Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich foreign and domestic policy. Biography. The beginning of the great reign
Grand Duke of Kyiv; reigned from 1093 to 1113, was the second son of Grand Duke Izyaslav Yaroslavich.
The year of his birth is unknown, and the chronicler does not provide any data for his restoration.
The first news about this prince is found in 1069, when his father Izyaslav, expelled from Kyiv by the Polotsk prince Vseslav, again took possession of the grand prince's table, expelled Vseslav from Polotsk and gave this city to his eldest son Mstislav, after whose death he planted his second son S. However, this latter did not stay in Polotsk for long, since two years later, that is, in 1071, Vseslav returned and drove S. out of there. Then, for seven years, again nothing is known about the fate of this prince. In 1077 or 1078, he undertook a campaign against Vseslav of Polotsk together with his cousin Vladimir Monomakh, and in 1078, after the death of Gleb Svyatoslavich, he was planted by his father in Novgorod, where he remained until 1088, when he moved to reign in Turov, probably in order to be closer to Kyiv, where at that time his uncle Vsevolod reigned, after whose death the grand prince's table was to pass to him, as the eldest in the family. In 1093 Grand Duke Vsevolod died; his son Vladimir Monomakh, despite his popularity in Kyiv, did not want an internecine war and sent to Turov to call on the grand throne of S., who was not slow to arrive on April 24th.
The people of Kiev came out to meet the new prince and received him with joy.
His reign was marked, on the one hand, by internecine wars with outcast princes, whose rights to the volosts of their fathers were recognized at two congresses, on the other hand, by the struggle against the Polovtsy, who disturbed the Russian land, and under this prince, a campaign was first undertaken in the Polovtsian lands . Simultaneously with the arrival of S. in Kyiv, the Polovtsy attacked Russian soil. Hearing about the death of Vsevolod, they sent envoys to S. with an offer of peace. The Grand Duke, after consulting only with his young squad, ordered the ambassadors to be imprisoned.
The result of this was the war with the Polovtsians.
She was unsuccessful.
Seeing the impossibility of defeating the enemies by force, the Grand Duke decided to make peace with them and, indeed, in 1094 peace was concluded, and S. married the daughter of the Polovtsian prince Tugorkan.
In the next 1095, S., in alliance with Vladimir Monomakh, undertook a campaign against the Polovtsy and invited Oleg Svyatoslavich, who had recently established himself in Chernigov, with him.
The latter went, but separately from his cousins.
This campaign was successful; the princes took the Polovtsian towers and returned home with a lot of booty.
In the same year, the Polovtsy besieged the city of Yuryev and did not take it, thanks to the intervention of the Grand Duke. When they crossed the Ros River, the Yuryevites left their town and ran to Kyiv. S. ordered them to build a town on Vitichevsky Hill and named it after himself "Svyatopolch". There he settled the Yuryevites with their bishop Marin, as well as the Zisakovites and other residents of small towns lying on the border of the Kyiv principality and susceptible to attack by the Polovtsians.
The following year, 1096, S. and Vladimir Monomakh were sent to Oleg, inviting him to come to Kyiv for the congress, but, having received the proud refusal of the latter, they moved against him. Oleg fled from Chernigov and locked himself in Starodub, where he withstood the siege of his cousins for 33 days, but finally surrendered and received peace on the condition that he go after his brother Davyd and come with him to Kyiv. Indeed, he went to Smolensk to fetch his brother, but the inhabitants of this city did not let him in, and he left for Ryazan.
Seeing that the Svyatoslavichs did not come to Kyiv, S. and Vladimir went to Smolensk to Davyd, but the matter ended in peace. At this time, the Polovtsy, taking advantage of the absence of the princes, invaded the Russian lands and devastated the environs of Kyiv and Pereyaslavl, but the princes, returning back, defeated the enemies with their combined forces on July 19 near Pereyaslavl.
In this battle, the father-in-law of the Grand Duke Tugorkan fell, whose family ties did not prevent him from devastating the regions of the Grand Duke. The latter ordered to take the body of his father-in-law with him and buried him in the village of Berestovo.
Finally, in 1097, a princely congress took place in the city of Lyubech.
Grand Duke S., Vladimir Monomakh, Oleg and Davyd Svyatoslavich, Davyd Igorevich and Vasilko Rostislavich took part in it.
Soon, the connivance shown by the Grand Duke David Igorevich in the blinding of Vasilko Rostislavich almost caused a new internecine war. The princes reconciled on the condition that S. swore to punish Davyd.
