Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, baptized Vasily (born May 26, 1053 - death May 19, 1125), is one of the most famous princes of Ancient Rus.
More information has come down to our days about the fate and exploits of Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich than about the life of any other Russian ruler of the pre-Mongol era. In the historical chronicles, he appears primarily as a warrior prince who ruled cities and lands without leaving the saddle. The prince was passionately fond of hunting, became famous for his great diplomatic talent and major state reforms …
Few people remember that Vladimir Vsevolodovich was canonized in the rank of a holy noble prince and his name was included in the "Cathedral of All Saints Who Shone in the Land of Russia." However, for his contemporaries and immediate descendants, Vladimir Monomakh was primarily an example of a Christian ruler, and only after everything else was a commander, diplomat, great hunter, etc. And his personality remained in Russian history as an example of a sovereign who subordinated the interests of his own family, land and own interests of the truth that Baptism brought to Russia.
He was born to the Pereyaslavl prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, through his mother he was the grandson of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. Hence the sonorous nickname - Monomakh.
Prince Vladimir Monomakh happened to live in a stormy era. He was assigned a long century, 72 years - a lot by the standards of Russian antiquity! All the youth, all the mature years of Vladimir fell on a troubled time: Russia plunged into an endless maze of bloody internecine wars, and its outskirts suffered terrible damage from the steppe newcomers, the Polovtsians.
The most prominent princes of the Rurik clan divided the cities and regions of Russia among themselves. In Kiev, the eldest of the Rurikovichs sat on the grand princely throne, but he did not have full power. At his disposal were huge incomes from the richest Kiev region, a strong squad and the right of nominal primacy. But the real seniority had to be supported by force of arms, clever alliances with influential relatives, good relations with the Kiev city community. The Grand Duke, if he turned out to be too weak or too imprudent, could be driven out of Kiev by his closest relatives.
The death of any of the older Rurikovichs brought to the redistribution of the rich princely tables within the family. In addition to Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny, Smolensk, Murom, Rostov, etc. promised a large income. The right to reign in any of these cities could be justified in two ways: a place in the Rurik's seniority ladder or military power.
The princes of Rurik's clan in such cases did not hesitate to cross swords with nephews, uncles, not to mention distant relatives. Now one of them, then the other turned to the Polovtsians for support and brought them to Russia, knocking out rivals from rich tables. In particular, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, nicknamed "Gorislavich" for his fierce habit of "arguing" his claims with the help of Polovtsian sabers, became famous for this part.
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Coming Polovtsy, they robbed, burned, took away the "full", ruined peasants. Not one, not two or three - dozens of Polovtsian campaigns inflicted wounds on the weakened body of Russia. The newcomers gladly took advantage of the princely strife, now and then appearing to Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl at the invitation of the Russian princes and with the honorary "escort" of their squads.
Meanwhile, from the pen of Vladimir Monomakh comes a lesson addressed to his sons, where he quotes the Psalter of the Biblical … King David …:
“Sinners draw out weapons, draw their bows to pierce the poor and poor, to slay the upright in heart. Their weapons will pierce their hearts, and their bows will be broken. Better for the righteous is a little than the many riches of the sinner. For the strength of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord will strengthen the righteous. As the sinners perish, he pity and bestows upon the righteous. For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who swear against him will be cut off. The Lord guides the feet of a person. When he falls, he will not break, for the Lord supports his hand. He was young and old, and did not see the righteous man abandoned, nor his descendants asking for bread. Every day the righteous does alms and lends, and his tribe will be blessed. Avoid evil, do good, find peace and drive away evil, and live forever and ever."
And to his bitter enemy and murderer of his son, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, he addresses in a letter with words filled with Christian wisdom: “Whoever says: 'I love God, but I don’t love my brother” - this is a lie. And again: "If you do not forgive your brother's sins, then your heavenly Father will not forgive you either" … But all the instigation of the devil! There were wars under our clever grandfathers, under our good and blessed fathers. The devil quarrels us, because he does not want good for the human race. I wrote this to you, because my son compelled me … he sent his husband and the letter to me, saying in it: “Let us agree and make peace, but God's judgment has come to my brother. And we will not be avengers for him, but we will put it on God when we stand before God; but we will not destroy the Russian land."
And I saw the humility of my son, I took pity and, being afraid of God, said: “Because of his youth and foolishness, he is so humbled, he places it on God; I am a man, more sinful than all people. " Vladimir Monomakh recently learned about the death of his son, about how his other son, who entered Russian history under the name of Mstislav the Great, fought with Oleg Svyatoslavich and defeated him. Mstislav, the winner, asks the inconsolable father: "Have mercy, let there be peace!" And Vladimir Monomakh humbles anger, humbles pride, he himself wrote to the offender: "Let's make up."
