Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh won not only popular love for himself, but also the great glory of a peacemaker and victor. The time of his reign was the best for Kievan Rus. Monomakh formulated his life principles, mistakes that must be avoided, and achievements in the "Precept", which even today would not hurt many politicians to make a reference book.
Unity
In Russian history, Monomakh is known primarily as a "collector of Russian lands." He managed to restore the autocratic monarchy of the times of Yaroslav the Wise. By 1113, he annexed the lands of the deceased Svyatopolk to his possessions, inherited by him, thus, bringing together at least three-quarters of Russia. Moreover, these possessions constituted a continuous territory. And although the troublemakers could pay with their heads for the slightest attempts to bring discord between the princes, it was precisely such methods that allowed Russia to be a united and strong state, capable of resisting an external enemy.
Only Christian doctrine, according to Monomakh, determines the law, and by no means princely power and authority. The prince never sought to rise above the concepts of his age, did not go against it, did not try to change the existing order of things. He demonstrated by his own example what a real ruler should be, changing the order if necessary in order to make life easier for most citizens. So after the Kiev popular uprising against the usurers in 1113, Monomakh not only "saved from the violent rabble", but also wished to understand the situation. As a result, he introduced amendments to legislation that limited the lawlessness of usurers and abolished slavery for debt. Continuing the work of Yaroslav the Wise, Monomakh made a number of significant changes to the Russian Truth. Of course, he was the son of his time, and there could be no talk of any radical transformations.
Monomakh for a long time discouraged the Polovtsians from raiding Russian lands. He managed to unite the princes and undertook a number of campaigns that were crowned with success. So Monomokh, it seems, knew about military affairs firsthand. The prince advises his sons not to rely on the governor, but to equip the army on their own. Time on the campaigns is not wasted on feasts and subsequent deep sleep, but to ponder the plan of the offensive. Equip patrols yourself and check security during the night, as well as be vigilant and never take off your weapons.
Mercy
In the "Precept" a huge role is assigned to the instruction on the path of mercy. Monomakh asks not to allow the strong to destroy the weak, and if necessary, be ready to stand up for the widows, orphans and the poor. Everyone he meets, in his opinion, deserves to be treated kindly by a kind word. "Give not meager alms," wrote Monomakh, "this is the beginning of good." So, Monomakh himself forgave his longtime enemy, the murderer of his own son, Prince Oleg Chernigovtsev, by writing him a letter with a proposal to forget about pride and past grievances and make peace. And no political demands, only appeals for mercy, compassion, Christian duty, which, by the way, Monomakh put above the princely power. As Academician D. Likhachev wrote, there was no such letter from the winner to the loser in the history of Russia.
Spirituality is the basis of the nation, - Monomakh was sure of this. As long as there is faith, there is a Russian person. Love for one's neighbor and faith in God are what Russia cannot stand without. The prince was raised in Orthodoxy. He knew that Christian teaching is capable of exalting the soul "not only of a mere mortal, but also of those in power." Monomakh bequeathed everyone to remember about death, which, however, recommended not to be afraid. He noticed that if someone is destined to die, then he will not be saved either by his father, or by his mother, or by his brothers. God's keeping is safer than human. Who is right and who is wrong, who is worthy of death, and who is not? Only God can answer this question.
Vladimir Monomakh was born on May 26, 1053. His father was Vsevolod Yaroslavich. Even in his youth, in his biography, Vladimir Monomakh became the Prince of Rostov. Then he ruled Smolensk, later - Chernigov.
After the death of Vsevolod Yaroslavich, he ceded the throne to Svyatopolk, his brother. The great merit of Prince Vladimir Monomakh in his biography was the defeat of the Polovtsians. Monomakh lost Chernigov to Oleg Svyatoslavich. The Polovtsi regularly attacked the Pereyaslavl principality, where Monomakh settled. At the Lyubech congresses, Vladimir tried to rally Russia to resist the Polovtsy. After several defeats of the Polovtsians, Russia was liberated.
