Lyubech Congress of Russian Princes: date, decisions, significance. Lyubech Congress of Russian Princes: date, decisions, significance Distribution of land holdings

What was the significance of the Lyubech Congress of Princes? and got the best answer

Answer from Lyudmilka[guru]
Princely congresses, as a unique form of government, a means of making important decisions and resolving controversial issues, began to gather in the second half of the 11th century. At the congresses, issues of the feudal structure of the lands, relations between the princes, and the organization of consolidated resistance to the threat from the Steppe were discussed.
Lyubech Congress In terms of its relevance and the significance of the decisions made there, historians consider the year 1097 to be the most important. At that time, princely feuds, like rust, were corroding the once great state from within - Kievan Rus. Feudal divisions prevailed. Each prince wanted to seize the wealth of his neighbor by force, and all together sought to sit on the grand ducal table in Kyiv.
Seeing these strife, the further, the more active the Polovtsians began to act, attacking not only the lands bordering the steppe, but also conducting raids far into the Russian lands. Cities and villages burned, people died, unable to adequately repel the attackers. And some princes began to “invite” the Polovtsians as allies, going to rob their neighbors.
In connection with the growing Polovtsian danger, an urgent need arose to unite all the forces of Rus'-Ukraine to repel the nomads, to stop princely feuds at any cost. In 1097, the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Prince of Pereyaslav (at that time) Vladimir Monomakh, Prince of Smolensk David Svyatoslavich, his brother Prince of Chernigov Oleg Svyatoslavich, Prince of Vladimir-Volynsk David Igorevich and Prince of Terebovl Vasilko Rostislavich together with small squads gathered in the city of Lyubech , at the Lyubech Castle at the congress. The initiative to convene the congress of princes belonged to Vladimir Monomakh, who shortly before voluntarily ceded the principality of Chernigov to the Svyatoslavichs, and himself sat down in Pereyaslav.
The goal of the Lyubech Congress was to end the hostility between the Svyatoslavichs and other princes, to stop internecine wars and stand together against the threat from the Steppe, against the Polovtsians. The princes said: “Why are we destroying the Russian land, creating discord among ourselves? And the Polovtsians are tearing our land to shreds and rejoicing that we are waging wars among ourselves. From now on, let us unite with one heart and cherish and honor the Russian land.”
One of the immediate causes of princely strife was the lack of direct inheritance of lands. Estates and inheritances were inherited not by the son after the father, but by the elder brother. The sons were left without land, which caused endless disputes and attempts to resolve them with the help of weapons.
Direct inheritance was proposed by Yaroslav and his supporters and was introduced at the congress in Lyubech. Each prince was given those lands that belonged to his father, the principle was proclaimed: “Let each one maintain his fatherland.” The prince was now supposed to own the inherited lands and was obliged not to encroach on the lands of his neighbors.
Svyatopolk received Kyiv along with the lands that had always belonged to his family - Turov. Vladimir received all the lands of Vsevolod - Pereyaslav, Smolensk, Suzdal, Rostov and Beloozero. Novgorod went to his son Mstislav. Chernigov land, Ryazan and Murom were assigned to Oleg, David and Yaroslav Svyatoslavich. David Igorevich got the Vladimir-Volyn land, Volodar Rostislavich - Przemysl, Vasilko Rostislavich - Terebovl. “And on that they kissed the cross: If from now on anyone goes against anyone, we will all be against him and the cross is honorable. They all said: Let there be an honorable cross against him and the whole Russian land!” , - it is said in the chronicle.
The significance of the first Lyubech Congress of 1097 primarily lay in the fact that it was the first largely successful attempt to stop the process of disintegration of the Kyiv state into small appanage principalities by changing the principles of inheritance and setting a common goal for the princes - providing proper armed resistance to Polovtsian attacks on Rus' -Ukraine. The First Lyubech Congress stopped the struggle for the Chernigov lands for a certain time and allowed the forces of the border principalities to unite against the Polovtsian threat.

Answer from Beatiful lady[guru]
Confirmation of the fragmentation of Rus'.