When, at what time did he write these words ?! After all, not so long ago, blood feud was allowed by law! Russkaya Pravda limited it somewhat, but by no means prohibited it. The pagan custom, relying on the right of power, said: revenge! And the Christian, just gaining strength in Russia, demanded something else: forgive me, give up revenge! The one who chose the second path, no matter how brave, was looked at as a person who showed an incomprehensible weakness. Didn't get revenge? Fool! Rag!
Vladimir Monomakh learned to forgive. Learned to put the world above any benefit that can only be obtained with a sword. He learned to dissociate himself from considerations of direct and obvious self-interest, if their implementation required headlong rush into another civil strife.
He did not spend all his life in the righteous. Yes, this is unthinkable for a prince! According to the prince's own words, from the age of 13 he took on the burden of princely labor: he took part in 83 large military enterprises, did not get out of battles with the Polovtsy, 19 times made peace with them, at different times captured several hundred noble steppe inhabitants, of which he spared about a hundred, and 220 drowned or excised with a sword.
He had to pour someone else's blood constantly. Yes, and in internecine wars, with his own, with fellow tribesmen and co-religionists, it happened that Vladimir Monomakh showed great cruelty. Here are his own words: “… That autumn they went with the Chernigovites and the Polovtsians … to Minsk, captured the city and did not leave any servants or cattle in it”. It has been said - there is nowhere more eloquent.
But it was not in vain that God gave Vladimir Monomakh such a long life. The more he saw the ferocity around him, the more he himself inclined to cruel measures against his enemies, the more he understood that murder was not capable of giving a good result. Spilled blood - they will shed yours too, and not yours, so close to you people. Deceived - you will be deceived. He did not regret the enemy - and you yourself will not see pity. Gathered a lot of power - there will be more. Therefore, in his mature years, the prince was able to overcome his pride and managed the affairs of big politics, submitting to humility.
During a long political career, Vladimir Vsevolodovich occupied one or another princely table. He ruled in Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Turov, Smolensk, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny. He could take Kiev several times, but he refused. The main reason for the refusal was the unwillingness to fight with relatives. He did not experience a shortage of military strength.
So, once the Grand Duke Svyatopolk was involved in a bad story: in his prince's court, with his consent, they seized Prince Vasilko Rostislavich. Later, the unfortunate Vasilko was blinded. This has never happened before in the Rurik family! Vladimir Monomakh, with his retinue and the troops of two other princes, went to Kiev, demanding that the Grand Duke give an answer for his atrocity.
Svyatopolk intended to flee the city. However, according to the chronicle, “the people of Kiev did not allow him to flee, but sent the widow Vsevolodov and Metropolitan Nicholas to Vladimir, saying: 'We pray, prince, you and your brothers, do not destroy the Russian land. For if you start a war with each other, the filthy ones will rejoice and take our land, which your fathers and grandfathers gathered with great labor and courage, fighting for the Russian land and looking for other lands, and you want to destroy the Russian land."
Vsevolodov's widow and metropolitan came to Vladimir, and prayed to him, and told the prayer of the Kievites - to conclude peace and to guard the Russian land and fight the nasty ones. Hearing this, Vladimir burst into tears and said: "Indeed, our fathers and our grandfathers have kept the Russian land, and we want to destroy." And Vladimir yielded to the plea of the princess, whom he revered as a mother … Vladimir was full of love. " Could take the place of Svyatopolk? I could. Everything went to that. But he didn’t dirty his soul.
In the end, the grand throne itself fell into his hands, like an overripe fruit that lingered on a branch.
1113, April 16 - Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich died. After the funeral, “the people of Kiev arranged a council, sent him to Vladimir Monomakh, saying:“Go, prince, to the table of your father and grandfathers”. Hearing this, Vladimir cried a lot and did not go (to Kiev), grieving for his brother,”and more than that, fearing, perhaps, a new civil strife. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about the unrest that engulfed the capital of Rus: “The Kievites … plundered the yard of Putyata tysyatsky, attacked the Jews, and plundered their property. And the people of Kiev sent again to Vladimir, saying: “Go, prince, to Kiev; if you don’t go, then know that a lot of evil will happen, it’s not only Putyatin’s court or sotsky’s, but the Jews will be robbed, and they will also attack your daughter-in-law, and boyars, and monasteries, and you will keep the answer, prince, if monasteries will also be plundered. " Hearing this, Vladimir went to Kiev … He sat on the table of his father and his grandfathers,and all the people were happy, and the rebellion subsided."
