Vladimir Vasilkovich

From the kind of Vitebsk (?) Kn. Son (?) Vasilko Svyatoslavich. Kn. Polotsk in 1186 - 1215 he.

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In 1159 Rostislav Glebovich took Izjaslavl, grabbed Vladimir and his brother Brjachislav and imprisoned both in Minsk. In 1160 Rogvolod B. went to Minsk and forced to let Vasilkovich. Of the German chronicles known Prince Vladimir of Polotsk, who ruled at the end of XII - early XIII century. It is not clear whether it can be confused with Prince Iziaslav Russian chronicles. in 1186 in Polotsk came Augustinian monk Meinhard Order. He sought the permission of Vladimir preach Christianity in the mouth of the Dvina among the Livs. Vladimir willingly, . but in 1203, . became clear when a predatory goal Crusaders, . suddenly appeared in front of the German fortress Ukskulem and besieged it, not prepared for the siege of the knights offered him a tribute, . He took it and went to lay siege to another castle - Holm, . However, Bishop Albert had already managed to send a garrison here, . and Russian, . lost a lot of horses from the fire of the besieged, . retreated from the castle,
. Soon, . Livs raised when an uprising against the Germans, . Vladimir sailed with his troops on the Dvina and again besieged Holm, according to his call rebelled surrounding population, . but it brought him little good in the siege: the Stockholm garrison with all its small size inflicted heavy damage to the Russian army kamnestrelnymi machines, . use of which Polochans not know,
. In the midst of the siege to the aid of Holm on the ships arrived Danes. Already lost a lot of people Vladimir sailed back to Polotsk. This failure has dealt a terrible blow to the Livs, even the most stubborn of them sent messengers to Riga to require priests and baptism; Germans performed their request, taking hostages in advance.

Straightened with the Livs, the Crusaders began their offensive on the Russian. In 1207 captured the city of Polotsk Kukeynos, and in 1209 captured another fort - Gersikom. In 1213, Vladimir had met with Albert in Gersike. First, the negotiations were difficult, but then relented, Vladimir, lost to Albert whole Livonia, without any obligation to pay tribute, on condition that an alliance against Lithuania and the free navigation on the Dvina. Two years later, he apparently died, and under the year 1217 in the "History" Tatishcheva reportedly already on the other Polotsk prince - Boris Davidovich.