Gleb Svyatoslavich (Prince of Chernigov)
Encyclopedia
Gleb Svyatoslavich was a Rus'
prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty
). His baptismal name was Pakhomy. He was prince of Kaniv (before 1192 – 1194), of Belgorod
(1205–1206), and of Chernigov (1206/1208–1215/1220). He helped to pay for the Church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa in Chernigov.
and Maria Vasilkovna of Polotsk.
In 1180 his father sent him to assist Prince Roman Glebovich of Ryazan (Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich’s son-in-law) against his brothers who were assisted by Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia. But the latter defeated Roman Glebovich and took Gleb captive. One late source claims that Gleb went to Vsevolod Yuryevich in good faith but the latter summoned him deceitfully. Another late source claims that he was captured while all his troops were inebriated. Although his father invaded Suzdalia
, his campaign turned into a farce, because Vsevolod Yuryevich deflected his every attempt to initiate battle.
At the beginning of 1182, Vsevolod Yuryevich set Gleb free and reestablished friendly relations with his father who had dropped his claim to Novgorod
. At the beginning of 1183, Gleb married Anastasia Ryurikovna, a daughter of Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
. His father-in-law appointed him Kaniv
.
In the summer of 1184, his father and father-in-law launched a major campaign against the Cumans
, and Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich also summoned his two sons, Gleb and Mstislav
. On July 30, the princes were victorious at the river Erel.
In 1188, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich sent Gleb to negotiate with King Béla III of Hungary
who was the father-in-law of the Byzantine emperor, Isaac II Angelos
. Later evidence suggests that his father asked Béla III to arrange a marriage between Gleb’s daughter and a prince of Byzantium.
In 1190, the Cumans attacked towns along the Ros River, and later they frequently raided the region. Rurik Rostislavich (Gleb’s father-in-law) suggested that Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich send Gleb to the region, but the latter did not sent his son. In 1192 Gleb did not join the campaign of the other Olgovichi (the members of the ruling dynasty of Chernigov) against the Cumans, because his father had ordered him to stay in Kanev and defend the Ros frontier.
On July 25, a Greek
delegation arrived to Kiev
to collect his daughter, Evfimia as bride for the emperor’s son
. Gleb’s father died during the last week of July, 1194; his death changed the order of seniority among the Olgovichi: his only brother, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich
became the new senior prince of the dynasty, and Gleb became answerable to his uncle. Gleb probably inherited a domain in the Vyatichi lands
, and his father-in-law, who became the Grand Prince of Kiev, removed him from Kanev.
When Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia (accompanied by the princes of Ryazan
, Murom
, and the Cumans) attacked the principality of Chernigov in 1196, Gleb was placed, together with his brother Oleg
, in charge of defending Chernigov against Rurik Rostislavich (his father-in-law).
When, in 1205, his father-in-law who had been tonsured as a monk threw off the monk’s habit and reinstated himself in Kiev, the Olgovichi marched to Kiev, met Rurik Rostislavich, and made a pact to attack Halych. His father-in-law paid them for their support by giving Belgorod to Gleb’s brother, Vsevolod
; Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, in turn, handed it over to Gleb.
In 1206, his brother Vsevolod Svyatoslavich seized Kiev, and Gleb occupied Chernigov. At the beginning of 1207, his brother (who had been expelled from Kiev by Rurik Rostislavich) marched against the town, and his attacking force constituted only his brother Gleb and Mstislav with their sons. However, Rurik Rostislavich (Gleb’s father-in-law) was prepared for the attack and successfully kept the besiegers outside the walls. They pillaged around Kiev for three weeks but accomplished nothing and withdrew.
In 1212, Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, who had been defeated by Mstislav Romanovich, fled from Kiev and sought safety in Chernigov. His enemies pursued him, but failed to capture the well-defended citadel. After some two weeks they succeeded only in setting fire to the outer town and in pillaging surrounding villages. In the meantime, Vsevolod Svyatoslavich died, and his passing probably expedited an armistice between Mstislav Romanovich and Gleb. Gleb acknowledged the rule of Mstislav Romanovich in Kiev and renounced any claim to the town during his lifetime.
