Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh. Life and activity. Vladimir Monomakh - short biography Who is Monomakh
The years of the reign of Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh are considered the happiest and most prosperous for Kievan Rus. A wise statesman who served as governor of the Smolensk, Chernigov, and Pereyaslav principalities and became the Grand Duke of Kyiv, a talented commander and thinker, he wrote his name in golden letters in the history of the Russian state. “The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh” is a secular and at the same time philosophical instruction to sons and future generations; it still evokes admiration for the wisdom of this great man.
Vladimir Monomakh was born in 1053. His father, Prince Vsevolod of Pereyaslavl, was a son, whose pedigree was first mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. A year after the birth of his grandson, his great grandfather died. Vladimir's mother was a close relative (possibly a daughter) of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. Hence the prince’s nickname, which translates as “combatant,” which accurately characterizes his personality.
The childhood and teenage years of the life of the future ruler of Kyiv were spent at his father’s court in Pereyaslav-Yuzhny. The boy's father attracted him to participate in hunting wild animals as a child. As Monomakh later wrote in a lesson to his sons, he was in the paws of a bear and on the horns of a tour.
However, this was only a “warm-up”. After all, at the age of 13, the boy entered the combat field, where he was taken by his father to study military science. At the same age, he began to reign independently in the Rostov-Suzdal lands, acquiring his first experience in government.
This experience came in handy when Vladimir Monomakh was put in charge of Smolensk. This is the period from 1073 to 1078. The Smolensk prince took part in battles, helping his neighbors in the fight against external enemies - the Polovtsians. Military campaigns were frequent. In 1076, Monomakh and Oleg Svyatoslavich supported the Poles by participating in a campaign against the Czechs. Later, together with his father and Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, he twice went against Vseslav of Polotsk.
Governing body
In 1078, Vsevolod Yaroslavich took over the reign of Kiev. His 25-year-old son Vladimir Monomakh got Chernigov. To protect the estate, the young nobleman was forced to repeatedly repel the devastating raids of the Polovtsy and Mongol-Tatars. For a decade and a half, the son was his father’s right hand. He helped him in resolving political issues and more than once became the head of the grand ducal squads, which made campaigns to pacify the rebellious princes or destroy the Polovtsian hordes.
In 1093, when his father died, Vladimir Monomakh could become his successor - the Prince of Kyiv. But according to the existing rules of succession, the Kiev throne had to be occupied by the eldest of the Rurikovichs. At that time, this was his cousin Svyatopolk Izyaslavich. Monomakh did not want civil strife and fratricidal war and gave the throne to his brother. He himself went to rule Chernigov.
These 2 decades, from 1093 to 1113, Vladimir Monomakh knew both the joy of victories and the bitterness of defeats. In battles he lost his eldest son and younger brother. In 1094 he gave the Chernigov lands to Oleg Svyatoslavovich, leaving behind the more “modest” Principality of Pereyaslavl.
The Polovtsy continued to plague Kievan Rus. Regular raids bled the lands dry. Vladimir Monomakh became the ideological inspirer of the unification of the princes in the face of a common enemy. Some researchers believe that the prince was the initiator of preventive strikes against the enemy, organizing forays into the Polovtsian steppe. The campaign in 1111 was successful, after which the main goal was achieved - Rus' got rid of the raids of nomads for a long time. And nine years later, the Pecheneg troops finally left the Russian lands. Researchers consider the defense of Rus' from the Polovtsy to be the main merit of Vladimir Monomakh.
Since the sons of Vladimir Monomakh, in addition to fighting the nomads, regularly organized military campaigns against Livonia and Bulgaria, people in Europe started talking about the power of the Kyiv prince. Vladimir caused great concern among the Byzantine Emperor. According to legend, as a sign of peaceful disposition, the ruler of the empire sent rich gifts to Vladimir Monomakh: an orb, a scepter, a hat and ancient barmas. Subsequently, these items became a symbol of sovereign power in Rus', and the headdress was called the “Monomakh Cap”. These gifts are now in the Kremlin Armory. They are also presented in all reproductions and photographs depicting Vladimir Monomakh.
Vladimir Monomakh also made his contribution to ending fratricidal wars on Russian soil. To create a strong army, the consolidation of all the princes was required, which was not observed in those years. One of the main events during the reign of Monomakh was the Lyubech Congress of Princes. In 1097, a gathering of the rulers of six Russian principalities was organized. At the meeting, issues regarding the division of territories and the unification of armies were resolved. This agreement became a significant achievement in the ruler’s internal political activities and had a beneficial effect on strengthening the state. But the unification of forces was prevented by the betrayal of Davyd Igorevich, which led to new strife. In 1010, Vladimir Monomakh convened a second congress, at which the rulers managed to come to a peaceful solution.
