Roman Mstislavich is one of the brightest princes of the late era of Kievan Rus. It was he who, at a historical turning point, managed to create the foundation of a new type of state, a kind of prototype, in its political content close to a centralized estate-representative monarchy. Kyiv at that time 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 that rose from the ruins of Kievan Rus was the Galicia-Volyn principality. And Prince Roman Mstislavich was just its creator, who launched a new ship of statehood on a long voyage.
He managed to be a prince of Novgorod, to thoroughly rise as a Volyn (or Vladimir) prince, then, having received the Galician principality, to unite them into one state, and even for a short time to become the ruler of Kyiv. But the most distinctive thing in his reign was the attempt to establish a federal structure in Russia, which had long been gaining momentum in Western Europe.
RomanMstislavich. Short biography
Unfortunately, in written sources (chronicles) only information about the last fifteen years of the prince's life has been preserved, and even then with large gaps. Nothing is known about childhood and adolescence. There is very little evidence of 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 Kyiv, as well as with the North Russian prince Vsevolod Yurievich. And even in the available sources, there is a certain prejudice against Roman, since they were written at the courts of opponent 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 not a very high interest in such personalities on the part of historians, the scarcity of the processed material and the small amount of facts presented. One of the most valuable historiographic 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 very figure of the prince. Let's try to recreate the main available material just as briefly and clearly.
Princely family and family ties
Roman, and at baptism - Boris, belonged to the family of the Rurik dynasty ruling in Russia. His great-great-grandfather was Vladimir Monomakh, a descendant of Yaroslav the Wise and Vladimir the Great, the baptizer of Russia. Senior branch of Monomakh- the dynasty of the Kyiv prince Mstislav Vladimirovich - was headed by the grandfather and father of Roman - Izyaslav Mstislavovich and Mstislav. On the line of his mother - the Polish princess Agnes - the prince's roots are also quite impressive. Roman Mstilavich was the grandson of the Polish prince Boleslav III "Crooked" and the nephew of the next four rulers of Poland.
Birth of Prince Roman
Mstislav, Roman's father, had four sons. By seniority, these are Svyatoslav, Roman, Vsevolod and Vladimir. But, judging by the attitude and circumstantial evidence, Svyatoslav was an illegitimate child. Because seniority among the Mstislavichs was always given to Roman. The exact date of Roman's birth is not recorded, but it happened around 1153. The choice of the name also raises a number of questions, since it meant a Roman, but it came to Russia, most likely through Byzantium. Although the name Roman has already been repeatedly found among the princes, it is believed that it was after the reign of Roman Mstislavich that the use of the name of the Grand Duke acquires much greater scope. Quite a lot of historians have questions about this person, but achievements in such a difficult time give the full right to call the prince nothing more than Roman Mstislavich the Great. And here'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. On the throne of Kyiv fathersat down when Roman was almost fourteen. Obviously, the future prince did not know a calm childhood. However, there is a mention that from the cradle Roman was brought up 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 that Roman Mstislavich Galitsky spent most of his youth in Poland and Germany, which influenced his political outlook and spiritual culture.
Prince Novgorodsky
According to the Kyiv Chronicle, in 1168 the Novgorodians invited the eldest son of the new Kyiv prince Mstislav to their principality. This was the first title of Roman 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 also the coalition of Andrey Yuryevich Bogolyubsky makes everything difficult. Among other things, Roman had to fulfill the will of the local boyars, he was not a full ruler. Father's support was the only support. Therefore, after his death, Roman Mstislavich was forced to abdicate and return to his patrimony. As the eldest among the brothers, he receives Vladimir in Volhynia. Troubled times forced us to spend a lot of time on campaigns, defending ourselves from neighbors from 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 laid down by Mstislav, when Prince Vladimirsky and his brother Yaroslav, Prince of Lutsk, reachedmutual support arrangements. As Monomakhovichi, the brothers owned these lands already as a hereditary fiefdom. 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 gave support in the struggle to establish hegemony in the western and southern regions. Therefore, none of the relatives had any special claims to the patrimony of Roman. But in the first years of his reign here, Roman was completely dependent on his uncle, Yaroslav Izyaslavich. Over time, having thoroughly strengthened himself in Volhynia, Prince Roman Mstislavich no longer met with 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 on Roman and the Vladimir principality in everything.
