Andrei Bogolyubsky: historical portrait. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky:

ANDREY BOGOLYUBSKY

1157-1174

years of government, short biography.

If we talk about the history of our country, then there are enough bright figures in it. Almost everything is known about some people, but we know practically nothing about someone. They are united by the fact that their life had a huge impact on the development of Russia. One of these figures is Andrei Bogolyubsky. His historical portrait suggests that he was an outstanding personality.

Brief information

It is generally accepted that the future prince was born between 1120 and 1125. He was the second (or third, it is not known exactly) son of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. His mother is the daughter of the then-famous Polovtsian Khan Aepa Osenevich, for the sake of union with whom this marriage was arranged.

Why is the future Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky so important for the history of our country? The historical portrait says that he was the most important political and spiritual figure in 1160-1170, since he not only contributed to the creation of a powerful Vladimir-Suzdal principality (on the site of the former Rostov estate of his grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh), but also turned the city of Vladimir-na - Klyazma to the center of the political and spiritual life of Russia. Thus, he pressed Kyiv in this "position". The activities of the prince before Vladimir's accession to the throne About what Andrei Bogolyubsky did and how he lived (whose brief biography is given in the article) until 1146, we know absolutely nothing. But there is still reliable information that after 1130 he married the daughter of the boyar Kuchka. The latter left his mark on history by being the owner of vast land plots along the banks of the Moscow River.

His father, Yuri Dolgoruky, always dreamed of becoming the throne of Kiev. And a convenient excuse soon presented itself. In 1146, the people of Kiev invited Izyaslav Mstislavich, who was Dolgoruky's nephew, to reign. A stubborn and fierce struggle began, in which not only all the political forces of Russia took part, but even the Poles and Polovtsy, who never missed an opportunity to cash in on another turmoil. Yuri twice managed to capture the city, but twice had a chance to be expelled from there. Only in 1155, when Izyaslav died (perhaps in 1154), did he finally manage to subdue Kyiv. His happiness did not last so long: the active prince himself died already in 1157. Andrei throughout this eight-year struggle has repeatedly proved his unparalleled courage. His military talents and analytical mind served his father more than once.

First appearance on the political stage

For the first time, the young Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (whose brief biography is full of such moments) clearly manifests himself in the aforementioned 1146, when, with Rostislav, his own brother, he knocks out Prince Rostislav (Izyaslav's ally) from his own capital. When Dolgoruky once again captures Kyiv, Andrei receives Vyshgorod (not far from Kyiv) as a gift from him. In addition, he accompanied his father on a campaign against the Volyn volost, which was the lot of Izyaslav. Near Lutsk, in which Vladimir (Izyaslav's brother) settled, he almost died already in 1149. The prince was so carried away by the pursuit of enemies that he rode far from his soldiers. His horse was wounded, stones were thrown at him from the walls of the city, and some hefty combatant of Vladimir was already preparing to pierce Andrei with a horn.

On that day, the martyr Fedor was commemorated, to whom the prince prayed: fighting off enemies, he managed to break through the enemy barrier with his last strength. He owed his final salvation to his faithful horse. He, being mortally wounded, still managed to convey his master to his warriors. For this, Andrei arranged a magnificent funeral for his friend. His horse rested on the banks of the Styrem River. Contemporaries noted that the prince was an extremely modest and simple person: he never sought the approval of his father, preferring to do everything in honor, he was religious. However, Dolgoruky probably saw these qualities, because he loved his son very much.

Peacekeeping activities

After the siege of Lutsk, Izyaslav began to ask for peace. Only due to the fact that Dolgoruky listened to the opinion of his son, and he extremely disliked senseless civil strife, the peace treaty was signed. Just a year later, Izyaslav was again able to enter Kyiv due to the fact that the townspeople were disposed towards him. Having expelled Dolgoruky, the prince did not want to stop there, deciding to send his sons home as well. He decided to start with Rostislav, who at that time reigned in Pereyaslavl. But Andrei came to the aid of his brother. Together they managed to defend the city. Dolgoruky also did not sit still and, with the assistance of Prince Volodymyrka, re-captured Kyiv. Andrei was entrusted with the defense in Peresopitsa, where it was possible to effectively defend the border from Volhynia. Izyaslav sent messengers to him with an order to ask his father to grant his nephew volosts “along Goryn”. But this time Andrei could not soften his father, who was terribly angry with Izyaslav. Then he called for help the tribes of the Ugrians, with the help of which, and with the active assistance of the people of Kiev, he was again able to occupy the long-suffering city. Yuri was forced to retreat to Gorodets-Ostersky, where Andrei soon arrived.

