Written sources of the XI-XII centuries are full of names of participants in the tumultuous events of the history of medieval Russia and Western Europe. Not only outstanding princes, but also many boyars and princesses left a memory of themselves. Among them is the woman of tragic fate Evpraksia Vsevolodovna, better known as Adelheida.
In 1082 or 1083, the 12-year-old half-sister of Vladimir Monomakh, daughter of Grand Duke Vsevolod Yaroslavich, Eupraxia, was married to the German margrave, owner of the Saxon North Mark, Henry I von Stade, nicknamed Long. Kiev princes have long had connections with representatives of the Saxon brand. So, young Eupraxia with a huge dowry and a magnificent embassy went to her future husband.
Twice Bride
In 1086, the wedding of Eupraxia and Heinrich Staden took place. Before the wedding, the daughter of Vsevolod Yaroslavich converted to Catholicism and took the name Adelgeid. Apparently, the Russian princess fell in love with her husband, but the happiness was short-lived. On June 27, 1087, Henry the Long died. Many researchers believe that the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV had a hand in his death. The circumstances were indeed suspicious. Less than a year later, rumors spread throughout Germany that the Margrave's widow, who was 18, was getting married again. And not for just anyone, but for the emperor Henry IV.
The future wife of the emperor was temporarily placed in the Quedlinburg monastery, where many noble maidens were taught, and princesses of famous German families were mainly abbess. Here the granddaughter of Yaroslav the Wise studied under the supervision of Henry IV's sister. She turned out to be a capable student. She quickly mastered not only German, but also Latin.
It should be noted that Henry had an extremely scandalous reputation. He was a blasphemer and lecher, did not recognize any rules or authorities. He had a particularly difficult relationship with the Pope. Pope Gregory VII even excommunicated him. Then Heinrich was in a hurry to atone for sins. And then he sinned again. Henry's campaign to Canossa has gone down in history forever, where for several days, in rags, kneeling, begged forgiveness from Pope Gregory.
In his first marriage, Henry was married to Bertha of Savoy. As soon as he married her, Heinrich began to bother about a divorce, saying that his wife was disgusting to him. At the same time, they had children in marriage: 2 daughters and 3 sons. In the 80s of the 11th century, there was no more depraved person in Western Europe than Henry. There were legends about him.
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Poor Bertha did not make public all the adventures of the unlucky hubby. And in December 1087 she was gone. Perhaps she went to the next world not without the help of a dissolute husband.
Unhappy marriage
Henry had ambitious plans. He wanted to get Russia as an allies. In Kiev, Henry sent the papers about the engagement. But there was no answer. Vsevolod Yaroslavich did not like the choice of his daughter. In addition, he was simply presented with a fact, his daughter did not even ask for a blessing.
The wedding of Henry and Eupraxia-Adelheide took place in the summer of 1089. The newlyweds left for Verona. Here hostilities unfolded between the antipope Clement III, who was supported by Henry, and Pope Urban II. Already in 1093 it became clear that divorce was inevitable. Henry began to accuse his wife of adultery. For this, he even tried to stage them himself. There is a known case when Heinrich forced one of the barons to look after his wife.
At his request, the baron made an appointment with Adelheide. Heinrich himself, having changed clothes, went to the meeting instead of him. At the same time, he took witnesses. So much he wanted to convict his wife of adultery. But the masquerade "show" failed.
When everything was revealed, Eupraxia was indignant and asked her husband: "Why did you go to your lawful wife under the guise of a traitor?" Annoyed Henry ordered the execution of the baron, and forced his wife to undress and appear naked in front of his entourage. And according to some reports, he even ordered her to be raped. This begs a reasonable question: did Henry IV suffer from a mental disorder on sexual grounds?
Speech at the Cathedral
Eupraxia did not want to repeat the fate of Bertha. Rather than remaining an uncomplaining victim, she began to accuse her husband of Satanism and organizing orgies.
In addition, she claimed that Henry was a member of the Nicolaitans sect, conducting "black masses". And at the same time she told the son of her husband from his first marriage, Konrad, that his father was going to deprive him of the right of inheritance. The son quickly went over to the side of the opposition.
The angry Henry imprisoned the obstinate wife in a dungeon. But when the imperial court moved from Verona to Lombardy, she fled from Henry and went to Canossa, where her stepson Konrad gladly received her. At this time, the political situation changed dramatically. Vsevolod Yaroslavich died, and his successor, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, a cousin of Eupraxia, was sitting on the Kiev table. In foreign policy, he focused on the Welf dynasty, who were fighting against Henry IV. Pope Urban II was also associated with the Bavarian Duke of Welf. At that time, a church council was just sitting in Constanta, and Eupraxia filed a bull with a complaint against her husband, in which she described what cruelties and humiliations Henry subjected her to.
According to the norms of medieval morality, this act of Eupraxia was tantamount to civil suicide and required great courage. In support of the descriptions of humiliation, insults, debauchery and "black masses" on the body of the empress, signs were found indicating that she had to participate in blasphemous rituals.
Medieval German annals brought to us the following story: “Conrad, the son of Emperor Henry, rebelled against his father for the following reason. King Heinrich hated Queen Adelheide, his wife, so much so that the hatred was even stronger than the passion with which he had previously loved her. He imprisoned her, and with his permission, many abused her. As they say, he fell into such madness that he even persuaded the aforementioned son to come in to her. Since he refused to desecrate his father's bed, the king, persuading him, began to assert that he was not his son, but one stranger, the Swabian duke, whom the named Conrad looks like in person. But the queen, after many unheard-of insults inflicted on her without guilt, somehow, by the grace of God, was freed by flight from the prison in which she was,arrived to the powerful lady at that time named Matilda. Having received the queen, she accompanied her to the venerable husband Urban, who occupied the apostolic throne.
Falling at his feet, shedding tears in heartbreak, she complained about all the troubles and misfortunes she had endured. Mister Pope, having learned about the queen's disasters, moved by mercy and compassion, assembled a general council, which again excommunicated King Henry from the church for unacceptable godless and forever unheard-of deeds committed on his own lawful wife …"
Ruined reputation
The Pope gave Adelheide absolution for all sins, approved the divorce from the depraved Henry and gave advice to immediately return to his homeland, to Kiev. And the Pope gave Henry IV another anathema. In the end they also removed him from the throne. Fearing for his life, he fled to Liege. Here in July 1106 the excommunicated emperor fell ill and died on August 7.
He was 55 years old. The coffin with his body was not interred for 5 years and stood in the chapel of the Speyer Cathedral. Only in 1111, the native son of the depraved Henry, Henry V, at a meeting with Pope Paschal II, asked to posthumously lift the anathema from his father and allow him to be buried according to church rites.
Eupraxia originally settled in Hungary with her relatives. But even here the dirtiest rumors about her reached. In addition, the ex-husband sent his killers to Hungary. And Eupraxia was forced into hiding. Around 1099, the “prodigal daughter” arrived in Kiev. But even here she was not left alone.
Rumors of a speech at a church council reached Kiev. The church especially strongly condemned her. She was considered a "wolf", that is, a whore. All this later influenced the attitude towards her in the Old Russian epics and legends, where she appears as nothing more than a "dragline".
In 1106, Eupraxia was tonsured into a monastery, where her sister Yanka was abbess. And after 3 years, in July 1109, the former empress died.
Victor ELISEEV