially his struggle with the Polovtsy: them, like an eagle; hrobor bo be, yako and tour. Regarding the Polovtsian campaigns of Roman, the chronicler recalls Vladimir Monomakh and his victorious struggle against the Polovtsians. Epics with the name of Roman have also been preserved.

One of the chronicles that has come down to us, used by V.N. Tatishchev, reports extremely interesting information about Roman Mstislavich. As if after the forcible tonsure of Rurik and his family, Roman announced to all Russian princes that his father-in-law had been dethroned by him for violating the treaty. This is followed by a presentation of Roman’s views on the political structure of Rus' in the 13th century: the Kiev prince must “defend the Russian land from everywhere, and keep good order among the brethren, Russian princes, so that one cannot offend another and run into and ruin other people’s regions.” The novel blames the younger princes who are trying to capture Kyiv, having no strength for defense, and those princes who "bring in the filthy Polovtsians." Then follows the draft of the election of the prince of Kyiv in the event of the death of his predecessor. Six princes must choose: Suzdal, Chernigov, Galicia, Smolensk, Polotsk, Ryazan; "Junior princes are not needed for that election." These six principalities should be inherited by the eldest son, but not divided into parts, "so that the Russian land does not diminish in strength." Roman proposed to convene a princely congress to approve this order.

It is difficult to say how reliable this information is, but in the conditions of 1203 such an order, if it could be put into practice, would be a positive phenomenon. However, it is worth remembering the good wishes on the eve of the Lyubech Congress of 1097, good decisions and the tragic events that followed.

V. N. Tatishchev retained the characteristics of Roman and his rival Rurik:

“This Roman Mstislavich, the grandson of the Izyaslavs, although not very large, was broad and overbearingly strong; his face is red, his eyes are black, his nose is great with a hump, his hair is black and short; Velmy Yar was angry; stagnant tongue, when angry, could not pronounce a word for a long time; he had a lot of fun with the nobles, but he was never drunk. He loved many wives, but not a single one owned him. The warrior was brave and cunning in organizing regiments ... He spent his whole life in wars, received many victories, and was defeated by one (only once. - B.R.).

Rurik Rostislavich is characterized differently. It is said that he was in the great reign for 37 years, but during this time he was expelled six times and “suffered a lot, having no peace from anywhere. Ponezhe he himself was drinking a lot and possessing wives, he was diligent about the government of the state and his own security. His judges and rulers over the cities caused a lot of burden to the people, for this he had very little love among the people and respect from the princes.

Obviously, these characteristics, full of medieval juiciness, were compiled by some Galician-Volynian or Kievan chronicler who sympathized with Roman.

It is interesting to note that Roman is the last of the Russian princes sung by epics; book and folk assessments coincided, which happened very rarely: the people very carefully selected heroes for their epic fund.

Roman Mstislavich and the "wise-loving" Rurik Rostislavich are the last bright figures in the list of Kievan princes of the 12th-13th centuries. Next come the weak rulers, who left no memory of themselves either in the annals or in folk songs.

The strife around Kyiv continued even in those years when an unprecedented new danger hung over Russia - the Tatar-Mongol invasion. During the time from the battle on the Kalka in 1223 to the arrival of Batu near Kyiv in 1240, many princes were replaced, there were many battles over Kyiv. In 1238, Prince Michael of Kiev fled, fearing the Tatars, to Hungary, and in the terrible year of Batu's arrival, he collected in the principality of Daniel of Galicia the feudal dues donated to him: wheat, honey, "beef" and sheep.

The "mother of Russian cities" - Kyiv - lived a vibrant life for a number of centuries, but in the last three decades of its pre-Mongolian history, it was too affected negative traits feudal fragmentation, which led to the dismemberment of the Kyiv principality into a number of destinies.

The singer of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" could not stop the historical process with his inspired stanzas.

Golden diadems of the 12th–13th centuries from the composition of the treasures buried in the ground during the invasion of Batu in 1240.

