Reasons for the congress of princes in Lyubech 1097. Grand Duke Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich (1093–1113)

In the middle of the 11th century, after the death of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), the Russian land was divided by his sons into separate principalities. The eldest - Izyaslav - received Kyiv, Veliky Novgorod and the Principality of Turov; Svyatoslav - Chernigov land, Vyatichi lands, Ryazan, Murom and Tmutarakan; Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl Kiev, Rostov-Suzdal land, Beloozero and the Volga region; Igor - Vladimir-on-Volyn; Vyacheslav - Smolensk. Thus, the Russian state, which was previously considered unified, turned out to be divided into “fatherland”, and each of the princes independently owned the inherited inheritance. Yaroslav bequeathed to his sons to love each other and live in peace among themselves, to rule the state together. However, the sons soon forgot their father’s advice and began to wage internecine wars with the goal of expanding their inheritance, taking possession of the grand prince’s table or a richer city.

Internal contradictions created an alarming, unstable situation in Rus', aggravated by the aggravation of the external situation. In the middle of the 11th century. The formidable Polovtsians came to the southern Russian steppes and carried out devastating raids. The constant Polovtsian presence near the Russian borders was especially felt in the southern regions of the country. Seeing the princely strife, the Polovtsians acted more actively, attacking not only the borderlands, but also carrying out campaigns far into the Russian lands.

In connection with the growing Polovtsian danger, an urgent need arose to unite all the forces of Rus', ending the princely feuds at any cost. Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Pereyaslavl came up with an extremely important political initiative - to get everyone together for the purpose of a peaceful dispensation. He was supported by the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatopolk Izyaslavich. In October 1097, six princes gathered in the city of Lyubech (now Chernigov region) for their first congress. In addition to the Kyiv and Pereyaslav princes, Smolensk prince David Svyatoslavich, his brother Chernigov prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, Vladimir-Volyn prince David Igorevich and Terebovl prince Vasilko Rostislavich, together with small squads, took part in it. They admitted that strife only benefits the Polovtsians: “Why are we destroying the Russian land, creating discord among ourselves? And the Polovtsians are tearing our land to shreds and rejoicing that we are waging wars among ourselves. From now on, let us unite with one heart and cherish and honor the Russian land.”

The participants of the Lyubech congress agreed on who should own which “fatherland”. Each prince was given those lands that belonged to his father. The principle was proclaimed: “Let everyone keep his fatherland.” The princes kissed the cross on the fact that if anyone starts trouble, then all the princes, the whole earth, should go against him.

The significance of the Lyubech Congress of 1097 was that it was the first largely successful attempt to stop the process of disintegration of Rus' into small appanage principalities by changing the principles of inheritance. The princes had a common goal - to provide joint armed resistance to the enemy. The First Lyubech Congress temporarily stopped the internecine struggle and made it possible to unite the forces of the border principalities against the Polovtsian threat.

More than once Lyubech became a meeting place for warring parties. However, historians consider the congress of 1097 to be the most important in terms of its relevance and the significance of the decisions made at it.

III. DIVISION INTO PARTIHS. POCUTS AND VLADIMIR MONOMACH

(continuation)

Svyatopolk II. - Oleg Svyatoslavich and civil strife for Chernigov. - Lyubech Congress. - Blinding of Vasilko and disputes over Volyn - Vitichevsky Congress - - Bitterness against the Polovtsians. - United campaigns of princes in the steppe.

The beginning of the reign of Svyatopolk Izyaslavich

With the death of the last of Yaroslav's sons, the grand-ducal dignity was supposed to pass to one of his grandsons. According to the clan concepts of that time, seniority belonged to Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, that is, the son of the eldest of the Yaroslavichs who occupied the Kiev table. Although the people of Kiev expressed a desire to have the courageous Vladimir Monomakh as prince, who was called by his dying father to Kyiv and was present at his burial; but Vladimir did not want to violate the rights of Svyatopolk and bring on an internecine war. He sent for him to Turov to invite him to the grand ducal table, and he himself went to his Chernigov inheritance. It was not for nothing that the people of Kiev wanted to bypass Svyatopolk: he soon discovered his inability to instill respect in his younger relatives and fear in Russia’s external enemies.

Svyatopolk Izyaslavich on the pedestal of the monument to the 900th anniversary of the Congress of Princes in Lyubech (face in the center). Sculptor Gennady Ershov

Battle with the Cumans on Stugna (1093)

The Polovtsy went to fight the Russian land at the time when the news of Vsevolod’s death reached them; they sent ambassadors to Svyatopolk with a peace proposal, accompanying his proposal, of course, with various demands. Svyatopolk, not heeding the advice of the experienced Kyiv boyars who served his father and uncle, listened to his warriors who came with him from Turov, and ordered the Polovtsian ambassadors to be taken into custody. Then the Polovtsians began to devastate the Russian borders and, by the way, besieged Torchesk, a city located on the Ros River, on the border with the steppe and populated mainly by captive Torks. Svyatopolk came to his senses, released the Polovtsian ambassadors and himself offered peace; but now it was difficult to stop the horde. Having no more than 800 youths, the Grand Duke, on the advice of foolish people, wanted to oppose the barbarians; however, he finally listened to the old boyars and sent to ask for help from Vladimir Monomakh. The latter did not hesitate to come from Chernigov, and called his younger brother Rostislav from Pereyaslavl. But the forces gathered were insufficient. When the princes came to the Stugna River, Vladimir advised them to stop and, threatening the Polovtsians from here, enter into negotiations with them. But Svyatopolk dared to fight, which the ardent Kiev youth also demanded. The Stugna River was then in flood. (This happened in the month of May.) The troops crossed it, passed the city of Trepol and went beyond the rampart built by Russia to protect against the steppe inhabitants. Here the Polovtsian horde met the Russians and struck first of all at Svyatopolk’s squad; the latter could not stand it and ran; then the barbarians broke the squads of Vladimir and Rostislav. Svyatopolk rushed with his people to the nearby city of Trepol, and the Chernigov and Pereyaslav residents ran to Stugna and forded through it; and Rostislav drowned. Vladimir, who wanted to catch his brother, almost went to the bottom himself. In this battle he lost a significant part of his squad along with many boyars and returned to Chernigov very sadly. And Svyatopolk fled from Trepol to Kyiv that same night. Then the Polovtsians, having spread their corrals across the Russian land, freely began to plunder and take full. Their corrals reached as far as Vyshgorod, that is, north of Kyiv. Svyatopolk tried to fight the barbarians again and was again completely defeated. Meanwhile, the besieged Torchesk defended itself courageously for more than nine weeks; Finally, tormented by hunger and thirst, he opened the gate. The barbarians set fire to the city, and divided its inhabitants among themselves and took them to their vezhi along with a huge captivity captured in other cities and villages. The following year, 1094, Svyatopolk made peace with the Polovtsians and, to seal it, married the daughter of the strongest of the Polovtsian khans, Tugorkan. But this war was only the beginning of those disasters and internecine warfare that marked the reign of Svyatopolk-Mikhail.

