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Vladimir Monomakh
*** Shopping-Tip: Vladimir Monomakh
:''For the cruiser see
Vladimir Monomakh (cruiser) and the submarine see
RFS Vladimir Monomakh''
'''Vladimir Monomakh''' (
Russian language Russian: Владимир Мономах;
Ukrainian language Ukrainian: Володимир Мономах; Christian name ''Vasiliy'', or ''Basil'') (
1053 --
May 19,
1125) was undoubtedly the best loved
Velikiy Kniaz of
Kievan Rus. He was the son of
Vsevolod of Kiev Vsevolod I by an anonymous daughter of Emperor
Constantine IX Constantine IX Monomachos, from whom he takes his nickname of ''Monomakh'' ("One who fights alone").
Through his maternal grandmother's family, Vladimir was apparently a descendant of
Romanus III Argyros and
Bardas Skleros Skleros families of Byzantium, and thus could have traced his bloodline to several other emperors such as
Romanus I and
Leo V. These Greek connections played an important role in his foreign affairs.
In his famous ''Instruction'' to his own children, Monomakh mentions that he conducted 83 military campaigns and 19 times made peace with the
Cumans Polovtsi. At first he waged war against the steppe jointly with his cousin
Oleg of Chernigov, but after Vladimir was sent by his father to rule Chernigov and Oleg made peace with the Polovtsi to retake that city from him, they parted company. Since that time, Vladimir and Oleg were bitter enemies who would often engage in internecine wars. The enmity continued among their children and more distant posterity.
Image:Monomakh's hunting.jpg thumb|left|250px|Monomakh rests after hunting.
From
1094, his chief patrimony was the Southern town of
Pereyaslav, although he also controlled
Rostov,
Suzdal, and other Northern provinces. In these lands he founded several towns, notably his namesake,
Vladimir, the future capital of Russia. In order to unite Russian princes in their struggle against the Great Steppe, Vladimir initiated three princely
congresses, the most important being held at
Lyubech in
1097 and
Dolobsk in
1103.
When
Sviatopolk II of Kiev Sviatopolk II died in 1113, the Kievan populace revolted and summoned Vladimir to the capital. The same year he entered Kiev to the great delight of crowd and reigned there until his death in
1125. As may be seen from his ''Instruction'', he promulgated a number of reforms in order to allay the social tensions in the capital. These years saw the last flowering of
Kievan Rus, which was torn apart 10 years after his death.
Vladimir was married three times: firstly to
Gytha of Wessex, then to a Byzantine noblewoman and finally to a daughter of a
Kipchaks Kipchak khan. By his first marriage he had
Mstislav the Great Mstislav, his illustrious heir. Among the children by second wife were
Yury Dolgoruky, the founder of
Moscow, and two daughters: Eufemia, who married King
Coloman of
Hungary, and Maria, married to the Byzantine pretender who called himself
Leon Diogenes. Vladimir's sister Praxedis became too well-known all over
Europe for her divorce with
Emperor Henry IV on the ground that he had attempted a
black mass on her naked body.
Vladimir Monomakh is buried in the
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv Saint Sophia Cathedral in
Kiev. Succeeding generations often referred to his reign as the golden age of that city. Numerous legends are connected with Monomakh's name, including the transfer from
Constantinople to Rus of such precious relics as the
Theotokos of Vladimir and the Muscovite crown called
Monomakh's Cap.
External links
-
English biography
-
Karamzin's account of Monomakh
-
Instruction of Vladimir Monomakh
-
The Pouchenie of Vladimir Monomakh
{{succession|office=
Rulers of Kievan Rus.html">Sviatopolk II of Kiev
Sviatopolk II|succeeded=
Mstislav of Kiev Mstislav}}
Category:1053 births Monomakh, Vladimir
Category:1125 deaths Monomakh, Vladimir
Category:Rulers of Kievan Rus
de:Wladimir Wsewolodowitsch Monomach
fr:Vladimir II Monomaque
ko:블ë?¼ë””미르 모노마í??
it:Vladimir II di Kiev
la:Vladimirus II Monomachus
ru:Владимир Мономах
uk:Володимир Мономах
*** Shopping-Tip: Vladimir Monomakh
