The southwestern principalities of Rus' - Vladimir-Volyn and Galicia, which united the lands of the Dulebs, Tiverts, Croats, Buzhans, became part of Kievan Rus at the end of the 10th century. under Vladimir Svyatoslavich. However, the policy of the great Kyiv princes regarding Volyn and Galicia did not find support among the local landed nobility, and already from the end of the 11th century. The struggle for the isolation of these lands began, although the Volyn land traditionally had close ties with Kiev.

In Volyn until the middle of the 12th century. there was no own dynasty of princes. As a rule, it was directly ruled from Kyiv or at times Kyiv proteges sat at the Vladimir table.

The formation of the Galician principality began in the second half of the 11th century. This process is associated with the activities of the founder of the Galician dynasty, Prince Rostislav Vladimirovich, grandson of Yaroslav the Wise.

The heyday of the Principality of Galicia occurred during the reign of Yaroslav Osmomysl (1153-1187), who gave a decisive rebuff to the Hungarians and Poles who were pressing on him and waged a fierce struggle against the boyars. With the death of his son Vladimir Yaroslavich, the Rostislavich dynasty ceased to exist, and in 1199, the Vladimir-Volyn prince Roman Mstislavich took possession of the Galician principality and united the Galician and Volyn lands into a single Galician-Volyn principality. Its center was Galich, then Kholm, and from 1272 Lvov. The victorious campaigns of Roman's squads against Lithuania, Poland, Hungary and the Polovtsians created high international authority for him and the principality.

After the death of Roman (1205), the western lands of Rus' again entered a period of unrest and princely-boyar civil strife. The struggle of the feudal groups in the western lands of Rus' reached its greatest severity under the young sons of Roman Mstislavich - Daniil and Vasilka.

The Galician-Volyn principality broke up into appanages - Galician, Zvenigorod and Vladimir. This made it possible for Hungary, where young Daniel was raised at the court of King Andrew II, to constantly interfere in Galician-Volyn affairs, and soon to occupy Western Russian lands. The boyar opposition was not so organized and mature as to turn the Galician land into a boyar republic, but it had enough strength to organize endless conspiracies and riots against the princes.

Shortly before the invasion of Batu's hordes, Daniil Romanovich managed to overcome the opposition from the powerful Galician and Volyn boyars and in 1238 entered Galich in triumph. In the fight against the feudal opposition, power relied on the squad, city leaders and feudal service lords. The masses strongly supported Daniel's unifying policy. In 1239, the Galician-Volyn army captured Kiev, but the success was short-lived.

Hoping to create an anti-Horde coalition on a European scale with the help of the pope, Daniil Romanovich agreed to accept the royal crown offered to him by Innocent IV. The coronation took place in 1253.

during campaigns against the Lithuanian Yatvingians in the small town of Dorogichina near the western border of the principality. The Roman Curia turned its attention to Galicia and Volhynia, hoping to spread Catholicism to these lands. In 1264, Daniil Romanovich died in Kholm. After his death, the decline of the Galicia-Volyn principality began, breaking up into four appanages.

In the 14th century Galicia was captured by Poland, and Volyn by Lithuania. After the Union of Lublin in 1569, the Galician and Volyn lands became part of a single multinational Polish-Lithuanian state - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Social system. A feature of the social structure of the Galicia-Volyn principality was that a large group of boyars was created there, in whose hands almost all land holdings were concentrated. However, the process of formation of large feudal landownership did not proceed in the same way everywhere. In Galicia, its growth outpaced the formation of the princely domain. In Volyn, on the contrary, along with boyar land tenure, domain land ownership received significant development. This is explained by the fact that it was in Galicia that the economic and political prerequisites for a more rapid growth of large feudal landownership matured earlier than in Volyn. The princely domain began to take shape when the predominant part of the communal lands was seized by the boyars and the circle of free lands for the princely domains was limited. In addition, the Galician princes, trying to enlist the support of local feudal lords, distributed part of their lands to them and thereby reduced the princely domain.

