The holy noble prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (1110-1174), grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, son of Yuri Dolgoruky and the Polovtsian princess (in the holy Baptism of Mary), was named Bogolyubsky in his youth for his constant deep prayer attention, diligence to church services and "hidden prayers to God appropriation. " From his grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh, the grandson inherited great spiritual concentration, love for the Word of God and the habit of referring to Scripture in all cases of life.

A brave warrior (Andrey - means "courageous"), a participant in many campaigns of his warlike father, more than once in battles he was close to death. But each time the Providence of God invisibly saved the prince-prayer book. Thus, on February 8, 1150, in the battle near Lutsk, Saint Andrew was saved from the spear of a German mercenary by a prayer to the great martyr Theodore Stratilates, whose memory was celebrated on that day.

At the same time, the chroniclers emphasize the peacemaking gift of St. Andrew, rare in the princes and generals of that harsh time. The combination of military valor with peacefulness and mercy, great humility with indomitable zeal for the Church was in the highest degree inherent in Prince Andrew. The zealous owner of the land, a permanent employee in the town-planning and temple-building activities of Yuri Dolgoruky, he and his father builds Moscow (1147), Yuryev-Polsky (1152), Dmitrov (1154), decorates Rostov, Suzdal, Vladimir with churches. In 1162 Saint Andrew could say with satisfaction: "I built up White Russia with cities and villages and made it populous."

When in 1154 Yuri Dolgoruky became the Grand Duke of Kiev, he gave his son a lot of Vyshgorod near Kiev. But God judged differently. One night, it was in the summer of 1155, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, painted by the holy Evangelist Luke, recently brought from Constantinople and later named Vladimirskaya, moved to the Vyshgorod church. On the same night, with the icon in his hands, Saint Prince Andrew moved from Vyshgorod to the north, to the Suzdal land, secretly, without why blessing, obeying only the will of God.

The miracles from the holy icon, which were on the way from Vyshgorod to Vladimir, were recorded by Prince Andrei's confessor "priest Mikulitsa" (Nikolai) in the "Tale of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God".

Ten miles from Vladimir, the horses carrying the icon to Rostov suddenly stopped. At night, the Mother of God appeared to Prince Andrei with a scroll in her hands and ordered: “I don’t want, but carry My image to Rostov, but put it in Vladimir, and in this place, in the name of My Nativity, erect a stone church”. In memory of the miraculous event, Saint Andrew commanded the icon painters to paint an icon of the Mother of God such as the Most Pure One appeared to him, and established the celebration of this icon on June 18. The icon, named Bogolyubskaya, later became famous for numerous miracles

In the place indicated by the Queen of Heaven, Prince Andrew (in 1159) built the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and laid the city of Bogolyubov, which became his permanent residence and the place of his martyr's death.

When his father, Yuri Dolgoruky (+ 15 May 1157) died, Saint Andrew did not go to his father's table, to Kiev, but remained reigning in Vladimir. In 1158-1160. the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was built, in which the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was placed. In 1164, the Golden Gate was erected in Vladimir with the gate church of the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God and the Church of the Savior on the Prince's Yard.

Thirty churches were created by Saint Prince Andrew during the years of his reign. The best of them is the Assumption Cathedral. The wealth and splendor of the temple served to spread Orthodoxy among the surrounding peoples and foreign merchants. All visitors, both Latins and pagans, Saint Andrew ordered to be taken to the churches he had erected and to show them "true Christianity." The chronicler writes: "Both Bulgarians and Jews, and all the trash, having seen the glory of God and the adornment of the church, were baptized."

The conquest of the great Volga road became for Saint Andrew the main task of his public service to Russia. Volga Bulgaria from the time of the campaigns of Svyatoslav (+ 972) represented a serious danger to the Russian state. Saint Andrew continued the work of Svyatoslav.

A crushing blow to the enemy was dealt in 1164, when Russian troops burned and destroyed several Bulgarian fortresses. Saint Andrew took with him on this campaign the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and a double-sided icon, which depicted "The Savior Not Made by Hands" on one side and "Adoration of the Cross" - on the other. (Currently, both icons are in the State Tretyakov Gallery.)

A great miracle was shown to the Russian army from the holy icons on the day of the decisive victory over the Bulgarians, August 1, 1164. After the defeat of the Bulgarian army, the princes (Andrei, his brother Yaroslav, son Izyaslav, and others) returned to the "pests" (infantry) who were standing under the princely banners at the Vladimir icon, and bowed to the icon, "praising and praising it." And then everyone saw the dazzling rays of light emanating from the face of the Mother of God and from the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Remaining in every way a faithful son of the Orthodox Church, guardian of the faith and canons, Saint Andrew turned to the Patriarch in Constantinople with a filial request for the establishment of a special metropolis for North-Eastern Russia. With the corresponding princely letter to Byzantium, the candidate for the Metropolitan, elected by the prince, the Suzdal Archimandrite Theodore, went. Patriarch Luke Chrysoverg agreed to consecrate Theodore, but not to the metropolitan, but only to the bishop of Vladimir. At the same time, striving to preserve the disposition of Prince Andrei, the most powerful among the rulers of the Russian land, he honored Bishop Theodore with the right to wear a white cowl, which was a hallmark of church autonomy in ancient Russia - it is known how the archbishops of Veliky Novgorod cherished their white cowl. Obviously, this is why the Russian chronicles retained the nickname "White Klobuk" for Bishop Theodore, and later historians sometimes call him "an autocephalous bishop".

In 1167, Saint Rostislav, Andrew's cousin, who knew how to bring peace to the complex political and church life of that time, died in Kiev, and a new Metropolitan, Constantine II, was sent from Constantinople. The new metropolitan demanded that Bishop Theodore come to him for confirmation. Saint Andrew again turned to Constantinople for confirmation of the independence of the Vladimir diocese and with a request for a separate metropolitanate. A reciprocal letter from Patriarch Luke Chrysoverg has been preserved, containing a categorical refusal to establish a metropolitanate, a demand to accept the exiled Bishop Leon and submit to the Kiev metropolitan.

Fulfilling the duty of church obedience, Saint Andrew persuaded Bishop Theodore to repentantly go to Kiev to restore canonical relations with the Metropolitan. The repentance of Bishop Theodore was not accepted. Without a conciliar examination, Metropolitan Constantine, in accordance with Byzantine customs, condemned him to a terrible execution: Theodore was cut off his tongue, his right hand was cut off, his eyes were gouged out. After that, he was drowned by the servants of the Metropolitan (according to other sources, he soon died in prison).

Not only ecclesiastical, but also political affairs of Southern Russia demanded by this time the decisive intervention of the Grand Duke of Vladimir. On March 8, 1169, the troops of the allied princes, led by Andrei's son Mstislav, captured Kiev. The city was destroyed and burned, the Polovtsians who took part in the campaign did not spare the church treasures either. The Russian chronicles viewed this event as a well-deserved retribution: "Behold, hiding for their sins (the people of Kiev), even more for the metropolitan's untruth." In the same year 1169, the prince moved his troops to rebellious Novgorod, but they were thrown back by the miracle of the Novgorod Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign (celebrated on November 27), which was carried to the city wall by holy Archbishop John (+ 1186, Comm. 7 September). But when the enlightened Grand Duke turned his anger into mercy and peacefully attracted the Novgorodians to him, God's favor returned to him: Novgorod received the prince appointed by the holy prince Andrew.

Thus, by the end of 1170, Bogolyubsky managed to achieve the unification of the Russian land under his rule.

In the winter of 1172, he sent a large army to the Volga Bulgaria under the command of his son Mstislav. The troops won a victory, her joy was overshadowed by the death of the valiant Mstislav (+ 28 March 1172).

On the night of June 30, 1174, Saint Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky accepted a martyr's death at the hands of the traitors in his Bogolyubsky castle. The Tver Chronicle reports that Saint Andrew was killed at the instigation of his wife, who took part in the conspiracy. At the head of the conspiracy were her brothers, the Kuchkovichi: "and swash murder for the night, like Judas against the Lord." A crowd of murderers, twenty people, made their way to the palace, interrupted the small guard and broke into the bedchamber of the unarmed prince. The sword of Saint Boris, constantly hanging over his bed, was treacherously stolen that night by the housekeeper Anbal. The prince managed to throw to the floor the first of the attackers, whom the accomplices immediately pierced with swords by mistake. But soon they realized their mistake: "and therefore I knew the prince, and I wrestled with him velmi, byashe bo is strong, and snapped with swords and sabers, and gave him spear ulcers." The saint's prince's forehead was pierced from the side with a spear, all other blows were inflicted by the cowardly murderers from behind. When the prince finally fell, they rushed headlong out of the bedchamber, capturing the murdered accomplice.

But the saint was still alive. With his last effort, he went down the palace stairs, hoping to call the guards. But his groans were heard by the killers, they turned back. The prince managed to hide in a niche under the stairs and missed them. The conspirators ran into the bedchamber and did not find the prince there. “We are about to die, for the prince is alive,” the murderers cried out in horror. But all around it was quiet, no one came to the aid of the holy sufferer. Then the villains again grew bolder, lit candles and followed the bloody trail to look for their victim. Prayer was on the lips of Saint Andrew when the murderers again surrounded him.

