The Chernigov (or Chernihiv-Seversk) principality was one of the most significant states, into which the unified possessions of the Rurikovich were initially divided. In the principality several cities constantly strengthened at once, because in the end it fell apart into smaller destinies. In the XIV century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania included the Chernigov-Seversky principality among the subservient lands.
Natural conditions and the territory of the principality
The main territories of this principality were located in the basin of the Desna and the Seimas, spreading to the eastern bank of the Dnieper. From the Don, merchants dragged them to the Sejm, from it fell into the Desna, and from it into the Dnieper. It was precisely on trade along these rivers that the Chernigov-Seversky principality based its power. The occupations of the population were typical of the lands of central Russia at that time. Most of it cultivated the land, cutting down and burning for this forest.
In different decades, the Chernigov-Seversky principality included different territories. Most of its history in the west, it was limited to the lands of Chernigov, in the east during its heyday even included Murom. After Chernigov, Novgorod-Seversky remained the most significant city for most of the history; in the last decades of independent existence, Bryansk became the center of this state.
Principality becomes independent
For the first time Chernihiv became the center of a separate principality after the battle of Listvy in 1024. This is the last and largest battle between the sons of St. Vladimir. During the battle, Mstislav Vladimirovich Udaloy completely defeated Yaroslav Vladimirovich (later the Wise), but did not continue the fight, but suggested that his brother divide the subservient lands. Chernigov turned out to be the main city of the part that Mstislav inherited. But the Principality of Chernihiv-Seversky did not receive the founder of his dynasty, dubbed Prince Udul, who was nicknamed it for nothing - his only son, Eustathius, died before his father and did not leave his own heirs. Therefore, when in 1036 Mstislav died on the hunt, his possessions fell under the rule of Yaroslav.
Yaroslav the Wise, as you know, divided his state between his sons before his death. Chernigov went to Svyatoslav. Then the future of the Chernigov-Seversky principality became completely independent. The princes of his dynasty began to be called Olgovichi after the name of the son of Svyatoslav Oleg.
The struggle of the heirs of Yaroslav the Wise for the principality
Yaroslav the Wise bequeathed to his three sons to live in peace. These sons (Izyaslav, Vsevolod and Svyatoslav) did so for almost 20 years - they made up the union, which today is called the Triumvirate of Yaroslavichi.
But in 1073, Svyatoslav, with the support of Vsevolod, expelled Izyaslav and became the Grand Duke, uniting the Kiev and Chernigov-Seversky principalities under his authority. Three years later, Svyatoslav died because he unsuccessfully tried to remove the tumor. Then Vsevolod reconciled with Izyaslav returning from Poland, ceded the throne of Kiev to him and received the Principality of Chernigov-Seversky from him.
The policy of the brothers in the redistribution of land deprived the sons of Svyatoslav Chernigov. They did not come to terms with this. The decisive battle at this stage was the battle on Nezhatina Niva. This time Vsevolod won, the Principality of Chernigov-Seversky remained behind him (like Kiev, because Izyaslav died from the enemy spear).
The difficult fate of Oleg Svyatoslavich: overseas
As already mentioned above, as a result, the clan of the Chernigov-Seversky princes came precisely from Oleg Svyatoslavich. But his path to his father’s inheritance was very difficult.
After the defeat in the battle on Nezhatina Niva, Oleg and Roman managed to escape to the fate of the second - Tmutarakan. But soon Roman was killed by the allies who had betrayed him, the Polovtsy, and Oleg was captured by the Khazars and transferred to Constantinople.
It is not known what plans the Byzantine emperor had about the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, in any case, they radically changed after the revolt of the famous Varyazhsky guard, which then came from Russian lands.
There was no political motive for this event: just the soldiers, being in a state of intoxication, attacked the imperial bedroom. The performance failed, its participants were forgiven, but expelled from the capital, and the Varangian Guard from that time consisted of Anglo-Saxons who had fled from England after William the Conqueror conquered this country. There is no information about Oleg’s participation in the riot, but he was also exiled to the island of Rhodes.
In Rhodes, Oleg’s affairs gradually began to improve. He married a representative of the local influential family Feofano Muzalon. In 1083, he, apparently not without the help of the Byzantine detachment, expelled the Khazars and became in Tmutarakan either a prince or a Byzantine governor.
The difficult fate of Oleg Svyatoslavich: return to Chernigov
In 1093, Vsevolod Yaroslavich died and the Polovtsy fell upon Russian lands, including the Chernigov-Seversky principality, whose geographical position completely allowed the nomadic peoples from the Black Sea steppes to reach it. It was the Polovtsy who supported Oleg Svyatoslavich in the struggle for the father’s inheritance. Against the nomads made the famous son of Vsevolod Vladimir Monomakh.
The following year, Svyatoslavich received Chernigovo. He began to attach other cities of the principality to him, went campaigns on Murom, Rostov and Suzdal, but was defeated by the sons of Vladimir Monomakh Mstislav and Vyacheslav and Polovtsy (who now acted on the side of Vladimir).
