The Grand Kiev Prince Vladimir Monomakh went down in history as a talented statesman, thinker and writer. He managed to temporarily stop the civil strife and the collapse of the state into small principalities, protect him from the Polovtsian raids and raise his status in the international arena. His age was quite long in those days. The prince ruled from 20 years to 71 years. An important role in maintaining the integrity of the state was played by the sons of Vladimir Monomakh, who occupied the princely tables in the largest and strategically important cities.
Wives of Vladimir Monomakh
Historians believe that Vladimir Monomakh was married at least twice. His first wife was the English Princess Gita of Wessex, the daughter of King Harold II. After the death of her father, she, along with several brothers and sisters, fled to Flanders, and then to Denmark. In 1074 she was married to V. Monomakh. The Russian historian and philologist A. Nazarenko suggests that she took part in the first crusade, died and was buried in Palestine in about 1098. According to another version, this happened in Smolensk in 1107. To say which sons of Vladimir Monomakh were born from first marriage is not possible. Historians are only sure of Mstislav, Izyaslav and Svyatoslav. It is likely that Yaropolk, Roman and Vyacheslav are also sons of Gita of Wessex.
Around 1099, V. Monomakh remarried. Regarding who the second wife was, there are various versions. According to one of them, her name was Euphemia and she had Greek roots. According to another, the second wife of Monomakh could be the Swedish princess Christina. Historians believe that from the second marriage the prince had two sons: Yuri and Andrei, as well as three daughters.
Mstislav the Great
Mstislav the Great, known in Europe under the name Harold, is the Rostov-Suzdal prince, the son of Vladimir Monomakh from Gita of Wessex. He was born on June 1, 1076. He, like his father, was a major statesman and commander, for which he received the title of Great during his lifetime. From a young age by our standards (13-14 years) he owned Novgorod the Great. In 1093-95 years. He controlled the Rostov and Smolensk lands. The period of his reign in Novgorod was marked by the development of the city: the expansion of the children’s, the laying of the Church of the Annunciation on the Settlement, St. Nicholas Cathedral In 1117, Mstislav, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, was transferred to Belgorod. A place in Novgorod was taken by his eldest son Vsevolod Mstislavovich.
Mstislav inherited the great reign after the death of his father in 1125. This fact did not cause discontent and opposition from the Chernigov princes. His seniority was recognized unconditionally by all brothers. However, only Kiev was initially under his direct control. The prince's first wife was the daughter of the Swedish king Christine. Married ten children. The second wife of Mstislav was the daughter of the Novgorod posadnik Lyubava Dmitrievna, presumably she gave birth to the prince two sons and a daughter.
Vladimir Monomakh and his son Mstislav adhered to one line of foreign policy - protection from enemies. The military power of the principality was undeniable. Mstislav, using political marriages with Scandinavia and Byzantium for political purposes, strengthened his position in the international arena. Contemporaries chroniclers spoke of the Grand Duke of Kiev as a man in the army brave and respectable, he was terrible to all neighbors, and merciful and prudent to his subjects. According to them, this was a great justice, during which all Russian princes lived in silence and did not dare to offend each other.
Izyaslav Vladimirovich
The second son of Vladimir Monomakh from the English princess was born presumably after 1076, and by the time of his death on September 6, 1096 was just a teenager. Little is known about him.
After the outbreak of the internecine war in 1097 between the princes Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich and Vladimir Vsevolodovich on the one hand and the sons of Svyatoslav Yaroslavovich on the other, the subsequent capture of Chernigov and Smolensk, Izyaslav left Kursk at the behest of his father. He settled in Murom - the estate of Oleg Svyatoslavovich. The latter gathered an impressive army and asked the offspring of Vladimir Monomakh to leave the city in the possession of his father. Izyaslav did not agree and decided to defend himself. In the battle under the walls of Murom, he died, and Oleg took the city. The body of the young prince was taken by the eldest son of Vladimir Monomakh Mstislav, the burial took place in Novgorod Sophia Cathedral. Information about Izyaslav's spouse and offspring is missing. Most likely, the prince of Kursk and Murom did not have time to start a family.
Svyatoslav Vladimirovich
About one of the eldest sons of V. Monomakh Svyatoslav practically no historical information has been preserved, and those that are are often questioned by scientists. It is known that the prince of Smolensk, and later Pereyaslavsky died on March 6, 1114.