The Russian Church remembers and honors her martyrs and creators. Andrey Bogolyubsky has a special place in it. Taking in his hands the miraculous image of the Vladimir Mother of God, the holy prince, as it were, blessed them from now on until the century the most important events of Russian history. 1395 - the transfer of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God to Moscow and the deliverance of the capital from the invasion of Tamerlane (celebrated on August 26); 1480 - the salvation of Russia from the invasion of Khan Akhmat and the final fall of the Mongol yoke (celebrated on June 23); 1521 - the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of the Crimean Khan Mahmet-Girey (celebrated on May 21). Through the prayers of Saint Andrew, his most cherished aspirations were fulfilled over the Russian Church. In 1300, Metropolitan Maxim transferred the All-Russian Metropolitan See from Kiev to Vladimir, making the Assumption Cathedral, where the relics of St. Andrew rested, the first cathedral church of the Russian Church, and the Vladimir wonderworking icon its main shrine. Later, when the all-Russian church center shifted to Moscow, the election of the metropolitans and patriarchs of the Russian Church took place in front of the Vladimir icon. In 1448, before her, the Council of Russian bishops appointed the first Russian autocephalous metropolitan, Saint Jonah. On November 5, 1917, before her, the election of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon took place - the first after the restoration of the patriarchate in the Russian Church. In 1971, on the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen took place.

Saint Andrew's liturgical activity was multifaceted and fruitful. In 1162, the Lord sent great consolation to the noble prince: in Rostov, the relics of the saints of Rostov, Saints Isaiah and Leonty, were found. The general church glorification of the Rostov saints began a little later, but the beginning of their popular veneration was laid by Prince Andrey. In 1164, Bogolyubsky's troops defeated an old enemy, Volga Bulgaria. The victories of the Orthodox people were marked by the flourishing of liturgical creativity in the Russian Church. That year, on the initiative of Saint Andrew, the Church established the celebration of the All-Merciful Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos on August 1 (revered by the Russian people as the "Savior of Honey"), in memory of the Baptism of Russia by Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles and in memory of the victory over the Bulgarians in 1164. The celebration of the Protection of the Mother of God on October 1, established soon after, embodied in liturgical forms the faith of the holy prince and the entire Orthodox people in the acceptance of Holy Russia by the Mother of God under Her omophorion. The Protection of the Mother of God has become one of the most beloved Russian church holidays. Pokrov is a Russian national holiday, unknown to either the Latin West or the Greek East. It is a liturgical continuation and creative development of theological ideas laid down in the Feast of the Position of the Robe of the Virgin on July 2.

The first temple dedicated to the new holiday was the Intercession on the Nerl (1165), a remarkable monument of Russian church architecture, erected by the masters of St. Prince Andrei in the floodplain of the Nerl River so that the prince could always see it from the windows of his Bogolyubov tower.

Saint Andrew took a direct part in the literary work of the Vladimir church writers. He was involved in the creation of the Service to the Intercession (the most ancient list is in the parchment Psalter of the 14th century. State Historical Museum, Syn. 431), a legends about the establishment of the Feast of the Intercession (Great Menaea Chetya. October. St. Petersburg, 1870, verses 4-5), Words on Pokrov "(ibid., stb. 6, 17). He wrote "The Legend of the Victory over the Bulgarians and the Establishment of the Feast of the Savior in 1164", which is called in some ancient manuscripts: "The Word of the Mercy of God of the Great Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky". (Published twice: The Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. With a foreword by V.O. Klyuchevsky. M., 1878, pp. 21-26; Zabelin I. Ye. Traces of the literary work of Andrei Bogolyubsky. - "Archaeological news and notes", 1895, No. 2-З). Bogolyubsky's participation is also noticeable in the compilation of the Vladimir annalistic collection of 1177, completed after the death of the prince by his confessor, priest Mikula, who included in it a special "The Tale of the Murder of St. Andrew". The final edition of The Legend of Boris and Gleb, which was included in the Assumption Collection, also dates back to Andrei's time. The prince was a special admirer of the holy Martyr Boris, his main shrine at home was the hat of St. Boris. The sword of Saint Boris always hung over his bed. A monument to the prayerful inspiration of Saint Prince Andrew is also the "Prayer", entered into the chronicle in 1096, after the "Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh".

Andrei Bogolyubsky with his father, Yuri Dolgoruky, had a difficult relationship. Dolgoruky did not want to give up the idea of ​​Kiev's domination and stubbornly strove to "sit down" there. Andrei Yurievich, on the contrary, worked very successfully on the creation of a new center of gravity - Vladimir. But both the one and the other - one involuntarily, the other quite deliberately - determined the further development of Russia. And this happened precisely in the middle of the XII century.

In life and deeds Grand Duke Andrei Yurievich Bogolyubsky there were many contradictions. As a man of his age, he was cruel. Political foresight was combined in him with cunning and lust for power.

Love for piety and divine service beauty - with the desire of eels to help the Church to solve momentary administrative tasks. But in history he remained exactly as "Bogolyubsky".

Briefly the years of the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky:

• Prince Vyshgorodsky (1149, 1155)
• Dorogobuzhsky (1150-1151)
• Ryazan (1153)
• Grand Duke Vladimirsky (1157-1174).

Andrey Bogolyubsky, years of life and reign of Prince Andrey.

Historical sources are unable to enlighten about the early years of the life of Grand Duke Andrei Yurievich. Researchers can't even say for sure what year he was born. Based on Tatishchev's indication that the prince was killed at the age of sixty-three (in 1174), the year of his birth should be called 1111, but sometimes the period of his birth is defined as “between 1120 and 1125”.

The first date seems more plausible, for Andrei Bogolyubsky was, apparently, the second son of the large Yuri Dolgoruky. Yuri Vladimirovich entered his first marriage in 1107, marrying the daughter of the Polovtsian prince Aepa, and four years later Andrei Yurievich was born. It all fits together.

The place of his birth is Rostov-Suzdal Rus, here he received the first impressions of life and it was this deaf and wooded land that he considered his homeland. Bogolyubsky is very significant and bright in the history of the formation of the Russian state.

The youth of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, internecine wars

From a young age, Prince Andrew found himself immersed in a maelstrom of internecine strife, in which his father took a lively part. The struggle was conducted mainly around, he changed hands several times, and Andrei Yurievich regularly participated in battles on the side of Yuri Dolgoruky, showing undoubted courage. In one of the battles, near Lutsk, he almost died, a horse carried him out of the battle. The noble animal, being mortally wounded, saved its master, and he honored the memory of his faithful friend as best he could: he buried him on a hill near the Styr River.

At the same time, against the background of his relatives, Prince Andrei Yurievich demonstrated exceptional peacefulness. In particular, in 1150 it was he who insisted on reconciling the old enemies and rivals for the Kiev throne - Yuri Vladimirovich and Izyaslav Mstislavich. However, the peace was short-lived. Yuri Dolgoruky refused to return to Izyaslav the booty captured under, which was one of the terms of the contract, and the strife broke out with renewed vigor.

In 1151, Izyaslav Mstislavich defeated his rival. The victory seemed to be final. He established himself in Kiev, and concluded an agreement with the defeated Yuri Dolgoruky, according to which he was to return with all his sons to his native land.

However, Yuri Vladimirovich was in no hurry to go home, arousing the discontent of his son Andrei, who felt uncomfortable in the southern Russian lands and understood that the local population treated Dolgoruky and his seed as alien invaders and in no way supported their claims to the Kiev throne.

In July 1151, Prince Yuri went on a pilgrimage with his sons to the temple of Boris and Gleb, built on the Alta River, where he was killed in due time. Here a quarrel broke out between Yuri and Andrei, and Andrei, disobeying his father, left for.

Nevertheless, in 1152 he again took part in the battle on the side of Yuri Dolgoruky, when he laid siege to Chernigov, plotting to punish the Chernigov prince Izyaslav Davydovich, who went over to the side of Izyaslav Mstislavich. The siege was not crowned with success, and Prince Andrey was wounded near the walls of Chernigov.

In 1154, the long-term rivalry between the princes Izyaslav and Yuri ended due to an event as natural as it was unexpected: Izyaslav Mstislavich died. In March 1155, Yuri Dolgoruky established himself in Kiev, giving Andrey Vyshgorod, very important from a strategic point of view (which speaks of Yuri Vladimirovich's confidence in his rebellious son). Apparently, Yuri Vladimirovich had in mind to transfer the Kiev throne to Andrey over time, but Andrey Yuryevich himself was not carried away by this prospect. In Kievan Rus, he still felt embarrassed, and eventually decided to escape to his native land.

Andrey Bogolyubsky steals the icon of the Mother of God and escapes to rule in Vladimir

N.I. Kostomarov writes:

“Andrei, as you can see, then matured a plan not only to retire to the Suzdal land, but to establish in it a focus from which it would be possible to turn the affairs of Russia ...

