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Oleg I of Chernigov

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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Svyatoslavych.

Oleh I of Chernihiv
Prince of Chernihiv
Prince of Novgorod-Seversk
The image of Prince Oleh Svyatoslavych ("Gorislavych") on a princely coin.
Prince of Chernigov
Reign1094–1097
PredecessorVladimir II Monomakh
SuccessorDavyd Sviatoslavych
Prince of Novgorod-Seversk
Reign1097–1115
Predecessor?
Successor?
Bornc. 1052
Died1 August 1115 (aged 62 or 63)
Spouse1. Theophano Mouzalonissa
2. Maria Yuryevna, daughter of Yuri I Vladimirovich Dolgoruky and Aëpovna, Princess of the Kumans, who is the daughter of Aëpa II Ocenevich, Khan of the Cumans and Okand.
IssueVsevolod II of Kyiv
Ihor II of Kyiv
Maria
Gleb
Sviatoslav Olhovych
Names
Oleh Sviatoslavych
HouseOlhovychi
FatherSviatoslav Yaroslavych
MotherKillikiya

Oleh Svyatoslavych (Ukrainian: Олег Святославич; c. 1052 – 1 August 1115) was a prince from Kyivan Rus' whose equivocal adventures ignited political unrest in the country at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. He reigned as Prince of Chernihiv from 1094 to 1097, and as Prince of Novgorod-Seversk from 1097 to 1115. He was the progenitor of the Olhovychi family.[1]

Early life and family

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Oleh was a younger son of Sviatoslav Yaroslavych, Prince of Chernihiv and his first wife, Killikiya.[2] He might have been either the second or the fourth among the four sons of Sviatoslav Yaroslavych by Killikiya, because their order of seniority is uncertain.[3] According to historian Martin Dimnik, Oleh was born around 1050.[2] Oleh was named after his grand uncle.[citation needed] His baptismal name was Michael.[4] The Tale of Ihor's Campaign styles him Horeslavych, poetically deriving his patronymic from the Ukrainian word for sorrow. There is also another explanation for the given patronymic from the Ukrainian world for "burning", meaning his "glory to be as bright as a fire" [5]. 

His descendants, known as Olgovichi,[a] were archrivals of Vladimir's descendants (known as Monomakhovichi) in their struggle for supremacy in Rus'.

Oleg's children were:

Military career

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Dimnik writes that "it is highly probable" that Oleg succeeded his brother, Hlib in Tmutarakan after their father appointed the latter Prince of Novgorod in about 1068.[8] Oleh's father and uncle, Vsevolod Yaroslavich made an alliance against their elder brother, Iziaslav Yaroslavich, Grand Prince of Kyiv and dethroned him on 22 March 1073.[9][10] According to Dimnik, Oleh received the Principality of Volodymyr from his father who succeeded Iziaslav Yaroslavich in Kyiv.[11] In short, Oleh and his cousin, Volodymyr Monomach—son of Vsevolod Yaroslavich—became close friends.[12] Monomach writes in his Instruction that Oleh was the godfather of his eldest son, Mstyslav.[12] The two cousins together commanded the troops Oleh's father sent to assist Boleslav II of Poland in Bohemia in 1076, according to the Primary Chronicle of Rus.[13]

Sviatoslav Yaroslavych died in Kyiv on 27 December 1077.[14][15] He was succeeded by his brother, Vsevolod Yaroslavych.[15] The new grand prince seems to have confirmed Oleh's rule in Vladimir, because no source makes mention of a conflict between them.[15] However, the dethroned Iziaslav Iaroslavich—Vsevolod's brother and Oleh's uncle—returned with Polish reinforcements.[16][17] Iziaslav and Vsevolod had a meeting where they reached an agreement: Vsevolod renounced of Kyiv, but received Chernihiv, the one-time domain of Oleh's father.[16][17] Iziaslav marched in Kyiv on 15 July 1077, while Oleh "was with Vsevolod at Chernihiv",[18] according to the Primary Chronicle.[16] The chronicler's remark suggests that Oleh had by that time been forced to leave Vladimir.[19]

Failing to get along with his uncle, on 10 April 1077 Oleh fled to his brother Roman who reigned in Tmutarakan.[20][21] Together with his cousin, Borys Vyacheslavych, who had also settled in Tmutarakan, Oleh made an alliance with the Cumans and invaded Rus' in the summer of 1078.[22][23] They routed their uncle, Vsevolod on the Sozh River and entered Chernihiv on 25 August.[23] The Primary Chronicle of Rus accuses Oleh and Borys of being the first to lead "the pagans to attack the land of Rus'".[24][25] However, Volodymyr Monomach, in his Instruction, reveals that he and his father, Vsevolod had hired Cumans when attacking Polotsk in the previous year.[25]

Expelled from Chernihiv, Vsevolod fled to Kyiv and sought assistance from his brother, Iziaslav.[23] They united their forces and marched against Chernihiv.[17][23] Although Oleh and Borys were not in the town when their uncles arrived, the citizens decided to resist.[26] Oleh was willing to start negotiations with his uncles, but Borys refused his proposal.[27] The decisive battle was fought "at a place near a village on the meadow of Nezhata"[28] on 3 October.[23]

He was defeated and escaped to Tmutarakan, where the Khazars had him imprisoned and sent in chains to Constantinople. The emperor, who was a relative and ally of Vsevolod, exiled him to Rhodes. There he married a noble lady, Theophano Mouzalonissa, who bore him several children.