Answer from Maria Pikalova[newbie]
The Lyubech Congress of Russian Princes took place in 1097, in the city of Lyubech, on the Dnieper. The princes, at the congress, were able to agree on the recognition of the rights of each of the princes who belonged to the Rurik family to their patrimony. But the seizure of someone else's land belonging to a brother or relative was considered a crime. Participants of the Lyubech Congress kissed the cross as a sign that they would abide by its decisions. The former princes agreed at the Lyubech congress that if someone encroaches on someone else's land, then the other princes will take up arms against him.
At the Lyubchesky Congress, it was possible to agree on joint actions to protect Russian land from raids by nomads. The main event of the Lyubech Congress was the proclamation of the principles of inheritance by the princes of the lands of their fathers. This decision meant the emergence of a new political system in Rus', the basis of which was large feudal land ownership. Unfortunately, immediately after the Lyubech Congress, strife began again. David Igorevich and Svyatopolk blinded Vasilko Rostislavich, thereby starting a new wave of strife.
It is necessary to highlight the main decisions of the Lyubech Congress and emphasize its significance as a conscious attempt by the princes to come to an agreement and unite in the face of a common - Polovtsian - danger. Special emphasis should be placed on Vladimir Monomakh’s proposals that a) each prince “sit in his homeland”; b) so as not to call on nomads as allies in internecine struggle. In fact, this meant the formalization of the feudal fragmentation of the state.
The second attempt to preserve the unity of Kievan Rus was the congress of princes on Lake Dolob. At the congress, decisions were made according to which the princes united to fight the Polovtsians. As a result, the Polovtsians were successfully beaten by Vladimir Monomakh and his allies, but the unity of Rus' was never preserved.

The Lyubech Congress was a meeting of Russian princes, the main goal of which was to stop the internecine war and create a unified state to resist foreign invaders.

The first congress of princes in Lyubech

The congress of Russian princes took place in the city of Lyubech (on the Dnieper River) in 1097. The reasons for convening the congress of princes in Lyubech were:

cruel between the princes who fought with each other for territories and influence in Rus';
the need to create a unified army to resist, whose raids caused serious harm to the country.

The congress of Russian princes in Lyubech was proclaimed by Vladimir Monomakh, who was the first to understand all the sad consequences of civil strife.

The significance of the Lyubech Congress

Kievan Rus at the end of the 11th century. was in an extremely difficult situation. Since 1094, there was a constant struggle for territory, which greatly weakened the country and did not allow the assembly of a unified army. The princes did not want to recognize each other’s authority and tried to seize more and more territories from the enemy in order to make a profit and spread their influence. The situation was complicated by the Polovtsians.

Vladimir Monomakh was defeated in the Battle of Stugna in 1093, losing part of the territory to the invaders. Later, in 1094, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich enlisted the support of the Polovtsians and expelled Vladimir from Chernigov. Having secured the support of another prince, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Vladimir wanted to recapture his possessions, but at the same time the Polovtsians made a brutal raid on the southern territories. For two years, Rus' was constantly in a state of war.

To correct the situation, it was necessary to reconcile the princes - for this purpose, Vladimir Monomakh convened the Lyubech Congress for the first time.

The main decisions of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

During the meeting, the princes were mainly engaged in the redistribution of territories. After many hours of discussion, the congress of princes in Lyubech proclaimed the following: to make peace between the princes and oblige them to come to the aid of each other in the fight against the Polovtsians. The main goal of the Lyubech Congress was the creation of a unified state.

The territories were divided as follows:

Vasilko Rostislavich (with brother) - Terebovl, Cherven, Przemysl;
Vladimir Monomakh - Pereyaslavl Principality, Suzdal-Rostov land, Smolensk and Beloozero;
Davyd Igorevich - Vladimir-Volynsky with Lutsk;
Oleg and Davyd Svyatoslavich - Chernigov and Seversk land, Ryazan, Murom and Tmutarakan;
Svyatopolk Izyaslavich - Kyiv with Turov and Pinsk and the title of Grand Duke.

The congress of Russian princes in Lyubech proclaimed a new principle of land division. The princes inherited the territories that belonged to their fathers - clan distribution. In this way, disputes over possessions were avoided, and Rus' was gradually to turn into a feudal state.