Dolgoruky's defeat

In 1151, Yuri again unleashed a war in which Andrei showed no less valor than during the siege of Lutsk. However, everything was unsuccessful, Dolgoruky's troops were defeated. He himself was blocked in Pereyaslavl by Izyaslav, and therefore was forced to swear to his nephew that he would renounce his claims to Kyiv, promising to leave for Suzdal in a month. Andrey, according to his peace-loving custom, immediately went to his beloved Suzdal, ardently persuading his father to abandon the stupid and senseless war and follow his example. The stubborn Yuri nevertheless made one more attempt to gain a foothold on Kievan land: he settled in Gorodok, but Izyaslav defeated him again and, under the threat of imprisonment, managed to force his uncle to leave.

Occupation of the Suzdal throne

In 1152, Andrei participated in his father's campaign against the city of Chernigov. This event was unique in that Dolgoruky managed to place under his banner not only many Russian princes, but also the Polovtsians allied to them. But the consolidated squad could not take the city, since Izyaslav Mstislavich arrived to the rescue of the besieged. When in 1155 Yuri nevertheless managed to ascend the throne of Kyiv completely, he put Andrei on the reign in Vyshgorod. But the young prince did not like those places, and therefore, tired of the endless strife, without the will of his father, he went to the Suzdal land. In those lands, the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky led to the emergence of a new and very strong principality.

The devout Andrey took the Vyshgorod clergy there, as well as the sword of St. Boris and the Icon of the Theotokos, which today is known throughout the Orthodox world as the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. By this, he so endeared himself to the local nobility that the will of his father, offended by his son because of his refusal to take the throne of Vyshgorod and bequeathing Suzdal to Andrei's younger brothers, was not fulfilled: the boyars sent them home, and the throne was unanimously offered to Bogolyubsky. After that, he started reforms, which resulted in the transfer of the capital of the Suzdal principality to Vladimir.

The reign of the Great (1157-1174)

Mindful of the bloody and disastrous wars for the state that his father unleashed, initially Andrei Bogolyubsky (reigned from 1157 to 1174) directed all his forces to creating a strong and unified principality. Around 1161, he endures a clash with a number of younger Yurievichs, each of whom wanted to reign alone. As a result, he exiles all his younger brothers, Dolgoruky's wife and a whole galaxy of other relatives to Byzantium, where they find refuge and protection from Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. In addition, the prince expelled almost all the boyars of his father, which clearly indicates the incredible scale of the reforms he undertook.

Relations with the Church

At this time, a heated conflict broke out with the Bishop of Rostov Leon (t) th, whom the prince expelled from the city twice between 1159-1164. The reason for such an ardent enmity between the prince, who was distinguished by great piety, and the church was the desire of the bishop to introduce Byzantine practice. And the domestic policy of Andrei Bogolyubsky has never been marked by a desire for concessions. We are talking about the Russian custom of canceling fasts on Wednesday and Friday, if that day was a church or great holiday. The bishop protested desperately against such "liberties". The underlying reason for this dispute was precisely the church one, you should not see it as an attempt by the prince to challenge the primacy of Byzantium: such conflicts at that time were widespread throughout Russia, and not only Andrei Bogolyubsky was involved in them. Briefly stated, it can be assumed that this contradiction was sharpened by the difficult ecclesiastical and political situation that prevailed in Russia at that time. The fact is that Andrei seriously set out to separate the Kiev metropolis from Rostov. The prince wanted to place his favorite, Bishop Theodorets, over the Rostov Metropolis, which went against the policy of not only Kiev, but also Rostov church leaders. Of course, Andrei received a categorical refusal from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverg. However, for diligence and sincere participation in the affairs of the church, the prince was granted permission to transfer the residence of the bishop to Vladimir. But this was done only in 1169. Because of some sharp disagreements with Theodorets, Andrei Bogolyubsky sends him to Kyiv, where the former bishop is brutally executed.

