Boleslav II the Bold and Izyaslav Yaroslavich against Kiev
Boleslav II the Bold
After the death of Casimir, the throne was occupied by Boleslav II. Poland at that time was dependent on the Second Reich and was in conflict with the Czech Republic. The main task of the Polish prince was to find allies in a possible battle with the empire. Such allies could be Hungary and Russia. Boleslav had strong ties with Russia - he was the son of Dobronega (Mary), apparently the daughter of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Grand Duke of Kiev. He was married to the daughter of Svyatoslav of Chernigov, Vysheslav. The new great Russian prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich was married to Gertrude, the daughter of the Polish king Mieszko II. Union with Russia was established by his father, Casimir.
It is worth noting that at this time between Russia and Poland there was still no full-fledged conceptual and ideological (Russian idea of truth and justice, life by conscience against the parasitic Western “matrix”) and civilizational conflict along the East-West line, Russian and Western civilizations. The Polish nationality, made up of various Slavic unions of tribes of the superethnos Rus, in language, culture, and even faith (paganism has not yet died), did not differ much from the Russians. Conflicts were “related” in nature - the Polish princes helped one Russian princes against others, the Russian princes helped one part of the Polish elite against another. The Western "matrix", through informational, ideological diversion - the introduction of Christianity, has not yet been crushed by Slavic self-consciousness in Poland. And the Western parasitic slaveholding, feudal system with the transformation of the majority of Poles into slaves-cattle, has not yet won. Poland only became part of Western civilization.
Relying on an alliance with Hungary and Kievan Rus, Boleslav II intervened in the internecine wars in the Czech Republic in 1061, but failed. The Polish-Czech conflict took advantage of the knowledge of the Western Pomerania and refused to recognize its dependence on Poland. Boleslav did not intensify his actions in this direction. Soon, Western Pomerania became part of the state of the Wakey. Then Boleslav actively intervened in the affairs of the Russian state, using the unrest and revolt that began in Kiev.
Boleslav II the Bold
The general situation in Russia
In 1054, the great Kiev Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich passed away. Kiev received the weakest of the brothers - Izyaslav, the belligerent Svyatoslav - Chernigov, weighed and peaceful, the favorite of his father Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl, Vyacheslav - Smolensk, Igor - Vladimir-Volynsky. It was possible to give the main Kiev table to Svyatoslav or Vsevolod, bypassing Izyaslav, but Yaroslav the Wise considered the main order and asked the brothers to observe the "series", the order of inheritance. The elder, Grand Duke of Kiev, all were obliged to read and obey, like a father. But he also had to take care of the younger ones, to protect them. Yaroslav established a hierarchy of Russian cities and princely thrones. The first in rank is Kiev, the second is Chernigov, the third is Pereyaslavl, the fourth is Smolensk, the fifth is Vladimir-Volynsky. None of the sons remained without inheritance, each received possession according to seniority. But Russia was not divided. The younger princes submitted to the eldest, Kiev, important issues were solved together. Commons were not given to perpetual use. The Grand Duke will die, Chernigov will replace him, and the other princes will move along a kind of “ladder” (ladder) to higher “steps”.
Other cities and lands were not allocated personally, but were attached to the main lands. The right bank of the Dnieper and Turovo-Pinskaya land departed to Kiev. Novgorod directly submitted to the Grand Duke. The two most important centers of Russia, Kiev and Novgorod, which determined the development of the Russian land, should have been in the same hands. The Chernihiv table belonged to Tmutarakan, other advanced outposts of Russia, lands on the Desna and Oka as far as Murom. By Pereyaslavl - the southern line of the fortified towns to Kursk. Also Pereyaslavl added a distant Zalesie - Rostov, Suzdal, Beloozero. The vast Smolensk and Vladimir-Volyn principality did not require “additives”.
