The
Prince of Novgorod ' onMouseout='HidePop("7899")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Knyaz">knyaz
Kniaz’, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
novgorodskii) was the chief executive of Novgorod the Great.
The
Prince of Novgorod ' onMouseout='HidePop("7899")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Knyaz">knyaz
Kniaz’, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
novgorodskii) was the chief executive of Novgorod the Great. The office was originally an appointed one until the late eleventh or early twelfth century, then became something of an elective one until the fourteenth century, after which the
Prince of VladimirVladimir-Suzdal Principality or Vladimir-Suzdal Rus’ was a principality which succeeded Kievan Rus' as the most powerful Rus' state in the late 12th century and lasted until the late 14th century...
(who was almost always the Prince of Moscow) was almost invariably the Prince of Novgorod as well.
The office began sometime in the ninth century when, according to tradition, the Viking (Varangian) Riurik and his brothers were invited to rule over the Eastern Slavs, but real reliable information on the office dates only to the late tenth century when Vladimir the Great was prince of Novgorod. The office or title technically continued up until the abdication of Nicholas II in 1917 - among one of his titles (although his list of titles was rarely given in complete form) was Prince of Novgorod the Great.
After the chief Rurikid prince moved to
KievKiev or Kyiv , is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300...
in the late ninth century, he usually sent either his son or a
posadnikPosadnik was the mayor in some East Slavic cities or towns. Most notably, the posadnik was the mayor of Novgorod and Pskov...
(mayor), to rule on his behalf. Thus Sviatoslav I sent his son Vladimir the Great to rule in Novgorod, and after Vladimir became Grand Prince of Kiev, he sent his son, Yaroslav the Wise to reign in Novgorod.
Republican period
From the early twelfth century to 1478, the prince's power in the Republic of Novgorod was more nominal. Imperial and Soviet-era scholars often argued that the office was ineffectual after 1136, when Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich was dismissed by the Novgorodians, and that Novgorod could invite and dismiss its princes at will. In this way, the prince of Novgorod was no longer "ruler" of Novgorod but became an elective or appointed executive official of the city-state.
That being said, the traditional view of the prince being invited in or dismissed at will is an oversimplification of a long and complex history of the office. In fact, from the late tenth century to the fall of Novgorod in 1478, the princes of Novgorod were dismissed and invited only about half the time, and the vast majority of these cases occurred between 1095 and 1293, and not consistently so during that period. That is, the office was elective for perhaps two centuries and even then it was not always elective.. Even during this period, the nadir of princely power in the city, more powerful princes could assert their power independently over the city, as did
Mstislav the BoldMstislav Mstislavich the Bold was one of the most popular and active princes of Kievan Rus' in the decades preceding Mongol invasion of Rus. He was the maternal grandfather of Alexander Nevsky and the prince Leo of Galicia....
in the early 1200s,
Alexander NevskySaint Alexander Nevsky was the Grand Prince of Novgorod and Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history...
in the 1240s and 50s, his brother Iaroslav in the 1260s and 70s, and others.
According to a remark in the chronicles, Novgorod had the right, after 1196, to pick their prince of their own free will, but again, the evidence indicates that even after that, princes were chosen and dismissed only about half the time, and Novgorod often chose the most powerful prince in Rus' as their prince. That usually meant that the prince in Kiev, Vladimir or Moscow (who retained the title Grand Prince of Vladimir from about the 1320s onward, although there were several interruptions), either took the title himself or appointed his son or other relative to be prince of Novgorod. At times other princes, from
TverTver is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Tver Oblast. Population: 405,500 ; 408,903 . Tver, which is located north of Moscow, was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in Imperial Russia with population of 60,000 onJanuary 14, 1913...
,
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
, and elsewhere, also vied for the Novgorodian throne. Thus Novgorod did not really choose its prince, but considering the political climate, they often very prudently went with the most senior or most powerful prince in the land if he did not impose himself (or his candidate) upon them.
What was different about Novgorod, then, was not so much that Novgorod could freely choose its princes - it really couldn't. Rather, what was unique was that no princely dynasty managed to establish itself within the city and take permanent control over the city. Rather, while other Rus' cities had established dynasties, the more powerful princes vied for control of Novgorod the Great, a most-desirable city to control given the vast wealth (from trade in furs) that flowed into the city in the medieval period..
In the absence of firmer princely control the local elites, the boyars, took control of the city and the offices of
posadnikPosadnik was the mayor in some East Slavic cities or towns. Most notably, the posadnik was the mayor of Novgorod and Pskov...
and tysiatsky became elective. The
vecheVeche was a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries, and in late medieval period. Veche can be compared to the ecclesia of Classical Athens and other Old Greek polises....