The most important role among the feudal lords of the Galician-Volyn principality was played by the Galician boyars - “Galician men.” They owned large estates and dependent peasants. In the source

Nikahs of the 12th century the ancestors of the Galician boyars act as “princely men.” The strength of this boyars, who expanded the boundaries of their possessions and conducted large-scale trade, continuously increased. There was a constant struggle within the boyars for lands and power. Already in the 12th century. “Galician men” oppose any attempts to limit their rights in favor of princely power and growing cities.

Another group consisted of service feudal lords, whose sources of land holdings were princely grants, boyar lands confiscated and redistributed by the princes, as well as unauthorized seizures of communal lands. In the vast majority of cases, they held land conditionally while they served, i.e. for service and under the condition of service. Serving feudal lords supplied the prince with an army consisting of feudal-dependent peasants. The Galician princes relied on them in their fight against the boyars.

The ruling class of the Galicia-Volyn principality also included large church nobility in the person of archbishops, bishops, abbots of monasteries and others, who also owned vast lands and peasants. Churches and monasteries acquired land holdings through grants and donations from princes. Often they, like princes and boyars, seized communal lands, and turned peasants into monastic or church feudal dependent people.

The bulk of the rural population in the Galicia-Volyn principality were peasants. Both free and dependent peasants were called smerds. The predominant form of peasant land ownership was communal, later called “dvorishche”. Gradually the community broke up into individual households.

The process of the formation of large land holdings and the formation of a class of feudal lords was accompanied by an increase in the feudal dependence of the peasants and the emergence of feudal rent. Labor rent in the XI-XII centuries. gradually replaced by product rent. The amount of feudal duties was set by the feudal lords at their own discretion.

The brutal exploitation of peasants intensified the class struggle, which often took the form of popular uprisings against the feudal lords. Such a mass uprising of peasants was, for example, the uprising in 1159 under Yaroslav Osmomysl.

Serfdom in the Galicia-Volyn principality was preserved, but the number of serfs decreased, many of them were planted on the land and merged with the peasants.

In the Galicia-Volyn principality there were over 80 cities, including the largest - Berestye (later Brest), Vladimir, Galich, Lvov, Lutsk, Przemysl, Kholm.

The largest group of the urban population were artisans. Jewelry, pottery, blacksmithing and glass-making workshops were located in the cities. They worked both for the customer and for the market, internal or external. The salt trade brought great profits. Being a large commercial and industrial center, Galich quickly also acquired the significance of a cultural center. The famous Galician-Volyn chronicle and other written monuments of the 12th-13th centuries were created there.

Political system. The peculiarity of the Galicia-Volyn principality was that for a long time it was not divided into appanages. After the death of Daniil Romanovich, it split into Galician and Volyn lands, and then each of these lands began to split up in turn. Another special feature was that power was essentially in the hands of the large boyars.

Since the Galician-Volyn princes did not have a broad economic and social base, their power was fragile. It was passed down through generations. The place of the deceased father was taken by the eldest of the sons, whom his other brothers were supposed to “honor in their father’s place.” The widow-mother enjoyed significant political influence under her sons. Despite the system of vassalage on which relations between members of the princely house were built, each princely domain was politically largely independent.

Although the princes expressed the interests of the feudal lords as a whole, they nevertheless could not concentrate the fullness of state power in their hands. The Galician boyars played a major role in the political life of the country. It even controlled the princely table - it invited and removed princes. The history of the Galicia-Volyn principality is full of examples when princes who lost the support of the boyars were forced to leave their principalities. The forms of struggle of the boyars against unwanted princes are also characteristic. They invited Hungarians and Poles against them, put to death unwanted princes (this is how the princes Igorevich were hanged in 1208), and removed them from Galicia (in 1226). There is a known case when the boyar Volodislav Kormilchich, who did not belong to the dynasty, proclaimed himself a prince in 1231. Often, representatives of the ecclesiastical nobility were at the head of boyar revolts directed against the prince. In such a situation, the main

Chapter 5. Rus' during the period of feudal fragmentation

§ 3. Galicia-Volyn principality

The main support of the princes were the middle and small feudal lords, as well as the city elite.

