In his patrimony, one of Andrei's main objectives was to raise the political, economic, cultural and ecclesiastical status of Vladimir above that of Kiev. Accordingly, he completed his father's buildingprojects and initiated new ones. He built the Assumption cathedral in Vladimir, its Golden Gates in imitation of those in Kiev, his court at the nearby village of Bogoliubovo (from which he received the sobriquet Bogoliubskii), and the church of the Intercession of Our Lady on the River Nerl. Since he hired artisans from all lands, his churches reflected Romanesque, Byzantine and Trans-Caucasian styles. In striving to create an aura ofholiness in Vladimir, he enshrined the relics ofBishop Leontii of Rostov and brought the so-called Vladimir icon of the Mother of God from
Vyshgorod. Hoping to equate the Christian heritage of his capital with that of Kiev, he propagated the pious myth that St Vladimir founded Vladimir. He also attempted, in vain, to create a new metropolitan see.
Andrei adopted autocratic practices in relation to his neighbours. He expanded his domains into the lands of the Volga Bulgars and imposed his will over the princes of Murom and Riazan'. At home he sought to undermine the authority of his subjects in their local assembly (veche); he expelled three of his brothers, two nephews and his father's senior boyars; and he spurned the magnates of Rostov and Suzdal' by making the smaller town of Vladimir his capital. After that the region was also referred to as Vladimir-Suzdal'. His overbearing policies evoked great resentment. Finally, on 29 June 1174, while he was waiting for Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich in Chernigov to approve his appointment of Roman Rostislavich of Smolensk to Kiev, his boyars assassinated him.[120]
Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich
After that, Sviatoslav acted as kingmaker in Vladimir-Suzdal'. Earlier, after Andrei had evicted his brothers and nephews from Suzdalia, Sviatoslav had given them sanctuary in Chernigov. Following Andrei's death he helped the refugees to fight for their inheritance. After a bitter rivalry between the uncles and the nephews, Vsevolod, laterto be known as 'Big Nest' (Bol'shoe Gnezdo) because of his many offspring, seized Vladimir on the Kliaz'ma.[121]He was indebted for his success, in part, to Sviatoslav's backing. He would rule Vladimir for almost forty years and become the most powerful prince in the land.
After Andrei's death, Roman, the senior prince of the Rostislavichi, replaced Iaroslav Iziaslavich in Kiev.[122] In 1176, however, Sviatoslav found a pretext for attacking Roman with the Polovtsy. Not wishing to expose the Christians of Rus' to carnage, Roman ceded control of the town to Sviatoslav.[123] Soon after, the Novgorodians invited the latter to send his son to them.
In the meantime, to strengthen the power of his son-in-law Roman Glebovich of Riazan' against Vsevolod Big Nest, Sviatoslav sent troops
The Rus' principalities (1125-1246) Table 5.6. The House of Chernigov
Oleg David
d. 1115 d. 1123
| Vsevolod d. 1146 |
| Sviatoslav d. 1164 |
| Igor' d. 1147 |
Sviatoslav Iziaslav (Sviatosha) d. 1161 d. 1143
| Gleb d. 1215? |
| Oleg d. 1204 |
| Vladimir d. 1200 |
| Iaroslav d. 1198 |
| Sviatoslav d. 1194 |
| Igor' d. 1201 |
| Mstislav d. 1223 |
| Vsevolod the Red d. 1212 |
Mikhail d. 1246
were making merry across the Dnieper from Kiev, Riurik's men routed the revellers. His rival's victory forced Sviatoslav to accept Riurik as his co-ruler.[124]
Duumvirs had administered Kiev in the past. As we have seen, Iziaslav Mstislavich and his uncle Viacheslav Vladimirovich had shared authority over Kiev and all its lands. The partnership between Sviatoslav and Riurik was different. The former was the senior partner and the commander-in-chief, but he ruled only Kiev. Riurik controlled the surrounding Kievan domains and lived in the nearby outpost of Belgorod. His patrimony, however, was Vruchii north-west of Kiev. His control of the towns surrounding Kiev significantly curtailed Sviatoslav's power.