All these events took place in 1098. Only in the next year, 1099, S. spoke out against Davyd Igorevich, who locked himself in Vladimir Volynsky.
The Grand Duke besieged this city for seven weeks; finally, Davyd surrendered and made peace with S. on the condition that the latter let him out of the city.
After that, Davyd surrendered Vladimir to him, and he left for Cherven.
Having received Vladimir, S. decided to take possession of the entire principality of Volyn, but, defeated by the Rostislavichs, he fled to Vladimir with his two sons Mstislav and Yaroslav.
He left the first in Vladimir, and sent the second to Hungary to persuade the king to go to the Rostislavichs, he himself returned to Kyiv. But Vladimir was soon lost to them too.
In August 1100, S. participated in the princely congress in Vitichev.
After this congress, civil strife over Volyn ceased, which now went to the Grand Duke, who planted his son Yaroslav there.
In the next year, 1101, S. had to undertake a campaign against his nephew Yaroslav Yaropolchich.
Soon after this, a congress of princes S., Monomakh and Svyatoslavichs took place on the Zolotcha River, at which they decided to go to war against the Polovtsy.
The latter, having heard about this, sent ambassadors to ask for peace. The princes appointed them to meet for negotiations near the city of Chakov, where peace was concluded on September 15, and hostages were taken from both sides.
In 1102, S. concluded a condition with Monomakh, by virtue of which the son of the latter was to go to Vladimir-Volynsky, and the son of the Grand Duke Yaroslav - to Novgorod.
In the same year, the Grand Duke married his daughter Sbyslav to the Polish prince Boleslav Krivousty.
This year is also remarkable in that it had the last internecine war from the Grand Duke, except for the campaign of 1104, when S., together with other princes, sent an army under the leadership of Putyata to Minsk against Prince Gleb Vseslavich.
When the princely strife subsided, the forces of the princes could be completely turned on the Polovtsy, who constantly disturbed Russia with their raids.
The soul of these campaigns was Vladimir Monomakh, but S. always supported him.
The campaign of 1103 was very successful.
The princes returned home with huge booty, and S. resumed the city of Yuryev, once burned by the Polovtsy.
The following year, the Grand Duke married his second daughter Predslava to the Hungarian prince Ladislav; in the same year, S. had a son, Bryachislav.
Meanwhile, the Polovtsy, subdued for a year, reappeared and, under the leadership of their Khan Bonyak, devastated the Russian borders, so that in 1106 the Grand Duke was forced to send troops against them under the leadership of Putyata, Jan and other governors. The year 1108 is remarkable in that, at the insistence of the hegumen of the Caves, Feoktist, S. ordered the metropolitan to inscribe St. Theodosius of the Caves in the Synod, which was extended to all bishops to commemorate this saint in all cathedrals; In the same year, the Grand Duke founded the Church of St. Michael, July 11th, in honor of his saint.
Two years later, three princes - S., Monomakh and Davyd again undertook a campaign against the Polovtsy, but it ended in nothing due to the cold and horse death, so that the princes, having reached the city of Warrior, returned back. This failure did not prevent, however, the same princes from undertaking a large campaign against the Polovtsy in the next 1111.
This was the last military enterprise of the Grand Duke, who died two years later outside Vyshgorod on April 16, 1113. His body was brought in a boat to Kyiv and laid in the church of St. Michael.
His widow distributed much alms to monasteries, priests and the poor. S. had 4 sons: Mstislav from a concubine, who died in 1099, Yaroslav, Bryachislav and Izyaslav and 2 daughters, Sbyslava and Predslava.
Grand Duke S. was a very pious man: going on a campaign, he always went to the Kiev Caves Monastery to bow to the tomb of St. Theodosius and receive a blessing from the abbot; he did the same on his return.
But, apparently, this piety was purely external, since all the other qualities of this prince were far from brilliant.
He was cruel, greedy and power-hungry, but at the same time he did not possess either brilliant abilities or a strong character.
The following story testifies to his greed: once salt rose in price in Kyiv; learning about this, the monks of the Pechersk began to help the people, distributing it, but as soon as it came to the prince, he took the salt from the monks and began to sell it himself for a high price. When Abbot John began to denounce the Grand Duke, the latter imprisoned him and released him only under fear of the threat of Monomakh.
In addition, S. took away estates from the nobles and in general produced a lot of violence, at the same time patronizing his favorites and Jews, as evidenced by the revenge they suffered after the death of the prince from the people of Kiev, who plundered their houses. Sources see Art. Svyatopolk Vladimirovich.
