Sviatopolk II of Kiev
Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich (
1050 –
April 16,
1113) was a supreme ruler of
Kievan Rus for 20 years, from
1093 to
1113. He was not a popular prince and his reign was marked by incessant rivalry with his cousin
Vladimir Monomakh. Upon his death the Kievan citizens raised a rebellion against the
Jewish merchants and
Varangian officials who speculated in grain and salt.
Sviatopolk was the illegitimate son of
Iziaslav Yaroslavich by his mistress. During his brother Yaropolk's life, Sviatopolk was not regarded as a potential claimant to the Kievan throne. In 1069 he was sent to
Polotsk, a city briefly taken by his father from the local ruler
Vseslav, and then he spent ten years (1078-88) ruling
Novgorod. Upon his brother's death he succeeded him in
Turov, which would remain in possession of
his descendants until the 17th century.
When
Vsevolod Yaroslavich died in 1093, Sviatopolk was acknowledged by other princes as the senior son of
Veliki Kniaz and permitted to ascend the Kievan throne. Although he participated in the princely congresses organized by
Vladimir Monomakh, he is sometimes charged with encouraging internecine wars among Rurikid princes. For instance, he sided with his cousin David of
Volhynia in capturing and blinding one of
Galician princes. He also sided with
Vladimir Monomakh in several campaigns against the
Kypchaks but was defeated in the
Battle of the Stugna River (1097).
Sviatopolk's Christian name was Michael, so he encouraged embellishment of St Michael's Abbey in Kiev, which has been known as the
Golden-Roofed up to the present. The history now known as
the Primary Chronicle was compiled by the
monk Nestor during Sviatopolk's reign.
Sviatopolk married twice; to a
Bohemian princess and then in 1094 to a daughter of Tugor Khan of the
Kypchaks. By his first wife he had two daughters, Zbyslava, whom he married to king
Boleslaw III of Poland, and Predslava to
Prince Álmos of Croatia. His son Yaroslav reigned in Volynia and was married three times - to Hungarian, Polish, and Kievan princesses. In consequence of Yaroslav's early death, his descendants forfeited any right to the Kievan throne and had to content themselves with
Turov and
Pinsk. His other daughter, Maria, married
Piotr Włostowic.
External link
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Detailed biography Gertrude, wife of
Iziaslav of Kiev, included her prayer book as part of the medieval illuminated manuscript known as "
Gertrude Psalter". In it she prays six times for Yaropolk,
"unicus filius meus" (my only son). Gertrude is the only known wife of Iziaslav, and on her own authority Sviatopolk was not her son. Because Sviatopolk first became active politically in
1069, whereas Yaropolk did not become active until
1071, it is probable that he is older than Yaropolk. Consequently Sviatopolk was not legitimate.
