Chapter III: Struggles for the Throne of Kief (2)

The Hungarian force vanished, and was as if it had never seen Galitch. Izyaslav, foiled for the moment by his enemy, sent Vladimir a second time to Hungary with this message: “Vyatcheslav’s boyars, the people and the steppe tribes have sent for me. If thou must stay at home to prepare for the Greek Emperor, send me the aid which thou hast promised, and I will be with thee hereafter at all times.” The king sent him now ten thousand men, and with these warriors he set out against Kief.

On the way news was brought to him that Vladimirko was following. A council was summoned, and the boyars spoke thus: “Thou art marching on Yuri, and Vladimirko is pursuing; our position is perilous.” “Ye have come out of Kief,” replied Izyaslav; “ye have lost land and property, ye have lost all. I have lost my inheritance. I must get back my own and win yours in the same effort. If Vladimirko comes, God will decide between us. If Yuri should meet me, the Lord will judge also in his case.” And leaving Sviatopolk, one of his brothers, behind in Vladimir, his capital, to guard the place, he moved forward with the Hungarians and his own men.

On the way Vladimirko was joined by Andrei, and both forces followed together. Though sometimes at skirmishing distance, Izyaslav wisely abstained from action, and sent on Vladimir to Bailgorod, where Boris, son of Yuri, was feasting. If a collector of taxes had not raised the bridge, Boris would have been seized at table. Unable to get possession of the place without a battle, Vladimir rejoined Izyaslav, and they hastened on toward Kief. When Vladimirko’s men came up, they approached and sounded a trumpet. People ran out and lowered the bridge willingly. This advance force entered Bailgorod, and Boris hurried away to his father. Yuri, greatly alarmed by the strength of the enemy marching against him, left Kief at once, crossed the Dnieper, fled on, and took refuge in Gorodok.

All Kief went out to meet Izyaslav. The delight of the people this time seemed real. Yuri, whom the city never really liked, had become most unpopular, and they now rejoiced to be rid of him.

On the west, beyond Bailgorod, Vladimirko and Andrei were manœuvering for battle with Izyaslav, when suddenly news reached them that their enemy was in Kief with his forces, and Yuri powerless in Gorodok. Vladimirko’s rage was unbounded. “I cannot see how my father-in-law manages,” said he to Andrei. “I cannot understand how ye, his sons, help him. Thou, Andrei, hadst thy camp on the Goryn; Boris was in Bailgorod. We might have forced Izyaslav to action and lamed, or defeated him, but Boris left us and gave the road to our enemy. Thy father then abandoned Kief, and Izyaslav is now Grand Prince. To-day the whole Russian land is on his side. I leave you, and go now to Galitch.”

Yuri had no friends in the south, where all had hoped for his downfall. The campaign seemed indeed like some folk-tale. A battle might have ruined Izyaslav; a quick march secured him dominion.

Vladimirko turned home, but to each town he said as he came to it: “Give me the silver and gold that I ask of you. If ye refuse I will take what I find at the sword’s point.” No town or city had the silver or gold, or the coin or utensils to meet this demand of Yuri’s ally, hence people were forced to take every ornament from the necks and the arms of their women, and give them to the master of Galitch. Vladimirko took from all in this way till he reached his own boundary.

At last the hour of triumph had sounded for Yuri’s simple-minded brother. On the day after his entrance to Kief, Izyaslav sent this message to his uncle: “I salute thee, my father. I have sinned before thee, but I repent. I have sinned a first, and a second, and a third time. I repent now of all these transgressions, and, if thou forgive, God will pardon me. I give thee Kief; come thou and sit on the throne of thy fathers.” Thus Izyaslav acknowledged completely the right of uncles as opposed to the sons of their elder brothers, a right against which even personal qualities, or the respect of people availed not.

“God give thee strength, my son,” replied Vyatcheslav, “because thou hast given me due honor. It was thy duty thus to act long ago. Thou hast given honor to God by the honor given me. Thou sayest that I am thy father; I say that thou art my son. I have no son, and thou hast no father; thou art my son, thou art also my brother.”