Continuing the fight against Oleg Svyatoslavich

The reason for the civil strife that took place under Svyatopolk II was the continuation of disputes, on the one hand, for Chernigov, on the other, for Volyn. Oleg Svyatoslavich, imprisoned by the Greek government on the island of Rhodes, stayed there for two years. But with the accession of the famous Alexei Komnenos to the Byzantine throne, circumstances changed. The Russian prince not only received freedom, but, it seems, also help, with which he regained the Tmutarakan table (in 1083); Moreover, he severely punished the seditious Tmutarakan Khazars and executed the main culprits of his exile. For about ten years Oleg sat quietly in Tmutarakan; but after the death of Vsevolod, in 1094 he appeared with crowds of Polovtsians near Chernigov to conquer his hereditary inheritance. Vladimir Monomakh, who had not yet recovered from the defeat on the banks of the Stugna, was not ready to fight this time. When the enemies began to burn out monasteries and villages lying near Chernigov, after an eight-day defense, he made peace with Oleg and surrendered the city to him; and he and his family, under the cover of a small squad, passed through the Polovtsian crowds and retired to their hereditary Pereyaslavl. However, Oleg did not suddenly establish himself in the Chernigov region. Svyatopolk and Vladimir Monomakh invited him to go with them against the Polovtsians; but he avoided war with his former allies. The following year, 1096, Svyatopolk and Vladimir sent to call Oleg to Kyiv in order to jointly discuss the protection of the Russian land from barbarians and think about it together with bishops, abbots, boyars and city elders. Oleg gave a proud answer: “It is not fitting for bishops, abbots and smerds to judge me.” “So you are neither on the filthy side with us, nor on the advice of us; but you are plotting to help the filthy ones against us,” Svyatopolk and Vladimir ordered him to tell him and, united, they went against Oleg. The latter was expelled from Chernigov; but instead of Tmutarakan, he now retired to another hereditary inheritance of the Svyatoslavichs, to the land of Murom-Ryazan. Not long before that time, one of the sons of Vladimir Monomakh, Izyaslav, expelled Oleg's mayors from Murom and took possession of this city. Oleg and the Ryazans came to Murom, and defeated Izyaslav under its walls; the last one fell in this battle; and his Rostov and Belozersk warriors were captured and put in chains. Not content with the return of the Murom inheritance, Oleg, in turn, captured the neighboring volosts - Rostov and Suzdal, hereditary in the Monomakh family, placed his mayors there and began to collect tribute. Then his godson, the eldest son of Monomakh Mstislav, who reigned in Novgorod the Great, spoke out against Oleg. He appeared in the Suzdal region and expelled Oleg's mayors from there. The modest Mstislav then offered peace to his godfather. “I am younger than you,” he ordered to tell Oleg, “send with my father, return the captured squad; and I will listen to you in everything.”

The letter from Monomakh to Oleg, preserved in the chronicle, probably dates back to the same time. Despite the sadness of the loss of his youngest son, Vladimir, however, is inclined to Mstislav’s peace-loving beliefs; he addresses his enemy with words of reconciliation and, in a touching message to him, pours out his feelings as a father and a Christian. But the insidious Oleg only wanted to gain time through negotiations in order to prepare his forces and attack by surprise. It was the first week of Lent. Mstislav was once sitting at dinner in Suzdal when news came to him that Oleg had already appeared on Klyazma. The young prince managed to gather his squad, consisting of Novgorodians, Rostovites and Belozersk residents, hastened to meet Oleg and defeated him on the banks of the Koloksha River, which flows into the Klyazma. Chasing his godfather and uncle deep into the Ryazan region, Mstislav ordered him to say: “Don’t run, but rather go to your brothers with a request; they will not deprive you of the Russian land (i.e., inheritance in Southern Rus'); I will also ask for you my father". Oleg finally followed his advice, and this time peace negotiations led to the famous Lyubech Congress, which stopped the brutal civil strife for Chernigov.

Lyubech Congress 1097

In 1097, the senior princes, Yaroslav’s grandsons Svyatopolk, Vladimir Monomakh, David Igorevich and Oleg with his brother David, and their nephew Vasilko Rostislavich gathered in Lyubech on the banks of the Dnieper. “Why are we destroying the Russian land with our quarrels,” they said to each other, “while the Polovtsians rejoice in our internecine wars and destroy our land; from now on, let us be together, and let everyone own their homeland.” As a result, it was decided that Svyatopolk would still hold Kyiv, and Vladimir Monomakh would hold the lands of Pereyaslav and Rostov, David, Oleg and Yaroslav Svyatoslavich would hold Chernigov and Murom-Ryazan, David Igorevich would hold Vladimir-Volyn; The cities that were assigned by Vsevolod were left to the Rostislavichs, namely to Volodar - Przemysl, and to Vasilko - Terebovl. The princes kissed the cross, i.e. swore an oath on this decision, and pledged to arm themselves with everything against anyone who decided to violate the agreement. Then they parted ways. Thus, Chernigov was returned to Svyatoslavich.