On i October 1187, Iaroslav Osmomysl of Galich died.[125] During his reign he had maintained political relations with the Hungarians (his mother was a Hungarian princess), Poles, Bulgarians and Greeks. According to the chronicles, he fortified towns and promoted agriculture and crafts. Commerce prospered, especially in the lower Prut and Danube regions. Galicia also supplied the Kievan lands with much of their salt. Despite his great power, however, Iaroslav never claimed Kiev because he did not belong to a family of the inner circle. Unfortunately for Galicia, on his deathbed he committed a serious political blunder, perhaps at the insistence ofboyars who had become more powerful towards the end ofhis reign. He designated his younger son Oleg, the offspring of his concubine, rather than the elder Vladimir, the offspring of his wife Ol'ga the daughter of Iurii Dolgorukii, his successor.[126] Vladimir challenged Oleg and initiated a general rivalry for Galich.[127] In 1188, taking advantage of the strife, Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich sought to consolidate his control over all the Kievan lands. As he and Riurik rode against Bela III of Hungary who had seized Galich, Sviatoslav proposed to take the town and give it to Riurik in exchange for his Kievan domains and his patrimony of Vruchii. Riurik refused the offer.[128]
The following year Vladimir escaped from Hungary, where the king was holding him captive. After the Galicians reinstated him, he requested Vsevolod Big Nest in Vladimir-Suzdal' to support his rule. In return, he promised to be subservient to his uncle. Vsevolod agreed and demanded that all the princes, notably Roman Mstislavich of Vladimir-in-Volynia, Riurik and
Sviatoslav pledge not to challenge his nephew's rule. They acquiesced in deference to his military might.[129] Moreover, when making their promises, it appears that all the princes in the House of Monomakh pledged to acknowledge Vsevolod as the senior prince of their dynasty. Sviatoslav, although an Ol'govich, also agreed to obey Vsevolod's directive not to attack Vladimir. In doing so, however, he lost face as the prince of Kiev.[130]
One of Sviatoslav's most important duties as commander-in-chief was to defend Rus' against the Polovtsy. In the past, princes like Iurii had used the nomads as their auxiliaries, and they would do so again around the turn of the thirteenth century. For some two decades after the reign of Rostislav Mstislavich, however, relations between the princes and the tribesmen were extremely hostile. The horsemen from the east bank of the Dnieper and those north of the Black Sea raided Pereiaslavl' and the River Ros' region south of Kiev. The tribes living in the Donets basin pillaged, in the main, the Ol'govichi domains in the Zadesen'e and Posem'e regions.[131]
Sviatoslav, Riurikand their allies led many campaigns against the marauders. In 1184 they scored one of their greatest victories at the River Erel' south of the Pereiaslavl' lands, where they took many khans captive.[132] The following year, however, Sviatoslav's cousin Igor' Sviatoslavich of Novgorod Severskii suffered a catastrophic defeat in the Donets river basin (for chronicle illustrations of the battle, see Plate 7).[133] It became the subject of the most famous epic poem of Rus', 'The Lay of Igor''s Campaign' (Slovo o polku Igoreve)[134] Despite his valiant efforts, however, Sviatoslav failed to defeat the enemy or to negotiate a lasting peace.
120
123
commanded by his son Gleb to Riazan'.51 Vsevolod, however, captured the princeling. In his anger, Sviatoslav sought to avenge himself against the House of Monomakh by taking David Rostislavich of Vyshgorod captive while the latter was hunting. After failing to do so, he abandoned Kiev and David's brother Riurik occupied it. Sviatoslav's campaign to free Gleb from Vsevolod was also a fiasco. He therefore joined his son Vladimir in Novgorod and became the town's prince.52 (See Table 5.6: The House of Chernigov.)
In 1181 he marched south against Riurik and was joined by his brother Iaroslav of Chernigov and his cousin Igor' Sviatoslavich with numerous
127
For the history of Galicia, see V T. Pashuto,
131
S. A. Pletneva,
133
134
John Fennell and Dimitri Obolensky (eds.), 'The Lay of Igor's Campaign', in