Roman Mstislavich Galitsky is the son of Mstislav Izyaslavich Volynsky. Subsequently he became the Grand Duke of Kyiv. Galitsky's mother was the Polish princess Agnes, daughter of Boleslav Wrymouth.
Origin
Roman Mstislavich received his initial education in a monastery, then at court. His paternal ancestors reigned in Kyiv at different times. The father and grandfather of Roman Mstislavich had to endure a difficult struggle for the throne. The rivals were quite serious - the Suzdal and Chernigov princes. Roman Mstislavich's maternal ancestors were Polish kings.
Childhood
Galitsky's mother, Agnes, was drawn into court intrigues from infancy. She married a Russian prince at the age of 14. The exact date and place of birth of Roman Mstislavich is unknown. According to the chronicles, his parents got married around 1152 (the exact date is not indicated in official sources). Their first son, Roman, was born in Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny the next year after the wedding. Then his brothers were born - Vladimir and Vsevolod. Roman Mstislavich's childhood took place during a period when his father had serious problems. The family was forced to move to Volyn.
Education
In 1155, Roman Mstislavich's father was expelled from there by Yuri Dolgoruky. A destitute family came to their relatives in Poland for help. The young Prince of Galicia studied there. Roman Mstislavich received his higher education in Germany, in accordance with the traditions and rules of the court. The young man inherited many of his father’s character traits: perseverance, energy, etc.
Novgorod reign
The childhood of princely sons in those days ended early. In 1167, young Galitsky returned to Rus' with a small Polish army. Residents of Veliky Novgorod invited him to reign with them. Roman Mstislavich (ruled in Novgorod: 1168-1170) was supposed to replace the powerful boyar Yakun. This land was a tasty morsel for many, and serious protection was required.
In Novgorod, the power of the prince was not inherited. He, as a protege of the boyars, performed the main functions: diplomatic, judicial and military. Despite his young age, Galitsky immediately found a common language with the ruling local elite. He immediately got involved in his work and made several important military campaigns against hostile neighbors. One of these successful raids was made near Toropets. In 1169, Galitsky successfully repelled the attack of Andrei Bogolyubsky.
Reign in Volhynia (1170-1188)
Over time, Prince Roman's popularity began to decline, and he had to return to Volyn. There was a second reason for this - my father was dying. After his death, Prince Roman Galitsky began to rule in Volyn. For 15 years he defended the lands from the Lithuanians and Yatvingians. The city of Vladimir-Volynsky was significantly strengthened. As a result, it became one of the most beautiful in southern Rus'. The reign of Roman Mstislavich also brought innovations - stone construction.
Reign in Galich (1188)
Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich ruled in Galich. In 1188, unrest began in the lands. The city was besieged by Roman Mstislavich. He forced the inhabitants to surrender and accept his reign. But he could not retain power for long. After some time, Galitsky was expelled from Galich by the Hungarians.
Fight for possessions
In 1194-1195 Prince Roman Mstislavich received several cities (Torchesk, Trepol, Kanev, etc.) from Rurik of Kyiv, his father-in-law. Brother Vsevolod gave Galitsky back to the reign of Vladimir-Volynsky. Seven years later, Roman Mstislavich had to cede his possessions and go to Poland for help. When the prince returned, he received only a small inheritance from his father-in-law, which displeased Galitsky. He entered into an alliance with the Olgovichi and attacked the Kyiv lands.
Galicia-Volyn Principality
In 1199, after the death of Vladimir Yaroslavich, Roman Mstislavich again captured (with the help of the King of Poland Leszek the White) Galich. The new prince applied a policy of terror against local boyars. Some were executed, others managed to escape. Some sources describe that Prince Galitsky took over the boyar lands.
After this, the conquered territories were united into one whole. Roman Mstislavich became the first Galician-Volyn prince (1199-1205). His possessions were huge. Prince Galitsky was the most influential and powerful in southern Rus'. He sought to create stability for the ruling elite by caring for his heirs. Prince Galitsky had little chance to “sit on the throne of power.”
This was hampered by constant rivalry over vast territories and the years it took. The activities of Roman Mstislavich and the new system of replacing princely rule contributed to the cessation of the struggle. At the same time, this suppressed the claims of other dynasties, since the rule of the conquered lands was planned to be passed on by inheritance.