L. Kumanin. (Polovtsov) Svyatopolk (Mikhail) Izyaslavich Prince. from 1069 Polotsk, from 1078 Novgorod, and from 1094 led. book. Kyiv; 1113 (Polovtsov)
SVYATOPOLK IZYASLAVICH(in baptism - Michael) (08.11.1050-16.04.1113) - Kyiv prince from 1093
The son of the Kyiv prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich and one of his concubines. In 1069-1071. Svyatopolk Izyaslavich was the prince of Polotsk, in 1073-1077. was with his father in exile, in 1078-1088. reigned in Novgorod, in 1088-1093. - in Turov. In April 1093, after the death in Kyiv of his uncle, Kyiv prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, he took the Kyiv throne. Deciding to start a war with the Polovtsy, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich ordered the capture of the Polovtsian ambassadors, who came to him with the intention of making peace. In response, the Polovtsy made a devastating raid on the Russian land. In 1095, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, in alliance with Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh of Pereyaslavl, attacked the Polovtsian lands, seized "cattle and horses, camels and servants."
In 1096, Svyatopolk and Vladimir Monomakh fought against the Chernigov prince Oleg Svyatoslavich. They besieged Oleg, first in Chernigov, then in Starodub and forced him to make peace, imposing their conditions. In May 1096, the Polovtsy again attacked Russia and laid siege to Pereyaslavl. July 19 Svyatopolk Izyaslavich and Vladimir Monomakh defeated the enemy. Many Polovtsian princes fell in the battle, including Svyatopolk's father-in-law Tugorkan and his son. In the same year, the Polovtsy devastated the outskirts of Kyiv.
In 1097, by decision of the Lubech Congress of Princes - descendants of Yaroslav the Wise - Svyatopolk Izyaslavich received Kyiv, Turov, Slutsk and Pinsk. Immediately after the congress, Svyatopolk and Prince Davyd Igorevich of Vladimir-Volynsk captured the prince of Terebovl Vasilko Rostislavich and blinded him. Princes Vladimir Monomakh, Davyd and Oleg Svyatoslavich opposed Svyatopolk. The prince of Kyiv reconciled with them and undertook to start a war against Davyd Igorevich. In 1098, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich laid siege to Davyd Igorevich in Vladimir-Volynsky. After seven weeks of siege, Davyd left the city and ceded it to Svyatopolk. After that, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich tried to take the Cherven cities from Volodar and Vasilko Rostislavich. In 1099, Svyatopolk invited the Hungarians, and the Rostislavichs entered into an alliance with their former enemy Prince David Igorevich, who received help from the Polovtsians. Svyatopolk and the Hungarians were defeated, and Davyd Igorevich again captured Vladimir-Volynsky.
In August 1100, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Vladimir Monomakh, Davyd and Oleg Svyatoslavich gathered for a congress in Uvetichi and concluded an alliance with each other. A few weeks later, Davyd Igorevich arrived here. The princes forced him to hand over Vladimir-Volynsky to Svyatopolk Izyaslavich. Svyatopolk also handed over Buzhsk, Dubno and Chartoryysk to Davyd Igorevich, and planted his son Yaroslav in Vladimir-Volynsky. Later, Svyatopolk exchanged the cities of Davyd Igorevich for Dorogobuzh, where he died in 1112, after which Svyatopolk took Dorogobuzh from his son. At the congress in Vetichy, the princes made another decision - to take Terebovl from Prince Vasilko Rostislavich and transfer it to Svyatopolk, but Vasilko and Volodar Rostislavich did not recognize the decision of the congress, and the allied princes did not dare to start a war with them. In 1101, his nephew, Prince Yaroslav Yaropolkovich, who laid claim to Vladimir-Volynsky, began a war against Svyatopolk Izyaslavich. Having suppressed the speech, Svyatopolk put his nephew in prison, but soon released him; in 1102 he was again taken into custody and put to death in captivity.
