Svyatoslav III Vsevolodovich - Grand Prince Vladimir, Novgorod, Suzdal
Svetoslav Vsevolodovich was born in the city of Vladimir on Klyazma 27 March 1196 of the year. One of the eight sons of Vsevolod Yuryevich the Big Nest, Grand Duke of Vladimir. Mother - Czech Queen Maria Švarnova. When Svyatoslav was 4 of the year, Vsevolod Yuryevich, at the request of Novgorod, sent him to reign in Veliky Novgorod. Then he was replaced by his elder brother Konstantin, but in 1208, Svyatoslav returned to Novgorod again. But this time his rule was short-lived.
In 1210, some influential Novgorodians, who disagree with the policy of Vsevolod the Big Nest, invited Toropetsky Prince Mstislav Udatny to the city. He was in Torzhok - Novgorod possession, from where he sent a message to his supporters. After the arrival of the messenger from Mstislav Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich captured and put in custody in the house of the Archbishop. Arrived in Veliky Novgorod, Mstislav Udatny was received with all the honors. Having established himself on the principality, he soon returned to Torzhok again.
Learning about the fate of his son, as well as the events in Novgorod, Prince Vladimirsky, in turn, imprisoned Novgorod merchants in his possession, and sent a large army to Torzhok, headed by his elder sons Konstantin and Yaroslav. After some time, Svetoslav Vsevolodovich was released from Novgorod. He joined his brothers in Tver, and then with them returned to his father in Vladimir. There he remained until the death of Vsevolod Yuryevich. Before his death, Prince Vladimirsky allotted to his son the city of Yuryev-Polsky and Gorodets (Radilov) in the Vladimir province.
When Prince Vsevolod, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, felt the closeness of his death, he decided to give the eldest son Konstantin Vladimir, and the second son Yuri Rostov. However, Constantine demanded both cities. Angry at him, Prince Vsevolod called the boyars, who, together with Bishop John, advised him to plant on Yury's Grand Prince Vladimir table, but in this way the rights of inheritance were violated.
When 14 of April of 1212 died of Vsevolod the Big Nest, a civil war broke out in North-Eastern Russia. The power struggle took place between Yuri and Konstantin. Yuri was ready to give Vladimir, but in exchange for Rostov. Konstantin did not agree and offered his brother Suzdal. Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich took the side of Yuri. Together with him, in 1213, he took part in the campaign against Rostov against his brother, the side of which was taken by another son of Vsevolod, Yaroslav. For four weeks the troops of the brothers stood against each other, but in the end peace was concluded, which, however, did not last long.
In 1215, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich quarreled with the people of Novgorod and sat down in Torzhok. There he was besieged by Mstislav Udaty. Prince Yuri sent Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich to help his brother along with the army in 10 thousands of people. They occupied the city of Rzhev in the Tver province, but were forced to retreat under the onslaught of the riders of Mstislav Udatny.
On the side of Mstislav also fought Konstantin. Since April 20, there have been some skirmishes of Novgorod with the people of Yaroslav on the shore of Lipitsa. Then Yurii became stronger on Avdovaya mountain, and the opponents occupied Yuryev mountain. The next day, the Suzdal people noticed movement in the Novgorod camp and thought that they were going to retreat. Yuri's troops descended from the mountain to strike the Novgorodians in the rear, but they turned against them. There was a battle in which Yaroslav, his brother Yuri and their allies suffered a complete defeat.
I had to Yuri Vsevolodovich appear to the winners. An agreement was concluded, according to which Constantine received the principality of Vladimir and Suzdal, and Yury remained the inheritance of Gorodets on the Volga. Svetoslav Vsevolodovich was very upset by the bitterness of the defeat of his brother, whose side he had been holding all this time.
In 1218, Konstantin Vsevolodovich dies, and Yuri again becomes Grand Prince Vladimir-Suzdal. Two years later, he gathers a huge army against the Bulgarians, who attacked the border parishes. At the head of the army, the prince puts Svyatoslav, who decides to lead the fighters to the city of Oshel. The city had a fortress, fenced with strong oak tyn. There were two more fortifications behind the bar, and between them was a rampart. It was on this shaft that the besieged inhabitants fought against the Russians.
First of all, Svyatoslav sent soldiers with fire and axes, followed by spearmen and archers. The army was able to undercut the tyn, destroy both fortifications, and then set the city on fire from all sides. The prince of Bulgaria managed to escape with a small number of his supporters. All the women and children who left the burning city were taken prisoner, the men were immediately killed. Some Bulgarians themselves deprived themselves of life, first ruining their wives and children. After Oshel was exterminated, Svyatoslav together with his army moved up the Volga, ravaging many cities and villages along the way. That winter, the Bulgarians sent envoys to ask for peace. Svyatoslav safely reached the mouth of the Kama, and then returned to Vladimir.
The following years, on the instructions of his brother, Prince Vladimir, Svetoslav Vsevolodovich went with the army to Novgorod several times, took part in the siege of the city of Kes, however unsuccessfully. In 1226, he helped another brother, Ivan, the prince of Starodub, to suppress the uprising of the Mordovian people who were against the construction of Nizhny Novgorod on their lands. In 1228, Prince Yuri granted his brother Pereyaslavl Yuzhny, where Svetoslav spent the next ten years.
In 1230, Svetoslav Vsevolodovich began the construction of St. George's Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky on the site of an ancient church, founded by Yury Dolgoruky. Prince Svyatoslav ordered to disassemble the dilapidated building and proceed to the construction of a new one. Many historians claim that St. George's Cathedral is a kind of monument to the victory won by Yury Vsevolodovich over the Volga Bulgarians.
The construction of St. George's Cathedral was completed in 1234 year, no one could surpass the beauty of this masterpiece of architecture, although there were attempts, of course. The building was decorated with rich stone carvings, made with rare diligence. Relief images of people, animals and birds on the stones were laid out in such a way that together formed the whole picture. Currently, a stone cross preserved in the cathedral, carved by Svetoslav Vsevolodovich himself in memory of his miraculous rescue on the Volga River in 1224 year.
In 1238, Svyatoslav returned to Vladimir and on March 4, took part in the battle with the Tatars on Sitskaya Kitsch. In the same year, Grand Duke Yuri perishes in a battle with the troops of Khan Batu. Prince Vladimir becomes Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. He gives Svyatoslav the city of Suzdal. AT historical literature, it is 1238 that is considered to be the beginning of the formation of the Suzdal principality.
In 1245, the prince of Suzdal accompanies Prince Yaroslav on a trip to the Horde, from which he returns only a year later. After the death of his brother in 1246, now Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich became the Grand Prince of Vladimir. The prince distributed to all seven sons of Yaroslav, his nephews, in the principality, but they remained dissatisfied with this distribution. In 1248, Prince Svyatoslav’s nephew, Mikhail Yaroslavovich Khorobrit, expels him from the principality and sits on the table in Vladimir himself.
Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich returns to Yuryev-Polsky, where he founds a monastery in honor of the Archangel Michael. In 1250, he and his son Dmitri went to the Horde, trying to return the label to the principality, but lost. The prince spends his last years in prayer and repentance. The date of Svyatoslav’s death is considered to be 3 February 1252 of the year.
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