Capture of Kyiv possessions
In 1201, Galitsky began a war against Rurik Rostislavovich, his father-in-law. This was Prince Roman's revenge for past grievances. He teamed up with the Polovtsy and Olgovichi and captured Kyiv. The allies of Prince Roman showed their immense cruelty when plundering the city, and it was practically deserted. After some time, Galitsky made peace with Rurik Rostislavovich and allowed him to return to Kyiv. Before this, he took an oath of renunciation from the Polovtsy and Olgovichi.
Ingvar Yaroslavich was appointed to Kyiv as governor. After the capture of the city, Prince Galitsky made many campaigns against the Polovtsian lands. As a result, they temporarily stopped besieging Rus' and Byzantium. In 1204, Prince Roman returned from another campaign against the Polovtsians. He captured Rurik and sent him to be tonsured in a monastery.
He also sent his wife and daughter (Galitsky’s ex-wife) there. Rurik's sons were captured. Thus, the Kiev territory was added to the prince’s vast possessions. After negotiations with Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, Rurik’s sons were released. The eldest, Rostislav, son of Rurik, was sent to rule Kiev.
Death of the great Roman Mstislavich
In 1205, the prince joined Leshko against Vladislav. The enemies made peace when Prince Galitsky had already captured several cities, and his help was no longer needed. He turned home. On the road near the city of Zavikhvost, Roman Mstislavich was killed by the Poles. At that time he was just over fifty years old.
The tragedy occurred during the formation of the foundation of public education, which then existed for a century and a half. The death of Prince Roman Mstislavich provoked important consequences. Internecine wars began in the Volyn-Galician lands. They lasted for a very long time, with breaks of forty years. The death of Roman Mstislavich had the greatest impact on Volyn, since the prince was the best defender of all the previous ones.
He could well become the first Galician king. The crown had already been offered to Roman Mstislavich by Pope Innocent III. True, on condition that the prince accept the Catholic faith, but he refused and remained faithful to the Orthodox. The funeral took place in Galich, in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Characteristics of Prince Galitsky
The characterization of Roman Mstislavich, left by his contemporaries in the chronicles, is very interesting. Outwardly, the prince was short in stature, with broad shoulders and beautiful facial features. Hair and eyes are black, there is a small hump on the nose. The prince's temper was very hot-tempered, and when he was angry, he began to stutter.
As a ruler, the prince is characterized in the chronicles as very stern. He treated the Galician boyars cruelly. Many of them died a painful death. Roman Mstislavich constantly carried out cruel and varied executions. The reason was the violent temper of the Galician boyars. Therefore, Prince Roman killed the best, and some managed to escape from the tyrant by fleeing to other patrons.
There is information in the chronicles that Prince Galitsky subsequently tried to return the escaped boyars. But the favors offered by Roman Mstislavich had a “double bottom.” He kept his promises, but after a while he attributed false accusations to the boyars and brutally executed them.
Personal life
Roman Mstislavich married twice. For the first time at Predslava, the daughter of Rurik Rostislavovich. Divorced her in 1197. Then he took Anna Maria as his wife. Judging by the chronicles, she was a Byzantine princess and the named sister of the Hungarian king Andras II.
In his first marriage, Prince Roman first had a daughter, whom he named Theodora. She married Vladimir Yaroslavich's son, Vasilko. The second daughter was named Olena. She was married to the son of Vsevolod Chermny, Mikhail Vsevolodovich.
In his second marriage, Roman Mstislavich had a son, Daniil. Subsequently, he became the Galician-Volyn prince, and in 1254 - king. After Daniil, Roman Mstislavich had a second son, Vasilko. Subsequently, he became the prince of several territories at once.
Roman Mstislavich is one of the most prominent princes of the late era of Kievan Rus. It was he who managed, at a historical turning point, to create the foundation of a new type of state, a kind of prototype, close in its political content to a centralized estate-representative monarchy. At that time, Kyiv had already lost its role as the center of a large and strong state, small fragments of which were just beginning to form. But the first successor to rise from the ruins of Kievan Rus was the Principality of Galicia-Volyn. And Prince Roman Mstislavich was precisely its creator, who launched a new ship of statehood on a long voyage.
He managed to become a Novgorod prince, thoroughly rise as a Volyn (or Vladimir) prince, then, having received the Principality of Galicia, unite them into one state, and even become the ruler of Kyiv for a short time. But the most distinctive thing about his reign was the attempt to establish a federal structure in Rus', which had long been gaining momentum in Western Europe.
