The figure of Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolovich is one of the brightest and most interesting among the princes of Russia of the XII century. At various times he ruled Turov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Novgorod-Seversky, Chernigov and Kyiv. In military campaigns, Svyatoslav traveled all over Russia, visited the distant southern steppes and became a threat to the nomadic Polovtsians.
Early years
The future prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich was born around 1123 in the family of Vsevolod Olgovich, who ruled in Chernigov, and then in Kyiv. The fact was that in the first half of the 12th century, the previously unified Old Russian state finally disintegrated into a dozen destinies. Each of them was controlled by a certain branch of Rurikovich.
Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich belonged to the Olgoviches - this was the general name of the clan that ruled in Chernigov. In his era, Kyiv was still nominally considered the main city of Russia, and every large feudal family tried to establish its control over it. Svyatoslav's father Vsevolod did this in 1139. He sent his son as governor, first to Turov, and then to Vladimir-Volynsky. So the youth received the first princely experience.
Participation incivil strife
Vsevolod Olgovich died in 1139. After his death, an armed struggle for the throne of Kyiv began. The old order, when the eldest son succeeded his father, was destroyed, and now several princes claimed the main Russian principality at once. Vsevolod's successor was his brother Igor Olgovich. However, Izyaslav Mstislavovich was not happy with this, whose father also once ruled Kyiv.
Who is Igor to Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Kyiv? He was his uncle, so the nephew supported his relative. However, just a few months after ascending the throne, Igor was overthrown by Izyaslav, who sent him to a monastery. Some time later, the monk was completely killed during the popular unrest in Kyiv.
Yuri Dolgoruky from the Rostov-Suzdal Principality declared war on Izyaslav Mstislavovich, who began to rule in the city. He was also not averse to establishing control over Kyiv. Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in that conflict supported Izyaslav, who was his maternal uncle, and gave him several Volyn cities as inheritance.
In Chernihiv
In 1157-1164. Svyatoslav ruled Novgorod-Seversky, and after the death of his uncle Svyatoslav Olgovich, he received Chernigov, the main inheritance of his family. The prince has always been distinguished by an independent policy. In 1169, he did not support Andrei Bogolyubsky (from Vladimir) in his war against Kyiv. The result of that campaign was an unprecedented plunder of the ancient and rich city.
Against Kyiv (whereruled by Mstislav Izyaslavovich) united a whole coalition of princes. It included the closest relatives of Svyatoslav - cousins Igor and Oleg Seversky, and only one Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich refused to participate in the civil strife.
After the ruin, Kyiv no longer played a dominant role in Russia (it passed to the cities of Rostov and Vladimir), but remained a bone of contention for numerous southern princes. In 1173, Yaroslav Izyaslavovich began to lay claim to the city. Svyatoslav did not support him and himself briefly occupied the city. In response to this, his cousin Oleg went to war with him, besieging the Starodub fortress.
Svyatoslav also did not sit idle and besieged Novgorod-Seversky. Only at the very last moment did the conflict not escalate into a large-scale internecine war. Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich left Kyiv, after all yielding it to Yaroslav Izyaslavovich, returned to Chernigov and made peace with his cousin.
Conflict with the Rostislavichs
Like other southern princes, Svyatoslav was in a state of constant war with the Polovtsy, who staged devastating raids on border towns and villages. In 1176, a coalition of several Rurikovichs was defeated by the steppes, which led to new devastating robberies. Svyatoslav, who did not participate in that campaign, demanded from the next Kyiv prince Roman Rostislavovich to deprive his younger brother Davyd, who was guilty of the unsuccessful outcome of the battle against the nomads.
The ruler of the ancient capital refused to punish hisnext of kin. Instead, Roman himself was forced to give Kyiv to Svyatoslav. Soon, the Chernigov prince really moved to the banks of the Dnieper. However, in the new place, he found himself in an extremely uncomfortable position. Although Svyatoslav owned Kyiv, the rest of the Kyiv land with many fortresses and towns belonged to several Rostislavich brothers, who also owned Smolensk.
Temporary loss of Kyiv
In 1180, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Kyiv started a war against the Rostislavichs. He attacked the cities of Davyd, but he himself lost Kyiv for a while, where Rurik (also Rostislavich) entered in his absence. Although Svyatoslav ruled on the banks of the Dnieper for several years, he focused primarily on the interests of his native Chernigov principality. That is why the loss of Kyiv did not hit the monarch's abilities hard.
Returning to Chernigov, the prince began to prepare for the continuation of the war with the Rostislavichs. However, suddenly he had a new opponent - Vsevolod the Big Nest, who ruled in Vladimir. This prince declared war on the Ryazan ruler Roman Glebovich, an ally and son-in-law of Svyatoslav.