The Galician-Volyn princes had certain administrative, military, judicial and legislative powers. In particular, they appointed officials in cities and towns, allocating them with land holdings under the condition of service, and were formally the commanders-in-chief of all armed forces. But each boyar had his own military militia, and since the Galician boyars’ regiments often outnumbered the prince’s, in case of disagreement, the boyars could argue with the prince using military force. The supreme judicial power of the princes in case of disagreements with the boyars passed to the boyar elite. Finally, the princes issued letters concerning various issues of government, but they were often not recognized by the boyars.

The boyars exercised their power with the help of the boyar council. Its members included the largest landowners, bishops and persons holding the highest government positions. The composition, rights, and competence of the council were not determined.

The boyar council was convened, as a rule, on the initiative of the boyars themselves. The prince did not have the right to convene a council at his own request, and could not issue a single state act without his consent. The council zealously protected the interests of the boyars, even interfering in the prince's family affairs. This body, while not formally the highest authority, actually governed the principality. Since the council included boyars who occupied the largest administrative positions, the entire state administrative apparatus was actually subordinate to it.

The Galician-Volyn princes from time to time, under emergency circumstances, convened a veche in order to strengthen their power, but it did not have much influence. Small merchants and artisans could be present, but the decisive role was played by the top feudal lords.

The Galician-Volyn princes took part in all-Russian feudal congresses. Occasionally, congresses of feudal lords were convened, relating only to the Galicia-Volyn principality. So, in the first half of the 12th century. A congress of feudal lords took place in the city of Shartse to resolve the issue of civil strife over the volosts between the sons of the Przemysl prince Volodar Rostislav and Vladimirk.

In the Galicia-Volyn principality, palace-patrimonial administration arose earlier than in other Russian lands. In the system of this administration, the courtier, or butler, played a significant role. He was in charge of basically all matters relating to the court

prince, he was entrusted with the command of individual regiments; during military operations he protected the life of the prince.

Among the palace ranks, mention is made of a printer, a steward, a cup keeper, a falconer, a hunter, a stable keeper, etc. The printer was in charge of the princely office and was the custodian of the princely treasury, which at the same time was also the princely archive. In his hands was the princely seal. The steward was in charge of the prince's table, served him during meals, and was responsible for the quality of the table. Chashnichiy was in charge of the side forests, cellars and everything related to the supply of drinks to the princely table. The falconer was in charge of bird hunting. The hunter was in charge of hunting the beast. The main function of the groom was to serve the princely cavalry. Numerous princely keykeepers acted under the control of these officials. The positions of butler, printer, steward, groom and others gradually turned into palace ranks.

The territory of the Galicia-Volyn principality was initially divided into thousands and hundreds. As the thousand and sotskys with their administrative apparatus gradually became part of the palace-patrimonial apparatus of the prince, the positions of governors and volostels arose in their place. Accordingly, the territory of the principality was divided into voivodeships and volosts. The communities elected elders who were in charge of administrative and minor judicial matters.

Posadniks were appointed and sent directly to the cities by the prince. They not only had administrative and military power, but also performed judicial functions and collected tributes and duties from the population.

Right. The legal system of the Galicia-Volyn principality was not much different from the legal systems that existed in other Russian lands during the period of feudal fragmentation. The norms of Russian Truth, only slightly modified, continued to apply here.

The Galician-Volyn princes, of course, also issued their own acts. Among them, a valuable source characterizing the economic relations of the Galician principality with Czech, Hungarian and other merchants is the charter of Prince Ivan Rosti-slavich Berladnik in 1134. It established a number of benefits for foreign merchants. Around 1287, the Manuscript of Prince Vladimir Vasilkovich was published, concerning the rules of inheritance law in the Vladimir-Volyn principality. The document says-

Chapter 5. Rus' during the period of feudal fragmentation

about the transfer by Prince Vladimir of the right to exploit the feudally dependent population to the heirs. At the same time, it provides materials for studying the management of villages and cities. Around 1289, the Charter of Volyn Prince Mstislav Daniilovich was published, characterizing the duties that fell on the shoulders of the feudally dependent population of Southwestern Rus'.

tttnChapter 6. MONGOL-TATAR STATES

ON THE TERRITORY OF OUR COUNTRY

tttk During the period of fragmentation in Rus', the development of the early feudal state continued. Relatively centralized Ancient Rus' breaks up into a mass of large, medium, small and tiny states. In their political forms, even small feudal estates are trying to copy the Kiev state.

