Catherine, Kateryna or Ekaterina of Chernigov (died 12 April 1166) was

princess consort Princess consort is an official title or an informal designation that is normally accorded to the wife of a sovereign prince. The title may be used for the wife of a king if the more usual designation of queen consort is not used. More informal ...

Chernigov Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukrain ...

(modern

Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...

) as the wife of

Sviatoslav Olgovich Sviatoslav Olgovich (died February 14, 1164) was Prince of Novgorod (1136–1138); Novgorod-Seversk (1139); Belgorod (1141–1154); and Chernigov (1154–1164). Biography Early life Sviatoslav was the son of Oleg Sviatoslavich, the prince o ...

(), and princess regnant of Chernigov for a few days after his death ().

Biography

In early chronicles, she is not named. Not until in later sources, she is named Ekaterina or Catherine, and identified as the daughter of Petryl or Petrilo, the

posadnik A posadnik (, ) was a representative of the prince in some towns during the times of Kievan Rus', and later the highest-ranking official (mayor) in Novgorod (from 1136) and Pskov (from 1308). In the early 12th century, Novgorod won the right to ...

of Novgorod. In 1136, she married Svyatoslav Olgovich (who had previously been married to an unnamed Cuman princess, daughter of Aepa, son of Girgen, who may have died giving birth to

Oleg II Svyatoslavich Oleg II Svyatoslavich was prince of Novgorod-Seversk from 1164 until the year 1180. He was Prince of Putivl (, Kursk (), and upon his father's death, Novgorod-Seversk (). Oleg was born around 1136 as a son of Sviatoslav Olgovich, Prince of Cher ...

around the same time). Their son

Igor Sviatoslavich Igor Svyatoslavich (3 April 1151 – ), nicknamed the Brave, was Prince of Novgorod-Seversk (1180–1198) and Prince of Chernigov (1198–1201/1202). Life The son of Sviatoslav Olgovich, prince of Chernigov, in 1169 Igor took part in the war agai ...

would later gain fame as the main character of ''

The Tale of Igor's Campaign ''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' or ''The Tale of Ihor's Campaign'' () is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language. The title is occasionally translated as ''The Tale of the Campaign of Igor'', ''The Song of Igor's Campaign'' ...

''. The ''

Kievan Chronicle The ''Kievan Chronicle'' or ''Kyivan Chronicle'' is a chronicle of Kievan Rus'. It was written around 1200 in Vydubychi Monastery as a continuation of the ''Primary Chronicle''. It is known from two manuscripts: a copy in the '' Hypatian Codex'' ...

'' mentions ''sub anno'' 6667 (1159) that there was a "princess' city for Sviatoslav's defence" () named "Oblov" () on the boundary between the lands of Smolensk and Chernigov, that was captured or razed by Iziaslav Davidovich. According to Dimnik (2003), this meant that Sviatoslav's princess consort Catherine of Chernigov owned this town, which she probably received as a wedding gift. Kniaginia of Chernigov 1164

Upon Sviatoslav's death in 1164, the widowed Catherine briefly ruled as princess regnant of Chernigov. Her reign lasted for a few days, during which she kept her husband's death a secret while she summoned her (step-?)son Oleg to come to Chernigov quickly, and told the city's leading men not inform her brother-in-law Sviatoslav Vsevolodich, who was the rightful heir to the Chernigovian throne. Nevertheless, the bishop of Chernigov betrayed the trust of princess (''kniaginia'') Catherine immediately, and sent Sviatoslav Vsevolodich a letter, writing that "the kniaginia rules edit'in cahoots with the children and she has many goods." Sviatoslav Vsevolodich soon arrived and made a deal with Oleg, by which the former became prince of Chernigov and the latter

prince of Novgorod-Seversk Prince of Novgorod-Seversk was the ''kniaz'' , the ruler or sub-ruler, of the Principality of Novgorod-Seversk. It may have been created in 1139, the date of one modern authority, and is most famous for Igor Sviatoslavich, hero of the Old East Sla ...

. Princess Catherine is not heard of again until two years later, when she reportedly died on 12 April 1166.

Notes

References

Bibliography

Primary sources

* ''

'' ( 1200) ** (Church Slavonic critical edition) ** (modern English translation)

Literature

* Dimnik, Martin. ''The Dynasty of Chernigov, 1146-1246'', 2000 * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chernigov, Catherine of 1166 deaths Princes of Chernigov Princesses from Kievan Rus' Princesses consort Princesses regnant Olgovichi family Year of birth unknown