Dukes of Kiev

DUKES OF KIEV From the reign of Sviatoslav's youngest son Vladimir the Nor man dynasty was definitely settled in Kiev. It still preserved its connections with other parts of Europe, attempted distant mili tary expeditions against its Slav neighbours and ruled the large territory from the northern lakes to the nomads of the steppe and from the then uncertain Polish frontier to the river Volga and the Caucasus. This was the most brilliant period of southern Russian history; but its brilliancy rested on an extremely unsafe base, as the connection between the newly built State and the country inhabitants remained very loose. The only link which unified the subdued tribes was the power of the grand duke of Kiev. The population paid their tribute to the prince's tax-col lectors ; but otherwise they were left to themselves and preserved their ancient tribal organisation and habits.

Christianity Accepted.

Another element of union of enor mous importance was added by the acceptance of Christian faith in 988 by Vladimir "the Saint." He took his religion from Byzan tine Greeks, but the service was in vernacular as the prayer books and Bible had already been translated in Slavonic by the "Slav apostles" Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. From 1037 the Russian Church was subject to the Constantinopolitan pa triarchate; for two centuries nearly all "metropolitans" and most of the "bishops" were Greeks. Eventually the Slav and Russian element prevailed. After Vladimir's death (1015) his son Sviatopolk "the Damned" assassinated his brothers (Boris and Glec, canonised as Saints), but was defeated by another brother Yaroslav, elective prince of Novgorod, who reunited all territory under the grand duchy of Kiev and embellished his capital with a cathedral in Byzantine style. He also founded the Bechersk mon astery which became a famous seat of faith and learning ; he col lected books and had them translated. Under Yaroslav the earliest document of Russian law was revised under the name of Russkaya Pravda (Russian right). He gave refuge to two sons of Eadmund who fled from Cnut ; to king Olaf, banished from Norway, also to Harald Hardrada (III.) who married his daughter; he gave his other daughter to Andrew, the king of Hungary; his third daughter married Henry I. of France. His sons married Polish, Greek and German wives. He died in 1054. In order to prevent feuds among his numerous descendants he introduced an order of succession to the grand duchy of Kiev which was based on the principle that all territory as a whole belonged to the family, and different parts of it were distributed among them in temporary possession accord ing to seniority and to the profitableness of the seat of administra tion. The most profitable towns on the main trade-route were

Kiev, Pereyaslavl (on the steppe frontier), Novgorod (the first Norman residence), then Smolensk (on the upper Dnieper) and Chernigov (on its confluent—Desna). All brothers of the first generation were considered as senior to the following generation. As soon as Kiev passed to another brother all the members of the family changed their seats and approached one step nearer to Kiev. If one died before reaching Kiev, his descendants were called isgoi and excluded from "mounting the scale." In the next column is a numbered table of successive reigns in Kiev during seven generations after Yaroslay.

The order of succession from brother to brother was kept only in the two first generations (I to 5). Numbers 9 and 1 2 show pref erence given to nephews over uncles. And indeed, as early as 1o97, at a conference held by the dukes at Liubech it was decided that the sons should keep their fathers' heritages. The direct suc cession from father to son prevailed in all dukedoms. Kiev was seen to be losing its former significance. Its great impor tance was based on trade; but southern trade was destroyed by the appearance in the steppe (1054) of the Polovtsi, nomads far more dangerous than the Petchenegs. It will also be seen that of all Yaroslav's sons only one line survived: that of Vsevolod and his brilliant son Vladimir Monomachos. Monomachos' line was then divided into two: the elder one (6, 9, 12) remained in Kiev and in its turn it was subdivided in two—Roman and Daniel preferred to move west from the then unsafe Kiev to Galicia, while two Mstislays, the Brave and the Daring, as their nicknames show, remained to the end the knights errant of the chivalrous South. The cadet branch of Vladimir Monomachos (io, 13, 14) opened a new period of Russian history. The centre of influence changed then to northern woodland, far from the steppe. It was a far poorer but safer and, in the long run, more profitable settlement. In 1169 Andrew's troops stormed Kiev. This was the end of southern brilliance though Kiev was not definitely destroyed till I240, by a last and most terrible invader, the Mongol Batu, Gen ghis-khan's nephew.