Galich appears in the annals as a devil from a snuffbox. Until 1141, there is no specific mention of him, there is only indirect information that after the death of Vasilko, his eldest son ruled here. There is no specific date for the founding of this city or any history about it. Nevertheless, by the 1140s, Galich was a large and developed city, occupying one of the leading positions in Russia in terms of population: according to various estimates, from 20 to 30 thousand. There were plenty of reasons for that. Galich lay at an advantageous crossroads. In addition to the already mentioned branch of the Amber Route, which went from the Vistula to the Dniester, another route was added, going from the east to Poland, the Czech Republic and Regensburg. The city was one of the main suppliers of salt in Eastern Europe, supplying the whole of Southern Russia and neighboring countries. In addition, Galich was a large center of handicraft production, and its remoteness from the borders provided its population with a fairly safe living.
Galich also had its own peculiarities associated with its history. Apparently, it was a relatively young city, and therefore did not have time to acquire such a large number of tribal traditions that already existed in the form of remnants in the older settlements of this region. Because of this, the class stratification was stronger here, and the boyars already existed independently of the community, acting as a powerful oligarchy that controlled the main land holdings and industries, including super-profitable salt ones. The confrontation between the boyars and the community had not yet become obvious, but they already completely felt like local kings in Galich. They most likely welcomed the creation of the princely table under Ivan Vasilkovich, since this actually signified the special importance of Galich, however, the transfer of the capital of the entire principality to the city promised the boyars big problems - the prince wanted centralized power and, most likely, began to fight the overly ambitious and rich local boyars with the help of Przemysl, who, however, was not devoid of their ambitions, and which was exactly the same latent oligarchy, which simply envied its former suburb.
Other events also added fuel to the fire. It has already been said that Vladimir tried to expand the territory of his principality at the expense of Volhynia, supporting Vsevolod Olgovich against Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich Volynsky. Allied relations were required by the Galicians to preserve their independence, but in 1144 Vsevolod, in exchange for support, demanded to recognize the dependence of the principality on its power. Vladimir, of course, refused, betting on a strong local army and battle in the field. However, the battle itself did not happen - when the prince left Galich, the army of Vsevolod of Kiev arrived there in a roundabout way, and took the capital under siege. Such a move took Vladimir by surprise, and he was forced to admit Olgovich's supremacy over himself, as well as to pay a huge indemnity, which was a heavy burden on the shoulders of the townspeople. The wealthy strata of society suffered the most, i.e. boyars, who had to lay out the most funds to pay Vsevolod.
That is why in the same year, as soon as the prince went hunting, the boyars rebelled and seized power in the city. Instead of Vladimir, his nephew, Ivan Rostislavich, who ruled in Zvenigorod, was invited to rule. Without much hesitation, he agreed, and for a short period of time became the ruler of the entire principality. However, Ivan ruled very little - having learned about the betrayal, Vladimir quickly gathered an army and laid siege to Galich. The nephew was forced to flee the city, and the prince, having returned it under his control, staged massive repression of the boyars who betrayed him, executing a number of them. Already two years later, Vladimir refused to recognize the supreme power of Vsevolod of Kiev, and this time he was ready for all the surprises. The Grand Duke faced a well-prepared defense, could not take Zvenigorod, and returned from the campaign with nothing. He died shortly thereafter.
The next round of confrontation was associated with a great strife for Kiev between Izyaslav Mstislavich, prince of Volyn, and Yuri Dolgoruky, prince of Rostov-Suzdal. Vladimirko acted as an ally of the latter, since the former posed a great threat to him, however, one had to take into account the fact that both contenders for the grand ducal title sought to take control of the rich Volhynia, which would strengthen their position in Russia after the success of the struggle for Kiev. For the Galician principality, the appearance of such a strong neighbor was extremely undesirable. I had to choose the lesser of evils, which means - to fight against the current Volyn prince. After 1146, Vladimir made a number of campaigns to the neighboring territory and occupied border towns, including Shumsk, Buzhsk, Tihoml and a number of others.
