Zvenislava Vsevolodovna of Chernigov (c1126-c1157)

Zvenislava-Anastasia Vsevolodovna (also Zvenislava of Chernigov, Polish Zwinisława Wsiewołodowna, Zwienisława Wszewołodowna , died between 1155-1160) - Princess of the Rurikovich family , daughter of Vsevolod Olgovich , Grand Duke of Kiev , and Maria Mstislavna , daughter of Mstislav Vladimirovich the Great , the first wife of the Duke (prince) of Silesia Boleslaw I the Lanky , the founder of the Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty , who ruled in Wrocław.

On the father Zvenislava was the great granddaughter of Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, and for his mother Vladimir Monomakh. Representatives of these branches of the descendants of Yaroslav the Wise were usually hostile to each other, so the marriage of her parents was, apparently, the result of a certain compromise. In the dynastic terms, we can also mention that her great-grandmother, the wife of Vladimir Monomakh, was the English princess Gita, another representative of this family was her mother-in-law Agnes von Babenberg.

In 1142 in Krakow Zvenislava became the wife of Bolesław I the Tall of Poland, who was the eldest son of Vladislav II of the Exile, the Grand Duke and the supreme ruler of Poland. By this marriage, Vladislav intended to strengthen his position in the difficult struggle with his half- brothers. One of the main opponents of the family in Poland was Vladislav's half- brother, Boleslav Kudryavy IV, who was married to Verkhoslavoslav Vsevolodovna of Novgorod , a cousin of Zvenislava (mother of Zvenislava and the father of Verkhoslava - children of Mstislav I Vladimirovich ).

In 1145, Vladislav sent Boleslav to Russia, so that he convinced Vsevolod to send help. As a result of the campaign of the army sent by Vsevolod to help Vladislav, he was able to increase his possessions. However, Vsevolod's intercession helped Vladislav for a short time: in 1146 he was expelled from the country by his brothers. Soon he was joined by the wife of Agnes with two older sons (including Boleslav), unable to keep Krakow. First Vladislav went to Prague, to his namesake and brother-in-law - the Czech prince Vladislav II (married to another daughter of Leopold III of Austria ), but he did not find any active support and moved to the brother-in-law of the German King Conrad III. Conrad singled out for them to stay Altenburg Castlein Thuringia.

Vladislav and Boleslav made several unsuccessful attempts to regain their possessions, but eventually remained in Germany, serving Conrad, and then Friedrich Barbarossa, and participating in their military campaigns. Only in 1163, Friedrich managed to agree with Boleslav Kudryav, that he singled out Boleslav and his younger brother Mieszko Silesia.

There are no references to the return to Zvenislava of Poland, on this basis it is concluded that she died in Germany until 1163. According to one source, she was buried in the Cistercian monastery in Pforta, and therefore the date of death is called after May 30, 1159, when this monastery became the burial place of the members of the Silesian Piast line.

In the marriage Zvenislava gave birth to two children:

Yaroslav (between 1143 and 1160 - on 22 March 1201), Prince Opole from 1172/1173, Bishop of Wroclaw from 1198; about his descendants there is no information, probably, they were not Olga (about 1155/1160 - June 27, 1175/1180)