Mstislav Rostislavich

Who was 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 in 1178.

Mstislav was the fourth of five sons of Rostislav Mstislavich, who was briefly Grand Prince of Kiev in 1167. Mstislav himself married twice; his first wife was a daughter of Iaroslav Iziaslavich of Volynia, while his second wife, whom he married sometime before 1176, was a daughter of Gleb Rostislavich of Riazan.

Mstislav was Prince of Belgorod in 1161 and again from 1171 to 1173, and Prince of Smolensk from 1175 to 1177. In 1168, he was one of thirteen princes of Rus' who, under Grand Prince Mstislav Iziaslavich, defeated the Polovtsy in a major battle on the steppe. The following year, he and his brother Roman along with the son of Andrey Bogolyubsky, besieged Novgorod the Great but Bogolyubsky's army was defeated in battle. In 1171, Mstislav and his brothers helped place their uncle, Vladimir Mstislavich of Dorogobuzh, on the Kievan throne, although he was soon deposed. In 1172 and 1173, Mstislav also helped his brothers, Roman Rostislavich and then Rurik, take the throne in Kiev. In 1174, Andrey Bogolyubsky sent an ambassador to Kiev to demand that the Rostislavichi leave the city and return it to Andrey's branch of the family. In reply, Mstislav shaved the head and beard of an envoy and sent him back to Andrey, an act which was not only a sign of disrespect, but may also be seen as a forcible tonsure of the man. It was also in violation of the law as the Russkaya Pravda set a fine of 12 grivnas for shaving a man's beard. For this offense, Andrey attacked Mstislav and besieged him in the town of Vyshgorod for nine weeks but was unable to take him or the city.