The reckoning came in 1150, when Izyaslav Mstislavich was able to turn his close attention to Galich. Having achieved an alliance with the Hungarians, he carried out a large-scale invasion of the territory of the principality that once belonged to Volhynia. Bribery of the Hungarians by Vladimir was able to stop the offensive of the Volynians, but only for a while. In 1152, everything was repeated in the same form, and the Galician prince had to ask for peace, and return everything won back to Izyaslav, kissing the cross on it. Soon after that, he violated the agreements, refusing to return the captured, showing complete disregard for the fact that he swore an oath and kissed the cross (for which some modern bloggers for some reason consider him an atheist). A new war was brewing, but in 1153 Vladimir Galitsky died, and a year later Izyaslav Mstislavich was gone. Power in the principality passed to Yaroslav Vladimirovich, who is better known in history as Yaroslav Osmomysl.
Ivan Berladnik
Speaking about the history of the Galician principality, one cannot briefly mention the fate of Ivan Rostislavich, who, after an unsuccessful coup attempt in Galich, was forced to flee abroad, namely, to Berladie (Berlad), between the Dniester and Danube rivers, where the Moldavian principality will emerge in the future. In the middle of the 12th century, this territory was practically not controlled by Russia, however, it was populated by Russian people - fugitives, escapists, and various kinds of freemen. There is very little information about the structure and development of Berlad, it is only known that people from Russia founded quite a lot of settlements there, including the cities of Byrlad and Galati. The latter was probably originally called Galich, and was founded by people from Subcarpathia. There he managed to recruit some squad, and in the future his ties with this region will remain strong enough, as a result of which Ivan will become better known to historians not by his patronymic, but as Ivan Berladnik.
Already in 1045, he returned to Russia, and entered the service of Vsevolod of Kiev, hoping sooner or later to return to the Galician principality and lead it, albeit in a subordinate position. Soon Vsevolod died, and Ivan Berladnik had to look for new patrons in the hope of getting at least some inheritance. For many years he wandered across Russia, and for many years he did not succeed. Nevertheless, together with his retinue, he was able to gain a certain popularity, becoming the first service prince in Russia, a mercenary prince, having had time to fight both in the South and in the North. After all his victories and failures, which will still be told, he will be disillusioned with life and leave Russia, arriving in Byzantium and settling there. The prince died in 1162 in Thessaloniki, and, most likely, he was poisoned. After himself, he left a son, Rostislav Ivanovich, who would become one of the last representatives of the Rostislavich Galitsky dynasty, a side branch of the Rurikovich, and lay down his head in the struggle for Galich.
Yaroslav Osmomysl
Yaroslav Vladimirovich received the nickname Osmomysl either for his outstanding mind, or for his knowledge of many languages. He is also considered the most outstanding prince of the Rostislavichi, and the best ruler of Southwestern Russia before the arrival of the Romanovichi. Thanks to his skillful rule, the Galician principality reached the peak of its strength, and Galich - the highest level of its development and wealth. Under him, the principality played the largest political role in its history in Russia, reaching the peak of its capabilities without taking into account neighboring Volhynia. The growth of the economy and population accelerated significantly, the land became famous for its goods, crafts, Galich controlled a significant share of Russian trade. The prince himself was very rich by the standards of his time thanks to his control over such a rich city and provided a good inheritance to his children. It was his eldest daughter, Efrosinya, who became famous for one of the main roles in "The Lay of Igor's Host." Yes, Yaroslavna's Lament is about her!
Yaroslav began by sorting out the problems that he inherited from his father, namely, from the war with Izyaslav Mstislavich. Two troops, Galician and Kiev, met at Terebovlya. The battle was very bloody, the Galicians suffered heavy losses - and yet they achieved victory. But, as they say, this victory was tactical, and the strategic one went to Izyaslav. Using cunning, he was able to capture part of the Galician army, and soon after the battle he ordered them to be executed. The principality could no longer fight further, having lost many of its soldiers, and therefore Yaroslav was forced to go to peace, recognizing the supremacy of Izyaslav and returning the Volyn cities seized by his father. But after that, the long-awaited peace came, and if Izyaslav himself had any plans for the Galician principality, he did not have time to put them into practice, having died already in 1154. After that, Galich's dependence on Volhynia immediately evaporated, and the principality again went into free navigation.
