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He was the eldest son of
Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruki, prince of Suzdal. He became prince of
Chernigiv for his father then of Novgorod around
1139-41, and then Pereyaslavl around 1149-50. His sons were
Mstislav Bezokii, prince of Rostov; and
Yaropolk, prince of Suzdal. Rostislav Yur'evich
(birth unknown, died in 1151 ) The names of his mother and wife are not known.
The family is shown on this chart.
During his father's struggle for the unity of the Russian lands, Rostislav had
to flee Novgorod on several occasions as one or another sides gained the upper
hand. What resulted was chaos because of the pressure on the Novgorodians by
Yuri Dolgoruki to force the boyars to join him in his fight with Vsevolod
Chernigovski, the Great Prince of Kiev. When the boyars fell out of line, Yuri
took immediate steps to bring them back such as cutting off their main supply
route of Riazan and Suzdal grain at the river Msta and taking the town of
Torzhok which he used to curtail their trade. This was the form of economic
sanctions in the 12th century. In 1169, the Novgorodians were victorious over
the Suzdalians. The battle is depicted on an icon of the 15th century. The icon
is divided into three parts. On the top we see praying Novgorodians turning for
help to the miraculous icon of the Virgin of the Sign ("Znamenie"),
which is carried in a procession from the Church of the Savior at Ilyin Street,
to the Novgorod Kremlin and the Saint Sophia Cathedral on the opposite side of
the river Volkhov. In the middle we see the Suzdalians in attack, with a shower
of their arrows hitting the miraculous icon, behind which stand unhurt
Novgorodians. At the bottom the Novgorodian army, headed by Saints Boris, Gleb,
George and Dmtri of Salonika, whom the Virgin sent to lead them, rushes out of
the Kremlin and attacks the Suzdalians. We even see an angel hitting them from
above with his sword. As a document that shows architectural objects in
Novgorod, including the bridge, the costumes, weapons, the faces of the
Novgorodians, their religious procession, the armies etc., this icon is
executed with great skill. The painter conveys vividly the dramatic tension of
the moment through the motion of the figures, particularly the two armies.
Soldiers with their weapons, shields and banners, of whom we only see the faces
of those in the front row, serve as a background for the leading participants
in the scene. All others are shown as a compact mass of helmets. In the
Novgorod Museum there is an old icon painted on both sides. On the front we see
Saint Peter and Saint Nathalie praying to Christ; the opposite side is
completely lost; and we are told that this is that famous icon that shielded
against enemy attacks and saved the Novgorodians.
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