The above-mentioned view of the ancient poet quite accurately, although in a unique way, characterizes Vseslav’s ebullient activity: he was smart, cunning and resourceful, but at the same time his life developed in such a way that he had to endure a lot. With his intelligence, his restless, pre-dirish character, this prince remained for a long time in the memory of the people; Legends have already begun to circulate about him as a sorcerer; These stories, passed on to the people, ended up in written monuments—the chronicle and the Tale of Igor’s Regiment.
After the death of Yaroslav in 1054, Vseslav Bryachislavich lived for some time in peace with the Yaroslavichs, Izyaslav V1evsky, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, and even took part in the battle of all Rus'; So, he went with the princes of Bethlehem in 1060. on Torkov 41). However, this agreement was soon broken; Between the princes, it is unknown for what reasons, a discord occurred. Vseelav launched a whole series of attacks on the northern Russian regions, besieged Ishkov in 1075, although unsuccessfully 1), and in 1076 3) approached Novgorod, occupied it and robbed it. The reason for Vseslav’s hostile actions, as our historians usually try to explain, was that the Yaroslavichs, freed from the outcast Rostislav, with whom they had been fighting for a long time,
40) A Word about Igor's Regiment.
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
42) Tverskaya. 154; Pekovskaya 2: “Prince Poloteky Veeslav, gathering his strength, came to Pskov and worked hard with many plans and vices] Shibav, from there he accomplished nothing.” - Inat. just hint at this campaign: “All glory to the army here,” r. 115.
43) Ipat., 117; “I took Novgorod, with the wives and with the children; and I took the bells from Saint Sophia; oh, great was the greatness of the hour, and I took it away,” `Novgor., 97.
increased their possessions without adding anything to Weeslav. Be that as it may, the great Prince of Yuevsky Izyaslav and his brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod decided to jointly punish Vseslav for the attack. In the deep winter of 1067, the three of them, at the head of a large army, went to the Polotsk region. The allies besieged Minsk, one of the most important cities of Polotsk, took it after stubborn resistance, and almost the entire population - men, women and children - were either killed or taken into exile. From this city they went further and to the r$kf N%miz they met with the army of Vseslav; On March 3, despite the deep snow, a hot battle took place in which Vseslav broke “No.). About this battle, the unknown author of the Words of Igor’s Regiment says so picturesquely: “On Nmiz they lay sheaves with their heads, thresh them with steel tsfp, lay life on the current, beat the soul from tfl. The bloody shores of Nmiz. They were buried not with life, but with the bones of Russian sons.”
After this battle, Vseslav fled. The allied princes did not chase him, but headed to the eastern parts of the Polotsk region, to the Dnieper; and stopped at Orsha. The coming spring must have prevented the continuation of military operations, since at that time they fought almost exclusively in winter. Having gathered near Orsha, the Yaroslavichs in the young month called Vseslav for negotiations at their headquarters, and they kissed the cross that they would not do him any harm. However, as soon as Prince Polotsui appeared in the camp of the allies, he was captured by them, shackled and sent to Izyaslav in Yuev in captivity 45).
However, Vseeslav Izyaslavich did not have to remain in prison for long. A happy accident helped him.
At this time, the Polovtsians attacked southern Rus', defeated the Yaroslavichs who came out to meet them, and began to plunder and burn the Russian land. When the Great Prince Izyaslav returned to Knyev after being defeated, the Vevlyans rebelled. They demanded that the prince give them weapons so that they could go to defend the Russian land. Izyaslav refused to residents. Residents rebelled. Part
5) In. 117; Novgor., 97; Nikon, 93. 45) Pl4esh.
T. KRIVICHOKA AND DREGOVICHI LAND 79
They entered the princely court and began to argue with Izyaslav, who at that time was sitting on the e$n with his squad and talking to citizens through the window, and the other part went to the prisons and released prisoners, who increased the discontented crowd. The squad advised the prince to send a guard over Vseslav, even to kill him, but he did not agree to anything. Then the people poured into the prisons where Vseslav was imprisoned, freed him and brought him to the princely court. Izyaslav fled with his followers and his son Metielav, and Vseslav was elected prince of Eevsky.