Chernihiv war of succession

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Four years later, sources again find him active in Tmutarakan, where he adopted the title "archon of Khazaria". There ensued a prolonged internecine struggle with his cousins Sviatopolk II Iziaslavych and Volodymyr II Monomakh. The war broke out due to the death (13 April 1093) of Vsevolod I Yaroslavych, grand prince of Kyiv, and prince of Chernihiv and Pereyaslavl.[29] Sviatopolk inherited the throne of Kyiv as the eldest son of the senior branch; all parties accepted his accession, but they disagreed which branch would succeed him.[30]

The three warring factions were related dynastic princely branches, each descended from three sons of Yaroslav the Wise, and each of whom had reigned as grand prince of Kyiv:[30]

While he was still alive, Vsevolod had appointed his son Volodymyr Monomakh as governor over Chernigov, while the Sviatoslavychi probably still controlled the eastern half of Chernihiv centred around Murom (split off as the Principality of Murom decades later).[30] Although Oleh's father Sviatoslav II had reigned as grand prince of Kyiv from 1073 until his death in 1076, he had seized power out of order by driving out is brother Iziaslav I.[31] However, the latter regained the Kyivan throne from 1076 until his death in 1078, to be succeeded by their youngest brother Vsevolod.[31] While Sviatoslav's sons, the Sviatoslavychi (including Oleh), considered their father's reign to have been legitimate, Vsevolod's son Volodymyr Monomakh regarded it as illegitimate.[31] Upon Vsevolod's death, Monomakh therefore refused to hand over Chernihiv to the sons of Sviatoslav II of Kyiv, and even appointed his own son to govern Murom.[30]

Oleh decided to aggressively press his claim to Chernihiv, and in 1094, he returned from Tmutarakan with an armed force of Kipchaks to Rus', drove out Monomakh and captured Chernihiv.[30] While Monomakh resettled in Pereyaslav, his sons still controlled eastern Chernigovia, including Murom on the river Oka, resisting Oleh.[30] A 1096 campaign by Oleh succeeded in killing Monomakh's son Iziaslav in Murom, but when he invaded Rostov-Suzdal (a Pereyaslav possession), he was pushed back to Murom by Monomakh's other son Mstyslav.[30]

The war ended with a compromise agreement at the 1097 Council of Liubech.[32]

Reign in Chernihiv

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One of the most prominent princes of Kyivan period who never attained the Kyivan throne, he died on 1 August 1115, and was buried in Chernihiv.

Notelist

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  1. ^ The first time the Olgovichi are mentioned in primary sources is in the Hypatian Codex continuation of the Primary Chronicle under the year 6624 (1116): 'Volodimer' [Monomakh] then, trusting in God and justice, went to Smolensk with his sons, and with Davyd Sviatoslavich, and [with] the Olgovichi.' Scholars have noted that 'Smolensk' should read 'Minsk'.[6][7]

References

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  1. ^ Martin 2007, pp. 101, 107, 116, 119, 124, 132, 133, 145, 498.
  2. ^ a b Dimnik 1994, p. 39.
  3. ^ Dimnik 1994, pp. 38–39.
  4. ^ Raffensperger 2012, p. 35.
  5. ^ Vasiuta, Oleh (2020). [chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/bitstream/handle/123456789/173308/02-Vasiuta.pdf?sequence=1 "The nickname of Chernihiv-Siversk`s Prince Oleg Svyatoslavovych: Why «Horyslavych»?"] (PDF). Siverianskyi litopys. Siverian chronicle (5): 4–24.
  6. ^ Thuis 2015, p. 221.
  7. ^ Makhnovets, Leonid (1984). Літопис Руський. Роки 1169 — 1174 [Rus' Chronicle. Years 1169–1174.] (in Ukrainian). litopys.org.ua. pp. 175–176. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  8. ^ Dimnik 1994, p. 93.
  9. ^ Vernadsky 1948, p. 86.
  10. ^ Franklin & Shepard 1996, p. 257.
  11. ^ Dimnik 1994, p. 90.
  12. ^ a b Dimnik 1994, p. 95.
  13. ^ Dimnik 1994, p. 98.
  14. ^ Franklin & Shepard 1996, p. 259.
  15. ^ a b c Dimnik 1994, p. 127.
  16. ^ a b c Dimnik 1994, p. 135.
  17. ^ a b c Vernadsky 1948, p. 87.
  18. ^ Primary Chronicle of Rus (year 6585), p. 165.
  19. ^ Dimnik 1994, pp. 90, 136–137.
  20. ^ Martin 1993, p. 41.
  21. ^ Dimnik 1994, p. 142.
  22. ^ Dimnik 1994, p. 147.
  23. ^ a b c d e Franklin & Shepard 1996, p. 260.
  24. ^ Primary Chronicle of Rus (year 6586), p. 165.
  25. ^ a b Dimnik 1994, p. 148.
  26. ^ Dimnik 1994, p. 149.
  27. ^ Dimnik 1994, pp. 149–150.
  28. ^ Primary Chronicle of Rus (year 6586), p. 166.
  29. ^ Martin 1995, p. 30–32, 55.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g Martin 2007, p. 35.
  31. ^ a b c d Martin 2007, p. 36.
  32. ^ Martin 1995, p. 55.

Bibliography

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Primary sources

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Literature

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