Igor Svyatoslavich


Igor Svyatoslavich, nicknamed the Brave, was Prince of Novgorod-Seversk and Prince of Chernigov.

Life

The son of Sviatoslav Olgovich, prince of Chernigov, in 1169 Igor took part in the war against Mstislav Iziaslavich of Kiev on the side of Andrey Bogolyubsky. In order to counter Cuman raids on the lands of southern Rus', in 1185 he organized a campaign against the nomads, without the knowledge of the Grand Prince of Kiev. After an initial victory, Igor's army was surrounded on the. The prince himself was captured, but managed to escape. After Igor's defeat, the Cumans raided the Principality of Pereyaslavl.

In culture

Igor's defeat from the Cumans is the subject of the 13th century epic, The Tale of Igor's Campaign, whose central theme is the fate of Rus' territories during the period of feudal division between various princes. The work describes in detail Igor's preparations for the campaign and the course of the three-day battle between Rus' forces and the nomads. The text is concluded with a praise of the prince, his younger brother and comrade-in-arms Vsevolod Sviatoslavich, as well as his son Vladimir.

Marriage and children

Before 1170: Euphrosyne
Yaroslavna, the second daughter of prince Yaroslav Osmomysl of Halych by his first wife Olga Yuryevna of Kiev