Grand Prince of Kiev

The Grand Prince of Kiev was the title used by the ruler of Kievan Rus'. This important job began in the 10th century and lasted until the 13th century. The ruler lived in Kiev, which today is called Kyiv.

During the 13th century, Kiev changed hands. First, it became part of a smaller area ruled by the grand prince of Vladimir and then by leaders from the Mongol Golden Horde. Later, the area was taken over by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Stories from old Rus' chronicles, like the Primary Chronicle, don't always agree about who should be called a "grand prince." Even though most people think the prince of Kiev had this title, there is no clear list of all the grand princes, and different experts have different ideas about who should be included.

Background

According to an old story in the Primary Chronicle, the city of Kiev (Kyiv) was founded by three siblings: Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv, and their sister Lybid. Some historians think Kiev may have been founded by people from Khazars or Magyars.

Later, a prince named Rurik is said to have started a royal family called the Rurik dynasty in 862, though some think this story might be made up. Kiev was taken over by two leaders named Askold and Dir, but they were killed by another leader named Oleg in 882. Oleg is often called the first prince of Kiev, but not always the "grand prince."

Over time, the title of "grand prince" became more common. Yaroslav the Wise was the first to be widely known as the grand prince of Kiev. After his time, the title was passed down based on family order, but sometimes princes would take power by force.

In the 1160s, leaders from Vladimir-Suzdal began challenging the power of Kiev's grand princes. After the Mongol invasion in the 1230s and 1240s, the grand princes of Kiev lost their power, and leaders from the Golden Horde took control.

Princes of Kiev

The Grand Prince of Kiev was the ruler of Kievan Rus', living in the city of Kiev (now Kyiv) from the 10th to the 13th centuries. Later, in the 13th century, Kiev became part of other ruling areas, first under the grand prince of Vladimir and then the Mongol Golden Horde, and eventually the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Historical records from that time sometimes used the title "grand prince" for different rulers, which makes it a bit unclear.

Grand princes of Kiev

Overview of princely branches of Kiev (1019–1169)

Princes of Kiev after the Mongol conquest of Kiev

After the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' in 1240, Prince Michael of Chernigov left Kiev to find help from King Béla IV of Hungary. During this time, Prince Rostislav of Smolensk took control of Kiev but was later captured by Daniel of Galicia. Daniel placed his representative, Dmytro, to govern Kiev while he stayed in Halych. Michael could not get help in Hungary, so he went to Konrad I of Masovia in Poland but still found no support. He then returned to Daniel for protection.

From the 14th century onward, Kiev began to be influenced by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1299, the leader of the church in Kiev, known as the Metropolitan Maximus, moved his office from Kiev to Vladimir-on-Klyazma. In 1321, after a battle at the Irpin River, Gediminas placed Mindgaugas, a member of the Olshanski family, to rule Kiev. This family was connected to Vseslav of Polotsk, who had lived in the Byzantine Empire. In 1331, Kiev was taken over again by a prince from the Siverski family. Later, in 1362, after winning a battle against the Golden Horde, Grand Duke Algirdas brought Kiev and its nearby lands into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.