Meanwhile the Bishop of Novgorod went to Kief with a number of notables, and said to Vsevolod: “Give us thy son; we want not thy brother.” Vsevolod consented, and sent his son, Sviatoslav. While the young prince was traveling toward Novgorod, people sent secondly to Vsevolod: “We want neither thy son, nor any man of thy family. Give us a son of Mystislav.” Hereupon Vsevolod detained the bishop and notables, and, not wishing to see a man of Monomach’s line prince in Novgorod, summoned his wife’s brothers, Sviatopolk and Vladimir, and gave them the Brest principality. “Think not of Novgorod,” said he, “let it have whatever prince pleases it.” After that, Novgorod was nine months without a prince, which for that proud city was unendurable. Grain was stopped by Yuri of Suzdal, and the price of food was enormous. The party hostile to Kief, which found favor with Yuri, rose in strength and increased greatly. They invited Yuri to Novgorod. He was not willing to go himself, but he sent his son, Rotislav. Vsevolod saw now that he had erred in not sending a brother-in-law, hence he vented his rage against Yuri. He took possession of Gorodok, Yuri’s capital, and seized his herds in southern regions. That did not settle the Novgorod question, however. Izyaslav, brother of Vsevolod’s wife, and prince now in Pereyaslavl, sent to his sister a message, which contained these words: “Get Novgorod for Sviatopolk, thy brother.” She set to work, and finally Vsevolod consented. He saw, of course, without any advice, that for him his wife’s brother in Novgorod was better than a son of Prince Yuri. Besides, the expulsion of Yuri’s son in favor of one of his nephews would widen the breach between Yuri and all his near relatives, a thing most desirable for Vsevolod. When men heard in Novgorod that Sviatopolk was coming, and with him the bishop and notables, the opponents of Yuri rose in power again, for the city must choose to retain Yuri’s son, and be hostile to Vsevolod and all his adherents, or receive Sviatopolk and have Yuri alone as an enemy. Sviatopolk was installed, and Rostislav sent away to his father. Thus was the question decided. Vsevolod, double-dealing and shifty at all times, had promised the succession of Kief both to Igor, his own brother, and also to his wife’s brother, Izyaslav, who, as if selected for the place, had Pereyaslavl for his portion. Igor had the promise renewed in Galitch, when he made peace between the Kief prince and Vladimirko, the latter guaranteeing his aid to obtain the position. In 1145 Vsevolod, in presence of his cousins and brothers—Izyaslav also was in the assembly—declared Igor to be his successor. “Vladimir Monomach,” said the prince, “placed Mystislav, his son, on the Kief throne. Mystislav gave Kief to Yaropolk, his brother. Whenever God calls for me, Kief will go to Igor.”