Following this, problems began because of Ivan Berladnik, who claimed Galich. In 1056, he was with Yuri Dolgoruky, when he agreed to hand over the former prince Yaroslav Osmomysl. Having almost sent him to certain death, under pressure from the clergy and entourage, Yuri changed his mind, and instead of Galich sent the outcast prince to Suzdal. On the way there Berladnik was intercepted by the people of Izyaslav Davydovich of Chernigov, who the following year became the prince of Kiev. Of course, Ivan became a political tool in the hands of the ambitious Izyaslav, and he himself did not mind being used for his own purposes, spurring his new patron to action. As a result, the prince of Kiev set out on a campaign against the Galician principality, enlisting the support of the Polovtsy, Torks and Berendeys. The first thing under attack was Yaroslav's ally, Mstislav Izyaslavich, who sat under siege in Belgorod-Kiev.
It seemed that the prince of Kiev was on horseback …. But it was very successful for Osmomysl that the Berendeys betrayed, as a result of which the campaign failed, and then Izyaslav had to leave Kiev altogether. The new Kiev prince, Rostislav Mstislavich, was chosen together by his father Mstislav and Prince Galich. Subsequently, Yaroslav intervened several times in Kiev affairs, supporting the relatives of his ally, Mstislav Izyaslavich. Now the main military actions were fought for Kiev, far from Galich, and the principality could calmly develop and solve its problems. In addition, this freed the Galician troops, which subsequently regularly participated in campaigns against the Polovtsians, which became traditional for South Russia. The chroniclers describe the army of Yaroslav Osmomysl as "iron regiments", indicating its large numbers and high combat qualities. Most likely, at that time, it had already noticeably changed in its structure due to the losses incurred earlier - the role of the princely squad decreased, while the importance of the boyar militias increased significantly. In addition, mercenaries, both from neighboring countries and "free hunters" from among the Russians, could appear in the service of Osmomysl. The role of the city regiments remained unchanged - but they seem to be used less and less since then.
In 1159 Ivan Berladnik again made himself felt. Having recruited Berladniks and Polovtsians into his army, he set out on a campaign to Galician land, laying siege to the important suburb of Ushitsa. Nevertheless, the siege failed because of the princely army that soon approached, which crushed to smithereens the army recruited from the steppe and freemen. Deciding not to postpone until later, Yaroslav Osmomysl immediately began a series of campaigns to the south, in Berladie, as a result of which the whole territory soon recognized its dependence on Galich. Chronicles claim that the power of the Galician prince reached the mouth of the Danube, where he built his merchant ships, which were sent from there to many countries. Nevertheless, the control over this territory remained very weak, and in the future Berlad continued to be a land inhabited by various kinds of freemen, which did not recognize any supreme power badly.
Boyars against
Initially, Yaroslav's relations with the boyars were quite good. During the battle at Terebovlya, the Galician boyars, who had recently rebelled against his father, did not let the prince into the thick of the battle, fearing that they would lose their ruler. In the early years of Osmomysl's reign, they continued to support him, but gradually relations began to deteriorate. Yaroslav began to behave independently, and to carry out the same policy of centralizing power and limiting the power and influence of the oligarchs. The Galician boyars did not like this approach at all, and already in 1160-61 they sent letters to Ivan Berladnik that they were ready to surrender the city to him or at least not interfere with taking Galich if he suddenly tried to fight for the prince's table again. However, these letters remained unanswered.
In the early 1170s, relations between Yaroslav Osmomysl and his wife, Olga, escalated. The reason lay in the fact that for some time the prince openly lived with his mistress, Nastasya (Anastasia) Chagrovna, who came from the Polovtsian or Berendei clan Chagrov. From both women, Yaroslav had sons - Vladimir from Olga, and Oleg from Nastasya. The first from an early age showed outstanding abilities in fooling around and drinking everything that burns, while Oleg was a much more reasonable and balanced person. Added to this was the lack of love between husband and wife, which was the norm for political marriages. In the end, they just began to live separately, which also cannot be called an extraordinary event.
