Family and children

Vsevolod Yurievich Big Nest(1154-1212) - Grand Duke of Vladimir from 1176 (1174), for five weeks (from February to March 24, 1173) was Grand Duke of Kyiv. The tenth son of Yuri Dolgoruky, half-brother of Andrei Bogolyubsky, Byzantine on his mother’s side. He had a large offspring - 12 children (including 8 sons), so he received the nickname “Big Nest”. In Russian historiography it is sometimes called Vsevolod III.

Biography

In 1162, together with his mother and brother, Andrei Bogolyubsky was expelled and went to Constantinople to live with Emperor Manuel. At the age of fifteen he returned to Rus' and, having made peace with Andrei, in 1169, together with other henchmen, took part in the campaign against Kyiv. In 1173, by order of his older brother, Mikhail Yuryevich, he sat down with Yaropolk Rostislavich in Kyiv and was soon captured by the Smolensk Rostislavichs who captured the city. Ransomed from captivity by Mikhail. After the murder of Andrei (1174) and the death of his brother Mikhail (1176), the Rostovites sent to Novgorod to tell Prince Mstislav Rostislavich (grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky):

Mstislav quickly gathered a squad and went to Vladimir. However, here the cross was already kissed for Vsevolod Yuryevich and his children. On the Yuryevsky field, across the Gzoya River, a battle took place, in which the Vladimir people won, and Mstislav fled to Novgorod. The reign of Vsevolod was the period of the highest rise of the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The reasons for Vsevolod's success were his reliance on new cities (Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Dmitrov, Gorodets, Kostroma, Tver), where the boyars before him were relatively weak, as well as his reliance on the nobility.

The unknown author of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” noted: his army “can splash the Volga with oars, and scoop up the Don with helmets.” Vsevolod the Big Nest continued the fight against Volga Bulgaria and the Mordovians (campaigns of 1184 and 1186). Having organized three campaigns in 1180, 1187 and 1207, he subjugated the Ryazan princes. In 1190 he accepted under the patronage of the Galician prince Vladimir Yaroslavich. In 1196, he led a coalition of princes who unsuccessfully tried to force the Chernigov Olgovichs to renounce their claims to Kyiv. Temporarily (1196-1202) owned Porosie. He achieved the presence of his representatives in Novgorod and defended the Principality of Pereyaslavl. Taking advantage of the struggle for Kyiv between the Smolensk, Galician-Volyn and Chernigov princes in 1202-1210, he established control over Kiev and Chernigov.

Vsevolod skillfully combined the power of arms with skillful politics. When, after Vsevolod’s intervention in Ryazan affairs in 1180, he had a break with his Chernigov patron, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, and the Chernigov-Novgorod troops burned Dmitrov and clashed with the Vladimir troops along the two banks of the Vlena River, Vsevolod restrained his troops from active actions, and Svyatoslav retreated.

Releasing his eldest son Constantine to reign in Novgorod in 1206, Vsevolod made a speech:

Shortly before his death, Vsevolod wanted to give seniority to his eldest son Konstantin, and put Yuri in Rostov. But Konstantin was unhappy, he wanted to take both Vladimir and Rostov for himself. Then Vsevolod " convening all his boyars from the cities and volosts and Bishop John, and abbots, and priests, and merchants, and nobles, and all the people"(Resurrection Chronicle) and transferred seniority youngest son- Yuri. The fundamental custom was violated, which led to strife and disagreement. After the death of Vsevolod, appanage principalities were formed in North-Eastern Rus': Suzdal, Pereyaslav (with Tver, Dmitrov), Rostov (with Beloozer, Ustyug), Yaroslavl, Uglich, Yuryev, Starodub. The main results of Vsevolod's reign were the reprisal against the boyars of Rostov who opposed the princely power, the expansion of the territory of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the decoration of Vladimir with the Dmitrov and Nativity cathedrals, and the Detin Kremlin. The chronicler speaks of his religiosity and love of poverty and adds that the prince judged with true and unfeigned judgment.

Family and children

1st wife- Princess Maria of Iasi, sister of the wife of Mstislav of Chernigov.

2nd wife- Lyubava, daughter of Vasilko Vitebsk.

Children:

• Konstantin (1186-1218), Prince of Novgorod, Prince of Rostov and Grand Duke of Vladimir
• Boris (†1188),
• Gleb (†1189),
• Yuri (1188-1238), Grand Duke of Vladimir
• Yaroslav (1191-1246), Grand Duke of Vladimir
• Vladimir (1193-1229), Prince of Starodub
• Svyatoslav (1196-1252), Grand Duke of Vladimir
• Ivan (1198-1247), Prince of Starodub

Kyiv, and then Vladimir-Suzdal prince; one of the most prominent political figures of his time. He received his nickname because he had many children and a large family.

