Vladimir III Igorevich
Encyclopedia
Vladimir III Igorevich was a Rus'
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 Peter. He was prince of Putivl (1180–after 1211), and of Halych (1206–1208, 1210–1211).

His early life

Vladimir was the eldest son of prince Igor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich
Igor Svyatoslavich the Brave was a Rus’ prince...

 of Putivl, by his wife (possibly Evfrosinia Yaroslavna), a daughter of prince Yaroslav Volodimerovich
Yaroslav Osmomysl
Yaroslav Osmomysl was the most famous Prince of Halych from the first dynasty of its rulers, which descended from Yaroslav I's eldest son. His sobriquet, meaning "Eight-Minded" in Old East Slavic, was granted to him in recognition of his wisdom...

 of Halych.

In 1180, Igor Svyatoslavich succeeded his half-brother, Oleg Svyatoslavich in 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...

, and thus Vladimir followed his father as prince of Putivl. It was probably in 1181 when Igor Svyatoslavich and Khan Konchak concluded the betrothal of the latter’s daughter to Vladimir.

In the summer of 1184, Vladimir joined his father who conducted a raid 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...

 living close to the Poseme region (along the Seym River
Seym River
Seym is a river in Russia and Ukraine. Its length is 748 km and its basin area about 27,500 km². It is the largest tributary of the Desna....

). They defeated a Cuman raiding party of 400 strong around the river Merla south of the Kihiriya (a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Vorskla River
Vorskla River
The Vorskla River , located in Russia and northeastern Ukraine, is a south-flowing tributary of the Dnieper River.An ancient fort, thought to be Gelonos, is on the Vorskla south of Okhtyrka. In 1399, the Battle of the Vorskla River was fought in the area...

) and returned home. In April 1185, Vladimir joined his father’s new campaign against the Cumans. In the Battle at the Kayala River (which was the most serious blow the nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...

s had ever inflicted on the princes of Rus’) Vladimir was captured by Khan Kopti.

Vladimir returned home from captivity with Khan Konchak’s daughter, Svoboda only in 1188.

Prince of Halych

In 1198 (or 1199), Vladimir’s maternal uncle, prince Vladimir II Yaroslavich of Halych died. Vladimir Yaroslavich’s death changed the balance of power in Rus’ and created a political vacuum that a number of claimants were eager to fill. It was grand prince Rurik Rostislavich
Rurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...

 of Kiev who could now claim that, after the dynasty of Halych became defunct, the territory reverted to the jurisdiction of the grand prince of Kiev. After Vladimir Yaroslavich’s death, however, prince Roman Mstislavich of Volodymyr
Roman the Great
Roman Mstislavich , also Roman Mstyslavych or Roman the Great, was a Rus’ prince, Grand Prince of Kiev ....

 was the quickest off the mark, and he captured the town. When he died on June 19, 1205, two sons survived him: Daniil Romanovich aged four and Vasilko Romanovich aged two. The Galicians pledged allegiance to Daniil Romanovich, but he had no dynastic claim to Halich: his claim to Halych was justified on the grounds that he had the right to sit on the throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...

 of his father, but his father’s patrimonial domain (and consequently that of Daniil Romanovich) was Volodymyr-Volynskyi
Volodymyr-Volynskyi
Volodymyr-Volynsky is a city located in Volyn Oblast, in north-western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Volodymyr-Volynsky District, the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...

.

In the early summer of 1206, grand prince Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich
Vsevolod IV of Kiev
Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich the Red was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Daniil...

 assembled all the Olgovichi (the members of the dynasty of Chernigov) for a snem (a meeting) presumably to organize a campaign to Halych. When the Galicians heard how large a force had assembled against them, they asked king Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...

 for help; even so, Daniil Romanovich fled to his patrimony of Volodymyr-Volynskyi.

Meanwhile, King Andrew II crossed the mountains and, on learning that the Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...

 were marching against Daniil Romanovich, went to confront them. The king also sent messengers to prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Pereyaslavl
Yaroslav II of Vladimir
Yaroslav II , Christian name Theodor was the Grand Prince of Vladimir who helped to restore his country and capital after the Mongol invasion of Russia.-Prince of Pereyaslav:...

 inviting him to rule Halych. The king evidently hoped to draw Yaroslav Vsevolodovich’s father, prince Vsevolod III Yurevich of Suzdalia, into the conflict.

On learning that the Hungarians stood poised for battle near Volodymyr-Volynskyi, the Olgovichi dared not attack Halych. Finally, after the king negotiated peace with the Poles and returned home, the Olgovichi also withdrew. When the Galicians learnt that the king had deserted them, they feared that the Olgovichi might attack them while they had no prince. They therefore sent word in secret to Vladimir who had blood ties to the extinct dynasty of Halych asking him to rule the principality. On receiving the information, Vladimir stole away at night from his relatives, rode to Halych, and occupied it; his brother Roman Igorevich
Roman II Igorevich
Roman II Igorevich was a Rus' prince . He was prince of Zvenigorod , and of Halych .-His life:...

 went to Zvenigorod. Meanwhile, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was riding to Halych, learnt that Vladimir had already entered the town so he returned to Pereyaslavl
Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi
Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi is a town located where Alta River flows into Trubizh River in the Kiev Oblast in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi Raion , the town itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...

.