From the book Course of Russian History (Lectures I-XXXII) author Klyuchevsky Vasily Osipovich

Kiev principality - the first form of the Russian state These were the conditions, with the assistance of which the great principality of Kiev arose. It was at first one of the local Varangian principalities: Askold and his brother settled in Kyiv as simple Varangian konings guarding

From the book History of Russia from ancient times to late XVII century author Bokhanov Alexander Nikolaevich

§ 1. The Principality of Kiev Although it has lost its significance as the political center of the Russian lands, Kyiv has retained its historical glory as the “mother of Russian cities”. It also remained the church center of the Russian lands. But most importantly, the Kiev principality continued to remain

From the book The Birth of Rus' author

Principality of Kiev For the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Principality of Kiev was the first among all Russian principalities. He soberly looks at the contemporary world and no longer considers Kyiv the capital of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev does not order other princes, but asks them to enter "in

From the book Unperverted History of Ukraine-Rus Volume I the author Wild Andrew

Kiev State Sources The first information about the State of Kievan Rus we have from the annals. It is generally accepted that the original chronicle was the so-called “Initial Chronicle”, written by Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. But this is not entirely accurate

From the book Love Joys of Bohemia author Orion Vega

From the book Unified textbook of the history of Russia from ancient times to 1917. With a preface by Nikolai Starikov author Platonov Sergey Fyodorovich

Kievan state in the XI-XII centuries § 16. Prince Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of St. Vladimir (1015), princely civil strife arose in Rus'. The eldest son of Vladimir Svyatopolk, having taken the Kiev "table", sought to exterminate his brothers. Two of them, princes Boris and Gleb, were

From the book Ancient Russian History to the Mongol Yoke. Volume 1 author Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich

THE GRAND PRINCIPALITY OF KIEV After reviewing the Norman period of Russian History, we proceed to a presentation of the events that make up the content of the period, mainly specific, from the death of Yaroslav to the conquest of Russia by the Mongols (1054–1240).

From the book Kievan Rus and Russian principalities of the XII-XIII centuries. author Rybakov Boris Alexandrovich

Principality of Kiev For the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Principality of Kiev was the first among all Russian principalities. He soberly looks at the contemporary world and no longer considers Kyiv the capital of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev does not order other princes, but asks them to enter "in

author Tolochko Petr Petrovich

2. Kiev chronicle of the 11th century. Kiev Chronicle of the 11th century. if not contemporary with the events described, then closer to them than the chronicle of the 10th century. It is already marked by the presence of the author, enlivened by the names of writers or compilers. Among them is Metropolitan Hilarion (author

From the book Russian chronicles and chroniclers of the X-XIII centuries. author Tolochko Petr Petrovich

5. Kiev chronicle of the XII century. The immediate continuation of The Tale of Bygone Years is the Kiev Chronicle of the end of the 12th century. In the historical literature, it is dated differently: 1200 (M. D. Priselkov), 1198–1199. (A. A. Shakhmatov), ​​1198 (B. A. Rybakov). Concerning

From the book Russian chronicles and chroniclers of the X-XIII centuries. author Tolochko Petr Petrovich

7. Kiev chronicle of the XIII century. Continuation of the Kyiv Chronicle of the end of the XII century. in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is the Galicia-Volyn Chronicle. This circumstance, due to chance, the presence in the hands of the compiler of the Ipatiev list of precisely such annals,

author Tike Wilhelm

BATTLE FOR KIEV AND MOLDAVAN 101st Jaeger Division in hell near Gorchichny - 500th Special Forces Battalion bleeds - Colonel Aulok and his young grenadiers - Lieutenant Lumpp with the 1st Battalion of the 226th Grenadier Regiment defends Borisovka Isthmus

From the book March to the Caucasus. Battle for oil 1942-1943 author Tike Wilhelm

Fights for Kiev and Moldavan

From the book History of the USSR. Short course author Shestakov Andrey Vasilievich

II. Kievan state 6. Formation of the Kievan principality Varangian raids. In the 9th century, the lands of the Slavs, who lived around Novgorod and along the Dnieper, were raided by robber gangs of the Varangians - inhabitants of Scandinavia. The Varangian princes with their retinues took furs, honey and