Brief biography of Vsevolod the Big Nest

The death of Yuri Dolgoruky, who had many heirs, led to a struggle for power between them. Vladimir’s elder brother, Andrei Bogolyubsky, after the death of his father, became the head of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and expelled his own mother and brothers, including Vsevolod, to Constantinople.

However, in 1169 Vsevolod returned and entered into the struggle for power at the age of 16. At first, together with his army, with the support of other brothers and uncles, Vsevolod becomes the head of Kyiv, but the reign of Vsevolod the Big Nest in Kyiv does not last long, only five weeks, after which he is expelled and even captured. He was released from captivity by his brother Mikhail.

In 1173, as a result of a conspiracy among the boyars, Andrei Bogolyubsky died, and then Mikhail, and the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was left without a prince. Taking advantage of the moment, Mstislav with the Novgorod army attacks the city of Vladimir, but Vsevolod fights back. In the same year, Vsevolod becomes the prince of Vladimir-Suzdal, and a long period of heyday of the principality and the shift of central power from Kyiv to Vladimir begins. Vsevolod the Big Nest ruled in Vladimir until his death.

Politics of Vsevolod the Big Nest

Prince Vsevolod Yurievich is considered one of the skillful politicians and leaders of Kievan Rus, since it was he who managed to initiate the idea of ​​autocracy and seize power in his principality, as well as subjugate half of all of Rus'.

In foreign policy Vsevolod was most noted for the following deeds:

• military campaigns in Mordva;
• military campaigns in Bulgaria in 1183-1185;
• the fight against, for which Vsevolod teamed up with other princes.

In general, Vsevolod managed to significantly expand the eastern territories of Rus' thanks to the seizure of the lands of Bulgaria. However, Vsevolod’s initial goal of his military campaigns was not military superiority, but the conquest of new trade territories and routes, since he considered the economy and the development of trade to be the primary task.

In domestic policy among his victories were:

• conquest of power in Vladimir and becoming the sole ruler of his lands (the boyars and nobles did not have significant power under him);
• close relations with Kiev and the surrounding lands, thanks to which, during his reign, Vsevolod the Big Nest managed to significantly increase his influence on the Kyiv prince and move the center of power to Vladimir;
• conquest of power over the Novgorod lands and subjugation of their princes.

Results of the reign of Vsevolod the Big Nest

Thanks to skillful politics and wisdom, Vsevolod was able to concentrate power over a significant territory of Rus' in his hands, expand the borders of the state, open new trade routes and boost the economy. For his activities, Vsevolod the Big Nest received the title of Grand Duke and was noted in the “Tale of Bygone Years”, “The Tale of Igor’s Host” and other significant works.

He bequeathed to his sons to continue his policy and, fearing civil strife, distributed power among them in advance, but the children of Vsevolod the Big Nest did not listen to him. As a result, after 1212, the single powerful principality that Vsevolod had created for so long fell apart into several parts, and Rus' was again mired in internecine wars.

Vsevolod Yuryevich (son of Yuri Dolgoruky) - received the nickname Big Nest for a very obvious reason: he had a very large family - twelve children, eight of whom were sons.

Role in history

Historians consider the time of Vsevolod’s reign to be the period of the highest rise and prosperity of the Vlodimir-Suzdal lands. They cite cooperation with new cities as the reasons for his successful reign: Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Dmitrov, Gorodets, Kostroma, Tver. There he managed to strengthen the forces of the boyars, which before him were relatively weak. In addition, he found the support of the local nobility. Vsevolod was an intelligent and gifted commander: he managed to form his army and train it so that it was ready for any challenge. In the famous “Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” the author respectfully noted that Vsevolod’s army could “splash the Volga with oars” and “scoop out the Don with helmets.”

Beginning of life

The Grand Duke was born in 1154. In 1162, when Vsevolod was only seven years old, his elder brother, Prince of Kiev Andrei Bogolyubsky expelled his stepmother, Princess Olga, from his principality. Together with her children - Mikhail, Vasily and Vsevolod - she left for Constantinople under the patronage of Emperor Manuel. At the age of fifteen, Vsevolod returned to Rus' and made peace with Andrei. Soon, in 1169, he and other allied princes took part in the conquest of Kyiv. In 1173, Vsevolod’s elder brother Mikhail Yuryevich sent him to reign in Kyiv, but soon the Smolensk Rostislavovichs who captured the city took him prisoner. Soon Mikhail bought his brother.