Great Reign
After the death of Svyatopolk in 1113, Vladimir Monomakh took the reins of Kievan Rus and became the Grand Duke. This was a difficult period for Kyiv, because at this time a popular uprising against moneylenders began. The new ruler sided with the people and took measures to limit the collection of interest.
Monomakh turned out to be an effective reformer in the field of legislation. He supplemented the code of laws “Russian Truth”, written by his grandfather Yaroslav the Wise. Revenge for murder was prohibited and replaced with a fine. He also prohibited turning a slave into slavery for outstanding debts. And he made the very situation of the common people easier. This was the internal policy of Vladimir Monomakh.
The position of the Great Prince of Kyiv was so strengthened that no one dared to challenge his seniority. Monomakh controlled three quarters of the state's territory. Under the prince, a fortress was rebuilt in Suzdal and fortifications in Vladimir-on-Klyazma. The Spasskaya Church and the Assumption Cathedral also appeared there, which were included in the list of architectural monuments. Temples were also erected in Smolensk, Rostov and other cities where the prince ruled.
The foreign policy of Vladimir Monomakh also turned out to be successful. The raids of the Volga Bulgarians, Polovtsy and Mongol-Tatars no longer bothered the state. And the tribes of the Berendeys and Torks were forever forced out of Rus'. In “The Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land” this time is called the happiest and most serene. Contemporaries of Vladimir Monomakh in Europe were Philip I and Louis VI - kings of France, Henry I Beauclerc of England and Emperor of Byzantium John II Comnenus.
The concentration of power in one hand and the cessation of internecine wars strengthened the state. A period of cultural development began. The wise prince managed to leave his mark in literature. Unfortunately, only 4 of his works have survived to this day: a letter to Oleg Svyatoslavich, an autobiographical chronicle about military campaigns, “The Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich” (or “The Charter of Vladimir Monomakh”), as well as the famous book “The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh”, which is still known under the names “Teaching of Vladimir Vsevolodovich”, “Testament of Vladimir Monomakh to Children” or “Teaching to Children”.
These literary works are a valuable storehouse of everyday experience, passed on to the princely offspring and all subsequent generations, as well as practical advice on governing the state. Many of Vladimir Monomakh’s statements have become aphorisms and quotations.
Personal life
The life of Monomakh indicates that the nobleman had three wives and many children. Today it is impossible to reliably establish which of the wives gave birth to which of the children.
It is reliably known that the personal life of Vladimir Monomakh was eventful. Researchers call Gita of Wessex the first wife of the prince. She is an English princess and daughter of the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II. She bore her husband six (according to another version, seven) sons: Mstislav, Yaropolk, Vyacheslav, Izyaslav, Roman and Svyatoslav.
Two more sons of Monomakh - and Andrey. But researchers disagree on whether Gita was the mother of Yuri, who became known as Yuri Dolgoruky. Vladimir also had several daughters. The names of three have reached us: Maria (Maritsa), Euphemia and Agathia.
All researchers consider wisdom, the desire for self-education, as well as political intuition to be the personal qualities of Vladimir Monomakh. Having received the Rostov and Suzdal lands from his father at the age of 13, the prince did not give up caring for them and by the end of his life he had turned them into a flourishing region with a developed culture.
Death
The famous ruler died on May 19, 1125. He was buried with honors in Kyiv. The ruler's grave is located in the Hagia Sophia. The result of the reign of Vladimir Monomakh was a strong state with a developed economy and culture. The role of Vladimir Monomakh in the history of Rus' is evidenced by his popularity over subsequent centuries.
In the 21st century, documentaries from the series “Commanders of Russia” and “History of the Russian State” were created in memory of the prince. They gave a historical portrait of the personality and presented important facts about the ruler’s biography.
Memory
- Commemorative coin of Ukraine dedicated to Vladimir Monomakh
- Ukrainian postage stamp dedicated to Vladimir Monomakh
- Image of Vladimir Monomakh on the monument “1000th anniversary of Russia” in Veliky Novgorod
- Monument to Vladimir Monomakh in the city of Pryluky, Chernihiv region
- Nuclear submarine of the Borei project of the Russian Navy
Vladimir II Vsevolodovich Monomakh
Grand Duke of Kyiv
Years of life: 1053-1125
Reign: 1113-1125
Almost all events of Russian history of the 2nd half of the 11th century and the 1st half of the 12th century are associated with his name. , having divided Kievan Rus into 5 parts, bequeaths the rule of these lands to his sons, but quarrels occur between the brothers, which marked the beginning of the fragmentation of Rus' into principalities. The only one who would have stopped this for a while was.
