Sviatopolk II of Kiev

Sviatopolk II
Grand Prince of Kiev
Reign	1093–1113
Full name	Sviatopolk Iziaslavovich (Mikhail)
Titles	Prince of Novgorod (1078–1088) Prince of Turov (1088–1093)
Born	November 8, 1050
Died	April 16, 1113(1113-04-16) (aged 62)
Place of death	Vyshhorod
Buried	Golden-Roof Abbey, Kiev
Predecessor	Vsevolod I
Successor	Vladimir II
Consort to	? a Bohemian princess of Spytihnev II, Cuman princess Olena (Turkogan)
Offspring	Out of wedock: Mstislav With the first: Yaroslav, Anna, Zbyslava, Predslava With the second: Briachislav, Iziaslav, Maria
Dynasty	Rurik Dynasty
Father	Iziaslav I
Mother	Gertrude

Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich (1050 – April 16, 1113) was supreme ruler of the 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.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Reign 3 Marriage and children 4 See also 5 Ancestry 6 Succession 7 Footnotes 8 External links

Early life

Sviatopolk was the son of Iziaslav Iaroslavich by his wife Gertrude of Poland.^[1] Sviatopolk's Christian name was Michael. During his brother Iaropolk'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.

Reign

When Vsevolod Iaroslavich 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 and his son-in-law Bolesław III Wrymouth 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.

Marriage and children

Sviatopolk married a Bohemian princess (Přemyslid dynasty)

1. Zbyslava, married to king Boleslaw III of Poland on November 15, 1102.
2. Predslava, married to Prince Álmos of Hungary on August 21, 1104. Her fate is less known.
3. Anna (died 1136), married to Sviatoslav Davydych from Chernihiv who turned into a monk upon her death.
4. Iaroslav (died 1123), Prince of Volynia and Turov was married three times - to Hungarian, Polish, and Kievan princesses. In consequence of Iaroslav's early death, his descendants forfeited any right to the Kievan throne and had to content themselves with Turov and Pinsk. It is possible that Iaroslav was a son of Olena.

and in 1094 to a daughter of Tugor Khan of the Kypchaks, Olena

1. Maria, married Piotr Włostowic, castellan of Wroclaw and Polish palatine.
2. Bryachislav (1104–1127), possibly dethroned Iaroslav as the Prince of Turov (1118–1123) in 1118.
3. Izyaslav (died 1127), possibly the Prince of Turov in 1123.

Some sources claim that Sviatopolk used to have an out of wedlock son Mstislav who ruled Novgorod-Sieversky in 1095–1097 and later Volyn (1097–1099). It seems that he later was murdered in Volodymyr-Volynski.^[2]

There are little or no information on most of Svitopolk's children except Iaroslav and Zbyslava. Iaroslav and his children largely continued to rule the Principality of Turov, yielding Volyn.

See also

• List of Ukrainian rulers
• List of Russian rulers

Ancestry

Ancestors of Sviatopolk II of Kiev

16. Sviatoslav I of Kiev               8. Vladimir the Great                       17. Malusha               4. Yaroslav I the Wise                             18. Rogvolod               9. Rogneda of Polotsk                       2. Iziaslav of Kiev                                   20. Eric the Victorious               10. Olof Skötkonung                       21. Sigrid the Haughty               5. Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden                             11. Estrid of the Obotrites                       1. Sviatopolk II of Kiev                                         24. Mieszko I of Poland               12. Boleslaw I Chrobry                       25. Dobrawa of Bohemia               6. Mieszko II Lambert                             26. Dobromir of Lusatia and Milsko               13. Emnilda of Lusatia                       3. Gertrude of Poland                                   28. Hermann I               14. Ezzo                       29. Heylwig von Dillingen               7. Richeza of Lotharingia                             30. Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor               15. Matilda of Germany                       31. Theophanu

Succession

Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich Rurikovich Born: 1050 Died: 1113
Regnal titles
Preceded by Mstislav Iziaslavich	Prince of Polotsk 1069–1071	Succeeded by Vseslav Briacheslavich (second rule)
Preceded by Gleb Sviatoslavich	Prince of Novgorod 1078–1088	Succeeded by Mstislav Vladimirovich "the Great"
Preceded by Yaropolk Izyaslavich	Prince of Turov 1088–1093	Succeeded by Viacheslav Iaropolkovich
Preceded by Vsevolod I	Grand Prince of Kiev 1093–1113	Succeeded by Vladimir II Monomakh
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Yaropolk Izyaslavich	Grand Prince of Kiev 1087–1093	Succeeded by Rogvolod Vseslavich
Preceded by Yaropolk Izyaslavich	2nd in line to Grand Prince of Kiev 1078–1087	Succeeded by Rogvolod Vseslavich

Footnotes

External links

• Detailed biography

Persondata
Name	Sviatopolk 02 Of Kiev
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 8, 1050
Place of birth
Date of death	April 16, 1113
Place of death	Vyshhorod