Mikhail Vsevolodovich
( – 20 September 1246), known as Michael or Mikhail of Chernigov, was
Grand Prince of Kiev (1236–1239; 1241–1243); he was also
Prince of Pereyaslavl (1206),
Novgorod-Seversk (1219–1226),
Chernigov (1223–1235; 1242–1246),
Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...
(1225–1226; 1229–1230), and
Galicia (1235–1236).
Archaeological evidence reveals that Chernigov towns enjoyed an unprecedented degree of prosperity during his period which suggests that promoting
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...
was a priority for him.
Commercial interests, in part, also motivated him to seize control of
Halych and
Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
because they were channels through which goods from the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
valley and
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
passed to Chernigov.
He also negotiated commercial treaties and political alliances with the
Poles
Pole or poles may refer to:
People
*Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland
* Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist
...
and the
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
.
He alleviated the
tax burden of the
Novgorodians and granted their
boyars greater political freedom from the prince.
During the
Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' (1237–1242), Mikhail was defeated and had to flee; in 1246, he was executed by
Batu Khan.
Legacy
''Vita'' of Michael of Chernigov
A
hagiography ''vita'' of Michael of Chernigov was written some time after his death, describing his life in detail, and framing his execution as
martyrdom
A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In colloqui ...
. It is unclear when this account was written (at least after the Mongol census in Suzdalia and Novgorod in 1257–59), and how historically reliable it is. Mikhail's death is briefly mentioned in the Older Recension of ''
Novgorod First Chronicle'' (compiled 1275), in the ''
Laurentian Codex'' (compiled 1377), and in the ''
Hypatian Codex'' (compiled 1425), but the full text of the ''vita'' is not found in these manuscripts. It is not until the Younger Recension of the ''Novgorod First Chronicle'' (compiled 1450) that an extensive narrative of his demise appears, stating that the bodies of Mikhail and Fedor were thrown to the dogs; but as a sign of divine favor, their bodies remained unmolested and pillars of fire hovered over them.
The ''
Nikon Chronicle
The ''Nikon Chronicle'' () is a compilation of Russian chronicles undertaken at the court of Ivan the Terrible in the mid-16th century. The compilation was named after Patriarch Nikon of Moscow, who owned a copy. In the 18th century, it was publi ...
'' (compiled 1550) added even more text to Mikhail's ''vita'', including claims that the Mongols already established a system of military governors and tax collectors in all cities of Kievan Rus' in 1237–1240, which is historically very unlikely.
Carpine account
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, an Italian
papal legate who travelled through the lands of former Kievan Rus' in the late 1240s, wrote the following account of his death in the ''
Ystoria Mongalorum'':
Genealogy
Marriage and children
Michael married once and had several children.
*
Elena Romanovna (or Maria Romanovna) (m. 1210 or 1211), a daughter of prince
Roman Mstislavich of Halych and his wife, Predslava Rurikovna of Kiev
#Feodula Mikhailovna (1212 – 1250); became a nun and adopted the religious name Evfrosinia;
#Duke
Rostislav Mikhailovich of Macsó (b. c. 1225 – 1262);
#
Maria Mikhailovna (? – 7 or 9 December 1271), wife of Prince
Vasilko Konstantinovich of Rostov;
#Prince
Roman Mikhailovich of Chernigov and Bryansk (c. 1218 – after 1288/1305);
#Prince Mstislav Mikhailovich of Karachev and Zvenigorod
(1220 – 1280);
#Prince Simeon Mikhailovich of Glukhov and Novosil;
#Prince Yury Mikhailovich of Torusa and Bryansk.
Ancestors
Descendants
The later
Upper Oka Principalities of the 14th and 15th centuries were reigned by the "upper princes", each of which descended from Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov.
In the second half of the 19th century, many family branches stemming from Mikhail flourished: the Baryatinsky, the
Gorchakovy, the
Dolgorukie, the Eletskie, the Zvenigorodskie, the Koltsovy-Mosalskie, the
Obolenskie, the Odoevskie, and the Shcherbatovy.
Notes
References
Bibliography
Primary sources
*
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, ''
Ystoria Mongalorum'' (1240s)
** Modern edition: DiPlano Carpini, Giovanni ''(Author)'' - Hildinger, Erik ''(Translator)'': ''The Story of the Mongols whom We Call the Tartars''; Branden Publishing Company, Inc, 1996, Boston, MA; .
* ''
Galician–Volhynian Chronicle'' (1290s; oldest copy ''
Hypatian Codex'' 1425)
**
''Galician-Volhynian Chronicle''(years 1245–1260). (interpreted by Leonid Makhnovets)
** (pages 52–53 relate the death of Michael of Chernigov)
* ''Suzdal'–Vladimirian Chronicle'' (1305; oldest copy ''
Laurentian Codex'' 1377) (L. 165 ''sub anno'' 6754 (1246) relates the death of Michael of Chernigov)
Scholarly literature
* Dimnik, Martin, ''Mikhail, Prince of Chernigov and Grand Prince of Kiev, 1224–1246'' (1981). pp. 215. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers. ISBN 978-0888440525.
* Dimnik, Martin, ''The Dynasty of Chernigov, 1146–1246'' (2003). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .
* (e-book).
*
* Vernadsky, George, ''Kievan Russia''; Yale University Press, 1948, New Haven and London; .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael of Chernigov
1180s births
1246 deaths
13th-century murdered monarchs
Murdered royalty of Kievan Rus'
Olgovichi family
Grand princes of Kiev
Princes of Chernigov
Princes of Galicia
Princes of Novgorod
Christian saints from Kievan Rus'
13th-century Christian saints
13th-century Eastern Orthodox martyrs
13th-century princes from Kievan Rus'
People executed by the Golden Horde
Year of birth uncertain