Kievan Rus: Lyubech Congress

The Lyubech Congress was an important event in the history of Russia. It took place in 1097. The reason for the convening of the Lyubech Congress was the important events that brought ruin and bloodshed throughout old Russia.

Reasons for the congress

Anticipating the approaching retreat into another world, the Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav, divided his great possession into small principalities. According to the order of the noble parent, each of the heirs of the male inherited some of the power, called Kiev Rus. The Lyubech congress of the princes was to prevent the division of land between the heirs.

The eldest son named Izyaslav, naturally, got the capital - Kiev. The rest of the descendants of the age inherited the following patrimonies: in Chernigov land sat Svetoslav, on Pereyaslavl - Vsevolod, on Smolensk - Vyacheslav, on Vladimir-Volyn - Igor. As the course of subsequent events showed, this short-sighted decision Yaroslav the Wise provoked feudal fragmentation.

Start of civil strife

As often happens, the growing grandchildren also began to claim their share of the grandfather's inheritance. The troubled time affected the peaceful population, bringing him much grief and suffering.

The tidbit was the capital of Kievan Rus, so the struggle focused on the Grand Duke's throne. Residents of Kiev did not like the new ruler, who could not compare with his father. Even after the second attempt, Izyaslav did not manage to return the throne - his own brothers prevented. The prince-exile had to seek refuge in neighboring Poland, where he waited for Svyatoslav's death to return to Kiev again.

After Izyaslav, Vsevolod sat on the throne of Kiev, who inherited Pereyaslavl from the very beginning. By diligence his eldest son, the future Vladimir Monomakh, has established himself in Chernigov. The further struggle for the throne began between the heirs of Svyatoslav and Vsevolod. The Lyubech Congress was already needed at this time, as relatives could not peacefully exist.

In 1093, after Vsevolod's death, his son, the clever and restrained Vladimir Monomakh, was to lead the Kiev princedom . In order to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, Monomakh still lost the honorable place to his cousin Sviatopolk, the son of Izyaslav. The sons of Prince Svyatoslav demanded the granting of great rights to them, plotting to seize power from Monomakh, who reigned in Chernigov.

The situation was heated when, with the easy hand of Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, the Polovtsians were involved in the internecine conflict. Vladimir Monomakh, who ceded Chernigov to his relatives, after his return to Pereyaslavl, organized resistance to the Polovtsian nomads.

Attempts to stop the criminal actions of some princes

Vladimir Monomakh with Svyatopolk Izyaslavich in 1096 decided to work together to end the tyranny of the Polovtsians. They called to join Oleg Svyatoslavovich's union. However, he refused the proposal and did not deign to participate in the all-Russian princely congress, where an agreement on order in the power was to be concluded. Kiev and Pereyaslavl, together with Volyn princes decided to teach a criminal who hid in Starodub. Oleg, driven, as they say, into a corner, accepted the peaceful offer of the brothers. The decision of the Lyubech Congress in the future was to help each prince to behave peacefully and with dignity.

For all the sins of Oleg was followed by a punishment in the form of depriving Chernigov principality and calling for a general congress. Aggressive plans were not destined to come true. Seeing that almost all relatives are against him, not only did he not capture Novgorod, but left the captured by Moore, Suzdal and Rostov. At this time, Oleg had already promised oath that he would visit the Lyubech congress of princes.

Lyubech Congress

The city of Lyubech was chosen as the venue for the famous congress, where the Vladimir Monomakh family was located near the Dnieper River. Among the guests invited to the Lyubech Congress were the most distinguished princes of Russia, including the descendants of Yaroslav the Wise - grandchildren, great-grandchildren. The Lyubech Congress was organized, it remained to make important decisions.

The following points can be distinguished in the form of items:

1. The key decision of the congress, held in 1097, was that all the princes from the clan of the Rurik people agreed to recognize each other's rights to the fiefdom, or, as the chronicle says: "Let your stepfather do everything."
2. If someone breaks the contract and is flattered to the land of his brother or someone else from relatives, he will be considered a criminal. Suppress it should be the united militia of the remaining princes.
3. They agreed on jointly defending themselves against nomads who made frequent raids on Rus.
4. One of the main principles of large feudal land ownership was laid: the inheritance of the father-land by the prince-son. The Lyubech Congress must put an end to the bloodshed and the struggle for power.

The kissing of the cross by the participants in the meeting should be evidence of the determination to strictly implement the decisions taken.

Congress on the Dolobje Lake. Results of both congresses

However, peace between relatives was short-lived. The beginning of the new wave was the blindness of Vasilk Rostislavovich, which was performed by Svyatopolk and David Igorevich.

Therefore, after five years, the princes had to meet again, but already on the Dolobskoye lake. The result of the congress was that the united army led by Vladimir Monomakh relatively easily broke the Polovtsians, but, unfortunately, Kievan Rus could not end the civil strife and become a monolithic state. The significance of the Lyubech Congress could be important, but the princes could not contain the conditions of the world.