Svyatopolk Izyaslavich sought to maintain an alliance with Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Pereyaslav and even married his son Yaroslav to his granddaughter. He married his daughter Sbyslava to Polish king Boleslav, and the other - Predslava - for the Hungarian prince. Having reconciled, the princes joined their efforts in the fight against the Polovtsian raids. Back in 1101 on the river. Zolotich, the Russian princes made peace with the Polovtsians. In 1103, Svyatopolk and Vladimir Monomakh, at a meeting near Dolobsky Lake, agreed on a joint campaign in the Polovtsian steppes. In the same year, the united Russian army defeated the Polovtsy, capturing huge booty. The campaigns of the Russian princes against the Polovtsy were repeated in 1108, 1110 and 1111.
was less successful domestic politics Svyatopolk. In the memory of the people of Kiev, he remained a money-loving and stingy prince, embarking on all sorts of adventures for the purpose of making money. The prince turned a blind eye to the many abuses of the Kyiv usurers and did not disdain speculation with salt himself. During his reign, many Kievans were ruined and fell into debt bondage. After the death of Svyatopolk, an uprising broke out in Kyiv, during which the townspeople defeated the yards of usurers.
The grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, according to Vasily Tatishchev, was born on November 8, 1050. The historian determined the birthday based on the fact that on November 8 (according to the Julian calendar) the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael is celebrated, and the baptismal name of the prince is Michael.
He was the son of the same Kyiv prince Izyaslav, who for the first time in Russian history was overthrown from the throne as a result of a popular uprising. Izyaslav refused to support the people of Kiev, who wanted to repulse the Polovtsy, who were making devastating raids within the boundaries of the Kyiv principality, and therefore was deposed and forced to hide in Poland for some time.
Izyaslav also faced the Polovtsian issue when he took the throne of Kyiv in 1093 after the death of Vsevolod Yaroslavich. The Polovtsy, as soon as they learned about the death of Vsevolod, sent ambassadors to conclude peace with the new prince, i.e. for ransom. Even at the end of the life of Vsevolod Yaroslavich, taking advantage of his illness, the khans Bonyak and Tugorkan raided the Kyiv lands.
Svyatopolk, without consulting with the Kyiv boyars, imprisoned the ambassadors, which led to an outbreak of looting by the Polovtsians of the civilian population. Svyatopolk failed to gather a large army, only Vladimir Monomakh came to his aid, he reigned in Chernigov, and Rostislav, Prince of Pereyaslavl.
Monomakh gave wise advice- to wait for time, but Svyatopolk insisted on the battle. In the battle on Stugna near the city of Torcheska on May 26, 1093, Russian squads were defeated by nomads. The subsequent battles on Zhelan and near Khalep were unsuccessful for the people of Kiev, and Svyatopolk decided to make peace with the Polovtsy. He married the daughter of Khan Tugorkan, which, however, did not secure the Kiev principality from the Polovtsians.
The horde of the Polovtsian Khan Bonyak, supporting Oleg Svyatoslavich, Prince of Tmutarakansky, who was an opponent of Vladimir Monomakh and, accordingly, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, moved to Kyiv, burned the princely residence in Berestovo.
The horde of khans Kuri and Tugorkan laid siege to Pereyaslavl, but the united squads of Svyatopolk Izyaslavich and Vladimir Monomakh defeated them on the Trubezh River on July 19, 1096.
At the very time when the prince of Kyiv was fighting with the Polovtsy, in the north-east of Russia there was a struggle between Vladimir Monomakh and Oleg Svyatoslavich. The Lyubech congress, convened in 1097 by Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, and which determined the principle of land inheritance, stopped the showdown only for a short time.
The feud broke out again. Svyatopolk, tried to seize the principalities of Przemysl and Terebovlya, which were owned by the Rostislavichs, but was defeated. His attempt to establish himself in Novgorod was not crowned. Novgorodians rejected the candidacy of his son Yaroslav: "If your son has two heads, send him to us."
However, despite the strife, the Russian princes managed to unite to repel an external threat. After the Dolobsky congress in 1103, the allied Russian squads smashed the Polovtsy already on its territory. In 1103, the Polovtsians were defeated on the Suten River, in 1107 on the Sula River, in 1111 on the upper Donets and on the Salnitsa River.
Vasily Vereshchagin " Grand Duke Svyatopolk Mikhail. 1093-1112, 1896
If in foreign policy Izyaslav showed himself as a defender of the Russian land from the Polovtsy, then in domestic politics, he did not leave a good memory for himself.
“In the days of his reign in Kyiv, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich did a lot of violence and uprooted the houses of the strong without guilt, took away the estates of many,”- describes the reign of Svyatopolk his contemporary. Tatishchev called Svyatopolk very mean and money-loving.
The Kiev-Pechersk Patericon says that the prince was connected with the trading elite and was somehow involved in salt speculation. Historian Igor Froyanov says that Svyatopolk reigned in Kyiv not instructively.