Biography of Vladimir Monomakh
He was born in 1053, a year before the death of his grandfather Yaroslav (1054). Beloved son. Mother - Anna, Vsevolod’s last wife. Daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh, Byzantine princess. Vladimir had three names: Vladimir - princely, Vasily - godfather, Monomakh - grandfather's (on his mother's side).
The Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod bequeathed the Great Reign to his son, but he refused and proclaimed his cousin Grand Prince of Kyiv.
Together with Svyatoslav and without him, he took part in many campaigns against the Polovtsians. There were defeats and victories. The fight with the Polovtsians was protracted. And the Polovtsians did not strive to conquer lands. Their goal was robbery, which the Russian princes could not stop, although there were sometimes successes. In response to the Polovtsian attack, Vladimir Monomakh acted as an initiator, pursued an offensive policy and, if possible, tried to end the matter peacefully. He concluded an agreement with the Polovtsy nineteen times.
Monomakh enjoyed popular love and gained fame as a peacemaker and conqueror of the Polovtsians. He tried to maintain peace with other princes. Not wanting to start a battle, in 1094 he left Chernigov for Pereslavl, where he reigned, and later transferred Pereslavl to his brother Rostislav, and he himself reigned in Smolensk.
In 1113, Svyatopolk died, and the people of Kiev decided that Vladimir Monomakh should become the next prince of Kyiv, but he hesitated. Having sent messengers to him a second time, he again refused to become a Grand Duke, believing that the principality should go to his cousins Svyatoslavovich by right of seniority. The people of Kiev did not want to hear about any other prince. “Save us,” their Ambassadors said, from the fury of the mob; save the house of the sad wife Svyatopolkova, our own houses and the shrine of the monasteries from robbers.” He agreed, came to Kyiv and accepted the Great Reign.
The reign of Vladimir Monomakh
The reign of Vladimir Monomakh, until his death, was the best for Kievan Rus. Neither the Polovtsians nor other tribes bothered Rus' at this time. In 1116, Monomakh himself sent his son Yaropolk to the Don, where he conquered three cities from the Polovtsians and brought himself the wife of the Yassy khan. Mstislav, another son of Monomakh, together with the Novgorodians defeated Chud on the Baltic coast. In 1120, Yuri, Prince of Rostov, another of his ten sons, defeated the Bulgarians on the Volga.
Charter of Vladimir Monomakh
In Russian history, Vladimir Monomakh is known not only as the “gatherer of Russian lands”, but also as a legislator. Moneylenders set high interest rates, and the prince’s first order of business was to limit the “growth” and introduce this limitation into legislation.
The decree on inheritance can be traced back to the time of Monomakh. According to Russian law, all sons inherited equally, and daughters received a dowry upon marriage. Everyone could dispose of their property according to a will. The wife's property remained inviolable for the husband. If after the death of her husband, the widow did not remarry, then she remained the mistress of her late husband’s house and the children could not kick her out.
Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh
Before his death, Monomakh teaches his children not to give the strong 
destroy the weak, protect widows, orphans and the needy. Treat everyone you meet with a kind word, visit the sick and pay your last respects to the dead, remembering that everyone is mortal. Respect elders as fathers and younger ones as brothers. Regarding the war, he advises children to equip the army themselves, and not rely on the governor. During the hikes, do not indulge in sleep or feast. And most importantly, he tells me to learn to read and cites the example of my father, Vsevolod, who learned 5 languages while sitting at home.
On May 19, 1125, at the age of 72, near Pereslavl, near a church built on Alta, Vladimir Monomakh died. He was buried in Kyiv in the Church of St. Sophia.
Foreign and domestic policy of Vladimir Monomakh
This was truly a great prince. His deeds were aimed at the development of all aspects of Kievan Rus, both for the benefit of the residents and the state education. S. M. Solovyov wrote about him: “Monomakh did not rise above the concepts of his age, did not go against them, did not want to change the existing order of things, but with his personal virtues and strict performance of duties he covered up the shortcomings of the existing order, making it not only tolerable for the people, but even capable of satisfying his social needs.”
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Perevezentsev S.V.
Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh (baptized Vasily) (1053–1125) - Prince of Smolensk, Pereyaslavl, Grand Duke of Kiev from 1113. The son of the Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod Yaroslavich and the Byzantine princess Mary, from whose father Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh inherited his honorary family nickname " Monomakh" (Greek - "combatant"). While his father was still alive, Vladimir Vsevolodovich began to reign in Smolensk, and on behalf of his father, he participated in campaigns against the enemies of Rus'. In 1093, after the death of Vsevolod Yaroslavich, the people of Kiev invited him to the great reign. But he refused and, observing the principle of seniority, gave up the grand-ducal table to his cousin Svyatopolk Izyaslavich.
In 1093, Vladimir Monomakh, together with other young princes, took part in the battle with the Polovtsians on the Stugna River. In 1097, on the initiative of Vladimir Monomakh, a princely congress took place in Lyubech. In 1103, at the Dolob Congress, the Russian princes decided to launch a broad offensive against the Polovtsy and drove the steppe people far beyond the Don and to the North Caucasus. The inspirer and leader of these campaigns was Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh.
In 1113, after the death of the Kyiv prince Svyatopolk, an uprising began in Kyiv against Jewish moneylenders and salt speculators. The Kyiv boyars summoned Vladimir Monomakh to the grand-ducal table. To reassure the people of Kiev, Vladimir Vsevolodovich, without entering Kyiv, which was in the grip of an uprising, in the suburban village of Berestov, ordered the drawing up of a new “charter”. This charter introduced fairer rules for collecting debts, streamlined the rules for mutual monetary payments among merchants, and also defined the duties of peasant purchasers, which protected them from becoming slave slaves. The new laws eased the situation of debtors and purchases, became an integral part of the “Russian Truth”, calmed the rebellious Kiev common people and earned Vladimir Monomakh the glory of a wise legislator and ruler, caring for the welfare of all his subjects.
During his lifetime, Vladimir Monomakh became famous for his talent as a commander, having completed more than eighty “great” military campaigns, while “small” campaigns apparently numbered in the hundreds. Vladimir Monomakh entered the history of Ancient Rus' as a political figure who put at the forefront the idea of the unity of Rus', which he invariably followed in his practical actions - he was able to put an end to princely civil strife, raise the authority of the grand princely authorities, pacify his nomadic neighbors, and unite Rus' under his leadership .
But, in addition to the fact that Vladimir Monomakh was the largest military-political figure in Kievan Rus, he was also a deep religious and philosophical thinker. This is evidenced by his famous “Teaching” - a mandate, a testament that Vladimir Monomakh intended for his children. The “Teaching,” with the accompanying letter from Vladimir Monomakh to his brother Oleg Svyatoslavich, is read only in the Laurentian Chronicle, where it is inserted between discussions about the origin of the Polovtsians and the story of the chronicler’s conversation with the Novgorodian Gyuryata Rogovich. In other chronicles - Ipatiev, Radziwill and others - the “Teaching” is absent, and the text, torn in the Laurentian Chronicle, is read without any break. There is a large literature regarding when the Instruction was written, but most likely it happened in 1117.
“Instruction” is the first real, very detailed autobiography in our history, which, among other things, represents an outstanding monument of ancient Russian literature, political and religious-philosophical thought.
The text of the “Teaching” shows how deeply the Christian worldview penetrated the souls and hearts of worldly people by the beginning of the 12th century. After all, in fact, the “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh is the first secular work known to us in Kievan Rus, based on Christian doctrine. In other words, this is the first Russian Christian work written by a secular person, and not by a monk or clergyman.
Of course, in the “Instruction” one can see that at the everyday level, pagan customs are still preserved in the lives of Russian people of the 12th century. Thus, Vladimir Monomakh himself continues to bear two names - “named Vasily in baptism, the Russian name Vladimir.” The pagan image of waiting for death - “sitting on Saneh” - is used by the Grand Duke to explain the reasons for the creation of the “Teaching”. It was according to the ancient pagan tradition that still persists in Rus' that the deceased was transported either in a boat or in a sleigh. Consequently, the Grand Duke wrote his “Teaching” while in his declining years, preparing to depart to another world. Glorifying the military valor of princes, which has its roots in pagan antiquity, is no stranger to Vladimir Monomakh.
And, nevertheless, the entire structure, all the basic symbolism and main ideas of Vladimir Monomakh’s “Teaching” are deeply Christian. Numerous and voluminous quotations from the Psalter and the works of Basil the Great, given in the text of the “Teachings,” show not only Vladimir Monomakh’s good knowledge of Christian literature, but also the fact that it was Christian ideas that were the foundation of the entire worldview of the great Kyiv prince. And the main order that he addresses to his children is that they accept and fulfill the rules of Christian piety with all their souls and keep the true faith in their hearts. And then they will retain hope for deliverance from sins, attainment of eternal salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, which inspires the soul of every Christian and constitutes the main goal of earthly existence: “... Get rid of your sins and not lose the Kingdom.”