Gleb was last mentioned under 1215 when his daughter married Vladimir Glebovich of Pereyaslavl. Consequently, Gleb died between that event and 1220 when his brother, Mstislav commanded a campaign as prince of Chernigov. In 1219, he may have helped Mstislav Mstislavich to defend Halych against the Hungarians.
and Anna Yuryevna of Turov
Rus' (people)
The Rus' were a group of Varangians . According to the Primary Chronicle of Rus, compiled in about 1113 AD, the Rus had relocated from the Baltic region , first to Northeastern Europe, creating an early polity which finally came under the leadership of Rurik...
prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty
Rurik Dynasty
The Rurik dynasty or Rurikids was a dynasty founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who established himself in Novgorod around the year 862 AD...
). His baptismal name was Pakhomy. He was prince of Kaniv (before 1192 – 1194), of Belgorod
Belgorod Kievsky
Bilhorod Kyivsky was a city-castle of Kievan Rus' on the right bank of Irpin River. The city was quite prominent in the 10th-12th centuries but ceased to exist after 1240 destruction of Kiev by the Mongols. Currently there is a small village of Bilohorodka, Kiev Oblast near the location of the...
(1205–1206), and of Chernigov (1206/1208–1215/1220). He helped to pay for the Church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa in Chernigov.
His life
He was the fourth son of Grand Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of KievSviatoslav III of Kiev
Sviatoslav III Vsevolodovich , Prince of Turov , Vladimir and Volyn , Pinsk , Novgorod-Seversky , Chernigov , Grand Prince of Kiev...
and Maria Vasilkovna of Polotsk.
In 1180 his father sent him to assist Prince Roman Glebovich of Ryazan (Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich’s son-in-law) against his brothers who were assisted by Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia. But the latter defeated Roman Glebovich and took Gleb captive. One late source claims that Gleb went to Vsevolod Yuryevich in good faith but the latter summoned him deceitfully. Another late source claims that he was captured while all his troops were inebriated. Although his father invaded Suzdalia
Vladimir-Suzdal
The Vladimir-Suzdal Principality or Vladimir-Suzdal Rus’ was one of the major principalities which succeeded Kievan Rus' in the late 12th century and lasted until the late 14th century. For a long time the Principality was a vassal of the Mongolian Golden Horde...
, his campaign turned into a farce, because Vsevolod Yuryevich deflected his every attempt to initiate battle.
At the beginning of 1182, Vsevolod Yuryevich set Gleb free and reestablished friendly relations with his father who had dropped his claim to Novgorod
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
. At the beginning of 1183, Gleb married Anastasia Ryurikovna, a daughter of Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
Rurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...
. His father-in-law appointed him Kaniv
Kaniv
Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper...
.
In the summer of 1184, his father and father-in-law launched a major campaign against the Cumans
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
, and Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich also summoned his two sons, Gleb and Mstislav
Mstislav II Svyatoslavich (Prince of Chernigov)
Mstislav II Svyatoslavich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Panteleymon. He was probably prince of Kozelsk , of Novgorod-Seversk , and of Chernigov...
. On July 30, the princes were victorious at the river Erel.
In 1188, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich sent Gleb to negotiate with King Béla III of Hungary
Béla III of Hungary
Béla III was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son...
who was the father-in-law of the Byzantine emperor, Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....
. Later evidence suggests that his father asked Béla III to arrange a marriage between Gleb’s daughter and a prince of Byzantium.
In 1190, the Cumans attacked towns along the Ros River, and later they frequently raided the region. Rurik Rostislavich (Gleb’s father-in-law) suggested that Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich send Gleb to the region, but the latter did not sent his son. In 1192 Gleb did not join the campaign of the other Olgovichi (the members of the ruling dynasty of Chernigov) against the Cumans, because his father had ordered him to stay in Kanev and defend the Ros frontier.
On July 25, a Greek
Byzantine Greeks
Byzantine Greeks or Byzantines is a conventional term used by modern historians to refer to the medieval Greek or Hellenised citizens of the Byzantine Empire, centered mainly in Constantinople, the southern Balkans, the Greek islands, Asia Minor , Cyprus and the large urban centres of the Near East...
delegation arrived to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
to collect his daughter, Evfimia as bride for the emperor’s son
Alexios IV Angelos
Alexios IV Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from August 1203 to January 1204. He was the son of emperor Isaac II Angelus and his first wife Irene. His paternal uncle was Emperor Alexius III Angelus....