The boyars, perhaps, would have bypassed this family drama if her relatives had not appeared at the court along with Nastasya, who began to occupy important posts in the government of Yaroslav Osmomysl, pulling the blanket over themselves in the sharing of "feedings". In addition, the boyars were looking for a way to somehow rein in the prince, who began to pay too much attention to the issues of government. As a result, when Olga and Vladimir left Galich in 1171, the boyars fanned a national tragedy and rebelled. The Chagrovichi were killed, and Nastasya was burned at the stake right in front of the prince's eyes. They made it clear to Yaroslav that they would not put up with the "prince's arbitrariness" and forced him to reconcile with his wife, wishing to see Osmomysl's heirs as a weak Vladimir.
This episode was not the first in the long history of the confrontation between the princely power and the Galician political elite, but the first when the actions of the boyars reached a new, completely unbridled level. They wanted a strong prince, but that in matters concerning the boyars, he should be soft and pliable, easily follow the will of the boyars; the boyars themselves for the first time showed a high level of cohesion in such intrigues, declaring themselves as a new all-powerful elite, dictating their will to the monarchs, as it was in Hungary, and will still be in Poland. Yaroslav could not fight the rich boyars, depending on them, and was later forced to adjust his policy in accordance with their requirements.
Family dramas and politics
After the burning of Nastasya Chagrovna, Princess Olga and her son Vladimir returned to Galich … only so that Vladimir would soon run away from his father again, this time to Lutsk, where he was patronized by Prince Yaroslav Izyaslavich, who was considered the eldest of the Volyn princes. Osmomysl this time was not a trifle, and went for his son, led by an army, which included Poles mercenaries. The Lutsk prince was forced to end his patronage, but his son did not return to his father, having set off on a long voyage across Russia. For some time he passed from hand to hand either as a trump card against Osmomysl, or as a valuable hostage, until finally he was exchanged for other captive princes and returned to his father in Galich.
God loves the trinity, and therefore Vladimir decided to run away for the third time, in 1182 he went to the Volyn prince, Roman Mstislavich, where he was sent to all four directions, for any adequate prince no longer wanted to deal with him. Having received several more similar refusals from the closest princes, Vladimir reached Turov, where for some time he received the patronage of Prince Svyatopolk Yuryevich, and then went on to wander around Russia. Having managed to visit Vsevolod the Big Nest and stay in Putivl with his sister, he returned home in 1184. Apparently, the mother's vagabond ran out of funds for life, and good relatives were tired of enduring progressive alcoholism and the dissolute lifestyle of this stunned man, as a result of which he simply had to return home with nothing.
In 1187 Yaroslav Osmomysl was living out his last days. Already bedridden, he forced the boyars and both of his sons, Vladimir and Oleg, to take an oath on the cross that they would keep his will. According to him, Oleg was supposed to become a prince in Galich, who all these years was next to his father and showed good inclinations of a ruler. Vladimir got to Przemysl, and then rather for the sake of appeasing the boyars, who otherwise could have staged another mutiny on the prince's deathbed. All those present kissed the cross and tearfully swore that it would be so, the will of the prince would be respected, and Oleg Nastasich would become the next ruler of the Galician principality…. But as soon as Yaroslav Osmomysl gave up his ghost, it became clear that no one except Oleg was interested in such an outcome. A new period began in the history of Galich - a period of constant change of rulers and a struggle for power between many contenders and opposing groups.
The extinction of the Rostislavichi
Almost immediately after the death of Yaroslav, the boyars staged a mutiny in Galich, and called for Vladimir Yaroslavich to rule. Oleg was forced to flee the city, and began to seek help from other Rurikovichs. He arrived in Ovruch, to Prince Rurik Rostislavich, but did not receive proper support, and went on. Arriving in Poland, he immediately found sympathy, received an army under his command, and easily defeated the army of Vladimir, who was abandoned by the Galician boyars at a crucial moment. Oleg sat down to rule in Galich … and was soon poisoned. Of course, everyone nodded at the all-powerful boyars, and in the meantime, Vladimir Yaroslavich quickly returned from Hungary, who again became a prince in Galich. Being a complete nonentity as a ruler, he seemed to become a puppet of the boyars.