Strife: gains and losses

After the murder of the brothers Andrei Bogolyubsky (1174) and Mikhail (1176), the Rostovites sent an ambassador to Novgorod with a message about these deaths to Mstislav Rostislavovich, the grandson of Yu. Dolgoruky. They asked Mstislav to intervene. Mstislav immediately gathered his regiments and headed to Vladimir. And there they already blessed Vsevolod Yuryevich and his children to reign. A battle took place between the people of Vladimir and Mstislav, where the people of Vladimir won. Mstislav withdrew his troops to Novgorod. Meanwhile, Vsevolod, in alliance with Svyatoslav of Chernigov, defeated the Ryazan prince Gleb, after which Roman Glebovich, Svyatoslav’s son-in-law, became the prince there. In 1180, Vsevolod opposed Roman’s concentration of power on the Ryazan lands and broke ties with Svyatoslav. Then Svyatoslav directed his weapon against Vsevolod. As a result, Svyatoslav's son was expelled from Novgorod, after which Vsevolod's representatives ruled there for three decades. Vsevolod the Big Nest himself did not stop the fight against Volga Bulgaria and the Mordovians. This is evidenced by his campaigns of 1184 and 1186. In 1180 he made a new campaign against the Ryazan lands. After the death of Prince Svyatoslav (1194), the Chernigov Olgovichi claimed the reign of Kiev. Vsevolod agreed to the plan of the Smolensk princes of Rostislavovich, according to which the Olgovichi would be deprived of the possessions of the right bank of the Dnieper. In 1195, the Olgovichi successfully opposed the Smolensk prince. Davyda. Rurik of Kyiv was preparing to go on a campaign against the Principality of Chernigov. They prepared to defend their capital (1196) and made abatches along the entire path of the supposed enemy offensive, and placed the main forces behind them. But there was no fight. As a result of the negotiations, the Olgovichi refused to lay claim to Kyiv while Rurik was alive, and to Smolensk while Davyd was alive. New strife deprived Vsevolod southern territories Pereyaslavl principality, and Rurik lost power in Kyiv. In 1207, Vsevolod made a campaign in Chernigov, defeated the Chernigov allies in Ryazan, burned the city itself and captured six princes. A few years later, peace was concluded, the principality of Kiev remained with Vsevolod Chermny, Vsevolod the Big Nest regained the south of Pereyaslavl. But in the Novgorod land, his position was shaken under the influence of the Rostislavovichs of Smolensk, or rather, their representative from the next generation - Mstislav Udatny (1210).

Results of the board

The results of Vsevolod's activities were the taming of the Rostov boyars who opposed the princely power, the multiplication of Vladimir-Suzdal lands, and the construction of the Dmitrov and Nativity cathedrals in Vladimir. The Grand Duke died on April 15, 1212. His relics are kept in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral.

Vsevolod the Big Nest and his descendants

The tenth son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Vsevolod (baptized Dmitry; 1154–1212), received the nickname Big Nest for having eight sons and four daughters. A strange nickname - after all, his father had even more children, and no one called Yuri Dolgoruky the Big Nest. Sometimes he is called Vsevolod III.

In 1162, Vsevolod-Dmitry was expelled along with his brother and mother and went to Constantinople to the court of Emperor Manuel. Only three years later, the fifteen-year-old prince returned to Rus' and took part in the campaign against Kyiv.

Andrei Bogolyubsky quarreled with the Smolensk Rostislavichs over the news that their boyars had poisoned his brother Gleb, and ordered Roman to leave the grand-ducal table, and Mikhail Yuryevich to take Kyiv. However, Mikhail Yuryevich did not go to Kyiv, but sent Vsevolod there along with his nephew Yaropolk Rostislavich. The Smolensk Rostislavichs soon captured them both. They proclaimed Rurik Rostislavich the prince of Kyiv.

Vsevolod-Dmitry is in captivity, but Mikhail Yuryevich went to reign in Torchesk. Rurik besieged Torchesk for 6 days, and on the seventh the princes made peace. Mikhail Yuryevich recognized himself as a vassal of Rurik, for which, in addition to Torchesk, he received Pereyaslavl South. Soon he ransomed his brother Vsevolod from captivity.

In 1173, the troops of Andrei Bogolyubsky invaded the Kyiv land, and Mikhail Yuryevich immediately went over to the side of his older brother.

After the death of Andrei Bogolyubsky, Mikhail Yuryevich went to North-Eastern Rus' and occupied Vladimir, but could not hold it and went to South Pereyaslavl. In 1175, together with his brother Vsevolod, he undertook a second campaign in North-Eastern Rus'. They managed to defeat their nephews Rostislavich, and Mikhail Yuryevich became the great prince of Vladimir-Suzdal, and Rostov was handed over to Vsevolod.