To finally establish peace between the Russian princes, in 1097 the famous congress was held in Lubicz. It is believed that he consolidated the tendency to the collapse of the legacy of St. Vladimir into destinies. But for this article it is important that the Chernigov-Seversky principality, despite the defeats of Oleg, passed to this prince completely.
Novgorod-Seversky is separated from the principality
Specific fragmentation is a time of constant wars between princes. Almost all of them sought to expand their possessions, and many sought to occupy the princely throne in Kiev. Actively participated in these wars and the Chernigov-Seversky principality. The geographical position (proximity to Kiev and control over part of the Dnieper) contributed to this. Because the principality was ruined many times.
Large principalities disintegrated into smaller destinies. Novgorod-Seversky became the center of a separate principality by the decision of the Congress of Princes in Lyubec in 1097, but for a long time its ruler was the heir to the throne in Chernigov. In 1164, after the death of Svyatoslav Olgovich, an agreement was concluded between his son Oleg and the eldest of Oleg's cousins - Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. The first one went to Chernigov, and the second - Novgorod-Seversky. Thus, independent dynasties began to rule in these cities.
Gradually continued crushing and these principalities into smaller destinies.
Batyvo invasion
The Tatar-Mongolian troops, which disintegrated into small destinies of the princedom, could not defeat Batu-Khan (in the Russian tradition, Batu). There are many explanations for this, one of the main ones - the cities did not rally in the face of a common enemy. The Chernigov-Seversky principality is a clear confirmation of this.
It became the target of the main enemy strike in 1239, although its first destinies were defeated in the previous 1238th. After the first strike, Prince Mikhail of Chernigov did not prepare to repulse the main strike. He fled to Hungary, returned a few years later, went to the Horde and died because he refused to perform pagan rites (canonized as a holy martyr), but he did not enter the battlefield against the Tatar-Mongol.
The defense of Chernigov was headed by Mstislav Glebovich, who previously claimed the princely throne in this city. But Chernihiv resisted without the support of the rest of the principality and was defeated, Mstislav again fled to Hungary.
The Chernigov-Seversky principality became famous for the defense of one of its small cities - Kozelsk. A young prince ruled in the city (he was only 12), but on the other hand, it was built impregnable. Kozelsk was located on a hill between two rivers (Zhizdra and Drugusnaya) with steep banks. The defense lasted 7 weeks (only powerful Kiev managed to defend longer). It is significant that Kozelsk fought alone: the main forces of the Chernigov-Seversky principality, which in 1238 was still almost unaffected by the invasion, did not come to his aid.
Under the Tatar-Mongol yoke
Soon after the conquest of Russian lands, the Mongol-Tatar state collapsed. Batu Khan actively participated in the struggle of the descendants of Genghis Khan with each other. As a result, he became the ruler of one of the fragments of his power - the Golden Horde (to which the Russian lands were subordinate).
Under the rule of the Golden Horde, the princes did not lose their power, but they needed to confirm the right to it, for which they traveled to the Horde and received the so-called label. The invaders were profitable to control the Russian lands at the hands of the Russians themselves.
Office of the Chernigov-Seversky principality was built on the same principle. But its center has shifted. Now the great princes of Chernigov began to rule from Bryansk. It is much smaller than Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversky suffered from the invasion.
Olgovichi, who could not organize the defense of the principality, lost this title. Over time, he received the princes from Smolensk.
As part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
In 1357, Bryansk was captured by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd. Soon, the rest of the inheritance of the Chernigov-Seversky principality became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It is worth saying a few words about Olgerd, whose efforts the Chernigov-Seversky principality got out of the power of the Tatar-Mongol.
Olgerd was not the eldest son of the previous Grand Duke of Lithuania Gedemin, but 4 years after the death of his father, it was he who, with the support of his brother Keistut, received supreme power. Of his sons, the most famous is Jagiello. Thus, the descendants of Olgerd were the Jagiellons, a dynasty that ruled in several states of Eastern and Central Europe.
When Olgerd and Keistut gained supreme power in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, they shared their powers. Keistut took up the defense of the western borders, his main adversary was the crusaders. Algerd took over eastern foreign policy. His main opponent was the Golden Horde and its dependent states (one of which at that time was the Principality of Moscow). Algerd succeeded. He defeated the Tatars in 1362 in a major battle on the Blue Waters and annexed to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania many of the ancient possessions of the Rurikovich. He became the master of the capital of the first Russian dynasty - Kiev.
As part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, autonomy for a long time remained, which means features of the Chernigov-Seversky principality, because formally it remained independent, its ruler was simply appointed from Vilna. The last such prince was Roman Mikhailovich, who later ruled Smolensk, where in 1401 he was killed by angry residents of the city. In the XV century, the inheritance of the former Chernigov-Seversky principality lost their independence.
Afterword
Among the states into which the once united power of the Rurikovich split, one of the most significant was the Chernigov-Seversky principality. The characteristic of his story is relatively typical of many of the former possessions of Yaroslav the Wise, but has its own bright and interesting pages.
It was isolated, divided into destinies, could not resist the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and obeyed them, and later the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1569, his lands were transferred to the Kingdom of Poland.
Many influential clans of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Commonwealth came from the inheritance of the Chernigov-Seversky principality. The most famous of them are the princes of Novosilsky.