Therefore, when the prince died on April 16, 1113, only the boyars and the retinue mourned him, the people of Kiev did not regret his death. The place on the throne of the mother of Russian cities was taken by his cousin Vladimir Monomakh.
Grand Duke Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich (in holy baptism Michael) (November 8/21, 1050 - Kyiv, April 16/29, 1113). The son of Grand Duke Izyaslav I Yaroslavich and Grand Duchess Gertrude (Elizaveta) (nee Princess of Poland, daughter of King Mieszko II Vyaly and sister of King Casimir I the Restorer). In 1068 he received Polotsk from his father, but in 1071 he was expelled by Vseslav Bryachislavich. In 1073-1077 he was in exile with his father in Poland and Germany. In 1078 he was called to reign in Veliky Novgorod. In 1088 he moved to Turov. In 1093, after the death of Grand Duke Vsevolod I Yaroslavich, he occupied the throne of Kyiv in strict accordance with the principle of ladder law. He provoked a conflict with the Polovtsy by arresting their embassy, which arrived to negotiate peaceful coexistence. He was defeated by the Polovtsy in the battles of Trepol and the Zhelan River. In 1094, he made peace with the Polovtsians and married the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan (baptized Elena). In 1095, together with Prince Vladimir Monomakh, he resumed hostilities against the Polovtsy; in 1096, Svyatopolk II's father-in-law Khan Tugorkan and his son died in this war. Inside the country, the situation was complicated by enmity with Chernigov Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich. In 1097 Svyatopolk II chaired the Congress of Princes in Lyubech, convened on the initiative of Prince Vladimir Monomakh. The congress decided “everyone (i.e. everyone) keeps his fatherland”, which, on the one hand, limited internecine arbitrariness, but on the other, legally fixed the principle of specific fragmentation. Immediately after the end of the congress, Svyatopolk II, believing the slander of Prince Vladimir-Volynsky Davyd Igorevich, captivated and allowed the blinding of Prince Terebovlsky Vasilko Rostislavich. This crime almost caused a war between the Grand Duke and St. Vladimir Monomakh. However, the Dowager Grand Duchess Anna (stepmother of Vladimir Monomakh) and Metropolitan Nikolai managed to prevent strife on the condition of punishing Prince Davyd Igorevich. The latter in 1099, after a 7-week siege of Vladimir-Volynsky, was expelled by Svyatopolk II and fled to Poland. The civil strife between the Grand Duke, on the one hand, and Volodar and Vasilko Rostislavich and Davyd Igorevich, who had united with them, on the other, resumed in the same year. The victim of the struggle was the son of Svyatopolk II, Prince Mstislav, who died in June during the siege of Vladimir-Volynsky by Davyd Igorevich. In August, the Congress of Princes in Vitichev deprived Davyd Igorevich of his inheritance (Vladimir-Volynsky). In 1100-1102 Svyatopolk II fought with varying success against his nephew, Prince Yaroslav Yaropolkovich. In 1103, by decision of the Congress of Russian Princes in Dolobsk, their coalition defeated the Polovtsy. Also during this period, Svyatopolk II strengthened the international position of the Russian state by marrying Princess Barbara of the Eastern Roman Empire (daughter of Emperor Alexei I Komnenos) (1103) and arranging the marriages of his daughters: Princess Sbyslava married the Polish Duke Boleslav III Krivousty (1103) , and Predslava - for the Hungarian Prince Almos (1104). The campaign of governor Putyaty in the winter of 1104-1105 against Prince Gleb Vseslavich of Polotsk ended in vain. In 1106-1111 Svyatopolk II won a number of victories over the Polovtsy (the most significant - together with Vladimir Monomakh in the battle on the Salnitsa River on March 27/April 9, 1111). Svyatopolk II especially revered St. teacher Theodosius of the Caves, always prayed at his tomb before any important matter, and in 1108 ordered Metropolitan Nicephorus to canonize St. Theodosius. The Grand Duke was distinguished high level education. Contemporaries noted his innocence. At the same time, Svyatopolk II was accused of love of money and patronage of usurers to the detriment of the Russian population. The death of the Grand Duke was preceded solar eclipse perceived as a harbinger of misfortune. Immediately after his death, an uprising broke out in Kyiv, and a Jewish pogrom began, caused by the dissatisfaction of the people of Kiev with the excessive privileges given by Svyatopolk II to usurers. Excesses were stopped by Vladimir Monomakh, who ascended the Grand Duke's throne of Kyiv out of the order of the right of the ladder. Svyatopolk II was buried in the Kyiv church of St. Michael the Archangel.
