Oleg III Svyatoslavich (Prince of Chernigov)
Encyclopedia
Oleg III Svyatoslavich was a Rus'
prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty
). His baptismal name was Feodosy. He was prince of Vshchizh
(1166–before 1175), of Novgorod-Seversk
(1200–1201), and of Chernigov (1201/1202–1204).
and Maria Vasilkovna of Polotsk.
Under the year 1166, the chronicler reports that the daughter of Prince Andrey Yuryevich of Suzdalia, who had married Oleg, died. Circumstantial evidence shows that the Oleg in question was the son of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. On an undisclosed date, Oleg remarried a Ryazan
princess; his father-in-law Yury Rostislavich was the younger brother of Prince Gleb Rostislavich of Ryazan.
In the spring of 1166, Prince Svyatoslav Vladimirovich of Vshchizh died, and his domain passed to the closest living relatives, the Olgovichi (the ruling dynasty of Chernigov). Oleg’s father, as the senior prince of the Olgovichi, held the authority to allocate the dead prince’s domains, and he gave Vshchizh to one of his sons; one view is, probably correctly, that the son was Oleg.
In 1175, his father accompanied Mikhalko
and Vsevolod Yuryevich, who had been invited by the townspeople of Suzdal
to be their prince, to the town. After his victory over the opponents of the Yuryevichi, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich ordered Oleg to escort their wives from Chernigov to Moscow
. Shortly afterwards, Oleg went to his domain of Lopasna in the northeast corner of the Vyatichi lands
. From there, he sent troops northeast to Svirilsk and captured it because it belonged to the Olgovichi. Gleb Rostislavich of Ryazan sent his nephew (Oleg’s brother-in-law) to recapture it, but Oleg defeated him. In the winter of 1177, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich sent his sons Oleg and Vladimir to help Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdal attack Prince Gleb Rostislavich of Ryazan.
On May 12, 1185, the Cumans
defeated the troops led by Prince Igor Svyatoslavich
of Novgorod-Seversk at the Kayala River
. After learning of his cousin’s defeat, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich sent Oleg and his elder brother, Vladimir to the Poseme region to serve as interim defenders of the Seversk towns
. The information that he sent two sons suggests that he ordered them to occupy Rylsk
and Putivl, which had recently lost their princes. Their main task would have been to close the “gates into the land of Rus’”. According to the chronicler, the Cumans assembled their entire nation to march against Rus’, but the khans
argued, and because they obstinately stuck to their views, they split their horde
into two. One of the hordes attacked Putivl but failed to take it; nevertheless, the Cumans set fire to its outer town, pillaged the district, and razed surrounding villages. After the Cumans pillaged the region, Oleg and Vladimir departed from Putivl and Rylsk. When in 1188, his father and Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
waged war against the Hungarians who had occupied Halych
, Oleg and his brothers rode with their father.
Olegs’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 Oleg and his brothers became answerable to their uncle. When Vsevolod Yuryevich (accompanied by the princes of Ryazan, Murom
, and the Cumans) attacked the principality of Chernigov in 1196, Oleg was placed, together with his brother Gleb
, in charge of defending Chernigov against Rurik Rostislavich.
In March 1196, his uncle sent troops to attack Prince Vasilko Bryacheslavich of Vitebsk and appointed Oleg as commander-in-chief. Before reaching Vitebsk
, his troops pillaged the lands of Smolensk
. Prince David Rostislavich of Smolensk retaliated by sending his nephew Mstislav Romanovich, the Smolensk militia, and other troops to confront the invaders. The two sides clashed and Mstislav Romanovich defeated Oleg’s troops; Oleg’s son David fell in the fray. Meanwhile, the Smolensk militia marched against the princes of Polotsk who had come to Oleg’s assistance; but the townsmen fled without engaging in the battle. On seeing that Oleg and his troops had been routed, the Polotsk forces hurried to his aid and defeated Mstislav Romanovich’s men. When the latter, who had left the battlefield to pursue Oleg, returned, the Polotsk princes took him captive; later, Mstislav Romanovich was handed over into Oleg’s custody. Oleg sent word to his uncle and advised him to set out for Smolensk, but Rurik Rostislavich sent messengers to intercept Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who returned to Chernigov after hearing Rurik Rostislavich’s threat.
