Vladimir Monomakh's grandfather was the great Russian prince Yaroslav the Wise. Is wisdom inherited? Who knows. But Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh did not shame the memory of the great grandfather - his reign was one of the most calm and fair in the history of Kievan Rus. Vladimir Monomakh is credited with uniting Russian Zemstvo, strengthening centralized power, ending civil strife, and creating a strong army.
No less famous is the "Ukraine of Vladimir Monomakh" and his "Instruction for Children". And for many, the name of this ruler is firmly associated with the cap of the same name, a symbol of the autocracy of Russia. The reign of Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh was the time of the creation of a strong state in which the army, culture and economy were developing.
Ancestors of Monomakh
Of all his children, the great Yaroslav the Wise preferred his son Vsevolod. It was not a secret - for example, Yaroslav in his will instructed to bury Vsevolod in the future next to his own sarcophagus in St. Sophia Cathedral. Two eldest sons - Izyaslav and Svyatoslav - were not awarded such an honor.
Is this not the reason for the change in the order of succession introducedYaroslav the Wise? Perhaps he wanted far from the eldest son to rule the Russian land? Maybe he saw great potential in him? It is useless to guess about it now, but in the Testament of 1054, Yaroslav clearly indicates a new procedure for obtaining power. According to the document, the throne is no longer inherited from father to son, but passes to the eldest in the family. Thanks to this order of succession to the throne, Vsevolod really got the opportunity to become a Grand Duke, after his older brothers.
Vsevolod, Vladimir's father, was famous for his scholarship - so, Monomakh later proudly said that his father was able to learn 5 languages on his own. Vsevolod surrounded himself with learned men, monks and nuns, collected a library of rare books. His wife was a Byzantine princess, whose name history has not preserved. The most common version is that she was the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. Hence the answer to the question why Vladimir Vsevolodovich received the nickname Monomakh - this is a generic name that was passed on to him through the maternal line. In translation, "Monomakh" means "combatant." It is difficult to imagine a more appropriate nickname for the Grand Duke.
Early years
Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh was born in 1053; just a year later, his brilliant grandfather dies. The first 13 years of his life - all that was allotted to him under the motto "childhood" - were spent in Pereyaslav-Yuzhny, at the court of his father. Vladimir was taught literacy, military affairs, and the law of God. The little prince was often taken hunting with him - he was an excellent rider, he was not afraid of a wild beast,he was treated with respect by his father's squad. Later, in his famous Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh to Children, Monomakh wrote:
I have been in the paws of a bear and on the horns of a tour.
13 years old: Childhood is over. Independent reign in the Rostov-Suzdal lands
This offspring of Rurikovich had to take over the reins very early. At the age of 13, his father put him on an independent reign in the Rostov-Suzdal lands. At that time it was far from being the center of the world; It was inhabited by people engaged in hunting and various types of craft. Christianity was the official religion, but the influence of paganism in those lands was still great - in lean years, bonfires were lit and sacrifices were made to the ancient gods, pagan songs were sung.
It was in such a "wild land" that young Vladimir came to reign with his squad. He immediately visited first in Rostov, then in Suzdal, then made a "raid" on the smaller cities of the principality. Having assessed these lands, having seen their prospect, Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh began to actively develop and build them up. So, his merits during this period of time include the strengthening of Rostov and Suzdal with new fortresses, the foundation of the new city of Vladimir-on-Klyazma, the construction of the first stone cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin in Suzdal.
Reigning in Smolensk and Chernigov
In 1073, Vladimir Monomakh was appointed to reign in Smolensk. Having gained experience in the Rostov-Suzdal lands, he became no less effective in managing the landsSmolensky. But this is a rather short period - only 5 years. Already in 1078 Monomakh's life takes a sharp turn.
In 1078 his father, Vsevolod Yaroslavovich, begins to rule Kyiv. Vladimir, as his eldest son and right hand, was given control over the city of Chernigov and the surrounding lands. By this time, Vladimir was already a fairly experienced warrior - by the time he was 25, he had managed to make 20 military campaigns. The strong talent of a military leader came in handy at the right time - in these lands there were frequent raids by the Mongol-Tatars and Polovtsians.
The right hand of Prince Kievsky
For the next decade and a half, Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh is the main adviser to his father, the Grand Duke of Kyiv, his hope and support. Several times a month he covered the distance from Chernigov to Kyiv on horseback, if suddenly his father needed his advice.
