Viacheslava of Novgorod
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Viacheslava of Novgorod (russian: Вячеслава новгородская, pl, Wierzchosława Nowogrodzka; c. 1125 – 15 March by 1162?), was a
Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
princess member of the
House of Rurik The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
and by marriage Duchess of
Masovia Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...
and
Kuyavia Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three t ...
and High Duchess of Poland since 1146. She was the daughter of St. Vsevolod, Prince of
Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
and
Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...
by his wife, a daughter of Svyatoslav Davidovich, Prince of
Chernigov Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative ...
.


Life

Nothing is known about Viacheslava's first years; she was one of three children and their only daughter. She had two brothers, Ivan and Vladimir (who was confused in several sources as husband of Princess Richeza of Poland). Both died unmarried and apparently childless. Around 1137 she was married with Bolesław, son of the Polish Duke
Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth ( pl, Bolesław III Krzywousty; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between ...
. The wedding was probably orchestrated by Bolesław's mother
Salomea of Berg Salomea of Berg (german: Salome von Berg, pl, Salomea z Bergu; – 27 July 1144) was a German noblewoman and, by marriage with Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1115, High Duchess of Poland until her husband's death in 1138. Life Salomea was th ...
, who wanted to secure a Russian alliance against her stepson, the later Władysław II the Exile. On 11 February 1138 Prince Vsevolod died and on 28 October of that year Duke Bolesław III also died, leaving in his will his domains divided between his sons. Prince Bolesław received the Masovian state as Bolesław IV, Duke of
Masovia Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...
and
Kuyavia Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three t ...
, and Viacheslava became in the Duchess consort. In 1141 Viacheslava accompanied her husband at the meeting of
Łęczyca Łęczyca (; in full the Royal Town of Łęczyca, pl, Królewskie Miasto Łęczyca; german: Lentschitza; he, לונטשיץ) is a town of 13,786 inhabitants () in central Poland. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the county seat of the ...
, convened at the initiative of her mother-in-law Dowager Duchess Salomea. In 1146 Viacheslava became in the new High Duchess of Poland when her husband expelled his older half-brother Władysław II and became in the ruler of
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
and
High Duke of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...
. Viacheslava probably died during the 1160s, because by 31 December 1167 High Duke Bolesław IV named his second wife Maria. She probably was buried beside her husband in the
Płock Cathedral Płock Cathedral ( pl, Katedra Płocka), or the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Masovia, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Płock, in central Poland. It is an example of 12th-century Romanesque architecture and is the oldest and ...
.


Duchess Anastasia's Gospel Book

After Viacheslava's death, her husband gave to the cisternian monastery a Gospel Book bound in silver in her memory, called ''Duchess Anastasia's Gospel Book''. Anastasia was probably the Latin or Greek equivalent of her name, according to her chronicler
Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...
. Also, he named Viacheslava ''Princess of Halicz'' and placed her death in 1158 during childbirth. The wedding date of 1151 given by the chronicler is incorrect. The Gospel Book was probably made around 1160.


Issue

According to almost all the known sources, Viacheslava gave birth to her first child around 1156, after almost twenty years of marriage. This child, a son, was named Bolesław after his father and grandfather. Before 1160, she bore a second child, a daughter, later wife (1178) of Vasilko Iaropolkovich, Prince of
Shumsk Shumsk (, , yi, שומסק, Shimsk) is a city in Kremenets Raion, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Shumsk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population is Until 18 July 2020, Shumsk was the administrative c ...
and later of
Dorohychyn Drohiczyn () ( lt, Drohičinas/Drogičinas, be, Дарагічын, ua, Дорогочин, Дорогичин, ''Dorohochyn'', ''Dorohychyn'') is a town in Siemiatycze County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. The town has a population of 2,11 ...
. Earlier literature stated that Bolesław IV's second son
Leszek Leszek () is a Slavic Polish male given name, originally ''Lestko'', ''Leszko'' or ''Lestek'', related to ''Lech'', ''Lechosław'' and Czech ''Lstimir''. Individuals named Leszek celebrate their name day on June 3. Notable people * Lestko * ...
was born from his second marriage with Maria; however, after the discovery of coins upon which Leszek called himself ''son of Anastasia'', this theory proved to be inaccurate.Borys Paszkiewicz, ''O matce Lestka Bolesławica i początkach mennictwa mazowieckiego'', Przegląd Historyczny, vol. 92 (2001), pp. 1-14. Prince Bolesław died in 1172 aged sixteen, and reportedly his father was devastated by his early death. One year later (1173), High Duke Bolesław IV died, leaving his Masovian-Kujavian principality to his second and only surviving son Leszek, at the age of eleven or less. As overlord and holder of
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
and
Gniezno Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...
, he however was succeeded by his next brother
Mieszko III the Old Mieszko III the Old (c. 1126/27 – 13 March 1202), of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland, with interruptions, from 1173 until his death. He was the fourth and second surviving son of Duke Bolesła ...
, Duke of
Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed ...
.


Bibliography

*Oswald Balzer, ''Genealogia Piastów'', vol. II, Kraków 2005. *Marcin Spórna and Piotr Wierzbicki, ''Słownik władców Polski i pretendentów do tronu polskiego'', Kraków 2003. *Temat: ''Polska, Skarby kultury'', Katowice 2004.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Viacheslava 1120s births 1160s deaths Rurik dynasty Polish queens consort Kievan Rus' princesses 12th-century Rus' people 12th-century Rus' women 12th-century Polish people 12th-century Polish women