Consequences of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

Unfortunately, Prince Davyd Igorevich was dissatisfied with the new agreement and immediately after the meeting he informed Svyatopolk that Vladimir Monomakh and Vasilko Rostislavich had a secret conspiracy and wanted to seize sole power in Rus'. Svyatopolk believed and, at the insistence of Davyd, invited Vasilko to his place in Kyiv, where the latter was immediately accused of treason and put in prison.

Vladimir Monomakh, seeing that a new conflict had begun, convened a second congress of princes (1110), at which it was possible to conclude a final peace treaty. Prince Davyd was forgiven for his betrayal.

Results of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

Thanks to the fact that the princes managed to come to an agreement, the civil strife in Rus' ended and the state gradually united to repel the Polovtsians. The great princes were able to unite their troops and resist the invaders, and Rus' moved into a new era with a new political system.

In the history of Russia, as well as any other country, there are many dark pages, when bloodshed became the cause of great disasters for the people and created favorable conditions for invaders of various stripes. It was in this situation that Rus' found itself at the end of the 11th century due to strife between Oleg Svyatoslavich, Vladimir Monomakh and Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, which the congress of princes in Lyubech was called upon to put an end to.

Background

To understand what happened in Rus' in the period from 1093 to 1097, it is necessary to begin the story with a description of the war of the three sons of Svyatoslav Yaroslavich for the inheritance. In particular, Oleg Svyatoslavich, calling on the Polovtsians for help, was able to take Chernigov, which had previously been the capital city of his father, from his cousin, Vladimir Monomakh. Next, the prince took Ryazan and, having killed the Murom ruler Izyaslav in battle, captured his capital, as well as Suzdal and Rostov. Such an act, even in those days, was considered the greatest crime, and all representatives of the Monomakh family, who managed to recapture their estates, took up arms against Oleg. But the external threat hanging over the country forced the irreconcilable enemies to think about forgetting about the contradictions at least for a while and not weakening Rus' with internecine wars.

Participants of the princely congress in Lyubech

The initiator of the gathering of the most famous appanage rulers of that time was Vladimir Monomakh, the grandson of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX. This prince, even in his early youth, showed remarkable intelligence and the ability to compromise. In particular, in 1093, having the opportunity to ascend the Kiev throne, he ceded it to Svyatopolk in order to avoid war, and in 1094 he voluntarily left Chernigov, since he understood that he could not resist Oleg Svyatoslavich and the Polovtsians alone. In addition, he was an extremely ambitious man with far-reaching political plans.

Among those invited to the congress of princes in Lyubech were the grandchildren of Yaroslav the Wise, Davyd Igorevich, as well as Davyd and Oleg Svyatoslavich. In addition, his great-grandson, Vasilko Rostislavich, was summoned from Terebovl.

Year 1097: congress of princes in Lyubech

The need for a meeting of the most influential rulers of the country has been long overdue. However, Vladimir Monomakh could not persuade Oleg Svyatoslavich to come to Kyiv, as he feared an attack. Finally, it was decided to hold a congress of princes in Lyubech. This castle also belonged to Monomakh, but no one lived there for a long time. As the chronicles of those years testify, Prince Vladimir spoke to the brothers and called on them to forget their enmity and stand up for the defense of their homeland from the common enemy - the Polovtsians.

Results of the congress in Lyubech

After heated discussions, the princes redistributed the principalities as follows:

Syatopolk Izyaslavich got Kyiv with Pinsk and Turov;
Vladimir Monomakh received Smolensk, Suzdal-Rostov land, Beloozero;
Davyd Igorevich was supposed to manage Vladimir-Volynsky with Lutsk;
Vasilko Rostislavich, together with his brother Volodar, was given Terebovl, Przemysl and Cherven;
Davyd and Oleg Svyatoslavich began to rule in Chernigov, as well as in the Seversk land, Ryazan, Murom and Tmutarakan.