When Svyatopolk died, Vladimir Monomakh suppressed the Kiev uprising and headed the government of the country. At the same time, the famous “Charter of Vladimir Monomakh” was published. Considering the short biography of Vladimir Monomakh, it should be noted that the period of his reign was generally favorable for Russia. The feuds stopped.
Throughout his biography, Vladimir Monomakh wrote several works. For example, "Instructions", "Letter to Oleg Svyatoslavich", "Prayer". The Grand Duke died on May 19, 1125.
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The biography of Vladimir Monomakh is closely connected with the history of the formation of Russian statehood. He was the son of Prince Vsevolod of Smolensk. His mother was the daughter of Constantine Monomakh, the Greek emperor, whose name is unknown.
Vladimir at various times was the Grand Duke of Kiev, as well as Smolensk, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl. And a prominent statesman, military leader, thinker and writer. His seals also used the title “Archon of the Russian Land”. Today we will consider a short biography of Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh.
Start
The biography of Vladimir Monomakh began in 1053. At baptism, he received the name Vasily. At an early age, he already took part in the hunt for wild animals. Later, he recalled this, giving a lesson to his children. He said that he had been in bear paws, and on the horns of the tour, and under the boar's tusk.
Fearless and indefatigable, he showed himself early in the military field. His father entrusted him to be the head of the squad in the campaign against Silesia in order to help Vladislav III, the Polish king, in his struggle against the Czechs. And also the squads of Svyatoslav, the Kiev prince, and Oleg, the prince of Volyn took part in this campaign.
Father's support
In 1078, Vladimir, together with his father's retinue, went on a campaign to support his ally and brother Izyaslav, the Kiev prince. The latter fought with the Polotsk prince Vseslav. Then Polotsk was burned.
Vseslav's allies called on the Polovtsians and invaded the southern regions of Russia, defeating Vsevolod's troops on the banks of the Orzhitsa River and taking Chernigov. Shortly before this event, Vsevolod moved to reign from Smolensk.
Vladimir came to his father's aid and laid siege to the city of Chernigov. Izyaslav died in the battle at its walls, and his place in Kiev was taken by Monomakh's father, Vsevolod.
Against Vseslav and Svyatoslavich
However, not everyone agreed with this. Oleg and Roman, the sons of Svyatoslav, who again recognized the Polovtsy, as well as Vseslav of Polotsk, went against Vsevolod.
First, Vladimir Monomakh sent troops against the Svyatoslavichs, who were marching towards Chernigov. He lured the Polovtsi to his side and defeated the brothers. At the same time, Roman died, and Oleg fled to Greece, and then moved on Vseslav, who at that time was besieging Smolensk.
Vseslav refused and, not accepting the battle, set fire to Smolensk and fled to his Polotsk land. Vladimir's cavalry pursued him to his possessions and devastated them. In 1079, Vladimir again went to the Polotsk region and conquered Minsk.
Death of Vsevolod
From 1080 to 1092 his life, as the biography of Vladimir Monomakh testifies, was completely spent in campaigns. These are wars with the Torks who lived in the Pereyaslav region, as well as with the Vyatichi and Polovtsi, who plundered the Russian lands in the south.
Vsevolod died in 1093, but Vladimir did not become the prince of Kiev. He ceded the great reign to Svyatopolk, the son of Izyaslav. Meanwhile, the Polovtsy again invaded the Rusichi, threatening Kiev.
Monomakh went to the aid of Svyatopolk. In the same year, at the insistence of Svyatopolk and his entourage, who were confident in the military talent of Vladimir, he fought with the Polovtsy at the walls of the city of Tripoli.
The fight against the Cumans
However, the hopes of the Russian side did not come true. The Kiev squad, which formed the right flank of the Russian military formation, wavered under the onslaught of the Polovtsians, she had to retreat. The left flank and center tried to resist, but were driven back to the Stugna River.