"Vladimir Monomakh at the Council of Princes"
The calming down of rebellious Kiev did not happen by itself. Vladimir Monomakh knew the reason that caused the unrest: the townspeople suffered from usury, which took on an unprecedented scale and was covered by the old regime. The prince arranged a state conference in Berestovo, near Kiev. There were present his senior squad, thousand from Kiev, Belgorod, Pereyaslavl-South, as well as the local boyars. The meeting made a decision: to limit the interest ("cuts") on debts, that is, to introduce the profit received by the usurers within reasonable limits. The code of laws "Russkaya Pravda" was enriched with new articles in this regard, they received the general name "The Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich." Only then was order in the city completely restored.
From a height of good age and vast experience - moral, political, military - Vladimir Monomakh could teach children:
“Do not forget the poor, but as far as you can, feed and give to the orphan and the widow yourself, and do not let the strong destroy a person. Do not kill either the right or the guilty, and do not command to kill him; even if he is guilty of death, do not destroy any Christian soul. When you say something, good or bad, do not swear to God, do not be baptized, because there is no need for you. If you have to kiss the cross to the brethren or to someone, then, after checking your heart, on which you can resist, kiss on that, and after kissing, observe so that you do not transgress your soul. Honor bishops, priests and abbots, and with love receive blessings from them, and do not withdraw from them, and love and care for them with your strength, so that you can receive them from God through their prayer. Most of all, do not have pride in your heart and mind, but let us say: we are mortal, today we are alive,and tomorrow in a coffin; all this that you gave us, not ours, but yours, entrusted us with this for a few days … Beware of lies, and drunkenness, and fornication, because of this the soul and body perish … And here is the basis for everything: have the fear of God above all.
His own temptations, his own sins and his own troubles that followed sins gave him an understanding: do not kill, do not be proud, do not swear, but if you have sworn, keep your oath for your soul.
This humble wisdom of Vladimir Vsevolodovich, as a result, led to the greatest success of his whole life: the overcoming of the Polovtsians. Not in one year and not in one campaign, but the power of the steppe inhabitants was broken.
As long as there were quarrels between the Russian princes, as long as they did not help each other, this task was unsolvable. Even when they gathered in a single army, but could not manage it in good agreement, it happened that they suffered terrible defeats. So, 1093 brought a black message to all Russia: the general forces of the princes Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Vladimir Monomakh and his brother Rostislav were defeated by the Polovtsy on the Stugna River. Woe! How many vigilantes were killed! Prince Rostislav Vsevolodovich himself was killed. And there is only one reason: no "harmony" was established in the princely coalition.
Three times the princes gathered for big "congresses" - in Lyubech (1097), Uvetichi (1100) and Dolobsk (1103). We learned to negotiate with each other. It worked out with difficulty …
Each time Vladimir Monomakh spoke to the others about the benefits of harmony, peace, and unification of forces. In the end, the Dolob Congress broke through the wall of general enmity. After him, the Russian princes, having gathered together, inflicted several heavy defeats on the Polovtsy. Their onslaught on Russia weakened.
As a faithful son of the Church, Vladimir Vsevolodovich built new churches in Kiev, Rostov, Smolensk. Judging by the archaeological data, the Church of the Savior on Berestovo near Kiev appeared under him. He also erected the Borisoglebsk church on the Alta River near Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny - where Saint Boris once died.
Under him, the veneration of the holy princes Boris and Gleb, which took shape for a long time and with difficulty in the 70-80s of the 11th century, flourished. During the reign of Vladimir Monomakh and, most likely, not without his influence, the final edition of the "Tale" about the holy brothers arose. In 1115, he invited princes David and Oleg Svyatoslavich to his place. According to the chronicler, the princes “decided to transfer the relics of Boris and Gleb, for they built a stone church for them, in praise and in honor and for the burial of their bodies. First, they consecrated the stone church on May 1, Saturday; then on the second day the saints were transferred. And there was a great descent of the people, who came together from everywhere: Metropolitan Nikifor with all the bishops … with the priest Nikita of Belogorod and with Danilo of Yuryev and with the abbots … ".
After that, the Kiev people walked for three days on the prince's money, for three days they fed beggars and wanderers free of charge. Later, Vladimir Monomakh "bound" the crayfish with the relics in silver and gold.
The great warrior died quietly, from old age and ailments. Having gone on pilgrimage to the Borisoglebsk church, the prince met his last term there on May 19, 1125. His remains were buried in the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kiev.
D. Volodikhin