The Dynasty of Chernigov, 1146-1246

Book Description
Examining the later twelfth- and early thirteenth-century history of the dynasty of Chernigov, this study demonstrates that the princes of Chernigov were among the most powerful in Kievan Rus'. It therefore challenges the established view of the political history of Kievan Rus'. Unlike other studies, it also examines in detail themes such as succession and inheritance, rivalries for domains, marriage alliances, the role of trade in inter-dynastic relations, nomadic incursions on Rus', and princely relations with the Church.


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Historians in pre-revolutionary Russia, in the Soviet Union, in contemporary Russia, and the West have consistently relegated the dynasty of Chernigov to a place of minor importance in Kievan Rus. However, careful examination of the chronicle accounts reporting the dynasty's history during the second half of the twelfth and the first half of the thirteenth century shows that the Ol'govichi of Chernigov successfully challenged the Monomashichi for supremacy in Rus. Through a critical analysis of the available primary sources (such as chronicles, archaeology, coins, seals, "graffiti" in churches, and architecture) this book attempts to correct the pervading erroneous view by allocating to the Ol'govichi their rightful place in the dynastic hierarchy of Kievan Rus.


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