A number of historians note the short-sightedness of Monomakh's father, Vsevolod, as a military leader. Paying tribute to his cunning and resourceful mind in matters of politics, upon careful study, it became clear that all military victories during the reign of Vsevolod were won either directly by his son Vladimir, or under his direct leadership.
Justice Above All: Relinquishing the Throne of Kyiv
In 1093 Vsevolod Yaroslavovich dies. The years were difficult - crop failure for several years in a row, a circle of death and illness. Vladimir Monomakh, the eldest son of the deceased prince, is known for his wisdom and prudence, and many boyars of that time wanted to see him on the throne.
But Monomakh always put legality and decency at the forefront and was not going to challenge the rules of succession introduced by his grandfather, Yaroslav the Wise. He without the slightest hesitation gives the board into the hands of the eldest in the Rurik family. Such at that time was his cousin Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich, who was sitting in the small town of Turov. The squad of Svyatopolk was more than modest - it was only 800 people, nothing compared to the military capabilities of Vladimir. In the event of a military coup, Svyatopolk would not have had a chance, but Monomakh voluntarily removed himself from the political scene for many years.
He went to rule Chernigov, but a year later, in 1094, he gives this city to Prince Oleg Svyatoslavovich, the godfather of his firstborn Mstislav. Oleg expressed his claims to this city, but, not having the troops to take it away by force, he enlisted the support of the Polovtsy, who in exchange for help devastated the Chernihiv lands. Monomakh decided not to shed the blood of the Russian people in vain and voluntarily gives up Chernigov. He himself is content with the modest by those standards the Principality of Pereyaslavl.
Son of Monomakh against the son of Prince of Kyiv
The strength and influence of Monomakh during this period is perfectly illustrated by the situation with Novgorod. According to the will of Yaroslav the Wise, this city had a special status. The second most important after Kyiv, Novgorod was not included in the list of estates transferred through the family ladder. According to tradition, the son of the Kyiv prince ruled in it. At the time of Svyatopolk's accession to the throne of Kyiv, Monomakh's first-born, his son Mstislav, ruled in Novgorod.
BIn 1102, Svyatopolk made an attempt to replace his son Monomakh with his own offspring, but suffered a crushing failure. Novgorodians, loving the wise beyond his years Mstislav, answered the Kyiv prince: "If your son has two heads, then send him to us." Svyatopolk did not take risks. Thus, the tradition of the transfer of power in Novgorod was violated and the strength of Monomakh was once again demonstrated.
Death of Svyatopolk. Rise of the People
In the spring of 1113, Prince Svyatopolk of Kyiv dies. Poisoning was suspected, but now most historians are inclined to the version of death from an ulcer. At the time of Svyatopolk's death, ordinary people were in an extremely oppressed state. The main trouble is moneylenders, to whom the late prince treated with sympathy. Svyatopolk and his family, largely because of this, were extremely unpopular among the people.
At that time, moneylenders had a common rate of 200-300% for a loan. A huge number of ordinary people could not pay off such loans. They sold to usurers the last thing they had - wives, children and, in the end, themselves. As a result, whole families turned from free people into slaves.
Merchants were also dissatisfied with the rule of Svyatopolk. Shortly before his death, a "s alt tax" was introduced, which significantly limited the possibility of trade.
The uprising of 1113 was the result of the discontent of almost all segments of the population. On the day of the prince's death, many usurers were killed, their we alth was plundered. Attacks on the Jewish quarters began. The boyars and we althy citizens were in a panic - what if the fury of the people spread tothem? A new ruler was urgently needed - strong, confident, respected and proved his justice. None of the existing Rurikovichs at that time fit this description better than Vladimir II Vsevolodovich Monomakh.
Ascension to the throne of Kyiv
May 4, 1113, Vladimir Monomakh was petitioned by the boyars to take the throne of Kyiv. Vladimir was not the first in line - "according to the law" Oleg Chernigovskiy, the eldest man in the family, was supposed to become the new Kyiv prince. But no one opposed such a soft coup d'etat and did not dispute the rights of Monomakh to the throne. Thus, in 1113, Russia acquires one of the wisest and most just rulers in its history.
Reforms
Having received the right to a great reign, Monomakh first of all solves the problem of usury. It was this question that was urgent.