(public assembly) played a not insignificant role in public life, although the precise makeup of the veche and its powers is uncertain and still contested among historians. The posadnik, tysiatsky, and even the
local bishop or archbishopThe Archbishop of Novgorod is the head of the eparchy of Novgorod the Great and is one of the oldest offices in the Russian Orthodox Church. The archbishops have, in fact, been among the most important figures in medieval Russian history and culture and their successors continued to play...
(after 1165) were elected at the veche, and it is said the veche invited and dismissed the prince as well.
List of princes
- Burivoi (legendary Slovene ruler)
- Gostomysl
Gostomysl is a legendary 9th-century posadnik of Novgorod who was introduced into the historiography by Vasily Tatishchev, an 18th-century historian. Gostomysl's rule is associated with the confederation of Northern tribes, which was formed to counter the Varangian threat in the mid-9th century...
(legendary Slovene ruler)
- Riurik
- Oleg (H-L-G-W ?)
Oleg of Novgorod was a Varangian prince who ruled all or part of the Rus people during the early tenth century. He is credited with moving the capital of Rus from Novgorod the Great to Kiev and, in doing so, he laid the foundation of the powerful state of Kievan Rus...
, fl. 911/12
- Igor
Igor was a Varangian ruler of Kievan Rus from 912 to 945.-Biography:...
, 913-944 x
- Olga
Saint Olga was a ruler of Kievan Rus as regent for her son, Svyatoslav.-Biography:...
, fl. 955-957
- Sviatoslav Igorevich
Sviatoslav I Igorevich , also spelled Svyatoslav, was a warrior prince of Kievan Rus...
, 941-969
- Vladimir the Great, 969-977
- Iaropolk Sviatoslavich, 977-979
- Vladimir the Great (again), 979-988
- Viacheslav Vladimirovich, 988-1010
- Iaroslav the Wise, 1010-1034
- Vladimir Iaroslavich
Vladimir Yaroslavich reigned as prince of Novgorod from 1036 until his death. He was the eldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise of Kiev by Ingigerd, daughter of king Olaf Skötkonung of Sweden....
, 1034-1052
- Iziaslav Iaroslavich
Iziaslav Yaroslavich , Kniaz' , Veliki Kniaz of Kiev , King of Rus'.-Biography:...
, 1052-1054
- Mstislav Iziaslavich, 1055-1067
- Gleb Sviatoslavich, 1055-1067
- -
- Gleb Sviatoslavich, 1069-1073
- -
- Gleb Sviatoslavich, 1077-1078
- Sviatopolk Iziaslavich
Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich was supreme ruler of the Kievan Rus for 20 years, from 1093 to 1113. He was not a popular prince, and his reign was marked by incessant rivalry with his cousin Vladimir Monomakh...
, 1078-1088
- Mstislav Vladimirovich ("the Great"), 1088-1094
- Davyd Sviatoslavich, 1094-1095
- Mstislav Vladimirovich (again), 1095-1117
- Vsevolod Mstislavich
Vsevolod Mstislavich , the patron saint of the city of Pskov, ruled as Prince of Novgorod in 1117-32, Prince of Pereslavl and Prince of Pskov in 1137-38.- Early life :...
, 1117-1132
- Sviatopolk Mstislavich, 1132
- Vsevolod Mstislavich (again), 1132-1136
- Sviatoslav Ol'govich, 1136-1138
- Sviatopolk Mstislavich (again), 1138
- Rostislav Iurevich, 1138-1140
- Sviatoslav Ol'govich (again), 1140-1141
- Sviatoslav Vsevolodich, 1141
- Rostislav Iurevich (again), 1141-1142
- Sviatopolk Mstislavich, 1142-1148
- Iaroslav Iziaslavich
Yaroslav II Iziaslavich , Prince of Turov , Novgorod , Lutsk and Grand Prince of Kiev . He was the son of Iziaslav II of Kiev and the brother of Mstislav II of Kiev....
, 1148-1154
- Rostislav Mstislavich, 1154
- Davyd Rostislavich of Smolensk, 1154-1155
- Mstislav Iurevich, 1155-1158
- Sviatoslav Rostislavich of Smolensk, 1158-1160
- Mstislav Rostislavich
Mstislav Rostislavich Bezokii, or Mstislav "The Eyeless" , was Prince of Rostov and Prince of Novgorod the Great...
("the Eyeless"), 1160-1161
- Sviatoslav Rostislavich, 1161-1168
- Roman Mstislavich
Roman Mstislavich was the Prince of Novgorod, Volodymyr, Halych and Kiev. Also known as Roman the Great....
