ROSTISLAV Mstislavich

From the kind of Rurik. The founder of Smolensk princes. The son of Mstislav I Izyaslavich and the Swedish queen Christina Ingovny. Genus. app. 1110 g. Kn. Smolensk in 1125-1160 he. Kn. Novgorod in 1153, Mr.. Conducted. kn. Kiev in 1154, 1159-1168 gg. t March 17, 1168, Mr..

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In 1154, after the death of his elder brother, prince of Kiev Izyaslav Mstislavovitch, Rostislav arrived in Kiev. He Uryadov with Uncle Vyacheslav, who, giving him the real power, demanded only that he honored him as a father and respected. Thereafter Rostislav nephew Mstislav II of Kiev and Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich began to gather strength against Yuri Dolgoruky, which had already gone to Kiev, Chernigov against Izyaslav Davydovich also wants to sit in Kiev. As soon as the regiments came into the campaign, as news came of the death of Vyacheslav. Rostislav buried him and returned to the army. The next day came the shelves Izyaslav Davidovich, who has joined with Gleb Yurevich and Polovtsy. Rostislav seeing a lot of enemies, and with only a small retinue, was frightened and began to send Izyaslav about peace. Such misconduct, cowardice, inability to compete for the kinds of benefits greatly annoyed his nephew Mstislav Izyaslavich. "It will not be the same or me Pereyaslavl or you Kiev", - he said Rostislav and turned his horse in Pereyaslavl. Rostislav submitted by his nephew, was surrounded by Polovtsy and after two days of battle fled. Pursued by enemies, he lost his horse, gave him the son of Svyatoslav and his manner gave the father the opportunity to leave. Rostislav crossed the Dnieper below Liubech and went to Smolensk. Izyaslav Davidovich villages in Kiev.

Arriving at Smolensk, Rostislav collected an army and opposed Yuri Vladimirovich, who went to Kiev. However, the nature of Rostislav, no resemblance to his brother Izyaslav, he was a hunter before the dispute with his uncles and so sent him to ask the world to Yuri. "Father!" - He told him to say. - Bow down to thee: thou and above up to me and I was kind to you, and now I bow to thee, my uncle, instead of the father ". Yuri replied: "tell the truth, son, with Izyaslav I could not be, but you give me his brother and son". After that my uncle and his nephew kissed the cross on all the love, in the words of the chronicler, and Yuri went to Kiev, Rostislav - in Smolensk.

In 1158 Yuri died in Kiev. In the great reigning sat Izyaslav Davidovich. Mstislav II of Kiev kicked him out, seized Kiev and sent to call his uncle to a senior Rostislav table, because even before the campaign kissed the cross: to search for Kiev Rostislav. But the latter understood the difficulty of his position in Kiev, . where he was after the flight before Davydovich could not love and respect, here are most appreciated the active and brave nephew, . which now, . like his father, . got his courage Kiev and only need to concede his uncle,
. Rostislav might fear that the nephew refers to it as the first of his father belonged to the old Vyacheslav Izyaslav - will demonstrate outside the respect to call his father, and yet does not really take into account and according to his will edit Kiev. That is why Rostislav sent a message to Mstislav and allied with the princes: "If you call me really to love, then I will go to Kiev to rule that you have my father and myself really in my obedience to go".

In agreeing with his nephew, Rostislav in 1159 entered the Kiev and sat on the table, his father and grandfather, and Mstislav received from the townships Belgorod, Torchesk and Trepol. That same year, Rostislav agreed with Svyatoslav of Chernigov Olegoviches on joint action against Izyaslav Davidovich, who fled to the steppe, and now every now and then raided Rus, trying to capture Kiev. In 1160 he managed to bribe the Kiev and Chernigov boyars and their princes, they quarreled with each other. Siverskiy princes began to help Izyaslav. In the same year, Rostislav went against Izyaslav to Trepolyu, but he left without taking the battle. But as soon as Rostislav returned to Kiev and dissolved the army in February 1161 Izyaslav again assembled the allied themselves princes and Polovtzy crossed the frozen Dnieper for Vyshgorod and went to Kiev. Together with Rostislav was only his cousin Vladimir, after a bloody battle, which seemed chronicler second coming, Izyaslav began to overcome, and Polovtsians already broke through the fence into the city. The brigade Rostislavova told the prince: "Prince, of thy brethren, no, no Berendeys or Torquay, but the enemy a force more powerful, you had better come in Belgorod and there waiting for help". Rostislav went to Belgorod and his warriors and the Princess. Izyaslav occupied Kiev and immediately went to besiege Rostislav in Belgorod. Four weeks later he was standing near Belgorod Kremlin, and yet Mstislav II of Kiev from Vladimir came to the rescue of his uncle with the help of the Galician and Rurik Rostislavich led black hoods. Learning of this, Izyaslav Davidovich was frightened, ran away, but the road was caught and killed.

The second time Rostislav Kyiv received by his nephew, Mstislav, but this did not become more accommodating. The chronicler says that shortly after the victory of Mstislav went from Kiev, offended at his uncle. Rostislav then took up the entire city of his nephew in South Russia. In anticipation of war with Mstislav in the same year he became reconciled with the princes of Chernigov and Yuri Yaroslavovich Turov. Finally, in 1163 peace was concluded with Mstislav II of Kiev. Rostislav restored him Torchesk and Belgorod, but instead of Tripoli gave Kanev.

In 1168 Rostislav went to Novgorod to settle the conflict between his son Svyatoslav, and townspeople. However, in the way he started to hurt and stayed in Pskov. This came to him and Sviatoslav representatives of Novgorod. Reconcile them, Rostislav returned to Smolensk very ill. Before his death, he complained to his confessor, the priest Simeon, that he would not allow him to tonsure. Rostislav always had this thought and often repeated Superior Polycarp: "Put me a good cell, I'm afraid a waste of death". But Polycarp dissuaded him. Now Rostislav hurry to Kiev to a haircut, but in the village Zaruba felt the approach of death, and sent for a confessor, he recited the prayers and died in full consciousness, ottiraya tears with a handkerchief. According to his will, the body was buried by Rostislav at the monastery of St.. Theodora.