Vsevolod Yurievich Big Nest: pages of life and government. Vsevolod big nest and his descendants

Vsevolod Yurievich became Grand Duke in 1176 and ruled for almost 37 years. During these years, his Vladimir principality reached the peak of power. Such a huge army fought under the banner of Vsevolod that the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign wrote that it could "splash the Volga with oars, and scoop out the Don with helmets." His nickname - the Big Nest - Vsevolod received for numerous offspring: he had twelve children.

Name day city

Although Vsevolod had a large family, he still failed to surpass his father Yuri Dolgoruky in this. According to surviving sources, he had fourteen children. Vsevolod was the youngest of them. The chroniclers tell the following about the birth of the future ruler of Russia. In 1154, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky went hunting to the Yakhroma River and took his pregnant wife with him. There, the princess went into labor, and she gave birth to a son. Dolgoruky was so happy about his birth that he built the city of Dmitrov on that place (at baptism, Vsevolod was given the name Dmitry).

When Yuri Dolgoruky died, his son Andrei Bogolyubsky became the ruler of the Rostov-Suzdal (and later Vladimir) principality. Vsevolod at that time was only three years old. Despite his young age, he also received some possessions, because all the Yuryevichs "according to the testament of their father had their cities to be kept in White Russia." Bogolyubsky did not like this, who longed to independently own the entire principality, therefore in 1162 he decided to expel all his relatives from the Vladimir land. Offended by their brother, Mstislav and Vasilko Yuryevich went to Byzantium, and at the same time took Vsevolod and his mother with them.

young fighter

On the pages of the chronicles, the name of the prince is again mentioned when describing the campaign of Andrei Bogolyubsky against Kyiv in 1169. Apparently, by that time, fifteen-year-old Vsevolod had already made peace with his brother and even took an active part in the looting and burning of the former capital of Russia by Andrei. In the early 1170s, Vsevolod, together with his brother Mikhail, won a major victory over the Polovtsians. They invaded the Kievan lands: they burned the villages, plundered the yards and took away with them many prisoners. The ruler of Kyiv, Gleb Yurievich, was seriously ill and could not personally get even with the nomads, so he entrusted this to his brothers. Mikhail and Vsevolod overtook the Polovtsians. As the chroniclers write, the forces were not equal: "The enemies outnumbered us, and our courage: for every Russian spear there were ten Polovtsians." And yet, the brothers, having suddenly attacked, defeated the nomads and, having freed the prisoners, "they themselves returned safely with little damage to their own."
There was a failure in the life of young Vsevolod. In 1172, Andrei Bogolyubsky appointed Mikhail the ruler of Kyiv. However, since the city was in the center of the princely civil strife, he himself did not dare to go there, but sent his younger brother instead. Michael's fears were not in vain. Vsevolod stayed in Kyiv for only “five weeks” (weeks) when enemies invaded. The young prince did not even have the opportunity to defend himself - the enemy entered the city secretly under cover of night and caught Vsevolod and his squad by surprise. The prince was captured, but after some time he was rescued from there by the same Mikhail.

Betrayal of the Rostislavichs

In 1174, Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky fell at the hands of assassins. The throne by right should have passed to his brothers. The first contender was Mikhail, the second - Vsevolod. However, the nobility of the Rostov-Suzdal Principality, fearing that they would avenge the murder of their brother, called on their nephews, Mstislav and Yaropolk Rostislavichs, to reign (read more about this in No. 50 for 2012). The latter first decided to do justice and offered their uncles to rule with them. True, they soon changed their minds, succumbing to the persuasion of the Rostovites, and expelled the Yurievichs from the principality.
The children of Dolgoruky could not stand the insult and already in 1175 returned with an army. In June, a battle took place near Vladimir, in which Mikhail and Vsevolod won a glorious victory, defeating the army of their nephews. Rostislavichi were forced to flee: Mstislav - to Novgorod, Yaropolk - to Ryazan. The Russian throne, as it should be according to the law, was taken by Michael.

On the great reign

However, Michael had a chance to reign for only a year - already in 1176 he died. Vladimirians immediately swore allegiance to Vsevolod. However, the Rostov nobility still hoped that the Rostislavichs would become the rulers of the principality, and sent a messenger to Novgorod to Mstislav who had taken refuge there. He immediately went on the march. Vsevolod tried to resolve the issue amicably, sending a messenger to his nephew with the words: “Since the Rostovites called you to reign, and since your father owned this city, let Rostov remain with you. I was called by the people of Vladimir and Pereyaslavl - I will stay with them. The people of Suzdal, whoever of us they want, that one will be their prince.

