Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky (years of life: about 1091-1157) - from the Rurik family, the ancestor of the Vladimir-Suzdal grand dukes. Prince of Rostov-Suzdal (1125-1157); Years of reign: the Grand Duke of Kiev in 1149-1151, 1155-1157 He was the youngest son of Vladimir Monomakh, Grand Duke of Kiev. He erected the fortresses of Tver, Dubna, Pereyaslavl - Zalessky, Dmitrov and others. Under him, Moscow was first mentioned (1147) Yuri ascended the throne when he was still a child, therefore the closest boyar of Monomakh, Georgy Simonovich, ruled on his behalf.
We can imagine the image of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky only from a few artistic and historical works.
Prince Yuri, the first ruler of a rich region and the founder of Moscow, clearly showed a desire for autocracy in Russia, trying to extend his influence to the main cities of the north and south of the country - Novgorod and even Kiev. It was for this that he was nicknamed Dolgoruky, that is, having long (long) arms.
For the first time, Yuri is mentioned on the pages of the chronicle in 1107. There is an assumption that just then, and not earlier, Vladimir Monomakh gave him the Rostov-Suzdal possession.
The struggle for the Kiev reign
Since 1147, Dolgoruky constantly intervened in inter-princely strife, trying to take away the city of Kiev from his nephew Izyaslav Mstislavich. During his life, Yuri Dolgoruky made many attempts to conquer Kiev and three times was able to seize it, but in total he did not sit on the Kiev throne for three years. Because of the lust for power, self-interest and cruelty, he did not enjoy the respect of the people of Kiev.
For the first time, Yuri was able to take the Kiev throne in 1149, when he defeated the troops of the Kiev prince Izyaslav the Second Mstislavich. The principalities of Turov and Pereyaslavl were also under his control. He gave Vyshgorod to his older brother Vyacheslav, however, the traditional order of succession by seniority was violated, which Izyaslav took advantage of. With the help of the Hungarian and Polish allies, Izyaslav in 1150–51. was able to regain Kiev and made Vyacheslav a co-regent (in fact, continuing to rule on his behalf). Dolgoruky's attempt to conquer Kiev ended in defeat on the Ruta River in 1151.
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The second time Yuri Dolgoruky received power in Kiev in 1155, when he expelled Izyaslav III Davidovich, who seized power, from the city, having secured the consent of the Grand Duke of Kiev Rostislav. After these events, Rostislav ceded the title of Grand Duke of Kiev to Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky.
From 1155 the third attempt was crowned with success, Yuri Vladimirovich was the ruler in Kiev until his death in 1157. The chronicle says that he was an envious, ambitious, cunning, but also brave man. Without taking advantage of the special love of the people and princes, he was able to gain a reputation not only as a skilled warrior, but also as an equally intelligent ruler.
Construction of the Moscow Kremlin.
Founder of Moscow
The dream of his whole life - to become the Grand Duke of Kiev as a result came true, but in history and in the memory of his descendants, he remained the founder of a completely different city. 1147 - it was at the behest of Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky, to protect the borders, on the unknown outskirts of North-Eastern Russia, a city was founded, which to this day bears the name Moscow. A small village was located on a high hill at the confluence of 3 rivers, which seemed to Yuri the most suitable for the construction of a guard fort. Moscow the Grand Duke can be said to have created, but one should not forget that he remained the prince of Kiev. And there were their own affairs, which also lay on the shoulders of Yuri.
Church affairs
The Grand Duke solved the most important problems for that era. And one cannot ignore the side of him overcoming the deep crisis that struck the church hierarchy of Kievan Rus.
1147 - by the will of the Grand Duke of Kiev Izyaslav Mstislavich, an ardent opponent of Dolgoruky, and on the initiative of the Chernigov Bishop Onufriy, a church council was convened in Sofia Kiev, at which Klim Smolyatich was elected to the metropolitan see. The council was considered non-canonical and did not have universal support.
According to Yuri, Klim Smolyatich was removed from the Grand Prince of Kiev throne. The Grand Duke sent ambassadors to the capital of the Byzantine Empire, who, in addition to the news of the reign of Yuri Vladimirovich in Russia, conveyed his request to Emperor Manuel Comnenus and Patriarch Constantinople IV Chliarin to appoint a new metropolitan to the Russian See.