. Gleb’s father died during the last week of July, 1194; his death changed the order of seniority among the Olgovichi: his only brother, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich
Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich
Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich was a Rus’ prince . He was prince of Ropesk , of Starodub , and of Chernigov...
became the new senior prince of the dynasty, and Gleb became answerable to his uncle. Gleb probably inherited a domain in the Vyatichi lands
Vyatichs
The Vyatichi or Viatichi were a tribe of East Slavs who inhabited a part of the Oka basin.The Primary Chronicle names a certain tribal leader Vyatko as the forefather of the tribe, but the modern etymology places the word as a cognate to Veneti and Vandals. The Vyatichi were mainly engaged in...
, and his father-in-law, who became the Grand Prince of Kiev, removed him from Kanev.
When Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia (accompanied by the princes of Ryazan
Ryazan Principality
The Grand Duchy of Ryazan existed from 1078 when it was separated from the Chernigov Principality as the provincial Murom Principality.-Prior to the invasion of Batu Khan:...
, Murom
Principality of Murom
The Principality of Murom was a medieval Rus' lordship based on the city of Murom, now in Vladimir Oblast, Russia. Murom lay in an area that was strongly Finno-Ugric for much of its medieval history, located in the homeland of the Muromians...
, and the Cumans) attacked the principality of Chernigov in 1196, Gleb was placed, together with his brother Oleg
Oleg III Svyatoslavich (Prince of Chernigov)
Oleg III Svyatoslavich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Feodosy. He was prince of Vshchizh , of Novgorod-Seversk , and of Chernigov .-His life:...
, in charge of defending Chernigov against Rurik Rostislavich (his father-in-law).
When, in 1205, his father-in-law who had been tonsured as a monk threw off the monk’s habit and reinstated himself in Kiev, the Olgovichi marched to Kiev, met Rurik Rostislavich, and made a pact to attack Halych. His father-in-law paid them for their support by giving Belgorod to Gleb’s brother, Vsevolod
Vsevolod IV of Kiev
Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich the Red was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Daniil...
; Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, in turn, handed it over to Gleb.
In 1206, his brother Vsevolod Svyatoslavich seized Kiev, and Gleb occupied Chernigov. At the beginning of 1207, his brother (who had been expelled from Kiev by Rurik Rostislavich) marched against the town, and his attacking force constituted only his brother Gleb and Mstislav with their sons. However, Rurik Rostislavich (Gleb’s father-in-law) was prepared for the attack and successfully kept the besiegers outside the walls. They pillaged around Kiev for three weeks but accomplished nothing and withdrew.
In 1212, Vsevolod Svyatoslavich, who had been defeated by Mstislav Romanovich, fled from Kiev and sought safety in Chernigov. His enemies pursued him, but failed to capture the well-defended citadel. After some two weeks they succeeded only in setting fire to the outer town and in pillaging surrounding villages. In the meantime, Vsevolod Svyatoslavich died, and his passing probably expedited an armistice between Mstislav Romanovich and Gleb. Gleb acknowledged the rule of Mstislav Romanovich in Kiev and renounced any claim to the town during his lifetime.
Gleb was last mentioned under 1215 when his daughter married Vladimir Glebovich of Pereyaslavl. Consequently, Gleb died between that event and 1220 when his brother, Mstislav commanded a campaign as prince of Chernigov. In 1219, he may have helped Mstislav Mstislavich to defend Halych against the Hungarians.
Marriage and children
#1183: Anastasia Ryurikovna, a daughter of Prince Rurik Rostislavich of BelgorodRurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...
and Anna Yuryevna of Turov
- Prince Mstislav III GlebovichMstislav III Glebovich (Prince of Chernigov)Mstislav III Glebovich was a Rus' prince . He was probably prince of Rylsk and of Chernigov...
of Chernigov (before 1215/1220 – after October 18, 1239) - Evfimia Glebovna, betrothed to Alexios AngelosAlexios IV AngelosAlexios IV Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from August 1203 to January 1204. He was the son of emperor Isaac II Angelus and his first wife Irene. His paternal uncle was Emperor Alexius III Angelus....
- Unnamed Glebovna (? – February 7, 1238), wife of Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich of Pereyaslavl
Ancestors
Sources
- Dimnik, Martin: The Dynasty of Chernigov - 1146-1246; Cambridge University Press, 2003, Cambridge; ISBN 978-0521-03981-9.