During this period, a fundamentally new form of government appeared - the republic. The Novgorod and Pskov feudal republics are widely known. Less known is Vyatka, a colony of Novgorod that arose at the end of the 12th century. on the Mari and Udmurt lands, which became an independent state and existed until the end of the 15th century.1

All the considered feudal powers are united, in principle, by a single legal system, which is based on an epoch-making legal act - the Russian Truth. Not a single principality is creating a new law that can at least to some extent replace the Russian Truth. Only its new editions are being formed. Only in feudal republics (and this is not accidental) do new major legislative acts arise.

The feudal fragmentation of Rus', like other regions of the country, was an inevitable stage in the development of the state. But this inevitability cost our people dearly. In the 13th century Mongol-Tatar hordes fell on Rus'.

The collapse of Kievan Rus was the reason for its political and economic development. In the middle of the twelfth century, as a result of this collapse, the Galician-Volyn principality appeared.

Now let's go back to the times when the Galician land and Volyn were not dependent on the city of Kyiv. It should be noted that the Volyn state was older than the Kyiv state and it was with it that the unification of the Ukrainian tribes began. This land was quite rich, as trade routes to Western Europe passed through it. In 981 and 993 as a result of the campaigns, it was annexed by Vladimir to the Kyiv state. Around the same time, the Galician land was annexed to it.

The authorities in the Galicia-Volyn principality were the prince, as well as the boyar council and the veche. However, their role was slightly different than in Kievan Rus.

All supreme power formally belonged to the prince, who stood at the head of the state. He had the right to make laws, and also had the right to judge and exercise central control over the entire state. But at the same time, the boyars could challenge the will of the prince. Only in the event of an agreement with them, all power was concentrated in his hands (if an agreement was not reached, then power passed to the boyar aristocracy).

Within their domains, the prince's vassals received (as a rule, along with their position) the right to judge. In the boyar estates, absolutely all judicial powers were in the hands of the boyars themselves. And even though princely judicial bodies were established locally with tiuns directed by the prince himself, they could not go against the boyar power.

Also, the ruling prince had to head a military organization, collect taxes and mint coins through persons appointed by him, as well as carry out foreign policy relations with other states and countries.

The main form of government in the Galicia-Volyn land was a monarchy (early feudal), but there was also a duumvirate. So, from one thousand two hundred and forty-five, Danilo Galitsky ruled the state together with his brother Vasilko, who owned most of Volyn.

As in many other lands of Rus', there was a veche in the Galicia-Volyn principality, but here it did not have any influence on political life and did not have clear working regulations. Quite often, the prince himself convened a veche, asking for popular support in certain everyday and political decisions.

It was formed in 1199 as a result of the unification of the Vladimir-Volyn land and the city of Galich by a descendant - Roman Mstislavich. At the time, the Galicia-Volyn principality was one of the most developed and largest principalities. It included about 9 lands and several territories of modern regions.

The princes of the Galicia-Volyn principality actively pursued foreign policy in central and eastern Europe. The main competitors located in the vicinity of the principality were the Polish and Hungarian kingdoms, the Cumans, and closer to the middle of the 13th century also from.

Mutual relations with Poland, Hungary and Lithuania

The Galician-Volyn state, centered in Galich, found itself in the hands of Poland and Hungary after the death of Roman Mstislavich in 1214. However, already in 1238 - 1264. The Galicia-Volyn principality regains strength and independence thanks to Mstislav the Udal and the son of Roman Mstislavich - Daniil.

Social system of the Galicia-Volyn principality

The main feature of the social system of the principality was that almost all land holdings there were under the control of a large group of boyars. The patrimonial people played an important role; they fought against the unjust, in their opinion, princely power, which tried to limit their rights in their favor. The other group included serving feudal lords. Most often, they owned land only while they were in service. They provided the prince with an army, which consisted of peasants dependent on them. This was a support for the Galician princes in the fight against the boyars.

