Volodymyr (novel)
Script error: No such module "AfC submission catcheck".
The Volodymyr (Ukrainian: Володи́мир) is a historical novel by Ukrainian writer Semen Skliarenko, written in 1962. Published many times.
In the pages of this book the author tells about the great and significant deeds that befell the Ukrainian Kniaz Volodymyr, son of Sviatoslav. It tells about the times when brother went to brother, land to land and the storm stood over Kyivan Rus. The pages of the personal life of Volodymyr and his loved ones are among the most exciting, in a novel that interestingly and truthfully tells about bygone times. The book is a continuation of the novel "Sviatoslav".
Chapters of the book[edit]
- Book one. SON OF A SLAVE
- Book two. BASILEUS
- Epilogue. IN BERESTOV
Characters[edit]
Volodymyr — Kniaz of Novgorod, Kyiv, Basilevs (Emperor) of Kyivan Rus; son of Kniaz Sviatoslav and Malusha.
Yaropolk — Kniaz of Kyiv; brother of Volodymyr, son of Sviatoslav and Hungarian Kniahynia Predslava.
Mykula — a warrior from the wife of Kniaz Sviatoslav.
Svarg is a blacksmith, brother of Mykula and Brazda.
Malusha is the daughter of Mykula and Vista.
Dobrynia is Mykula's son, adviser to the Kniaz's Novgorod, and Volodymyr's uncle.
John I Tzimiskes — Emperor of Byzantium.
Constantine and Basil — the emperors of Byzantium, the sons of Theofano.
Rogneda is the daughter of Kniaz Regvold of Polotsk, the first wife of Kniaz Volodymyr.
Anna is the sister of the emperors Constantine and Basil, the second wife of Volodymyr.
Yaroslav is the eldest son of Volodymyr and Rogneda.
Sviatopolk is the son of Yaropolk and Julia.
Predslava is the daughter of Volodymyr and Rogneda.
Bliud — the main voivode of Kniaz Yaropolk.
Plot[edit]
Book one[edit]
I
The remnants of the troops of the deceased Kniaz Sviatoslav the Brave return to Kyiv. Among them was a man named Mykula. On the way to Kyiv, he remembered everything about the events of recent years: numerous battles with Byzantium, the attack of the Pechenegs, the funeral of the kniaz.
In Kyiv, Mykula met a man and a woman, from whom he learned about the death of his daughter Malusha. The grief-stricken man returned to his native village of Liubech, where his wife Vista was still waiting for him.
In Liubech, Mykula saw with his own eyes how power and money change people. The governors of Kniaz Yaropolk are taking away lands that have long belonged to the communities, thus sowing discontent among the local peasants.
II
At the same time in Constantinople, Emperor John Tsimishki died of poison. His assassins were the First Minister of the Byzantine Empire (Proedr), Basil, who ruled on behalf of the new emperors Constantine and Basil, and Theophano (mother of the new emperors). Proedr removes his ally from power, decides to make peace with Kniaz Yaropolk and sends ambassadors to him. The minister also took measures against the uprisings in the provinces so that they would not further weaken the empire, and sent Caesar Boris and his brother Roman to Bulgaria to wage war against the Bulgarian leaders, the Shishmans.
III
Caesar Boris soon dies at the hands of Bulgarian soldiers, and his brother is taken prisoner. Fortunately for Roman, one of the Shishmans, Samuel, recruits him for military service. Byzantine ambassadors arrive in Kyiv. Yaropolk makes peace with Byzantium, marries their kniahynia Julia. The young kniahynia constantly incites her husband to fight with Kniaz Volodymyr of Novgorod - Yaropolk's brother. Finally, the Kniaz of Kyiv sends ambassadors to Novgorod and demands that his brother come to the capital.
IV
News of the affairs of Kniaz Yaropolk reached Novgorod faster than his ambassadors. Offended by his brother's demands, Volodymyr gathers troops from all the northern lands of Rus and goes on a campaign to Kyiv.
V
Hearing about this, Yaropolk gathers his own forces and asks for help from new allies: the Pechenegs and Byzantium. But they refuse the Kniaz of Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr captures Polotsk, which is ruled by Rogvolod, another Yaropolk supporter. During the battle, Regvold dies with his sons, and his daughter, Rogneda, Kniaz of Novgorod takes as his wife.
Residents of Polotsk provide military assistance to Novgorodian and he continues to march on Kyiv.
VI
While Volodymyr was fighting in Polotsk, in Liubech Mykula united people against Yaropolk and his governors. While he was leading his small army to help the Kniaz of Novgorod, Yaropolk's soldiers killed all the inhabitants of Liubech for treason.
A battle broke out nearby, in which Volodymyr's army won; old Mykula died of his wounds. The Kniaz continued his campaign.
VII
Volodymyr was getting closer to Kyiv. Frightened, Yaropolk ordered the construction of fortifications around the city. However, when the people of Kyiv began to rebel against him, the Kniaz decided to flee to the fortified town of Rodney.
The people of Novgorod took Kyiv. Volodymyr sent ambassadors to Yaropolk because he still believed that he could reconcile with him.
