Council of Liubech

The Council of Liubech (sometimes referred to as the Liubech Conference)[1] ([Лю́бецький з'їзд] Error: {{Langx}}: invalid parameter: |a= (help), Russian: Любечский съезд) was one of the best documented princely meetings in Kievan Rus' that took place in Liubech (today in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine) on October 19, 1097.[2] The council ended the Chernihiv war of succession [uk; ru] (1093–1097) between Sviatopolk II of Kiev, Vladimir II Monomakh and Oleg I of Chernigov who fought for the heritage of his father Sviatoslav II of Kiev.[3]

Monument in Liubech (1997) by Giennadij Jerszow

The council, initiated by Vladimir Monomakh, brought together Sviatopolk II, Vasylko Rostyslavych, Davyd Sviatoslavich, Oleg I, and other Rus' princes. It aimed to stop the Chernigov war of succession,[4] to pacify the people, and to present a unified front against the Polovtsy (Cumans). It resulted in the division of Kievan Rus' among the princes, letting their immediate families inherit them. This broke a rota system (lestvichnoe pravo) that had been followed in Kievan Rus' for two centuries which saw the oldest son take the throne and was ruled by a succession of the eldest. Further, rulership of certain regions were never stable but shifted gradually upwards.[2]

As a result, each prince within Kievan Rus’ was given his principality as patrimonial domain.[5]

Following the conference in the second-quarter of the 12th century, historical chronicles began mentioning local princes as the growing issue became the regularization of relations between local princes and their individual clan estates, or principalities.[6]

  1. ^ Gerasimov, Ilya (2023). "Political Ecology". A New Imperial History of Northern Eurasia, 600–1700: 5–35. doi:10.5040/9781350196834.0005.
  2. ^ a b "Состоялся Любечский съезд русских князей". Президентская библиотека имени Б.Н. Ельцина (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  3. ^ Martin 1995, p. 30–32, 55.
  4. ^ Martin 1995, p. 55.
  5. ^ Curta, Florin (2019). Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300) (2 Vols). Boston: BRILL. p. 301. ISBN 978-90-04-39519-0. OCLC 1111434007.
  6. ^ Gerasimov (2023): 131.