From the book History of Ukraine. South Russian lands from the first Kyiv princes to Joseph Stalin author Allen William Edward David

Kievan state Under St. Vladimir (980-1015) and Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), Kievan Rus - a completely unusual and even strange historical phenomenon - in less than a century turned into a powerful and prosperous state. The historian Rostovtsev, who studied Greek and

From the book The Missing Letter. The unperverted history of Ukraine-Rus the author Wild Andrew

Kievan State Sources We have the first information about the state of Kievan Rus from the annals. It is generally accepted that the original chronicle was the so-called "Initial Chronicle", written by Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. But this is not entirely accurate,

Kiev principality

For the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Kiev principality was the first among all Russian principalities. He soberly looks at the contemporary world and no longer considers Kyiv the capital of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev does not order other princes, but asks them to enter "into the golden stirrup ... for the Russian land," and sometimes, as it were, asks: "do you think to fly here from afar to guard your father's golden throne?", as he turned to Vsevolod Big Nest.

The author of the Lay has great respect for sovereign sovereigns, princes of other lands, and does not at all suggest redrawing the political map of Rus'. When he speaks of unity, he means only what was quite real then: a military alliance against the "nasty", a single defense system, a single plan for a distant raid into the steppe. But the author of the Lay does not lay claim to the hegemony of Kiev, since Kiev had long ago turned from the capital of Rus' into the capital of one of the principalities and was almost on an equal footing with such cities as Galich, Chernigov, Vladimir on the Klyazma, Novgorod, Smolensk. Kyiv was distinguished from these cities only by its historical glory and the position of the church center of all Russian lands.

Until the middle of the XII century, the Kiev principality occupied significant areas on the Right Bank of the Dnieper: almost the entire Pripyat basin and the Teterev, Irpin and Ros basins. Only later did Pinsk and Turov separate from Kyiv, and the lands to the west of Goryn and Sluch went to the Volyn land.

A feature of the Kyiv principality was a large number of old boyar estates with fortified castles, concentrated in the old land of glades to the south of Kyiv. To protect these estates from the Polovtsy, as early as the 11th century, along the Ros River (in "Porosye"), significant masses of nomads expelled by the Polovtsy from the steppes were settled: Torks, Pechenegs and Berendeys, united in the 12th century by a common name - Black Hoods. They seemed to anticipate the future border noble cavalry and carried out border service in the vast steppe space between the Dnieper, Stugna and Ros. Cities populated by the Chernoklobutsky nobility (Yuriev, Torchesk, Korsun, Dveren, etc.) arose along the banks of the Ros. Defending Rus' from the Polovtsy, the Torks and Berendeys gradually adopted the Russian language, Russian culture, and even the Russian epic epic.

The capital of the semi-autonomous Porosye was either Kanev or Torchesk, a huge city with two fortresses on the northern bank of the Ros.

The Black Hoods played an important role in the political life of Rus' in the 12th century and often influenced the choice of this or that prince. There were times when the Black Hoods proudly declared to one of the pretenders to the Kiev throne: "In us, prince, there is both good and evil," that is, that the achievement of the grand prince's throne depends on them, border cavalry constantly ready for battle, located in two days way from the capital.

For half a century that separates "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" from the time of Monomakh, the Kiev principality lived a difficult life.

In 1132, after the death of Mstislav the Great, Russian principalities began to fall away from Kiev one after another: either Yuri Dolgoruky would ride from Suzdal to seize the Pereyaslav principality, then the neighboring Chernigov Vsevolod Olgovich, together with his Polovtsy friends, "went fighting villages and cities ... and people the secant even came to Kiev ... ".

Facial image of Grand Duke Mstislav Vladimirovich. Titular. 1672

Novgorod was finally freed from the power of Kyiv. The Rostov-Suzdal land was already acting independently. Smolensk voluntarily accepted the princes. Galich, Polotsk, Turov had their own special princes. The horizons of the Kyiv chronicler narrowed down to the Kiev-Chernigov conflicts, in which, however, the Byzantine prince, the Hungarian troops, the Berendeys, and the Polovtsy took part.