The Lyubech Congress has the significance in our history that it clearly expressed the desire of Rus' to fragment into separate lands (fatherland), i.e. to the consolidation of these lands behind the well-known branches of the Russian princely house, and therefore to some of their isolation. The resolution of this congress formed the basis for almost all subsequent inter-princely relations.

Blinding of Prince Vasilko

But as soon as the internecine warfare on the part of Chernigov subsided, it quickly and unexpectedly arose from the other side: the Volyn issue came up behind Chernigov, accompanied by even more bloody and dramatic deeds. Before proceeding to further events, it is necessary to mention one incident that has a close connection with them. It is said above that during the reign of Vsevolod, his nephew Yaropolk Izyaslavich received the Vladimir-Volyn region as an inheritance and that his neighbors Rostislavich were at enmity with him: the latter wanted to increase their inheritance at the expense of the Volyn land. One day Yaropolk Izyaslavich was traveling from Vladimir to his Cherven Zvenigorod and lay on a cart. Suddenly one of the warriors accompanying him, named Neradets, seized the moment, thrust his sword into the prince’s side and galloped away. The killer fled to Przemysl to the eldest of the Rostislavichs, Rurik; Therefore, suspicion fell on them of conspiracy to commit an atrocity, which apparently remained unpunished. After that, the Vladimir-Volynsky inheritance went to David Igorevich.

Volyn was also approved by David at the Lyubech Congress, with the exception of some of its part adjacent to the Cherven cities and given to two Rostislavichs, Vasilko and Volodar (their elder brother Rurik had already died). The insidious, envious David was burdened by the proximity of the Rostislavichs. It is not known whether he wanted to own the entire Volyn land undividedly, or whether he did not consider himself safe on their part; but the fact is that he listened to some evil advisers and decided to destroy Vasilko; and for this he took advantage of the old, dark case about the death of Yaropolk Izyaslavich. From Lyubech, the Volyn prince arrived in Kyiv together with Svyatopolk and began to convince him that Vladimir Monomakh and Vasilko Rostislavich had conspired to act together: the first wanted to take possession of Kiev, and the second - Vladimir. Circumstances seemed to confirm his slander: Vasilko was really gathering forces, calling the Berendeys and Torks to him and preparing for war. The Grand Duke at first expressed distrust of David's words; but the latter reminded him of the fate of his older brother Yaropolk, directly asserting that he died from the Rostislavichs. This reminder had an effect on the faint-hearted Svyatopolk; he became accessible to the suggestions of David, who repeated: “Until we capture Vasilko, neither you will reign in Kyiv, nor will I reign in Vladimir.”

Meanwhile, Vasilko, returning from Lyubech, also arrived at Kyiv; on November 4th he crossed the Dnieper with his convoy at the Vydubetsky Monastery; in the evening he dined at the monastery and then spent the night in his camp. In the morning Svyatopolk-Mikhail sent to ask that he stay in Kyiv until his name day, the Grand Duke, i.e. until November 8th. Vasilko refused, saying that he needed to hurry home, that he was in danger of being attacked by the Poles. A new reason for David’s evil suggestions to Svyatopolk: “Look, he doesn’t consider you an elder at all, and you’ll see how he returns home and seizes your volosts of Turov and Pinsk and Berestye.” Svyatopolk sent to tell Vasilko to visit him at least for a short time. Vasilko mounted a horse and rode to Kyiv with some servants. According to the chronicle, some youth, i.e. one of the younger warriors, warned him of the danger, but in vain; the prince did not believe it, remembering the recent kiss on the cross in Lyubech, and said: “The will of the Lord be done.” In Svyatopolk’s garden he met David; While the owner was talking to the guest, David sat in silence, with downcast eyes. Svyatopolk went out under the pretext of ordering breakfast; David also left after him. Warriors immediately attacked Vasilko and put him in chains. The matter was very important; Therefore, the next day Svyatopolk gathered his boyars together with the Kyiv elders with Vladimir Monomakh to kill the Grand Duke and take possession of his cities. The boyars and elders were perplexed whether to believe this or not, and gave an evasive answer: “You, prince, must take care of your head, and if the accusation is true, Vasilko is subject to punishment; but if David told a lie, then let him answer for it before God.” . Having learned about this, the abbots of the monasteries hastened to intercede for Vasilko with the Grand Duke. Then David redoubled his efforts to intimidate the latter and persuade him to blind the prisoner; Svyatopolk, after some hesitation, agreed.

That same night, Rostislavich was brought to Zvenigorod, a place about ten miles from Kyiv, and they stayed with him in the same hut. Then Vasilko saw the prince’s shepherd, a stickman by birth, sharpening a knife; he guessed that they wanted to blind him and began to cry bitterly. Indeed, two grooms came in, one Svyatopolkov, the other Davidov, spread out a carpet and wanted to knock down the prince; the latter, although tied up, desperately defended himself; two more were called. They knocked Vasilko down, put boards on his chest and all four of them sat on them; the unfortunate man's bones crunched. Then Torchin, with brutal cruelty, committed blindness. They put the prince dead on a cart and took him to Vladimir Volynsky. When the guides stopped for lunch in the town of Zdvizhenye, they took off Vasilko’s shirt and gave him his priest to wash. Having washed it and put it back on the prince, the priest began to cry for him as if he were dead. From this crying the prince woke up, drank fresh water and, feeling his chest, said: “Why did he appear before God in it and with it?” In Vladimir, David put the prisoner under guard and assigned 30 soldiers to him with two princely youths, Ulan and Kolcheya. Sitting in prison, Vasilko, in a moment of humility, said that God, of course, punished him for his pride. He had no thoughts about Svyatopolk or David; but he had extensive plans. He gathered an army and called on the Berendeys and Torks with the Pechenegs to go against the Poles. He thought of telling David and his brother Volodar: “Give me your younger squad, and drink and be merry; I will go to the land of Lyash, take it and avenge the Russian land.” Then he wanted to capture some part of the Danube Bolgars and settle them with him; and after that he intended to ask Svyatopolk and Vladimir for the Polovtsians and there either gain glory for himself, or lay down his head for the Russian land. “I had already rejoiced in my soul, hearing that the Berendichs were coming to me; but God deposed me for my arrogance,” the prisoner concluded.

