One of the most controversial and mysterious personalities of the sunset of the Old Russian state was Prince Mstislav Udaloy. He was distinguished by unprecedented courage, fighting against the enemies of Russia, but quite often applied his skills in internecine strife. It will be very interesting for the modern generation of people to get acquainted with the biography of such an outstanding personality as Mstislav Udanoi. A brief biography of this prince will be the subject of our study.
The origin of the nickname
The original nickname of Prince Mstislav was Udatny, which in translation from the Old Russian language means "lucky." But due to the incorrect interpretation, the translation “Udaloy” became generally accepted. It was under such a nickname that the prince got on the pages of most history textbooks.
Nor will we change the generally accepted tradition.
Birth
The date of birth of Mstislav Udulo remains a mystery to historians. There is no doubt only that he was born within the second half of the XII century and was named in the baptism of Fedor. He was the son of the Prince of Novgorod, Mstislav Rostislavovich the Brave, from the Smolensk branch of the Monomakhovichi. The origin of the mother of Mstislav Udaloy is controversial. According to one version, she was the daughter of Yaroslav Osmomysl, who reigned in Galich, and according to another, Prince Ryazan Gleb Rostislavovich.
The place of Mstislav Udalny among the sons of Mstislav Rostislavovich is ambiguous. Some researchers consider him the eldest son, others - the youngest, and born after the death of his father. In the latter case, the year of his birth may be the 1180th.
Early references
The first mention of Mstislav Udal in the annals is dated to 1193. It was then that he, while still a prince of Tripolsky, took part in a campaign against the Polovtsy along with his cousin Rostislav Rurikovich.
In 1196, the father of Rostislav, the Kiev prince Rurik Rostislavovich, sent Mstislav Udaloy to the aid of Vladimir Yaroslavovich Galitsky, who opposed Roman Mstislavovich Volynsky. In 1203, already as Prince Torsky, the young Mstislav Udaloy again made a campaign against the Polovtsy. But in 1207, he was knocked out of Torchesk by the representative of the Olgovichi line Vsevolod Svyatoslavovich Chermny, when he made a successful campaign against Kiev, which was controlled by Rurik Rostislavovich at that time.
After that, Mstislav Mstislavovich Udaloy fled to the Principality of Smolensk, where he received a patrimony in Toropets from his relatives. Since then, he became known as Prince Toropetskiy.
Novgorod reign
Remaining the Toropetsk prince, in 1209 Mstislav Udaloy was invited by the Novgorod veche to reign in their lands. At that time, his father was the Novgorod prince. Prince Svyatoslav, the son of the Great Vladimir Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, who ruled in Novgorod until then, was deposed by the Novgorodians themselves. Mstislav Udaloy came to replace. The years of rule of this prince in Novgorod were marked by a special confrontation with the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.
In 1212, Mstislav, at the head of the Novgorod army, made a successful campaign against the pagan tribe Chud.
Campaign to Chernihiv
Meanwhile, after the death of Rurik Rostislavovich, who was then in Chernigov’s reign, and the long-time foe Mstislav Udalny Vsevolod, the Big Nest broke out with renewed vigor between the ruling in Kiev Vsevolod Chermny and the Smolensk branch of Monomakhovich, whom he accused of killing two of his relatives.
Realizing that he could not cope with the Prince of Kiev, Mstislav Romanovich Smolensky asked for help from his cousin - Mstislav Udalny. He immediately responded.
The united army of Novgorodians and Smolyans began to ruin the Chernigov land, which, by right of the patrimony, belonged to Vsevolod Chermny. This forced the latter to leave Kiev and accept the reign in Chernigov. Thus, the capital city of Russia was captured without a fight by Mstislav Udal, who put Ingvar Yaroslavovich Lutsky on the temporary reign. But after the conclusion of peace with Vsevolod Chermny the Great Prince of Kiev became Mstislav Romanovich Smolensky, later nicknamed Old.
Participation in feuds
In the meantime, after the death of Vsevolod, the Big Nest in North-Eastern Russia a large internecine war broke out (between his heirs) for the possession of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Mstislav Udaloy supported in this struggle the eldest son of Vsevolod of Rostov Prince Constantine. At the same time, according to the will left by Vsevolod the Great Nest, the princedom was to be inherited by his son Yuri, who was supported by his brother Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, while also claiming to reign in Novgorod.
In 1215, when Mstislav Udaloy, together with his squad, moved south, Novgorod - at the invitation of the locals themselves - was captured by Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. But soon he had a conflict with the Novgorodians. Yaroslav captured a large city in the south of Novgorod land - Torzhok. Novgorodians again called on Mstislav.
The decisive battle between the troops of Mstislav Udaloy, which was joined by the Smolensk army, the son of Mstislav the Old with the squad and Konstantin Rostovsky, and the army of the Vladimir-Suzdal princes Yuri and Yaroslav took place in 1216 on the Lipitsa River. It was the largest battle of civil wars of that period. The Novgorod-Smolensk army won a complete victory. During the flight, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich even lost his helmet.
The battle resulted in the assertion of Konstantin Vsevolodovich at the reign of Vladimir and the temporary refusal of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich from Novgorod. However, already in 1217, Mstislav Udaloy refused Novgorod in favor of Svyatoslav, the son of Mstislav the Old.
Principality in Galich
The rejection of Novgorod was due to the fact that Mstislav Udaloy put forward his claim to Galich. According to one version, he began attempts to seize power there even earlier, but without much success. In 1218, he finally, with the support of the Smolensk princes, expelled the Hungarians from Galich.
From then on, Mstislav Udaloy became the prince of Galicia. His foreign and domestic policies were particularly active. He concluded an alliance treaty with Daniil Romanovich Volynsky, fought against the Hungarians and Poles. During these wars, Galich passed from one hand to another. But in 1221, Mstislav still managed to finally establish himself there.
Battle of Kalk
1223 was a turning point in the fate of all of Russia. Hordes of the Mongol-Tatars invaded the southern Russian steppes under the leadership of the faithful commanders Genghis Khan Jebe and Subudai. Against a common danger, most of the principalities of southern Russia teamed up with the Polovtsian army of Khan Katyan (the father-in-law was Mstislav Udalu), who took an active part in creating the coalition.
Although the formal head of the coalition was the Grand Duke of Kiev, Mstislav Stary, in reality, many princes did not obey him. Disunity was the main reason for the defeat suffered by the Russian-Polovtsian army in the Battle of Kalka. Many Russian princes and ordinary warriors died in this battle, including Mstislav Kievsky. Only a few survived. But among those who were fortunate enough to be saved, was Mstislav Udaloy.
Further fate and death
After the battle at Kalka, Mstislav returned to Galich. There he continued to fight with the Hungarians, Poles, and with his former ally, Daniel Volynsky, who later became king of Russia. Despite the relatively successful outcome of these wars, in 1226 Mstislav left the reign in Galich and moved to the city of Torchesk, located in the south of Kiev land, where he already ruled in his youth.
Shortly before his death, he became a monk. He died in 1228 and was buried in Kiev.
Personality characteristic
Researchers call many lands and cities where Mstislav Udaloy ruled. This is Tripoli, Torchesk, Toropets, Novgorod, Galich, but nowhere did he settle for a long time. And the reason for this was not so much in the machinations of other princes, but in his character, eager for change. Contemporaries note that Mstislav Udulo’s temper was violent, but at the same time, this man was remarkable for his amazing judgment.
Of course, this prince played one of the key roles in the history of our state in the first half of the 13th century.