Thus, the congress of princes in Lyubech proclaimed the principle of inheritance by Russian princes of lands belonging to their fathers, and its most important result was the formation in Rus' of a new political system based on the existing large feudal land ownership, concentrated in the hands of different branches

Subsequent events

Unfortunately, the congress of Russian princes in Lyubech could not lead to the establishment of lasting peace in Rus', since David Igorevich secretly sent a messenger to Svyatopolk with a message about the allegedly impending seizure of the Kyiv throne by Vladimir Monomakh and Vasilko Rostislavich. This insidious act brought a lot of trouble to our country. The fact is that Svyatopolk, who believed the slander, invited Vasilko to Kyiv, imprisoned him and blinded him. Moreover, there is evidence that Rostislavich was warned about the impending trap. However, he replied that the princes in Lyubech “kissed the cross,” so he did not believe that he could be in danger. The result of the actions of Svyatopolk and David Igorevich was a new internecine war that lasted until 1110.

Congress in Uvetichi

In the summer of 1110, princes Vladimir Monomakh, Svyatopolk, Davyd and Oleg Svyatoslavich gathered and “created peace among themselves.” Then they called David Igorevich to trial, deprived him of the Vladimir-Volyn principality, but assured him that they were not going to take revenge on him. In addition, Svyatopolk gave him Dubna and Chertorizhsk, and the Svyatoslavichs gave him a large sum of money. Since the interests of all parties were taken into account, the internecine war ceased.

Thus, the goal of the congress of princes in Lyubech, which was to achieve lasting peace in Rus', was not achieved due to the ambitions of some of its participants.

The history of any country is full of ups and downs, times of peace and times of bloody wars, eras of culture and enlightenment, as well as Troubled times, during which internecine wars unfolded for the right to lead the country. The end of the 11th and beginning of the 12th centuries is rightfully considered one of the eras of the Time of Troubles in Rus', when the personal ambitions of the heirs of Yaroslav the Wise and regular raids of nomads on the border territories greatly weakened the Russian state.

In contact with

The prerequisites for internecine wars were the staircase order of transfer of the throne, which consisted in the fact that power is transferred from brother to brother, and if the sons of Yaroslav the Wise were satisfied with everything, then his grandchildren were not satisfied with this state of affairs at all. The very division of the country into separate governorships did not bode well for the sons of Yaroslav the Wise.

In order to stop the bloodshed and devastation in 1097, a general gathering of the grand dukes was organized in the city of Lyubech.

The purpose of the Lyubech Congress and its participants

Lyubech is a developed city of that time, located on the banks of the Dnieper. This place was not chosen by chance. It was in Lyubech that the native lands of Vladimir Monomakh, the initiator of the congress, were located. The Lyubech Congress was convened in order to solve a number of problems, two of which (the internecine fratricidal war and the need for a unified army to confront external enemies) were especially acute.

Its participants were the direct descendants of Yaroslav the Wise, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Each of them will be discussed further in this article.

It should be understood that the gathering of princes in those days can be equated to a modern political forum and, in addition to the princes, the entire political elite of that time participated in it, although only the princes made decisions (unlike the Dolob Congress).

The main decisions of the Lyubech Congress of Princes:

Finally assign lands to each of the rulers.
Form a squad to fight common enemies.
Securing the right of inheritance from father to son.

Results of the Lyubech Congress

As a result, the disputed lands were divided between the participants. Agreements were also reached regarding the boundaries of the territories of influence, the basis was prepared for the formation of a unified army to resist foreign invaders, in particular, to resist the Polovtsians (the Polovtsians are a nomadic people of Turkic origin who were at war with Russia in those days).

The participants of the Lyubech Congress, as a sign of compliance with the decisions, kissed the cross and swore that they would not encroach on someone else’s land, and whoever encroaches and breaks the oath will be punished by the rest of the princes. Also at the congress, the principles of inheritance of divided lands from father to son were discussed and enshrined.

The political significance of the Lyubech Congress of Princes

Simply put, Rus' ceased to be a single state and broke up into several principalities, the decisions of which were made by a single ruler. Thus began the era of feudal fragmentation in Rus', it was of great importance and continued until the end of the 15th century, ending under Ivan III (Under whom the famous Code of Laws was adopted).

Subsequent events

Sadly, the peace between the princes did not last long. David Igorevich brought confusion into the relationship between Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich and Vasilko Rostislavich by sending a messenger to the former with a message about the impending capture of Kyiv by the latter. Svyatopolk, who believed the slander, called Vasilko to Kyiv, where he first took him into custody and then blinded him. Meanwhile, David Igorevich invaded the Terebovel principality (the estate of Vasilko Rostislavich) and captured the main fortress of Terebovel and nearby lands.

