The next Prince of Kief was Rurik, son of Rostislav, but he had to get the consent of Big Nest, whom he and his brothers had long recognized as their senior, and esteemed as a father. Big Nest was not opposed to Rurik, for Rurik’s son, Rostislav, had married Verhuslava, his favorite daughter; hence he sent his boyars to confirm the new prince. Soon the relationship was strengthened by another bond: the Prince of Vladimir found a bride in Smolensk for his eldest son, Constantine, who married the daughter of Mystislav, son of Roman the Mild. Later on, this prince became Prince of Kief, and fell in the battle with Mongols on the Kalka.
So Rurik and David grew nearer to the Prince of Vladimir. Since the older line of Monomach, descended from Mystislav the Great, and the younger line, descended from Yuri Dolgoruki, were so united, all the descendants of Monomach were now in accord and friendship.
The great man of Volynia, Roman, had married Rurik’s daughter. The other Volynia princes, heirs of Yaroslav of Lutsk, were insignificant in those days. Roman, who had not shown great respect for Rurik at any time, ceased to care for him after he reached Kief dominion. To Roman’s thinking, the oldest throne in Russia should be held by the strongest of its princes, a man who could [[144]]govern wisely, defend the Russian land in all places, and preserve order so that no prince could offend another, none attack and ravage a neighboring province. “But,” said he, “we see the very opposite. The throne of Kief is seized by senseless rulers, who not only are unable to manage others and stop strife among relatives, but are unable to defend their own borders; hence they bring in pagan Polovtsi, and ruin the country. For this, Big Nest is to blame.” Such was Roman’s opinion of his father-in-law.
Later on, from the enmity of these two men, disputes came among the southern princes. Rurik lost the throne of Kief repeatedly, while Roman, without ruling Kief, acquired so much fame among princes that they saw in him the one southern ruler. Meanwhile both Rurik and Roman recognized the superiority of Big Nest, who mixed in their quarrels, as he did in general in all quarrels of princes, only in so far as those quarrels subserved his own interest; aside from that, he let them alone, and for this many people blamed him. He reinstated certain princes against others, thus weakening one through the other, and finding means to strengthen himself through their dissensions. Rurik, in the first year of his reign, 1195, felt this keen policy of Big Nest. When Rurik ascended the Kief throne, and had been greeted by envoys from Big Nest, he thanked the Vladimir prince with many expressions of friendship. Delighted over his confirmation, he invited his brother David to Kief. “Behold,” said he in a letter, “thou and I are now seniors in Russia. Come hither to Kief to take counsel. We will think over everything, and settle all questions.”
After such an invitation, David went promptly from Smolensk down the Dnieper. Rurik met him at Vyshgorod, and invited him to a banquet. He arranged a great festival for David and his children. They passed the time in rejoicing and gladness. Then Rostislav, heir of the Kief prince, with Verhuslava, his princess, had a family festival in Bailgorod in honor of David, and gave him great gifts. After that David invited the Kief prince and his children to a dinner. Next he gave a feast to all monks, and bestowed many gifts on the poor and on monasteries. Finally he made a feast for the Cherkasi. All drank their fill, and received rich presents at parting. Then the Kief citizens wished to give a dinner to David. He accepted their hospitality, and Kief played [[145]]the host to him. David then could not fail to give a dinner and presents to the citizens of Kief, so he invited them to a feast, and at that feast there was “mighty pleasure for all men.”
While these feasts were in progress the brothers were occupied seriously. They arranged the whole family and divided up all the regions and provinces among them. Rurik rewarded his son-in-law richly. He gave Roman Korchesk, Kaneff, Tripol, Korsun and Bogulov. In one word, the best towns in the Ros region, and kissed the cross not to withdraw them at any time.
When news of these festivals came to the city of Vladimir no special joy was expressed there. Whether Big Nest was offended that nothing had been given him in the south, or whether he wished to cause Rurik and Roman to quarrel with each other is unknown, but he sent envoys to Kief with this message: “Ye have called me the eldest among the descendants of Monomach, and now, my brother and friend, thou hast bestowed all the lands on thy younger brothers, and given me no share whatever. If there be no part for me, let it be so. Thou art in the Kief region apart; to whom thou wilt, thou mayest give, and with them care for it,—I am needed no longer. But we shall see how thou wilt hold Kief without me.”
Confused by a turn so unlooked for, Rurik was ready for any arrangement, and desired Vsevolod to choose from places that he, Rurik, still had at his disposal. But the Prince of Vladimir asked for those very places which Rurik had already given to Roman. Rurik tried to induce Roman to yield the towns, saying that in return he might take whatever places pleased him. Roman would not hear of this. He threatened war. An outcry was raised throughout the whole Kief region. All inclined now toward Roman. They condemned Rurik’s yielding proposal, and pointed with wrath at the action of Big Nest, saying that it recalled the old claims of Yuri Dolgoruki, and his struggle with the grandfather of Roman. They demanded that the metropolitan should examine the papers and treaties preserved in the treasury of Holy Sophia. They pointed out that Rurik’s predecessor had yielded Novgorod in favor of Vsevolod, and let him manage that city on condition that he dropped his claim on Kief. “By the treaties which are still preserved, it is clear,” said they, “that Vsevolod resigned Kief.” But the more they argued, the more did the Vladimir prince insist, and the more threateningly did he inform [[146]]the Kief men that he was ready to meet them, even with war, should the need come.
In this difficulty, Rurik turned for advice to Nikifor, the metropolitan. “We are placed here by God to keep you from bloodshed,” replied the metropolitan. “As I see that you cannot avoid it, because you considered the towns not as belonging to the elder, but the younger, I will remove from you the oath, and take the sin on my own soul. I permit you to take back the towns from the younger, and give them to the elder. But listen to me in this, also: Instead of what thou takest from Roman, give him its equal in value.” Rurik took this advice, promised his son-in-law the full value of what he relinquished, and satisfied him, apparently. In every case when he yielded the Ros towns, Roman sent this submissive answer: “It is not for thee to quarrel with the Prince of Vladimir because of me. Give him the places for which he asks, and because of which he complains of me, and instead of them, thou wilt give me other lands, or the value of them.”
Rurik now announced to Big Nest that he gave him the five towns in question. Thus the affair was ended. The Prince of Vladimir, meanwhile, to the astonishment of all, showed that he did not value the towns, because of which he was ready for war. The principal one he gave back to Rurik immediately. Torchesk he gave to his son-in-law, Rostislav; to the others he paid little heed, sending insignificant men to manage them. Roman saw in this a new slight. Whether he suspected some plan on the part of Rurik, or knew clearly that he was innocent, he lost the last trace of respect which till then he had shown in a small way for his father-in-law. He accused him of inability to rule Kief, and concluded an alliance with Oleg’s descendants against him. He negotiated with them openly to expel the Kief prince; and advised his wife, Rurik’s daughter, to enter a convent.