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1054 Partition of Kievan Rus According to Yaroslav's Testament
Yaroslav the Wise drew up a testament before his death; in 1054 his sons divided the Rus' cities among themselves: Iziaslav took Kiev, Sviatoslav too…
Timeline
- 1054Kiev · Kievan RusThe testament stipulated that the eldest son Iziaslav should reside in Kiev, while the other sons were granted separate cities, but they had to acknowledge the Grand Prince of Kiev as elder among the brothers and cooperate in joint warfare against foreign enemies.
- 1054Chernihiv · Kievan RusSviatoslav received Chernihiv and Vsevolod received Pereyaslav, forming a pattern of brotherly domains south of Kiev.
- 1054Smolensk · Kievan RusViacheslav received Smolensk and the youngest brother Igor received Volhynia; Rus' transformed from a single principality into a multi-centered system of principalities, known in history as 'brotherly partition rule.'
Sources
- Primary Chronicle (Tale of Bygone Years)
- The Emergence of Rus 750-1200 — Simon Franklin and Jonathan Shepard (1996)