Kniaz Rostislav Smolensky (1110-1167)

Kniaz Rostislav Mstislavich Smolensky (1110-1167) is one of the outstanding personalities of the XII century. This period is considered to be a part of the Middle Ages in the history of European culture. From the 11th to 13th centuries the main power of ancient Rus was concentrated in Kiev, the so-called "mother of Russian towns". Ancient Rus was made up of a number of principalities. Rostislav Mstislavich Smolensky was a Kniaz (Prince) of Smolensk (1125-1160), Novgorod (1153), Velikiy Kniaz (the Grand Prince) of Kiev (1154, 1159-1167). He was the third son of Mstislav the Great of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden. The most interesting thing is that he was a grandson of Vladimir Monomach, Velikiy Kniaz of Kiev from 1053 to 1125.

Rostislav was a forefather of Smolensk Princedom. He is considered to be the founder of such towns as Mstislavl, Rostislavl, Dorogobuzh, Izyaslavl and Yelnya. Such settlements as Luchin, Krichev (1136), Propoisk and others turned into towns during his ruling time.

       Kniaz Rostislav was a wise ruler who consolidated the prestige of Smolensk Princedom. His word was one of the most decisive in any military question in Rus. He was the first kniaz who took care not only about peace and wealth of his own family but also about peaceful life of his people. In 1136 Rostislav Mstislavich founded his own eparchy with bishop Manuel at the head. He paid attention not only to religeous matter in his princedom. Literacy began to spread outside the Church. There built a number of libraries keeping ecclesiastical and secular books.

 Kniaz Rostislav was greatly respected and had acknowledged authority in Kievskaya Rus in the XII century. During his rule there was not  practically any civil strife. Though he was a successful kniaz all his life he wanted to become a coenobite of Pechersk monastery. This wish never came true. He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a pious christian for his saintly life of governor.