The exact date of birth of Vsevolod Mstislavich is unknown. Historians say that he was born around 1095. Prince Vsevolod was the eldest son of Mstislav the Great and grandson of Vladimir Monomakh. His maternal grandfather Inge was the Swedish king.
Beginning of rule in Novgorod
If the old order of inheritance was still preserved in Russia, Vsevolod could become the ruler of Kiev. However, in the XII century, the East Slavic state finally passed into the stage of feudal fragmentation, when there was no single power, but there were several centers of influence. One of them was Novgorod the Great. It was the second largest city in Russia, its unofficial northern capital.
It was there in 1117 that young Vsevolod was sent. However, the citizens of Novgorod were distinguished by the most freedom-loving and restless character. Here, as before, the importance of the veche - the national assembly in the central square of the city, where the most important decisions were made, was still very strong. The princely power here competed with the power of the posadniks. It was an elected position. Most often, local merchants or boyars became posadniks.
In the very first year of Vsevolod’s reign, the Novgorodians began to make independent decisions without asking the young governor about it. Such behavior infuriated Vladimir Monomakh, who ruled in Kiev and was conditionally considered the oldest and most important prince. He called to the southern capital of the Novgorod boyars, half of whom were held hostage. The rest returned to their city and convinced their fellow citizens to accept the monk appointed by Monomakh.
Chud Campaigns
In 1131, Vsevolod teamed up with his younger brothers from other principalities (Izyaslav, Rostislav and Yaropolk) and went on a campaign against the Baltic miracle. These were the ancestors of modern Estonians. The first campaign was successful. Russian troops burned many villages, took prisoners and booty. However, the second campaign ended in the defeat and death of a large number of Novgorod soldiers.
Prince of Pereyaslavl
When the father of Vsevolod Mstislav died in 1132, Kiev passed to his uncle, Yaropolk Vladimirovich. During the life of his older brother, he promised that he would give his nephew his former possession - Pereyaslavl. Vsevolod briefly left Novgorod to get the southern city.
However, he did not manage to begin to rule there. His other uncle, Yuri Dolgoruky, drove his nephew out of Pereyaslavl. He was afraid that Vsevolod would become the heir to Yaropolk in Kiev. According to the new order, power in the “mother of Russian cities” was transferred by seniority.
The exiled prince Vsevolod returned to Novgorod. However, the townspeople did not want to accept him, accusing him of betrayal. The prince left them to rule in Pereyaslavl, which means he broke the promise to die with them.
Prince of Novgorod again
However, the Novgorodians soon thought better of it. They returned the prince to the city. However, now his power was limited to the posadniks. They turned from the servants and assistants of the prince into his co-rulers.
Meanwhile, the western reaches of Novgorod land continued to be harassed by raids of a wild miracle. Prince Vsevolod decided to put an end to this. February 9, 1033 he captured the city of Yuriev. This fortress was founded by Yaroslav the Wise. He named her by his Christian name given to him at baptism. In 1061, local tribes regained control of this place again, while Russian rulers continued civil wars.
The news of the return of St. George was received by the Novgorodians with great joy. However, there was still no peace inside the city. The people, continuing to worry, fought including local officials. One of them was even thrown from the bridge into the Volkhov. This place was for Novgorod akin to a rock in Sparta, where they disposed of frail babies.
The war with Yuri Dolgoruky
Therefore, Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich urgently needed something that could distract the restless people. Soon, such an occasion was found. In South Russia, wars continued between the warring princes. The younger brother of Vsevolod Izyaslav reigned in Turov, from where he was driven out by uncles.
The fugitive took refuge in Novgorod. The brothers decided to oppose Yuri Dolgoruky, with whom they had old scores. In addition, the Novgorod people were displeased with the Suzdal prince. The bread that they bought in the land of Yuri Dolgoruky was now subject to an additional duty, which is why its price jumped sharply.
Residents themselves demanded a trip from their prince. The army left the city on December 31, 1134. The path to the enemy’s land took about a month. The brothers agreed that, if successful, Izyaslav would become the Suzdal prince.