Vladimir Monomakh himself barely managed to escape this massacre and hide behind the walls of Chernigov. The next year, 1094, there he was besieged by Oleg Svyatoslavovich, who had returned from the Greek lands. He again brought whole hordes of Polovtsians to Russia. Despite stubborn resistance, Monomakh was forced to retreat in front of the superior enemy forces and left for the city of Pereyaslavl.
But in 1095, Vladimir, together with Svyatopolk, managed to take revenge on the Polovtsy. They ruined their land, after which they directed their forces against Oleg. As a result, the latter had to flee from Chernigov to Starodub. From there he went north and, having collected troops, took possession of such cities as Murom, Rostov, Suzdal. However, on the Klyazma River, he was defeated by the army of Mstislav, the son of Vladimir Monomakh.
Complete victory
Continuing to consider the brief biography of Prince Vladimir Monomakh, one cannot but say about the victory over the Polovtsians. They did not stop raids and in 1097 captured and plundered Kiev. At the congress of Russian princes in Lyubech, Vladimir urged them to stop civil strife and turn joint forces against the Polovtsians. A treaty was concluded, sealed by the kissing of the cross, but the internecine wars did not end.
But Monomakh still managed to unite the Russians in 1103, after two other congresses held in Vitichev, as well as at Lake Dolobskoye. The general Russian army under his leadership utterly defeated the Polovtsian forces on the Dnieper. After that, a number of victories were won - near Lubny, Pereyaslav, on the Don and Sala rivers. This put an end to the Polovtsian invasions of Russia.
Grand Duke
After the death of Svyatopolk in 1113, Vladimir was elected the Grand Duke of the Kievites. The time of his reign was fertile for Kievan Rus. Enemies were driven out of the Russian borders, the sons successfully guarded the borders. Monomakh enjoyed great prestige among the younger princes, and there were no disputes about seniority.
The prince was busy with the internal arrangement. One of the interesting facts of the biography of Vladimir Monomakh is that he made significant additions to the "Russian Pravda". For example:
- The murder revenge was canceled and replaced with a monetary fine.
- There was a restriction on the collection of interest on loans.
- The position of slaves was greatly eased.
- A ban was imposed on turning to slaves for debts.
Teaching children
During the reign of Vladimir Monomakh, there was a noticeable rise in society. Many beautiful churches were built in the capital and other cities, and large numbers of Greek books were translated into the Slavic language.
The prince himself wrote the Instruction, addressed to his children, in which significant milestones in the biography of Vladimir Monomakh and his advice were set forth. He taught his children:
- No one should be executed.
- If possible, do everything yourself, without relying on the governor.
- Making a trip to the Russian lands with an army, do not let it harm the local residents.
- Mastering languages \u200b\u200blike their grandfather, Vsevolod, who knew five languages.
Vladimir Monomakh, whose biography was the subject of our review, died at the age of 71, in 1125, not far from Pereyaslavl.
Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, baptized Vasily (born May 26, 1053 - death May 19, 1125), is one of the most famous princes of Ancient Rus.
More information has come down to this day about the fate and exploits of Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich than about the life of any other Russian ruler of the pre-Mongol era. In the historical chronicles, he appears primarily as a warrior prince who ruled cities and lands without leaving the saddle. The prince was passionately fond of hunting, became famous for his great diplomatic talent and major state reforms ...
Few people remember that Vladimir Vsevolodovich was canonized in the rank of a holy noble prince and his name was included in the "Cathedral of All Saints Who Shone in the Land of Russia." However, for his contemporaries and immediate descendants, Vladimir Monomakh was primarily an example of a Christian ruler, and only after everything else was a commander, diplomat, great hunter, etc. And his personality remained in Russian history as an example of a sovereign who subordinated the interests of his own family, land and own interests of the truth that Baptism brought to Russia.