After the death of the unlucky Yaropolk in 1139, the even more unlucky Vyacheslav sat on the Kiev table, but lasted only eight days - he was expelled by Vsevolod Olgovich, the son of Oleg "Gorislavich".

The Kiev Chronicle depicts Vsevolod and his brothers as cunning, greedy and crooked people. The Grand Duke constantly led intrigues, quarreled with relatives, granted distant destinies in bearish corners to dangerous rivals in order to remove them from Kyiv.

An attempt to return Novgorod was unsuccessful, since the Novgorodians expelled Svyatoslav Olgovich "for his malice", "for his violence."

Igor and Svyatoslav Olgovichi, brothers of Vsevolod, were unhappy with him, and all six years of reigning passed in mutual struggle, violations of the oath, conspiracies and reconciliations. Of the major events, one can note the stubborn struggle between Kyiv and Galich in 1144-1146.

Vsevolod did not enjoy the sympathy of the Kyiv boyars; this was reflected both in the annals and in the characterization that V. N. Tatishchev took from sources unknown to us: “This Grand Duke husband was great in stature and very fat, had little hair on his head, a wide beard, considerable eyes, a long nose. He was wise (cunning. - B. R.) was in councils and courts, for whom he wanted, he could justify or accuse. He had many concubines and was more in fun than in reprisals. Through this, the people of Kiev were greatly burdened by him. And when he died, hardly anyone, except for his beloved women, wept, and they were more glad.

The protagonist of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" - Svyatoslav of Kiev - was the son of this Vsevolod. Vsevolod died in 1146. Subsequent events clearly showed that the main force in the principality of Kiev, as well as in Novgorod, and in other lands at that time, was the boyars.

Vsevolod's successor, his brother Igor, the same ferocious prince whom the people of Kiev so feared, was forced to swear allegiance to them at the veche "with all their will." But the new prince had not yet had time to leave the veche meeting for dinner, when the "kiyans" rushed to smash the yards of the hated tiuns and swordsmen, which was reminiscent of the events of 1113.

The leaders of the Kiev boyars, Uleb Tysyatsky and Ivan Voitishich, secretly sent an embassy to Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich, the grandson of Monomakh, in Pereyaslavl with an invitation to reign in Kiev, and when he approached the walls of the city with his troops, the boyars threw down their banner and, as it was agreed, surrendered to him. Igor was tonsured a monk and exiled to Pereyaslavl. A new stage of the struggle between Monomashich and Olgovichi began.

The clever Kiev historian of the end of the 12th century, hegumen Moses, who had a whole library of annals of various principalities, compiled a description of these turbulent years (1146-1154) from fragments of the personal chronicles of the warring princes. It turned out to be a very interesting picture: the same event is described from different points of view, the same act was described by one chronicler as a good deed inspired by God, and by others as the machinations of the "all-sly devil".

The chronicler of Svyatoslav Olgovich carefully conducted all the economic affairs of his prince and, with each victory of his enemies, pedantically listed how many horses and mares were stolen by the enemies, how many haystacks were burned, what utensils were taken in the church and how many troughs of wine and honey stood in the prince's cellar.

Of particular interest is the chronicler of the Grand Duke Izyaslav Mstislavich (1146-1154). This is a man who knew military affairs well, participated in campaigns and military councils, and carried out the diplomatic missions of his prince. In all likelihood, this is the boyar, Kievan thousand Peter Borislavich, mentioned many times in the annals. He conducts, as it were, a political account of his prince and tries to put him in the most favorable light, to show him as a good commander, a managerial ruler, a caring overlord. Exalting his prince, he skillfully vilifies all his enemies, showing an outstanding literary talent.

To document his chronicle-report, obviously intended for influential princely-boyar circles, Peter Borislavich widely used the authentic correspondence of his prince with other princes, the people of Kiev, the Hungarian king and his vassals. He also used the minutes of princely congresses and diaries of campaigns. Only in one case does he disagree with the prince and begins to condemn him - when Izyaslav acts against the will of the Kyiv boyars.