Andrei, who in this case acted against his father's will, needed to sanctify his actions in the eyes of the people with some kind of right. Until now, in the minds of Russian princes, there were two rights - origin and election, but both of these rights got confused and destroyed, especially in southern Russia. The princes, past any eldership by birth, sought princely tables, and the election ceased to be a unanimous choice of the whole land and depended on the military crowd - on the squads, so that, in essence, only one more right was retained - the right to be princes in Russia to persons from Rurik's house ; but to which prince where to reign - for that there was no other right than strength and luck. A new law had to be created. Andrew found him; this right was the highest direct blessing of religion. "

At that time, there was a women's monastery in Vyshgorod, which housed the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, brought from Constantinople. The strangest stories circulated about this icon among the people. It was said, for example, that, being placed against the wall, the icon “receded” from it to the middle of the church, as if showing thereby the unwillingness to be here. It was this icon that Prince Andrey planned to take with him to the Rostov-Suzdal land, wishing to give his native land a shrine, which would be a visible proof of the special Divine care for him and its inhabitants.

He could not openly take the icon from the monastery: the locals would never give it away. Hiding from them, he was forced to act at night, with the help of accomplices from the monastery clergy, who carried the icon out of the church and - they had nowhere to retreat - left Vyshgorod with the prince and his family. One of these accomplices, the priest Mikola, would later write a story about the assassination of Andrei Bogolyubsky and will remain so for centuries.

The rise of Vladimir during the reign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky

Already on the road, the taken away icon of the Mother of God began, as legend says, to show miraculous properties, thereby showing God's mercy to the "pious thief." (In general, it should be noted that the transfer of certain shrines from place to place often resembles a banal theft. The most famous of these events was the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas, Archbishop, to Bari, today marked in the church calendar as one of the important holidays.) But the main miracle happened near Vladimir, where the horses stood up, not having the strength to carry the shrine further. The Mother of God clearly showed her intention to stay in Vladimir. But at that time he was a seedy town, to which the inhabitants of Suzdal and Rostov treated with undisguised contempt!

Over the next few years, Vladimir, thanks to the labors of Prince Andrei, changed beyond recognition. While rebuilding and decorating his residence in Bogolyubovo, he did not forget about the city itself, where the Golden Gate appeared in the shortest possible time (as if “in defiance” to a similar building in Kiev) and the amazing Assumption Cathedral. In general, the prince did not spare the costs of building and decorating churches - apparently, both for personal gravitation towards church piety, and for reasons of strengthening his authority, because the construction of any new church, especially a stone one, richly decorated, aroused among the people respect for its builder. Vladimir has grown, moved in and "grew fat". The number of priests was also added to it, as a result of which, presumably, literacy spread. The surrounding villages also revived, the wilderness of the forest began to look more cheerful.

So, Vladimir was entirely indebted to Prince Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky for his rise, and the inhabitants of the local land for the time being showed, as they would say now, "loyalty" to him. If Andrei ruled in Suzdal and Rostov, then there he would inevitably have to enter into friction with the townspeople, who, although they were not as obstinate as the Novgorodians, still considered the veche power higher than the princely one. At first, there were external obstacles to his reign here: Yuri Dolgoruky, not forgiving his stubborn son, put his youngest sons from his second wife to reign in Rostov and Suzdal. Of these, the smaller one, Vsevolod (future), was only two years old. Thus, the father sought to humiliate Andrei, a mature husband, putting him on a par - and even lower, since Vladimir was considered lower than both Rostov and Suzdal - with foolish babies.

And now, there is a silver lining! Not so much Andrei was offended by his father, as the inhabitants of Suzdal and Rostov. And after the death of Yuri Dolgoruky in 1157, they unanimously elected Andrew at the veche as their prince. He graciously accepted the election, but he remained in Vladimir, or rather, in Bogolyubovo.

Andrey Bogolyubsky prince of Rostov-Suzdal land

Having become the sovereign ruler of the entire vast Rostov-Suzdal land, Prince Andrei led a rather tough policy, in every possible way trying to belittle the importance of the two primordial centers of Ancient Rus - Kiev and Novgorod. For this, he undertook a series of military actions. One of them, the seizure and unprecedented three-day plundering of Kiev, entered the brightest page in the Russian chronicles (the robbers not only killed and captured everyone in a row, but swung at the sacred, at the church - "poimash icons, and books, and vestments ..." ). Another is reflected in the famous icon "Battle of Novgorodians with Suzdalians".

At the same time, Andrei Bogolyubsky for himself did not want neither Kiev, nor even more so Novgorod reign. He only wanted to confirm his own supremacy not only in the land where he actually ruled, but throughout Russia. And he succeeded up to a certain point. In the 1160s, he was perhaps the most prominent "political player" in the entire Russian space.

In order to further elevate the importance of Vladimir, Prince Andrew wanted to establish his own metropolitanate, placing his favorite false bishop Theodorets as metropolitan, but in the end he was forced to abandon this intention, which met with stubborn resistance in Kiev and Constantinople, and even betray Theodorets to the metropolitan court in Kiev, where he was executed as a heretic.

The assassination of Andrei Bogolyubsky on the night of June 30, 1174

Over time, the policy of Andrei Bogolyubsky began to falter. The authoritarian style of his government revived the nobility of Rostov, Suzdal and Vladimir against him. Not to mention the fact that by the beginning of the 1170s, he had almost no allies left among the princes. Too often he pointed them out. The prince lost the support of his relatives and boyars.

A conspiracy was drawn up, and Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky was brutally murdered in his palace. It happened on the night of June 30, 1174. And the Vladimir mob, like bad children left unattended, robbed and ruined Vladimir and Bogolyubovo for several days in a row. Only on the fifth day did the people come to their senses and "with great lamentation" buried the murdered prince at the walls of the Assumption Cathedral.

Canonization of the Grand Duke Andrey Bogolyubsky in 1702

The next point in our story about Andrei Bogolyubsky should be his canonization, which took place in 1702. And we already foresee the surprised question of the reader: for what? As a matter of fact, he differed from most of his contemporaries, who now and then fought among themselves (while peaceful villagers and townspeople suffered), he differed only in his great political talents and will to power. Peaceful? Yes, but only in comparison with others. Pious? Yes, but he almost caused a schism in the church with the zealous "advancement" of Theodorets. And yet - canonized.

It must be remembered that the Church from time to time canonizes certain statesmen not thanks to, but in spite of many of their deeds, and the case of Andrei Bogolyubsky is no exception. By the way, Dmitry Donskoy (holy saint) also took persistent steps towards the elevation of his confessor, archimandrite of the Novospassky monastery, Mityai, to the Moscow Metropolitanate. But no one, except the meticulous historians of the Church, has long ago put this bast on him. And they don't remember about it. And they remember - the Battle of Kulikovo and the blessing of St. Sergius of Radonezh. So it is here.

Forgotten the story of Andrei Bogolyubsky's expulsion of his younger (from another mother) brothers from the Rostov-Suzdal limits, the plunder of Kiev initiated by him was forgotten. Much has been forgotten. But it is not forgotten that it was him, Andrei, who was chosen by the Lord as an instrument of glorification of the icon of the Mother of God stolen from Vyshgorod as precisely “the very Vladimir”, to which all of Russia, for countless centuries, has been praying. Wonderful white-stone churches have not been forgotten - all the more so because here they are: the five-domed Assumption Cathedral, the unique Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Finally, death, truly a martyr's, is worth something. And so, the relics of the God-loving prince rest in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir, and the people of Vladimir honor him as "their" saint, and the pilgrims, approaching his shrine, say:

In 1702 Andrey Bogolyubsky was canonized. At the same time, they were acquired and relics.

In 1753, the relics of Andrei Bogolyubsky were re-veiled, placed in a new shrine.

In 1919, the relics of the holy prince were opened, after which they were transferred to the museum. The first serious study of the remains was undertaken in 1934, when they - without any description, so as not to mislead researchers from the empirical path - were sent to the Leningrad Institute of the History of Feudal Societies (now the Institute of Archeology). The conclusions of the scientists turned out to be in complete agreement with what we know about Andrei Bogolyubsky. The data on his death were also confirmed - the skeleton bore traces of many wounds inflicted on the back, side and on the already lying body.

It also turned out that the prince had partially accrete cervical vertebrae. This made him always hold his head high, which gave him a haughty, proud look.

From Leningrad, the relics returned to Vladimir. When the wave of outrageous atheism subsided and atheism took on "scientific" features, it seemed indecent to exhibit them in a museum (after all, it was a mockery of the remains of a prominent historical figure). And they "silently", until 1982, not even being entered in the inventory book, were kept in a closed museum fund.

In 1987, the transfer of the relics of Andrei Bogolyubsky to the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese took place. Now they are again in the Assumption Cathedral.

Studying the history of our native country, each of us, while still at school, learns about the faithful prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. According to historical sources, he was born approximately in 1111, and was defeated by the enemy in 1174. During his life, the statesman managed to play the role of Prince Vyshgorodsky, Dorogobuzhsky, Ryazan, Vladimir. In the last city, he ruled in the role of the grand duke, in the same status he was killed.

How it all began

As far as we know from ancient history, Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky was either the second or third child in the family. His father is the famous Yuri Dolgoruky, and his mother is the first wife of this famous ruler. The woman was the daughter of Khan Aepa. Born to Yuri Dolgoruky, Andrei Bogolyubsky, although he will become a glorified ruler in the future, was not considered such at the time of his birth, and the child was not the first with his father. History has not told us the exact date of his birth. It is assumed that Yuri's second child appeared in 1111. Information about the exact day when Andrei was born can be found in the History created by Tatishchev, but this book was written six centuries after the death of the Grand Duke, and an indication of the exact dates , given in it, raises doubts among many.