He was born to the Pereyaslavl prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, through his mother he was the grandson of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. Hence the sonorous nickname - Monomakh.
Prince Vladimir Monomakh happened to live in a stormy era. He was assigned a long century, 72 years - a lot by the standards of Russian antiquity! All the youth, all the mature years of Vladimir fell on a troubled time: Russia plunged into an endless maze of bloody internecine wars, and its outskirts suffered terrible damage from the steppe newcomers, the Polovtsians.
The most prominent princes of the Rurik clan divided the cities and regions of Russia among themselves. In Kiev, the eldest of the Rurikovichs sat on the grand princely throne, but he did not have full power. At his disposal were huge incomes from the richest Kiev region, a strong squad and the right of nominal primacy. But the real seniority had to be supported by force of arms, clever alliances with influential relatives, good relations with the Kiev city community. The Grand Duke, if he turned out to be too weak or too imprudent, could be driven out of Kiev by his closest relatives.
The death of any of the older Rurikovichs brought to the redistribution of the rich princely tables within the family. In addition to Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny, Smolensk, Murom, Rostov, etc. promised a large income. The right to reign in any of these cities could be justified in two ways: a place in the Rurik's seniority ladder or military power.
The princes of Rurik's clan in such cases did not hesitate to cross swords with nephews, uncles, not to mention distant relatives. First one of them, then the other turned to the Polovtsians for support and brought them to Russia, knocking out rivals from the rich tables. In particular, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, nicknamed "Gorislavich" for his fierce habit of "arguing" his claims with the help of Polovtsian sabers, became famous for this part.
When the Polovtsy came, they robbed, burned, took away the "full", ruined the peasants. Not one, not two or three - dozens of Polovtsian campaigns inflicted wounds on the weakened body of Russia. The newcomers gladly took advantage of the princely strife, now and then appearing to Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl at the invitation of the Russian princes and with the honorary "escort" of their squads.
Meanwhile, from the pen of Vladimir Monomakh comes a lesson addressed to his sons, where he quotes the Psalter of the Biblical ... King David ...:
“Sinners draw out weapons, draw their bows to pierce the poor and poor, to slay the upright in heart. Their weapons will pierce their hearts, and their bows will be broken. Better for the righteous is a little than the many riches of the sinner. For the strength of sinners will be broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous. As the sinners perish, - he pity and bestows upon the righteous. For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who swear against him will be cut off. The Lord guides the feet of a person. When he falls, he will not break, for the Lord supports his hand. He was young and old, and did not see the righteous man abandoned, nor his descendants asking for bread. Every day the righteous does alms and lends, and his tribe will be blessed. Avoid evil, do good, find peace and drive away evil, and live forever and ever. "
And to his bitter enemy and murderer of his son, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, he addresses in a letter with words filled with Christian wisdom: “Whoever says: 'I love God, but I don’t love my brother” - this is a lie. And again: “If you don’t forgive your brother’s sins, then your heavenly Father will not forgive you either.” But all the instigation of the devil! There were wars with our clever grandfathers, with our good and blessed fathers. The devil quarrels us, because he does not want good for the human race. I wrote this to you, because my son compelled me ... he sent his husband and the letter to me, saying in it: “Let us agree and make peace, but God's judgment has come to my brother. And we will not be avengers for him, but we will put it on God when we stand before God; but we will not destroy the Russian land. "
And I saw the humility of my son, took pity and, being afraid of God, said: “Because of his youth and foolishness, he is so humbled, he places it on God; I am a man, more sinful than all people. " Vladimir Monomakh recently learned about the death of his son, about how his other son, who entered Russian history under the name of Mstislav the Great, fought with Oleg Svyatoslavich and defeated him. Mstislav, the winner, asks the inconsolable father: "Have mercy, let there be peace!" And Vladimir Monomakh humbles anger, humbles pride, he himself wrote to the offender: "Let's make up."