Mstislav, perhaps, would have agreed to such a tempting offer, but only the Rostovites firmly told him:

- Even if you make peace with Vsevolod, we will not give him peace!

My uncle and nephew had to fight anyway. Their troops met in June 1176 on a field near the city of Yuryev near the Gza and Lipitsa rivers. The squads of Vsevolod defeated Rostislavich and, having put his army to flight, "chasing, many were beaten." The Grand Duke did not forget, on whose instructions the nephew went to war against him. Immediately after the victory, he went with an army to Rostov, where he “ravaged the entire county” and punished the nobility who opposed him.

The rest of the Rostovites were forced to recognize Vsevolod as their ruler.

Burnt Moscow

Meanwhile, Mstislav, who survived the battle, again fled to Novgorod. Yes, only this time the townspeople refused to accept it, saying:

- You cursed Novgorod, left, seduced by the call of the Rostovites. So now it's obscene for you to come here! - after which they kicked him out with his son.

Mstislav went to Ryazan, where his son-in-law Gleb reigned, and together they decided to get even with Vsevolod. Gleb with an army first attacked Moscow and burned it, then, united with the Polovtsy, went to ravage Vladimir: he plundered churches, burned villages, and gave many captured as slaves to nomads. Upon learning of this, Vsevolod began to prepare for battle. Knowing the power of the Ryazan army, he sent messengers to the allied lands, urging the princes to join the campaign. In addition to Vsevolod's own troops - Suzdal and Vladimir (he did not take the Rostovites, fearing treason) - Chernigov and Pereyaslavl stood under his banner. They overtook Gleb and Mstislav in the winter of 1176 near Vladimir on the Koloksha River. For a whole month, the opponents stood on different banks, unable to attack because of the thin ice, only making small raids. As soon as the river got stronger, Vsevolod crossed it and defeated the enemy army. As a result, both Gleb and his son, and Mstislav, as well as "his nobles, how many of them were alive, were taken prisoner." Vsevolod understood that he still had one more serious opponent - Mstislav's brother Yaropolk, who had hidden in Ryazan. The Grand Duke sent there a demand to extradite Rostislavich if they do not want to ruin their lands. Ryazans had to agree. They seized Yaropolk and brought him to Vladimir.

Blinding and Healing

After the victory at Koloksha, Vsevolod faced the question: what to do with the captured princes? Their relatives asked him to pardon the captives. The Grand Duke himself did not want blood, to whom, as already mentioned, the Rostislavichs were nephews. However, his subjects were of a different opinion. Seeing the indecision of the prince in this matter, the people rebelled.
“We lay down our heads for your honor and health and regret nothing,” the people said to the prince. - You are our

villains, Ryazan princes and their nobles, captured by our hands, you keep free, like guests. We ask that these Ryazan captives, for fear of others, be executed by death or blinded. If you don't want to do it yourself, then give it to us.

Vsevolod had to obey. Both of his nephews - Mstislav and Yaropolk - were blinded, after which they were released. At the same time, a legend has been preserved that when the blind Rostislavichs reached Smolensk, they received their sight in an unprecedented way.

However, a miracle might not have happened, but there is an explanation for everything. For example, the Joachim Chronicle claims that Vsevolod did not blind his nephews, but only ordered them to cut the skin under their eyebrows. When the people saw the Rostislavichs with bloody eyes, the rebellion in the Vladimir principality subsided. Vsevolod put the “blinded” nephews on a cart and sent them to Smolensk, where a “wonderful epiphany” happened. In the meantime, the ally of the Rostislavichs Gleb and his son Roman still remained in the dungeon. Since the people did not demand reprisals against them, Vsevolod decided to simply let them go.

True, Gleb set a condition: he had to give up his lands and leave forever for the south of Russia.
“It is better to die here than to accept shameful conditions,” he answered proudly.
And Vsevolod released only his son Roman, who agreed to take an oath never to go against the Grand Duke. Gleb preferred to die in captivity.

After the events that took place, Vsevolod the Big Nest reigned for almost 36 more years, strengthening and elevating the authority of the Vladimir principality. He died a natural death in April 1212 at the age of 58, not even suspecting that one of the bloodiest internecine battles in Russian history would soon take place in a dispute over his inheritance.

But the sons failed to multiply the achievements of their father. The struggle for power so absorbed them that it led to the disintegration of the principality and the loss of political influence.