Prince Galitsky
Roman Mstislavych had the first attempts to join Galician lands to Volhynia 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 negotiate with the boyars and sit in Galich in 1188. And this was the first reign of Roman Mstislavich Galitsky. But the forces and capabilities of the young prince were not yet the same, therefore, in the fight against the Ugrians, Roman Mstislavich lost the capital of the Galician lands to the conquerors.
For the second time, Roman managed to land in Galicia in 1199, and that's when the history of the Galicia-Volyn principality begins. Now after the death of Vladimir Yaroslavovich, notleaving heirs, Roman Mstislavovich was one of the contenders for the vacant throne. Having strengthened the neighboring principality and stood firmly on his own feet, Roman managed by hook or by crook and even by military confrontation to break the discontent of the local elite. The strife of the boyars could prevent this, and for a long time did not give the prince peace. 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 firm character and unshakable rule, strengthened it and laid the foundation for a strong policy of his heirs.
Prince of Kyiv
It just so happened that the pretenders to Galich always shifted their gaze to the throne of Kyiv. Being exhausted by military campaigns, Roman Mstislavich Galitsky appealed 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 the Torcheskaya (or Korsun) volost in the Kyiv lands. But already in 1201, Roman Mstislavich took Kyiv by storm. After the creation of a huge state, Roman needed to solve an uncountable number of problems that arose in various regions. Among others, Galician territories, and especially Kyiv ones, demanded the greatest attention. The first lands in the best way were called to order by the batog method in relation to the main opponents of the boyar environment. On the Kievan lands, it was necessary to act by agreements and rely on local traditions. In addition, yourRoman did not transfer the capital of all lands to Kyiv.
Domestic policy
Roman Mstislavich Galitsky maintained a very close relationship with the Kyiv prince Rurik Rostislavich. Being also a father-in-law, Rurik gave Roman cities along the Ros River and not only. But it wasn't a very sweet gift. Ros was surveying the lands occupied by the Polovtsians. Their frequent raids forced Roman to spend most of his time on campaigns. But not only external enemies shook the power of the prince. Kievan Rus was corroded by a petty feudal struggle, which also reached the western lands. In addition to siblings, more distant relatives annoyed all the time. Yes, and Kyiv, although it lost its dominant position, remained a tempting piece for everyone, even petty 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 relationship of the prince with the main line of the Polish dynasty - Kazimir the Just from Krakow and his sons Leshk 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 struggle between Leshko and Konrad with his uncle Old Sack. In this campaign near Mozgava, the Galician prince was wounded, but not mortally. In return for his support, Roman could count on help from Leshko, who, in turn, provided the forces for the complete conquest of the Galician lands by Roman.
Foreign Policy: Byzantium
Also successful external relations of the Galicia-Volyn principality were relations with Byzantium. Roman Mstislavich, whose foreign and domestic policy was always aimed at strengthening and protecting the new statehood, was looking 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 Polovtsy. After all, Kievan Rus has always been considered by Byzantium for itself 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 allied agreement with Roman.
Foreign Policy: Nomads
Features of the relationship of South-Western Russia with the nomads, as is commonly believed, had their own traditions over the centuries. The Slavic farmers clearly adhered to the forest belt, while the Turkic nomads controlled the steppe expanses. The expansion of these territories was not applied from either side. But the Pechenegs were replaced by the Polovtsy, more organized and with a desire to control the entire forest-steppe zone of the Dnieper region. The threat hung not only over Kyiv and Byzantine lands. Polovtsian campaigns began to reach Poland and Hungary. And only the successful campaigns of Russia at the beginning of the XII century gavethe opportunity for Western princes to strengthen 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 Polovtsy and even the return of many "Christian souls" from captivity.
Death of Roman Mstislavich
Historians still fail to determine the reasons, but at the beginning of the new century, relations with the Poles deteriorated sharply. Not without the intrigues of the boyars. The Galician-Volyn chronicle testifies that between Roman and Leshk, the Galician boyar Vladislav Kormilchich sowed strife. But how he succeeded, what 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. In Vladimir, his father's city, Roman Mstislavich was buried. A photo of the church, where the ashes of the prince and his son are still buried, is presented below, however, already in a modern architectural design.
And finally…
Kievan Rus can certainly be put on a par with other European states of the Middle Ages. The Galicia-Volyn principality became the successor, as well as the final stage of this period of history. The most prominent names of this principality were: Roman Mstislavich, Yaroslav Osmomysl, Daniil Galitsky. The life of each of them was filled to the brim and dedicatedstrengthening 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 preserved castles in the West.
