Encyclopedia of Russian History

Djordjevic, Dimitrije. (1992). “The Yugoslav Phenomenon.” In The Columbia History of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century, ed. Joseph Held. New York: Columbia University Press. Glenny, Misha. (2000). The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. New York: Viking Penguin. Hupchick, Dennis P. (2002). The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism. New York: Palgrave. Jelavich, Barbara. (1974). St. Petersburg and Moscow: Tsarist and Soviet Foreign Policy, 1814-1974. Bloom-ington: Indiana University Press. Rothschild, Joseph, and Wingfield, Nancy M. (2000). Return to Diversity: A Political History of East Central Europe Since World War II. 3rd edition. New York: Oxford University Press.

RICHARD FRUCHT

YURI DANILOVICH

(d. 1325), grand prince of Vladimir and the prince of Moscow who initiated the rivalry for supremacy between Moscow and Tver in northeastern Russia.

1715

YURI VLADIMIROVICH

In 1303 Yuri succeeded his father Daniel Yaroslavich to Moscow. After Grand Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Vladimir died in 1304, Yuri challenged Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tver for the grand princely throne. He visited Khan Tokhta in Saray, intending to buy the patent for Vladimir with gifts, but Mkhail won. Because Yuri rejected the decision, Mikhail attacked Moscow unsuccessfully in 1305 and 1308. His son Dmitry also marched against Yuri, but Metropolitan Peter, who supported Moscow, stopped him. The Novgorodians also preferred Yuri and invited him in 1314 to be their prince. Mikhail, however, repossessed the town in Yuri’s absence in 1316 when Yuri visited the Golden Horde. On that occasion the khan gave him the patent for Vladimir. He returned home with Tatar troops to consolidate his rule, but, when he attacked Mikhail in 1318, the latter defeated him. To resolve the stalemate, they rode to Saray for a judgment. Khan Uzbek appointed Yuri grand prince once again and had Mikhail put to death. In 1322, while Yuri helped defend Novgorod against the Germans, Mikhail’s successor and son Dmitry persuaded the khan, with the usual bribes, to give him Vladimir. After Yuri assisted the Novgorodians by building a fortress on the river Neva and by capturing Ustyug on the Northern Dvina, he traveled to Saray to challenge Dmitry’s appointment. On November 21, 1325, Dmitry murdered Yuri at the Golden Horde to avenge his father’s death. See also: DANIEL, METROPOLITAN; DMITRY MIKHAILOVICH; GOLDEN HORDE; GRAND PRINCE; MOSCOW; MUSCOVY; NOVGOROD THE GREAT

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fennell, John L. I. (1968). The Emergence of Moscow, 1304-1359. London: Secker and Warburg. Martin, Janet. (1995). Medieval Russia., 980-1584. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

MARTIN DIMNIK

1125 Yuri moved his capital from the older Rostov to Suzdal, probably to gain more freedom from the well-established boyar families. He also asserted Suzdalia’s independence from Kiev, which was ruled by his eldest brother Mstislav. In consolidating his rule, he founded new towns and fortified existing ones such as Pereyaslavl Zalessky, Dmitrov, Yurev Polsky, Galich, Zvenigorod, and perhaps Kostroma. He appropriated Moscow from a local boyar. He campaigned against the Volga-Kama Bulgars to gain control of the trade route from the Caspian Sea, and he attempted to assert his influence over Novgorod’s Baltic trade. Yury, who began the tradition of building churches in Suzdalian towns in 1152, is credited with erecting some five churches. After his brother Mstislav died in 1132, he became the champion of the Mono-mashichi against the Mstislavichi (rival dynasties) for control of Kiev. That is, in keeping with the system of lateral succession to Kiev allegedly drawn up by Yaroslav Vladimirovich “the Wise” in his so-called testament, Yuri held that Monomakh’s younger sons had prior claims over their nephews, Mstislav’s sons. In his many battles against the latter, he was supported by the princes of Chernigov and the Polovtsy. In 1155, after his elder brother Vyacheslav died in Kiev, Yuri successfully seized the town. However, he was unpopular with the Kievans, and they poisoned him. He died on May 15, 1157. See also: BOYAR; GRAND PRINCE; MSTISLAV; VLADIMIR MONOMAKH

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hellie, Richard. (1987). “Yurii Vladimirovich Dolgo-rukii.” The Modern Encyclopedia of Russian and Soviet History, ed. Joseph L. Wieczynski, 45:73-76. Gulf Breeze, FL: Academic International Press. Martin, Janet. (1995). Medieval Russia 980-1584. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

MARTIN DIMNIK

YURI VLADIMIROVICH

(d. 1157), prince of Suzdalia and grand prince of Kiev; nicknamed “Long-arms” (“Dolgoruky”) probably because he meddled in the affairs of distant Kiev.

Yuri’s father Vladimir Vsevolodovich “Mono-makh” gave him Suzdalia as his patrimony. In

1716

YURI VSEVOLODOVICH