Uncle and nephew now kissed the cross to each other not to part in defeat or in triumph. The Hungarians were feasted, received rich presents, and went home. The two princes sent Izyaslav’s son on a mission to Hungary, to assure the Hungarian king of the Kief princes’ gratitude, and to make offer of service, asking, too, that if the need came the king would send troops, as he had sent them recently. Rostislav of Smolensk was invited to aid in liberating Kief, for they thought, and thought rightly, that Yuri would not yield without a struggle.

Yuri now summoned all his allies. Sviatoslav moved promptly and met Vladimir, son of David, in Chernigoff; then their forces sailed down in boats to Gorodok, where they joined Yuri. Izyaslav, the other son of David, joined the Kief princes. Rostislav of Smolensk came to Kief early with his forces. Yuri moved with his allies from Gorodok to the Dnieper and strove hard to cross, but was foiled in each effort by his nephew. Strengthened now by large forces of the Polovtsi, he marched toward the south and crossed at the second ford, below Kief, then turning back, he advanced on the capital. Izyaslav and his uncle, disposing their men in the city and around it, waited for the coming conflict.

“We are now ready for battle,” said Vyatcheslav to his nephews. “Yuri is my brother, though younger, and I wish to bring my seniority before him. God in his judgment considers the right side.” So he summoned an envoy and gave these instructions: “Go thou to Yuri, my brother: bow down to him in my name and say these words from me: ‘I have said often to thee, Yuri, and to Izyaslav, shed not Christian blood, ruin not the Russian land. I have tried to restrain thee from war. I have regiments and power of my own which God gave me. Still I have not fought for myself, though thou, Yuri, and also Izyaslav have deeply offended me, not one time, but many. Izyaslav, when going to fight against Igor, said that he was not seeking Kief for himself, but for me, his father. Then, when God gave him victory, he kept Kief for himself, and took also Turoff and Pinsk from me. That is how Izyaslav offended, but I, keeping Christians in mind and the Russian land, did not remember it against him. Thou, brother Yuri, when going to Pereyaslavl to fight against Izyaslav, didst say: “I seek not Kief for myself. I have an older brother who is to me as a father; I am seeking Kief for that brother.” But, when God aided thee to take Kief, thou didst keep it. Thou didst seize from me, besides, Dorogobuj and Peresopnitsa, and gavest me only Vyshgorod. Thus did ye wrong me. All this time I sought no redress out of love for the Russian land and for Christians. Ye would take no decision of mine; ye sought war. I strove to dissuade thee from war, but ye would not listen. Thy answer was that thou couldst not give homage to a junior. But Izyaslav, though he has failed twice before in his word to me, has given now what is mine; he has yielded up Kief, and calls me father. Thou hast said: “I cannot bow down to a junior.” I am older than thou not a little; I was bearded before thou wert born. If it is thy wish to defy my seniority, God will render judgment.’”

To this Yuri answered: “I bow down to thee, brother; thy words are true, and well spoken. Thou art to me in the place of a father, and if it is thy desire to arrange matters clearly, let Izyaslav go to Volynia and Rostislav return to Smolensk. I will settle all questions then with thee.” “Brother Yuri, this is what I will say in answer,” retorted Vyacheslav. “Thou hast seven sons, and I do not hunt them away from thee. I have two adopted sons, Izyaslav and Rostislav, with some others still younger. I will add this: Do thou for the good of the Russian land and of Christians go to Pereyaslavl, thence to Kursk with thy sons, and beyond is Rostoff, thy great inheritance. Send home the sons of Oleg. After that we will settle, and shed no Christian blood. But if thou must have thy own way, the Purest Lady and her Son will judge between us.”

Yuri gave no answer to these words, but next morning he appeared before Kief with his forces. There was nothing but skirmishing till toward evening, when a part of each army engaged. The Kief troops drove back their opponents, and fought with such vigor that Yuri withdrew his whole force and marched westward to meet Vladimirko, his ally from Galitch, who, as he heard, was now hastening to join him. He appeared before Bailgorod, from which his son Boris had fled some time previously, and summoning the citizens, said: “Ye are my people, open the gates to me.” “Has Kief opened its gates?” was the answer. The gates remained closed, and Yuri marched farther. The Kief princes set out in pursuit and overtook him near Rut River, beyond Bailgorod. There they strove again to make peace, but failed, since the sons of Oleg and the Polovtsi opposed it.