In 1207, Vladimir sent troops against Daniil and Vasilko Romanovich in Volodymyr-Volynskyi forcing them to flee to the Poles. Then Vladimir appointed his brother Svyatoslav Igorevich
Svyatoslav III Igorevich
Svyatoslav III Igorevich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Adrian. He was prince of Peremyshl , and of Volodymyr-Volynskyi .-His early life:...

 to the town. However, Svyatoslav Igorevich lost his newly acquired domain to prince Aleksandr Vsevolodovich of Belz (who was the cousin of Daniil and Vasilko Romanovich). In the meantime, duke Leszek I of Cracow
Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White , also listed by some sources as Leszek II the White, was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland from 1194 until his death, except for the short periods following when he was deposed as Polish ruler...

 kept Vasilko Romanovich at his side but sent Daniil Romanovich to king Andrew II of Hungary requesting him to reinstate him in Halych.

Some time in the summer of 1207, Vladimir came to Vsevolod Svyatoslavich’s aid who was launching a campaign against Rurik Rostislavich.

At the beginning of 1208, Vladimir bribed the Hungarians and the Poles not to attack him. Shortly afterwards, Vladimir and his brother Roman Igorevich, however, quarreled; the latter rode to the Hungarians and with their help defeated Vladimir. Roman Igorevich therefore occupied Halych forcing Vladimir to flee to Putivl.

In 1209, after Andrew II learnt of the “lawlessness and revolt” of the Galicians, he dispatched Benedek (the Voivode of Transylvania) against Halych. Voivode Benedek captured Halych and took Roman Igorevich captive. Andrew II refused to appoint a prince to Halych; the atrocities the Hungarian troops inflicted on the Galicians suggest that the king wished to avenge himself on them for breaking their promise. Voivode Benedek tormented the people, and he and his men also gave vent to their lust by defiling married women, nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...

s, and the wives of priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

s.

Sometime in the early part of 1210, the Galicians sent messengers to Vladimir admitting that they had sinned against him and his brothers and begging him to save them from the tormentor. The three brothers set out against Benedek and drove out him from Halych. They evidently returned to the same towns that they had ruled before their quarrel. Vladimir also gave his elder son Izyaslav Vladimirovich the town of Terebovl
Terebovlia
Terebovlia is a small city in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine, and the administrative center of the Terebovlya Raion . In modern medieval English history texts it is usually written Terebovl....

. Vladimir commissioned his younger son Vsevolod Vladimirovich with the delicate task of placating Andrew II; he sent the king many gifts hoping to bribe him into allowing him and his brothers to stay in Halych. He may have also asked the king to hand over Daniil Romanovich, but the king refused.

According to the chronicler, the three brothers conspired to do away with the Galician boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....

s and, as chance presented itself, killed some 500 of them. They were also accused of plundering the boyars’ estates, of handing over their daughters to marry slaves, and of giving their patrimonies to outsiders from the Chernigov lands. Because a faction of boyars championed Daniil Romanovich’s return, the three brothers undoubtedly removed the hostile boyars from their domains and replaced them with Chernigov druzhinniki
Druzhina
Druzhina, Drużyna or Družyna in the medieval history of Slavic Europe was a retinue in service of a chieftain, also called knyaz. The name is derived from the Slavic word drug with the meaning of "companion, friend". -Early Rus:...

and loyal Galicians. Because of these outrages, some boyars fled to Hungary and beseeched king Andrew II to let them have Daniil Romanovich and to help them seize Halych. The king answered their pleas by dispatching a great force with the young prince.

Significantly, Daniil Romanovich’s attacking forces were made up mostly of non-Galicians: except for the boyars who organized the revolt, the troops backing them constituted the Hungarians, the Poles, and the princes of Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...

. Vladimir dispatched his son Izyaslav Vladimirovich to bring the Cumans. After the nomads routed the Hungarians besieging Zvenigorod, Roman Igorevich rode out to seek help from Kiev. While passing by the hostile town of Shumsk
Shumsk
Shumsk is a city in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. It is administrative center of the Shumsk Raion. Population is 5,161 ....

, enemy soldiers captured him and handed him over to Daniil Romanovich. After Vladimir learned that his two brothers had been taken captive, he fled from Halych with his son. After that, the boyars of Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Halych, along with the Hungarians, installed Daniil Romanovich on the throne. In September, the Galicians hanged Vladimir's two brothers and Rostislav Romanovich who may have been Vladimir's nephew.

Vladimir and his son Izyaslav Vladimirovich returned to their patrimonies in the Poseme region. The chronicles never again mention Vladimir; presumably, he died in Putivl.

Marriage and children

#1188: Svoboda, a daughter of Khan Konchak of the Donets Cumans
  • Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich (1188 or after – 1255 or after) of Putivl;
  • Prince Vsevolod Vadimirovich (after 1188 – 1210 or after).

Ancestors



Sources

  • Benda, Kálmán (General Editor): Magyarország történeti kronológiája - I. kötet: A kezdetektől 1526-ig /A Historical Chronology of Hungary - Volume I: From the Beginnings to 1526/; Akadémiai Kiadó, 1981, Budapest; ISBN963-05-2661-1 (the part of the book which describes the events of the period from 1197 to 1309 was written by László Solymosi).
  • Dimnik, Martin: The Dynasty of Chernigov - 1146-1246; Cambridge University Press, 2003, Cambridge; ISBN 978-0521-03981-9.
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