In the autumn 1200 his brother, Vladimir Svyatoslavich
died and thus Oleg became the second in precedence in the dynasty after Igor Svyatoslavich (his father’s cousin), and it was also his turn to rule Novgorod Seversk. In the spring of 1201, Igor Svyatoslavich, the prince of Chernigov died, and the office of senior prince passed to Oleg, and thus he occupied Chernigov.
Shortly afterwards, Grand Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Kiev summoned the Olgovichi to campaign against Roman Mstislavich of Volodymyr
who had begun wreaking havoc on domains belonging to him. Oleg decided to cooperate with Rurik Rostislavich and pledged loyalty to him. The Kievans, however, opened the gates of the podol
to Roman Mstislavich, who forced Oleg and Rurik Rostislavich to capitulate, and the Olgovichi returned to Chernigov.
Rurik Rostislavich and the Olgovichi captured Kiev on January 2, 1203; the former avenged himself against the Kievans for opening the gates to Roman Mstislavich, and he ordered his men to set fire to the podol where the townsmen had betrayed him. The troops plundered the Cathedral of St. Sofia, the Tithe Church
, and all the monasteries. Rurik Rostislavich and Oleg seized the garments of the blessed first Christian princes of Rus’; their objective, undoubtedly, was to adorn their own cathedrals with them. By hanging the robes in their throne rooms, however, they may have also hoped to buttress their dynasties’ claims to the capital of Rus’. Nevertheless, Rurik Rostislavich had no intention of occupying Kiev, and thus Oleg’s younger brother Vsevolod Svyatoslavich
occupied the town.
Since Roman Mstislavich’s raids had provoked Rurik Rostislavich and the Olgovichi to despoil Kiev, he took it upon himself to restore peace; he therefore asked Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia to be pacified with the Olgovichi, which occurred in February, 1203. On February 16, after Roman Mstislavich himself also concluded peace with the Olgovichi, he marched against Rurik Rostislavich who submitted to him and to Vsevolod Yuryevich promising to sever relations with the Olgovichi and the Cumans.
In 1203, Oleg defeated 1,700 Lithuanians
; it is plausible that he attacked the Lithuanians in order to help the princes of Polotsk, but the possibility remains that he attacked them in defense of the Dregovichi domains
. Under the year 1204, a number of chronicles state that Oleg died, while others add that his son died with him. They probably fell in battle against the Lithuanians.
#after 1166: Unnamed (perhaps Euvfrosinia) Yuryevna, a daughter of Prince Prince Yuriy Rostislavich of Ryazan and his wife
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 Feodosy. He was prince of Vshchizh
Vshchizh
Vshchizh was an old Russian town on the Desna River between the 11th and 13th centuries. Vshchizh was first mentioned in a chronicle of 1142. In the mid-12th century, it was an appanage town of Prince Svyatoslav Vladimirovich...
(1166–before 1175), of Novgorod-Seversk
Principality of Novgorod-Seversk
The Principality of Novgorod-Seversk was a medieval Rus' principality centered on the town now called Novhorod-Siverskyi. The principality was aligned to the Principality of Chernigov. It may have been created in 1139, the date of one modern authority...
(1200–1201), and of Chernigov (1201/1202–1204).
His life
He was the second 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.
Under the year 1166, the chronicler reports that the daughter of Prince Andrey Yuryevich of Suzdalia, who had married Oleg, died. Circumstantial evidence shows that the Oleg in question was the son of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. On an undisclosed date, Oleg remarried a 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:...
princess; his father-in-law Yury Rostislavich was the younger brother of Prince Gleb Rostislavich of Ryazan.
In the spring of 1166, Prince Svyatoslav Vladimirovich of Vshchizh died, and his domain passed to the closest living relatives, the Olgovichi (the ruling dynasty of Chernigov). Oleg’s father, as the senior prince of the Olgovichi, held the authority to allocate the dead prince’s domains, and he gave Vshchizh to one of his sons; one view is, probably correctly, that the son was Oleg.
