George Dolgorouki had established colonies in Souzdal. The land was
his, the colonists were his subjects. He was no longer merely the
defender, he was the owner, not the duke, but the prince. There was no
vetche or popular assembly in his possessions. His son, Andrew
Bogolioubski, was brought up and educated amid these conditions, more
in conformity with those prevailing in Greece and other parts of
Europe, where the people were supposed to exist for the sole benefit
of their prince. It was he who ruined Kief, and the fall of that city
foretold the doom of Novgorod. "The fall of Kief," says a Russian
author,[2] "seemed to foreshadow the loss of Novgorod liberty; it was
the same army, and it was the same prince who commanded it. But the
people of Kief, accustomed to change their masters,--to sacrifice the
vanquished to the victors,--only fought for the honor of their dukes,
while those of Novgorod were to shed their blood for the defense of
the laws and institutions established by their ancestors."
[Footnote 2: Karamsin.]
During his father's life, Andrew left his castle on the Dnieper, and
moved northward to Vladimir which town he enlarged, and where he founded
a quarter named Bogolioubovo, whence his name of Bogolioubski. (p. 055)
After the death of George Dolgorouki, Andrew first made a successful
campaign against the Bulgarians, and then, after sacking Kief, he
turned his attention toward Novgorod, where he had established one of
his nephews. The cause of the quarrel is not known, but Andrew began
by compelling the neighboring dukes to join him, and overran the
territory of the republic with fire and sword. The people of Novgorod,
remembering the fate of Kief, were prepared to die in the defense of
the city. The siege commenced. One day the Archbishop took the
eikon--image--of the Virgin, which was carried around in solemn
procession. It was struck by an arrow shot by a Souzdalian soldier,
when miraculous tears appeared upon its face. The besiegers were
struck by a panic, and the people of Novgorod sallied out, killed a
number of the enemy, and took so many prisoners that "you could get
six Souzdalians for a grivna." Whatever may have been the value of
that coin, the market was evidently overstocked with Souzdalians.
Foiled in this attempt, Andrew tried other means. He prohibited the
sale of grain to the people of Novgorod, who were thereby compelled to
make peace. They did not surrender any of their privileges but
accepted as their duke the prince selected by Andrew.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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