The news of Vasilko’s blindness horrified the other princes: “such a thing has never happened in our family,” they said. Vladimir Monomakh immediately called the Svyatoslavichs, David and Oleg, and went with them to Kyiv. In response to reproaches addressed to the Grand Duke, the latter justified himself by what David Igorevich told him about Vasilko’s plans. “You have no reason to refer to David,” the brothers answered him, “Vasilko was not taken and blinded in the city of David.” Vladimir and the Svyatoslavichs were already preparing to cross the Dnieper in order to expel Svyatopolk from Kyiv, when Vladimir’s stepmother and Metropolitan Nicholas came to them as ambassadors from the people of Kiev. They begged the princes not to destroy Rus' with new internecine warfare and not to please the Polovtsians; the latter will come and take the Russian land, which the old princes acquired with their courage and their great labors. Vladimir was touched by these admonitions; he honored his father’s wife, he also honored the rank of hierarch and agreed to peace, but so that Svyatopolk himself would go against David Igorevich and punish him for vile slander. Svyatopolk promised. Meanwhile, Volodar Rostislavich had already started a war with David and agreed to peace only on the condition of extraditing his blinded brother. David really gave him Vasilko; but the peace did not last. Blind Vasilko thirsted for revenge; In addition, there was a dispute about some cities, and the war flared up again. The Rostislavichs besieged David in Vladimir itself and sent to tell the citizens that they did not want to ruin the city, but only demanded the extradition of their villains Turyak, Lazar and Vasil, who persuaded David to blind Vasil. The citizens forced the prince to hand over Lazar and Vasil (Turyak managed to escape to Kyiv). The Rostislavichs hanged them and retreated from the city. The example of these people shows what active participation in the unrest of that time the boyars and princely warriors had and how they subjugated short-sighted or weak-minded princes to their influence.

Svyatopolk hesitated to fulfill his promise to Vladimir Monomakh and the Svyatoslavichs. Only in 1099 did he finally get his act together and go against David. The latter turned with a request for help to his ally, the Polish king Vladislav Herman; but Svyatopolk also offered his alliance to Vladislav and sent him rich gifts. Besieged in Vladimir and not receiving help from the Poles, David was forced to surrender the city to Svyatopolk and be content with the small volost left to him. But the civil strife did not end there. The Grand Duke, encouraged by success, now decided to expel the Rostislavichs from the Volyn land in order to own it in full. The memory of the power of the Kyiv sovereign, who dominated all Russian lands, was still too vivid, and even such an unenterprising prince as Svyatopolk II (of course, not without the influence of the Kiev boyars), reveals an attempt, if not to unify, then to seize as much land as possible into his own. hands. And in such cases, the fertile Volyn land, as the closest to Kyiv and not separated from it by any natural barriers, usually served as the first subject of Kyiv harassment. The fight against the brave brothers, however, was unsuccessful. Then the Grand Duke called for help from the Ugric king Koloman. But this time the common danger reconciled the Rostislavichs with David: he united with them against Svyatopolk in order to regain Vladimir. David brought hired Polovtsian help. The famous Polovtsian Khan Bonyak came with him, and they decided to attack the Ugrians, who stood near Przemysl on the Vagra River and were much more numerous than the Polovtsians. On this occasion, our chronicler reports interesting details about Bonyak. On the night before the battle, he rode out of his camp into the field and began to howl like a wolf; At first one wolf responded to him, then many began to howl. Bonyak returned to the camp and said to David: “Tomorrow we will have victory over the Ugrians.” In the morning, he divided the army into three parts: he sent his commander Altunop forward, and put David back under the banner, i.e. under the banner, with his Russian squad; and he and the rest of the Polovtsians set up an ambush on the sides. The Ugrians stood as outposts; Altunopa attacked the first outpost and, having fired arrows, took a feigned flight. The Ugrians were deceived and began to pursue him; when they passed the ambush, Bonyak came out and attacked them from the rear; Altunopa turned them in the face; David also arrived. Bonyak, as the chronicle puts it, knocked down the Ugrians with a ball, “like a falcon knocks down a jackdaw.” The Ugrians began to flee; and many of them drowned in the Vagra and San rivers.

Congress in Vitichev (“Uvetichi”) in 1100

The war of David and Rostislavich with Svyatopolk lasted until the next 1100; in August of this year, the princes gathered for a new congress, which this time took place near Vitichev. Svyatopolk, Vladimir Monomakh, David and Oleg Svyatoslavich, accompanied by their warriors, came together to judge the case of David Igorevich, and, it seems, on his own complaint. He also came to the congress. “Well, now you’re sitting with us on the same carpet,” the brothers said to David, “tell me what your complaint is.” The brothers got up, mounted their horses, and each rode up to his squad to consult with it. David, meanwhile, sat on the sidelines and waited for a decision. Having talked with the boyars and among themselves, the brothers dispatched their husbands: Svyatopolk - Putyata, Vladimir - Orogostya and Ratibor, David and Oleg Svyatoslavich of some Torchin, and ordered to tell David Igorevich the following:

“We are not giving you the Vladimir table, because you threw a knife between us and did something that has never happened in the Russian land. We are not imprisoning you and are not doing you any other harm; go, sit down in Buzhsk and Ostrog; Svyatopolk gives you also Dubno and Chartorysk, Vladimir - two hundred hryvnia, David and Oleg - also two hundred hryvnia."

The disgraced prince had to obey the decision of his brothers. Vladimir Volynsky remained with Svyatopolk; the latter also gave David the city of Dorogobuzh, where he later died.

