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He was born in 1050 the son of Izyaslav I
Yaroslavich and Gertrud, daughter of King Mieszko II of Poland and sister of
King Casmir. He married Barbara Comnena, Byzantine princess. Later, in 1094, he
married a daughter (probably Elina) of Polovtsi Khan Tugor. He also had a
concubine. From these women he had sons, Mstislav,
prince of Vladimir-in-Volynia (killed in 1099); Yaroslav, prince of Vladimir in Volynia (killed in
1123); Bryacheslav (d 1127), and Izyaslav (d 1128);
and daughters Anna, married to Svyatoslav prince of Lutsk;
Sbyslava, married to Myechislav, son of Boleslaw
III, King of Poland; Predslava, married to Geza I
King of Hungary; and Maria, married to Peter Wlast. Yaroslav Svyatopolchich had
sons Yuri and Vyacheslav who continued the House of Turov and Pinsk. They are
shown on this family chart.
He was Prince of Polotsk from 1069 to 1071, then Prince of
Novgorod (1078-88) and then Prince of Turov
(1088-93). His descendents formed the House of Turov and Pinsk. He became
prince of Kiev in 1093 on the death of his uncle, Vsyevolod I Yaroslavich. The Polovtsi raided Rus' soon
after Vsyevolod's death and sought to buy peace with the new prince,
Svyatopolk. Against his Kiev druzhina's wishes, but listening only to
his own followers from Turov, he incarcerated the Polovtsi ambassadors. This
enraged the Polovtsi who came in force to attack Kyiv. Facing an army of
Polovtsi of eight thousand, he took the advice of others who counseled to seek
Vladimir Monomakh's help. Monomakh not only came
with his troops but called upon his brother Rostislav from Pereyaslavl. The meeting with
Svyatopolk took place in the "family" monastery of
Monomakh---Vydubitsii; tempers flared as Monomakh insisted on peace with the
Polovtsi while Svyatopolk wanted war. It is considered that arguments to and
fro were glossed over and a union was achieved. Svyatopolk released the
Polovtsi ambassadors. The armies of the three princes joined together and set
out for Trepol'. Characterizing the type of cut-throats that these men were is
the incident in which Rostislav stopped at the Pechora monastery for a blessing
by the Metropolitan Gregory, whom he ordered to be drowned. It is doubtful that
the sentence was carried out however. Approaching the river Stugna the princes
were undecided, so they stopped to have a council. The Polovtsi were across the
river. Monomakh (whose wife was a Polovtsi princess), continued to demand that
they sue for peace. But the Kyivan troops wanted battle. The Russians crossed
the river nevertheless and met the Polovtsi in the first of two valleys at the
rampart of Trepol. Svyatapolk deployed on the right, Rostislav in the center
and Vladimir on the left. Following a long and bloody battle the Russians were
badly beaten and a panic ensued; Svyatapolk's troops ran first. Rostislav and
Monomakh attempted to swim the river Stugna and Rostislav drowned, and Monomakh
retreated to Chernigiv. This was all in early 1093. Svyatopolk stopped in
Trepol' before continuing the next day to Kiev. After besieging Torchesk for 9
weeks the Polovtsi sent half their army toward Kyiv. Once again Svyatopolk went
out to battle. In July Svyatopolk was defeated even worse. The Polovtsi raided
far and wideand then returned to Torchesk. The town was finally starved into
surrender, whereupon it was destroyed and the population taken into slavery.
Svyatopolk was forced to sue for peace which cost him a "Kalym'" the
pay-off of the groom for the bride of the Tugor Khan and his family. So he
wound up with a Polovtsi wife as well.
Svyatopolk was a ruthless self-serving despot whose machinations resulted
in great misery for many and hideous death for others. The monk Policarp wrote
admonitions pleading for the restoration of the salt concession, which had been
forceably seized from Saint Prokhor and used for speculation, and to hasten the
liberty of the incarcerated Lavra monastery monk Ionas in the Turov dungeon.
Svyatopolk's son, Mstislav, had tortured two monks, Vasilii and Feodor, for
having hidden the treasures of the Varangians. The Orthodox church recognizes
them as martyrs. During the second half of his reign, Svyatopolk evidently
established closer ties with the representatives of the clergy with whom he had
been at odds. He sought the blessings of the church prior to military campaigns
and bestowed grants to the Lavra monastery. In 1108 he presided over the
canonization of Saint Theodosii and laid the cornerstone of the
Mikhailo-Zlatoverkh church, so named because his patron saint was the Archangel
Michael. Kiev's Saint Sophia and Mikhailovsky Cathedrals (built in 1108 by
Svyatopolk Izyaslavich) of the Mikhailovo-Zlatoverkh Monastery (also in Kiev)
founded in the middle of XIth century are the only two known churches in Russia
that in ancient times were partially decorated in mosaics. The Mikhailovsky
Cathedral was originally named Dmitievsky after Dmitri -Izyaslav Yaroslavich
who founded the monastery. The cathedral was dismembered by Soviet authorities
to make room for a new square and thus was destroyed one of the most
extraordinary examples of ancient architecture.