At the beginning of the reign of Izyaslav was calm. However, the Kiev boyars-trade elite quickly took advantage of the weakness of the new Grand Duke, his noblemen, who regulated the policies of the Kiev prince in their own interests, tightly fastened. In Kiev, continued grand construction. Recently, Yaroslav expanded the capital to the Yaroslav city, and Izyaslav began to build “Izyaslav city” to please his wife and grandees. They outlined the construction of a new palace, the Dmitrievsky Monastery (the grand duke had the Christian name Dmitry). On the construction, as then, as now it is always possible to warm your hands well, here there was a complete expanse with Koosnyachko’s fellow prisoners. True, there was no extra money, but they were borrowed from Jewish moneylenders who had strong ties with the Kiev elite. The prince paid for the loans with contracts, privileges and privileges. But the money had to be returned. As usual, ordinary people suffered the most. Taxes increased, introduced new taxes. In Kiev, predation and embezzlement flourished - treasury, grandees, boyars, merchants, Greeks, Jewish usurers, tiuns, collecting taxes, grew rich. Nobles and boyars cleaned up the hands of the land and the village. The peasants, who yesterday were free community members, became dependent.
The advisers suggested that the Russian Truth be edited - the laws of Russia. Laws came from ancient times, when there was no slavery and the vast majority of people were free community members. According to the Russian Truth, death was avenged by death. Now they made amendments - the blood feud and the death penalty were abolished, replaced with a money vira (fine). And if the offender can not pay, it can be sold to the same merchants, usurers. It is clear that the rich strata of the population could buy off a crime.
At the same time, the Byzantine influence that had been shaken earlier was restored in church structures. In St. Sophia Cathedral the Greeks prevailed, setting out their relatives in the temples. The Pechersk monastery, which remained a Russian spiritual center, was attacked. The monks even wanted to go to Chernigov, under Svyatoslav's wing, only under the influence of the wife of Grand Duke Gertrude (she feared a repetition of unrest in Russia and war with the pagans, which was in Poland), they were convinced to return. The people of the Greek Christianization responded by preferring pagan rituals and games in the fields and forests. Thus, the socio-economic, religious situation in Kiev heated up.
In the meantime, the situation on the steppe borders of Russia has dramatically worsened. In the steppe was a massacre. In the middle of the 11th century, in the next war, the Cumans-Polovtsi defeated the Torks. And the Pechenegs were weakened by the former wars with the Rus, and a significant part of their clans and tribes went to the Balkans. Torquay piled on the remaining Pechenegs and they threw the Black Sea coast towards their Balkans towards their relatives. On Rus came the horde of Torks. The main city of the Russian southern border system was Pereyaslavl, the lot of Vsevolod Yaroslavich. This prince, though peace-loving, was able to fight. Drove squads and crushed Torks. But behind the torso there was a wave of Polovtsy. In 1055, the Polovtsi appeared at Pereyaslavl. They did not immediately fight. Khan Bolush summoned Vsevolod negotiations. The Polovtsi said that their enemies are Torks, they are not at war with the Russians. They exchanged gifts, made peace and friendship. Later, Vsevolod, after the death of his first wife, married the Polovtsian princess. Relatives of Anna of Polovtsi became loyal allies of Vsevolod.
It is worth knowing that in spite of the image of a nomad, a Mongoloid formed by the means of the media, a short, little black one, on a small horse with a bow and saber, this is a lie. This myth has been created to distort genuine history superethnos rusov, the history of Eurasia. The Kumans, like the Pechenegs before them, the main part of the Khazars, Torks, Berendeys, were not representatives of the Mongoloid race and the Turkic language family. These were the remnants of the ancient Scythian-Sarmatian population of Northern Eurasia, the Great Scythia. In this regard, they were relatives of the Rus-Russian, also the direct heirs of the Great Scythia. In Russia, the cumans were called Polovtsy from the word “chaff”, straw ”- by hair color, these nomads were blue-eyed blondies. No wonder the Russian princes loved to take Polovtsian girls as wives, they were distinguished by their beauty and devotion. The inhabitants of the steppe were close to Russian in spiritual and material culture, appearance.
