Iziaslav I Of Kiev
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Iziaslav Yaroslavich (; 1024 – 3 October 1078; baptized as ''Demetrius'') was Prince of Turov and Grand Prince of Kiev (1054–1068; 1069–1073; 1077–1078). Iziaslav's children Yaropolk and Sviatopolk would rule the Turov Principality. Their authority was mainly challenged by the descendents of Rostislav Vsevolodovich.


Biography

Iziaslav was the oldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise by his second wife Ingigerd Olafsdottir. Iziaslav succeeded his father, after Yaroslav's oldest child, Vladimir (the only child by Yaroslav's first wife), had predeceased his father. Iziaslav was one of the authors of the ''Pravda of Yaroslav's Descendants'' – a part of the first legal code of the '' Russkaya Pravda''. He is also credited with the foundation of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery.
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
Iziaslav I of Kiev ceded the whole mountain to Antonite monks who founded a monastery built by architects from
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. According to the '' Primary Chronicle'', in the early 11th century, Antony, a
Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
from Esphigmenon monastery on
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...
, originally from
Liubech Liubech ( Ukrainian and Russian: ; ) is a rural settlement in Chernihiv Oblast, northern Ukraine. Liubech is located north of the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, and located near the border with Belarus. It hosts the administration of Liubech settl ...
in the
Principality of Chernigov The Principality of Chernigov was one of the largest and most powerful states within Kievan Rus'. For a time the principality was the second most powerful after the Principality of Kiev. The principality was formed in the 10th century and maint ...
, returned to
Rus' Rus or RUS may refer to: People * East Slavic historical peoples (). See Names of Rus', Russia and Ruthenia ** Rus' people, the people of Rus' ** Rus, a legendary eponymous ancestor, see Lech, Czech and Rus * Rus (surname), a surname found in Ro ...
and settled in Kiev as a
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
of the monastic tradition to Kievan Rus'. He chose a
cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...
at the Berestov Mount that overlooked the
Dnieper River The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...
and a community of disciples soon grew. In 1043, his father Yaroslav made an agreement with King
Casimir I of Poland Casimir I the Restorer (; 25 July 1016 – 19 March 1058), a member of the Piast dynasty, was the duke of Poland from 1040 until his death. Casimir was the son of Mieszko II Lambert and Richeza of Lotharingia. He is known as the Restorer becau ...
that recognized Cherven as part of
Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
. The agreement was sealed with a double marriage: Casimir to Dobronega, Yaroslav's sister; and Iziaslav to Gertrude, Casimir's sister.Simon Franklin, Jonathan Shepard, ''The Emergence of Rus 750–1200'', (Routledge, 2013), 253. From this marriage were born three children: Yaropolk, Mstislav and Sviatopolk. From 1045–1052, Iziaslav reigned as Prince of Turov.


First reign (1054–1068)

Upon the death of
Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I Vladimirovich ( 978 – 20 February 1054), better known as Yaroslav the Wise, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054. He was also earlier Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010, ...
in 1054, his realm was divided between three of his older sons (
Vladimir of Novgorod Vladimir Yaroslavich (; ; 1020 – October 4, 1052) was Prince of Novgorod from 1036 until his death in 1052. He was the eldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise by Ingegerd Olofsdotter, a daughter of Olof Skötkonung, the king of Sweden. He is venerat ...
died before that), Iziaslav,
Sviatoslav Sviatoslav (, ; , ) is a Russian and Ukrainian given name of Slavic origin. Cognates include Svetoslav, Svatoslav, , Svetislav. It has a Pre-Christian pagan character and means "one who worships the light" (likely in reference to the sun). In C ...
, and
Vsevolod Vsevolod or Wsewolod ( ; ) is a Slavic male first name. Its etymology is from Slavic roots 'vse' (all) and 'volodeti' (to rule) and means 'lord-of-everything/everybody', (similar to another princely name, "Vladimir" or "Volodymyr"). It is equiva ...
, creating the Yaroslavichi triumvirate that ruled the country for the next 20 years. In 1060, the triumvirate campaigned together in the steppes against the Oghuz.


Rebellion of Vseslav of Polotsk (1065–1069)

In 1065, their cousin Vseslav, who was the prince of
Polotsk Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...
, besieged
Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...
, but was defeated. In the winter of 1066–1067, he also attacked Novgorod. The prince of Novgorod at the time was Iziaslav's son Mstislav, who fled for Kiev. In response, the triumvirate marched up to take out Vseslav. Their first stop was the town of
Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
, whose people reportedly shut themselves into the town. However, the triumvirate managed to take Minsk and met Vseslav at the Nemiga river. On 3 March 1067, the two armies faced off at the
Battle on the Nemiga River The Battle on the Nemiga River (; ) was a battle of the Kievan Rus' feudal period that occurred on March 3, 1067 on the Niamiha River. The description of the battle is the first reference to Minsk in the chronicles of Belarusian history. Backgr ...
. Ultimately, the triumvirate was victorious and Vseslav fled. On 10 June, there was a formal truce between the two parties and Iziaslav invited Vseslav to his camp, but it was a trap. Vseslav and his two sons were arrested and brought to Kiev. In 1068, the
Cumans The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...
defeated the triumvirate at the Alta river, which dangerously exposed some major cities, including Kiev. Sviatoslav went to Chernigov, while Iziaslav and Vsevolod went to Kiev. On September 15, a
veche A ''veche'' was a popular assembly during the Middle Ages. The ''veche'' is mentioned during the times of Kievan Rus' and it later became a powerful institution in Russian cities such as Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod and Pskov, where the ''veche'' a ...
met in Kiev that encouraged Iziaslav to fight the invaders, but he refused to even negotiate. The Kievans decided that if he wasn't going to send them, maybe another prince would, and started a popular uprising against him. Part of that uprising was that they freed Vseslav from his captivity and acclaimed him as their new prince. Iziaslav fled to Poland to get aid from Boleslaw II and marched back to reclaim the city. However, Vseslav didn't want to rule Kiev, so he fled in the night, leaving the people of the city with no leader to face Iziaslav and his Polish allies. Sviatoslav and Vsevolod asked him to show restraint, so he sent his son Mstislav, former prince of Novgorod, to blind and kill the important people. Iziaslav was received back in Kiev by 2 May 1069.