He publishes a new law, the so-called "Charter on cuts", which later became part of the ancient Russian legislation of "Russian Truth". The new law forbade taking from debtors more than 50% per annum; if the debtor (or, in other words, the “purchase”) worked for the creditor for 3 years, his debt, together with interest, was considered paid. The "Charter on cuts" reduced social tension in society. The sympathy of the common people for the new Kyiv prince has strengthened.
State Strengthening Time
Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh during his reign established himself as a ruler who strengthened the position of Kievan Rus. The reign of Vladimir and his sonMstislav - the last period of strengthening the centralized power of the Kyiv princes. By 1125, three-quarters of what was then Russia was in the hands of Vladimir Monomakh and his sons. Weak attempts by relatives to change the situation, for example, the son of Svyatopolk Yaroslav, were nipped in the bud.
By the time of accession to the throne, Monomakh had already turned 60 years old. Wise, balanced decisions - this is what distinguished Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh. Domestic and foreign policy was subordinated to one goal - the strengthening of the centralized Russian state
Dynastic marriages
It was precisely in order to strengthen the role of Russia in the international arena that Monomakh actively used dynastic marriages. He had many children, even more grandchildren - and for all the ruler tried to find a profitable party at that time.
He gave his daughter Maria Monomakh to a Byzantine who portrayed Leo Diogenes, the deceased son of Emperor Roman IV Diogenes.
Three of his granddaughters, daughters of Mstislav's eldest son, were given as wives to foreign monarchs: for the kings of Norway and Hungary and for a Danish prince. Another granddaughter, Eupraxia, became the wife of the nephew of the Emperor of Byzantium.
Monomakh's son Yuri Dolgoruky married the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan. It was one of the most far-sighted marriages - the son of Yuri, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, in the future will have faithful allies in the face of the Polovtsy.
Son Mstislav was married to the Swedish Princess Christina.
Do not count the marriages concluded by the daughters and granddaughters of Monomakh with the Russian princes. great rulertried to achieve family unity by all means.
Private life
Monomakh was married at least twice; most historians are still inclined to think that he had three wives.
First wife, Gita of Wessex, English princess, daughter of King Harold II. From marriage with her, Monomakh had 5, and according to some versions, 6 sons - Mstislav (the future Grand Duke), Izyaslav, Svyatoslav, Yaropolk, Vyacheslav.
The second wife appeared in the life of Monomakh when he was 46 years old. He had been widowed for two years already - his wife Gita died in 1097, according to legend, participating in a crusade. History has not preserved the name of the second wife, it is only known that she was a Greek woman. For 8 years, she gave birth to six children to Vladimir, including the founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgorukov. All her children had Greek names. In 1107 a Greek woman died.
Even less information has been preserved about the third wife of Vladimir Monomakh. A number of historians generally deny its existence, believing that Monomakh was married twice. But still, most are inclined to the version that the Polovtsian princess became the third wife of the prince who crossed the 50-year milestone, who at baptism took the name Anna. There is no information about children from this marriage, but it is known that the third wife outlived her husband by 2 years.
Literary heritage of Monomakh
Vladimir Monomakh, like his father, was a literate and well-read man. Only 4 of his creations have survived to our time:
"Instruction of Vladimir Monomakh to children". One of the most ancient Russian literary monuments. In "Teaching"the theme of faith, the adoption of Christian values, and help to those in need are touched upon. Vladimir also gives instructions on the importance of unity and the centralization of power. Being a wise politician, he saw what internecine wars and the lust for personal power lead to, and tried to warn posterity
Letter to Oleg Svyatoslavich. This letter, addressed to his cousin, Monomakh writes after the death of his youngest son, who died in battle with Oleg. Monomakh wistfully asks why the brother did not repent before him, hopes for reconciliation and asks to send the widow of his murdered son to him
Chronicle of military campaigns. A work in which Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh describes his brave campaigns in the first person. The biography of the prince is generously strewn with victories. He personally participated in 83 military campaigns
Charter of Vladimir Monomakh. Old Russian code of laws restricting the rights of usurers and the power of landowners
Death
On May 19, 1125, Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh completed his journey. The main events of his life - the creation of an addition to Russkaya Pravda, the expulsion of the Pechenegs from Russian land, peace with the Polovtsian khans - all this was aimed at strengthening the central power in Russia. He lived an extremely long 71 years for those times, and, according to the recollections of eyewitnesses, all these years he worked for the good of strong Russia. He was granted an easy death.
The man who united the country, increased its military power, strengthened the position of Russia in the international arena, was buried with honors in Kyiv, in St. Sophia Cathedral, next to hisrespected father.