As they could not come to terms, the Kief princes were anxious to force a battle before Vladimirko could strengthen their enemy. Yuri wished to defer the engagement till Vladimirko could join him. His first intention was to pass Rut River, prevent the Kief troops from crossing, and wait for his ally in a favorable position. But all his movements to gain time were useless, and he was compelled to turn promptly to battle. Andrei, now Yuri’s eldest son, for Rostislav had died recently, ranged his father’s warriors in order of battle. “Thou hast striven much for the good,” said Izyaslav and his brother to Vyatcheslav, “but thy brother opposes at all times. We are willing, if need be, to lay down our lives to save thy rights for thee.” “My sons,” replied the old man, “I have been opposed all my life to bloodshed. We are on this field to-day because of Yuri. God will judge between him and me.”

Andrei advanced in the front rank, led the battle, and made the first lance cast. His lance broke, his shield was torn from him, his helmet was shivered, and he fell from the horse, which was wounded under him. Izyaslav also engaged in the front rank; thrown from his horse, he fell and was lost among the slain and wounded.

The battle was brief, but decisive. Izyaslav’s men fought willingly this time, while Yuri’s showed no heart in the struggle. His Polovtsi fled without using an arrow. After them fled the sons of Oleg, and next Yuri himself and his sons. Many prisoners were taken, many men slain. Among the slain was Vladimir, son of David, Prince of Chernigoff.

When the victors, returning, passed over the field after hunting their fugitive opponents, they saw a man trying to rise from a great pile of dead and wounded. Some foot warriors ran up and struck him. “I am a prince!” he was able to say. “Thou art the man we are seeking,” cried they, and slashed at his helmet, thinking him a son of Oleg, or David. “I am Izyaslav. I am your prince,” called he to them. They raised him then with gladness, and praised the Lord, who had saved him.

The Kief princes urged Izyaslav, son of David, to take his brother’s corpse, hasten with all the strength in him to Chernigoff, and sit on the throne before Sviatoslav could forestall him. (This was a real case of running for office.)

From the battlefield Yuri fled to the Dnieper, which he crossed, and then sped forward to Pereyaslavl for refuge. Sviatoslav fled to Gorodok, but as the son of Oleg was enormous in person, and mortally weary from fighting and fleeing, he could not move farther, though eager to do so. If he had had wings and could have used them, he would have flown through the air to Chernigoff; as it was, he sent forward his nephew, son of Vsevolod, who learned at the Desna that Izyaslav, son of David, was already on the throne. Vladimirko of Galitch, on hearing of his father-in-law’s defeat, hastened homeward.

At last Vyatcheslav and his nephew were in safety on all sides. They returned to Kief, which they entered in triumph, and held the place with pleasure, at least for the moment.

Vladimirko of Galitch now dealt a sore blow at his enemies. Having heard that Mystislav, son of Izyaslav the Kief prince, was bringing in Hungarians, he lay in wait to destroy them. He found means to place a great quantity of wine within reach of the foreigners and they seized it and had a rich feast that evening. Just before daybreak Vladimirko attacked and slew nearly all of them, reserving but few for captivity. Mystislav escaped with his personal attendants. “If God give health to the king, and to me,” said Izyaslav, when he heard of the slaughter, “Vladimirko will pay for this dearly.”

Yuri, still in Pereyaslavl, was inciting Vladimirko, and collecting fresh Polovtsi, so the Kief princes marched to expel him. After fighting two days before the town, on the third they burned its outskirts and sent these words to Yuri: “We salute thee. Go thou to Suzdal. Leave a son in Pereyaslavl. We may not leave thee there; thou wouldst bring in Polovtsi.” Yuri could get no aid from Vladimirko or the Polovtsi. His own forces were greatly decreased, and he would not weaken Suzdal, hence he returned this answer: “I will march to Gorodok, remain there a time, and go afterward to Suzdal.” To this the reply was that he might remain one month in Gorodok, and then he must go to Suzdal. If he would not agree to this, they would attack Gorodok, as they had attacked Pereyaslavl. There was no escape now, so, though unwilling, Yuri and his son kissed the cross to go in one month to Suzdal. He promised also to make no attack on Kief while it was held by Izyaslav and his uncle, and his uncle made no treaty with Sviatoslav, son of Oleg.