Roman Mstislavich. short biography
Unfortunately, written sources (chronicles) preserve information only about the last fifteen years of the prince’s life, and then with large gaps. Nothing at all is known about childhood and adolescence. There is very little evidence about how Galich was taken by Roman, as well as about the campaign against Poland, in which the prince died. It is very difficult to say anything about the relations of the Galicia-Volyn principality of this period with Kiev, as well as with the North Russian Yuryevich. And even in the available sources one feels something about the Roman, since they were written at the courts of opposing monarchs. The activities of Roman Mstislavich were highlighted only by brief mentions in the general context of the biography of his own prince.
Added to all this is the not very high interest in such personalities on the part of historians, the paucity of the material being processed and the small volume of facts presented. One of the most valuable historiographical sources is still the work of the Russian historian V.N. Tatishchev, since it was the earliest such work. Ukrainian historians were more attentive to the study of this period and to the figure of the prince himself. Let's try to briefly and clearly recreate the main available material.
Princely family and family ties
Roman, and at baptism - Boris, belonged to the family of the Rurikovich dynasty ruling in Rus'. His great-great-grandfather was Vladimir Monomakh, a descendant of Yaroslav the Wise and Vladimir the Great - the baptist of Rus'. The eldest branch of Monomakh - the dynasty of the Kyiv prince Mstislav Vladimirovich - was headed by Roman's grandfather and father - Izyaslav Mstislavovich and Mstislav. Through his mother, Polish Princess Agnes, the prince's roots are also quite impressive. Roman Mstilavich was the grandson of the Polish prince Boleslaw III "Krivoroty", as well as the nephew of the subsequent four rulers of Poland.
Birth of Prince Roman
Mstislav, Roman's father, had four sons. By seniority they are Svyatoslav, Roman, Vsevolod and Vladimir. But, judging by the attitude and indirect evidence, Svyatoslav was an illegitimate child. Because seniority among the Mstislavichs was always given to Roman. The exact date of Roman’s birth has not been recorded, but it happened approximately in 1153. The choice of name also raises a number of questions, since it meant Roman, but came to Rus', most likely, through Byzantium. Although the name Roman has already been repeatedly found among princes, it is believed that it was after the reign of Roman Mstislavich that the use of the name acquired a much greater scope. Historians still have quite a lot of questions about this personality, but his achievements in such a difficult time give every right to call the prince nothing other than Roman Mstislavich the Great. And that's why…
Roman's childhood
Roman Mstislavich was born around the time when the death of his grandfather forced his father to leave Pereyaslavl in Volyn and seek his destiny on his own and without support. His father sat on the Kiev throne when Roman was almost fourteen. It is obvious that the future prince did not know a calm childhood. However, there is a mention that from the cradle Roman was raised at the court of the Polish prince. Therefore, we can assume that the future prince received a good education in the spirit of that time and Europe. There are also references to the fact that Roman Mstislavich Galitsky spent most of his youth in Poland and Germany, which influenced his political worldview and spiritual culture.
Prince of Novgorod
According to the Kyiv Chronicle, in 1168 the Novgorodians invited the eldest son of the new Kyiv prince Mstislav to their principality. This was Roman's first title and the beginning of his glorious political activity. For only three years he ruled the distant lands at the behest of his father. But the situation worsens when Mstislav loses Kyiv. And the coalition of Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky also complicates everything. Among other things, Roman had to carry out the will of the local boyars; he was not fully a ruler. My father's support was my only support. Therefore, after his death, Roman Mstislavich was forced to abdicate the throne and return to his patrimony. As the eldest among the brothers, he receives Vladimir in Volyn. Troubled times forced us to spend a lot of time on hikes, defending ourselves from neighbors on all sides. Already at the beginning of his reign, Roman Mstislavich gained fame in the fight against external threats. Here they were the Yatvingians - a Lithuanian tribe.
Prince Volynsky
The power of the Volyn lands was founded by Mstislav, when Prince Vladimir and his brother Yaroslav, Prince of Lutsk, reached an agreement on mutual support. As Monomakhovichs, the brothers owned these lands as hereditary fiefdoms. And in the event of the death of one, the other had to support his nephews in everything. Such an alliance prevented discord between the princes and provided support in the struggle to establish hegemony in the western and southern regions. Therefore, none of the relatives had any special claims to Roman’s patrimony. But in the first years of his reign here, Roman was completely dependent on his uncle, Yaroslav Izyaslavich. Over time, having thoroughly established himself in Volyn, Prince Roman Mstislavich no longer encountered opposition either from the nobility or from close relatives. Roman did not have any enmity with his brothers and nephews, since they did not pursue an active foreign policy, but relied in everything on Roman and the Vladimir Principality.
