Mstislav II Svyatoslavich (Prince of Chernigov)
Encyclopedia
Mstislav II Svyatoslavich (c. 1168 – May 31, 1223) was a Rus'
prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty
). His baptismal name was Panteleymon. He was probably prince of Kozelsk (1194–1223), of Novgorod-Seversk
(1206–1219), and of Chernigov (1215/1220 – 1223). He was killed in the Battle of the Kalka River
.
and Maria Vasilkovna of Polotsk.
At the beginning of 1182, when his father and Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia concluded peace, the latter promised to give his wife
’s sister as wife to Mstislav. Mstislav married Yasynya (whose Christian name was Marfa) at the beginning of 1183.
In the summer of 1184, his father launched a major campaign against the Cumans
and summoned him.
In 1189, after the Hungarians had occupied the principality of Halych, his father agreed to attack them with Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
, and Mstislav rode with his father. However, his father and Rurik Rostislavich failed to reach an agreement on the partition of the lands to be occupied, and thus they returned home. In 1192, his father sent him and his elder brothers (Vladimir and Vsevolod Svyatoslavich
) to take part in the campaign of Igor Svyatoslavich
, Prince of Novgorod-Seversk
against the Cumans, but on seeing that they were outnumbered Igor Svyatoslavich resolutely ordered his troops to steal away under the cover of darkness.
His father died on the last week of July, 1194, and his only brother, Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich
of Chernigov became the senior prince of his dynasty; thus the genealogical reshuffle made Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich's sons (among them Mstislav) answerable to their uncle. Mstislav probably inherited Kozelsk
from his father who divided up the Vyatichi lands
among his several sons.
In 1196, when Mstislav’s brother-in-law, Vsevolod Yuryevich (accompanied by the princes of Ryazan
, Murom
, and the Cumans) attacked the principality of Chernigov, his uncle ordered Mstislav to accompany him against Vsevolod Yuryevich.
Mstislav probably got the principality of Novgorod Seversk in the early summer of 1206, when its former ruler, Vladimir Igorevich
became the prince of Halych. Shortly afterwards, his eldest brother, Vsevolod Svyatoslavich snatched Kiev
from Rurik Rostislavich, and their brother, Gleb Svyatoslavich
occupied Chernigov. Although, Mstislav was next in line for a major domain, his eldest brother bypassed him and gave Pereyaslavl
to his own son Michael of Chernigov. Rurik Rostislavich, however, was determined to regain control of Kiev, and he expelled Vsevolod Svyatoslavich; but the latter refused to give up and marched against Kiev at the beginning of 1207. His attacking force constituted his two brothers, Gleb and Mstislav with their sons. But Rurik Rostislavich was prepared for the attack and successfully kept the besiegers outside the walls, and thus they pillaged around Kiev for three week but accomplished nothing and withdrew.
His brother, Gleb Svyatoslavich, prince of Chernigov was last mentioned under 1215, and Mstislav replaced him as senior prince. Consequently, when in the winter of 1220, the Lithuanians
pillaged the lands of the Olgovichi (the ruling dynasty of Chernigov), Mstislav set out in pursuit from Chernigov, caught the raiders, killed them all, and retrieved the plundered goods. In 1221, Mstislav participated in the campaign Prince Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold lead against Halych.
In the spring of 1223, the Tatars (the Mongols) arrived on the frontiers of Rus’ and attacked the Cumans; the latter, unable to withstand the onslaught, fled to Rus’
warning the princes. Under the influence of Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold several of the Russian princes (among them Mstislav, and Grand Prince Mstislav Romanovich of Kiev
) agreed to cooperate with the Cumans against the Mongols
. The first skirmish took place on the banks of the Dnieper River
, and in this vanguard battle Mstislav Mstislavich succeeded in defeating a detachment of Mongol troops. After their victory, the Russian armies crossed the river and marched through the steppe
s for 8 days before they met the main Mongol force at the banks of the Kalka River
. There, without consultation with the princes of Kiev and Chernigov, Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold and the Cumans attacked the Mongols. The results were disastrous: their forces were disorganized, and a number of princes, including Mstislav and his son, perished during the flight. Their body was left to the mercy of prairie scavenger
s.
, the wife of Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia
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 Panteleymon. He was probably prince of Kozelsk (1194–1223), of Novgorod-Seversk
Prince of Novgorod-Seversk
Prince of Novgorod-Seversk was the kniaz, the ruler or sub-ruler, of the Principality of Novgorod-Seversk. It may have been created in 1139, the date of one modern authority, and is most famous for Igor Sviatoslavich, hero of the Old Russian Tale of Igor's Campaign.-List of princes of...
(1206–1219), and of Chernigov (1215/1220 – 1223). He was killed in the Battle of the Kalka River
Battle of the Kalka River
The Battle of the Kalka River took place on May 31, 1223, between the Mongol Empire and Kiev, Galich, and several other Rus' principalities and the Cumans, under the command of Mstislav the Bold and Mstislav III of Kiev...
.
His life
He was the youngest 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.
At the beginning of 1182, when his father and Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia concluded peace, the latter promised to give his wife
Maria Shvarnovna
Maria Shvarnovna was the first wife of Vsevolod III "Big Nest", and gave birth to twelve children Four of her sons, Konstantin, George, Yaroslav and Sviatoslav, succeeded their father as Grand Princes of Vladimir, and Yaroslav went on to become Grand Prince of Kiev around the time of the Mongol...
’s sister as wife to Mstislav. Mstislav married Yasynya (whose Christian name was Marfa) at the beginning of 1183.
In the summer of 1184, his father 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 summoned him.
In 1189, after the Hungarians had occupied the principality of Halych, his father agreed to attack them with Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
Rurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...