The myth is the image of a typical steppe nomad, who only does what wanders the steppe with its huge herds, makes forays and robs. The Polovtsi, like the Scythians, had their city-mills, the stakes, although their main economy was developed animal husbandry. Taking into account the military threat that emanated from the steppe, it is clear that the Scythians, and their heirs, the Pechenegs, the Polovtsy, and the “Mongol-Tatars” had a developed military production, which made it possible to arm powerful armies. The “Mongol-Tatars”, who were attributed to the primitive Mongolian ethnos, who had no opportunity to conquer a significant part of Eurasia, were also descendants of the Scythian Rus — blue-eyed, gray-eyed “giants” . Hence the myths and legends of the Turkic ethnic groups about the white-skinned, light-eyed giant ancestors. Only they had an ancient military culture and industrial base, which allowed to create the great empire of Genghis Khan. In a later period, the descendants of the Scythians, the "Mongol-Tatars" partly mixed with the Ugric peoples, the Mongoloids, the Turks, got the Mongoloid look (the genetics of the Mongoloids dominant in relation to the Caucasians), switched to the Turkic languages. The other part of the Polovtsy and the “Mongol-Tatars” organically became part of the Russian superethnos, without causing any serious anthropological and cultural-language changes, since they were all direct descendants of the Scythians, and before them the Aryans.
A fierce war in the steppe went on for several years. From the Volga and the Don retreated all the new tribes of the torques. Skirmishes constantly took place on the Russian border, the heroic outposts interfered with the nomadic detachments, the guard squads of the fortified towns were in constant tension. Separate detachments of torques penetrated into Russian lands, burned and robbed. Russian squads tried to intercept them. Masses of torques, which were squeezed by the Polovtsy, accumulated in the lower reaches of the Dnieper. There was a threat of a major invasion of the Kiev region and Volyn. Russian princes declared a general campaign. In 1060, all of Russia appeared - Kiev, Chernihiv, Pereyaslav squads, came Novgorod, Smolensk and Volyn rati. Even Polotsk prince Vseslav Bryachislavich arrived, who kept himself on his own. The whole flotilla took the infantry. In the first skirmishes of torques scattered. Having learned what kind of force goes to them, the Torquay, not accepting the battle, went further west, to the Danube. The Torkian horde broke into the possession of Byzantium, but here they were met by the Pechenegs who had arrived earlier and defeated them. The Torques were divided, part went into the service of the Byzantine emperor, others returned to the north and offered their services to the Grand Prince of Kiev. Izyaslav settled them on the right bank of the Dnieper, the Torchesk fortress was built here.
However, now between Polovtsy and Rus there was no Torque buffer. Polovtsian raids began. In 1061, in the winter, when no one was waiting for them, the Polovtsi broke through the Russian border defense and smashed the Pereyaslav squad of Prince Vsevolod. He locked himself in a fortress. At the same time there was no total war. Some princes were friends with the Russians, entered into family alliances, others fought, then reconciled, traded. Polovtsi from this time, as before them, the Pechenegs, became active participants in the internal Russian strife. Russian princes actively attracted Polovtsian mercenaries and detachments of their relatives to fight with their rivals.
Strife
Inside Russia there was no unity, as Yaroslav the Wise dreamed. His heirs quickly began to arrange strife. And began the Grand Duke Izyaslav. When the eldest of Yaroslavichi, Vladimir, died before his father, after him his son Rostislav sat in Novgorod to rule. And Novgorod was a gold mine, and an important political center of Russia. The great prince of Kiev, Izyaslav, and his own selfish surroundings began to worry that all of the benefits from owning a great trade city were inherited by his nephew Rostislav, and not by him. Rostislav recalled from Novgorod. Soon Vyacheslav Yaroslavich Smolensky died. The transition began on the ladder. From Vladimir-Volynsky, the fifth in rank of the city, Igor was taken to Smolensk. But he did not reign too long, fell ill and died. Rights to Smolensk received Rostislav. In full accordance with the ladder: when the brothers die, their sons begin to move up the stairs. At first he was the eldest, then the second-oldest, and so on. But Rostislav’s father, Vladimir, was older than Izyaslav. In this scenario, Rostislav was the fourth in line at the Kiev table! This did not suit the Grand Duke, his entourage, and Svyatoslav with Vsevolod. Rostislav walked ahead of the sons of the three main rulers of Russia. As a result, the law "edited." Like, when there was a distribution of inheritances, Vladimir was no longer alive. Therefore, Rostislav falls out of the system of a ladder. The children of the deceased brothers, Vyacheslav and Igor, were thrown out of the stairs. They became rogue princes. Outlaws in Russia called people who had fallen out of their social stratum (for example, peasants who had left the rural community for the city, slaves who were released, etc.). Smolensk and Vladimir-Volyn became the fiefdoms under the direct control of the Grand Duke and his people.