When, at what time did he write these words ?! After all, not so long ago, blood feud was allowed by law! Russkaya Pravda limited it somewhat, but by no means prohibited it. The pagan custom, relying on the right of power, said: revenge! And the Christian, just gaining strength in Russia, demanded something else: forgive, renounce revenge! The one who chose the second path, no matter how brave, was looked at as a person who showed an incomprehensible weakness. Didn't get revenge? Fool! Rag!
Vladimir Monomakh learned to forgive. Learned to put the world above any benefit that can only be obtained with a sword. He learned to remove from himself considerations of direct and obvious self-interest, if their implementation required headlong rushing into another civil strife.
He did not spend all his life in the righteous. Yes, this is unthinkable for a prince! According to the prince's own words, from the age of 13 he took on the burden of princely labor: he took part in 83 large military enterprises, did not get out of battles with the Polovtsy, 19 times made peace with them, at different times captured several hundred noble steppe inhabitants, of whom he spared about a hundred, and 220 drowned or excised with a sword.
He had to pour someone else's blood constantly. Yes, and in internecine wars, with his own people, with fellow tribesmen and fellow believers, it happened that Vladimir Monomakh showed great cruelty. Here are his own words: “... That autumn they went with the Chernigovites and the Polovtsians ... to Minsk, captured the city and did not leave any servants or cattle in it”. It has been said - there is nowhere more eloquent.
But it was not in vain that God gave Vladimir Monomakh such a long life. The more he saw the ferocity around him, the more he himself inclined to cruel measures against his enemies, the more he understood that murder was not capable of giving a good result. Spilled blood - they will shed yours too, and not yours, so close to you people. Deceived - you will be deceived. He did not regret the enemy - and you yourself will not see pity. Gathered a lot of power - there will be more. Therefore, in his mature years, the prince was able to overcome his pride and managed the affairs of big politics, submitting to humility.
During a long political career, Vladimir Vsevolodovich occupied one or another princely table. He ruled in Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Turov, Smolensk, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny. He could take Kiev several times, but refused. The main reason for the refusal was the unwillingness to fight with relatives. He did not feel a lack of military strength.
So, once the Grand Duke Svyatopolk was involved in a bad story: at his prince's court, with his consent, they seized Prince Vasilko Rostislavich. Later, the unfortunate Vasilko was blinded. This has never happened before in the Rurik family! Vladimir Monomakh with his retinue and the troops of two other princes entered Kiev, demanding that the Grand Duke give an answer for his atrocity.
Svyatopolk intended to flee the city. However, according to the chronicle, “the people of Kiev did not allow him to flee, but sent the widow Vsevolodov and Metropolitan Nicholas to Vladimir, saying: 'We pray, prince, you and your brothers, do not destroy the Russian land. For if you start a war with each other, the filthy ones will rejoice and take our land, which your fathers and grandfathers gathered with great labor and courage, fighting for the Russian land and looking for other lands, and you want to destroy the Russian land. "
Vsevolodov's widow and metropolitan came to Vladimir, and prayed to him, and told the prayer of the Kievites - to conclude peace and to guard the Russian land and fight the nasty ones. Hearing this, Vladimir burst into tears and said: "Indeed, our fathers and our grandfathers have kept the Russian land, and we want to destroy." And Vladimir yielded to the plea of \u200b\u200bthe princess, whom he revered as a mother ... Vladimir was full of love. " Could take the place of Svyatopolk? I could. Everything went to that. But he did not dirty his soul.
In the end, the grand throne itself fell into his hands, like an overripe fruit that lingered on a branch.