, 1168-1170
- Riurik Rostislavich, 1170-1171
- Iuri Andreevich, 1171-1175
- Sviatoslav Mstislavich, 1175-1176
- Mstislav Rostislavich the Eyeless (again), 1177
- Iaroslav Mstislavich, 1177
- Mstislav Rostislavich "the Eyeless" (3rd time), 1177-1178
- Iaropolk Rostislavich, 1178
- Roman Rostislavich, 1178-1179
- Mstislav Rostislavich
Mstislav Rostislavich , known as "The Brave" , was Prince of Smolensk and Prince of Novgorod. He should not be confused with another prince of the same name, Mstislav Rostislavich Bezokii , who was Prince of Rostov and also Prince of Novgorod and who died...
("the Bold"), 1179-1180
- Vladimir Sviatoslavich, 1180-1181
- Iaroslav Vladimirovich, 1182-1184
- Mstislav-Boris Davydovich, 1184-1187
- Iaroslav Vladimirovich (again), 1187-1196
- Iaropolk Iaroslavich, 1197
- Iaroslav Vladimirovich (3rd time), 1197-1199
- Sviatoslav Vsevolodich, 1200-1205
- Konstantin Vsevolodich, 1205-1207
- Sviatoslav Vsevolodich (again), 1207-1210
- Mstislav Mstislavich, 1210-1215
- Iaroslav Vsevolodich
Yaroslav II , Christian name Theodor , was the Grand Prince of Vladimir who helped to restore his country and capital after the Mongol invasion of Russia.-Prince of Pereyaslav:...
, 1215-1216
- Mstislav Mstislavich (again), 1216-1218
- Sviatoslav Mstislavich, 1218-1219
- Vsevolod Mstislavich, 1219-1221
- Vsevolod Iurevich (Dmitry), 1221
- Iaroslav Vsevolodich (again), 1221-1223
- Vsevolod Iurevich (again), 1223-1224
- Mikhail Vsevolodich
Saint Michael of Chernigov or Mikhail Vsevolodovich was a Rus' prince...
, 1225
- Iaroslav Vsevolodich (3rd time), 1224-1228
- Fedor Iaroslavich, 1228-1229
- Aleksandr Iaroslavich
Saint Alexander Nevsky was the Grand Prince of Novgorod and Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history...
("Nevsky"), 1228-1229
- Mikhail Vsevolodich (again), 1229
- Rostislav Mikhailovich, 1229-1230
- Iaroslav Vsevolodich (4th time), 1230-1236
- Aleksandr Iaroslavich (again), 1236-1240
- Andrei Iaroslavich, 1241
- Aleksandr Iaroslavich (3rd time), 1241-1252
- Vasily Aleksandrovich, 1252-1255
- Iaroslav Iaroslavich, 1255
- Vasily Aleksandrovich (again), 1255-1258
- Aleksandr Iaroslavich (4th time), 1258-1260
- Dmitry Aleksandrovich, 1260-1263
- Vasily Iaroslavich, 1264-1272
- Dmitry Aleksandrovich (again), 1272-1273
- Vasily Iaroslavich (again), 1273-1276
- Dmitry Aleksandrovich (3rd time), 1276-1281
- Andrei Aleksandrovich, 1281-1285
- Dmitry Aleksandrovich (4th time), 1285-1292
- Andrei Aleksandrovich (again), 1292-1304
- Mikhail Iaroslavich, 1308-1314
- Afanasii Daniilovich, 1314-1315
- Mikhail Iaroslavich (again), 1315-1316
- Afanasii Daniilovich, 1318-1322
- Iurii Daniilovich
Yuriy Danilovich, also known as Georgiy Danilovich was Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir ....
, 1322-1325
- Aleksandr Mikhailovich, 1325-1327
- Ivan Daniilovich (Kalita, "the Money-bag"), 1328-1337
- Semen Ivanovich, 1346-1353
- Ivan Ivanovich, 1355-1359
- Dmitry Konstantinovich
Dmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal , was a powerful Prince of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod who dominated Russian politics during the minority of his son-in-law, Dmitri Donskoi. The famous Shuisky family descends from his eldest son, Vasily Kirdyapa.A senior descendant of Vsevolod the Big Nest, he...
, 1359-1363
- Dmitry Ivanovich
Saint Dmitriy Ivanovich Donskoy , or Dmitriy of the Don, sometimes referred to as Dmitriy I , son of Ivan II Krasnyi, reigned as the Prince of Moscow from 1359 and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1363 to his death. He was the first prince of Moscow to openly challenge Tatar authority in Russia...
(Donskoi), 1363-1389
- Lengvenis
Lengvenis was one of the sons of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and the ruler of Great Novgorod . He was know for his skills as a military leader....
(Lugveny (Semen) Olgerdovich), 1389-1407
- Vasily Dmitr'evich, 1408-1425
- Vasily Vasil'evich, 1425-1462
- Ivan Vasil'evich ("the Great"), 1462-1480
External links