Chronology:
1069 - 1071 He was Prince of Polotsk
1078 - 1088 He was Prince of Novgorod
1088 - 1093 - He was Prince of Turov (1088-93).
1093 AD - Death of Vsyevolod I Yaroslavich. His
eldest son, Vladimir Monomakh decides to avoid
civil war by inviting his cousin, Svyatopolk, son of the eldest of Yaroslav's
sons, Izyaslav, to be the next prince of Kyiv.
Svyatopolk would have claimed the throne as the eldest son of the eldest son,
on the deaths of all his uncles. So Vladimir goes to Chernigiv and Rostislav
Vsyevolodovich goes to Pereyaslavl.
1093 AD - The Polovtsi attack Torchesk. Svyatopolk has 800 in his druzhina and
considers that sufficient. Wiser heads prevail and Svyatopolk calls for help
from Vladimir and Rostislav who bring their troops from Chernigiv and
Pereyaslavl respectively. But despite further warning the Kyivans want to
fight. They march toward Trepol about 30 miles south of Kyiv on the Dniper
where they are decisively beaten. Vladimir makes it back to Chernigiv and
Svyatapolk to Kyiv.
1094 AD - Svyatopolk sues for peace and marries a daughter of Tugor Khan. The
same year Oleg Svyatoslavich, not to be thwarted in his
own claims for Kyiv, attacks again from Tmutorokan to Chernigiv with his usual
Polovtsi allies for the third time. Vladimir Monomakh fortifies the city.
Always eager to compromise to achieve unity, Vladimir agrees to return to
Pereyaslavl and let Oleg have Chernigiv.
1095 AD - The Polovtsi change their target and attack Byzantine territory in
the Balkans. The Byzantine emperor captures one leader and blinds him. Two
other Polovtsi, Itlar' and Kytan, with their detachments approach Vladimir at
Pereyaslavl to ask for peace. Somewhat reluctantly, Vladimir accepts the advice
of his druzhina chiefs and murders the whole Polovtsi force. Then
Vladimir and Svyatopolk call for Oleg to join them in a major campaign against
the Polovtsi. Oleg agrees but then does not show up. The combined armies of
Vladimir and Svyatopolk are successful in conducting a campaign deep into the
steppe, where they capture a Polovtsi camp and bring back a great amount of
booty. That summer the Polovtsi attack Yur'yev and, after the inhabitants have
fled, burn it. Later in the year David Svyatoslavich
leaves Novgorod for Smolensk. The Novgorodians then select
Mstislav Vladimirovich as their new prince.
Izyaslav Vladimirovich goes to Murom making Oleg's
voyevoda prisoner.
1096 AD - Svyatopolk and Vladimir demand that Oleg come to Kyiv for a family
meeting. Again Oleg Svyatoslavich refuses, stating it is beneath his dignity
and station to submit. At this Svyatopolk and Vladimir attack Chernigiv. In May
Oleg flees to Starodub. The others besiege him there for 33 days. Oleg at last
surrenders and is ordered to get his brother, David, from Smolensk and go to
Kyiv. In May also bands of Polovtsi burn suburbs of Kyiv and Pereyaslavl.
During the summer Oleg goes first to Smolensk and then to Ryazan, and then to
Murom, then ruled by Izyaslav Vladimirovich.
Izyaslav assembles troops from Rostov, Suzdal, Murom, and Beloozero. In the
fierce battle outside Murom in September Oleg's troops kill Izyaslav
Vladimirovich and Oleg retakes the city. He then makes the remaining troops
from Beloozero, Rostov and Suzdal prisoner and marches on Suzdal. He continues
to capture both Suzdal and Rostov and demands tribute. At this point
Mstislav Vladimirovich sends word from Novgorod
that Oleg should retire out of Suzdal. See Oleg
Svyatoslavich for the rest of this sordid campaign. In July Tugor Khan again
besieges Pereyaslavl. Svyatopolk and Vladimir bring troops to Zarub, cross the
Dniper. The Rus troops win a big victory on the Trubezh river and Tugor Khan is
killed. But Bonyak Khan leads another Polovtsi army to burn the Kyiv suburbs
and loot the Cave Monastery and other buildings including the Vydobychi palace.