In 1175, his father accompanied Mikhalko
Mikhail of Vladimir
Mikhalko Yuryevich , Prince of Torchesk , Vladimir and Suzdal and Grand Prince of Kiev ....
and Vsevolod Yuryevich, who had been invited by the townspeople of Suzdal
Suzdal
Suzdal is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated northeast of Moscow, from the city of Vladimir, on the Kamenka River. Population: -History:...
to be their prince, to the town. After his victory over the opponents of the Yuryevichi, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich ordered Oleg to escort their wives from Chernigov to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Shortly afterwards, Oleg went to his domain of Lopasna in the northeast corner of 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...
. From there, he sent troops northeast to Svirilsk and captured it because it belonged to the Olgovichi. Gleb Rostislavich of Ryazan sent his nephew (Oleg’s brother-in-law) to recapture it, but Oleg defeated him. In the winter of 1177, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich sent his sons Oleg and Vladimir to help Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdal attack Prince Gleb Rostislavich of Ryazan.
On May 12, 1185, 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...
defeated the troops led by Prince Igor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich the Brave was a Rus’ prince...
of Novgorod-Seversk at the Kayala River
The Tale of Igor's Campaign
The Tale of Igor's Campaign is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language.The title is occasionally translated as The Song of Igor's Campaign, The Lay of Igor's Campaign, and The Lay of...
. After learning of his cousin’s defeat, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich sent Oleg and his elder brother, Vladimir to the Poseme region to serve as interim defenders of the Seversk towns
Severia
Severia or Siveria is a historical region in present-day northern Ukraine and southwestern Russia, centered around the city of Novhorod-Siverskyi in Ukraine.-Severians:...
. The information that he sent two sons suggests that he ordered them to occupy Rylsk
Rylsk
Rylsk is a town and the administrative center of Rylsky District of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Seym River southwest of Kursk. Population: 19,000 .-History:...
and Putivl, which had recently lost their princes. Their main task would have been to close the “gates into the land of Rus’”. According to the chronicler, the Cumans assembled their entire nation to march against Rus’, but the khans
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
argued, and because they obstinately stuck to their views, they split their horde
Horde
Horde may refer to:* Ordo * a clan or army of steppe nomads . See Orda * the Blue and White Horde, formed 1226, 1227* the Golden Horde, a Turkic-Mongol state established in the 1240s...
into two. One of the hordes attacked Putivl but failed to take it; nevertheless, the Cumans set fire to its outer town, pillaged the district, and razed surrounding villages. After the Cumans pillaged the region, Oleg and Vladimir departed from Putivl and Rylsk. When in 1188, his father and Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
Rurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...
waged war against the Hungarians who had occupied Halych
Halych
Halych is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The town gave its name to the historic province and kingdom of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, of which it was the capital until the early 14th century, when the seat of the local princes was moved to Lviv...
, Oleg and his brothers rode with their father.
Olegs’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 Oleg and his brothers became answerable to their uncle. When Vsevolod Yuryevich (accompanied by the princes of Ryazan, 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, Oleg was placed, together with his brother Gleb
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...
, in charge of defending Chernigov against Rurik Rostislavich.
In March 1196, his uncle sent troops to attack Prince Vasilko Bryacheslavich of Vitebsk and appointed Oleg as commander-in-chief. Before reaching Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, his troops pillaged the lands of Smolensk
Principality of Smolensk
The Principality of Smolensk was a Kievan Rus' lordship from the eleventh to the fifteenth century...
. Prince David Rostislavich of Smolensk retaliated by sending his nephew Mstislav Romanovich, the Smolensk militia, and other troops to confront the invaders. The two sides clashed and Mstislav Romanovich defeated Oleg’s troops; Oleg’s son David fell in the fray. Meanwhile, the Smolensk militia marched against the princes of Polotsk who had come to Oleg’s assistance; but the townsmen fled without engaging in the battle. On seeing that Oleg and his troops had been routed, the Polotsk forces hurried to his aid and defeated Mstislav Romanovich’s men. When the latter, who had left the battlefield to pursue Oleg, returned, the Polotsk princes took him captive; later, Mstislav Romanovich was handed over into Oleg’s custody. Oleg sent word to his uncle and advised him to set out for Smolensk, but Rurik Rostislavich sent messengers to intercept Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who returned to Chernigov after hearing Rurik Rostislavich’s threat.