From reliable sources to this day, no information has been preserved about how the childhood and youth of a person who in the future took the position of the Grand Duke passed. It is known that for his time this figure was one of the most important figures. His deeds told the world about this, and it was for them that he was remembered for many thousands of years.

Love and respect

It is known that the faithful Andrei Bogolyubsky evoked special love and respect in John the Fourth, who entered the history of Russia as the Terrible. This ruler honored his old predecessor, which was especially noticeable during the period of preparations for the Kazan campaign, which happened in 1548 and lasted four years. We know from history that during the preparatory period, the Russian tsar often visited Vladimir, and even ordered to commemorate every noble person buried in the Assumption Cathedral every year. Regarding Andrei, it was decided to serve the requiem twice annually. The first was the day of the death of the prince, the second - the day of remembrance, the last November day of the year.

During the reign of Ivan the Fourth, the concept of history was formed, claiming that it was the great Andrei Bogolyubsky who was the founder of autocracy. He is revered for the man who laid the foundation of the Vladimir principality, which was followed by the creation of a country with a center in Moscow.

Significant and famous

During the period of his existence and reign, the holy prince Andrei Bogolyubsky was one of the most important figures in the politics of Rus. This was especially pronounced in the twelfth century, namely in the 60s and 70s. Thanks to this prince, a very strong principality was formed in the northeastern Russian lands, which united Vladimir and Suzdal. The places were not chosen by chance - earlier it was the patrimony of the grandfather, great-grandfather of the prince. As is known from the information that has come down to our days, during the reign of the statesman, a policy that was completely different from previous years was formed. The prince made every effort to ensure that Vladimir-on-Klyazma received the status of the main center of Russian power, finally ousting Kiev, which had held such a position before, from the arena of events.

In the descriptions of the biography of Andrei Bogolyubsky, it is noted that for the first time such aspirations in his activities could be seen even during that period, while the father of the future Grand Duke was alive and active - he had to fight for the throne in Kiev with his nephew Izyaslav. Even then, Andrei showed himself to be an exceptionally brave warrior, which was especially clearly manifested in the battle that took place in 1149 near Lutsk. At the same time, the son made attempts to reconcile his father and the warlike Izyaslav, which showed him as a wise and peace-loving person.

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

Even in the period when the future Saint Andrew Bogolyubsky fought for the glory of his father, as can be concluded from reliable sources that have come down to us, the heir had rather extensive and ambitious plans. Twice, when he had a choice, he settled on the Vladimir inheritance - it was he who received it from his father in management. Among other cities, he got Vyshgorod. In 1155 he left his possessions in the direction of Vladimir, taking with him the clergy, the holy Borisoglebsk sword and the image of the Mother of God, which had previously been kept in the convent. This icon will soon become one of the most revered in the region of Vladimir and Suzdal, then - Moscow and all the great and mighty state created by the princes.

Already at that moment, the actions of Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky allowed him to count on the favor of the boyars of Rostov and Suzdal. In 1157, his father died. He was left with a will, according to which the throne of Suzdal and Rostov was to pass to the youngest children, born to Dolgoruky's second wife - Vsevolod, Mikhalka. However, the love of the boyars was so strong that Andrei, without much difficulty, was able to resist his father's last will and leave the throne for himself. From the Suzdal Dolgorukov residence, from the old Rostov capital, the center of the principality under the influence of Andrei shifted. Now Vladimir was the main city.

A new broom sweeps in a new way

Having come to power, Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky made every possible effort to consolidate the principality from the inside. His activity was so pronounced that the opposition dared to raise its head, and in 1161 it even led to a clash. Among the opposing persons were the younger ones from the clan of Yuri Dolgoruky. However, this did not end well for them, and soon the disaffected fled to Byzantium. Vsevolod, Mstislav, Vasilko, as well as Vsevolod's mother, who is also the second wife of Prince Yuri, sought refuge there. It is assumed that the woman was from Byzantium, so it turned out to be natural for her to seek refuge from Manuel. Together with them, Andrey's nephews were forced to flee - the children of Rostislav, by this time the eldest child, Yuri Dolgoruky, had already died. Together with relatives, the principality, now ruled by Andrei, was abandoned by the noble people who served in front of his father. Based on the information that reached us about this period, we can confidently talk about the radicalism of the reforms that Andrei promoted.

It is known that at the same stage of the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the promising young prince entered into a confrontation with Bishop Leontes, who at that moment was responsible for Rostov. It is believed that the prince expelled a church minister twice, but the exact dates of these events are unknown. It is assumed that this happened in the period 59-64 years of the twelfth century. Leontes, according to historians, was of Greek origin, which explains his penchant for Byzantine customs and traditions. In Russia, it was decided to abolish fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, if the day fell on a great feast, but the bishop wished to cancel such an indulgence in order to correspond in everything to the original Byzantine tradition.

Religion and Politics: Conflict of Views

Another reason for the conflict between the prince and the bishop was the desire of the ruler to form the Vladimir Metropolitanate, which would be on a par with Kiev and would not depend on it in anything. Moreover, instead of the seated metropolitan in Kiev, Andrei Bogolyubsky prophesied as the head of the metropolitanate his favorite - Theodorets, by this time assigned to the cathedra of Vladimir and Suzdal. Andrei planned to separate it from Rostov, and Leonte found companions in the person of Kiev clergy, who also did not agree with the policy of the new ruler.

When the Grand Duke turned to the Patriarch of Constantinople for approval of his actions, the answer was suddenly a categorical refusal. This has turned into a tangible obstacle to reform. On the one hand, the patriarch noted the princely zeal and praised him for this, at the same time he allowed the episcopal residence to be moved to Vladimir, so that the priest would be closer to the ruler's court. The problem was finally solved only in 1169, when Andrew was forced to abandon Theodorets. He was sent to the Kiev Metropolitan Court, where a decision was made on the urgent death penalty.

Borders: do they mean a lot?

Andrei Bogolyubsky, inclined to autocracy, soon ceased to fit within the boundaries of the zone of government given to him. Already at the end of the 60s of the century of his reign, the interests of the Grand Duke went far beyond the original area. In 59-67 in Kiev, the princely throne was occupied by Rostislav of Smolensky, who was Andrei's cousin, and even his former senior. At this time, the grouping of the princes of Volyn, Kiev and Smolensk was strong enough to regulate the political equilibrium. When Rostislav died, it became obvious to everyone: Andrey's strengths are more significant than any potential opponents.

In many ways, the active actions were provoked by the prince from Volyn Mstislav, who took advantage of the help of the Poles and Galician troops and went to Kiev in order to seize the throne city. In response, Andrei Bogolyubsky organized as many as 11 princes, including the sons of the deceased, the closest associates of Andrei himself, the Smolensk and Chernigov rulers, a prince from Dorogobuzh. Even then it was possible to speak of a powerful coalition, and Andrei, who in the future was named a saint, became its spiritual center, head and heart.

Military successes

As expected, Andrei Bogolyubsky and his associates won the victory. In March 1169 Kiev was taken and plundered, and the hostilities greatly damaged the holy places of the city. Monasteries suffered. The chroniclers from Vladimir recorded this in books as a result of the wrong actions of the local metropolitan. It is known that shortly before the events described, Constantine II put an end to the abbot Polycarp, who supported Andrew, who agreed with the Grand Duke regarding the practice of fasting. The result of the military success was the installation of Gleb, Andrey's younger brother, on the Kiev throne. From that moment on it finally became clear: Vladimir is now becoming a more significant and status city than the ancient capital of Russia.

Soon, in the winter months of the 69th, Andrei decided to organize another military campaign, this time in the direction of Novgorod. The strife turned out to be very large, but the combined army of Vladimir and Suzdal lost the battle. However, a year later, the residents of Novgorod still recognized the power of Andrei Bogolyubsky, since all the ways of supplying bread were blocked by his efforts. In 1172, Andrei's son Yuri arrived in Novgorod to reign, and the inhabitants were forced to accept him.

Gradually but inevitably

A little earlier than the inhabitants of Novgorod, the Rostislavichi recognized the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, as a reward for this Roman got the Kiev throne. The united lands of Suzdal and Vladimir under the reign of the great ruler received an addition. On the east side, the settlement Gorodets-Radilov was founded, thanks to which the Volga Bulgaria became subject, and on the north side the land was replenished with Zavolochye.

The politics of Andrei Bogolyubsky, whose center was military pressure, began to falter in the 70s. Mass campaigns, as practice has shown, do not show the desired result, there was a crisis. In 1172, they organized a battle with the Volga Bulgars, but noble people, allied principalities refused to support Andrey. Then the Rostislavichs rebelled. In 1174, punitive troops marched towards the Kiev lands - numerous warriors from different lands, united under the rule of Andrew. Despite the numerical superiority, the Grand Duke suffered an absolute defeat.