For the first time, his name was mentioned in the annals of 1095 when he told about the arrival of two Polovtsian khans to V. Monomakh in Pereyaslavl, the purpose of which was to make peace. In 1111, Svyatoslav, in all likelihood, participated with his father in a campaign against the Polovtsy, which ended in the defeat of the barbarians. Two years later, in 1113, Svyatoslav accepted the reign in Pereyaslavl, where he was sent from Smolensk by Vladimir Monomakh. The son of the Kiev prince did not rule for long. He died in 1114 in Pereyaslavl and was buried there in the church of St. Michael. Information about the wives and children of Svyatoslav was not preserved.
Roman Vladimirovich
Historians suggest that Roman is the fourth oldest of the sons of Vladimir Monomakh. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Data on Prince Volynsky was practically not preserved.
In 1117, a conflict arose between V. Monomakh and the son of Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich , the cause of which was probably the transfer of the eldest of the sons of the Kiev prince to Belgorod from Novgorod. A year later, Roman was planted to reign in Vladimir-Volynsky. The rule, as in the case of Svyatoslav, was short-lived. The prince died in 1119. Then Andrei Dobry sat in Volyn, the governor appointed by Vladimir Monomakh himself, the son, presumably from his second marriage.
Roman Vladimirovich was married to the daughter of the prince of Zvenigorod. Information about children from this marriage is not available.
Yaropolk Vladimirovich
Yaropolk was born in 1082, presumably in Chernigov, where at that moment his father reigned. At twenty-one, he first took part in a campaign against the Polovtsians. He inherited the princely throne in Pereyaslavl after the death of his elder brother Svyatoslav in 1114. In this capacity, he repeatedly spoke out against the Polovtsians, and also together with his father against the Prince of Minsk Gleb. The annals mention that he maintained good relations with his elderly father and repeatedly led his army with his older brother Mstislav.
In history, Yaropolk is known as the ruler of a power disintegrating into parts. He became the Grand Prince of Kiev after the death of Mstislav in 1132, at that time he was already at that age already 49 years old. Under his direct control was only Kiev with the surrounding territory. Yaropolk was a brave warrior, a capable commander, but also a very weak politician. He was not able to stop the process of the collapse of the state into individual principalities. Having become overly cautious in decision-making by old age, he could not take the initiative in the struggle of his younger brothers against the Olgovichi and Mstislavovichi. The last time the sons of Vladimir Monomakh united against Vsevolod Olgovich in 1138, when he declared war on Yaropolk. Under the banners gathered troops not only of Kiev, but also of Rostov, Pereyaslavl, Smolensk, Galich, Polotsk and the impressive Hungarian army sent by King Bella II.
Yaropolk was married to an Alan named Elena. In marriage, the son of Vasilko Yaropolkovich was born. He died in 1139, passing the throne to his brother Vyacheslav. At that time, Polotsk, Chernihiv and Novgorod were already out of control of Kiev.
Vyacheslav Vladimirovich
Vyacheslav (Prince of Smolensk, the son of Vladimir Monomakh) was supposedly born in 1083. From a young age, he took an active part in the political life of the country. In 1097, together with his older brother Mstislav, he participated in the battle at Koloksha. Vyacheslav was imprisoned in Smolensk as a father in connection with his transition to Kiev. Since 1127, he is already mentioned in the annals as the Prince of Turov. He inherited the throne in Kiev after the death of Yaropolk in February 1139. However, already in March of that year he was overthrown by Prince Chernigov Vsevolod Olgovich.
In 1142, he received the Principality of Pereyaslav after the death of the youngest of the sons of V. Monomakh Andrey. However, this did not suit him at all. As a result, in 1143 he returned to where he started - to Turov. When Vsevolod died, the prince tried to return to the political arena. By this time, Yuri Dolgoruky expelled his nephew Izyaslav from Kiev. The latter decided to unite with Vyacheslav and elevate him to the throne. However, everything turned out as he had not expected. Y. Dolgoruky (Suzdal prince), the sixth son of Vladimir Monomakh, Vyacheslav united and won a joint victory over his nephew. Yuri wanted to transfer the principality, but he was dissuaded by the boyars. As a result, Vyacheslav was imprisoned in the strategically important Vyshgorod, located under Kiev itself.
The prince died in 1154 and was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral. The name of his wife is unknown. According to the annals, Vyacheslav had a son Mikhail, who died in 1129.
Yury Dolgoruky
Yuri Dolgoruky is the son of Vladimir Monomakh from his second wife. At least, this is the opinion most historians adhere to. Tatishchev V.N. in his works announced that Dolgoruky was born in 1090 and, thus, is the son of Gita Wessex. However, this opinion contradicts the information contained in Vladimir Monomakh's “Instruction” to sons. According to this literary source, Yuryev’s mother died in 1107. This fact does not allow her to be identified with Gita, whose death probably happened in 1098. The question of the exact date of birth of Yuri remains open to this day.