The reign of Izyaslav was filled with a struggle with the Olgovichi, with Yuri Dolgoruky, who twice managed to briefly capture Kiev.

In the process of this struggle, the prisoner of Izyaslav, Prince Igor Olgovich (1147), was killed in Kyiv by the verdict of the veche.

In 1157 Yuri Dolgoruky died in Kyiv. It is believed that the Suzdal prince, unloved in Kyiv, was poisoned.

During these strife in the middle of the XII century, the future heroes of the "Tale of Igor's Campaign" are repeatedly mentioned - Svyatoslav Vsevolodich and his cousin Igor Svyatoslavich. So far, these are third-rate young princes who went into battle in the vanguard detachments, received small cities as inheritance and "kissed the cross with all their will" of the older princes. Somewhat later, they were fixed in large cities: from 1164 Svyatoslav in Chernigov, and Igor in Novgorod-de-Seversky. In 1180, not long before the events described in the Lay, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke of Kyiv.

Treasure with hryvnia money bars

Due to the fact that Kyiv was often a bone of contention between the princes, the Kiev boyars entered into a "row" with the princes and introduced a curious system of duumvirate, which lasted the entire second half of the 12th century.

Duumvir co-rulers were Izyaslav Mstislavich and his uncle Vyacheslav Vladimirovich, Svyatoslav Vsevolodich and Rurik Rostislavich. The meaning of this original measure was that at the same time representatives of two warring princely branches were invited and thereby partly eliminated strife and established a relative balance. One of the princes, who was considered the eldest, lived in Kyiv, and the other - in Vyshgorod or Belgorod (he disposed of the land). On campaigns, they acted together and diplomatic correspondence was carried out in concert.

The foreign policy of the Kyiv principality was sometimes determined by the interests of this or that prince, but, in addition, there were two permanent lines of struggle that required daily readiness. The first and most important is, of course, the Polovtsian steppe, where in the second half of the 12th century feudal khanates were created that united individual tribes. Usually Kyiv coordinated its defensive actions with Pereyaslavl (which was in the possession of the Rostov-Suzdal princes), and thus a more or less unified Ros-Sula line was created. In this regard, the significance of the headquarters of such a general defense passed from Belgorod to Kanev. The southern border outposts of the Kievan land, located in the 10th century on the Stugna and on the Sula, now moved down the Dnieper to Orel and Sneporod-Samara.

The second direction of the struggle was the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Since the time of Yuri Dolgoruky, the northeastern princes, freed by their geographical position from the need to wage a constant war with the Polovtsy, directed their military forces to subjugate Kyiv, using the border Principality of Pereyaslavl for this purpose. The arrogant tone of the Vladimir chroniclers sometimes misled historians, and they sometimes believed that Kyiv at that time was completely stalled. Particular importance was attached to the campaign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the son of Dolgoruky, against Kyiv in 1169.

The Kiev chronicler, who witnessed the three-day robbery of the city by the victors, described this event so vividly that he created an idea of ​​some kind of catastrophe. In fact, Kyiv continued to live a full-blooded life as the capital of a rich principality even after 1169. Churches were built here, an all-Russian chronicle was written, the "Word about Igor's Campaign" was created, which is incompatible with the concept of decline.

Kyiv Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodich (1180-1194) "Word" characterizes as a talented commander.

His cousins, Igor and Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, with their haste awakened the evil that Svyatoslav, their feudal overlord, managed to cope with shortly before:

The formidable great Svyatoslav of Kiev, with a thunderstorm Byashet, ruffled his strong regiments and haraluzhny swords;

Step on the Polovtsian land;

Pritopta hills and yarugas;

Stir up rivers and lakes;

Dry up streams and swamps.

And the filthy Kobyak from the bow of the sea

From the great iron regiments of the Polovtsians,

Like a whirlwind, vytorzhe:

And pvdesya Kobyak in the city of Kyiv,

In the grid of Svyatoslavl.

Tu Nemtsi and Veneditsi, that Gretsi and Morava

Sing the glory of Svyatoslav

Prince Igor's cabin...

