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IGOR SVYATOSLAVICH (ca 1150 - 1202)

 
   
 

He was the son of Svyatoslav Ol'govich, appanage prince of Chernigiv and a daughter of Petril, posadnik of Novgorod. He married a daughter of Yaroslav Vladimirovich Osmomysl, appanage prince of Galich. Their sons were Vladimir, appanage prince of Putivl; Roman, Svyatoslav, Oleg, Rostislav, prince of Chernigiv and they had a daughter who married her cousin,David Ol'govich, prince of Chernigiv. Igor was appanage prince of Novgorod-Severia from 1178 and then appanage prince of Chernigiv from 1199. He appears on this family chart. and on this chart.
Igor became one of the most famous of all Rus Princes due to his being the subject of the great epic poem (Lay of the Host of Igor) which describes his losing campaign against the Polovtsi in 1185. He undertook this rash campaign without prior coordination with most other princes, especially Svyatoslav, prince of Kyiv. Igor's son, Vladimir, went on the campaign and was captured along with his father. Vladimir married a daughter of the Polovtsi Khan, Konchak. His brother, Vsyevolod joined him enroute. They also had a detachment of Torks sent by prince Yaroslav Vsyevolodovich of Chernigiv. They were successful at first and captured the Polovtsi camp when the latter executed their usual retreat. But the following day they found themselves surrounded. They fought their way out for three days. At that point the Torks began to retire. Igor was captured along with his brother and son and a few other survivors. Eventually Igor escaped and his son was released two years later.

 
     

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