Russian princes make peace in Uvetichi. Painting by S. V. Ivanov

Just as the Lyubech congress resolved the dispute over Chernigov, the Vitichev congress stopped civil strife over the Volyn region. Having established peace in the Russian land, the princes bowed to the convictions of Vladimir Monomakh and with united forces now turned to their common enemies, i.e. to the wild Polovtsians. Around that time, Rus'’s struggle with these nomads took on a fierce, stubborn character. Equally insidious as they were predatory, the Polovtsian khans often made peace with the Russian princes, taking the jars and vowing not to attack Russian lands; but then they forgot about their oaths and again came to burn, rob and take the Russian population captive. Such treachery embittered the Russian people, and only this general bitterness can explain the following act of Vladimir Monomakh, who most respected oaths and treaties, the most chivalrous of the Russian princes of that time.

Rus' and the Polovtsians under Svyatopolk Izyaslavich

In 1095, two Polovtsian khans, Itlar and Kitan, came to Vladimir in Pereyaslavl to conclude peace. Itlar and his people entered the city itself and settled in the courtyard of Ratibor; and Kitan stood outside the city between the ramparts, taking one of Vladimirov’s sons, Svyatoslav, hostage. Ratibor was an old, noble boyar, who had served as a governor to Monomakh’s father. For some reason, this boyar and his family were especially angry with the Polovtsians and decided to treacherously kill their guests. At the same time, the Kiev boyar Slovyata was in Pereyaslavl, sent from Svyatopolk with some kind of assignment (obviously related to the same Polovtsians). Together with him, the Ratiborovichs began to persuade Vladimir to exterminate the Polovtsians. The prince hesitated, saying: “How can this be done after the oath just taken?” The squad calmed his conscience with the words: “There is no sin in that; the Polovtsians always take an oath to maintain peace and always break it, constantly shedding Christian blood.” Vladimir, although reluctantly, gave his consent. That same night, Slovyata with a detachment of Russians and Torks crept up to Kitan’s camp: first they kidnapped young Svyatoslav, and then they rushed at the Polovtsians and killed everyone along with the khan. Itlar and his people meanwhile spent the night in the courtyard of Ratibor, knowing nothing about Kitan’s fate. In the morning he was invited to the hut to have breakfast and warm up, since it was the end of February. But as soon as the khan and his retinue entered the hut, they were locked, the ceiling was opened, and from there the first Olbeg Ratiborich landed an arrow right in the heart of Itlar; then they beat all his people. Such treachery, of course, did not bring any significant benefit to the Russian land. It only made both sides even more bitter. Following this, Svyatopolk and Vladimir, with united forces, undertook a campaign in the steppes, destroyed some Polovtsian vezhi and returned with large booty, consisting of servants, horses, camels and other livestock. This was the campaign in which Oleg Svyatoslavich avoided participating. The Polovtsians took revenge that same year by invading the Kyiv borders; They besieged the city of Yuryev, on the Ros River, for a long time, and finally burned it after it was abandoned by its inhabitants. Svyatopolk settled these people from Yuryev on the site of ancient Vitichev, on a high hill on the right Dnieper bank, and the city founded here again named Svyatopolch.

The following year, 1096, when the Grand Duke and Vladimir were busy with an internecine war with Oleg Svyatoslavich, the Polovtsians took advantage of the convenient time and intensified their raids. Their ferocious khan Bonyak ravaged the right bank of the Dnieper all the way to Kyiv, devastating the outskirts of the capital and turning the countryside grand-ducal courtyard on Berestov into ashes; and the other khan, Kurya, was raging on the left side near Pereyaslavl. Svyatopolk's father-in-law, Tugorkan, came and besieged Pereyaslavl itself in the absence of Vladimir. Then Svyatopolk and Vladimir, uniting, crossed the Dnieper at Zarub and, unexpectedly for the Polovtsians, appeared near Pereyaslavl. The barbarians were completely defeated. Among those killed was Tugorkan; the Grand Duke ordered him, as his father-in-law, to be taken to the capital and buried at Berestov. But while the princes were still in Pereyaslavl, Bonyak, taking advantage of the absence of troops, appeared again near Kyiv and almost broke into the city itself. He burned several monasteries and villages, including the red princely courtyard built by Vsevolod on Vydubetsky Hill. During this unexpected invasion, the famous Pechora Monastery also suffered. The barbarians attacked her with wild cries at the hour when the monks were sleeping in their cells after Matins. Having cut down the monastery gates, they began to loot, set fire to the Church of the Mother of God and scour the empty cells from which the monks managed to escape. Hearing about this invasion, Svyatopolk and Vladimir hastened to attack Bonyak; but he left for the steppe with the same speed with which he came. The Russian princes chased after him, but could not overtake him.

Similar attacks by the Cumans were repeated almost every year; Russian princes sometimes managed to gather forces in time and defeat one or another crowd of barbarians. Princes often came together with the Polovtsian khans, made peace with them, sealed it with mutual oaths and even marriages with their daughters. But nothing could stop the destructive Polovtsian raids. The defensive war was proving too insufficient; it was necessary to wage a more energetic and united struggle in order to repel the movement of the steppe into Southern Rus'. Thanks to the efforts of Vladimir Monomakh, the Russian princes waged just such an offensive struggle at the beginning of the 12th century. This attack of the Eastern European people on their Turkish neighbors coincided in time with the same movement of Western European peoples against another part of the same Turkish tribe, which emerged from the same Trans-Caspian steppes and, uniting under the banner of the Seljukids, extended its rule to almost all of Western Asia. The glorious Russian campaigns deep into the Polovtsian steppes coincided with the beginning of the Crusades to liberate the Holy Land. Vladimir Monomakh and Gottfried of Bouillon are two heroic leaders who simultaneously fought to defend the Christian world against the hostile east.

Dolob Congress (1103) and campaigns of Russian princes against nomads

In 1103, Vladimir invited Svyatopolk to go together on a campaign against the Polovtsians in the spring; but the warriors advised against the campaign on the grounds that it was not the time to tear the farmers away from the field. To discuss this matter, the princes gathered near Kyiv on the left bank of the Dnieper near Lake Dolobsky and sat in the same tent, each with his retinue. Vladimir was the first to break the silence:

Brother, you are the eldest, start talking about how we can protect the Russian land?

Svyatopolk answered;

Brother, you better start.