The poet meant here the victorious campaign of the united Russian forces against Khan Kobyak in 1183.

Svyatoslav's co-ruler was, as it is said, Rurik Rostislavich, who reigned in the "Russian Land" from 1180 to 1202, and then became for some time the Grand Duke of Kyiv.

"The Tale of Igor's Campaign" is entirely on the side of Svyatoslav Vsevolodich and says very little about Rurik. Chronicle, on the contrary, was in the sphere of influence of Rurik. Therefore, the activities of the duumvirs are biased by the sources. We know about the conflicts and disagreements between them, but we also know that Kyiv at the end of the 12th century experienced an era of prosperity and even tried to play the role of an all-Russian cultural center.

This is evidenced by the Kiev chronicle of 1198 of Abbot Moses, which, together with the Galician chronicle of the 13th century, was included in the so-called Ipatiev Chronicle.

The Kiev Code gives a broad idea of ​​the different Russian lands in the 12th century, using a number of annals of individual principalities. It opens with The Tale of Bygone Years, which tells about the early history of all of Rus', and ends with a recording of Moses' solemn speech on the construction of a wall at the expense of Prince Rurik, strengthening the banks of the Dnieper. The speaker, who prepared his work for the collective performance of "one mouth" (cantata?), calls the Grand Duke the king, and his principality magnifies "an autocratic power ... known not only in Russian borders, but also in distant overseas countries, to the end of the universe."

Mosaic image of the prophet. 11th century Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv

After the death of Svyatoslav, when Rurik began to reign in Kyiv, his co-ruler in the "Russian land", that is, the southern Kiev region, was briefly his son-in-law Roman Mstislavich Volynsky (great-great-grandson of Monomakh). He received the best lands with the cities of Trepol, Torchesky, Kanev and others, which made up half of the principality.

However, Vsevolod the Big Nest, the prince of the Suzdach land, envied this "goddamn volost", who wanted to be in some form an accomplice in the management of the Kiev region. A long feud began between Rurik, who supported Vsevolod, and the offended Roman Volynsky. As always, the Olgovichi, Poland, and Galich were quickly drawn into the strife. The case ended with the fact that Roman was supported by many cities, Black Hoods, and finally in 1202 "opened the gates for him."

In the very first year of the great reign, Roman organized a campaign deep into the Polovtsian steppe "and took the Polovtsian vines and brought a lot of souls full of peasants from them (from the Polovtsy. - B.R.), and there was great joy in the lands of Rus" .

Rurik did not remain in debt and on January 2, 1203, in alliance with the Olgovichi and "the entire Polovtsian land" took Kyiv. "And great evil was done in the Russtey of the land, as if there was no evil from baptism over Kiev ...

Taking the hem and burning it; otherwise you took Mount and plundered St. Sophia and the Tithes (church) as metropolis ... plundered and robbed all the monasteries and adorned the icons ... then put everything in full. and nuns, and the young black women, wives and daughters of Kiev were taken to their camps.

Obviously, Rurik did not hope to gain a foothold in Kyiv, if he robbed him like that, and went to his own castle in Ovruch.

In the same year, after a joint campaign against the Polovtsians in Trepol, Roman captured Rurik and tonsured his entire family (including his own wife, Rurik's daughter) as monks. But Roman did not rule long in Kyiv, in 1205 he was killed by the Poles, when he rode too far from his squads while hunting in his western possessions.

The poetic lines of the chronicle are connected with Roman Mstislavich, which, unfortunately, has come down to us only partially. The author calls him the autocrat of all Rus', praises his mind and courage, noting especially his struggle with the Polovtsians: before their land, like an eagle; hrobor bo be, like a tour. Regarding the Polovtsian campaigns of Roman, the chronicler recalls Vladimir Monomakh and his victorious struggle against the Polovtsians. Epics with the name of Roman have also been preserved.

One of the chronicles that has not come down to us, used by V. N. Tatishchev, provides extremely interesting information about Roman Mstislavich. As if after the forcible tonsure of Rurik and his family, Roman announced to all Russian princes that his father-in-law had been dethroned by him for violating the treaty.