Modern historians suggest that a social crisis occurred during the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, and it is they who should explain his sudden failures of the 70s. The peremptory autocracy promoted by the prince was established by extreme military and fiscal measures, due to which the nobility was inflamed with discontent in relation to such a ruler. The conflict was between the prince and the boyars of Suzdal and Rostov, and in the Vladimir lands. At one time, Andrei tried to form a stratum of loyal service nobility, which was supposed to become stronger than the tribal boyars, but no success was achieved.

Who should be paid for mistakes?

Andrei Bogolyubsky, who ruled in Vladimir, became the victim of a conspiracy. The Grand Duke was killed in 1974. The heart of the conspiratorial group was representatives of the Kuchkovichi close to the ruler. By the way, much later than Andrei's death, a legend appeared that the prince's wife came from this particular family. Historians believe that it is not worth attention and has nothing to do with reality. But information has been preserved for sure that the great ruler was killed at night in the Bogolyubov Palace.

Eyewitnesses told about the death of the Grand Duke. At present, it is not known for sure whether the eyewitnesses wrote the chronicles themselves, or whether the responsible person wrote all this down directly from the words of the one who was present at the center of the events. In any case, in the Kiev Chronicle one can see a long and lengthy description of the events of that night. In a brief form, everything is set out in the Vladimir Chronicle. In 1934, a laboratory examination of the prince's remains was organized, as a result of which they confirmed the fidelity of what was described in the books. From the sources that have survived to this day, it is clear how acute the social discontent was, how much the prince was disliked by the end of his reign. Once the personality of Andrei aroused respect among ordinary and noble people, he was a real hero, but by the time of his death he had become a focus of society's hatred.

There can be no unambiguity

It is known from the brief biography of Andrei Bogolyubsky that after the death of the prince, his body lay for two more days, waiting for the funeral service. At first, the conspirators threw it into the garden altogether, from where it was then decided to transfer it to the church vestibule. Only a week later, the prince's remains were sent to the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, and it was decided to bury them here. The prince's palace was soon plundered, administrative buildings were plundered in Vladimir, representatives of the administrative layer who flourished under Andrei were killed. Similar disturbances took place throughout the territory of the parish. Only the procession of the cross, for which it was necessary to take the image of the Mother of God, stopped lewdness and outrage.

It seems curious that in all the stories dedicated to the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, one can see the glorification of this politician as the creator of the temple. Be sure to note that he donated a lot and often to church parishes, loved the poor and actively spread the Christian faith. The piety inherent in the personality of the prince was highly appreciated by both his adherents and enemies. It is known that the ruler often came to church at night in order to pray and ask the Lord for repentance for all his sins. For this, he gained the reckoning in the person of the people among the ranks of the saints.

What's next?

As you know from any short biography of Andrei Bogolyubsky, soon after the death of the prince, an active struggle began for everything that the great ruler had created. It seems surprising to many that the sons were not real contenders for reign - they fully agreed with the law of ladder law. In the Ipatiev Chronicle, recorded under the control of the Vladimir polychron of the fourteenth century, for the first time, the murdered prince was called great. In many ways, the title was explained precisely by the nuances of his death.

From the conclusions of Klyuchevsky, it is known that Andrei can be described as a person who was forgotten in battle, who was brought into the most dangerous places, who did not pay attention to the risks. Strife and dangers for him were like water for fish - and this quality in general characterized many southern inhabitants. Unlike his contemporaries, Andrei could not only be active in battle, but also quickly come to his senses, as soon as he had to reasonably judge something. The warlike intoxication, which made his eyes shine a minute ago, passed almost instantly, and in the middle of a battle the prince could become cautious and reasonable, observant, accurate - a real ruler in control of the situation.

It is noted that Andrei was prudent, at any moment everything was ready for how events would unfold. This person was not taken by surprise by any circumstances, and no matter how great the chaos around, Andrei retained his clarity of mind. Every minute he expected danger, sought to streamline everything around him, in many respects he was similar to Vladimir Monomakh. Daring in battle, Andrei admitted that he did not like to fight. While the father was still alive, after each successful battle, the son turned to him, asking for reconciliation with the defeated.

Remember and love

After the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, they did not forget about him, and the memory was especially strong in church circles. In 1702 it was decided to canonize the ruler. The prince was named faithful. His Remembrance Day is 4 July. The relics of the prince are kept in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral. To preserve them, the Andreevsky side-chapel was allocated.

In total, it is known that Andrei Bogolyubsky had four sons, in addition, he had one daughter. In 1165 Izyaslav died, known from the chronicles for taking part in the campaign to the Volga Bulgaria together with his father. Mstislav died in 1173. Relatively a lot of information in historical sources can be found about Yuri. This son ruled in Novgorod in 73-75, in 85-89 he was the husband of Tamara, who reigned in Georgia. The exact date of death is unknown, it is assumed that Yuri died around 1190.

The fourth son was named Gleb. The exact date of birth is not reflected in the annals, presumably, Andrei's child appeared in 1155. The young man died at the age of twenty and was canonized. Nothing is known about him from historical sources, but there is certain information in later records. It is believed that, being twelve years old, the child diligently read church books and communicated a lot with monks, led a virtuous life. His death fell on a period shortly before the murder of Andrei Bogolyubsky.

It is also known that the prince had one daughter, named Rostislava. She became the wife of Svyatoslav Vshizhsky.

From South to North: How the Family Determines Fate

The person who in the future in the historical annals will be christened the first Grand Duke of Russia, in a sense, by his kind, was obliged to become a ruler. Andrey's father was Yuri Dolgoruky, who determined the path of development of the principality. He and his father, Monomakh, put a lot of effort into uniting the principalities, and so that Andrew would continue this great work. In the chronicles of later times, they said about him that it was Andrei who was the first Russian owner, really energetic and tough, as the time required. Power-loving by nature, talented by nature, virtuous in character, this man simply could not escape the fate of the famous ruler.

As a politician, he first showed himself in the southern Russian regions, where he had to take part in military affairs on the side of his father. The task of the clan was to defend their seniority in their native lands, and they succeeded. When Yuri Dolgoruky received Kiev in 1149, he decided to allocate the throne of this ancient city to Andrei - this could not but get into the annals. The prince made such a decision not by chance: by this year, the son had shown his valor, loyalty, prudence and the ability to make adequate decisions appropriate to the situation. He became the person to whom the perspicacious Dolgoruky could entrust the ancient city.

New experience and different traditions

Once in the southern lands, Andrei faced customs that were very different from his usual at home. The annals speak of discontent and indignation, even embarrassment of the future Grand Duke - the specific strife between loved ones seemed so strange to him. Endless strife, as a result - constantly shed kindred blood. All this forced Andrey to grieve about what was happening. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the young man wanted to return to his native land. Specific orders were not acceptable to him, especially since he could not bring himself to love them. At first, Andrei retired from what was disgusting to him, and as soon as he gained strength, he began to take measures to correct the situation.

The move to Suzdal in 1156 took place without the consent and approval of the father who reigned at that time. Vyshgorod was left without an icon - in the future the image will become the greatest and most significant shrine of the entire Russian land. It is known from legends that the transfer of the icon along the entire route of the prince caused great miracles. Horses suddenly stood up near Vladimir under the icon, and it was decided to set up a camp at the same place for the night. In a dream, the Mother of God herself came to Andrei, who warned against moving the image to Rostov, and ordered him to settle in Vladimir. Having awakened, the prince fulfilled the divine will exactly. In the place where the vision came to him, the sovereign decided to break up the village, whose name Bogolyubovo gave the name to him. After some time in the same village, he will build a magnificent stone church and a magnificent tower. The village will become his permanent and most beloved place of life, and the murder of Andrei Bogolyubsky will also take place here.

New life and new rules

The shrine, which Andrew got into his hands, allowed him to make the northeastern regions more significant, more important, stronger. The icon, which will be decorated with precious stones, will be the most important object not only of the Assumption Cathedral, but also of the city, and then of the whole earth. After some time, this image will be accepted as the most important for all of Russia.

In May 1157, Yuri Dolgoruky died, and Andrei assumed power. He did not want to be guided by the old boyars, so he did not go to Suzdal, instead he brought his trusted junior warriors closer. In addition, the foundation of Andrei's power was the southern population, independent of the boyars of Suzdal and largely due to the administration of the young prince.

Andrey made efforts to prevent civil strife. One of the main tasks that he defined for himself was the elimination of the struggle with brothers, nephews. At the same time, it was decided to build a new city, named Vladimir-on-Klyazma, and make efforts to turn it into a true capital, more beautiful than Kiev. Here they built churches, powerful fortifications and gates of silver and gold - the same as in Kiev. The Assumption Church was built as a cathedral. It was expected that an independent metropolitanate would be created here, but the patriarch forbade such self-righteousness.

Desires and realities

One of the controversial aspects of the government was the foreign policy of Andrei Bogolyubsky. The Grand Duke was distinguished by the vastness of military plans, and their breadth was not explained by the needs of the country. Moreover, the boyars also did not support the further expansion of the princely lands. Such disagreement was bound to become a pretext for conflict, and relations within the lands ruled by Andrei were aggravated. It is believed that the problems in relations with the boyars were also largely due to internal political decisions - the prince tried to subjugate this freedom-loving class. By the way, this is noticeable from the books of the writer Zatochnik: in the texts he repeatedly said that it is better for a boyar living in the northeast of the Russian lands to put his tower away from the prince's residence, otherwise ruin cannot be avoided.