Emperor Manuel immediately recognized Dolgoruky as the legitimate Kiev prince. The Byzantine historian John Kinnam writes that Yuri (George) "took the first place" (in another translation: "had seniority") "between the philarchs (rulers) of Tavroskifia (Rus)".
Yury Dolgoruky. Portrait from the Royal Titular.
Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
The name of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky is associated with the appearance in Russia of its main shrine - the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. When Yuri was reigning in Kiev, the Patriarch of Constantinople sent him the image of the Mother of God, which was written by the evangelist Luke. The icon was erected in a maiden monastery in Vyshgorod, which in ancient times was the appanage town of the noble princess Olga. Andrey Bogolyubsky, leaving Vyshgorod, took the miraculous icon to the Suzdal land. For her, he erected the Assumption Church in Vladimir, and since that time the icon has been called Vladimir. The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God began to be revered as the patroness of the Russian land and the patroness of Moscow founded by Yuri Dolgoruky.
Civil strife
1156 - the new Metropolitan Constantine arrived in Russia from Constantinople, placed in Kiev according to the canons of the Orthodox Church. The Grand Duke tirelessly strove for the unity of Northern and Southern Russia. At first he succeeded, but soon his opponents, claiming to be the grand ducal power, felt that Monomakh's son was dreaming of monocracy, and began to prepare for war. The princely strife intensified.
Death
1157 - a powerful coalition of southern Russian princes was formed against the Grand Duke, only Svyatoslav Seversky did not betray Yuri. The regiments of Izyaslav Davidovich, Rostislav Mstislavich Smolensky, Mstislav Izyaslavich were preparing to march on Kiev. Yuri Dolgoruky accepted the challenge, the war was inevitable. Returning to Kiev, Dolgoruky on May 10, 1157, after a feast at the boyar Petrila, unexpectedly fell ill, and on May 15 he died.
On the day of the speech against Yuri Dolgoruky of the united princely squads, a messenger arrived from Kiev to Izyaslav Davidovich with a message about the death of the Grand Duke. The chronicler wrote: "On that day the people of Kiev came to Izyaslav, saying: go, prince, to Kiev, Yuri died." The phrase may indicate that they expected the arrival of Izyaslav in Kiev and could hasten the death of the last of the sons of Monomakh. Having received this news, according to the chronicler, "he (Izyaslav Davidovich), having wept and raised his hands to God, said: blessed are You, Lord, for you have judged me with him by death, and not by bloodshed." The princes hostile to Dolgoruky in their claims relied on the Kiev boyars, who were dissatisfied with the policy of the Grand Duke.
Everything speaks to the fact that the Grand Duke could become a victim of the princely-boyar conspiracy. The chronicle says about the death of Yuri Dolgoruky: “Yuri drank at Osmenik Petril that day, and at night he got sick and had his illness for 5 days, and Yuri Vladimirovich, Prince of Kiev, died in Kiev, on the 15th day of May on Wednesday night . From this it follows that the death of the Grand Duke came under rather mysterious circumstances, although the chronicler does not openly speak of his deliberate poisoning.
Someone, but he had many enemies. Yuri turned against himself a powerful coalition of princes. Dolgoruky was not popular among the people of Kiev either. He did not conclude a "row" with the city, and the Kiev veche could not forgive such a violation of its traditional rights. Immediately after his death, a rebellion broke out in the city against the princely administration. The Kievites destroyed the city and country estates of the prince and killed all the Suzdal people in the cities and villages of the Kiev land. After that, the Kiev boyars invited Izyaslav Davidovich of Chernigov to the throne.
Memory
Thus ended the epic of the Grand Duke of Kiev Yuri Dolgoruky. His activity on an all-Russian scale was rather insignificant, but for the Rostov-Suzdal land he was able to do a lot. During his reign, the distant, almost wild land began to gradually turn into one of the most highly developed regions of Russia. In fact, he prepared the ground on which the principality flourished under his sons - Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod the Big Nest. He went down in history, first of all, as the founder of Moscow, as a prince who laid the foundation for the dynasty of Vladimir-Suzdal and Moscow rulers, the organizer of North-Eastern Russia, which became the core of future Russia.
Today the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky stands in the very center of Moscow. The Grand Duke gazes proudly from his bronze horse at the results of his labors.