Two deep Christian symbols run like red threads through the text of the entire “Teaching”. The first of them is the symbol of the heart. In the Christian understanding, the heart is the container and repository of God's grace, the focus and core of the entire human personality. Therefore, it is to the hearts of his children that Vladimir Monomakh appeals, hoping that they will accept his order “into their hearts.” And he also turns to the hearts of his children in the hope that, having truly believed, they will not be deprived of God’s grace: “If God softens your heart, and shed your tears for your sins.”
The second symbol is the symbol of the fear of God, which is inextricably linked with the symbol of the heart. Already at the beginning of the “Teachings” Vladimir Monomakh writes: “First, for your soul and for your soul, have the fear of God in your heart and do alms generously, that is, the firstfruits of all good.” In fact, here we encounter an almost literal reading of biblical wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” says the Psalms (111:10) and the Proverbs of Solomon (1:7, 9:10). Moreover, in the same Proverbs it is stated that “the fear of the Lord adds days, but the years of the wicked are shortened” (Prov. 10:27). Consequently, the test of the Fear of the Lord is one of the most important paths to salvation. After all, according to Orthodox doctrine, the Lord sends His punishments and the fear of God in order to cleanse a person from filth and deliver him from sins. The result of such purification is the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge of God's secrets. And it is not for nothing that, completing his instructions to the children, Vladimir Monomakh again returns to this symbol: “Behold, you are the end of everything: have the fear of God above all.”
In this regard, it is interesting that the idea of the fear of God has already emerged from the monastic environment and penetrated the minds and souls of secular people, even rulers.
It should be noted that later the symbols of the heart, as the receptacle of God’s grace, and the fear of God, as the beginning of wisdom, will become one of the most important in all of ancient Russian religious and philosophical thought. Moreover, these symbols will retain their meaning in the 18th–20th centuries, becoming the basis of a whole trend in Russian philosophy, called “metaphysics of the heart.”
In Vladimir Monomakh’s “Teaching,” a real, vivid and imaginative picture of Christian piety unfolds before us. And this is also no coincidence. After all, one of the goals of the “Teaching” is to show the ideal image of a Christian ruler. Repentance, mercy, prayer, care for the weak, justice, and trust in God are declared by Vladimir Monomakh to be those “small deeds” that are accessible to everyone, and which should serve as the basic principles of government: “But you, my children, are not a heavy commandment of God, And by doing these 3 deeds you will not lose your sins and not lose the Kingdom.” Among these principles is a mandatory alliance with the Church and respect for clergy. But at the same time, Vladimir Monomakh constantly emphasizes the main idea for him in this case - the initiative of true Christian piety should come from the ruler.
It is interesting in this regard that Vladimir Monomakh, being a secular ruler, is rather skeptical about the asceticism that has been increasingly growing since the end of the 11th century. On the contrary, he argues that fulfilling God’s commandments does not pose any great difficulties, but includes only “three small good deeds”: repentance, tears and alms. He calls on his children: “And don’t be lazy for God, I pray you, don’t forget these three things: they are not difficult; neither loneliness, nor cruelty, nor hunger, as it is good to endure other kindnesses, but with a small deed you can gain the mercy of God.”
The idea of “salvation by small deeds”, so vividly presented in the “Teachings” of Vladimir Monomakh, is a clear echo of early Old Russian Christianity, close to the Cyril and Methodius tradition, which still retains its influence. After all, the Grand Duke’s Christian worldview itself is quite bright and optimistic, even despite the fact that the idea of the fear of God is close to him. In this sense, the “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh is the intersection of two Christian traditions within the Orthodox faith. And, in fact, even three traditions, if we take into account some of the influence of pagan beliefs.
The most important task of a true Christian ruler, in addition to inculcating Christian piety, is to preserve the unity of his state. Therefore, when Vladimir Monomakh sets out the story of his life in the “Instruction”, the idea of the unity of Rus' emerges so clearly. It was this idea that Vladimir Monomakh himself served. Realizing the inevitability of the process of fragmenting Rus' into separate principalities, he sought to convince his heirs to preserve their political, military and cultural unity. The example given by Vladimir Vsevolodovich is curious: birds flying from paradise in the spring take their place, which belongs only to them; The weak take theirs, and the strong take theirs. And neither one tries to overtake the other and take a better place - each is content with its lot. This, Monomakh believed, was what the Rurik princes should do. This is what Vladimir Vsevolodovich himself did all his life, ruling in accordance with his conscience, feeling the needs of his native land.