At the top of the feudal ladder were the ecclesiastical nobility. They owned spacious lands and peasants. The main part of the rural population of the Galicia-Volyn principality were peasants. There were more than 80 different cities on the territory of the principality. The majority of the urban population were artisans. There were many workshops here, and the products they produced went to domestic and foreign markets. Salt trade also brought in good income.

State system of the Galicia-Volyn principality

Despite the power of the large boyars, the Galicia-Volyn principality maintained its unity longer than other Russian lands. The Galician boyars were in charge, deciding who would sit at the princely table and who should be removed. They exercised their power with the help of a boyar council, which included large landowners, bishops and people in high government positions. Due to the fact that there were boyars on the council, we can say with confidence that the entire state administrative apparatus was in its power.

The princes of the Galicia-Volyn principality sometimes convened, but they did not have much influence, since there was a palace-patrimony system of government.

The legal system of the principality was practically no different from the system of other Russian lands. The rule (with minor changes) also extended to the territory of the Galicia-Volyn principality. The princes issued a number of regulations that are worthy of mention, these are:

• Charter of Ivan Berladnik (1134);
• Manuscript of Prince Vladimir Vasilkovich;
• Charter of Mstislav Daniilovich (1289).

Prerequisites for the collapse of the Galicia-Volyn principality

Being in feudal dependence on the Golden Horde, relations between it and the Galician-Volyn principality sharply worsened, the sons of Daniel led, this entailed the weakening of the principality. The collapse of the Galicia-Volyn principality occurred due to the increasing influence of Poland and Lithuania on it, as well as due to the simultaneous death of Leo and Andrei Yuryevich in 1323. In 1339, the Principality of Galicia was completely captured by Poland, and in 1382, Poland and Lithuania divided Volyn between themselves.

Southwestern Rus'

§ 32. Principalities of Volyn and Galicia; their connection

At the same time as the Suzdal principality grew and strengthened in the northeast of Rus', on the southwestern outskirts of the Russian land the Volyn and Galician lands began to develop and grow rich, uniting around 1200 into one strong principality.

The Volyn land with the main city of Vladimir Volynsky occupied places along the right bank of the Western Bug and extended through the upper reaches of Pripyat to the Southern Bug. It received its name from the ancient city of Volyn and the tribe of Volynians (Buzhans, Dulebs) that inhabited it. Since ancient times it was subordinated to the Kyiv princes. From the middle of the 12th century. it formed its own princely line - the senior Monomakhovichs. Famous prince Izyaslav Mstislavich(§18) was founded in Volyn and Kyiv mined from here. From here Kyiv and his son searched Mstislav Izyaslavich . Thus, the Volyn princes, like their brothers and uncles, the younger Suzdal Monomakhovichs, acquired a permanent “fatherland” in Volyn and wanted to annex old Kyiv to it. Son of Mstislav Izyaslavich Roman Mstislavich was especially lucky: after a long struggle, he not only managed to take possession of Kiev, where he began to keep princes at his side, but also managed to acquire the Galician principality neighboring Volyn.

The Galician principality consisted of two parts: mountainous and flat. The mountainous part was located on the eastern slopes of the Carpathians and the main city was Galich on the river. Dniester The flat part extended to the north, to the Western Bug, and was called “Cherven cities”, named after the ancient city of Cherven with its suburbs. As a distant outskirts of the Russian land, the Galician land was not attractive to the princes. The Poles had claims to the Cherven cities and more than once took them away from Rus'. The Carpathian highlands were not far from the hostile Ugrians; The restless steppe was close from there. Therefore, the Kyiv princes sent young princes to the Cherven cities, who did not have a unit in other places in Rus'. At the end of the 11th century, by resolution of the Lyubech Congress, the great-grandsons of Yaroslav the Wise, outcasts Vasilko and Volodar, were placed there.