Descendant of the Byzantine kings

Little is known about the mother of Vsevolod Yuryevich, since in 1161 Andrei Bogolyubsky, who came to power, expelled his stepmother and her children from the principality. It is believed that she could come from the ancient Byzantine family of Komnenos, who ruled at that time. Perhaps she could simply be a relative of the Byzantine emperor, but Yuri Dolgoruky would have chosen a wife only equal to himself.

Therefore, there is every reason to believe that Princess Olga, as she is usually called, was a Byzantine princess. After the exile, she went to Constantinople to the Emperor Manuel. Only at the age of 15 Vsevolod returned to Russia and reconciled with his brother.

big nest

Vsevolod received his nickname for his fertility. From his first wife, Maria Shvarnovna, he had 12 children - 8 sons and 4 daughters. The children were named Sbyslava, Verkhuslav (she became the wife of her second cousin Rostislav), Konstantin (Prince of Novgorod), Vseslav, Boris, Gleb, Yuri (Prince of Vladimir), Elena, Yaroslav (Prince of Pereyaslav), Vladimir, Svyatoslav (Prince of Vladimir and Novgorod) and Ivan (Starodubsky Prince).

After the birth of her youngest son, Mary fell ill and vowed to build a monastery. In 1200, the Assumption Monastery was founded in Vladimir, which began to be called Knyaginin. 18 days before her death, she took the tonsure, and Vsevolod and her children escorted her to the monastery.

“Preparing to die, she called on her sons and conjured them to live in love, reminding them of the wise words of the Great Yaroslav that civil strife destroys the Princes and the fatherland, exalted by the labors of their ancestors; advised children to be pious, sober, generally friendly, and especially to respect the elders.

After her death, Vsevolod married Lyubava, the daughter of the Vitebsk prince Vasilko, but they had no joint children.

"Don helmets to scoop out"

The reign of Vsevolod was marked by the rise of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. The power of the prince and his troops is mentioned in the "Word of Igor's Campaign": "You can splash the Volga with oars, and scoop out the Don with helmets."

In his reign, he relied on new cities such as Vladimir and Pereslavl-Zalessky, which had a weak boyars, and on nobles. He even reigned for five weeks in Kyiv, where his elder brother Mikhail planted him and Yaropolk Rostislavich in 1173. However, soon the Smolensk princes captured the city, and Vsevolod was captured. Mikhail Yurievich had to redeem his brother.

After the death of Andrei, Vsevolod entered into a struggle for power in the Vladimir-Suzdal land with his nephews Mstislav and Yaropolk. With the support of Mikhail and the Chernigov prince, he managed to defeat his opponents.

In 1176, he defeated Mstislav near the Lipitsa River, and soon defeated Gleb of Ryazan and the Rostislavichs. In addition, Vsevolod had interests in the south of the state, which led to a new internecine war. He achieved recognition as the eldest in the Manomakhovich family and demanded for himself the land of his son-in-law Rurik in the Kiev region. True, after the conclusion of peace with the Olgovichi, Vsevolod lost these lands, but in 1201 he managed to plant Ingvar Yaroslavich, who pleased himself, in Kyiv.

In 1205, a new war broke out due to the fact that the son of Vsevolod wanted to occupy Galich and quarreled with the Olgovichi over this. During the civil strife, Vsevolod went to the Ryazan principality, planted his son there, and in response to the uprising burned Ryazan. Soon the Olgovichi offered peace to Vsevolod, divided the principalities, and as a sign of the strength of the union, they gave the Chernigov princess to Yuri Vsevolodovich.

Greedy son

Vsevolod always aspired to have his sons rule in the lands and follow the precepts of their parent. Sending his eldest son Konstantin to Novgorod, he said: “My son, Konstantin, God has placed eldership on you in all your brothers, and Novgorod the Great has eldership in the whole of the Russian land.”

But when in 1211 the question of succession to the throne arose, the eldest son, blinded by greed, demanded for himself both senior cities - Vladimir and Rostov, and offered Yuri to give Suzdal. Then Vsevolod called for help boyars, priests, merchants, nobles and people from his other lands to help judge. At the council, the prince's decision to deprive Constantine of the right to a great reign in favor of Yuri was confirmed.

Yuri became Prince of Vladimir, while Konstantin, despite his seniority, got Rostov. After the death of Vsevolod the Big Nest, a new civil strife will begin because of this. The sons will not be able to preserve the integrity and power of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, it will fall apart into specific principalities, and the Vladimir princes will never again have influence on South Russian affairs.