How can I speak! – Vladimir objected. - Both mine and your squad are against me; They will say that I want to destroy both the villagers and the arable land. But here’s what’s surprising to me: how sorry you are for them, but you won’t think that the stinker will plow on his horse in the spring; and suddenly a half-dealer will arrive, kill the stinker with an arrow, take his horse, wife and children for himself, and burn the threshing floor. Why don't you think about this?

Dolobsky Congress of Princes - a meeting between Prince Vladimir Monomakh and Prince Svyatopolk. Painting by A. Kivshenko

The squad unanimously recognized the truth of his words.

“I’m ready to go with you,” said Svyatopolk.

“You will do great good, brother, to the Russian land,” Vladimir noted.

The princes stood up, kissed and sent to invite the Svyatoslavichs with them on the campaign. Oleg excused himself by illness, but his brother, David, went. In addition to these senior princes, several of their younger relatives went on a campaign with their squads, including one of the sons of the recently deceased Vseslav of Polotsk. The princes moved with horse and foot troops; the latter sailed in boats along the Dnieper, and the former led her horses along the shore. Having passed the rapids, the boats stopped at the island of Khortitsa; the infantry went ashore, the horsemen mounted their horses and, uniting, went into the steppe. After a four-day campaign, Rus' reached the enemy nomads. In preparation for battles, princes and warriors prayed fervently and made various vows; one promised to give generous alms, the other - to make a donation to the monastery.

Meanwhile, the Polovtsian khans, having heard about the Russian campaign, also gathered at a congress and began to consult. The eldest of them, Urusoba, advised to ask for peace. “Rus' will fight hard with us, because we have done a lot of evil to the Russian land,” he said. But the younger leaders did not want to listen to him and boasted, having beaten Rus', to go to its land and take its cities. The Polovtsians sent ahead Altunopa, who was famous among them for his courage. He encountered a Russian guard detachment, was surrounded, beaten, and himself fell in this battle. Encouraged by their first success, the Russian regiments boldly attacked the main forces of the Polovtsians. The barbarians covered a wide field like a dense forest; but there was no cheerfulness in them; according to our chronicle, both riders and horses stood in some kind of drowsiness. The Polovtsians did not withstand the rapid attack of Rus' for long and fled. The battle took place on April 4. Up to twenty Polovtsian princes fell in it, including Urusoba. One of the strongest khans, Belduz, was captured and began to offer the Grand Duke a ransom for himself, promising a lot of gold, silver, horses and all kinds of livestock. Svyatopolk sent him to Vladimir. “How many times have you sworn not to fight in the Russian land?” Monomakh told him. “Why didn’t you restrain your sons and relatives so that they would not break the oath and shed Christian blood?” - and ordered to chop him into pieces. The Russians ravaged many Polovtsian villages and took large amounts of booty in captives, horses, camels and other livestock. They also captured some of the Pechenegs and Torks, who united with the Polovtsians. The princes returned to their cities with great honor and glory.

But the strength of the nomads was far from broken by this brilliant campaign. In the following years, the barbarians took revenge on Rus' with new raids. The fierce Bonyak and old Sharukan were still alive. One day they came to Rus' together and stopped near the city of Lubno on the banks of the Sula. Svyatopolk and Vladimir united this time with Oleg Chernigovsky. They attacked the Polovtsians so unexpectedly that they did not have time to “even raise a banner” and were completely defeated. On Dormition Day, the temple holiday of the Pechersk Monastery, Svyatopolk returned from the campaign and went straight to the monastery to thank for the victory. The Russian princes made peace with the Polovtsian khans, and Vladimir married his youngest son Yuri, the later famous Dolgoruky, to the daughter of one of these khans, Aepa. Oleg Svyatoslavich married his son Svyatoslav to the daughter of another khan, who was also called Aepa. But these peace treaties and marriage alliances, as usual, did not stop the hostile actions and raids of the Polovtsians. Then Monomakh convinced the Russian princes to make a new big campaign with joint forces in order to defeat the Polovtsian vezhi in the very steppes of Zadonsk.

The united militia was again headed by Svyatopolk, Vladimir Monomakh and David Svyatoslavich. This time the princes set out even earlier than before, precisely at the end of February, in order to make a campaign before the onset of the summer heat, so painful in the southern steppes. The army still walked to the Khorola River along the winter route, but here it was necessary to abandon the sleigh. It gradually passed Psel, Vorskla, Donets and other rivers, and in the sixth week, on Tuesday, it reached the banks of the Don. On these banks there were settled camps, or winter quarters, of the main Polovtsian khans. Rus' put on armor, which during the campaign was usually folded onto a cart. The regiments settled down and moved in battle formation towards the city of Khan Sharukan; By order of Vladimir, the priests walked ahead of the army singing troparions and kontakions. The Sharukans came out to meet Rus' with a bow, with fish and wine, which saved their homes from destruction. Khan's next town, Sutra, was burned. On Thursday, the Russian army moved further from the Don. The next day, March 24, she met with the Polovtsian horde. The Russians remained victorious and celebrated their victory along with the Day of the Annunciation. The main battle took place on Holy Monday, on the banks of Salnitsa. The enemies were very numerous, and again they surrounded the Russian army like a dense forest. The stubborn battle lasted until Vladimir Monomakh, with a swift onslaught at the head of his regiment, decided the victory. According to the chronicle legend, the Polovtsians justified their defeat by the miraculous help that some bright warriors who rushed over the Russian regiments provided the Christians. Again the Russians returned from the campaign with a huge number of prisoners and all kinds of livestock. The chronicler adds that the glory of these victories spread far among other peoples, such as the Greeks, Ugrians, Poles, Czechs, and reached Rome itself.

About Vsevolod’s daughters, see Karamzin to volume II note. 156 and 157. A critical summary of all Latin news about the marriage of Eupraxia with Henry IV is found in Krug in the second volume of his Forschungen in der akteren Geschichte Russlands. S-Ptrsb. 1848.