After his establishment in the Rostov land, Mikhail went to war against the Ryazan prince Gleb, in whose hands were also many treasures looted in Vladimir and the Vladimir Church of the Holy Mother of God, even the image of the Mother of God brought by Andrei from Vyshgorod, and many books. Mikhail went with his regiments to Ryazan, but met the ambassadors of Prince Gleb on the road. Gleb pledged not to support the Rostislavichs and to return everything captured in Vladimir. At this point, the princes made peace, Mikhail returned to Vladimir, according to probable news, executed Andrei’s killers and then went to Gorodets on the Volga, fell ill there and died on June 20. He was buried in Vladimir in the Church of the Holy Virgin.

Vsevolod Yurievich ruled for a long time, almost half a century - from 1174 to 1212. Before this, he reigned in Kyiv for “whole” five weeks (from February to March 24, 1173).

After his death, Vsevolod the Big Nest barely managed to become the prince of the North-East: immediately after the death of Mikhail, the Rostov veche sent to Novgorod to the grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky, Mstislav Mstislavovich of Smolensk, the Trypillian, Galich and Tork prince. The Rostovites ordered to tell him: “God took Mikhail on the Volga in Gorodets, but we want you, we don’t want anyone else.” According to another chronicle version, it was said almost the same way: “Come, prince, to us: we want you, we don’t want anyone else.”

But Mstislav was late: when he came to the North-East, in Vladimir and Suzdal they were already kissing the cross of allegiance to Vsevolod. Mstislav lost in the battle on the Gza River and went to Novgorod.

Since then, a strong enmity arose between Vsevolod the Big Nest and his descendants with Mstislav (baptized Fedor) Udatny (Lucky) and his descendants.

Mstislav-Fyodor Mstislavovich Udatny-Udachlivy (died in 1228), maternal grandfather of Alexander Nevsky and Lev Galitsky, his descendants in the male line became leaders of the rest of Rus', except the North-East.

Many historians believe that the reign of Vsevolod is the period of the highest rise of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Vsevolod the Big Nest continued the policies of his father and especially his brother: he ruled in Vladimir, completely dealt with the boyars of Rostov who opposed the strengthening of princely power, and relied on new cities where there was no veche and where the boyars were weak. He raised and supported the nobility.

Vsevolod was married twice: to the Iasi princess Maria Shvarnovna, the sister of the wife of Mstislav of Chernigov. And on Lyubava Vasilyevna, daughter of Vasilko Bryachislavovich of Polotsk, from the Vitebsk branch.

Two of Vsevolod’s sons died as children: Boris in 1188 and Gleb in 1189. Constantine (1186–1218) also died young. He was the Grand Duke of Vladimir, the Prince of Novgorod and Rostov. Vladimir (1192–1227) became Prince of Starodub.

Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich (1188–1238), Grand Duke of Vladimir, fell at the hands of the Mongols. His brothers, Yaroslav (1191–1246) and Svyatoslav (1192–1252), were also great princes of Vladimir. Ivan (1197–1247), Prince of Starodub, also lived to see the Mongol invasion.

There were also four daughters.

Before his death, Vsevolod wanted to give Vladimir to his eldest son Konstantin, and put Yuri in Rostov. But Konstantin wanted to take both Vladimir and Rostov. Then Vsevolod “convened all his boyars from the cities and volosts, and Bishop John, and the abbots, and the priests, and the merchants, and the nobles, and all the people,” and in front of the representatives of the Russian Land, he transferred the principality to his youngest son, Yuri.

Here is another manifestation of autocracy: the prince, of his own free will, violated all existing customs. This caused new disagreements and civil strife.

In 1212, the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest divided the Vladimir-Suzdal principality: without any ladder. The principalities of Rostov (with Beloozero), Pereyaslavl, Yaroslavl, and Suzdal were formed. The right of the ladder was no longer in effect, and another civil strife immediately began. In addition to the discord between the descendants of Vsevolod, numerous poor princes of the North-East sought to subjugate all of Rus'. They wanted to dictate their will to Novgorod, cutting off the supply of bread. They tried to capture Kyiv, but could not stay on the throne, since they ruled without eternity, “autocratically.”

In February 1216, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich captured Torzhok and blocked the supply of food to Novgorod. Mstislav Udatny opposed the Vsevolozhichi with his squad and the Novgorodians, and also called the squads of the Rostislavichs, who ruled in Kyiv, Smolensk and Pskov. The eldest son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, Konstantin, also joined this coalition. After all the civil strife, he fiercely hated the other brothers.

The second coalition united the remaining sons of Vsevolod, the princes of the Northeast. In fact, North-Eastern Rus' was at war with the rest of Russia.

In 1216, on the Lipitsa River, near Yuryev-Polsky, the coalition of North-Eastern Rus' was completely defeated. Soon the Novgorodians and Smolensk besieged Vladimir and forced the head of the coalition, Yuri, to complete surrender. The Vladimir throne was occupied by Mstislav's ally, the eldest Vsevolodovich - Konstantin. He died in 1218, and immediately civil strife began again. This continued until the Mongol invasion.