Sviatopolk II of Kiev

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Mosaic of St. Demetrius was installed by Sviatopolk in the Kievan St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery to glorify the patron saint of his father.

Russian prince Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich (Cyrillic: Святополк II Ізяславич, 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.

Sviatopolk was the illegitimate^[1] son of Iziaslav Iaroslavich by his mistress. 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.

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 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.

Sviatopolk married twice; to a Bohemian princess and then in 1094 to a daughter of Tugor Khan of the Kypchaks. By his first wife he had two daughters, Zbyslava, whom he married to king Boleslaw III of Poland, and Predslava to Prince Álmos of Croatia. His son Iaroslav reigned in Volynia and 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. His other daughter, Maria, married Piotr Włostowic.

[edit] External links

• Detailed biography

[edit] Notes

^  Gertrude, wife of Iziaslav of Kiev, included her prayer book as part of the medieval illuminated manuscript known as "Gertrude Psalter". In it she prays six times for Iaropolk, "unicus filius meus" (my only son). Gertrude is the only known wife of Iziaslav, and on her own authority Sviatopolk was not her son. Because Sviatopolk first became active politically in 1069, whereas Iaropolk did not become active until 1071, it is probable that he is older than Iaropolk. Consequently Sviatopolk was not legitimate.^{[citation needed]}