The Lyubech Congress and in general the events of Svyatopolkov’s reign, see P.S.R. Years. Khrushchev "The Legend of Vasilka Rostislavich" in Thu. About. Nestor the chronicler. Book I. Kyiv. 1879. Regarding Vsevolod’s nephew Yaropolk Izyaslavich, see Schlumberger in the history of Zoe and Theodora on pages 463 and 465 for portraits of this prince and his mother in Byzantine royal costumes, taken from the miniatures of the “Psalter” of Archbishop Treves.

The chronicle about the place of the princely congress in 1100 says: “in Uvetichi.” Some scientists tried to determine where these Uvetichi lay, and made different assumptions. But there is an obvious misunderstanding here. In the oldest list, of course, there was: “at Vitichev”; the illiterate scribal, not understanding it well, took it for one word and for greater clarity added the preposition c. However, we find the real reading in Tatishchev: “on Vyatichev.” Artsybashev also assumed a mistake here (II. 329. Research and lectures by Pogodin. IV. 162).

Campaigns against the Polovtsians, see Complete. Collection Rus. chronicles.

The world is large to satisfy human needs, but too small to satisfy human greed.
Mahatma Gandhi

Rus', torn apart by internecine wars and endless brutal raids by the Polovtsians, needed a truce, at least within the country, in order to get rid of all the contradictions between the princes. It was for this purpose that it was convened Congress of Princes in Lyubech, on the banks of the Dnieper River, in 1097. 6 princes took part in it.

Lyubechsky Congress of Princes - goal

The ideological inspirer of this congress was Vladimir Monomakh. He gave a speech to his brothers, calling on them to forget their enmity, reconcile and together rid Rus' of their common enemy - the Polovtsians. The Lyubech Congress of Princes was successful and they managed to agree on the most important thing: everyone should rule only in their own lands. The spheres of influence were determined, who would govern which cities. An example was set for everyone by Vladimir Monomakh himself, who voluntarily gave the city of Chernigov to Oleg Svyatoslavich, a city that he himself ruled, but which in ancient times belonged to Oleg’s parents. The rest was decided as follows:

The congress of princes in Lyubech transferred Kyiv to Svyatopolk, and with it the title of the Grand Duke.
Vladimir Monomakh became the ruler of Smolensk. Beloozersk, Pereyaslyavl and Suzdal-Rostov lands.
Oleg and Davit Svyatoslavich, by common decision, received Chernigov, Murom, Razan and Tmutarakan as their inheritance.
David Igorevich secured his right to rule Vladimir-Volynsky.
Vasilko Rostislavich received Terebovl, Przemysl, and also Cherven to rule.

Thus, the main task of the congress of Russian princes in Lyubech was to resolve the issue of spheres of influence in Kievan Rus. This is a thorny issue that has given rise to many wars. As a result, all participants in the congress recognized the rights of others to the cities, which were assigned to them as a result of an oral agreement. The congress ended with the kissing of the cross and the oath of all participants to eternal peace and friendship.

Congress of Princes in Lyubech - results

The results that the congress achieved should become the basis, a solid foundation, for the construction of a new, powerful state. And this could have been achieved if not for the treachery of David Igorevich, the ruler of the city of Vladimir-Volynsky. He secretly informed Svyatopolk that Monomakh and Vasilko Rostislavich were planning to seize the Kiev throne and had secretly conspired behind the backs of others. Svyatopolk believed and invited Vasilko to Kyiv. Vasilko went to Kyiv. Entering Kyiv, he was informed about David’s treachery, but Vasilko did not believe it, saying: “ We kissed the cross, Svyatopolk could not suspect me of betrayal". "In Kyiv, Vasilko was met by David, who put him in prison by force, and his servants gouged out Vasilko's eyes. Thus began a new internecine war in Rus'. And the loving congress of princes from a good undertaking turned into murder.

The Second Congress - the end of civil strife

Seeing the need to stop David Igorevich in order to stop the internecine war in Rus', Vladimir Monomakh decided to convene a new congress of princes. It was attended by Monomakh himself, Svyatopolk, Oleg and David Svyatoslavich, as well as David Igorevich himself. This congress took place on June 30, 1110 near Kyiv. Monomakh, after consulting with other participants, announced that they were asking for David Igorevich and did not want to take revenge on him. They assured him that he could live peacefully on Russian land. As a sign of his friendship, Svyatopolk gave David Igorevich the cities of Chertorizhsk and Dubna. Vladimir Monomakh, Oleg Svyatoslavi and David Svyatoslavich provided 200 hryvnia of gold each. This ended the internecine war.

The history of any country is full of ups and downs, times of peace and times of bloody wars, eras of culture and enlightenment, as well as Troubled Times, during which internecine wars unfolded for the right to lead the country. The end of the 11th and beginning of the 12th centuries is rightfully considered one of the eras of the Time of Troubles in Rus', when the personal ambitions of the heirs of Yaroslav the Wise and regular raids of nomads on the border territories greatly weakened the Russian state.

In contact with

The prerequisites for internecine wars were the staircase order of transfer of the throne, which consisted in the fact that power is transferred from brother to brother, and if the sons of Yaroslav the Wise were satisfied with everything, then his grandchildren were not satisfied with this state of affairs at all. The very division of the country into separate governorships did not bode well for the sons of Yaroslav the Wise.

In order to stop the bloodshed and devastation in 1097, a general gathering of the grand dukes was organized in the city of Lyubech.

The purpose of the Lyubech Congress and its participants

Lyubech was a developed city of that time, located on the banks of the Dnieper. This place was not chosen by chance. It was in Lyubech that the native lands of Vladimir Monomakh, the initiator of the congress, were located. The Lyubech Congress was convened in order to solve a number of problems, two of which (the internecine fratricidal war and the need for a unified army to confront external enemies) were especially acute.

Its participants were the direct descendants of Yaroslav the Wise, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Each of them will be discussed further in this article.

It should be understood that the gathering of princes in those days can be equated to a modern political forum and, in addition to the princes, the entire political elite of that time participated in it, although only the princes made decisions (unlike the Dolob Congress).

The main decisions of the Lyubech Congress of Princes:

Finally assign lands to each of the rulers.
Form a squad to fight common enemies.
Securing the right of inheritance from father to son.

