Who Ruled in Novgorod in the 1050s (and 1020s)?

Abstract

The article deals with the reconstruction of the political governance in Novgorod from the first half to mid-11th century, which was being interpreted very differently due to significant discrepancies in the sources. The Novgorod prince was usually the son of the Kyiv one, but not necessarily the eldest (who could also occupy another see, e.g., of Turov), or even, perhaps, the son of his deceased older brother: Novgorod received special significance also as the previous throne of the most powerful Kyiv princes (Vladimir Svyatoslavich and Yaroslav Vladimirovich). Any prince in Novgorod of this period always ruled alone, without a posadnik, whom the Kyiv prince (often the former Novgorod prince) usually appointed there in those situations when he did not have a sufficiently adult son, and who was his relative, but not a Rurikid. Contrary to the text “And behold [the princes] in Novgorod”, Konstantin Dobrynich was removed and exiled not during the accession of Vladimir Yaroslavich in 1036, but in 1019, 1020, or perhaps even 1021. No later than the war with Mstislav in 1023–1024 begun, Novgorod was ruled again by Yaroslav Vladimirovich himself, and from 1026, when he returned to Kyiv, until 1036, it was apparently ruled by his posadnik. The description of the reign of Ilya Yaroslavich coincides with the facts of the reign of Vladimir Yaroslavich, and Ilya could have been his Christian name. After the death of Vladimir Yaroslavich (1036–1052), Novgorod came back to his father Yaroslav, who did not pass it on to his next eldest son Izyaslav, since he was reigning in Turov in 1054. Yaroslav, who was in Southern Rus’ in 1052–1054, could only have appointed his posadnik to govern Novgorod in 1052—most likely, Ostromir, whose family was closely connected with Vladimir Yaroslavich. After Yaroslav’s death in 1054, Izyaslav, who received both Kyiv and Novgorod, reappointed Ostromir as posadnik, which he remained until at least 1057: he was possibly the last posadnik to rule Novgorod independently, without a local prince. It is quite possible that the Novgorod was in possession of Rostislav Vladimirovich between 1061 (or even earlier) and 1064, and then Mstislav Izyaslavich ruled there only in 1064–1067.

DOI: 10.31168/2305-6754.2025.2.02