Yu. Dolgoruky is perhaps one of the most controversial figures in Russian history. Being the son of the ruler of the Principality of Kiev, from an early age he did not want to be content with little. He always strove to conquer new lands, destinies, and, of course, Kiev itself. As a matter of fact, for such greed he was nicknamed "long-armed."
A very young prince was sent to Rostov to reign with his older brother Mstislav. Since 1117, he remained in the city as the sole ruler. Since 1147, he has been actively involved in internecine princely strife in attempts to take Kiev from his own nephew (son of Mstislav Izyaslav). He repeatedly attacked the city and even took possession of it three times, but in total he did not sit on the throne of Kiev for three years.
The prince was twice married. His first wife was the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan, she bore him eight children. Almost nothing is known about Yuri’s second wife. In 1161, with her children, she fled to Byzantium. Based on this fact, it is suggested that she was Greek.
If you believe the annalistic sources, Yuri Dolgoruky (the son of Vladimir Monomakh) did not enjoy the respect of Kiev. He was considered imperious, greedy, selfish and cruel. However, his third attempt to occupy the city, completed in 1155, was crowned with success. Until his death in 1157, he ruled as Prince of Kiev. Despite this, Yuri Dolgoruky remained as the founder of Moscow in the memory of his descendants. It was by his order in 1147 on the very outskirts of Northeast Rus that a small settlement was founded to protect the borders.
Subsequently, the principality of Kiev ruled the offspring of Yuri from his first marriage - Andrei Bogolyubsky. The son of Vladimir Monomakh could not become famous as the ruler of Russia, but his grandson was destined for one of the most striking destinies. In the photo, the reconstruction of the appearance of the skull.
During the years of his reign, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was the strongest in Russia, it achieved power, and as a result became the core of the future state. The role of Kiev as a center gradually faded away. Having received the princely throne, Andrei retired to Vladimir. V. Klyuchevsky in his writings writes that Andrei was prudent, constantly on the alert, and had a desire to bring order to everything, which greatly reminded his grandfather Vladimir Monomakh.
Andrew Vladimirovich
In August 1102, the youngest of all the famous sons of Vladimir Monomakh was born, who received the name Andrei at baptism. In 1119, a young man, by order of his father, took the throne in the Vladimir-Volyn principality after the death of his older brother Roman. Then, from 1135, he reigned in Pereyaslavl and kept the table from the encroachments of Vsevolod Olgovich. The youngest son of the great Kiev prince died at the age of 39 in 1141, the remains are buried in the church of St. Michael.
Andrei was married to the granddaughter of the famous Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan. It is reliably known that two sons were born in the marriage: Vladimir and Yaropolk. Historians also suggest that Prince Andrew had a daughter.
Daughters of Vladimir Monomakh
The world knows not only the sons of Vladimir Monomakh, but also his three daughters. According to historians, they were born in the second marriage of the Grand Duke. The elder princess was called Mary. She was married to False Genius II.
In the 12th century a man appeared in Russia, posing as Leo Diogenes - the son of the emperor of Byzantium, who died in 1087 in a battle with the Pechenegs. The impostor Vladimir Monomakh recognized and decided to support his claims, if not the throne, then at least for a couple of cities. To seal the union, he married his eldest daughter. However, the impostor failed to establish himself on the Danube; he was killed. Mary, along with her young son, returned to her homeland, where she spent the rest of her life in a monastery in Kiev. The princess died in 1146, her son was killed in 1135 during one of the feuds.
Less tragic, but still very sad was the fate of the middle daughter of Vladimir Monomakh Euphemia. She was born in about 1099 and at the age of 13 was married to the Hungarian king Kalman I Scribe, who was at least 25 years older than her. He convicted her of treason and sent home. Already in Kiev, Euthymius gave birth to a son, who, although he claimed the Hungarian throne, was not recognized by Kalman as his own son. After a while, the princess went to the monastery, where she spent the rest of her life. Euthymius died in 1139.
Little is known about the youngest daughter of Vladimir Monomakh. Historians suggest that she was born between 1103 and 1107. In 1116 she was married to the city leader Prince Vsevolod Davydovich, whose origin is not known for sure. Two daughters were born in the marriage. There is a chronicle record of their marriage in 1144. Historians claim that Vsevolod Olgovich was engaged in the arrangement of marriage, on the basis of which they conclude that the girls were most likely already orphans by this time.