This is evidenced by another of his works that has come down to us - “Letter to Oleg Svyatoslavich,” the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise and long-time rival of Monomakh. In this letter, Vladimir Monomakh calls on his rival to abandon the bloody struggle and revenge, despite the fact that Oleg Svyatoslavich killed Monomakh’s son Izyaslav in the internecine struggle for the city of Murom.
This letter is evidence of how Vladimir Monomakh himself, overwhelmed by a thirst for revenge, suppresses this base nature in himself and tries to make peace with his brother. It is interesting that in this message the symbol of the heart again occupies an important place: “O multi-passionate and sad one! - exclaims Vladimir Monomakh. “Having struggled a lot with my heart, and having overcome my soul, my heart, my mortal being, I think about what I should do before the Terrible Judge, who did not accept repentance and humility among himself.”
The source of his peaceful intentions are, firstly, the idea of Christ’s love, and, secondly, concern for the unity of the Russian land. Vladimir Monomakh is ready to reconcile even with the death of his son, in the name of ending civil strife. Therefore, he turns to Oleg Svyatoslavich with a call to humility and repentance, asserting: “...I don’t want evil, but I want good, brothers and the Russian land.”
The works of Vladimir Monomakh - “Teaching” and “Letter to Oleg Svyatoslavich” - have reached us in a single copy as part of the Laurentian Chronicle. But this does not mean that they were not known to contemporaries and descendants. The ideas preached by Vladimir Monomakh were very popular in Ancient Rus'. And the very image of Vladimir Monomakh, prince-warrior and prince-thinker, was constantly present in ancient Russian literature. Moreover, in the 16th century, when the question arose about the Moscow Grand Dukes accepting the royal title, it was Vladimir Monomakh, as the grandson of the Emperor of Constantinople, who became the most important link in the family tree, justifying the royal claims of the Moscow sovereigns. And it was not without reason that the royal crown, which was used to crown the kingdom, was called the “Monomakh’s cap,” although, as is known, it had absolutely nothing to do with the historical Monomakh.
In 1053, Vladimir, a descendant of the Rurikovichs, was born into the family of Anna (Greek princess) and Vsevolod I Yaroslavich. He got the nickname Monomakh from his mother’s family. According to historians, Anna was either the daughter or niece of the Byzantine emperor himself. This article will give you a brief
Childhood
The prince spent his childhood at the court of his father, Vsevolod. From a young age, he showed himself to be brave and resourceful. It was all due to training with the centurions of the princely squad. We can say that the military biography of Vladimir Monomakh began from the moment the prince turned 14 years old. It was then that he led the squad and periodically made long trips with it. Young Vladimir brutally suppressed the Vyatichi uprising and made several successful forays into the territory of the Polovtsians. The prince also loved hunting. Moreover, he did not allow the rangers to protect themselves from danger. Because of this, Vladimir Monomakh, whose brief biography is known to all schoolchildren, constantly found himself in unpleasant situations: he was under the feet of an elk and on the antlers of a deer. And on one of the hunts, a wild boar managed to tear the sword off his hip.
Campaigns and death of father
The further biography of Vladimir Monomakh included several important campaigns. In 1076, together with the Poles and Oleg Svyatoslavich, he went against the Czechs. And then he twice spoke out with Svyatopolk and his father against the Prince of Polotsk. Two years later, Vsevolod became the prince of Kyiv, placing Chernigov under the leadership of Vladimir. In 1080, Monomakh repelled several Polovtsian raids on his lands, and also destroyed the Torcan nomads.
In 1093, Vsevolod died, and Vladimir had the opportunity to take the throne in Kyiv. But, not wanting a war with his cousin Svyatopolk, he ceded this right to him. Monomakh himself remained to rule in Chernigov and extended his power to Smolensk and Rostov.
Under Svyatopolk Izyaslavich
After the death of Vsevolod, Vladimir and Svyatopolk were defeated by the Polovtsians on Stugna. Then they met them again in a new battle at Aleppo. No one knows the outcome of the battle, but after it a truce was immediately concluded, sealed by the alliance of Svyatopolk and the daughter of Khan Tugorkan.
Soon the peace was broken, and in 1094 the Polovtsians recaptured Chernigov from Vladimir, which forced him to settle in In the next few years, he and Svyatopolk participated in numerous campaigns against the Polovtsians, recapturing the cities captured from him and uniting Russian lands.
