In the history of Smolensk following his death, we come across a remarkable fact: this principality not only did not suffer from the divisions, but the annexation of neighboring volosts—Vitebsk and Vyshgorod—also increased. Smart and sensible Rostislavichs tried to eat in other princes; only Roman Rostislavich, as the eldest, remained in Smolensk,” Rurik reigned in Belgorod and in Volyn in Ovruch, David in Vyshgorod, who thus joined the domains of the Smolensk princes, Svyatoslav in Novgorod and Metislav in Toropets.
The Rostislavichs value the wise policy of their father: they are reluctant to enter into internecine wars, try to reconcile enemies.
184 M; DOVNAR-ZAPOLSKGI.
blowing princes; They manage their volosts wisely. Their personal relationship with the governed volosts was such that the book left a warm word about each of them. They represent almost the only example in ancient Rus' of a large princely family in which there was never any discord or dispute between brothers, in which the brothers were friendly to each other. Due to such a policy, they soon acquired an important decisive significance in the divisions of southern and western Rus': the voice of one of the brothers was the voice of the Rostislavichs. At the end of this. Together, through their common efforts, they achieve that they take control of the entire left bank of the Dnepropetrovsk River and even force the Olgovichs, the ancient enemies of the Monomakhovichs, to recognize their power.
After the death of Rostislav, his sons proposed to occupy Yokeveni) so Mstislav Izyaslavich. However, they did not get along for long. The fact is that even before Metislav sat down on the Zhevsky table, his princes called upon him and agreed to greatly limit the grand-ducal power and dismantle the volosts according to their own wishes. Having learned about this, Metislav appeared in Vev s. with a strong allied army, besieged Vyshgorod and occupied Noev, and thus tried to force the Rostislavichs to conclude a settlement. him a world beneficial for himself 197).
As could be expected in such a case, misunderstandings began between the Grand Duke and the Rostislavichs, as a result of mistrust towards each other. This was expressed already in the second year of his princess. Two boyars, Borislavichs Peter and Nester, dissatisfied with Mstislav, slandered this prince before Rurik and David, claiming that he wanted to capture them 105). It took Mstislav a lot of work to destroy their dangers and prove the slander. However, their relationship did not work out. One of the most important reasons was also the Novgorod relationship 199); when the following year Prince Suzdalsy Andrei Yuryevich sent his son Metislav with troops to Kev, against Prince Mstislav Izyaslavich, we see the Rostislavichs rising in this famous campaign.
197) Ip., 365, et seq., 1%) Ip., 370. 109) Ip., 372;
EGINNING. HIG ST. 135
As is known, the result of this campaign was such that for the first time Kev was destroyed and plundered. Andrei Suzdalsy became the Grand Duke of Russia, and from that time on Eev began to lose his importance.
Prince David Vyshgorodeyu, obviously, was the most ardent opponent of his uncle Mstislav. Even when he first entered the Yuevsky table, later he paid primary attention to David, and then only when he pacified this prince; He tried once again to return to Knoev in 1172, and at the same time again managed to besiege David in Vyshgorod, but Mstislav’s allies abandoned him without waiting for the end of military actions, and he had to retreat 119).
After the rise of Kev, circumstances in Rus' changed. Andrei Yuryevich became the Grand Duke; this prince is known for his arrogance and inaccessibility not only towards his boyars, but also towards the princes. He began to dispose of the princes in Rus' with unprecedented pride. There was no one to rise up. The Enyazis were each weak individually, but they could not form an alliance. Some Rostislavichs were strong, but Andrei got along with them, defended their interests, and they were his faithful allies. So, when the Novgorodians rebelled against Rostislavich Svyatoslav, he opposed it 111), although the citizens still elected Roman, the son of Mstislav Izyaslavich. Ovatoslav died on Volok, in the wars with the Novgorodians, and was buried in Smolensk. Finally, Andrei sent his son Mstislav, together with Rurik and Mstislav, to fight the Novgorod volost in order to expel Roman from there. But the last one. Having learned about the death of his father, he left Novgorod himself. Then Andrei gave it to Rurik, who, going there, transferred his lands to his brother David `1). However, Rurik soon left there.
After the death of the Kev prince GlZb, brother of Andrei, after the death of the Kevsky Prince GlZb, Sh handed over Vev to Rostislavich Roman, sending him to tell his brothers: