The city built by Andrei Bogolyubsky. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky: biography, activities and interesting facts

Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky (Andrey Yurievich, Saint Andrew), Grand Duke of Vladimir, Prince of Ryazan, Prince of Dorogobuzh and Prince of Vyshgorod was born approximately in 1155-1157 into the family Yuri Dolgoruky and the Polovtsian princess Aepa. He was nicknamed Bogolyubsky because of his permanent residence in the city of Bogolyubovo, although Orthodox researchers have their own opinion on this matter: he received the nickname for his personal qualities, and the city was later named after the prince.

The years of his childhood and youth were lost to history (if, of course, any of his contemporaries described them).

1146 - Andrei and his brother Rostislav Yuryevich expelled Rostislav Yaroslavich from Ryazan.

1149 - Yuri Dolgoruky captured Kyiv, and gave Vyshgorod to his son (Andrey). In the same year, Bogolyubsky took Lutsk and settled briefly in nearby Dorogobuzh Volyn.

1152 - an unsuccessful attempt by Andrei and Yuri Dolgoruky to take Chernigov, during which Bogolyubsky was seriously wounded. After this, the father sent his son to Ryazan, but even here there was a failure - Rostislav Yaroslavovich returned to Ryazan, and Bogolyubsky, who had not fully recovered, could not resist him. His father decided to return him temporarily to Vyshgorod, but Andrei went to Vladimir-on-Klyazma, and before that, from Vyshgorod he took out the miraculous icon of the Mother of God (later called Vladimir), which later became a great Russian shrine. According to legend, the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and asked him to take the icon to Vladimir.

Later, Andrei did just that, and in the place where the vision came, he founded a city, which he named Bogolyubovo (or it was later named in his honor).

In 1157, after the death of Yuri Dolgoruky, Bogolyubsky became the prince of the Vladimir, Suzdal and Rostov lands. In addition to the icon, he “moved” the capital to Vladimir Rus'. There he founded Assumption Cathedral and many other monasteries and churches.

It is believed that under Andrei Bogolyubsky the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, as well as the Moscow Fortress (in 1156), were built.

Despite the fact that the Orthodox Church considers Bogolyubsky fair, pious and even holy, he expelled his stepmother Olga, her children and many other relatives from the Suzdal, Rostov and Vladimir lands in order to rule alone. Moreover, his goal was to abolish veche(people's assembly to discuss current political, social and cultural issues). He also tried to establish a metropolitanate of Vladimir, independent of the Kyiv one, but the Patriarch of Constantinople refused him.

On March 12, 1169, Andrei Bogolyubsky took Kyiv (without a siege, in a swoop), plundered it, and put his brother Gleb in charge there, and he himself returned to Vladimir. He became the first Prince of All Rus', who did not rule in Kyiv.

In 1170, after a long siege, Andrei took Novgorod (in which people had already begun to starve, and therefore decided to make peace). The Prince of Vladimir left his son, Yuri Andreevich Bogolyubsky, who was named after his grandfather, Yuri Dolgoruky, to rule in Novgorod.

1171 - a campaign against the Volga Bulgars, which ended in retreat due to the fact that the enemy had gathered significant forces, and many of Bogolyubsky’s vassal princes ignored the campaign and did not send their troops.

1173 - campaign against Vyshgorod, which ended in defeat.

Unsuccessful campaigns against the Bulgars and the Vyshgorod prince became the main reason for the boyars' conspiracy against Andrei Bogolyubsky. On June 28, 1174, the boyars attacked the prince. Bogolyubsky resisted for a long time, but eventually fell under the blows of the conspirators. After this, the killers went to the wine cellar to celebrate their crime. And Andrei woke up and disappeared. Nevertheless, his disappearance was noticed, found on the street following bloody trails and finished off. The chronicles say that before his death he saw his killers and said: “God, if this is the end for me, I accept it.”

The death of Bogolyubsky and its circumstances became the reason that he was called “Grand Duke” in the Ipatiev Chronicle. By the way, his wife Julitta participated in the conspiracy, for which she was executed later, in 1175.

After himself, Bogolyubsky left five sons - Izyaslav, Mstislav, Yuri, Rostislav and Gleb.

Biography, life story of Andrey Yurievich Bogolyubsky

Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky was born around 1111 (there is no exact date) in the Rostov region. His father is from the Rurik family, his mother is a Polovtsian princess, the daughter of Khan Aepa Osenevich. His cousin is Prince Izyaslav. Andrei Bogolyubsky was married to Ulita Stepanovna, daughter of Stepan Ivanovich Kuchka, a Suzdal boyar. He had five children.

Andrei took part in battles for power on the side of his father against his cousin Izyaslav. In 1149, Andrei occupied Kyiv. After some time, Izyaslav and his squad forced him to leave Kyiv. Father sat on the Kiev throne as Grand Duke only after the death of Izyaslav. He planted his son nearby, in Vyshgorod, but Andrei did not live in the south and went with his squad to the north, to the Suzdal lands. With him on the journey was the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, was taken from Greece by the Evangelist Luke. Andrey took this icon in Vyshgorod. The warriors spent the night on the road, 20 km from Vladimir, the horses did not want to go further. Andrew dreamed of the Mother of God and ordered to build a monastery in this place. Andrey did just that, built a monastery and named the settlement near the monastery Bogolyubovo. This is where his nickname came from. The brought icon became the main shrine of the monastery, called the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Then Andrei built two more monasteries in Vladimir - Spassky and Resurrection. He also built other churches in Vladimir. In this city they also erected the Golden and Silver Gates.

Rise of the city of Vladimir

The churches gave the city importance and the population grew rapidly. Vladimir rose above other cities. Previously, it was a small suburb of the city of Suzdal. Under Andrey, it became the large populous city of Vladimir-on-Klyazma. died in 1157, the people of Suzdal chose Andrei for the great reign. Andrey did not go to Kyiv, he stayed in the new capital Vladimir. He did not give inheritance to his sons in order to strengthen the Principality of Vladimir. Kyiv was left to the rule of Rostislav Mstislavich. After the death of Rostislav, his nephew ruled in Kyiv.

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Bogolyubsky decided to go to Kyiv, gathered a squad and moved together with his son. With him was a militia from Suzdal and 11 princes. Kyiv fell, the city was plundered by the Suzdalians. Bogolyubsky accepted the title of Grand Duke, but remained in Vladimir. This was in 1169. Andrei began to rule the entire Russian land, except Novgorod. He decided to conquer Novgorod, sending his son Mstislav Andreevich to fight there. They say that the Novgorodians were saved by the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign, which they brought to the fortress walls of the city. An arrow hit the icon, tears flowed from the eyes of the Mother of God. Soon Mstislav fled with his army.

Conquest of Novgorod

A year after this event, Andrei began to act differently, he blocked the supply of grain to Novgorod and its townspeople surrendered. Prince Roman was forever expelled from Novgorod.

Conspiracy and death of Andrei Bogolyubsky

In 1174, Andrei fell victim to a conspiracy on a June night from the 28th to the 29th. Bogolyubsky’s murder was organized by his wife’s brother. He avenged his other brother, whom Andrei executed during a brutal power struggle. The conspirators took the sword from his bedroom and attacked Andrei. The murdered prince was thrown into the garden and was not buried for five days.

They say that when Bogolyubsky saw his killers, there were 20 of them, he joyfully accepted death, since he had long repented of his actions, which he committed for the sake of power. His associates began to rob the palace, then the robberies spread to the entire city of Vladimir and Bogolyubov. Then one of the monks took the icon of the ancient Vladimir Mother of God and began to walk with it until the outrages stopped. On only the sixth day, Andrei was buried according to Orthodox custom in the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, built by him during his reign. Later, his relics were transferred to Vladimir, to St. Andrew's chapel of the Assumption Cathedral. Around 1702, the Orthodox Church canonized Andrei Bogolyubsky with the rank of saint.

Prince of Vladimir, Rostov and Suzdal, Grand Duke of Kiev (since 1157).

Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky was born around 1111. He was the eldest son of the Grand Duke and the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan Aepa.

Chronicles begin to mention Andrei Bogolyubsky during the war between his father and his nephew, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Izyaslav Mstislavich, who took the Kiev throne contrary to the right of the ladder, when his uncles Vyacheslav and Yuri were still alive.

In 1149, Andrei Yuryevich was given possession of Vyshgorod, but a year later he was transferred to Western Russian lands, where he held the cities of Turov, Pinsk and Peresopnitsa. In 1151, with the consent of his father, he returned to his native Suzdal land, where, apparently, he had an inheritance. In 1155, Andrei Yuryevich was again transferred to Vyshgorod, from where, against his father’s will, he returned to the city, taking with him the icon of the Mother of God, painted, according to legend, by the Evangelist Luke (the image of the Vladimir Mother of God).

After his death in 1157, Andrei Yuryevich inherited the Kiev grand-ducal throne, but, despite the custom, he did not go to Kyiv to live. At the same time he was elected Prince of Rostov, Suzdal and Vladimir. Relying on his “almsmen” (servants), in 1162 Andrei Yuryevich expelled not only his relatives, but also his father’s squad from the Rostov-Suzdal land.

In the "Suzhdal Land" he made the capital of the principality, turning a small fortress into a rich city with majestic cathedrals, many churches and impregnable fortress walls with Golden, Silver, Copper gates. Not far from here, the prince founded on the Nerl River “a city of stone for himself, named after”, from which he received his nickname.

Andrei Bogolyubsky gained enormous authority and, after the death of his father, began to pursue an independent policy, trying to subjugate the princely and boyar estates at war with each other. In three years, he turned into a powerful prince who managed to create the future political center of the state in the northeast of Rus'. In 1164, Andrei Bogolyubsky made a victorious campaign against the Volga Bulgarians, and in 1169 his troops took and plundered Kyiv.

The strengthening of princely power and the conflict with prominent boyars caused a conspiracy against Andrei Bogolyubsky. On the night of June 29-30, 1174, the Grand Duke was killed by a group of conspirators from his inner circle. Initially, he was buried in the Vladimir Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary; later the remains were transferred several times. Around 1702, Andrei Bogolyubsky was canonized by the Orthodox Church as a saint.

Historians cannot definitively say the date of birth of Andrei Bogolyubsky. He was first mentioned in Russian chronicles in connection with the feud between his father Yuri Dolgoruky and Izyaslav Mstislavovich. Some researchers claim that the future Prince Andrei was born in 1111 (there is a version that in 1113). Little is known about his childhood. Having received a good upbringing and education, he devoted a lot of time to studying Christianity. Detailed information about his life appears only after Andrei reaches adulthood. It was then that the young prince, by order of his father, began to reign in different cities.

In 1149, at the insistence of his father, he went to reign in Vyshgorod, but a year later he was transferred to the cities of Pinsk, Peresopnitsa and Turov, where he stayed for about a year. By 1151, Dolgoruky again returned his son to the Suzdal land, where he reigned until 1155 and again went to Vyshgorod.

Despite his father's will (Dolgoruky wanted to see his son as a prince in Vyshgorod), Prince Andrei returns to Vladimir, where he brings with him the icon of the Mother of God, which later began to be called the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God.

In 1157, after the death of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky assumed his father's title, but at the same time decided to remain in Vladimir without moving to Kyiv. Historians believe that this act of the prince was the first step towards the decentralization of power. Also in the same year he was elected Prince of Rostov, Suzdal and Vladimir.

In 1162, relying on the help of his squad, Andrei Bogolyubsky expels all relatives from his principalities, thereby becoming the sole ruler of these lands. During his reign, the prince expanded his power, subjugating and conquering many surrounding lands in northeastern Rus'. In 1169, Bogolyubsky launched an attack on Kyiv, which resulted in a completely devastated city.

Andrei Bogolyubsky was killed by the boyars in 1174 on the thirtieth of June in the city of Bogolyubovka, which he founded. Historians believe that the organization of the conspiracy against the prince was influenced by his politics and his growing authority among the population, which was not to the benefit of the boyars.