Having heard about the blatant violation of the oaths given by the princes, Vladimir Monomakh gathers an army and goes to Kyiv. Having besieged the city, Vladimir Monomakh seeks from Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich the release of Vasilko Rostislavich, as well as his consent to go on a joint campaign against David Igorevich. Flashed with new strength The internecine war lasted until 1110.

At least two congresses are associated with this period:

Congress in Uvetichi. It took place in August 1110 near the city of Uvetichi. The goal is the example of princes and the trial of the apostate David Igorevich. He lost his principality, however, he was not executed; on the contrary, Svyatopolk gave him Dubna and Chertorizhsk to reign, and the Svyatoslavichs allocated a large sum of money. The wise decision of the princes made it possible to avoid a new round of bloody war and allowed the war to stop for a while.
Dolob Congress. The congress of princes, which took place in 1103 at Dolob Lake near Kyiv. Distinctive feature This congress was that not only the grand dukes, but also representatives of the squad participated in the decisions. The Dolob congress made it possible to unite the squads and make several successful campaigns against the Polovtsians.

And although each congress called for unification and an end to strife and civil strife, the effectiveness of the agreements was quite low and, in the end, as we see from history, a stronger and more developed principality absorbed a smaller and weaker one until only one remained - Moscow, which again united Rus' together.

Appendix 16

"Descendants of Yaroslav the Wise on the Kiev throne"

Appendix 17

Reference material.

Lyubech Congress (1097)- a congress of Russian princes, held in the city of Lyubech (on the Dnieper) with the goal of agreeing to end internecine princely feuds over inheritances and to rally against the Polovtsians who were ravaging Rus'. It established a completely new principle of ownership of princely appanages. “Let everyone keep his fatherland,” read the final definition of the congress. Thus, the Russian land ceased to be considered a single possession of the entire princely house of Rurik, and turned into a collection of separate “fatherlands”, hereditary possessions of the branches of the princely house.

In “History of the Russian State” (T.1.Chapter VI), giving a description of the Lyubech Congress, N.M. Karamzin wrote: “A few months later, Russia for the first time saw a solemn meeting of its Princes on the banks of the Dnieper, in the city of Lyubech. Sitting on the same carpet, they prudently reasoned that the fatherland was perishing because of their disagreement; that they should finally stop civil strife, remember the ancient glory of their ancestors, unite in soul and heart, appease the external robbers, the Polovtsians, calm the State, earn the love of the people. There is no doubt that Monomakh, friend of the fatherland and the most prudent of the Russian Princes, was the culprit and the soul of this memorable meeting. As an example of moderation and selflessness, he ceded to the Svyatoslavichs everything that once belonged to their parent, and the Princes, with general consent, approved the Kyiv region for Svyatopolk, and the private inheritance of his father for Monomakh: Pereslavl, Smolensk, Rostov, Suzdal, Beloozero; for Oleg, David and Yaroslav Svyatoslavich - Chernigov, Ryazan, Murom; for David Igorevich - Vladimir Volynsky; for Volodar and Vasilko Rostislavich - Przemysl and Terebovl, given to them by Vsevolod. Everyone was pleased; everyone kissed the holy cross, saying: may the Russian land be a common fatherland for us; and whoever rises up against his brother, we will all rise up against him. The good people blessed the agreement of their Princes: the Princes hugged each other like true brothers.”

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, 6 princes were present at the Lyubech Congress.

Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, as the eldest, was left Kyiv with Turov and Pinsk and the title of Grand Duke. Vladimir Monomakh - Pereyaslavl principality, Suzdal-Rostov land, Smolensk and Beloozero. Oleg and David Svyatoslavich - Chernigov and Seversk land, Ryazan, Murom and Tmutarakan.

David Igorevich - Vladimir-Volynsky with Lutsk. Vasilko Rostislavich (with his brother) - Terebovl, Cherven, Przemysl.