Ambassadors arrived from Chernigov to Vsevolod, who tried to settle the conflict. The head of the delegation was the son of Svyatoslav Gleb. Vsevolod captured the prince, which was in fact a declaration of war. In the events that followed, the characteristics of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich were clearly manifested. He was not afraid of a war with several principalities at once and decided to be the first to taketake the initiative.
Trip to North-Eastern Russia
Vsevolod could only be punished by attacking his own lands. So Svyatoslav did, starting in 1181 his famous Northern campaign, during which he led the army overcame a path of 2 thousand kilometers. All the closest relatives that Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich had only took part in the campaign. Prince Trubchevsky, Prince Seversky, Prince Kursky and the rest of the Olgovichi stood under the same banner.
Svyatoslav left part of the united army in Chernigov in case of an attack by Rurik Rostislavich. The main forces moved towards Vladimir. The troops of Vsevolod and Svyatoslav met on opposite banks of the Vlena. The battle never happened. The Vladimir prince fortified himself in the mountains, where it was extremely inconvenient to attack him. Vsevolod himself did not take any active steps. As a result, due to the onset of spring, Svyatoslav turned around in the opposite direction, setting fire to the small town of Dmitrov along the way.
Back in Kyiv
Leaving North-Eastern Russia, the Chernihiv army went to the city of Drutsk, where Davyd Rostislavich was under siege. The prince managed to escape, but after that Svyatoslav entered Kyiv without any struggle, where this time he became a prince and ruled until his death. He gave Chernigov to his brother Yaroslav.
The last event of that internecine war was the battle between the squads of Svyatoslav and Rurik. Rostislavich won. Thus the status quo was restored. Rurik admitted that Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich was the prince of Kyiv, but retained all of Kyiv land, except for the capital itself. Peace was also concluded with Vsevolod the Big Nest. In 1183, Svyatoslav's army took part in the Vladimir prince's campaign against Volga Bulgaria.
War with the Cumans
Definitively becoming the prince of Kyiv, Svyatoslav focused on the fight against the main threat to the peaceful life of Russia - the Polovtsians. Internecine wars only aggravated the situation - the nomads happily participated in conflicts as mercenaries or attacked defenseless lands, while the Ruriks were busy sorting out their relationship. At that time, Kobyak and Konchak were the strongest Polovtsian khans. Svyatoslav declared war on them. In 1184, he, at the head of a coalition of several princes (including Rurik Rostislavich), defeated the steppes on the banks of the Khorol River. Konchak was at the head of the Polovtsy hordes. He only miraculously managed to escape and avoid death.
Khan Kobyak was less fortunate. His horde was also defeated in that successful campaign of the Russian squad. Svyatoslav won his second victory on the Aurélie River. Kobyak was captured and later executed in Kyiv. After the events of 1185, the Polovtsy no longer invaded the princely lands. Their hordes appeared in Russia only if they were recruited as mercenaries by the Rurikoviches who participated in civil strife.
Despite Svyatoslav's victory, sad news soon arrived in Kyiv. His cousin Igor, who ruled in Novgorod-Seversky, decided to keep up with his relative and went toindependent hike in the steppe. In 1185, the Polovtsians defeated this squad, and the prince himself was taken prisoner. Soon Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich learned about the fate of his cousin. "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" (the main work of ancient Russian literature) tells just about the events of that unsuccessful campaign. Svyatoslav, as the opposite of an unlucky relative, is depicted in the poem as a wise ruler and patriarch of all southern princes.
Recent years
In 1187 the Galician Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl died. After his death, the struggle for the inheritances of Southwestern Russia intensified. The conflict was complicated by the fact that the Hungarian king Bela III interfered in it. He occupied Galich and offered to transfer this rich city to Svyatoslav's son Gleb.
The Kyiv prince was going to give his consent, but Rurik Rostislavich did not like this development of events. Friction between him and Svyatoslav led to the fact that the son of Yaroslav Osmomysl Vladimir, who considered Vsevolod the Big Nest as his intercessor, briefly established himself in Galich.
Shortly before his death, Svyatoslav came into conflict with the Ryazan princes, with whom the Olgovichi had border disputes. The war, however, did not happen. Ryazan was in the sphere of influence of Vsevolod the Big Nest. He refused to give Svyatoslav consent to the appearance of his squad not far from his borders. As a result, in 1194, the Kyiv prince canceled the planned campaign and soon died. The death of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, who was the key to the stability and tranquility of Southern Russia, led to anotherinternecine war between the Olgovichi and Rostislavichi.