Results of the Lyubech Congress

As a result, the disputed lands were divided between the participants. Agreements were also reached regarding the boundaries of the territories of influence, the basis was prepared for the formation of a unified army to resist foreign invaders, in particular, to resist the Polovtsians (the Polovtsians are a nomadic people of Turkic origin who were at war with Russia in those days).

The participants of the Lyubech Congress, as a sign of compliance with the decisions, kissed the cross and swore that they would not encroach on someone else’s land, and whoever encroaches and breaks the oath will be punished by the rest of the princes. Also at the congress, the principles of inheritance of divided lands from father to son were discussed and enshrined.

The political significance of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

Simply put, Rus' ceased to be a single state and broke up into several principalities, the decisions of which were made by a single ruler. Thus began the era of feudal fragmentation in Rus', it was of great importance and continued until the end of the 15th century, ending under Ivan III (Under whom the famous Code of Laws was adopted).

Subsequent events

Sadly, the peace between the princes did not last long. David Igorevich brought confusion into the relationship between Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich and Vasilko Rostislavich by sending a messenger to the former with a message about the impending capture of Kyiv by the latter. Svyatopolk, who believed the slander, called Vasilko to Kyiv, where he first took him into custody and then blinded him. Meanwhile, David Igorevich invaded the Terebovel principality (the estate of Vasilko Rostislavich) and captured the main fortress of Terebovel and nearby lands.

Having heard about the blatant violation of the oaths given by the princes, Vladimir Monomakh gathers an army and goes to Kyiv. Having besieged the city, Vladimir Monomakh seeks from Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich the release of Vasilko Rostislavich, as well as his consent to go on a joint campaign against David Igorevich. The internecine war broke out with renewed vigor and lasted until 1110.

At least two congresses are associated with this period:

Congress in Uvetichi. It took place in August 1110 near the city of Uvetichi. The goal is the example of princes and the trial of the apostate David Igorevich. He lost his principality, however, he was not executed; on the contrary, Svyatopolk gave him Dubna and Chertorizhsk to reign, and the Svyatoslavichs allocated a large sum of money. The wise decision of the princes made it possible to avoid a new round of bloody war and allowed the war to stop for a while.
Dolob Congress. The congress of princes, which took place in 1103 at Dolob Lake near Kyiv. A distinctive feature of this congress was that not only the grand dukes, but also representatives of the squad participated in the decisions. The Dolob congress made it possible to unite the squads and make several successful campaigns against the Polovtsians.

And although each congress called for unification and an end to strife and civil strife, the effectiveness of the agreements was quite low and, in the end, as we see from history, a stronger and more developed principality absorbed a smaller and weaker one until only one remained - Moscow, which again united Rus' together.

The Lyubech Congress was a meeting of Russian princes, the main goal of which was to stop the internecine war and create a unified state to resist foreign invaders.

The first congress of princes in Lyubech

The congress of Russian princes took place in the city of Lyubech (on the Dnieper River) in 1097. The reasons for convening the congress of princes in Lyubech were:

cruel between the princes who fought with each other for territories and influence in Rus';
the need to create a unified army to resist, whose raids caused serious harm to the country.

The congress of Russian princes in Lyubech was proclaimed by Vladimir Monomakh, who was the first to understand all the sad consequences of civil strife.

The significance of the Lyubech Congress

Kievan Rus at the end of the 11th century. was in an extremely difficult situation. Since 1094, there was a constant struggle for territory, which greatly weakened the country and did not allow the assembly of a unified army. The princes did not want to recognize each other’s authority and tried to seize more and more territories from the enemy in order to make a profit and spread their influence. The situation was complicated by the Polovtsians.

Vladimir Monomakh was defeated in the Battle of Stugna in 1093, losing part of the territory to the invaders. Later, in 1094, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich enlisted the support of the Polovtsians and expelled Vladimir from Chernigov. Having secured the support of another prince, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Vladimir wanted to recapture his possessions, but at the same time the Polovtsians made a brutal raid on the southern territories. For two years, Rus' was constantly in a state of war.

To correct the situation, it was necessary to reconcile the princes - for this purpose, Vladimir Monomakh convened the Lyubech Congress for the first time.

The main decisions of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

During the meeting, the princes were mainly engaged in the redistribution of territories. After many hours of discussion, the congress of princes in Lyubech proclaimed the following: to make peace between the princes and oblige them to come to the aid of each other in the fight against the Polovtsians. The main goal of the Lyubech Congress was the creation of a unified state.

The territories were divided as follows:

Vasilko Rostislavich (with brother) - Terebovl, Cherven, Przemysl;
Vladimir Monomakh - Pereyaslavl Principality, Suzdal-Rostov land, Smolensk and Beloozero;
Davyd Igorevich - Vladimir-Volynsky with Lutsk;
Oleg and Davyd Svyatoslavich - Chernigov and Seversk land, Ryazan, Murom and Tmutarakan;
Svyatopolk Izyaslavich - Kyiv with Turov and Pinsk and the title of Grand Duke.

The Congress of Russian Princes in Lyubech proclaimed a new principle of land division. The princes inherited the territories that belonged to their fathers - clan distribution. In this way, disputes over possessions were avoided, and Rus' was gradually to turn into a feudal state.

Consequences of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

Unfortunately, Prince Davyd Igorevich was dissatisfied with the new agreement and immediately after the meeting he informed Svyatopolk that Vladimir Monomakh and Vasilko Rostislavich had a secret conspiracy and wanted to seize sole power in Rus'. Svyatopolk believed and, at the insistence of Davyd, invited Vasilko to his place in Kyiv, where the latter was immediately accused of treason and put in prison.

Vladimir Monomakh, seeing that a new conflict had begun, convened a second congress of princes (1110), at which it was possible to conclude a final peace treaty. Prince Davyd was forgiven for his betrayal.

Results of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

Thanks to the fact that the princes managed to come to an agreement, the civil strife in Rus' ended and the state gradually united to repel the Polovtsians. The great princes were able to unite their troops and resist the invaders, and Rus' moved into a new era with a new political system.