Rostislav was given Vladimir-Volynsky in feeding, but not according to the system of ladder, but from the Grand Duke's “bounty”. It is clear that Rostislav was offended. His father was the heir of Yaroslav the Wise, a favorite of Novgorod. And now his son was just a vassal of the Grand Duke, Izyaslav wanted - he gave Volyn, he wanted - he would take it away, as Novgorod had taken. And the descendants of Rostislav will not be able to climb the stairs, they will not be able to get Pereyaslavl, Chernigov and Kiev. Then Rostislav made a strong move - made an alliance with Hungary, married the daughter of the Hungarian ruler Bela. With such a father-in-law, the Volyn prince became independent from Kiev. However, in 1063, his patron Bela died. Alone Volyn was not to hold. The decisive and enterprising prince came up with one more move - he suddenly occupied Tmutarakan, which belonged to the Chernigov prince. Here he began to plan a trip to Chersonese or other Byzantine possessions. But the Greeks preventively poisoned the Russian prince.
Immediately began a new distemper. She began the independent prince of Polotsk Vseslav of Polotsk (Vseslav the Prophet or the Sorcerer), who was considered a sorcerer and a werewolf. Polotsk has long concealed a grudge against Kiev. When Rostislav brewed porridge in the south, the Polotsk prince decided that a big war would begin, the Yaroslavich brothers would be busy and would not be able to react to his actions. He tried to take Pskov, but there they managed to shut up. Vseslav rushed to Novgorod. There the attacks did not wait, and the Vseslav warriors robbed the rich city well. Vseslav even robbed the Hagia Sophia. The brothers Yaroslavichi - Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, in 1067, responded with a trip to Minsk. The city was taken by storm, the defenders killed. The townspeople were sent to slavery, Minsk burned.
It is worth noting that because of the mistakes of the rulers, ordinary people always suffer, as then, as now. Russian soldiers from the Polotsk land quietly plundered Novgorod. The Russian army of Yaroslavichi stormed the Russian city of Minsk, burnt it. Residents sold into slavery. Currently no better. Russians, some of whom consider themselves “Ukrainians,” quietly shoot the Russian cities of Donetsk and Lugansk. Therefore, the ideal form of government for Russia is an empire with a strong central authority. When energy is directed to external frontiers, most ordinary people live in safety.
While Minsk was still fighting, Vseslav Bryachislavich wasted no time collecting the Polotsk rati. In March 1067, the two armies converged on the Nemige River. The troops of the 7 days stood against each other in deep snow. Finally, Vseslav of Polotsk began a full-moon attack, and many warriors fell on both sides. The battle is described in the Word about the regiment of Igor: "... on Nemiga, sheaves are spread from the heads, beat with damasks, they put life on the current, blow the soul out of the body ...". The battle has become one of the largest and bitter internecine battles in Russia. Vseslav's troops were defeated. The prince himself was able to escape. Polotsk land was subjected to ruin. Many people were captured and sold to usurers slavers.
After 4 a month after the battle, Yaroslavlichi called Vseslav to negotiations, kissed the cross and promised safety, but they broke their promise - they grabbed together with two sons, took them to Kiev and imprisoned them. At the same time the Greek clergy supported the Grand Duke. For Byzantium, betrayal was commonplace.
Miniature from the Radziwill Chronicles
To be continued ...
- Alexander Samsonov
- Poland vs Russia
How Poland became an anti-Russian ram
How the Poles of Boleslav the Brave took Russian Kiev for the first time
How Yaroslav the Wise helped restore Poland
Information