Construction of monasteries

Andrei Bogolyubsky (whose historical portrait we are describing) is still revered in the Church not only for his reforming activities in the spiritual sphere, but also for his active participation in the construction of many churches and monasteries. All these architectural objects are unique in that they bear the distinct stamp of Western European church construction. This was largely due to the fact that Galician artels of stonemasons and builders took part in their construction. However, this is of interest only to architects, while something completely different is important. The splendor and truly divine beauty of the temples built at that time clearly showed the superiority of Orthodoxy over pagan cults. Andrei Bogolyubsky built not only churches - he erected a strong foundation for Orthodoxy on his land. In addition, all this contributed to the enlightenment of the Rostov-Suzdal land. Many foreign ambassadors, as contemporaries wrote, "let them see true Christianity and be baptized." Simply put, Andrei was also a talented missionary who contributed to the mass conversion of people to Orthodoxy. The Church has noted this. So, the portrait of Andrei Bogolyubsky was captured on many icons of that time. But the prince was by no means a zealous confessor who lived in isolation from earthly affairs. First, we have already pointed out the importance of building temples in the matter of education. Secondly, by building churches on previously undeveloped lands, Andrei contributed to their active involvement in economic activity. The fact is that the templars collected taxes very well, and they did it much better than secular rulers. Finally, historians are sincerely grateful to the reformer. It was Andrei Bogolyubsky, whose reign was marked by many important events, who approved an orderly chronicle in the Rostov principality, in which the monks of the Assumption Cathedral took an active part. There is also a reasonable assumption that it was he who took part in the creation of the Charter of St. Vladimir, which to this day underlies many church documents.

Strengthening the Principality of Vladimir

One should not think that Andrei Bogolyubsky was completely devoid of power ambitions. So, the main focus of many of his reforms was the future rise of the Vladimir principality. Everything rested on the need to subjugate Novgorod and Kyiv to their power. When the prince, who also turned out to be a talented politician, managed to resolve issues with the Ryazan princes, they proved to be his faithful allies, participating in all the military campaigns of the principality of Vladimir. Inspired by success, Andrei Bogolyubsky begins to directly interfere in the internal politics of independent Novgorod, demanding from his nobility to enthrone only princes he pleases. When in 1160 Svyatoslav Rostislavich, who was personally hostile to Prince Vladmirsky, sat on the throne of Novgorod, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky sent an unambiguous letter to the townspeople: “Be aware: I want to look for Novgorod with good and dashing.” Novgorodians were afraid of formidable words, they immediately expelled Svyatoslav and seated Mstislav, who was Andrei Bogolyubsky's nephew, to reign. But already in 1161, Svyatoslav's father reconciles with Andrei, and together they again put the exiled prince to reign in Novgorod. It is not surprising that the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky led to his confrontation with the southern princes, who rightly saw him as a direct competitor to their independence.

Expansion of spheres of influence

By the end of 1160, the interests of the prince went far beyond his lands. If during the reign of Rostislav Mstislavich Smolensky (Andrey's cousin) there was a special agreement that delimited spheres of influence between different princes, then after his death it suddenly turned out that the preponderance of forces in political life indicates the complete superiority of the Vladimir principality. The competent policy of Andrei Bogolyubsky led to this.

Hike to Kyiv

When the city was conquered by the Volyn prince Mstislav Izyaslavich, who had Galician princes and Poles as allies, Bogolyubsky immediately went on a campaign of "eleven princes". Among them were not only faithful Ryazanians, but even the heirs of Rostislav Rurik and David, Roman Rostislavich Smolensky, Chernigov rulers Oleg and Igor Svyatoslavich, as well as Prince Vladimir Andreevich of Dorogobuzh. In modern terms, Andrei created a powerful allied coalition. A strong and experienced army took Kyiv on the fly (Andrey Bogolyubsky had many personal accounts with the city) in 1169, and the "capital city" was plundered clean. However, no one sympathized with the people of Kiev, since shortly before that, a new church confrontation arose with them once again. The fact is that Metropolitan Konstantin II imposed a ban on the services of the Kiev-Pechora abbot Polycarp, who supported Andrei in the memorable “guard” dispute. After the conquest of Kyiv, Andrei's younger brother Gleb Yurievich was placed on his throne. In those days, this clearly indicated that Kyiv had become a subordinate city. Thus, the policy of Andrei Bogolyubsky bore fruit.