This is followed by a presentation of Roman's views on the political structure of Rus' in the 13th century: the Kiev prince must "defend the Russian land from everywhere, and keep good order among the brethren, the princes of Russia, so that one cannot offend another and run over and ruin other people's regions." The novel blames the younger princes who are trying to capture Kyiv, not having the strength to defend themselves, and those princes who "bring in the filthy Polovtsy."

Then the draft of the election of the Kyiv prince in the event of the death of his predecessor is presented. Six princes must choose: Suzdal, Chernigov, Galician, Smolensk, Polotsk, Ryazan; "Junior princes are not needed for that election." These six principalities should be inherited by the eldest son, but not divided into parts, "so that the Russian land does not diminish in strength." Roman proposed to convene a princely congress to approve this order.

It is difficult to say how reliable this information is, but in the conditions of 1203 such an order, if it could be put into practice, would be a positive phenomenon. However, it is worth recalling the good wishes on the eve of the Lubech Congress of 1097, his good decisions and the tragic events that followed him.

V. N. Tatishchev retained the characteristics of Roman and his rival Rurik:

"This Roman Mstislavich, the grandson of the Izyaslavs, although not very large, was broad and overbearingly strong; his face was red, his eyes were black, his nose was large with a hump, his hair was black and short; he was very angry; his tongue was slanted, when he was angry, he did not could pronounce words for a long time; he had a lot of fun with nobles, but he was never drunk. He loved many wives, but owned none of them. The warrior was brave and cunning in organizing regiments ... He spent his whole life in wars, received many victories, and only one (only once. - B. R.) was defeated. "

Rurik Rostislavich is characterized differently. It is said that he was in the great reign for 37 years, but during this time he was expelled six times and "suffered a lot, having no rest from anywhere. After all, he himself had a lot of drink and wives, he was diligent about the government of the state and his security. His judges and in the cities, the rulers caused a lot of burdens for the people; for this, he had very little love among the people and had respect from the princes.

Obviously, these characteristics, full of medieval juiciness, were compiled by some Galician-Volynian or Kievan chronicler who sympathized with Roman.

It is interesting to note that Roman is the last of the Russian princes sung by epics; book and folk assessments coincided, which happened very rarely: the people very carefully selected heroes for their epic fund.

Roman Mstislavich and the "wise-loving" Rurik Rostislavich are the last bright figures in the list of Kievan princes of the 12th-13th centuries. Next come the weak rulers, who left no memory of themselves either in the annals or in folk songs.

The strife around Kyiv continued even in those years when a new unprecedented danger loomed over Russia - the Tatar-Mongol invasion. During the time from the battle on the Kalka in 1223 to the arrival of Batu near Kyiv in 1240, many princes were replaced, there were many battles over Kyiv. In 1238, Prince Michael of Kiev fled, fearing the Tatars, to Hungary, and in the terrible year of Batu's arrival, he collected feudal dues donated to him in the principality of Daniel of Galicia: wheat, honey, "beef" and sheep.

"Mother of Russian cities" - Kyiv lived a bright life for a number of centuries, but in the last three decades of its pre-Mongolian history, the negative features of feudal fragmentation, which actually led to the dismemberment of the Kiev principality into a number of destinies, were too strong.

The singer of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" could not stop the historical process with his inspired stanzas.

From the book Course of Russian History (Lectures I-XXXII) author Klyuchevsky Vasily Osipovich

Kiev principality - the first form of the Russian state These were the conditions, with the assistance of which the great principality of Kiev arose. It was at first one of the local Varangian principalities: Askold and his brother settled in Kyiv as simple Varangian konings guarding

From the book History of Russia from ancient times to the end of the 17th century author Bokhanov Alexander Nikolaevich

§ 1. The Principality of Kiev Although it has lost its significance as the political center of the Russian lands, Kyiv has retained its historical glory as the “mother of Russian cities”. It also remained the church center of the Russian lands. But most importantly, the Kiev principality continued to remain