In 1173 it was decided to go on a campaign. Volga Bulgaria was chosen as the direction. To increase the main army, Ryazan governors and people from Murom were invited. The squads moved up to the gathering place extremely slowly, demonstrating their unwillingness to go to war with might and main. In the chronicles about this period and the behavior of the prince's subordinates it was said: "they do not go walking." It would seem that there was no disobedience, but the military obviously evaded the campaign.

In 1174, the prince executed Kuchkovich, and his brother and prince's son-in-law conspired. Soon the Ossetians Anbal, a certain alien Ephraim, took part in it. As is known from the chronicles, a total of two dozen people participated in the conspiracy. All of them were guided by fear for their lives.

We remember today

The bloody events of 1174 did not go unnoticed in history. The palace part, where everything happened, is still standing to this day. In 1935, an anthropological study was carried out in the Leningrad laboratories, which showed that the stories about the power of the prince were completely true.

The man, tirelessly fighting enemies from the outside, was not ready for an internal attack, and his relatives and close ones were able to inflict a fatal blow on him. The resistance was desperate. If the prince could survive that terrible night, death would surely await the conspirators - this was absolutely in the character of the ruler. The rebels themselves understood this, so they fought to the bitter end, no matter what it cost them. Curiously, despite the plundering of the Kiev holy places, the people revered Andrew as a bright prince and a worthy ruler.

Great reign

Capture of Kiev (1169)

Trekking to Novgorod (1170)

Siege of High City (1173)

Hiking to the Volga Bulgaria

Death and canonization

Marriages and children

(about 1111 - June 29, 1174) - Prince Vyshgorodsky in 1149, 1155. Prince Dorogobuzhsky in 1150-1151, Ryazan (1153). Grand Duke Vladimir in 1157 - 1174. Son of Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky and the Polovtsian princess, daughter of Khan Aepa Asenevich.

During the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality achieved significant power and was the strongest in Russia, in the future becoming the nucleus of the modern Russian state.

The nickname "Bogolyubsky" was given by the name of the princely castle Bogolyubovo near Vladimir, his favorite residence.

Early biography

In 1146, Andrei, together with his older brother Rostislav, expelled Izyaslav Mstislavich's ally Rostislav Yaroslavich from Ryazan, who fled to the Polovtsy.

In 1149, after Yuri Dolgoruky occupied Kiev, Andrei received Vyshgorod from his father, participated in the campaign against Izyaslav Mstislavich to Volyn and showed amazing valor during the assault on Lutsk, in which Izyaslav's brother Vladimir was besieged. After that, Andrei temporarily owned Dorogobuzh in Volyn.

In 1153, Andrei was planted by his father for the Ryazan reign, but Rostislav Yaroslavich, who returned from the steppes with the Polovtsy, drove him out.

After the death of Izyaslav Mstislavich and Vyacheslav Vladimirovich (1154) and the final approval of Yuri Dolgoruky in Kiev, Andrei was again planted by his father in Vyshgorod, but already in 1155, against his father's will, he left for Vladimir-on-Klyazma. From the Vyshgorod convent, he stole and took with him the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which later became known as Vladimirskaya and began to be revered as the greatest Russian shrine. Here is how it is described by N.I. Kostomarov:

On the way to Rostov, at night in a dream the Mother of God appeared to the prince and ordered to leave the icon in Vladimir. Andriy did just that, and on the place of the vision he built the city of Bogolyubovo, which eventually became his favorite place of residence.

Great reign

After the death of his father (1157) he became prince of Vladimir, Rostov and Suzdal. Becoming "the autocratic of the entire Suzdal land", Andrei Bogolyubsky moved the capital of the principality to Vladimir. In 1158-1164, Andrei Bogolyubsky built an earthen fortress with towers of white stone. To this day, only one of the five outer gates of the fortress has survived - the Golden Gate, which was bound with gilded copper. The magnificent Assumption Cathedral and other churches and monasteries were built. At the same time, near Vladimir, the fortified princely castle of Bogolyubovo grew up - the favorite residence of Andrei Bogolyubsky, by the name of which he received the nickname. Under Prince Andrew, the famous Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was built near Bogolyubov. Probably, under the direct supervision of Andrey, a fortress was built in Moscow in 1156 (according to the chronicle, this fortress was built by Dolgoruky, but he was in Kiev at that time).

According to the news of the Laurentian Chronicle, Yuri Dolgoruky took the kiss of the cross from the main cities of the Rostov-Suzdal principality on the fact that his younger sons should reign in it, in all likelihood, counting on the approval of the elders in the south. At the time of his father's death, Andrei was inferior in seniority by law to the two main contenders for the Kiev reign: Izyaslav Davydovich and Rostislav Mstislavich. Only Gleb Yuryevich managed to stay in the south (from that moment the Pereyaslavsky principality separated from Kiev), since 1155 he was married to the daughter of Izyaslav Davydovich, and briefly - to Mstislav Yuryevich (in Porosye before the final approval of Rostislav Mstislavich in Kiev in 1161). The rest of the Yuryevichs had to leave the Kiev land, but only Boris Yuryevich, who died childless already in 1159, received an appointment (Kideksha) in the north. In addition, in 1161, Andrei expelled his stepmother, the Greek princess Olga, from the principality, together with her children Mikhail, Vasilko and seven-year-old Vsevolod. In the Rostov land there were two older veche cities - Rostov and Suzdal. In his principality, Andrei Bogolyubsky tried to get away from the practice of veche gatherings. Wanting to rule alone, Andrei drove out of the Rostov land after his brothers and nephews and the "front husbands" of his father, that is, the great paternal boyars. Contributing to the development of feudal relations, he relied on the squad, as well as on the Vladimir townspeople; was associated with trade and craft circles of Rostov and Suzdal.

In 1159 Izyaslav Davydovich was expelled from Kiev by Mstislav Izyaslavich Volyn and Galician army, Rostislav Mstislavich, whose son Svyatoslav reigned in Novgorod, became the Kiev prince. In the same year, Andrei captured the Novgorod suburb of Volok Lamsky, founded by Novgorod merchants, and celebrated here the wedding of his daughter Rostislav with Prince of Vshchizh Svyatoslav Vladimirovich, nephew of Izyaslav Davydovich. Izyaslav Andreevich, together with the Murom help, was sent to help Svyatoslav near Vshchizh against Svyatoslav Olgovich and Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. In 1160, the Novgorodians invited Andrey's nephew, Mstislav Rostislavich, to reign, but not for long: the next year Izyaslav Davydovich died while trying to seize Kiev, and Svyatoslav Rostislavich returned to Novgorod for several years.

In 1160, Andrew made an unsuccessful attempt to establish an independent from the Kiev metropolis on the lands under his control. The Patriarch of Constantinople, Luke Chrysoverh, in 1168 consecrated Andreev's candidate, hierarch Theodore, not to the metropolitan, but to the Rostov bishop, while Theodore chose Vladimir as his place of residence, and not Rostov. Before the threat of popular unrest, Andrei had to send him to the Kiev Metropolitan, where he was subjected to reprisals.

Andrei Bogolyubsky invited Western European architects to build the Vladimir churches. The tendency towards greater cultural independence can also be traced in the introduction of new holidays in Russia, which were not accepted in Byzantium. On the initiative of the prince, it is assumed that the holidays of the All-Merciful Savior (August 16) and the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (October 1 according to the Julian calendar) were instituted in the Russian (North-Eastern) Church.

Capture of Kiev (1169)

After Rostislav's death (1167), seniority in the Rurikovich family belonged primarily to Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, the great-grandson of Svyatoslav Yaroslavich (the elders in the family of Monomakhovich were the great-grandsons of Vsevolod Yaroslavich Vladimir Mstislavich, then Andrei Bogolyubsky himself). Mstislav Izyaslavich from Vladimir Volynsky occupied Kiev, expelling his uncle Vladimir Mstislavich, and imprisoned his son Roman in Novgorod. Mstislav sought to concentrate the management of the Kiev land in his hands, which was opposed by his cousins ​​Rostislavichi from Smolensk. Andrei Bogolyubsky took advantage of the disagreements among the southern princes and sent an army led by his son Mstislav, which was joined by allies: Gleb Yuryevich, Roman, Rurik, Davyd and Mstislav Rostislavichi, Oleg and Igor Svyatoslavichi, Vladimir Andreevich, brother of Andrei Vsevolod and nephew of Andrei Mstislavich ... The Laurentian Chronicle also mentions Dmitry and Yuri among the princes, and the Polovtsy also took part in the campaign. Andrey's allies of Polotsk and princes of Murom and Ryazan did not participate in the campaign. The allies of Mstislav of Kiev (Yaroslav Osmomysl Galitsky, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Chernigov and Yaroslav Izyaslavich Lutsky) did not undertake a deblocking strike against besieged Kiev. On March 12, 1169, Kiev was taken with a "spear" (attack). For two days the people of Suzdal, Smolensk and Polovtsy plundered and burned the "mothers of Russian cities." Many Kievites were taken prisoner. In monasteries and churches, soldiers took away not only jewelry, but also all the holiness: icons, crosses, bells and vestments. The Polovtsi set fire to the Pechersky Monastery. "Metropolis" St. Sophia Cathedral was plundered along with other churches. "And in Kiev, there was groaning and toughness on all people, and unabated sorrow." Andrey's younger brother Gleb reigned in Kiev, Andrey himself remained in Vladimir.