The Lyubech Congress, having proclaimed the principle of princes inheriting the lands of their fathers, stated the existence of a new political system in Rus' - Udelnaya Rus', the basis of which was the established large feudal land ownership. However, the Lyubech Congress could not give real guarantees of the implementation of its decisions. Immediately after the Lyubech Congress, David Igorevich, with the consent of Svyatopolk, blinded Vasilko Rostislavich, which led to new wars between the princes.

Appendix 18

Biography.

Vladimir II Vsevolodovich Monomakh ( church name Basil) (1052–1125)

– Prince of Smolensk (from 1067), Chernigov (from 1078) Grand Duke of Kiev (1113–1125);

The son of the Kyiv prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich and Anna, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh, in whose honor Vladimir received his nickname “Monomakh”.

Born in 1052. Even at the beginning of his reign in Kyiv, he gained fame as a conqueror of the Polovtsians and a peacemaker. He enjoyed popular love and influence among other princes.

His father, the Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod I bequeathed to Vladimir the great reign in Kyiv, but Monomakh did not want the resumption of internecine wars, refused this honor and, following the principle of seniority in the clan, proclaimed his cousin Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich the Grand Duke of Kyiv. The will of Vsevolod I came true only after the death of Svyatopolk II.

In relations with the appanage princes he sought to maintain peace. Being the prince of Smolensk, in 1078 Vladimir received Chernigov from his father to rule. Owning it, he built a castle in Lyubech at his residence, capable of withstanding a long siege. But, when in 1094 Prince Oleg Svyatoslavovich appeared under the walls of Chernigov at the head of the Polovtsian army with the goal of returning the city where his father once ruled, Vladimir abandoned the battle and left the city with a small squad for Pereslavl. Later he handed over Pereslavl to his brother Rostislav and reigned in Smolensk. He actively helped the appanage princes in the fight against external enemies: the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav - with the German emperor Henry IV, when he “went with his retinue” through Bohemia to Silesia. He was one of the initiators and active participants in the congresses of appanage princes - in Lyubech (in 1097) and in Uvetichi (Vitichev) (in 1100).

Vladimir Monomakh repeatedly participated in campaigns against the Polovtsians (in 1093, 1094, 1095, 1101, 1103, 1107, 1110, 1111, etc.). In his own words, he made peace with the Polovtsians nineteen times, using every opportunity to do so. But he often initiated retaliatory attacks against the Polovtsians (1095), and constantly pushed other princes to pursue an offensive policy against the Polovtsians.

In 1113, after the death of the great Kyiv prince Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich, a popular uprising broke out in Kyiv against moneylenders. In the hope of ending the unrest, the top of the noble Kievites called Vladimir Monomakh to reign with a request to “save him from the frantic mob.” Having suppressed the unrest and become the prince of Kyiv, Vladimir II Monomakh saw the need to understand the causes of the unrest. As a result, the rules of debt law were regulated. This was reflected in the “Charter of Vladimir Monomakh”, which was later included in the lengthy edition of “Russian Pravda”. According to the “Charter,” the situation of debtors and purchasers (mercenaries) was improved, servitude for debts was abolished, and the exact amount of the charges (interest) for moneylenders was established (no more than 100%). Continuing the legislative work of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Monomakh made many changes to “Russian Truth”. Their goal was the need to establish the “law” - a fair (“righteous”) trial according to Christian commandments.

During the reign of Vladimir II in Kyiv, the fight against the Polovtsians resumed - the campaigns of 1116 and 1120. In 1116, Vladimir Monomakh sent his son Mstislav on a campaign against the Polovtsians. Monomakh himself fought against Byzantium that year.

Actively supported the struggle of the Novgorodians and Pskovites against the Chud tribe in the north-west (near Lake Peipsi); in the northeast, Monomakh's son Yuri Dolgoruky won a victory against the Bulgarians and Mordovians. In 1120 the Pechenegs were expelled from Rus'.

The reign of Vladimir Monomakh, although short in time, was a period of political and economic strengthening of Rus', the flourishing of culture and literature. Under him, churches were built, chronicles were created, the compilation of the Pechersk patericon began, which included the lives of Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk, Princess Olga, Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, princes Boris and Gleb.