From the book The Birth of Rus' author

Principality of Kiev For the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Principality of Kiev was the first among all Russian principalities. He soberly looks at the contemporary world and no longer considers Kyiv the capital of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev does not order other princes, but asks them to enter "in

From the book Unperverted History of Ukraine-Rus Volume I the author Wild Andrew

Kiev State Sources The first information about the State of Kievan Rus we have from the annals. It is generally accepted that the original chronicle was the so-called “Initial Chronicle”, written by Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. But this is not entirely accurate

From the book Love Joys of Bohemia author Orion Vega

From the book Unified textbook of the history of Russia from ancient times to 1917. With a preface by Nikolai Starikov author Platonov Sergey Fyodorovich

Kievan state in the XI-XII centuries § 16. Prince Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of St. Vladimir (1015), princely civil strife arose in Rus'. The eldest son of Vladimir Svyatopolk, having taken the Kiev "table", sought to exterminate his brothers. Two of them, princes Boris and Gleb, were

From the book Ancient Russian History to the Mongol Yoke. Volume 1 author Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich

THE GRAND PRINCIPALITY OF KIEV After reviewing the Norman period of Russian History, we proceed to a presentation of the events that make up the content of the period, mainly specific, from the death of Yaroslav to the conquest of Russia by the Mongols (1054–1240).

From the book Kievan Rus and Russian principalities of the XII-XIII centuries. author Rybakov Boris Alexandrovich

Principality of Kiev For the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Principality of Kiev was the first among all Russian principalities. He soberly looks at the contemporary world and no longer considers Kyiv the capital of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev does not order other princes, but asks them to enter "in

author Tolochko Petr Petrovich

2. Kiev chronicle of the 11th century. Kiev Chronicle of the 11th century. if not contemporary with the events described, then closer to them than the chronicle of the 10th century. It is already marked by the presence of the author, enlivened by the names of writers or compilers. Among them is Metropolitan Hilarion (author

From the book Russian chronicles and chroniclers of the X-XIII centuries. author Tolochko Petr Petrovich

5. Kiev chronicle of the XII century. The immediate continuation of The Tale of Bygone Years is the Kiev Chronicle of the end of the 12th century. In the historical literature, it is dated differently: 1200 (M. D. Priselkov), 1198–1199. (A. A. Shakhmatov), ​​1198 (B. A. Rybakov). Concerning

From the book Russian chronicles and chroniclers of the X-XIII centuries. author Tolochko Petr Petrovich

7. Kiev chronicle of the XIII century. Continuation of the Kyiv Chronicle of the end of the XII century. in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is the Galicia-Volyn Chronicle. This circumstance, due to chance, the presence in the hands of the compiler of the Ipatiev list of precisely such annals,

author Tike Wilhelm

BATTLE FOR KIEV AND MOLDAVAN 101st Jaeger Division in hell near Gorchichny - 500th Special Forces Battalion bleeds - Colonel Aulok and his young grenadiers - Lieutenant Lumpp with the 1st Battalion of the 226th Grenadier Regiment defends Borisovka Isthmus

From the book March to the Caucasus. Battle for oil 1942-1943 author Tike Wilhelm

Fights for Kiev and Moldavan

From the book History of the USSR. Short course author Shestakov Andrey Vasilievich

II. Kievan state 6. Formation of the Kievan principality Varangian raids. In the 9th century, the lands of the Slavs, who lived around Novgorod and along the Dnieper, were raided by robber gangs of the Varangians - inhabitants of Scandinavia. The Varangian princes with their retinues took furs, honey and

From the book History of Ukraine. South Russian lands from the first Kyiv princes to Joseph Stalin author Allen William Edward David

Kievan state Under St. Vladimir (980-1015) and Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), Kievan Rus - a completely unusual and even strange historical phenomenon - in less than a century turned into a powerful and prosperous state. The historian Rostovtsev, who studied Greek and

From the book The Missing Letter. The unperverted history of Ukraine-Rus the author Wild Andrew

Kievan State Sources We have the first information about the state of Kievan Rus from the annals. It is generally accepted that the original chronicle was the so-called "Initial Chronicle", written by Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. But this is not entirely accurate,

Up