Prince Galitsky
The first attempts to annex the Galician lands to Volyn were made by Roman Mstislavich back in the 80s. Even then, a strong confrontation between the boyars and Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Galicia ended in the expulsion of the latter, and Roman managed to come to an agreement with the boyars and settle in Galich in 1188. And this was the first reign of Roman Mstislavich Galitsky. But the strength and capabilities of the young prince were not yet what they were, so in the fight against the Ugrians, Roman Mstislavich ceded the capital of the Galician lands to the conquerors.
The second time Roman managed to land in Galich in 1199, that’s when the history of the Galicia-Volyn principality begins. Now, after the death of Vladimir Yaroslavovich, who left no heirs, Roman Mstislavovich was one of the contenders for the vacant throne. Having strengthened the neighboring principality and getting firmly on his feet, Roman managed by hook or by crook and even military confrontation to reverse the discontent of the local elite. The boyars' feuds could have prevented this, and for a long time they did not give the prince peace. But nevertheless, the unification took place, and Roman managed to strengthen the princely power. And a new state appeared on the map, which gradually grew. Prince Roman Mstislavich, with his strong character and unshakable rule, strengthened it and laid the foundation for the strong policy of his heirs.
Prince of Kyiv
It just so happened that the contenders for Galich always turned their attention to the Kiev throne. Being exhausted by military campaigns, Roman Mstislavich Galitsky turned to the Kyiv prince Rurik and Metropolitan Nikifor to sign a peace agreement. The negotiations ended so successfully that in 1195 Roman even received communion in the Kyiv lands, as well as the city of Polonny and Torcheskaya (or Korsun) volost in the Kyiv lands. But already in 1201 Roman Mstislavich took Kyiv by storm. After creating a huge state, Roman needed to solve countless problems arising in various regions. Among others, the Galician territories, and especially Kyiv, required the greatest attention. The first lands were called to order in the best possible way using the batog method in relation to the main opponents of the boyar encirclement. On the Kyiv lands it was necessary to act by agreements and rely on local traditions. Moreover, Roman did not move his capital of all lands to Kyiv.
Domestic policy
Roman Mstislavich Galitsky maintained very close relations with the Kyiv prince Rurik Rostislavich. Being also his father-in-law, Rurik handed over the cities to Roman and more. But it was not a very sweet gift. Ros surveyed the lands captured by the Polovtsians. Their frequent raids forced Roman to spend most of his time on campaigns. But it was not only external enemies that undermined the prince’s power. Kievan Rus was corroded by petty feudal struggles, which reached the western lands. In addition to his siblings, more distant relatives were always a nuisance. And Kyiv, although it had lost its dominant position, remained a tempting piece for everyone, even small princes, who, according to the law established by Monomakh, simply had no rights to it.
Foreign policy. Poland
For Poland, Roman Mstislavich played an important and friendly role. Mutual assistance characterized the prince's relations with the main line of the Polish dynasty - Cracow's Casimir the Just and his sons Leshko and Konrad. It was thanks to the support of Roman and his brother Vsevolod that Casimir took Krakow. And five years later, Roman Mstislavich took part in the fight between Leshka and Konrad with his uncle Sack the Old. In this campaign near Mozgava, the Galician prince was wounded, but not mortally. In response to his support, Roman could count on help from Leshka, who, in turn, provided the forces for Roman’s complete conquest of the Galician lands.
Foreign Policy: Byzantium
Also successful external relations of the Galicia-Volyn principality were relations with Byzantium. Roman Mstislavich, whose foreign and domestic policies were always aimed at strengthening and protecting the new statehood, looked for allies in the kindred Christian world. Relations were based on mutually beneficial economic motives - trade, as well as on a number of political ones, quite clearly presented in historical sources. And the secret of such a close political connection was the military power that Roman Mstislavich Galitsky provided in the fight against the Polovtsians. After all, Kievan Rus was always considered by Byzantium as a defensive country from all Asian tribes. But now especially, because the nomads have already advanced to the Danube and have become a direct threat to Constantinople. Byzantium even signed an alliance agreement with Roman.
