We have repeatedly pointed out the character traits of this wonderful prince. We saw that he was primarily concerned about the welfare of his Smolensk land; With this in mind, he often gives in to others, just so as not to bring ruin to his land. He avoided such wars that would subject his country to devastation and invasion by an enemy; Thus, he made peace with Yurem, resignedly endured what Izyaslav Davidovich ate on the Kevsky table, although he could not challenge him. We saw that he only temporarily yielded to both Yury and Izyaslav, but only to avoid an invasion of his country, and between them to think about overthrowing both of them by foreign forces. During the struggle of his brother Izyaslav, he set out with an army from his land only when it was not in danger, and otherwise he went to the border, wanting to prevent devastation. We saw how cleverly his alliance with Izyaslav was calculated: it brought enormous benefit to his countries%. At a time when the lands were being devastated and losing trade relations, Smolensk, being in peaceful relations with Novgorod, where the prince was the son of Rostislav Svyatoslav, as well as with Eev, without being subjected to devastation, could freely continue and expand its trade. Finally, Rostislav achieved grand-ducal power in such a way that the Smolensk land did not pay anything - a unique circumstance in modern Rus'.
All these actions of Rostislav Mstislavich led to the fact that since his time the Smolensk principality has become completely independent.
128 M. DOVNAR-ZAPOLSKTGY.
a powerful and strong prince and in terms of trade he becomes on par with Novgord. Already in his time, the entire Smolensk land brought the prince an income of more than 3,000 hryvnia; it had more than 50 cities 73).
Of the other character traits of Rostislav Mstislavich, especially his piety; “The writer dwells on this circumstance for a very long time.” Rostislav always thought of taking monastic vows at the monastery of St. 9eodor, in Kev; but he was dissuaded by his confessor, priest Semyon, and abbot Polycarp. The chronicler says that the prince fasted often and respected monks and priests. The monument to his piety remained established in Smolensk by the dioceses in 1137, which, however, also had political significance; the first bishop of Skopets was Manuil 79). He gave a tithe of his income to the Diocesan Church of the Mother of God and settled several villages.
The Turov land had already begun to fragment and fall into decay by half the century. She then joins Yuev and the princes split her up to satisfy the demands of various princes. We have already highlighted that Veevolod Olgovich, sending Vyacheslav to Pereyaslavl, directly told him: you are sitting in Turovz, but I deserve it.
We already pointed out the significance that Turov had in the previous century, but now he was losing it. Already in 1128, under Mstislav, as we have identified, Klechesk was an udfl city, in which Vyacheslav Lroslavich reigned, not an imfviy udvlov in another mfetf 80). Vsevolod Olgovich is already distributing the Dregovich cities: Beresty, Rogachev, Dorogichin, Klechesk to his brothers 81). In 1199, Yuri gave Slutsk and Klechesk to Svyatoslav Olgovich 82). Vyacheslav then remained in Turov, but the center of the princess was the neighboring town of Volyn - Peresopnitsa, where Yur came to Vyacheslav 83). This is the last Volyn
18) Rostislav’s letter of approval of the elders. 19) Itz., 5129. ®) P4., 210. 81) In., 223. 82) IL4., 268. 83) 114., 270.
EGINNING. HI St. 129
Since the time of mutual relations, the town begins to occupy a more prominent position than Turov, the princes are trying to move the center of the earth there. This is quite natural, since Peresopnytsia was an important strategic point against the Vladimir and Galician principalities. (Sitting here, the prince could prevent the princes of these last regions from devastating the Turov and Yuzhevsk lands, observing all the movements of the enemies. That is why Yura gave the bravest and most powerful of his sons the Turov-Ninsk volost with Peresopnitsa, and Andrey in the last 3*). The Olgovichi more than once in subsequent times owned separate Dregovichi cities: in 1154 Rostislav, having established himself for the first time in No. Mev, gave Turov and Shinek to Svyatoslav Vsevolodich 85), in 1155 Yuri gave Mozyr to Svyatoslav Olgovich 86), a century%, probably abandoned by him, because Four years later, Izyaslav Davidovich again offered him this city 87).