In the autumn 1200 his brother, Vladimir Svyatoslavich
Vladimir III Svyatoslavich
Vladimir III Svyatoslavich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Boris...
died and thus Oleg became the second in precedence in the dynasty after Igor Svyatoslavich (his father’s cousin), and it was also his turn to rule Novgorod Seversk. In the spring of 1201, Igor Svyatoslavich, the prince of Chernigov died, and the office of senior prince passed to Oleg, and thus he occupied Chernigov.
Shortly afterwards, Grand Prince Rurik Rostislavich of Kiev summoned the Olgovichi to campaign against Roman Mstislavich of Volodymyr
Roman the Great
Roman Mstislavich , also Roman Mstyslavych or Roman the Great, was a Rus’ prince, Grand Prince of Kiev ....
who had begun wreaking havoc on domains belonging to him. Oleg decided to cooperate with Rurik Rostislavich and pledged loyalty to him. The Kievans, however, opened the gates of the podol
Podil
The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
to Roman Mstislavich, who forced Oleg and Rurik Rostislavich to capitulate, and the Olgovichi returned to Chernigov.
Rurik Rostislavich and the Olgovichi captured Kiev on January 2, 1203; the former avenged himself against the Kievans for opening the gates to Roman Mstislavich, and he ordered his men to set fire to the podol where the townsmen had betrayed him. The troops plundered the Cathedral of St. Sofia, the Tithe Church
Church of the Tithes
The Church of the Tithes or Church of the Dormition of the Virgin was the first stone church in Kiev. It was built by the order of Grand Prince Vladimir the Great between 989 and 996 by Byzantine and local workers to commemorate the Baptism of Kievan Rus' and was originally named the "Church of...
, and all the monasteries. Rurik Rostislavich and Oleg seized the garments of the blessed first Christian princes of Rus’; their objective, undoubtedly, was to adorn their own cathedrals with them. By hanging the robes in their throne rooms, however, they may have also hoped to buttress their dynasties’ claims to the capital of Rus’. Nevertheless, Rurik Rostislavich had no intention of occupying Kiev, and thus Oleg’s younger brother Vsevolod Svyatoslavich
Vsevolod IV of Kiev
Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich the Red was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Daniil...
occupied the town.
Since Roman Mstislavich’s raids had provoked Rurik Rostislavich and the Olgovichi to despoil Kiev, he took it upon himself to restore peace; he therefore asked Vsevolod Yuryevich of Suzdalia to be pacified with the Olgovichi, which occurred in February, 1203. On February 16, after Roman Mstislavich himself also concluded peace with the Olgovichi, he marched against Rurik Rostislavich who submitted to him and to Vsevolod Yuryevich promising to sever relations with the Olgovichi and the Cumans.
In 1203, Oleg defeated 1,700 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...
; it is plausible that he attacked the Lithuanians in order to help the princes of Polotsk, but the possibility remains that he attacked them in defense of the Dregovichi domains
Dregovichs
The Dregoviches were one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs, and inhabited the territories down the stream of the Pripyat River and northern parts of the right bank of the Dnieper river...
. Under the year 1204, a number of chronicles state that Oleg died, while others add that his son died with him. They probably fell in battle against the Lithuanians.
Marriages and children
#before 1166: Unnamed (perhaps Euvfrosinia) Andreyevna (-1166), a daughter of Prince Andrey Yuryevich of Suzdalia and his Cuman wife#after 1166: Unnamed (perhaps Euvfrosinia) Yuryevna, a daughter of Prince Prince Yuriy Rostislavich of Ryazan and his wife
- David Olegovich (-1196)
- Unnamed Olegovich (-1204)
- Ingor Olegovich (?) (-after 1211 / before 1223)
Ancestors
Sources
- Dimnik, Martin: The Dynasty of Chernigov - 1146-1246; Cambridge University Press, 2003, Cambridge; ISBN 978-0521-03981-9.