lah of the Russian land, although he called Vsevolod father, that is, elder. Yonyaz David was distinguished by his strength of character and lust for power, and sometimes showed cruelty; Many features in him remind me of Andrei Bogolyubsky. From his relationship with the Smolensk Council, we know that he did not always get along with him. But only one person knows that there was a strong quarrel between him and the Smolyans; while pacifying him, he acted with extreme cruelty: many of the noble citizens were executed. 13°} The indignation of Smolensk could have followed both as a result of the personal character of this prince, and as a result of the wars that he waged with the Olgovichs over the last dispute for Kev. This dispute had a largely dynastic character, not touching the Smolensk land closely, but meanwhile involving it in the struggle, in which it suffered from campaigns and attacks. Meanwhile, the Smolayans, we know, are more accustomed to sitting quietly and engaging in trade. The chronicle depicts him as a man of average height and handsome. 131) David had 4 sons: Izyaslav, Konstantin and two Metislavs. Thus, the last of Rostislavich, who occupied Smolensyu so much, died. We will not talk about the fate of Rurik, whose activities have little to do with the history of Smolensk; the last years of his life, the struggle with Roman, the adoption of monasticism, etc., are generally known.
Now let's go back a little and consider the attitude of the Rostislavichs towards Novgorod and Polotsk. The basis of their policy is the same as that of their father Rostislav.
As soon as Rostislav died, his son Svyatoslav, who then went to Novgorod, realized that he was given no opportunity to stay; The people of Novgorod were forced to accept him, and he understood that as soon as the great prince changed his mind, the citizens would try to get away from the unloved prince. That is why Svyatoslav went to Luka secretly, sending his refusal to the Novgorodians from there. The latter gathered to drive him out of their borders, but he went to Toropets, from where he went to the upper reaches of the Volga, where, with the help of Andreev’s squad, he ruined Torzhok. His brothers decided to form an alliance with Andrey
They tried to support Svyatoslav “by force into the city.” Roman and Mstislav burned Luke; The Novgorod ambassadors, who tried to go to Metislav Izyaslavich in Noev for the prince, were intercepted. Finally, the Novgorodians, in order to completely weaken the party's Svyatoslava, killed its most important representatives, the mayor of Zahall, Nerevin and Nezda, entered into a fight against the united forces of Suzdal, Smolyan and Polochan (probably from the inheritance of the latter, who were under the control of Smolensk), their embassy made its way through the western Polotsy rulers in Vnyev and in slbdu-
This year, finally, the Novgorodians received a prince - Roman Mstislavich. 1?)
But the coalition of princes against Novgorod did not stop. As you know, this was the time of the struggle of Andrei and the Rostislavichs with Metislav Izyaslavich of Kevsky and the ruin of Eva. This struggle also affected the Novgorodians, who had to withstand the siege of the united forces (Suzdaltsev, Omolnyan, Muromtsev, Polochan, etc. “and the whole land is simply Russian,” says the Novgorod chronicler. This siege ended in failure for the allies. No.)
As is known, Yuev was ruined, Metislav Izyaslavich lost his strength, and the Novgorodians, although they defended his son, could not resist the high cost, the former bitter enmity with Andrei and the Rostislavichs: they abandoned Roman and accepted Rurik Rostislavich. Afterwards, he remained as a politician with his father and brothers; From his orders it is clear that he also sought to support the boyar party: he took away the mayorship from Zhiroslav and gave it to Ivanka, the son of the same Zakhary, whom the Novgorodians executed for his adherence to the Rostislavichs. But Rurik stayed only a few months in Novgorod, from where he again went to Noevshchina in 1171. “\)
However, after some time the Rostislavich party again, to take over in Novgorod, the Novgorodians turned to Roman in 1178 with an offer to occupy this position; he agreed, but left
122) Novgorod., 146-7. “And Motislav took away more enmity,” remarked Ipat. ltop. regarding the occupation of Novgorod by Roman, b. 372.
133) Novgorod., 149, Ipat., 882.
133) Novgorod, 150.