Foreign Policy: Nomads
The peculiarities of relationships with nomads, as is commonly believed, had their own traditions over the centuries. Slavic farmers strictly adhered to the forest belt, while the Turkic nomads controlled the steppe expanses. The expansion of these territories was not applied on either side. But the Pechenegs were replaced by the Polovtsians, who were more organized and with the desire to control the entire forest-steppe zone of the Dnieper region. The threat loomed not only over the Kyiv and Byzantine lands. Polovtsian campaigns began to reach Poland and Hungary. And only the successful campaigns of Rus' at the beginning of the 12th century made it possible for the Western princes to strengthen themselves and reduce the influence of the Polovtsian Khan on the Left Bank of the Dnieper. The Suzdal chronicler mentions the successful campaign of Prince Roman against the Polovtsians and even the return of many “Christian souls” from captivity.
Death of Roman Mstislavich
Historians have not been able to determine the reasons, but at the beginning of the new century, relations with the Poles deteriorated sharply. There were some machinations of the boyars here. The Galician-Volyn Chronicle testifies that the Galician boyar Vladislav Kormilchich sowed discord between Roman and Leshko. But how he managed to do this, what kind of intrigue he pulled off, is not completely known. And all this led to the fact that, according to the Suzdal Chronicle, in 1205 Roman Msitslavich went on a campaign against Poland and took two Polish cities. But not far from the city of Zavikhost, on June 19, 1205, the Poles unexpectedly surrounded and killed the prince. Roman Mstislavich was buried in Vladimir, his father’s city. A photo of the church, where the ashes of the prince and his son still rest, is presented below, however, in a modern architectural design.
In conclusion…
Kievan Rus can confidently be placed on a par with other European states of the Middle Ages. The Galician-Volyn principality became the successor, as well as the final stage of this period of history. The most outstanding names of this principality were: Roman Mstislavich, Yaroslav Osmomysl, Daniil Galitsky. The life of each of them was filled to the brim and dedicated to strengthening statehood, confronting countless internal and external enemies, as well as building new cities and military fortifications. Many of them have survived to this day, testifying to visitors and tourists that the monumental monuments of Eastern Europe are in no way inferior to the surviving castles in the West.
The son of the great Kyiv, and then the great Vladimir-Volyn prince Mstislav Izyaslavich and the Polish princess Agnieszka, daughter of Boleslav Wrymouth.
Biography
The Polish contemporary, chronicler Kadlubek testifies that Roman was brought up in Poland, at the court of the Lesser Poland prince Casimir the Just, but this version is chronologically impossible, since Roman’s political career began 5 years earlier than Casimir’s political career.
From 1168 to 1170 he reigned in Veliky Novgorod. He was one of the organizers of the defense of Novgorod from the troops of Andrei Bogolyubsky and their defeat.
Reign in Volhynia
In August 1170, after the death of his father, he was forced to leave Novgorod and became a prince in Vladimir-Volynsky. At the same time, his uncle Yaroslav Izyaslavich, continuing to rule in Lutsk, led the entire Volyn land in his struggle for Kyiv.
In 1188, taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of the Galicians with their prince, Roman occupied Galich, leaving his brother Vsevolod Mstislavich to reign in Vladimir Volynsky. However, soon the Galician prince Vladimir Yaroslavich, with the help of the Hungarian king, expelled Roman from Galich. After an unsuccessful attempt to capture Galich with the support of the troops of Rurik Rostislavich, Roman returned to Vladimir Volynsky, from where he expelled Vsevolod with some difficulty.
In 1194, the Kiev prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Olgovichi died, Rurik took the Kiev throne, and Roman received from him five cities in the Kiev region: Torchesk, Trepol, Korsun, Boguslav, Kanev. In April 1195, Vsevolod Mstislavich died, which led to the growth of Roman's political influence in Volhynia and caused concern for Grand Duke Vsevolod the Big Nest. Soon, under his pressure, the Kyiv prince Rurik Rostislavich had to cede to Vsevolod all five cities in the Kiev region, which he had given over to his son-in-law a year earlier. Instead of the lost volosts, Rurik promised Roman Mstislavich equivalent ones, but apparently did not keep his promises, since Roman quarreled with his father-in-law and even divorced his wife, Predslava Rurikovna, after which he entered into a secret alliance with the Chernigov prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who laid claim to Kyiv. Rurik Rostislavich found out about this and declared war on his son-in-law. Roman turned to his Polish relatives for help: since 1194, Roman was an ally of the young sons of the deceased Lesser Poland prince Casimir the Just. The eldest of them, Leszek the White, became the prince of Krakow, but his power was challenged by his uncle, Mieszko the Old. Wanting to strengthen the position of his allies and thereby ensure their help in the upcoming war with Rurik Rostislavich, Roman intervened in the Polish strife and fought on the side of the Kazimirovichs in the cruel and bloody battle on the Mozgav River (September 13, 1195), where Roman himself was seriously wounded , and his main opponent Mieszko Stary. As Polish chroniclers say, the battle did not bring decisive success to either side, but Roman’s help still helped the Kazimirovichs avoid defeat and repel their uncle’s claims to Krakow.
Upon returning from Lesser Poland, Roman managed to reconcile with Rurik Rostislavich, who even granted his former son-in-law a small parish in the Kiev region. A year later, in the fall of 1196, Roman took the side of the Chernigov prince, who laid claim to Kiev, and ordered his people to ravage the lands of Rurik Rostislavich, who, in turn, organized an attack by the troops of Vladimir Galitsky, Mstislav Romanovich and Rostislav Rurikovich on the lands of Roman immediately from two sides, at Peremil and at Kamenets. They were unable to advance deeper into his possessions, but at that time Rurik, Davyd Smolensky and Vsevolod the Big Nest invaded the Chernigov principality and, although they did not overcome the defenses of Chernigov and spotted them in the north-east of the principality, they obtained an oath from the Olgovichs to renounce their claims to Kyiv and Smolensk
In the winter of 1196-1197. Roman undertook a punitive campaign into the land of the Yatvingians, who staged raids on his possessions.
Reign in Galich and establishment of control over Kiev
In 1199 or early 1200 (the exact date is unknown), Vladimir Yaroslavich Galitsky, who had no legitimate sons, died. Roman, with the support of Polish troops, besieged Galich and forced the Galicians to accept him as ruler. The Polish chronicler Kadlubek, a younger contemporary of Roman, testifies that Roman pursued a policy of terror against local boyars in Galich: he destroyed some, subjecting them to various kinds of cruel executions, while others fled in fear throughout all the surrounding lands. Soviet historians also argued, although without relying on primary sources, that Roman confiscated boyar lands. The Ipatiev Chronicle contains the news that Roman expelled two boyars - “Kormilichichs” (that is, the sons of a man who previously held the important position of “breadwinner” in Galich), and gives the motivation - “for the sake of infidels”; It is believed that the “Kormilichichs” advocated inviting the sons of Igor Svyatoslavich of Chernigov, the maternal grandchildren of Yaroslav Osmomysl, to Galich. Soon after the capture of Galich, Roman entered into a second marriage. Neither the name nor origins of his second wife are known. The most popular version is that she was from among the Byzantine nobility. The unification of Volyn and Galich in the same hands led to a reshuffle of forces: Rurik Rostislavich entered into an alliance with the Olgovichs and in 1201 began to prepare a campaign against Galich. However, Roman got ahead of him, unexpectedly appearing in the Kiev region at the head of the Volyn and Galician regiments. Rurik Rostislavich was forced to leave Kyiv, where Roman installed his cousin Ingvar Yaroslavich as prince. These events are known from the chronicles of the Laurentian group, which reflect (through the arch of 1305) the chronicles of the times of Vsevolod the Big Nest. It is quite natural that the Vladimir-Suzdal chronicler attributes the decisive influence on the change of power in Kyiv to his prince: he claims that Ingvar was put in charge by Vsevolod and Roman. In fact, Roman most likely acted completely independently: from other sources we know that immediately after his reign in Galich, he began to be called the Grand Duke of Galich. This was a defiant political declaration and a claim to equality with Vsevolod. Perhaps Vsevolod agreed to Ingvar’s reign in Kyiv retroactively and only in order to save face.