1113, April 16 - Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich died. After the funeral, "the Kievites arranged a council, sent to Vladimir Monomakh, saying:" Go, prince, to the table of your father and grandfathers. " Hearing this, Vladimir cried a lot and did not go (to Kiev), grieving for his brother, ”and more than that, fearing, perhaps, a new civil strife. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about the unrest that engulfed the capital of Rus: “The Kievites ... plundered the yard of Putyata tysyatsky, attacked the Jews, and plundered their property. And the people of Kiev sent again to Vladimir, saying: “Go, prince, to Kiev; if you don’t go, then know that a lot of evil will happen, it’s not only Putyatin’s court or sotsky’s, but the Jews will be robbed, and they will also attack your daughter-in-law, and boyars, and monasteries, and you will keep the answer, prince, if monasteries will also be plundered. " Hearing this, Vladimir went to Kiev ... He sat down on the table of his father and his grandfathers, and all the people were happy, and the revolt subsided. "
"Vladimir Monomakh at the Council of Princes"
The calming down of rebellious Kiev did not happen by itself. Vladimir Monomakh knew the reason for the unrest: the townspeople suffered from usury, which took on an unprecedented scale and was covered by the old regime. The prince arranged a state conference in Berestovo, near Kiev. There were present his senior squad, thousand from Kiev, Belgorod, Pereyaslavl-South, as well as the local boyars. The meeting made a decision: to limit the interest ("cuts") on debts, that is, to introduce the profit received by the usurers within reasonable limits. The code of laws "Russkaya Pravda" was enriched with new articles in this regard, they received the general name "The Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich." Only then was order in the city completely restored.
From a height of good age and vast experience - moral, political, military - Vladimir Monomakh could teach children:
“Do not forget the poor, but as far as you can, feed and give to the orphan and the widow yourself, and do not let the strong destroy a person. Do not kill either the right or the guilty, and do not command to kill him; even if he is guilty of death, do not destroy any Christian soul. Saying something, good or bad, do not swear to God, do not be baptized, because you do not need it at all. If you have to kiss the cross to the brethren or to someone, then, after checking your heart, on which you can resist, kiss on that, and after kissing, observe so that you do not transgress your soul. Honor bishops, priests and abbots, and with love receive blessings from them, and do not withdraw from them, and love and care for them with your strength, so that you can receive them from God through their prayer. Above all, do not have pride in your heart and mind, but let us say: we are mortal, today we are alive, and tomorrow we are in a grave; all this that you gave us, not ours, but yours, entrusted us with this for a few days ... Beware of lies, and drunkenness, and fornication, because of this the soul and body perish ... And here is the basis for everything: have the fear of God above all ".
His own temptations, his own sins and his own troubles that followed sins gave him an understanding: do not kill, do not be proud, do not swear, but if you have sworn, keep your oath for your soul.
This humble wisdom of Vladimir Vsevolodovich, as a result, led to the greatest success of his whole life: the overcoming of the Polovtsians. Not in one year and not in one campaign, but the power of the steppe inhabitants was broken.
As long as there were quarrels between the Russian princes, as long as they did not help each other, this task was unsolvable. Even when they gathered in a single army, but could not manage it in good agreement, it happened that they suffered terrible defeats. So, 1093 brought a black message to all Russia: the general forces of the princes Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Vladimir Monomakh and his brother Rostislav were defeated by the Polovtsy on the Stugna River. Woe! How many vigilantes were killed! Prince Rostislav Vsevolodovich himself was killed. And there is only one reason: no "harmony" was established in the princely coalition.
Three times the princes gathered for big "congresses" - in Lyubech (1097), Uvetichi (1100) and Dolobsk (1103). We learned to negotiate with each other. It worked out with difficulty ...
Each time Vladimir Monomakh spoke to the others about the benefits of harmony, peace, and unification of forces. In the end, the Dolobsky Congress broke through the wall of general enmity. After him, the Russian princes, having gathered together, inflicted several heavy defeats on the Polovtsy. Their onslaught on Russia weakened.
As a faithful son of the Church, Vladimir Vsevolodovich built new churches in Kiev, Rostov, Smolensk. Judging by the archaeological data, the Church of the Savior on Berestovo near Kiev appeared under him. He also erected the Borisoglebsk church on the Alta River near Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny - where Saint Boris once died.
