The reign of Vladimir Monomakh falls on 1112-1125. He sat on the reign of Kiev, being a 60-year-old man, educated and wise. Maybe that's why the years of his reign are considered the best for the Old Russian state.
One of the Rurikovich
The grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, the beloved son of the Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod and the Byzantine Princess Anne (daughter of the Emperor of Constantinople Constantine Monomakh) was born in 1053. After growing up, he was a support to his father in everything. Naturally, Vsevolod bequeathed the Kiev throne to him. But Vladimir, who hated feuds, refused the Grand Duchy in favor of the cousin of Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich, as Monomakh’s father Vsevolod occupied the Kiev throne after the expulsion of his brother Izyaslav. The people of Kiev did not really like Svyatopolk and his entourage, primarily for friendship with the Polovtsy and for the fact that under him usury reached unprecedented proportions.
Wise and popular
Immediately after the death of the Kiev prince, Monomakh was sent an invitation to the Great reign, but he did not rush to the capital because he did not want to violate the succession to the throne, since he believed that either Oleg Seversky, David Chernigovsky, or Yaroslav Muromsky should rule the Svyatopolk descendants of Svyatoslav. His slowness was taken by the people of Kiev, suffering from the overwhelming oppression of Jewish moneylenders, and an uprising broke out in the city, accompanied by pogroms. Again they sent a messenger to Monomakh. This time he did not hesitate. Before Vladimir (his church name was Vasily), Vladimir had the glory of a peacemaker, the winner of the Polovtsy (he concluded 19 peace treaties with them) and the unifier of the Russian lands (his sons were in large cities - Novgorod, Smolensk and Rostov, and his brother Rostislav reigned in Pereyaslavl).
Brilliant start
The reign of Vladimir Monomakh in any city - Smolensk 1073-1078, Chernihiv 1078-1094, Pereyaslavl 1094-1113 - was wise and successful. The rebellious Kievites demanded only Vladimir to reign, upon the arrival of which the rebellion subsided. But Monomakh figured out its reasons in order to avoid unrest in the future, and significantly cut the interest rates of money lenders (no higher than 20% per annum), which made life easier for the lower classes. The Charter on Cuts was adopted after heavy agreement with representatives of the elite. After having managed to explain that usury ultimately harms not only Russia, but also himself, a decision was made to expel all Jewish money-lenders outside the country. It was stipulated that the "financiers" could take all the acquired property with them, but should never return to Russia. Naturally, many of the Jews converted to Orthodoxy.
The second prototype of Vladimir Krasna Sunny
The years of the reign of Prince Vladimir Monomakh became the last rise of Kievan Rus. A successful commander, a good politician, an educated man, and a talented writer who left behind literary works, he provided Russia with a quiet life - the Pechenegs were expelled, the Polovtsy were afraid to rob Russian lands, because the prince relied on the people's militia, and not on mercenaries. He was very popular among the people, his features complemented the image of the epic Vladimir Krasn the Sun (the first prototype was his grandfather Vladimir, the baptist of Russia). The exploits of Ilya Muromets fall during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh
Big foreign victory
The foreign policy of this Grand Duke reached its peak under the son of the deceased Byzantine Emperor Alexei I John II, who preempted the campaign of a large Russian army in Constantinople. Wishing peace with Kievan Rus, the Greeks voluntarily made enormous concessions - Monomakh was awarded the title of king, in importance equal to the Basileus of Byzantium. He was presented with royal clothing, a scepter, a power and a crown, the famous and legendary “Monomakh hat”. The union was consolidated by dynastic marriage - the son of John, the heir to Alex, married the granddaughter of the Prince of Kiev. Thus, the reign of Vladimir Monomakh was marked by the establishment of a strong kinship with Byzantium.
Flexible politician
True, the warned campaign against Constantinople provided for the seizure of the Danube lands along the route, but Monomakh could always give up something for the sake of peace. Therefore, these lands remained behind Byzantium. After the struggle with the Minsk Prince Gleb and his capture, these lands became friendly to Kiev - its supreme power was recognized there.
The undoubted advantages include the fact that during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh, three quarters of all Russian lands were concentrated in his hands. With all the neighbors, where by contract, and where by military, peace agreements were concluded. So, the rebellion in Volhynia was suppressed, where the son of Svyatopolk, who was the son-in-law of Vladimir, Yaroslav, ruled. He turned his yard into a lair hostile to Kiev. Both Jewish loan sharks and all kinds of eternal enemies of Russia escaped here. A large army of Czechs, Hungarians, Poles went to Kiev. To meet him was the army of Mstislav Vladimirovich. Yaroslav himself was already killed by Russian soldiers during the siege of Volyn. To assist the deceased was illogical, the enemy army retreated.
The growth of power of Russia
Neither the Volga Bulgars, whose flotilla was defeated by Russian soldiers, nor the inhabitants of the Baltic states and Finland who regularly paid tribute, raided Russian lands under the rule of Vladimir Monomakh. All this made it possible to engage in the improvement of the state. Churches were built, trade expanded, coins began to be minted, books were translated from the Byzantine language, schools began to open to which children of the best families were given for training. Being an educated man and a gifted writer, Vladimir left to his descendants his works - “Instruction” and “Walking”. In addition, Nestor, the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, created the "Tale of Bygone Years" (1117). The reign of Vladimir Monomakh in Kiev turned the city into a large commercial and cultural center. He left a good memory for centuries and an example of government that makes a country prosperous. They speak well of him not only in the "Tale of Bygone Years" written during his reign, but also in the Ipatiev Chronicle and in the "Word on the Ruin of the Russian Land." And after his death, some of his descendants were crowned with a “Monomakh hat” to the kingdom.
Vladimir Monomakh’s reign began on April 20, 1113, and ended on May 19, 1125, on the day of his death. Under Vladimir Monomakh dynastic marriages were widespread. He outlived all his many children with almost all the crowned spirits of Europe. Marriages were also made with the children of khans.
Board Results
The strong power that the neighbors reckoned with was left by Vladimir Monomakh, whose reign can be summarized as follows. The main achievement was the cessation of the Polovtsian raids that ravaged the country. The authority of Russia increased indescribably after defeating them. Its further growth was facilitated by balanced foreign policy and dynastic marriages.
Monomakh strengthened the centralization of power, and thus he managed to maintain complete control over all cities and trade routes of Russia. As a result of the cessation of strife and the onset of peaceful life, all branches of the economy, literature and art began to develop, and the country's power, both military and economic, increased significantly.