In the winter of 1201-1202. Roman made a victorious campaign into the Polovtsian land and freed many prisoners. The further reign of Roman is poorly covered by sources. On January 2, 1203, Rurik Rostislavich, in alliance with the Olgovichi and Polovtsians, took Kyiv, and the allies subjected the city to the most severe plunder. Soon Roman made peace with Rurik Rostislavich and returned him to Kyiv, satisfied with his sworn renunciation of the Olgovichs and the Polovtsians. In subsequent years, a whole series of victorious campaigns of Roman into the Polovtsian land followed, which led to a temporary cessation of Polovtsian invasions of Rus' and the borders of Byzantium. In the winter of 1204-1205, returning from a successful joint campaign against the Cumans, Roman captured Rurik and tonsured him as a monk, along with his wife Anna and daughter Predslava (Roman's ex-wife). Roman took the two sons of Rurik Rostislavich as prisoners to Galich, but after negotiations with Grand Duke Vsevolod the Big Nest, he released them; the eldest, Rostislav Rurikovich, married to Vsevolod’s daughter, became the prince of Kyiv.
In 1205, Roman, for reasons unknown to us, broke off a long-term alliance with Leszek the White and his brother Konrad, invaded Lesser Poland, took two cities and settled on the river. Vistula near Zavichosta. Here, having departed with a small detachment from the main forces, Roman was unexpectedly attacked by the Poles and died in battle. The imagination of Polish chroniclers turned this skirmish into a grandiose battle (the Battle of Zawichosta).
According to the Laurentian Chronicle, which conveys the chronicle of 1305, Roman was buried in Galich, in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin. According to the version of the late Polish historian Jan Dlugosz, Roman's body after the battle remained in the hands of the Poles and was buried in Sandomierz, but was later redeemed by the “Russian nobility” and reburied in Vladimir Volynsky. It has been proven, however, that this later news is deliberately false.
Tatishchevskie news about Roman Mstislavich
“Russian History” by V.N. Tatishchev contains six completely original (not confirmed by known chronicles) stories about Roman Mstislavich: under 1182, 1195, 1197, 1203, 1204, 1205. From time to time, these Tatishchev news are used by historians on a par with ordinary chronicles (usually not in full, but selectively). Recently, the entire cycle has become the subject of careful analysis. In the past, the greatest resonance in literature was caused by the story placed under 1203 about the project for the political reorganization of all Russian lands, compiled by Roman. The Kiev prince had to “defend the Russian land from everywhere, and maintain good order among the brethren, the Russian princes, so that one could not offend another and raid and ruin other people’s regions.” The novel accuses the younger princes who are trying to capture Kyiv without having the strength to defend themselves, and those princes who “bring in the filthy Polovtsians.” Then the draft for the election of the Kyiv prince in the event of the death of his predecessor is outlined. Six princes must be chosen: Vladimir, Chernigov, Galician, Smolensk, Polotsk, Ryazan; “Younger princes are not needed for that election.” Thus, Roman’s project resembles the structure of the Holy Roman Empire (which Tatishchev himself was the first to note). The six largest principalities: Vladimir, Chernigov, Galicia, Smolensk, Polotsk and Ryazan were to be inherited by the eldest son and not split into parts, “so that the Russian land would not be diminished in strength.” Roman proposed convening a princely congress to approve this order and the election of the Grand Duke of Kyiv.
Already Mikhail Grushevsky believed that the news of the “Romanov Proposal” was Tatishchev’s falsification: “This project belongs, of course, to the 18th, not the 13th century.” Textual arguments in favor of this point of view can be found among modern historians. The modern Ukrainian historian Oleg Kupchinsky approached the problem differently, who considered it possible to include reprints of texts from both editions of Tatishchev’s “History” in the fundamental set of “Acts and documents of the Galicia-Volyn principality of the 13th - first half of the 14th century.” (having placed them, however, among the “unauthentic” acts and documents)
Often used by historians, starting with Karamzin, Tatishchev’s news of the papal embassy to Roman in 1204. Tatishchev says that the pope (judging by the date, it could only be Innocent III) offered Roman the royal crown on the condition of converting to Catholicism. However, Roman refused and retained the Orthodox faith. This story became widely known thanks to A. K. Tolstoy’s ballad “Roman Galitsky” and N. V. Nevrev’s painting on the same plot.
Marriage and children
- 1st wife: from 1170/1180 Predslava, daughter of Rurik Rostislavich, Grand Duke of Kyiv (divorce no later than the summer of 1195).
- 2nd wife: from approx. 1197 Anna, possibly a Byzantine princess and sworn sister of King András II
- Theodora - in 1187-1188 married to Vasilko, the son of Vladimir Yaroslavich Galitsky.