Reigned 1093-1112Svyatopolk-Mikhail
Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, who received the name Michael in baptism, is the son of Izyaslav Yaroslavich and the Polish princess, was born in 1050. In 1069, by the will of his father, he became the prince of Polotsk instead of the deceased Mstislav, where he ruled continuously for two years. In 1071, the former ruler, Vseslav Bryachislavich, returned power in the Principality of Polotsk. Being a vindictive and touchy man, 7 years later, Svyatopolk, together with Vladimir Monomakh, burned down the Polotsk suburbs.
In 1078 he became Prince of Novgorod, where he ruled for ten years.
In 1088 he headed the Principality of Turov, after which in 1093 he became the Grand Prince of Kyiv.
The process of capturing and establishing the power of Svyatopolk in Kyiv is interesting. After the death of Vsevolod Yaroslavich, Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich was invited to Kyiv by Vladimir Monomakh. Arriving in Kyiv on April 24, the prince was warmly received by the people of Kyiv. After some time, the ambassadors of the Polovtsy who attacked the Russian land came to Svyatopolk, offering to make peace. After conferring with the faithful boyars, the prince decided to put the ambassadors under lock and key, which meant not accepting the conditions of the militant side. Having learned about the act of Svyatopolk, the Polovtsy continued the war and laid siege to Torchesk. Realizing that he had made a mistake, Svyatopolk released the captured ambassadors, but this did not stop the Polovtsy, and Svyatopolk had to turn to Vladimir Monomakh and Rostislav, Prince of Pereyaslavl for help. Three princes advanced with their retinues to Trepol, melted across the Stugna River and prepared for a bloody battle. The troops were lined up: in the middle - the squads of Rostislav, on the right - Svyatopolk, on the left - Vladimir. But after a brutal attack by the Polovtsy, the frightened warriors of Svyatopolk fled from the battlefield, forcing their prince to follow them. The other two detachments had no choice but to capitulate, having been defeated.
Having strengthened their positions near Torchesky, the Polovtsy went to war against Kyiv, where on July 23 a battle took place on Zhelan, ending with the escape of Russian soldiers and Prince Svyatopolk, who later took refuge in Kyiv. Returning with success to Torchesk, the Polovtsy captured the persistent city, for disobedience they took the inhabitants to the steppes, and the city was burned to the ground. Experiencing incredible fear of the Polovtsy, Svyatopolk, having married the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan, Elena, in 1094 made peace with his opponents.
In 1096, Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, with the support of Vladimir Monomakh, expelled Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich from the Chernigov lands. But at this time Kyiv land Khan Bonyak went with the war, leading an army that was incredible in terms of the number of people. The Polovtsians moved towards Kyiv, burning everything in their path. The princely court of Svyatopolk in Berestov also suffered. The example of Khan Bonyak was followed by Svyatopolk's father-in-law, Tugorkan, who decided to capture Pereyaslavl, but Svyatopolk, Mikhail and Vladimir Monomakh, secretly melted across the Dnieper from enemy eyes, suddenly attacked the enemy, forcing the Polovtsians to flee. Many Polovtsy were overtaken by death that day; it did not spare Tugorkan either, whom Svyatopolk later buried in Berestovo, paying tribute to him as the father of his second wife.
The fleeing Khan Bonyak again approached Kyiv and on June 26 burned the entire area around the city, then, having ruthlessly plundered the monasteries - Germanov, Pechorsky and Stefanov - returned to the steppe with his troops.
While in power in Kyiv, Svyatopolk participated in the Lubech Congress, held in 1097, after which, together with David Igorevich, Prince of Vladimir-Volynsky, he captured Vasilko Rostislavich, Prince of Terebovlsky. A year later, under pressure from Vladimir Vselodovich Monomakh, he declared war on the captive David Igorevich, which resulted in the expulsion of the latter from the principality subordinate to him. Being a wise military strategist and politician, Svyatopolk-Mikhail made numerous campaigns against the Polovtsians.
In 1099, Svyatopolk undertook a military campaign against the Vladimir-Volyn principality, successfully conquering it. Blinded David, who was there, begging for mercy, was released by Svyatopolk, after which he fled to Poland. Deciding to continue the conquest, Svyatopolk led troops to Volodar Rostislavich and his brother Vasilko. However, on the field of Rozhni, Svyatopolk was defeated and fled to Vladimir, but, not feeling safe there, returned to Kyiv.
