Prince Igor Svyatoslavich: brief biography, wife

Igor Svyatoslavich - Prince Novgorod-Seversky and Chernigov, is a representative of the Olgovichi clan. His name he received in honor of his uncle - the brother of the great Svyatoslav.

Origin

The father of the main character of the poem "The Lay of the Shelf"Igor ', Prince Svyatoslav, was married twice. His first wife was the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan Aepa, who was baptized with the name Anna. The second time, Svyatoslav Olgovich went under the crown in 1136. This marriage caused a scandal. Archbishop Nifont of Novgorod refused to hold a wedding ceremony, arguing that the first husband of the bride - the daughter of the posadnik Petrila, died just recently. Therefore, another priests crowned Prince Svyatoslav. In this marriage, the future prince of Chernigov was born, although some historians and publicists believe that the Polovchanka Anna was born to Igor Svyatoslavich.

short biography

The prince's father is a loyal companion and friend of YuriDolgoruky Svyatoslav Olgovich was the same person whom the ruler called to Moscow to discuss joint affairs. Igor's grandfather was Oleg Svyatoslavich, the founder of the Olgovichi dynasty. During the christening, the boy was named George, however, as is often the case, his Christian name was practically not used. And in history Igor Svyatoslavich became known under his pagan Russian name.

Already a seven-year-old boy began withfather to participate in campaigns, defending the rights of his uncle Izyaslav Davydovich, claiming the throne of Kiev. And at seventeen he already went on a grand expedition organized by Andrei Bogolyubsky, which ended in March 1169 with a three-day plunder of the city of Kiev. Since his turbulent youth, Igor Svyatoslavich, whose biography is a life story of a warrior who started the battle path very early, realized that power gives the right not to justify his actions.

The future hero of The Lay of Igor's Campaign was notone victorious campaign against the Polovtsians. In 1171, he first felt the glory, defeating Khan Kobyak in the battle on the Vorskla River. This triumph showed that the twenty-year-old Igor Svyatoslavich is a talented military commander. The young man also had diplomatic abilities. He donated the trophies to Roman Rostislavich, who ruled in Kiev.

In 1180, being twenty-nine years old, the young military leader inherited from his elder brother the Novgorod-Seversky principality. This gave him the opportunity to start building his own plans.

Authority

Some historians believe that Prince IgorSvyatoslavich was an insignificant, secondary figure, but many disagree with this statement, reasoning reasonably that even the geographical position of his principality, bordering on the boundless steppe, always predetermined the importance of his actions.

When the princes of Southern Russia undertook a jointa campaign directed against the Polovtsians, then on the orders of the great Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, Igor was appointed the eldest over the troops. As a result, another glorious victory was won over the steppe nomads at the Khorol River. Inspired by this success, Prince Igor in the same year undertook another campaign. This expedition once again gave him the laurels of the victor over the Polovtsi.

The main failure

It is against such a success that Prince Igor andripe decision on another campaign in the steppe. It was about him that the poem was written. Then Igor was thirty-four years old, he was at the age of mature courage and was able to make informed decisions.

Together with Prince Novgorod-Seversky, his son Vladimir, brother Vsevolod and nephew Svyatoslav Olegovich participated in the battle with the Polovtsy.

The goal of this campaign, according to many historians, is notwas to save the Russian land from the constant raids of the cruel steppe inhabitants. Not with those forces and not on that route went Prince Igor. His main goal, most likely, were trophies - herds, weapons, jewels and, of course, the capture of slaves. A year earlier, in the Polovtsian lands, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich received quite rich booty. Envy and greed were pushed to Igor's military adventure. He wasn’t even stopped by the fact that the Polovtsian khan Konchak had huge crossbows, pulled at the same time by five dozen warriors, as well as “live fire”, as gunpowder was called at that time.

Defeat

On the banks of the Kayala River, Russian troops clashed withthe main forces of the steppe. Almost all the Polovtsian tribes from the south-east of Europe participated in the clash. Their numerical superiority was so great that Russian troops very soon became surrounded. The chroniclers report that Prince Igor behaved with dignity: even after receiving a serious wound, he continued to fight. At dawn, after days of continuous battles, the troops, coming out to the lake, began to go around it.
Igor, changing the direction of departure of his regiment,He went to the aid of his brother Vsevolod. However, his soldiers, unable to endure, began to flee, trying to get out of the encirclement. Igor tried to return them, but in vain. Prince Novgorod-Seversky was taken prisoner. Many of his troops died. The chroniclers speak of three days of fighting with the Polovtsy, after which the banners of Igor fell. The prince fled from captivity, leaving his son Vladimir, who later married the daughter of Khan Konchak.

Family and Children

The wife of Igor Svyatoslavich - daughter of the Galicianruler Yaroslav Vladimirovich, bore him six children - five heirs and a daughter. Her name is not mentioned in the annals, but historians call her Yaroslavna. In some sources, she is mentioned as Igor's second wife, however, most experts consider this version to be erroneous.

The eldest son of Igor and Yaroslavna, Prince of Putivl, Novgorod-Seversky and Galitsky Vladimir, born in 1171, married the daughter who took him and his father into captivity of Khan Konchak.

In 1191, Prince Igor and his brotherVsevolod undertook another campaign against the Polovtsy, this time successful, after which, having received reinforcements from Yaroslav of Chernigov and Svyatoslav of Kiev, he went as far as Oskol. However, the steppe managed to prepare for this battle in a timely manner. Igor had no choice but to withdraw his troops back to Russia. In 1198, after the death of the ruler Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, the son of Svyatoslav took Chernihiv throne.

The exact year of the death of Prince Igor Svyatoslavichunknown, although some annals indicate December 1202, although many consider the version that he died in the first half of 1201 more real. He, like his uncle, was buried in the Transfiguration of the Savior Cathedral in Chernigov.