The beginning of the reign
After the death of Svyatopolk, the biography of Vladimir Monomakh was marked by a very significant event. Because of the popular uprising that broke out in Kyiv, the top of society asked him to take the throne. Stav suppressed the uprising, but still softened the position of the lower classes by approving several laws. This is how the “Charter on Rez” appeared, which limited the income of moneylenders, determined the rules of enslavement and eased the situation of purchases and debtors.
During this period, the prince was actively involved in strengthening Kievan Rus. 3/4 of its territories were under his leadership at the expense of his sons. Another way of control was dynastic marriages between the Rurikovichs. All the daughters and granddaughters of the ruler were married to different princes. As the biography of Vladimir Monomakh of that period says, stability in the state rested only on the authority of the prince. He earned it in the fight against the Polovtsians.
War with Byzantium
The biography of Prince Vladimir Monomakh includes campaigns not only to protect his own lands, but also to capture others. So, in 1114, False Diogenes II appeared in Rus', declaring himself a descendant of the Byzantine emperor. Monomakh supported him, passing off his daughter Maria as an impostor. In 1116, having gathered a significant army, Vladimir went to war against Byzantium under the pretext of returning the throne to the “true prince”. With the support of Monomakh, False Diogenes captured several Danube cities. In one of them, he was overtaken by two hired killers sent by Alexei I (Byzantine emperor). But the war did not end there. Vladimir continued to act in the interests of Vasily (son of False Diogenes), but all his attempts were unsuccessful. Soon Byzantium conquered all the Danube lands. The war ended with a dynastic marriage in 1123: the prince's granddaughter married the Byzantine emperor. This concludes the short biography of Vladimir Monomakh. It remains to say a few words about his death.
Death
Vladimir Monomakh, whose brief biography was presented in this article, ruled in Kyiv for almost 13 years. He died in May 1125 and was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral next to his father. Now, thanks to history lessons, the name of Monomakh is known to everyone. He was the one who united the Russian land, defended it and put an end to all civil strife. To achieve these goals, he made more than eighty campaigns. The prince's merits are undeniable. It is not without reason that it is considered the crown of autocracy and a symbol of the unification of Russian lands.
A bright figure of a warrior prince, an intelligent and kind administrator. From an early age, Vladimir began to take part in hunts for wild animals and, as he himself says in his teachings to children, was on the horns of a tour, and in the paws of a bear, and under the tusk of a wild boar.
Fearless and tireless, he began his combat career early. In 1076, his father entrusted Vladimir with leadership of the squad for a campaign in Silesia, to help the Polish king Vladislav III against the Czechs. The squads of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatoslav and Oleg, Prince of Volyn also took part in the 4-month campaign. The troops reached through Glogova (Glogau) to the Bohemian Forest (Bemerwald).
Vladimir Monomakh at the monument "Millennium of Russia"
In 1078, Vladimir Monomakh with his father’s retinue went to support his brother and ally, Grand Duke Izyaslav of Kyiv, against Vseslav, Prince of Polotsk, and burned Polotsk. When Vseslav's allies, calling upon the Polovtsians, invaded southern Russia, defeated the troops of Prince Vsevolod on the Orzhitsa River and took Chernigov (where Vsevolod had shortly before moved to reign from Smolensk), Vladimir hastened to the aid of his father and besieged Chernigov. In the battle that took place under its walls, Izyaslav fell, and his place on the grand ducal table in Kyiv was taken by Vsevolod, the father of Vladimir Monomakh.
But against him came, on the one hand, the sons of Svyatoslav, Oleg and Roman, who again called upon the Polovtsians, and on the other, Vseslav of Polotsk. Vladimir Monomakh first turned to the Svyatoslavichs, who were marching towards Chernigov, and, having lured the Polovtsy to his side, crushed the brothers. Roman was killed, Oleg fled to Greece. After this, he went against Vseslav, who was already besieging Smolensk. Vseslav did not accept the battle and, having set fire to Smolensk, fled to his land of Polotsk. Vladimir Monomakh pursued him with cavalry and devastated his possessions. In 1079 he again went to the Polotsk region and took Minsk.