Under him, the veneration of the holy princes Boris and Gleb, which took shape for a long time and with difficulty in the 70-80s of the 11th century, flourished. During the reign of Vladimir Monomakh and, most likely, not without his influence, the final edition of the "Tale" about the holy brothers arose. In 1115, he invited the princes David and Oleg Svyatoslavich to his place. According to the chronicler, the princes “decided to transfer the relics of Boris and Gleb, for they built a stone church for them, in praise and in honor and for the burial of their bodies. At first they consecrated the stone church on May 1, Saturday; then on the second day the saints were transferred. And there was a great descent of the people, who came together from everywhere: Metropolitan Nikifor with all the bishops ... with the priest Nikita of Belogorod and with Danilo of Yuryev and with the abbots ... ".
After that, the Kiev people walked for three days on the prince's money, for three days they fed beggars and wanderers free of charge. Later, Vladimir Monomakh "bound" the crayfish with the relics in silver and gold.
The great warrior died quietly, from old age and ailments. Having gone on pilgrimage to the Borisoglebsk church, the prince met his last term there on May 19, 1125. His remains were buried in the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kiev.
The reign of Vladimir Monomakh falls on the years 1112-1125. He sat down on the Kiev reign, being a 60-year-old man, educated and wise. Perhaps that is why the years of his reign are considered the best for the Old Russian state.
One of the Rurikovich
The grandson, the beloved son of the Great Kiev Prince Vsevolod and the Byzantine princess Anna (daughter of Constantinople Emperor Constantin Monomakh) was born in 1053. After growing up, he was a support for his father in everything. Naturally, Vsevolod bequeathed the Kiev throne to him. But Vladimir, who hates civil strife, abandoned the Great Reign in favor of Svyatopolk II's cousin Izyaslavich, since Monomakh's father Vsevolod took the Kiev throne after the expulsion of his brother Izyaslav. The Kievans did not really like Svyatopolk and his entourage, first of all for their friendship with the Polovtsy and for the fact that usury reached unprecedented proportions during his time.
Wise and popular
Immediately after the death of the Kiev prince, Monomakh was sent an invitation to the Great Reign, but he did not rush to the capital, because he did not want to violate the succession of the throne, since he believed that either Oleg Seversky, or David of Chernigov, or Yaroslav Muromsky should rule over Svyatopolk. descendants of Svyatoslav. Its sluggishness was taken advantage of by the people of Kiev, suffering from the unbearable oppression of the Jewish usurers, and an uprising broke out in the city, accompanied by pogroms. Again they sent a messenger to Monomakh. This time he did not hesitate. Vladimir (his church name is Vasily) and before the occupation of the Kiev throne had the glory of the peacemaker, the winner of the Polovtsians (he concluded 19 peace treaties with them) and the unifier of the Russian lands (his sons were sitting in large cities - Novgorod, Smolensk and Rostov, and his brother Rostislav reigned in Pereyaslavl).
A brilliant start
The reign of Vladimir Monomakh in any city - Smolensk 1073-1078, Chernigov 1078-1094, Pereyaslavl 1094-1113 - was wise and successful. The mutinous Kievites demanded only Vladimir to reign, upon whose arrival the uprising died down. But Monomakh figured out its reasons in order to avoid unrest in the future, and significantly cut the rates of usurers (no higher than 20% per annum), which made life easier for the lower classes. The "Charter on Cuts" was adopted after a difficult agreement with representatives of the elite. After they managed to explain that usury ultimately harms not only Russia, but also themselves, it was decided to expel all Jewish usurers outside the country. It was stipulated that the "financiers" could take all the acquired property with them, but they should never return to Russia again. Naturally, many of the Jews converted to Orthodoxy.