Battle of Waiting Mountain
On January 26, 1135, the opponents met. Novgorodians stopped at Zhdanaya Gora. Suzdalites had to knock out the enemy from a busy height. In order to do this, it was decided to allocate a detachment that went bypassing behind enemy lines.
Finally, the Novgorodians rushed down, trying to defeat the enemy. At first, the Suzdal people were in a very difficult situation, even the princely banner was captured. However, at the most crucial moment, a squad sent to the rear came to the rescue. Novgorodians were between two fires. Many people were killed, including the city posadnik and the thousand.
Prince Vsevolod of Novgorod escaped from the battlefield. In honor of the dead, he ordered the construction of the Church of the Assumption. Even on the eve of the campaign, Metropolitan Michael of Kiev arrived in Kiev, who urged the Novgorodians not to begin the bloodshed. He was detained. After the defeat, the Novgorodians released the minister of the Church with honors. In the Principality of Suzdal, in memory of the battle of Zhdanoy Mountain, a monastery was erected in its place. Fearing its western neighbors, Yuri Dolgoruky founded Moscow a few years later.
Expulsion from Novgorod
However, Prince Vsevolod, whose brief biography already knew the ups and downs, could not recover from defeat. Citizens were unhappy with his flight from the battlefield. In 1136, they announced to Vsevolod that they were depriving him of power. The reasons were also mentioned: dislike of the people, leaving Pereyaslavl several years ago, fleeing during the battle of Zhdanaya Gora, an unstable policy under which he supported either the Kiev princes or the Chernigov princes.
Vsevolod and his family were sent to prison, where he spent 7 weeks, waiting for his fate. At this time, the Novgorodians decided to call the princes by decision of the veche. This was the end of the classical monarchy in this city. Novgorod became the first republic in Russia - later a similar system will appear in Pskov.
The first to be called was Svyatoslav Olgovich - the son of the Chernigov prince. Only after he arrived in the city, Vsevolod, by the decision of the veche, was released and forever expelled.
Prince of Vyshgorod and Pskov
He arrived in Kiev with his uncle Yaropolk. He gave him control of a small Vyshgorod. However, the reign of Prince Vsevolod in Novgorod did not pass without a trace. There he remained many supporters, including the local posadnik. At first, they almost killed the new prince Svyatoslav Olgovich, but in the end they themselves went to Vyshgorod to their ruler.
Among them were the Pskovites. It was they who called Vsevolod to rule in their city, which was in a semi-independent position from Novgorod. The prince loved the Russian north, in the south he was uncomfortable among the endless feuds of local destinies. He gladly went to Pskov, enlisting the support of the Polotsk prince Vasilko on the road. He was still exiled in 1129 by the father of Vsevolod to Constantinople. Therefore, Vasilko even had a serious reason to take revenge on the guest. However, he generously forgot the grudge against Mstislav and even spent Vsevolod with his army to Pskov.
He was joyfully received in the city, which from that moment became an independent principality. However, in Novgorod, this news infuriated the people. Residents of the city sacked the houses of the remaining well-wishers of Vsevolod. In addition, they raised money to buy the necessary weapons needed in the campaign to Pskov. Svyatoslav called for help from his brother, the Kursk prince Gleb. Nomads went to the north Polovtsy, who were allies of the Chernigov rulers. They had never plundered the northern borders of Russia, and now they were happy to wait for this campaign.
However, the Pskovites did not lose heart. They armed themselves and blocked all roads to the city. To do this, fell trees and build fortifications. Finally Svyatoslav came to Dubrovna and turned back, not daring to bloodshed.
The conflict persisted, but the biography of Prince Vsevolod was interrupted. He died of health problems in 1138. His place was taken by the younger brother of Svyatopolk. Thus, Vsevolod managed to stay the Pskov prince for exactly a year. He had a son Vladimir and daughter Verkhuslav, who married the Polish ruler Boleslav IV Kudryavy.
Canonization
It is known that Vsevolod Mstislavovich, Prince of Novgorod, actively invested in the construction of Orthodox churches. In 1127, he laid the foundation of the Church of St. John the Baptist in honor of the birth of his son Ivan, who soon died in infancy. His other temple is also known - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Both buildings have survived to this day. For this, the prince was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the 16th century.