Vladimir Monomakh was a well-educated man for his time and had literary talent. In the “Instructions for Children” (about 1117) Monomakh appeared as a wise man statesman, “a great sorrower for the land,” “a caring homeowner,” an enlightened thinker, a brave warrior and a well-read scribe, a brilliant master of words. Addressing his heirs, the author exclaimed: “Children! Do not be afraid of either the army or the beast, do a man’s work, nothing can harm you!” And he added: “Don’t forget the poor, orphans and widows!” The prince’s poetic “surprise” at the beauty of nature made his work a worthy predecessor to “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The main thing in the “Instruction” is a call for the unity of Rus', brotherly love, and condemnation of civil strife.

Vladimir Monomakh bequeathed the grand-ducal throne in Kyiv to his eldest son Mstislav the Udal, thereby establishing new order succession to the throne, aimed at centralizing princely power. Vladimir Monomakh was one of the last great princes of Kyiv, under whom it was possible to maintain the unity of Rus'. After the death of his son Mstislav, who reigned for only 7 years, the chronicler wrote: “the whole Russian land was torn apart.”

Vladimir Monomakh died on May 19, 1125, while on a campaign. According to the chronicle, “his fame spread throughout all countries, and he was especially terrible for the filthy; he was a brotherly lover and a lover of the poor and a kind sufferer for the Russian land.”

S.M. Solovyova believed that Kievan Rus, in an environment of internecine struggle, for a brief moment regained its former glory under Monomakh: “Monomakh did not rise above the concepts of his century, did not go against them, did not want to change the existing order of things, but through personal valor, strict by fulfilling his duties he covered up the shortcomings of the existing order, made it not only tolerable for the people, but even capable of satisfying their social needs.”

Appendix 19

The works of Vladimir Monomakh were written in the 11th – early 12th centuries and are known under the name “Instruction”. They are part of the Laurentian Chronicle. “Instruction” is a unique collection of the prince’s works, including “Instruction” itself, an autobiography and a letter from Monomakh to Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich. The author of the “Instructions” appears as a highly educated bookish person, erudite, well versed in the literature of his time, which is evident from the numerous quotes that he gives in his work.

“The Instruction” was the political and moral testament of the prince.

At the beginning of the “Teaching,” Monomakh gives a number of moral instructions: do not forget God, do not have pride in your heart and mind, respect old people, “when you go to war, do not be lazy, beware of lies, give drink and food to those who ask... Do not forget the poor, give Judge for the orphan and widow for yourself, and do not let the strong destroy a person. Honor the old as your father, and the young as your brothers. Above all, honor the guest. Don’t let a person pass without greeting him, and say a kind word to him.”

Gradually, the “Instruction” develops into an autobiography, in which the prince says that he was a participant in 82 large military campaigns. He tried to build his life according to the same rules that he writes about to his sons. Monomakh appears in his work as an unusually active person, a zealous champion of enlightenment. He believes that in everyday life a prince should be a model for those around him, and family relationships should be built on respect. In the Instruction, Monomakh covers a wide range of life phenomena and gives answers to many social and moral questions of his time.

The third work of Vladimir Monomakh is a letter to his cousin Oleg Svyatoslavich, written about the death of his own son Izyaslav, who was killed by Oleg in battle. According to Monomakh, the trouble is not that another prince died on the battlefield. The trouble is that princely feuds and strife are destroying the Russian land. Monomakh believes that it is time to stop these fratricidal wars. The prince offers Oleg peace: “I am not your enemy, not an avenger... And I offer you peace because I do not want evil, but I want good for all our brethren and the Russian land.”

Academician D.S. Likhachev, the author of one of the best modern translations of the Instruction, noted that “Monomakh’s letter is amazing. I do not know anything in world history similar to this letter from Monomakh. Monomakh forgives the murderer of his son. Moreover, he consoles him. He invites him to return to the Russian land and receive the principalities due to inheritance, asks him to forget the grievances.”

From “The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh”:

“...O me, long-suffering and sad! You struggle a lot, soul, with your heart and you overcome my heart; We are all perishable, and therefore I think about how not to appear before the terrible judge without repenting and making peace with each other.