Second reign (1069–1073)

His brother Sviatoslav had gained more power from the whole affair. He was the one who defeated the Cumans in autumn of the previous year and even captured their leader while Iziaslav was off in Poland. During that time, Sviatoslav even installed his own son,
Gleb Gleb (; ) or Hlib (, ) is a Slavic male given name derived from the Old Norse name ''Guðleifr'', which means "heir of god." According to another version, the name Gleb comes from the name Olaf. It is popular in Russia due to an early martyr, Saint ...
, as the new prince of Novgorod. Iziaslav's son Mstislav got Polotsk instead, though after his death in 1069 it went to his brother Sviatopolk. Unfortunately for Iziaslav, Sviatopolk was expelled from the city by Vseslav in 1071 who returned to ruling it, leaving Iziaslav's family with nothing to show for losing Novgorod. In 1072, the triumvirate presided over the celebration of the sanctity of
Boris and Gleb Boris and Gleb (), respective Christian names Roman () and David (), were the first saints canonized in Kievan Rus' after its Christianization. Their feast day is observed on July 24 (August 6 Gregorian calendar). History According to the tw ...
, which involved the transfer of their relics to a new church in
Vyshgorod Vyshhorod (, ; ) is a city in Kyiv Oblast, central Ukraine, situated immediately north of the capital Kyiv, and part of the Kyiv metropolitan area. It is on the right (western) bank of the Dnieper river and, as the location of the Kyiv Hydroe ...
.


Exile in Poland (1073–1076)

By 1073, Iziaslav had alienated so many people that Sviatoslav and Vsevolod drove him out of Kiev on 22 March in a seemingly bloodless coup. He once again went to Poland, but this time Boleslaw took his bribes and didn't give him any aid. In January of 1075, he showed up at the court of King Henry IV of Germany in
Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
to ask for help, but Henry didn't immediately provide aid, instead sending an emissary to Kiev for more information. At the same time, Iziaslav sent his son Yaropolk to Rome to ask for the support of Pope Gregory VII.


Third reign (1077–1078)

Luckily for Iziaslav, Sviatoslav died in 1076 and he was able to return to Kiev on 15 July 1077 to once again rule. A conflict broke out after Sviatoslav's death about the rightful succession to Chernigov. Iziaslav and Vsevolod drove out Sviatoslav's son
Oleg Oleg (), Oleh (), or Aleh () is an East Slavic given name. The name is very common in Russia, Ukraine, and Belаrus. Origins ''Oleg'' derives from the Old Norse ''Helgi'' ( Helge), meaning "holy", "sacred", or "blessed". The feminine equival ...
in April 1078. That summer, Oleg's brother Gleb, who was still ruling Novgorod, was driven out, killed, and replaced with Iziaslav's son Sviatopolk. But around the same time, Oleg got support from the Cumans and his cousin Boris, and came back to claim Chernigov. Oleg and Boris defeated Vsevolod in August and Vsevolod came to Kiev to ask Iziaslav for support. He agreed, but died in battle against Oleg on 3 October 1078. He was the only incumbent Grand Prince of Kiev to be killed in battle.


Children

Iziaslav had the following children with Gertrude: * Yaropolk * Mstislav (?–1069), was a Prince of Novgorod (1054–1067) which he lost to
Vseslav of Polotsk Vseslav Bryachislavich ( 1029 – 24 April 1101; also known as ''Vseslav the Sorcerer'' or ''Vseslav the Seer'') was Prince of Polotsk (1044–1101) and Grand Prince of Kiev (1068–1069). Together with Rostislav Vladimirovich and voivode Vys ...
. He had a son Rostislav Mstislavich that died in 1093. * Eupraxia, may have been married to
Mieszko Bolesławowic Mieszko Bolesławowic ( – 1089) was the only son of Bolesław II the Generous, King of Poland. Mieszko was Prince of Kraków from 1086 until his death in 1089. Biography Mieszko was, in all likelihood, born in Kraków sometime around or dur ...
, son of
Bolesław II the Bold Bolesław or Boleslav may refer to: People * Bolesław (given name) (also ''Boleslav'' or ''Boleslaus''), including a list of people with this name Geography * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz Co ...
in 1088. * Sviatopolk ΙΙ grand prince of Kiev.


Ancestry


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links


Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – Official site



Izyaslav Yaroslavich
at hrono.info {{DEFAULTSORT:Iziaslav 01 Of Kiev Family of Vladimir the Great Grand princes of Kiev 1024 births 1078 deaths Princes of Turov 11th-century princes from Kievan Rus' Burials at the Church of the Tithes