Andrei's activities in relation to Southern Russia are assessed by most historians as an attempt "to revolutionize the political system of the Russian land." Andrei Bogolyubsky for the first time in the history of Russia changed the idea of ​​seniority in the Rurik family:

Trekking to Novgorod (1170)

In 1168, the Novgorodians summoned Roman, the son of Mstislav Izyaslavich of Kiev, to reign. The first campaign was carried out against the Polotsk princes, Andrey's allies. The land was devastated, the troops did not reach Polotsk 30 miles. Then Roman attacked the Toropetsky volost of the Smolensk principality. The army sent by Mstislav to help his son, led by Mikhail Yuryevich, and the black hoods were intercepted by the Rostislavichs on the way.

Having subjugated Kiev, Andrey also organized a campaign against Novgorod. In the winter of 1170, Mstislav Andreevich, Roman and Mstislav Rostislavichi, Vseslav Vasilkovich Polotsk, Ryazan and Murom regiments came to Novgorod. By the evening of February 25, Roman with the Novgorodians defeated the Suzdal people and their allies. The enemies fled. The Novgorodians captured so many people of Suzdal that they sold them for next to nothing (2 legs each).

Probably, Andrei Bogolyubsky, after the defeat of his troops, organized a food blockade of Novgorod (there is no direct news in the sources, however, the Novgorod chronicler reports an unheard-of high cost and puts in direct connection with this the exile of Roman Mstislavich, who several months ago was the leader of the Novgorodians in a victorious battle). Novgorodians entered into negotiations with Andrey and agreed to the reign of Rurik Rostislavich. A year later, he was replaced in Novgorod by Yuri Andreevich.

Siege of High City (1173)

After the death of Gleb Yuryevich in the Kiev reign (1171), Kiev at the invitation of the younger Rostislavichs and secretly from Andrey and from another main contender for Kiev - Yaroslav Izyaslavich Lutsky was occupied by Vladimir Mstislavich, but soon died. Andrew gave the Kiev reign to the eldest of the Smolensk Rostislavichs - Roman. Soon Andrei demanded that Roman extradite the Kiev boyars suspected of poisoning Gleb Yurievich, but he refused. In response, Andrei ordered him and his brothers to return to Smolensk. Andrei planned to give Kiev to his brother Mikhail Yuryevich, but he instead sent his brother Vsevolod and nephew Yaropolk to Kiev, who were then taken prisoner by Davyd Rostislavich. In Kiev, Rurik Rostislavich briefly reigned. An exchange of prisoners was carried out, according to which the Rostislavichs were extradited earlier expelled from Galich, captured by Mikhail and sent to Chernigov, Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich, and they released Vsevolod Yuryevich. Yaropolk Rostislavich was detained, his older brother Mstislav was expelled from Trepol and was not accepted by Mikhail, who was then in Chernigov and who, apart from Torchesk, claimed Pereyaslavl. The Kiev chronicler describes the moment of Andrey's reconciliation with the Rostislavichs as follows: “Andrey lost his brother and Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, and started to Rostislavich”. But soon Andrei, through his swordsman Mikhn, again demanded that the Rostislavichs "not be in the Russian land": from Rurik - to go to his brother in Smolensk, from Davyd - to Berlad. Then the youngest of the Rostislavichi, Mstislav the Brave, conveyed to Prince Andrey that before the Rostislavichi held him as a father "out of love", but would not allow them to be treated as "helpers". Roman obeyed, and his brothers cut off the beard of Ambassador Andrei, which gave rise to the outbreak of hostilities.

In addition to the troops of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the campaign was attended by regiments from the Murom, Ryazan, Turov, Polotsk and Gorodensky principalities, the Novgorod land, princes Yuri Andreevich, Mikhail and Vsevolod Yurievich, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, Igor Svyatoslavich. The Rostislavichs chose a different strategy than Mstislav Izyaslavich in 1169. They did not defend Kiev. Rurik locked himself in Belgorod, Mstislav in Vyshgorod with his regiment and David's regiment, and Davyd himself went to Galich to ask for help from Yaroslav Osmomysl. The entire militia laid siege to Vyshgorod in order to take Mstislav prisoner, as Andrei ordered. Mstislav took the first battle in the field before the start of the siege and retreated to the fortress. Meanwhile, Yaroslav Izyaslavich, whose rights to Kiev were not recognized by the Olgovichi, received such recognition from the Rostislavichi, moved the Volyn and auxiliary Galician troops to help the besieged. Upon learning of the approach of the enemy, the huge army of the besiegers began to retreat in disorder. Mstislav made a successful sortie. Many, crossing the Dnieper, drowned. “So,” says the chronicler, “Prince Andrei was such a clever man in all matters, but ruined his meaning by intemperance: he was inflamed with anger, he became proud and boasted in vain; but the devil instills praise and pride in the heart of man. " Yaroslav Izyaslavich became the prince of Kiev. But over the next years, he, and then Roman Rostislavich, had to cede the great reign to Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, with the help of which, after the death of Andrei, the younger Yuryevichs established themselves in Vladimir.

Hiking to the Volga Bulgaria

In 1164, Andrei led the first campaign after the campaign of Yuri Dolgoruky (1120) against the Volga Bulgars with his son Izyaslav, brother Yaroslav and the prince of Murom Yuri. The enemy lost many people killed and banners. The Bulgar city of Bryakhimov (Ibragimov) was taken and three other cities were burnt.

In the winter of 1172, a second campaign was organized, in which Mstislav Andreevich, the sons of the Murom and Ryazan princes, participated. The squads united at the confluence of the Oka into the Volga and waited for the armies of the boyars, but did not wait. Boyars go not go, because not the time to fight the Bulgarians in winter... These events testified to the extreme tension in the relationship between the prince and the boyars, reaching the same degree as the princely-boyar conflicts reached at that time on the opposite edge of Russia, in Galich. The princes with their squads entered the Bulgar land and began plundering. Bulgars gathered an army and set out to meet. Mstislav preferred to avoid a collision due to the unfavorable balance of forces.

The Russian chronicle does not contain news about the conditions of peace, but after a successful campaign against the Volga Bulgars in 1220, the nephew of Andrei Yuri Vsevolodovich, peace was concluded on favorable conditions, as before, as with Yuri's father and uncle.

Death and canonization

The defeat of 1173 and a conflict with prominent boyars caused a conspiracy against Andrei Bogolyubsky, as a result of which he was killed on the night of June 28-29, 1174. Legend has it that the conspirators (boyars Kuchkovichi) first went down to the wine cellars, drank alcohol there, then went to the prince's bedroom. One of them knocked. "Who's there?" - Andrey asked. "Procopius!" - answered the knocker (it was one of his favorite servants). "No, this is not Procopius!" - said Andrey, who knew the voice of his servant well. He did not open the door and rushed to the sword, but the sword of Saint Boris, constantly hanging over the prince's bed, was previously stolen by the key keeper Anbal. Having broken down the door, the conspirators rushed at the prince. The strong Bogolyubsky resisted for a long time. Finally, wounded and bloody, he fell under the blows of the assassins. The villains thought that he was dead, and left - again went down to the wine cellars. The prince woke up and tried to hide. He was found on the trail of blood. Seeing the killers, Andrei said: "If, God, this is the end of me - I accept it." The killers have done their job. The body of the prince lay in the street while people robbed the prince's mansion. According to legend, only his courtier from Kiev, Kuzmishche Kiyanin, remained to bury the prince.

The historian V.O. Klyuchevsky characterizes Andrei in the following words:

Andrei Bogolyubsky was buried in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov created a sculptural portrait based on Andrey's skull.

Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church around 1702 in the face of the faithful. Commemoration 4 (July 17).

Marriages and children

• (from 1148) Ulita Stepanovna, daughter of boyar Stepan Ivanovich Kuchka
• Izyaslav, a participant in a campaign against the Volga Bulgarians, died in 1165.
• Mstislav, died 03/28/1173.
• Yuri, Prince of Novgorod in 1173-1175, in 1185-1189, the husband of the Georgian queen Tamara, died approx. 1190
• Rostislav, married to Svyatoslav Vshchizhsky.

It reached considerable power and was the strongest in Russia, and later it became the nucleus of the modern Russian state.

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Origin of the nickname

According to the message of the later Life of Andrei Bogolyubsky (1701), Andrei Yurievich received the nickname “Bogolyubsky” after the city of Bogolyubov near Vladimir, his main residence. Researcher S. V. Zagraevsky based on earlier sources substantiated a different situation: the city of Bogolyubov got its name from the nickname Andrei, and the nickname was due to the ancient Russian tradition of naming princes "God-loving" and the personal qualities of Prince Andrei.

Before reigning in Vladimir

The only information about the date of birth of Bogolyubsky (c. 1111) is contained in the History of Vasily Tatishchev, written 600 years later. The years of his youth are hardly covered in sources.

