Rurik Rostislavich

Rurik Rostislavich (also spelled Riurik; – 19 April 1212) was Prince of Novgorod (1170–1171), Belgorod (1173–1194), Grand Prince of Kiev (1173; 1180–1181; 1194–1201; 1203–1204; 1205-1206; 1207–1210), and Prince of Chernigov (1210–1212).

Life

Rurik, also known under his baptismal name Basil, was the son of Rostislav I of Kiev. In the 1160s, he ruled the province of Drevlians before becoming the prince of Ovruch (1168). Succession conflicts intermittently placed Rurik on the throne of the Kievan Rus' no fewer than six times between 1173 and 1210. Between 1173 and 1181 Rurik spent brief periods as a ruler of Novgorod the Great and Kiev.

According to the account in the Kievan Chronicle, Rurik became co-ruler with Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich of Kiev (who had become prince of Kiev in 1177), a "duumvirate" arrangement that lasted until Sviatoslav's death in 1194. According to the Novgorod Fourth Chronicle and Sofia First Chronicle tradition sub anno 6688 (1180) and 6693 (1185), Sviatoslav reigned alone, and there is no mention of Rurik as co-prince. After the death of Sviatoslav in 1194, he became Prince of Kiev in his own right. A conflict with the Olgovichi house, as well as with Galician prince Roman Mstislavich led to his deposition.

The loss of power over Kiev led Rurik to seek alliance with Cumans. After a brief stint in Chernigov, where he built the Church of St. Paraskebas, Rurik, along with his kinsmen and a Cuman army, attacked and sacked Kiev in 1203, but was repelled until Roman's death in 1205. Rurik had been confined to a monastery in 1204, but he abandoned his holy vows and returned to the throne.

His cousin, Vsevolod Chermny, felt that Rurik's previous monastic vows rendered his authority invalid, and so attacked and briefly seized Kiev in 1206, 1207, and 1211. In 1210, Rurik was forced to abdicate the Kievan throne to Vsevolod. For the remainder of his life he governed in Chernigov.

Rurik was married to Anna II of Kiev; among their children was Rostislav II of Kiev.