Leaving his son Glaib in Pereyaslavl, Yuri went to Gorodok. Andrei, his eldest son, begged to go in advance to Suzdal. “We have naught now in this place,” said he to his father. Sviatoslav, hearing that Yuri had agreed with Vyatcheslav and his nephew, sent to Izyaslav, son of David, in his own name and in that of Sviatoslav, son of Vsevolod, asking for what had belonged to their fathers. Izyaslav gave those lands to them, but on condition of their leaving Yuri, and acting with the sons of Mystislav.

Yuri had not the heart to go home with defeat, and when the month had passed, and the time came to go to Suzdal he broke his oath and remained in Gorodok. Izyaslav with his warriors, the Prince of Chernigoff with his men, also the son of Vsevolod promptly moved against him. The son of Oleg sent his forces, but would not appear himself against his old ally. Yuri shut himself up in the place and fought, but at last he grew weary; he could not win victory alone, and no help was visible on any side. He was forced finally to swear again that he would go back to Suzdal. He went this time, and left his son Glaib in Gorodok. Because of the Gorodok oath breaking, Pereyaslavl had been taken from Glaib, and given to Mystislav, son of the Grand Prince.

On the way home, Yuri stopped to see his friend Sviatoslav, son of Oleg, who received him with honor and gave him things needed for his journey. This friendly visit caused, very likely, the meeting between the princes of Kief and Chernigoff in 1152 (Sviatoslav, son of Vsevolod, was present at this meeting), at which they decided to deprive Yuri of his foothold between the South and Chernigoff. Then they razed Gorodok, fired the ruins and consumed the place utterly. They left not one thing on the site of it.

“Yuri sighed from his heart,” as the chronicler states, when he heard of this destruction, and began at once to rally his forces. Rostislav of Ryazan came with his brother; Sviatoslav, son of Oleg, broke his treaty with the Kief prince and came to aid Yuri. A great host of Polovtsi appeared from all hordes between the Don and the Volga. An immense army assembled. “They burned my Gorodok,” said Yuri, “and also the church in it. I will burn their cities in return.” And he marched on Chernigoff.

The Kief prince sent this message at once to his brother in Smolensk: “If Yuri moves against thy land, I will hasten to aid thee. If he passes thee, do thou hurry hither with warriors.” Rostislav saw that Yuri, when passing Smolensk lands, would strike at Chernigoff, so marching with speed he reached Chernigoff before his uncle, and shut himself in there with Sviatoslav, son of Vsevolod. Polovtsi legions appeared that same day, and fell straightway to burning the suburbs.

Yuri himself with his allies came in sight the next morning. Twelve days and nights did the Suzdal prince struggle with the city but the defense was so stubborn that he seized nothing, mastered no part of Chernigoff. On the thirteenth morning came news that Vyatcheslav and Izyaslav were hurriedly approaching with all the Kief forces. The Polovtsi, active at looting and burning, fled when they saw that real fighting and danger were near them, and Yuri was forced to withdraw. He went first to Novgorod, then to Rylsk, and was about to start for Suzdal when the son of Oleg reproached him as follows: “Thou art leaving me when thou hast ruined my property. All the grain in this land has been trampled by Polovtsi. Thy Polovtsi have fled, and thou thyself art deserting. After thee will come Izyaslav, and he will destroy what remains here because I broke faith with him, and gave thee assistance.” Yuri engaged to leave troops, but his words were merely vain promises. He left only fifty men of his guard, and Vassilko, his son, to protect all that country.

At Novgorod appeared Izyaslav, with his allies. In three days he was master of all save the innermost fortress. Sviatoslav, son of Oleg, asked then for peace, which the Kief prince wished at first to refuse, but he granted it finally and returned to Chernigoff. There he received news from his son, Mystislav, that he had overtaken and crushed Yuri’s Polovtsi, freed a great number of captives and recovered much booty. Yuri made still another effort, but a weaker one and his defeat was decisive.

Thus ended Izyaslav’s struggle with his uncle. Yuri’s main ally, Sviatoslav, was reduced to take gladly the place that was given him. There remained still another of Yuri’s assistants, the last one, his son-in-law, Vladimirko of Galitch, and to him Izyaslav now turned his attention.