The second prototype of Vladimir Krasnaya Solnyshka
The years of Monomakh's rule were the last rise of Kievan Rus. A successful commander, a good politician, an educated person and a talented writer who left behind literary works, he provided Russia with years of a quiet life - the Pechenegs were expelled, the Polovtsians were afraid to plunder the Russian lands, because in campaigns against them the prince relied on the people's militia, and not on mercenaries. He was very popular among the people, his features complemented the image of the epic Vladimir the Red Sun (the first prototype was his grandfather Vladimir, the baptist of Russia). The exploits of Ilya Muromets fell on the years of the reign of Vladimir Monomakh
Great foreign policy victory
The foreign policy of this reached its zenith under the son of the deceased Byzantine emperor Alexei I, John II, who forestalled the campaign of a large Russian army to Constantinople. Wishing for peace with Kievan Rus, the Greeks voluntarily made huge concessions - Monomakh was awarded the title of tsar, equal in importance to the Basileus of Byzantium. He was presented with royal clothing, a scepter, orb and a crown, the famous and legendary “cap of Monomakh”. The union was secured by a dynastic marriage - the son of John, the heir Alexei, married the granddaughter of the Kiev prince. Thus, the reign of Vladimir Monomakh was marked by the establishment of a strong kinship alliance with Byzantium.
Flexible policy
True, the warned campaign against Constantinople provided for the capture of the Danube lands along the route, but Monomakh could always sacrifice something for the sake of peace. Therefore, these lands remained for Byzantium. After the struggle with the Minsk prince Gleb and his capture, these lands became friendly to Kiev - there his supreme power was recognized.
Among the undoubted advantages is the fact that during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh, three quarters of all Russian lands were concentrated in his hands. With all neighbors, where by agreement, and where - by military, peace was concluded. So, the rebellion was suppressed in Volyn, where the son of Svyatopolk, who was Vladimir's son-in-law, Yaroslav, ruled. He turned his yard into a lair hostile to Kiev. Both Jewish usurers and all kinds of eternal enemies of Russia fled here. A large army of Czechs, Hungarians, Poles went to Kiev. The army of Mstislav Vladimirovich was walking towards him. Yaroslav himself was already killed by Russian soldiers during the siege of Volhynia. It was illogical to help the deceased, the enemy army retreated.
The growth of the power of Russia
Neither the Volga Bulgars, whose flotilla was defeated by Russian soldiers, nor the inhabitants of the Baltic and Finland, who regularly paid tribute, raided the Russian lands during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh. All this made it possible to engage in the improvement of the state. Churches were built, trade expanded, coins began to be minted, books were translated from the Byzantine language, schools began to open, in which children of the best families were given to study. Being an educated person and a gifted writer, Vladimir left his works to descendants - "Instructions" and "Walking". In addition, Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, created the "Tale of Bygone Years" (1117). The reign of Vladimir Monomakh in Kiev turned the city into a major trade and cultural center. He left a good memory of himself for centuries and an example of state management that makes the country prosperous. He is well spoken about not only in the "Tale of Bygone Years" written during his reign, but also in the Ipatiev Chronicle and in the "Word about the destruction of the Russian land." And after his death, some of his descendants were crowned to the kingdom with the "cap of Monomakh."
The beginning of the reign of Vladimir Monomakh fell on April 20 and ended on May 19, 1125, the day of his death. Under Vladimir Monomakh, dynastic marriages became widespread. He married all his many children with almost all the crowned heads of Europe. Marriages were also concluded with the children of the khans.
Board results
A strong power, with which the neighbors reckoned, was left behind by Vladimir Monomakh, the results of whose reign can be summed up as follows. The main achievement was the cessation of the raids of the Polovtsians who ravaged the country. The authority of Russia increased indescribably after the victory over them. Its further growth was facilitated by a balanced foreign policy and dynastic marriages.
Monomakh strengthened the centralization of power, and thus he managed to maintain complete control over all cities and trade routes of Russia. As a result of the cessation of civil strife and the onset of peaceful life, all branches of the economy, literature and art began to develop, and the country's power, both military and economic, increased significantly.