In the fall of 1152, Andrei, together with his father, participated in the 12-day siege of Chernigov, which ended in failure. According to later chroniclers, Andrei was seriously wounded near the walls of the city.

There was an icon of the Holy Mother of God in a convent in Vyshgorod, brought from Constantinople, written, as legend says, by the Evangelist Luke. They told miracles about her, they said, among other things, that, being placed against the wall, at night she walked away from the wall and stood in the middle of the church, showing as if she wanted to go to another place. It was clearly impossible to take it, because the inhabitants would not allow it. Andrei planned to kidnap her, transfer her to the Suzdal land, thus grant this land a shrine, respected in Russia, and thus show that a special blessing of God will rest over this land. Having persuaded the priest of the nunnery Nicholas and the diyakon Nestor, Andrew carried away the miraculous icon from the monastery at night and, together with the princess and his accomplices, immediately after that fled to the Suzdal land.

On the way to Rostov, at night in a dream the Mother of God appeared to the prince and ordered to leave the icon in Vladimir. Andrew did just that, and at the place of the vision he founded the village of Bogolyubovo, which eventually became his main residence.

Great reign

Andrei Bogolyubsky invited Western European architects to build the Vladimir churches. The tendency towards greater cultural independence can also be traced in the introduction of new holidays in Russia, which were not accepted in Byzantium. On the initiative of the prince, it is assumed that the holidays of the All-Merciful Savior (August 16) and the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (October 1 according to the Julian calendar) were instituted in the Russian (North-Eastern) Church.

Capture of Kiev (1169)

However, soon there was a famine in Novgorod, and the Novgorodians preferred to make peace with Andrei at all their will and invited Rurik Rostislavich to reign, and a year later - Yuri Andreevich.

Siege of High City (1173)

After the death of Gleb Yuryevich in the Kiev reign (), Kiev at the invitation of the younger Rostislavichs and secretly from Andrey and from another main contender for Kiev - Yaroslav Izyaslavich Lutsky was occupied by Vladimir Mstislavich, but soon died. Andrew gave the Kiev reign to the eldest of the Smolensk Rostislavichs - Roman. In 1173, Andrei demanded that Roman extradite the Kiev boyars suspected of poisoning Gleb Yuryevich, but he refused. In response, Andrei ordered him to return to Smolensk, he obeyed. Andrey gave Kiev to his brother Mikhail Yuryevich, but he instead sent his brother Vsevolod and nephew Yaropolk to Kiev. Vsevolod spent 5 weeks in Kiev and was taken prisoner by Davyd Rostislavich. In Kiev, Rurik Rostislavich briefly reigned.

After these events, Andrei, through his swordsman Mikhn, demanded from the younger Rostislavichs "not to be in the Russian land": from Rurik - to go to his brother in Smolensk, from Davyd - to Berlad. Then the youngest of the Rostislavichi, Mstislav the Brave, conveyed to Prince Andrey that before the Rostislavichi held him as a father "for love", but would not allow them to be treated as "helpers", and cut off the beard of Ambassador Andrey, which gave rise to the beginning of the military action.

In addition to the troops of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the campaign was attended by regiments from the Murom, Ryazan, Turov, Polotsk and Gorodensk principalities, the Novgorod land, princes Yuri Andreevich, Mikhail and Vsevolod Yurievich, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, Igor Svyatoslavich; the number of troops is estimated by the chronicle at 50 thousand people. ... The Rostislavichs chose a different strategy than Mstislav Izyaslavich in 1169. They did not defend Kiev. Rurik locked himself in Belgorod, Mstislav in Vyshgorod with his regiment and David's regiment, and Davyd himself went to Galich to ask for help from Yaroslav Osmomysl. The entire militia laid siege to Vyshgorod in order to take Mstislav prisoner, as Andrei ordered. After 9 weeks of the siege, Yaroslav Izyaslavich, whose rights to Kiev were not recognized by the Olgovichi, received such recognition from the Rostislavichi, moved the Volyn and auxiliary Galician troops to help the besieged. Upon learning of the approach of the enemy, the huge army of the besiegers began to retreat in disorder. Mstislav made a successful sortie. Many, crossing the Dnieper, drowned. “So,” says the chronicler, “Prince Andrei was such a clever man in all matters, but ruined his meaning by intemperance: he was inflamed with anger, he became proud and boasted in vain; but the devil instills praise and pride in the heart of man. " Yaroslav Izyaslavich became the prince of Kiev. But over the next years, he, and then Roman Rostislavich, had to cede the great reign to Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, with the help of which, after the death of Andrei, the younger Yuryevichs established themselves in Vladimir.

Hiking to the Volga Bulgaria

Death and canonization

The defeat of the troops of Andrei Bogolyubsky in an attempt to seize Kiev and Vyshgorod in 1173 intensified the conflict between Andrei and prominent boyars (whose discontent was manifested even during the unsuccessful campaign of Bogolyubsky's troops against the Volga Bulgars in 1171) and led to a conspiracy of the close boyars against Andrei Bogolyubsky, as a result of which on the night of June 28-29, 1174, he was killed by his boyars.

The body of the prince lay in the street while people robbed the prince's mansion. According to the Ipatiev Chronicle, only his courtier, the Kievite Kuzmishche Kiyanin, remained to take the body of the prince, who took it to the church. Only on the third day after the murder, Abbot Arseny performed the funeral service for the Grand Duke. Abbot Theodulu (rector of the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir and presumably the governor of the Bishop of Rostov) with the clergy of the Assumption Cathedral were instructed to transfer the body of the prince from Bogolyubov to Vladimir and bury it in the Assumption Cathedral. Other representatives of the higher clergy, apparently, were not present at the service, according to Igor Froyanov's assumption, due to dissatisfaction with the prince, sympathizing with the conspiracy.

Soon after the murder of Andrei, a struggle for his inheritance unfolded in the principality, and his only son at that time did not act as a contender for the reign, submitting to the law of the forest.

The skull was sent to Moscow in 1939 to Mikhail Gerasimov, then returned to Vladimir in 1943; in the late 1950s, the relics ended up in the State Historical Museum, where they remained until the 1960s. In 1982, they were examined by M.A.Furman, a forensic expert of the Vladimir Regional Bureau of the SME, who confirmed the presence of multiple chopped injuries of the prince's skeleton and their predominant left-sided localization

On December 23, 1986, the Council for Religious Affairs made a decision on the expediency of transferring the relics to the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir. On March 3, 1987, the transfer of relics took place. They were transferred to the shrine to the same place in the Assumption Cathedral, where they were in 1174.

Reconstruction of the appearance

In the interwar years, the anthropologist MM Gerasimov became interested in the remains of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, and the skull was sent to Moscow, where the academician restored the appearance of the prince by his own method - the original (1939) is kept in the State Historical Museum; in 1963 Gerasimov completed a second work for the Vladimir Museum of Local Lore. Gerasimov believed that the skull was "Caucasian with a certain gravitation towards North Slavic or even Nordic forms, but the facial skeleton, especially in the upper part (orbits, nose, zygomatic bones), has undoubted elements of Mongoloidism" (heredity along the female line - "from the Polovtsians ").

In 2007, at the initiative of the Yuri Dolgoruky Moscow Foundation for International Cooperation, created by Order of the Moscow Government No. 211-RM dated March 16, 1999, the Russian Center for Forensic Medicine of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia carried out a new medico-criminological study of the prince's skull. The research was carried out by Professor V. N. Zvyagin using the CranioMetr program. It confirms the craniological examination of the prince's skull, performed by Gerasimov's colleague V.V. Ginzburg, adding to it such details as horizontal profiling of the face, saddle deformity of the crown and rotation of the face plane by 3-5 ° to the right, however, it classifies the prince's appearance as a Central European version of the large Caucasoid race and notes that signs of the North European or South European local races are absent in it with a probability Pl> 0.984, while Mongoloid features are completely excluded (probability Pl ≥ 9 x 10-25).

Marriages and children

Glorification

Andrei Bogolyubsky was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1702, when his relics were found and placed in a silver shrine (built with the contribution of Patriarch Joseph) in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, veneration was established on the day of commemoration of St. Andrew of Crete, revered in Russia - July 4, Julian calendar.

The image of Andrei Bogolyubsky in the cinema

• Prince Yuri Dolgoruky (; Russia) directed by Sergei Tarasov, in the role of Andrei Yevgeny Paramonov.

see also

Notes (edit)

1. The exact date and even the year of birth are unknown.
2. A. V. Sirenov Life of Andrey Bogolyubsky // In memory of Andrey Bogolyubsky. Sat. articles. Moscow - Vladimir, 2009.S. 228.
3. Zagraevsky S.V. On the origin of the nickname of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky and the name of the city of Bogolyubov // Materials of the XVIII International Conference of Local Lore (April 19, 2013). Vladimir, 2014.
4. "Vladimir autocratic" (unspecified) ... Retrieved April 29, 2013. Archived April 29, 2013.
5. Solovyov S.M. dates this event to 1154. For more details see Rostislav Yaroslavich (Prince of Murom) # Death.
6. Laurentian Chronicle. Summer 6683
7. L. Voytovich KNIAZIVSKI DYNASTIES SHIDNO EUROPI
8. V.V.Boguslavsky. Slavic encyclopedia. Volume 1. Page 204.