Rurik Rostislavich

For another person with the same name, see Rurik Rostislavich (died 1092) [ru]

Rurik Rostislavich (also spelled Riurik;^[1][a] c. 1140 – 19 April 1212)^[b][2] was Prince of Novgorod (1170–1171), Belgorod (1173–1194), Grand Prince of Kiev (1173;^[1] 1180–1181; 1194–1201; 1203–1204; 1205-1206; 1207–1210),^{[citation needed]} and Prince of Chernigov (1210–1212).

Rurik Rostislavich is expelled from Novgorod Republic.

Life

Imprisonment of Rurik in a monastery by Roman the Great

Rurik, also known under his baptismal name Basil,^[2] was the son of Rostislav I of Kiev.^[3] In the 1160s, he ruled the province of Drevlians before becoming the prince of Ovruch (1168).^[2] Succession conflicts intermittently placed Rurik on the throne of the Kievan Rus' no fewer than six times between 1173 and 1210.^[4] Between 1173 and 1181 Rurik spent brief periods as a ruler of Novgorod the Great and Kiev.^[2]

According to the account in the Kievan Chronicle,^[5] Rurik became co-ruler with Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich of Kiev (who had become prince of Kiev in 1177),^[6] a "duumvirate" arrangement that lasted until Sviatoslav's death in 1194.^[7] According to the Novgorod Fourth Chronicle and Sofia First Chronicle tradition sub anno 6688 (1180) and 6693 (1185), Sviatoslav reigned alone, and there is no mention of Rurik as co-prince.^[8] After the death of Sviatoslav in 1194, he became Prince of Kiev in his own right. A conflict with the Olgovichi house, as well as with Galician prince Roman Mstislavich led to his deposition.^[2]

The loss of power over Kiev led Rurik to seek alliance with Cumans.^[2] After a brief stint in Chernigov, where he built the Church of St. Paraskebas,^{[citation needed]} Rurik, along with his kinsmen and a Cuman army, attacked and sacked Kiev in 1203,^[9] but was repelled until Roman's death in 1205.^{[citation needed]} Rurik had been confined to a monastery in 1204, but he abandoned his holy vows and returned to the throne.^{[citation needed]}

His cousin, Vsevolod Chermny, felt that Rurik's previous monastic vows rendered his authority invalid, and so attacked and briefly seized Kiev in 1206, 1207, and 1211.^{[citation needed]} In 1210, Rurik was forced to abdicate the Kievan throne to Vsevolod. For the remainder of his life he governed in Chernigov.^[2]

Rurik was married to Anna of Turov; among their children was Rostislav II of Kiev.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

1. Russian and Ukrainian: Рюрик Ростиславич.
2. Other sources state the date of Rurik's death as 1211,1214 or 1215