Iurii Vsevolodovich

Born Nov. 26, 1188; died Mar. 4, 1238. Grand prince of Vladimir from 1212. Second son of Vsevolod Bol’shoe Gnezdo.

As a result of a conflict between Vsevolod and his eldest son, Konstantin Vsevolodovich, Iurii Vsevolodovich was named Vsevolod’s successor as grand prince of Vladimir in 1212; after Vesvolod’s death in the same year, Iurii became grand prince. Defeated in the battle of Lipitsa in 1216, he was forced to yield the throne to Konstantin; Iurii received first Radilov and then Suzdal’ as appanage principalities. After Konstantin’s death in 1218, Iurii again became grand prince of Vladimir.

Although the number of appanage principalities increased during his reign, Iurii Vsevolodovich maintained the political unity of the Vladimir-Suzdal’ Principality. As a result of his successful campaign in 1220 against Bulgaria on the Volga, he greatly expanded the territory of the principality. Buoyed by his success in the Bulgarian campaign, he founded Nizhny Novgorod in 1221, conducted a series of successful campaigns into the Mordovian lands between 1226 and 1232, and strengthened his positions in the Novgorod feudal republic and the Riazan’ Principality.

Iurii Vsevolodovich died in the battle of the Sit’ in 1238.