Since then, the Galician outskirts have turned into a special principality. Son of Volodar Volodimirko (d. 1152) united all its cities under his sovereign power and made the capital of the Principality of Galich. He expanded the borders of his possessions, attracted new settlers, settled on his lands prisoners taken in the wars with Kiev and the mornings. In relation to his principality, he played the same role that Yuri Dolgoruky played in the Suzdal region: he was its first organizer. Crafty and cruel, Volodimirko did not leave a good memory. As an example of Volodymyr’s cunning and deceit, the chronicler cites his response to one ambassador when he reminded the prince of the sanctity of the kiss of the cross. “And what do we have to do to create this small cross?” – Volodimirko said with a grin. The work of unification and strengthening of the Galician principality that he began was continued by his son Yaroslav (nicknamed Osmomysl ). During his long reign (1152–1187), Galich achieved great external power. The influx of settlers into the Galician region then came not only from the east, from Rus', but also from the west, from Hungary and Poland. The fertility of the region attracted the population there; Galich's position between Western Europe and Russia contributed to the development of its trade and the prosperity of its cities. The talented Yaroslav skillfully took advantage of favorable circumstances and raised his principality to great heights. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” rightly places Yaroslav in importance next to Vsevolod the Big Nest. They were at that time the strongest princes in Rus'.

After the death of Yaroslav Osmomysl, unrest began in Galich and the line of Galician princes ended there. The Volyn prince took possession of the Galician reign Roman Mstislavich (1199), and thus Volyn and Galich united into one significant state. Although the unrest continued after the death of Roman (1205), his state did not disintegrate, but achieved even greater power during the reign of Roman’s son, Prince Daniil Romanovich(§37).

Just as in the northeast, in Suzdal Rus', the rise of princely power depended on the rapid settlement of the region by Russian settlers, so in the southwest the Volyn and Galician princes became strong and influential due to the fact that their lands began to be filled with newcomers from different directions. But the position of the Galician-Volyn princes was more difficult and dangerous than the position of the Suzdal princes. Firstly, Volyn and Galich had as their neighbors not weak foreigners (as was the case in Suzdal), but strong and warlike peoples: Ugrians, Poles and Lithuanians. Moreover, the steppe enemies of Rus' - the Polovtsians - were also close. Therefore, the Volyn and Galician princes had to always think about protecting their possessions from the north and west, from the Ugric and Polish kings, and not just from the south - from the Polovtsians. In addition, in their political enterprises, these princes themselves were accustomed to using the help of the same Ugrians, Lithuanians and Poles, if they were not at war with them at that moment. Thus, foreign forces inevitably intervened in Volyn-Galician affairs and, if necessary, were ready to seize these principalities into their power (which, as we will see, they later succeeded). Secondly, social life in Volyn, and especially in Galich, developed in such a way that, next to the princely autocracy, a strong aristocracy arose there in the form of the princely boyars, the senior squad, which, together with the princes, destroyed the importance of city veche meetings, and then began to influence and on the princes themselves. Even such smart and talented princes as Yaroslav Osmomysl and Roman had to reckon with the boyars’ self-will. Prince Roman tried to break the boyars with open persecution, saying that “you can’t crush the bees - you can’t eat honey.” However, the boyars were not exterminated by Roman and after Roman took an active part in the unrest, along with external enemies, weakening the strength of the Galician and Volyn lands.

To really understand history well, you need to mentally imagine the era of interest, the spirit of its times and the main characters. Today we will take a short trip to medieval Rus' through the picturesque lands of Galicia and Volyn.

What is it like, Rus' of the 12th-13th centuries?

First of all, it is divided into small states, each of which lives according to its own laws and has its own ruler (prince). This phenomenon was called Rus. In each principality, people speak a certain dialect of the Russian language, which depends on the geographical location of the territory.

The structure of Rus' is also interesting. Historians distinguish two classes - the ruling elite, consisting of the nobility (influential boyars), and the class of dependent peasants. For some reason there were always much more of the latter.

Representatives of another class lived in large cities - artisans. These people had a remarkable ability to create authentic things. Thanks to them, wood carving appeared, known not only in Russia, but also abroad. In a few words we talked about medieval Rus', then there will be exclusively the history of the Galicia-Volyn principality.

Lands included in the principality

The young state, the development of which began under Roman Mstislavovich, consisted of different lands. What were these territories? The state included Galician, Volyn, Lutsk, Polesie, Kholmsky, Zvenigorod and Terebovlyan lands. As well as part of the territories of modern Moldova, Transcarpathia, Podolia and Podlasie.

Like various puzzles, these plots of land succinctly formed the Galician-Volyn principality (the geographical location and neighboring countries of the young state will be described in the next chapter).