VII
Relatives were besieged. Hunger quickly broke out inside the fortress. Fearing for his life, Yaropolk instructed the voivode of Bliud to reach an agreement with Volodymyr. The voivode performs the task and reconciles the brothers. But because of his own convictions, Bliud kills Yaropolk in Kyiv and is punished for it: he is beaten to death, "like a dog."
After burying his brother, Volodymyr took his place on the throne of Kyiv.
IX
Kniaz Volodymyr decides to strengthen Rus with new fortifications. He ordered new cities to be built near ramparts and ditches to prevent enemy attacks. But not all tribes want to pay tribute to him (radymychi, viatychi). Therefore, the Kniaz traveled all over Rus to reach an agreement with all the nationalities of this great power.
Meanwhile, his wife Rogneda gave birth to a son. So is the wife of the late Yaropolk Julia. She named her son Sviatopolk. The Kniahynia leaves him in Kyiv, and she secretly sails to Byzantium.
X
The events in Kyiv were of great concern to Vasily. His situation was difficult. Uprisings broke out all over Byzantium, almost every general proclaimed himself emperor, pressed by the Bulgarians.
Emperor Basil, son of Feofano, expels Proedra from the palace and concentrates all power in his hands.
Rogneda arrives in Kyiv with her son Yaroslav.
Book two[edit]
I
It has been a while since Volodymyr began to rule in Kyiv. Over the years, he united the tribes around Rus, fought and reconciled with his neighbors, and defeated nomads from the east and south.
In addition to Yaroslav, the Kniaz had sons Vysheslav, Mstyslav, Vsevolod, Iziaslav, Sviatoslav, Briacheslav and daughter Predslava. Together with his wife, Volodymyr also raised Yaropolk's son, Sviatopolk.
The dissatisfaction of the boyars and the voivode grew, because they believed that the Kniaz gave them little land and gold for "difficult" service.
Volodymyr is going on a new, last campaign, which was to bring peace and prosperity to Rus.
II
Meanwhile, Bulgaria's war with Byzantium is reaching its peak. Samuel Shishman inflicts several devastating defeats on the imperial army.
Emperor Basil sees that the state of his state is extremely difficult: the uprisings do not stop, the Holy Roman Empire threatens to attack, the war with the Bulgarians dragged on.
He decides to turn to Kyiv for help and asks for 6,000 soldiers. Kniaz Volodymyr sent an army to help Byzantium, concluding a number of favorable agreements for Rus.
III
6,000 soldiers of Rus come to the aid of Emperor Vasily, who at that time came together in a battle with Ward Phocas - a general of the rebel army. Thanks to the heroism of the Rus people, Byzantium wins. However, the emperor does not keep his promises and the soldiers return to Kyiv.
This infuriates all of Rus and Kniaz Volodymyr is preparing to march on Byzantium. However, before that he secretly converted to Christianity.
IV
Volodymyr begins a campaign in the city of Chersonese, which is very important and valuable for Byzantium. He leaves one of his sons - Mstislav - Kniaz Tmutarakani and orders him to guard the borders of Rus.
Finally, the army reached Chersonesos and laid siege to it. The struggle lasted a long time, but the Kniaz of Kyiv won. Having conquered the city, he began to demand much more from Byzantium. Mainly - to marry him to the sister of Emperor Basil Anna and give Volodymyr the crown of Basileus.
V
Because of the impasse, Emperor Basil accepts all the conditions of Volodymyr. Immediately in Chersonesos, the Kniaz married Kniahynia Anna. Having decided everything he had, the emperor of Rus returned with his wife to Kyiv.
VI
Kniahynia Rogneda could not live with Volodymyr's other wife, Anna, so one night she left her home, converted to Christianity, and had her hair cut by a nun. Now her name was Nun Anastasia.
Soon Kniaz Vasilevs began the baptism of Kyiv and all of Rus, dropping idols into the Dnieper.
VII
The Kniaz quickly introduced Christianity and ordered the construction of temples and churches. The Church of the Tithes was the first to be built, to which Vasilevs donated one tenth of the state's income. Volodymyr also takes care of education and orders boyars and voivodes to give their children to priests who will teach them.
But not everything is going well for Volodymyr. Many people gathered throughout Rus who became opponents of the new faith and order. To appease them, Vasilevs sends his sons to rule in the cities and take care of the welfare of their native land.
Epilogue[edit]
Several years have passed. Kniahynia Anna gave birth to Volodymyr's two sons - Boris and Gleb. Christianity is increasingly taking root in Rus.
The Kyivan Kniaz is overtaken by grief: Rogneda dies in the monastery, Vysheslav dies in Novgorod, and Iziaslav dies in Polotsk. In addition, Sviatopolk wanted to betray him and tried to capture Kyiv and kill Vasilevs with the help of Polish troops, but Yaropolk's son was exposed and imprisoned. However, the young Kniaz conspired with the governors against Volodymyr.
The last blow to the Kniaz was the news from Novgorod that Yaroslav would no longer pay tribute to him. The betrayal of his son in the most difficult time completely exhausted Volodymyr. For several days his body struggled with death, and he survived.
Basilevs lived to old age in Berestovo himself. People he trusted to the end betrayed him and Rus. After his death, the boyars brought to power Sviatopolk, who sowed fear and unrest in his native land.
References[edit]
External links[edit]
This article "Volodymyr (novel)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Volodymyr (novel). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
