Davyd Vseslavich of Polotsk (c1052-c1129)

Davyd Vseslavich (between 1047 and 1057 after 1129 ), Prince of Polotsk 1101 - 1127, 1128 - 1129 , son of Vseslav Bryachislavich.

He was born between 1047 - 1057, because in 1067 , in order to negotiate with the prince of Kiev, his father took with him two sons, most likely senior. He died after 1129 in exile in Byzantium.

The seniority of the sons of Vseslav is controversial. In the opinion of V. Pichety, Davyd under the division of the Principality of Polotsk into oblations was deprived and did not receive any possessions at all. Rapov considered him the third son of Vseslav. But more likely is the version of V. Danilevich, N. Baumgarten and L. Alekseev (318, p.56), who considered Davyd senior. Probably he inherited his father's table in 1101 and was a Polotsk prince by 1127, when he was banished by the Polotsk veche. Yes, and the marriage of his son Davyd with the daughter of Mstislav the Greatpoints to the eldest of the Polotsk princes. The son of a landless pariah could not have such opportunities. In addition, it was Davyd Vseslavich who led the Polotsk army in the campaign against the Polovtsi in 1103.

According to L. Voitovich Davyd Vseslavich was a Polotsk prince in 1101 - 1127, 1128 - 1129 , but there are other versions.

In 1103, together with Vladimir Monomakh participated in the victory over the Polovtsy near the Suten tract, and in 1104 with Monomashich unsuccessfully besieged his brother Gleb in Minsk. According to Rapov, the campaign against Gleb could have been aimed at protecting Davyd's ownership rights. In 1106, Davyd and his brothers went to the Semigallians.

In 1127 Polotsk decided to drive David away from him. Upon learning of this, he summoned his son Bryachislau from Izyaslavl. But it did not help: the Polotians drove Davyd from Polotsk, taking the prince of the young Rogvolod-Vasily. Probably, then the feud of the latter began with Davyd, in which Grand Duke Mstislav Veliky intervened, sending great forces to the Polotsk princes. The Polotians took Rogvolod-Vasily to Mstislav and were persuaded to approve him on the Polotsk throne in defiance of the right of seniority. Davyd was forced to leave for Izyaslavl. Probably, Rogvolod-Vasily recognized the supreme power of Kiev.

Evidently, Davyd did not accept the loss of Polotsk. In 1129, Mr .. Mstislav gathered in a campaign against the Polovtsians and called for the participation of the Polotsk princes. Davydov and others sneeringly refused. Moreover, probably when Mstislav fought against the Polovtsians, Davyd again began a feud with Rogvolod-Vasily. Returning from the campaign, Mstislav sent his commander to the Polotsk land; they captured almost all the Polotsk princes, incl. Davyd and his son, and brought them to Kiev. In 1130, above the Polotsk princes, a "court of Russian princes" was held, according to the sentence of which, together with their families, they were deported to Byzantium.

Davyd did not return from exile; probably he died in Byzantium.