1097 AD - Svyatopolk, Vladimir, David Igor'yevich,
Vasil'ko Rostoslavich, David Svyatoslavich, Oleg
Svyatoslavich meet at a family conference at Lyubech. This was mainly the idea
of Vladimir Monomakh who strove for family unity. They decided that Svyatopolk
should have Kyiv, the throne of his father, Izyaslav and Vladimir would keep
Vsyevolod's original town, Pereyaslavl. Then David, Oleg and Yaroslav would
have to split their father, Svyatoslav's towns - the Chernigiv land and the
Ryazan- Murom lands. And the other lands divided out by Vsyevolod would remain
as well, with David Igor'yevich having Vladimir-in-Volynia and Peremyshl going
to Volodar' Rostislavich and Terebovl to
Vasil'ko Rostislavich. They all swear on the Holy
Cross to abide by this pact and support it against any enemies. But soon enough
evil people tell David Igor'yevich that Vladimir Monomakh and Vasil'ko
Rostoslavich are conspiring against Svyatopolk and himself and he tells
Svyatopolk. Finally Svyatopolk comes to believe David and enters into a plot
with him against Vasil'ko. In November Vasil'ko goes to the Vydubichi Monastery
at Kyiv. David seduces Svyatopolk into inviting the unsuspecting Vasil'ko to
the palace. There David has Vasil'ko taken prisoner. Then with Svyatopolk's
agreement David has Vasil'ko blinded. David then takes Vasil'ko as a prisoner
to Vladimir-in-Volynia. At this point Vladimir Monomakh and the two
Svyatoslavichi gather their troops and approach Kyiv, demanding of Svyatopolk
an explanation for this crime. We will take up the rest of this disgraceful
story in David Igor'yevich's biography since he is
the main villian. But during 1097 Svyatopolk does march against David and
become involved in complex multi-sided warfare in Volynia and the borders of
Poland. He flees the battle of the Rozhne plain near Terebovl and makes it to
Vladimir. Svyatopolk puts his son, Mstislav, in Vladimir and sends Yaroslav to
get Magyar assistance to fight Volodar. King Kaloman I brings Magyars to
bseiege Volodar in Peremyshl.
1098 AD -Svyatopolk puts his son, Yaroslav, at Vladimir-in-Volynia. Svyatopolk
is then confronted by the combined forces of Vladimir Monomakh and , David and
Oleg Svyatoslavichi. They then make peace again.
1099 AD - Svyatopolk marches toward Vladimir-in-Volynia again to attack David
Igor'yevich, whom he defeats, but his son, Mstislav, is killed in July at
Vladimir.
1100 AD - Having defeated David Igor'yevich, Svyatopolk II is now fighting
Volodar and Vasil'ko for control of Volynia. Svyatopolk, Vladimir, Oleg and
David meet and make another family agreement at Uvetichi. Then they call David
Igor'yevich to come and make account. The force him to accept Buzh but then
give him Dogorobuzh as his domaine.
1100
1101 AD - Vseslav Bryachislavich, prince of Polotsk
dies. Yaroslav Yaropolchich prepares war at
Brest. Svyatopolk advances to attack him, besieging him in the city, capturing
him, and taking him to Kyiv. Later on Svyatpolk meets again with Vladimir,
Oleg, David and Yaroslav at Zolotcha. They all agree to meet Polovtsi
ambassadors and agree on peace.
1102 AD - Yaroslav Yaropochich flees from Kyiv. Yaroslav Svyatopolchich
captures Yaroslav Yaropochich in ambush. That fall
Mstislav Vladimirovich arrives in Kyiv with a Novgorodian delegation.
Vladimir and Svyatopolk had agreed to send Mstislav to Vladimir-in-Volynia and
one of Svyatopolk's sons to Novgorod. But the Novgorodians refuse to give up
Mstislav or to take any of Svyatopolk's sons, unless perchance one of them has
two heads.
1103 AD - Svyatopolk II and Vladimir meet at Dolbusk. They agree on a major
campaign against the Polovtsi. They invite Oleg, David and many other princes
to join. As usual David agrees but Oleg begs off. The army sails and marches
down the Dniper to Khortitsa Island. Vladimir, Svyatopolk II, David
Svyatoslavich, David Vseslavich, Mstislav grandson of Igor, Vyacheslav
Yaropolich, Yaropolk Vladimirovich are among the leaders. The campaign is a
great success. Twenty Polovtsi princes are killed and many others captured.
1104 AD - Volodar's daughter goes to Byzantium to marry Alexius and Predslava,
Svyatopolk's daughter, goes to Hungary to marry the king's son.
1105 AD -
1106 AD -
1107 AD -
1108 AD -
1109 AD -
1110 AD -
1111 AD -
1112 AD -
1113 AD - Svyatopolk dies in April. This opens the way for Vladimir to become
prince at Kyiv.
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