For whoever says: “I love God, but do not love my brother,” is a lie. And again: “If you do not forgive your brother’s sins, then your heavenly father will not forgive you either.” The Prophet says: “Do not compete with those who are evil, do not envy those who commit iniquity.” “What is better and more beautiful than brothers living together.” But everything is the devil’s instigation! After all, there were wars under our smart grandfathers, under our kind and blessed fathers. The devil quarrels with us because he does not want good for the human race. I wrote this to you because my son, who was baptized by you and sits close to you, forced me. He sent me his husband and a letter, with the words: “We will agree and make peace, but God’s judgment has come to my brother. And we will not be avengers for him, but we will put it on God when they appear before God; but we will not destroy the Russian land.” And when I saw the humility of my son, I took pity and, fearing God, said: “Because of his youth and foolishness, he humbles himself so much and places it on God; I am a man, more sinful than all people.”

I listened to my son and wrote you a letter: whether you accept it kindly or with reproach, I will see both from your letter. With these words I warned you what I expected from you, with humility and repentance desiring from God forgiveness of my past sins. Our Lord is not a man, but the God of the entire universe - he will do whatever he wants in the twinkling of an eye - and yet he himself endured blasphemy, and spitting, and blows, and gave himself up to death, mastering life and death. What are we, sinful and bad people? Today they are alive, and tomorrow they are dead, today in glory and honor, and tomorrow in a grave and forgotten. Others will share what we have collected.

Look, brother, at our fathers: what did they save and what clothes did they need? All they have is what they have done for their souls. With these words, you, brother, should have been the first to send to me and warn me. When they killed the child, mine and yours, before you, you should have seen his blood and his body withered like a flower that first blossomed, like a slaughtered lamb, and said, standing over him, pondering the thoughts of your soul: “Woe is me, What I've done! And, taking advantage of his foolishness, for the sake of the untruth of this vain world, I made sin for myself, and tears for my father and mother!”

I should have told you in the words of David: “I know that my sin is always before me.” Not because of the shedding of blood, but having committed adultery, God's anointed David sprinkled his head and wept bitterly - at that hour his God forgave him of his sins. To God you should repent, and write a letter of comfort to me and send my daughter-in-law to me - for there is neither evil nor good in her - so that I, hugging her, would mourn her husband and that wedding of theirs, instead of songs: for I did not see I am their first joy, nor their wedding, for my sins. For God’s sake, let her come to me as soon as possible with the first ambassador, so that, after crying with her, he will settle her with me, and she would sit like a turtledove on a dry tree, grieving, and I myself would be consoled in God.

This is the way our grandfathers and fathers walked: judgment came to him from God, and not from you. If you had done your will then and got Murom, and not occupied Rostov and sent him to me, then we would have settled things from here. But judge for yourself: was it worthy for me to send to you or you to send to me? If you had told my son: “Get in touch with your father,” I would have sent him ten times.

Is it surprising that your husband died in the war? This is how the best of our ancestors died. But he shouldn’t have looked for someone else’s and brought me into shame and sorrow. After all, his servants trained him in order to get something for themselves, but they got evil for him. And if you begin to repent to God and have a kind heart towards me, having sent your ambassador or bishop, then write a letter with the truth, then you will receive the volost good, and you will turn our hearts to yourself, and we will be better than before: I am neither your enemy nor avenger. I didn’t want to see your blood at Starodub; but God forbid that I should see blood, neither from your hand, nor from your command, nor from any of the brothers. If I lie, then God is my judge and the cross is fair! If my sin is that I went against you to Chernigov because of the pagans, I repent of it, I spoke about this to my brethren more than once and also told them, for I am a man.

...For I do not want evil, but I want good for the brethren and the Russian land. And what you want to get by force, we, taking care of you, gave you your homeland in Starodub. God is my witness that your brother and I were dressing up if he couldn’t dress up without you. And we didn’t do anything wrong, we didn’t say: send with your brother until we settle things. If any of you does not want goodness and peace for Christians, may he not see peace from God for his soul in the next world!

I’m not saying this out of need, nor out of some misfortune sent by God, you yourself will understand, but my soul is dearer to me than this whole world...”

See: Russian Civilization - Information, analytical and encyclopedic portal