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Vladimir-Suzdal
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{{History of Russia}}
'''Vladimir-Suzdal Principality''', '''Vladimir-Suzdal Grand Duchy''' ({{lang-ru|ВладиÌ?миро-СуÌ?здальÑ?кое кнÑ?Ì?жеÑ?тво}}), or '''Vladimir-Suzdal Rus''' (Влади́мирÑ?ко-Су́здальÑ?каÑ? РуÑ?ÑŒ), was a major principality which succeeded
Kievan Rus as the most powerful East Slavic state in the late
12th century and lasted until the late
14th century. Traditionally perceived as a cradle of the
Great Russian language and nationality, Vladimir-Suzdal gradually evolved into the Grand Princedom of
Muscovy.
Origin
The principality occupied vast territory in the North-East of
Kievan Rus approximately bounded by
Volga River Volga,
Oka River Oka, and
Northern Dvina. In the
11th century, the local capital was
Rostov the Great, and the chief towns included
Suzdal,
Yaroslavl, and
Belozersk.
Image:Vladimir assumption.jpg thumb|[[Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir|Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was built in 1158–1160 and functioned as the mother church of Russia in the 13th century.]]
Vladimir Monomakh, on securing his rights to the principality in
1093, moved the capital from Rostov to Suzdal. Fifteen years later he founded the town of
Vladimir on the
Klyazma River, 31 km to the south from Suzdal. His son
Yury Dolgoruky George I the Long-Armed moved the princely seat to Vladimir in
1157. The boyars of Rostov and Suzdal, however, were reluctant to concede supremacy, and a brief civil war followed.
In the mid-12th century, when Southern lands of Rus were systematically raided by Turkic nomads, their population started to migrate northward. In the formerly wooded areas, known as
Zalesye, many new settlements were established. The foundations of
Pereslavl-Zalessky Pereslavl,
Kostroma,
Dmitrov,
Moscow,
Yuriev-Polsky,
Uglich, and
Tver were assigned (either by chronicle or popular legend) to George I, whose sobriquet alludes to his dexterity in manipulating politics of far-away
Kiev.
Heyday
It is Georges's son
Andrew the Pious who should be credited for bringing Vladimir to the zenith of its political power. Andrew was a singularly capable ruler, who treated the older centres of power (such as Kiev) with contempt. After having burnt down Kiev in
1169, he refused to accept the Kievan throne and enthroned his younger brother here instead. His capital of Vladimir was for him a far greater concern, as he embellished it with white stone churches and monasteries. Andrew was murdered by boyars in his suburban residence at
Bogolyubovo in
1174.
After a brief interregnum, Andrew's brother
Vsevolod the Big Nest Vsevolod III secured the throne. He continued most of his brother's policies, and once again subjugated Kiev in
1203. Vsevolod's prime enemies, however, were the Southern princedom of
Ryazan, which appeared to stir discord in the princely family, and the mighty Turkic state of
Volga Bulgaria, which bordered Vladimir-Suzdal to the east. After several military campaigns, Riazan was burnt to the ground, and the Bulgarians were forced to pay tribute.
Image:Vladimirskaya.jpg thumb|The veneration of the Theotokos as a holy protectress of Vladimir was introduced by Prince Andrew, who dedicated to her many churches and installed in his palace a venerated image, known as [[Theotokos of Vladimir.]]
Vsevolod's death in
1212 precipitated a serious dynastic conflict. His eldest son
Konstantin of Rostov Konstantin, gaining support of powerful Rostovan boyars and
Mstislav the Bold of Kiev, expelled the rightful heir, his brother
Yuri II George, from Vladimir to Rostov. Only six years later, upon Konstantin's death, did George manage to return to the capital. George proved to be a shrewd ruler who decisively defeated Volga Bulgaria and installed his brother Yaroslav in
Novgorod. His reign, however, ended in catastrophe, when the Mongol hordes under
Batu Khan took and burnt Vladimir in
1238. Thereupon they proceeded to devastate other major cities of Vladimir-Suzdal during the
Mongol invasion of Russia.
Mongol yoke
Neither Vladimir, nor any of the older cities managed to recover after the Mongol invasion. The princedom rapidly disintegrated into eleven tiny principalities: Moscow,
Tver, Pereslavl, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Uglich, Belozersk, Kostroma,
Nizhny Novgorod,
Starodub-on-the-Klyazma, and Yuriev-Polsky. All of them nominally acknowledged suzerainty of the Grand Prince of Vladimir, who was to be appointed by the Great Khan himself. Even the popular
Alexander Nevsky of Pereslavl had to go to the Khan's capital in
Karakorum (palace) Karakorum in order to be installed as the Grand Prince in Vladimir.
By the end of the century, only three cities—Moscow, Tver, and Nizhny Novgorod—still contended for the grand princely title. Their rulers, once installed as grand princes of Vladimir, didn't even bother to leave their capital city and to settle permanently in Vladimir. When the
Metropolitan Peter metropilitan of all Rus moved his chair from Vladimir to Moscow in
1321, it became pretty evident that
Muscovy effectively succeeded Vladimir as the chief centre of power in North-Eastern Rus.
See also
*
Zalesye
*
List of early East Slavic states
Category:Kievan Rus
Category:Former countries in Europe
Category:Former monarchies
Category:Principalities
Category:History of Russia
es:Principado de Vladimir-Súzdal
ja:ウラジーミル大公国
fi:Vladimir-Suzdal
ro:Principatul Vladimir-Suzdal
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