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

Short biography of Vsevolod the Big Nest

The death of Yuri Dolgoruky, who had many heirs, led to the fact that a struggle for power began 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 the struggle for power at the age of 16. 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 taken prisoner. He was released from captivity by his brother Michael.

In 1173, as a result of a conspiracy of the boyars, Andrei Bogolyubsky died, and after that both Mikhail and the Vladimir-Suzdal principality were 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 prosperity for the principality and the shift of central power from Kyiv to Vladimir begins. Vsevolod the Big Nest ruled Vladimir until his death.

Politics of Vsevolod the Big Nest

Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich 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 Russia.

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

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

In general, Vsevolod managed to significantly expand the eastern territories of Russia due to the seizure of the lands of Bulgaria. However, Vsevolod did not set military superiority at all as the initial goal of his military campaigns, but the conquest of new trading territories and routes, since he considered the economy and the development of trade to be a paramount task.

In domestic politics, among his victories were:

• conquest of power in Vladimir and becoming the sole ruler of their lands (boyars and nobles did not have significant power under him);
• close relations with Kyiv 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;
• the conquest of power over the Novgorod lands and the subjugation of their princes.

The results of the reign of Vsevolod the Big Nest

Thanks to his skillful policy and wisdom, Vsevolod managed to concentrate power over a significant territory of Russia 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 Campaign and other significant works.

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

Vsevolod the Big Nest and his descendants

The tenth son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Vsevolod (baptized Dmitry; 1154-1212), was nicknamed the Big Nest because he had 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 left for Constantinople to the court of Emperor Manuel. Only three years later, the fifteen-year-old prince returned to Russia, participated in the campaign against Kyiv.

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

Vsevolod-Dmitry was captured, but Mikhail Yuryevich left 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 Russia and occupied Vladimir, but could not hold him and went to Pereyaslavl South. In 1175, together with his brother Vsevolod, he undertook a second campaign in North-Eastern Russia. They managed to defeat their nephews, the Rostislavichs, and Mikhail Yuryevich became the great prince of Vladimir-Suzdal, and Rostov handed over to Vsevolod.

After his establishment in the Rostov land, Mikhail went to war against the Ryazan prince Gleb, in whose hands there 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 regiments to Ryazan, but on the road he met the ambassadors of Prince Gleb. Gleb undertook not to support the Rostislavichs and to return everything captured in Vladimir. At this, the princes reconciled, Mikhail returned to Vladimir, according to probable news, he 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. Prior to that, 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, Tripoli, Galich and the merchant prince. The Rostovites ordered me to tell him: “God took Mikhail on the Volga in Gorodets, and we want you, we don’t want another.” According to another chronicle version, it was said in almost the same way: "Come to the prince to us: we want you, we don't want another."

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. In the battle on the Gza River, Mstislav lost and went to Novgorod.

Since then, there has been a strong enmity between Vsevolod the Big Nest and his descendants with Mstislav (in baptism Fedor) Udatny (Lucky) and his descendants.

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

Many historians believe that the reign of Vsevolod was the period of the highest rise of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Vsevolod the Big Nest continued the policy 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, relied on new cities where there was no veche and where the boyars were weak. Raised and supported the nobility.

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

Two sons of Vsevolod died as children: Boris in 1188 and Gleb in 1189. Constantine also died young (1186–1218). He was the Grand Duke of Vladimir, Prince of Novgorod and Rostov. Vladimir (1192–1227) became the 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 Grand Dukes of Vladimir. Ivan (1197–1247), the prince of Starodub, also survived before 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 “summoned all his boyars from cities and volosts and Bishop John, and abbots, and priests, and merchants, and nobles, and all people,” and in front of the representatives of the Russian Land transferred the principality to his youngest son, Yuri.

Here is another manifestation of autocracy: the prince voluntarily 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: already without any ladder. The principalities of Rostov (with Beloozero), Pereyaslavl, Yaroslavl, Suzdal were formed. Ladder law was no longer in effect, another civil strife immediately began. In addition to the strife between the descendants of Vsevolod, numerous impoverished princes of the North-East sought to subjugate all of Russia. They wanted to dictate their will to Novgorod, blocking the supply of grain. They tried to seize Kyiv, but they could not stay on the throne, because they ruled without a veche, "autocratically."

In February 1216, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich captured Torzhok and blocked the supply of food to Novgorod. Mstislav Udatny opposed the Vsevolozhichs with his retinue and the Novgorodians, and also called the retinues 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 rest of the sons of Vsevolod, the princes of the North-East. In fact, North-Eastern Russia was at war with the rest of Russia.

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