In 1702, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky was canonized precisely for his domestic policies based on the Christian faith. In addition, the prince built cathedrals and churches throughout the territory of his state.

Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky was born in the city of Suzdal in 1110. His father was a prince. The Grand Duke allocated the small city of Zvenigorod near Kiev to his son to rule, but Andrei Yuryevich was not satisfied with this decision. He wanted more, so in secret from his father, he went to Suzdal and Rostov, becoming their ruler.

Years passed and in 1150 Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky He also subjugated Vyshegradskaya from the Vasiliev region. Over time, he moved to the then small city of Vladimir.

The history of the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky was filled with several internecine wars, here he often won victories. The largest of them can be considered the confrontation with the Great Reign of Kiev; Andrei’s opponent called for help from the Hungarian and Polish, but this did not help.

Complex and unpleasant events began after the death of Yuri Dolgoruky. Andrei, as the direct heir, laid claim to the throne of the Grand Duke of Kyiv, but was not immediately able to obtain it. This happened in 1169, when Bogolyusky had to take Kyiv, his own capital, with military forces. Kyiv was under the yoke of Mstislav II Izyaslavich, so there was the first fierce battle for the capture of Kyiv. The consequences were disastrous; the city was not only plundered, but also mostly burned. Andrei Bogolyubsky received a state for himself, although he decided not to stay in dilapidated Kyiv.

Prince Bogolyubsky in Vladimir

He went to Vladimir, leaving the former capital under the control of his brother Gleb. After this, Andrei proclaimed himself the Grand Duke of Vladimir; according to many historians, this event opened a new era in the life of Vladimir Rus, and also put a final point in the life of the Kievan state.

Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky took up the peaceful development of his new capital. He began constructing stone buildings, among which the most famous were cathedrals. They have become a distinctive feature of this beautiful northern city. However, the Prince of Vladimir did not stop there; religion had a high priority, so the icon of the Virgin Mary was moved to the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Vladimir. According to legend, it was written by the hand of the Evangelist Luke, which means it played an important role. Over time, she became a famous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God and appeared before people as a symbol of the Suzdal land. Now it is not lost, but is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

On the banks of the small Nerl River lies Andrei's residence. Not far from it, a simple white stone Church of the Intercession was built. Until now, they are considered an important cultural heritage of our entire country, as well as one of the few world masterpieces of world architecture. It is not surprising that all people who have seen her at least once in their lives remember her forever.

Nickname of Prince Bogolyubsky

The place where the residence of the first Vladimir prince was located was called Bogolyubovo, which is why Andrei Yuryevich received his nickname. His policy in the state was primarily distinguished by the fact that he wanted to completely stop internecine wars. Rus' was torn by constant confrontation between numerous heirs, which was determined by the appanage system of government. The principle was that it was not the son who inherited the place of the prince, but the brother, therefore there were always many heirs from official marriages and illegitimate ones, as well as cousins ​​and second cousins ​​who had full right to the throne. In addition, possession of one or more cities was based on receipt from the hands of the prince, although it was often captured by military forces. There was no unity and integrity of the country, which should have become the basis for protection from external conquerors.

Andrei Yuryevich saw the main reason for the weakness of Rus' precisely in disunity. Bogolyubsky chose a completely different path of government, which had never before existed in the Russian state. He refused to distribute cities to his relatives. He was the only ruler, hoping that in the future the position of power would remain exactly that way. True, after his death, appanage rule returned, which led to confrontation between his brothers, nephews and other relatives who had the right to the princely throne.

Murder of Prince Bogolyubsky

The death of the prince was a tragic event. It happened in 1174 right at the princely court in Bogolyubovo, Russian Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky was killed by the boyars. Historians explain this by the fact that the rule was tough, which not everyone liked. The discontent was so great that it ended his life's path.
During his life, Andrei Bogolyusky was married twice. His first wife was a Volga Bulgar, and his second was the daughter of boyar Stepan Ivanovich Kuchka - Ulita. They gave birth to his daughter - Rostislava, as well as several sons - Izyaslav, Mstislav, Roman, Gleb, Yuri and Vladimir.