Svyatopolk Mstislavich of Volhynia (c1115-1154)

Svyatopolk Mstislavich (in baptism presumably John, circa 1114/1118 - February 20, 1154 ) - Prince of Polotsk (1132), Pskov (1138-1148), Berestya (1140), Novgorod (1132, 1138, 1142 -1148), Lutsk (1150-1151, 1151-1152) and Volhynia (1149, 1151-1154), the son of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich.

Biography
See also: The internecine war in Russia (1146-1154) Svyatopolk in 1132, was a prince in Polotsk. Svyatopolk there left his brother - Izyaslav, going to Pereyaslavl. But soon the Polotians expelled Svyatopolk, probably they were unhappy with the departure of Izyaslav, and called on the reign of the grandson of Vseslav Charodeya, Vasilka Svyatoslavich.

In 1135 Svyatopolk participated in the campaign together with brothers Vsevolod and Izyaslav to Pereyaslavl principality, occupied by their uncle Yuri Vladimirovich (Dolgoruky).

In 1137 Svyatopolk Mstislavich accompanied his brother Vsevolod from Novgorod to Pskov. In the winter of that year, Vsevolod died in Pskov, and the prince of Pskov became Sviatopolk Mstislavich , who reigned there until 1140 , when Grand Prince Vsevolod II gave it to his brother, Vladimir Macheshichem city Berestye.

In 1141-1142 Izyaslav transferred to his sister Agafia Mstislavna, the wife of Vsevolod Olgovich: "Ask your brother-in-law Novgorod the Great for your brother Sviatopolk," and the Grand Duke sent Svyatopolk Mstislavich to Novgorod. But in 1148 Izyaslav, who in 1146 became Grand Duke, brought Svyatopolk out of Novgorod and planted his son Yaroslav there, and Svyatopolk was given by Vladimir-Volynsky.

In 1149, Svyatopolk participated with his brother in the war against Yuri Dolgoruky. In Volodymyr-Volynsky Svyatopolk, Mstislavich was short-lived prince, and yielded to the reign of his brother Izyaslav, expelled from Kiev by Yury Dolgoruky.

In 1150 he owned Lutsk. When Iyaslav with the help of the Hungarians again moved to Yuri, Svyatopolk Mstislavich accompanied his brother to guard him from the Galician prince Vladimir Volodarevich, who followed Izyaslav's army. In the same year he helped his brother in the struggle against Yuri and again received Vladimir-Volynsky, where he sat until his death.

In 1152 the Grand Duke Izyaslav Mstislavich undertook a campaign against Vladimir Volodarevich. Svyatopolk Mstislavich came to his brother Peresopnitsa with his army, but Izyaslav sent him back to Vladimir-Volynsky. In the same year Svyatopolk Mstislavich went with Izyaslav to Novgorod against his son Yuri - Vasilka, but this campaign ended in peace.

In 1153 he participated in the campaign of Izyaslav against the Galician prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich Osmomysl.

Historiographers note that Svyatopolk probably did not have special abilities and did not have a personal initiative. I never did anything myself and only helped others, mainly to my brother Izyaslav.

Svyatopolk is mentioned in the Novgorod birch bark letter No. 850 [6] ; in the text of the letter to boyar Petr (Petrok) Mikhalkovich is the settlement of the conflict connected with the land, in the transmission of which somehow participated Svyatopolk. Judging by the fact that he was named by name (and not by the "prince", if it were a question of the incumbent prince), the charter dates back to the time soon after his expulsion - 1148.

From 1143/1144 he was married to Euphemia, the daughter of Olomouc prince Otto II of the Black [7].