In the period 1080 - 1092. Vladimir Monomakh made a number of successful campaigns: against the Torci who lived in the Pereyaslav region and against the Vyatichi and Polovtsians who plundered the southern Russian regions. In 1093, Vsevolod died, but Vladimir Monomakh ceded the great reign in Kyiv to Izyaslav’s son, Svyatopolk. The Polovtsians again invaded Russian borders and threatened Kyiv. Vladimir Monomakh hastened to his aid and, yielding to the insistence of Svyatopolk and his boyars, who believed in Vladimir’s military talents, crossed the Stugna River and gave the Polovtsians a battle (May 26, 1093) under the walls of the city of Tripoli. The Kiev army, which formed the right wing of the Russian battle formation, could not withstand the onslaught of the Polovtsians and retreated; the center and left wing still tried to hold out, but were thrown into Stugna. Vladimir Monomakh barely escaped the massacre and took refuge in Chernigov. Here, in the next 1094, he was besieged by Oleg Svyatoslavovich, who returned from Greece, and again brought hordes of Polovtsians to Rus'. Vladimir Monomakh defended himself stubbornly, but had to give in to force and retired to Pereyaslavl.
However, already in 1095, Vladimir Monomakh and Svyatopolk took revenge on the Polovtsians, ruining their lands, and then turned against Oleg, who fled from Chernigov to Starodub, from there he made his way to the north, captured Murom, Rostov and Suzdal, but was defeated on the Klyazma River by his son Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav.
Russian princes make peace in Uvetichi. Painting by S. V. Ivanov
Meanwhile, the Polovtsians again approached Kyiv and, while Vladimir Monomakh and Svyatopolk defeated one of their hordes on the Trubezh River (June 19, 1097), another took possession of Kiev and plundered it. This misfortune prompted Vladimir Monomakh to appeal to all Russian princes with a proposal to stop the internecine warfare that attracted hordes of predators to Rus', and at a congress in Lyubech (1097) he persuaded them to make peace and act together against the Polovtsians.
Although the princes sealed this sentence with a kiss of the cross, civil strife continued, and only in 1103, after congresses in Vitichev and at Dolobskoye Lake, Vladimir Monomakh managed to unite the princes in a common campaign against the Polovtsians. In the Suten tract, on the Dnieper, horse and foot squads of almost all Russian princes gathered and on April 4 they completely defeated the Polovtsian troops. After this, acting together, under the general leadership of Vladimir Monomakh, the Russians won a number of victories over the Cumans near Lubny, near Pereyaslav, on the Don and on the Sale River. Since then, the chronicler says, “the fame of Russian exploits has spread through all nations: the Greeks, Poles, Czechs, and even reached Rome.” The Polovtsians stopped disturbing the Russian land.
Dolobsky Congress of Princes - a meeting between Prince Vladimir Monomakh and Prince Svyatopolk. Painting by A. Kivshenko
In 1113, Svyatopolk died, and the people of Kiev elected Vladimir Monomakh as their prince. The reign of Vladimir is considered the most prosperous in the history of Kyiv. The raids of hostile tribes no longer disturbed the Russian lands. The Pechenegs, Torks, and Berendeys were expelled by him from Russian borders; his sons successfully protected Rus' from the Polovtsians, Volga Bulgarians and Chuds, making campaigns in Finland. Vladimir Monomakh was so strong and had such influence over the younger princes that none of them tried to challenge his seniority. Having occupied the Kiev table, Vladimir Monomakh turned all his attention to the internal structure of his principality. He is credited with important additions to the Russian Truth code. Revenge for murder was abolished and replaced by payment of a fine; The charging of interest on loans was limited, the position of slaves was significantly eased, it was forbidden to turn into servitude for debts, etc.
The era of Vladimir Monomakh was also the heyday of artistic and intellectual activity in Rus'. In Kyiv and other cities, many large and beautiful temples were erected and many Greek books were translated into Slavic. Vladimir Monomakh himself wrote the so-called “Teaching” to his children (see its full text and summary), in which, outlining his life in detail, he gives children advice on how to behave. “Do not execute anyone by death”, “do everything yourself, delve into everything, do not rely on tiuns and governors”, “on a campaign, equip the guards yourself, and when passing through Russian lands with an army, do not allow harm to the inhabitants.” Finally, he tells his children to study, pointing to his father, Vsevolod, who, sitting at home, learned five languages.
Vladimir Monomakh died in 1125 near Pereyaslavl, 72 years old. According to his own words in his teaching to children, he made 83 major campaigns (“I don’t remember the unimportant ones”), concluded 19 peace treaties with the Polovtsians, captured more than 100 of their khans, and executed more than 200 and drowned them in rivers. The name of Vladimir Monomakh was so popular that a legend was subsequently created that the Byzantine emperor sent him signs of royal dignity, “a crown and barmas.”