, and Mstislav rode with his father. However, his father and Rurik Rostislavich failed to reach an agreement on the partition of the lands to be occupied, and thus they returned home. In 1192, his father sent him and his elder brothers (Vladimir and Vsevolod Svyatoslavich
Vsevolod IV of Kiev
Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich the Red was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Daniil...
) to take part in the campaign of Igor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich the Brave was a Rus’ prince...
, Prince of Novgorod-Seversk
Prince of Novgorod-Seversk
Prince of Novgorod-Seversk was the kniaz, the ruler or sub-ruler, of the Principality of Novgorod-Seversk. It may have been created in 1139, the date of one modern authority, and is most famous for Igor Sviatoslavich, hero of the Old Russian Tale of Igor's Campaign.-List of princes of...
against the Cumans, but on seeing that they were outnumbered Igor Svyatoslavich resolutely ordered his troops to steal away under the cover of darkness.
His father died on the last week of July, 1194, and his only brother, Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich
Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich
Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich was a Rus’ prince . He was prince of Ropesk , of Starodub , and of Chernigov...
of Chernigov became the senior prince of his dynasty; thus the genealogical reshuffle made Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich's sons (among them Mstislav) answerable to their uncle. Mstislav probably inherited Kozelsk
Kozelsk
Kozelsk is a town in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Zhizdra River , southwest of Kaluga. Population: -History:The town of Kozelsk was first mentioned in a chronicle under the year of 1146 as a part of Principality of Chernigov...
from his father who divided up 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...
among his several sons.
In 1196, when Mstislav’s brother-in-law, Vsevolod Yuryevich (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, his uncle ordered Mstislav to accompany him against Vsevolod Yuryevich.
Mstislav probably got the principality of Novgorod Seversk in the early summer of 1206, when its former ruler, Vladimir Igorevich
Vladimir III Igorevich
Vladimir III Igorevich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Peter...
became the prince of Halych. Shortly afterwards, his eldest brother, Vsevolod Svyatoslavich snatched 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....
from Rurik Rostislavich, and their brother, Gleb Svyatoslavich
Gleb Svyatoslavich (Prince of Chernigov)
Gleb Svyatoslavich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Pakhomy. He was prince of Kaniv , of Belgorod , and of Chernigov . He helped to pay for the Church of St...
occupied Chernigov. Although, Mstislav was next in line for a major domain, his eldest brother bypassed him and gave Pereyaslavl
Principality of Pereyaslavl
The Principality of Pereslavl was a regional principality of Kievan Rus from the end of 9th to 1302 based on the city of Pereyaslavl on the Trubezh river. It was usually administrated by younger sons of the Grand Prince of Kiev...
to his own son Michael of Chernigov. Rurik Rostislavich, however, was determined to regain control of Kiev, and he expelled Vsevolod Svyatoslavich; but the latter refused to give up and marched against Kiev at the beginning of 1207. His attacking force constituted his two brothers, Gleb and Mstislav with their sons. But Rurik Rostislavich was prepared for the attack and successfully kept the besiegers outside the walls, and thus they pillaged around Kiev for three week but accomplished nothing and withdrew.
His brother, Gleb Svyatoslavich, prince of Chernigov was last mentioned under 1215, and Mstislav replaced him as senior prince. Consequently, when in the winter of 1220, the Lithuanians
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
pillaged the lands of the Olgovichi (the ruling dynasty of Chernigov), Mstislav set out in pursuit from Chernigov, caught the raiders, killed them all, and retrieved the plundered goods. In 1221, Mstislav participated in the campaign Prince Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold lead against Halych.
In the spring of 1223, the Tatars (the Mongols) arrived on the frontiers of Rus’ and attacked the Cumans; the latter, unable to withstand the onslaught, fled to Rus’
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
warning the princes. Under the influence of Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold several of the Russian princes (among them Mstislav, and Grand Prince Mstislav Romanovich of Kiev
Mstislav III of Kiev
Mstislav Romanovich the Old , Prince of Pskov , Smolensk , Belgorod , Halych and Grand Prince of Kiev...
) agreed to cooperate with the Cumans against the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
. The first skirmish took place on the banks of the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
, and in this vanguard battle Mstislav Mstislavich succeeded in defeating a detachment of Mongol troops. After their victory, the Russian armies crossed the river and marched through the steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
s for 8 days before they met the main Mongol force at the banks of the Kalka River
Kalchik River
The Kal'chik is a river in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. It flows from Listvanka into the Kalmius, which it enters near the city of Mariupol. Supposedly it was the scene of the Battle of the Kalka River between the Mongol Empire and Kievan Rus' in 1223....
. There, without consultation with the princes of Kiev and Chernigov, Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold and the Cumans attacked the Mongols. The results were disastrous: their forces were disorganized, and a number of princes, including Mstislav and his son, perished during the flight. Their body was left to the mercy of prairie scavenger
Scavenger
Scavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
s.
Marriage and children
#1183: Yasynya (Marfa), the sister of MariaMaria Shvarnovna
Maria Shvarnovna was the first wife of Vsevolod III "Big Nest", and gave birth to twelve children Four of her sons, Konstantin, George, Yaroslav and Sviatoslav, succeeded their father as Grand Princes of Vladimir, and Yaroslav went on to become Grand Prince of Kiev around the time of the Mongol...
, the wife of Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia
- Dmitry Mstislavich (c. 1185 – May 31, 1223)
- Andrey Mstislavich
- Ioann Mstislavich
- Gavriil Mstislavich
Ancestors
Sources
- Dimnik, Martin: The Dynasty of Chernigov - 1146-1246; Cambridge University Press, 2003, Cambridge; ISBN 978-0521-03981-9.
- Vernadsky, George: Kievan Russia; Yale University Press, 1948, New Haven and London; ISBN 0-300-01647-6.