Location of the principality

The Galicia-Volyn principality is located on the territory. The geographical position of the new association was obviously advantageous. It combined three aspects:

• location in the center of Europe;
• comfortable climate;
• fertile lands that invariably produce good harvests.

The favorable location also meant a variety of neighbors, but not all of them were friendly to the young state.

In the east, the young tandem had a long border with Kiev and the Turovo-Pinsk principality. Relations between the fraternal peoples were friendly. But the countries in the west and north were not particularly fond of the young state. Poland and Lithuania always wanted to control Galicia and Volhynia, which they eventually achieved in the 14th century.

In the south, the state was adjacent to the Golden Horde. Relations with our southern neighbor have always been difficult. This is due to serious cultural differences and the presence of disputed territories.

Brief historical background

The principality arose in 1199, due to the confluence of two circumstances. The first was quite logical - the location of two culturally close territories nearby (Galicia and Volyn) and unfriendly neighboring countries (the Polish Kingdom and the Golden Horde). The second is the emergence of a strong political figure - Prince Roman Mstislavovich. The wise ruler was well aware that the larger the state, the easier it was for him to resist a common enemy, and that culturally close peoples would get along in one state. His plan paid off, and at the end of the 12th century a new formation appeared.

Who weakened the young state? People from the Golden Horde were able to shake the Galician-Volyn principality. The development of the state ended at the end of the 14th century.

Wise rulers

Over the 200 years of the state's existence, different people have been in power. Wise princes are a real find for Galicia and Volyn. So, who managed to bring peace and quiet to this long-suffering territory? Who were these people?

• Yaroslav Vladimirovich Osmomysl, the predecessor of Roman Mstislavovich, was the first to come to the territories in question. Was able to successfully establish himself at the mouth of the Danube.
• Roman Mstislavovich - unifier of Galicia and Volyn.
• Danila Romanovich Galitsky is the son of Roman Mstislavovich. He again brought together the lands of the Galician-Volyn principality.

Subsequent rulers of the principality turned out to be less strong-willed. In 1392, the Galician-Volyn principality ceased to exist. The princes were unable to resist external opponents. As a result, Volyn became Lithuanian, Galicia went to Poland, and Chervona Rus - to the Hungarians.

Specific people created the Galicia-Volyn principality. The princes, whose achievements are described in this chapter, contributed to the prosperity and victories of the young state in the southwest of Rus'.

Relations with neighbors and foreign policy

Influential countries surrounded the Galicia-Volyn principality. The geographical position of the young state implied conflicts with its neighbors. The nature of foreign policy strongly depended on the historical period and the specific ruler: there were striking campaigns of conquest, and there was also a period of forced cooperation with Rome. The latter was carried out for the purpose of protection from the Poles.

The conquests of Danila Galitsky made the young state one of the strongest in Eastern Europe. The unifying prince pursued a wise foreign policy towards Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland and Hungary. He managed to spread influence over Kievan Rus in 1202-1203. As a result, the people of Kiev had no choice but to accept the new ruler.

No less interesting is the political triumph of Danila Galitsky. When he was a child, chaos reigned in the territory of Volyn and Galicia. But, having matured, the young heir followed in his father’s footsteps. Under Danil Romanovich, the Galician-Volyn principality reappeared. The prince significantly expanded the territory of his state: he annexed his eastern neighbor and part of Poland (including the city of Lublin).

Unique culture

History impartially shows that every influential state creates its own authentic culture. It is by this that people recognize him.

The cultural characteristics of the Galicia-Volyn principality are very diverse. We will look at the architecture of medieval cities.

Stone cathedrals and castles characterize the Galicia-Volyn region. The land was rich in similar buildings). In the 12-13th centuries, a unique architectural school was formed in the lands of Galicia and Volyn. She absorbed both the traditions of Western European masters and the techniques of the Kyiv school. Local craftsmen created such architectural masterpieces as the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir-Volynsky and the Church of St. Panteleimon in Galich.

An interesting state in the south of Rus' - the Principality of Galicia-Volyn (we already know its geographical location) has gone down in history forever. Its unique history and picturesque nature invariably attract lovers of exploring the world to it.