The Lyubech Congress became an important event in the history of Russia. It took place in 1097. The reason for convening the Lubech Congress was the important events that brought devastation and bloodshed throughout the territory of old Russia.
Reason for the convention
Anticipating the approaching departure to another world, Prince Yaroslav of Kyiv divided his great possession into small principalities. According to the order of a noble parent, each of the male heirs was allocated a certain part of the state, called Kievan Rus, as an inheritance. The Lubech Congress of Princes was supposed to prevent the division of land between heirs.
The eldest son named Izyaslav, of course, got the capital - Kyiv. The rest, in descending order of age, inherited the following estates: Svyatoslav sat on Chernigov land, Vsevolod on Pereyaslavl, Vyacheslav on Smolensk, Igor on Vladimir-Volyn. As the course of subsequent events showed, with this short-sighted decision, Yaroslav the Wise provoked feudal fragmentation.
Beginning of civil strife
As often happens, the growing grandchildren also began to claim their share of the grandfather's inheritance. Time of Troublesaffected the civilian population, bringing them much grief and suffering.
The capital of Kievan Rus was a tidbit, so the struggle focused on the grand throne. The inhabitants of Kyiv did not like the new ruler, who could not compare with his father. Even after the second attempt, Izyaslav failed to regain the throne - his brothers interfered. The exiled prince had to seek refuge in neighboring Poland, where he waited for the death of Svyatoslav to return to Kyiv again.
After Izyaslav, Vsevolod sat on the throne of Kiev, who initially got Pereyaslavl. Through his efforts, the eldest son, the future Vladimir Monomakh, established himself in Chernigov for the time being. Further struggle for the throne began between the heirs of Svyatoslav and Vsevolod. The Lyubech congress was needed already at that time, since relatives could not exist peacefully.
In 1093, after the death of Vsevolod, his son, smart and restrained Vladimir Monomakh, was to head the Kiev principality. In order to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, Monomakh nevertheless gave way to his place of honor to his cousin Svyatopolk, the son of Izyaslav. The sons of Prince Svyatoslav demanded greater rights for them, plotted to take power away from Monomakh, who reigned in Chernigov.
The situation escalated when, with the light hand of Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, the Polovtsy were involved in an internecine conflict. Vladimir Monomakh, who ceded Chernigov to his relatives, after returning to Pereyaslavl, organized resistance to the Polovtsian nomads.
Attempts to stop criminalactions of some princes
Vladimir Monomakh and Svyatopolk Izyaslavich in 1096 decided to put an end to the arbitrariness of the Polovtsy by joint efforts. They called for Oleg Svyatoslavovich to join the union. However, he refused the offer and did not deign to participate in the All-Russian princely congress, where an agreement on order in the state was to be concluded. Kyiv and Pereyaslavl, together with the Volyn princes, decided to teach a lesson to the criminal who hid in Starodub. Oleg, driven into a corner, as they say, accepted the peace proposal of the brothers. The decision of the Lubech Congress in the future was to help each prince behave peacefully and with dignity.
For all the sins of Oleg was punished in the form of deprivation of the Chernigov principality and a call to the general congress. Aggressive plans were not destined to come true. Seeing that almost all his relatives were opposed to him, he not only did not capture Novgorod, but left Suzdal and Rostov captured by Moore. This time, Oleg already swore that he would visit the Lyubech Congress of Princes.
Lyubech Congress
The city of Lyubech was chosen as the venue for the famous congress, where Vladimir Monomakh's family castle was located near the Dnieper River. Among those invited to the Lyubech Congress were the most noble princes of Russia, including the descendants of Yaroslav the Wise - grandchildren, great-grandchildren. The Lyubech congress was organized, it remained to make important decisions.
The following points can be highlighted as points:
- The key decision of the congress, held in 1097, was that all the princesfrom the Rurik dynasty agreed among themselves to recognize the rights to the patrimony, or, as the chronicle says: “everyone to keep his fatherland.”
- If someone breaks the agreement and seduces the land of his brother or someone else from his relatives, he will be considered a criminal. It must be stopped by the united militia of the rest of the princes.
- Agreed to jointly defend against nomads who made frequent raids on Russia.
- One of the main principles of large-scale feudal landownership was laid down: the inheritance by the prince-son of his father's land. The Lyubech congress should put an end to the bloodshed and the struggle for power.
Kissing the cross by the participants of the meeting was supposed to testify to the determination to strictly implement the decisions made.
Congress on Dolobsky lake. Results of both congresses
However, the peace between relatives was short-lived. The beginning of a new wave was the blinding of Vasilko Rostislavovich, which was carried out by Svyatopolk and David Igorevich.
Therefore, five years later, the princes had to meet again, but this time on Dolobskoye Lake. The result of the congress was that the united army, headed by Vladimir Monomakh, relatively easily defeated the Polovtsy, but, unfortunately, Kievan Rus was unable to put an end to civil strife and become a monolithic state. The significance of the Lyubech Congress could be important, only the princes could not keep the terms of peace.