Novgorod campaign

In the winter of 1169-1170, a campaign against Novgorod was undertaken. This was due to the intersection of the interests of the two principalities in the Podvina, where at that time there was an intensive colonial expansion. In battle, the Suzdal-Vladimir army was defeated. A legend has been preserved that Novgorod was only able to be defended thanks to the miraculous intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos through the icon of the Sign. In honor of this event, the icon "Battle of Novgorodians with Suzdalians" was painted. However, this did not help the Novgorodians too much. A year later, in the winter of 1171-1172, they were forced to recognize the authority of the Prince of Vladimir. This was due to the fact that his troops simply blocked the supply of bread from the south. In 1172, Yuri, the son of Andrei, was placed on the throne of Novgorod. Soon his power was recognized by the Rostislavichi, who concluded a military alliance with Bogolyubsky. Thus, by that time, Andrei Bogolyubsky's foreign policy had become very reminiscent of the behavior of his father, Yuri Dolgoruky.

Crisis of government

By that time, the territory of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality had expanded significantly from the east due to the lands of the Volga Bulgaria (after the laying of Gorodets-Radilov). In addition, the expansion occurred due to the annexation of part of the northern territories. So, it was possible to capture Zavolochye (Podvinye).

But in the 1170s, signs of a crisis in foreign and domestic policy began to grow. The very fact of constant military campaigns and military intimidation indicates that the Vladimir prince simply had no other arguments, and the activities of Andrei Bogolyubsky by that time were aimed only at retaining power. The campaign organized in 1172 against the Volga Bulgars was not adequately supported by the allied troops of the Murom and Ryazan princes.

Social politics

Historians say that the very activity of Andrei Bogolyubsky led to this situation. Constant military and fiscal pressure led to the fact that the relationship between the prince and the nobility began to deteriorate. Moreover, this concerned not only the Rostov boyars, but also those loyal to the prince people from Vladimir, whom he elevated from the service class. Relations with the Rostislavovichs soon broke down. Andrei received a denunciation, which said that his brother Gleb was poisoned, and the names of some Kiev boyars who were involved in this were called. The prince demanded that the Rostislavichs hand over the people indicated in the denunciation. But they considered that the denunciation had no sufficient grounds, and therefore disobeyed the order. Enraged, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky ordered them to leave those cities in which they ruled at his will. Prince Roman obeyed, but the other rulers were offended. They sent a message to Andrei, in which they directly indicated their good attitude towards him, but warned that they would be forced to go to war with Prince Vladimir if he continued to force them into obedience. There was no answer. Then the Rostislavichs captured Kyiv, expelled Bogolyubsky's brother, Vsevolod, from there, and seated their own brother Rurik to reign. Another brother of Andrei, Mikhail, who was besieged in Torchesk, concluded an alliance agreement with them, but at the same time demanded that Pereyaslavl pass under his hand. Upon learning of these events, Bogolyubsky sent an ambassador to the Rostislavich brothers, who once again conveyed to them his order to leave the cities under their reign and go "back home." The ambassador was unlucky: Mstislav, the eldest of the princes, was not used to being afraid and trembling, and therefore ordered the messenger to be shaved bald and his beard cut off. He ordered him to tell Andrew: "Until now, we have revered you as a father ... but if you send ambassadors to me with such speeches, God will judge us." The prince's contemporaries testified that Bogolyubsky's face darkened terribly upon hearing such words, and then he ordered to gather a huge army (up to 50 thousand) and go to Mstislav in Vyshgorod. The social portrait of Andrei Bogolyubsky by that time had undergone dramatic changes: instead of a peacemaker and a careful politician, a tough and cruel figure appeared, in which the features of his imperious father were more and more clearly visible. Ultimately, this had a bad effect on the internal affairs of the principality.

Loss of influence

On this occasion, his chronicler noted with contrition that the valiant in all respects, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (whose biography had not had such moments before) succumbed to indefatigable anger and pride, and therefore said such bold and evil words. Having added Smolyan to his army (involuntarily), as well as the troops of some Russian princes and Polovtsy, he went on a campaign. But the brave Mstislav defended Vyshgorod so well that the entire huge army fled. Prince Andrei completely lost his influence on the southern rulers. But things were not so smooth for them either: just a year later, turmoil began in their possessions associated with the loss of the Kiev throne, and therefore the Rostislavichs sent envoys to Bogolyubsky in order to ask him for the Kiev throne for Prince Roman. No one knows how the negotiations would have ended, but at this time Andrei Bogolyubsky, whose historical portrait we have given in this article, is dying.