However, Vladimir did not rule for long. Having an obvious conflict with his father, clearly despising Nastasya Chagrovna and his half-brother Oleg, he decided that he could not follow in his father's footsteps. Therefore, becoming quickly drowned in alcohol and debauchery, he did not take a Berendeyka as his concubine, but simply kidnapped a certain wife from a still living spouse, and began to live with her as with a princess. The boyars and the community could tolerate such excesses, but the trouble was that Vladimir suddenly decided to take over the power and began to try to rule on his own. Of course, he was immediately accused of debauchery, and asked to leave. Vladimir's reign took a few months, after which he went into exile, taking the love of his life, not married to him, along with children …
A large political circus began, which would later become traditional for the Galician principality for several decades. Exiled Vladimir went to the Hungarian king, asking for his help. They received help, as a result of which the Magyar army invaded the principality. In parallel with this, the Galician boyars, anticipating something was wrong, invited the largest player in South-Western Russia at that time to reign - Prince Roman Mstislavich, who ruled in Volyn. He, abandoning everything, went to Galich to rule, leaving his brother, Vsevolod Mstislavich, in Vladimir. However, upon arriving in his new principality, Roman became discouraged - the local boyars immediately began to put sticks in his wheels, fearing that an active prince would immediately cut their wings, and the Hungarian army was getting closer and closer every day. The prince had to leave the city and look for allies to fight the Magyars …
Vladimir, having brought the Hungarians to Galich, thought that they would put him there to rule, but he was deeply mistaken. King Bela III, thinking carefully and estimating the wealth of the city, put his son Andrash to rule there, ensuring his "legitimacy" with a large Hungarian garrison. The attempts of Prince Roman, together with his father-in-law, Rurik Rostislavich, to recapture the city, failed, and Rurik himself did not particularly try to help his son-in-law. As a result, Roman had to abandon Galich and return to Volyn. The Hungarian authorities began to tighten the screws more than ever, having offended not only the headstrong boyars, but also the Galician community, which had previously been in no hurry to participate in the strife. As a result, the townspeople called Rostislav Ivanovich, the son of Ivan Berladnik, who took part in the anti-Hungarian uprising together with his squad, recruited from the same freelancer with Berladi. The guards dissuaded Rostislav from this campaign, but he decided that he would either win or die. He did not succeed in winning, the squad lay down in full force, and the outcast prince was captured as a result. According to one information, he died of wounds received in battle, and according to another, the Hungarians poisoned him by applying poison to his wounds.
It seemed that the Magyar power was about to be established over Galich, but that was not the case. Vladimir, betrayed by his patrons, decided to continue what he had begun, replacing the "sugar daddy" with a more promising one. The strongest "daddy" he could find at that time was the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, who did support the last of the Rostislavichi, and forced the Poles vassals to him de jure to return his possession to the prince. The Hungarians were not ready for this, and the local boyars, having tasted the foreign occupation, decided that they simply did not have a better option than an alcoholic and a womanizer. As a result, already in 1189, Vladimir again began to rule in Galich, the Hungarians were expelled, and the emperor received a modest monetary compensation of 2,000 hryvnias, which had to be scraped up by all the Galician people.
Having sworn allegiance to Vsevolod the Big Nest, who at that time was the most powerful and influential prince in Russia, Vladimir continued to rule Galich until he got drunk and drank to death in 1199. After his death, the dynasty of the Rostislavich Galitsky, who started and continued so well, and so sadly ended their relatively short history of rule, was suppressed. Under them, the Galician principality was finally formed as a fairly independent state entity, and inheritance within its borders proceeded separately from the general ladder, which was a useful precedent for the future. The economy was seriously developed, and the southern territories expanded significantly due to conquests and colonization. At the same time, the internal political mess and intrigues with the participation of a large number of actors by the end of the Rostislavichs' existence reached the point of no return and became chronic. The boyars seized hold of the authorities and were ready for any betrayal and cruelty for her sake. A large and complex action with numerous participants was about to begin.