- Olena - since 1188/1190 married to Mikhail Vsevolodovich, son of Vsevolod Chermny.
- Daniil Romanovich Galitsky (1201-1264), Prince of Galicia-Volyn, King of Galicia from 1254
- Vasilko Romanovich (1203-1269) - Prince of Belz 1207-1211, Beresteysky 1208-1210, 1219-1228, Peremyshl 1209-1218, Peresopnitsky 1225-1229, Lutsky 1229-1238, Vladimir-Volynsky from 1238
From Kyiv and sent a huge army to drive Roman out of Novgorod. Having ravaged the outskirts of Novgorod, the army, uniting the forces of many Russian princes, besieged the city, but the Novgorodians, led by Roman Mstislavich and the mayor Yakun, bravely defended themselves, repelling four attacks. Meanwhile, human pestilence and horse deaths began among the besiegers. They were forced to retreat without achieving anything. The Novgorodians who attacked them took many prisoners. However, the devastation caused by the army in the vicinity of Novgorod led to famine. The Novgorodians were forced to send Roman away and send him for peace.
Upon returning home, Roman began to rule in his estate, Vladimir-Volynsky. Next door to him was the rich Galich, torn by unrest after death. The Galician boyars drove out their prince, a drunkard and libertine, poisoned his brother and called Roman to reign. The first time he did not last long in Galich. returned with the Hungarian army. Roman, being unable to resist him, seized the rest of the treasury and fled to Volyn. However, the brother to whom Vladimir himself gave Roman, leaving for Galich, did not let him in. Left without a volost, Roman went to and then to Ovruch to his father-in-law along with the loyal Galician boyars. Roman persuaded him to give him a squad under the command of his son, but it was defeated near Plesnesk. Having learned about this misfortune, Roman let him go, and he himself went to get help. But he again could not kick his brother out of Vladimir-Volynsky and returned to. Here, frightened by brotherly threats, Vladimir nevertheless decided to give in to him, retiring to his patrimony, Belz.
In 1194, the Grand Duke of Kiev died. He sat down in his place, giving Roman five cities: Torchesk, Trypillya, Korsun, Boguslav and Kanev. He laid claim to these same cities. Not wanting him to quarrel with his matchmaker over them, Roman agreed to give them up in exchange for money or another settlement. However, he immediately gave Torchesk to his son-in-law. Roman, having learned that the city fell through the hands of Rurik’s son, was offended by. This event marked the beginning of many unrest. Since 1196, Roman began to devastate the Kyiv volost with raids. In response, he set it on Volyn and attacked it himself along with the black hoods.
A little earlier, in the winter of 1201 - 1202, Roman conducted a campaign in the Polovtsian steppes, thereby providing assistance to his ally, the Byzantine emperor: the Polovtsians left Thrace. Roman captured huge booty and captured many Christian souls from them, for which he was awarded comparison in the chronicle with his ancestor.
1204 Roman Mstislavich rejects the proposal of Pope Innocent III
In 1203, he recaptured Kyiv and subjected it to severe destruction, after which he went back to Ovruch. Roman besieged him there and forced him to renounce his seniority in favor. made peace with him and gave him Kyiv with his own hands. Roman and Leszek I of Poland. Roman began to demand volosts from him as a reward for past services. Leszek disagreed. Then Roman invaded and besieged Lublin. Having learned that he and his brother were going against him, he crossed the Vistula and with a small squad stood near the city of Zavichost, waiting for the start of peace negotiations. At dawn on June 19, Polish troops attacked the Galicians. Roman, not believing until the very end the informers who reported on the preparations of the Poles, did not have time to line up his army. The Galicians were defeated, and Prince Roman fell in battle.
According to contemporaries, Roman was short in stature, but broad in the shoulders, handsome in face, black-eyed and black-haired, with a hunchbacked nose, hot-tempered, and began to stutter in anger. Chronicles contradictory characterize him as a ruler. He victoriously fought with the Polovtsians, Yatvingians and Poles, stopped taking into account, laying the foundation for a strong unified state in Galicia and Volhynia, rejected the pope’s offer to convert to Catholicism, remaining a champion of Orthodoxy. Roman treated the unfaithful Galician boyars cruelly, killing them with the most painful and varied executions. But, “without killing the bees, there is no honey,” as Roman himself said, because in this situation it was hardly possible for him to assert his power without blood.
