The Crown of Monomakh

Crowning of Monomakh During the early days of May 1113, shortly after the death of the Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, unrest broke out in Kiev. The riots primarily targeted moneylenders, to whom the late prince had given too free a hand, and many houses in the city were ransacked.

On May 4, Prince Vladimir Monomakh ascended the throne and managed to restore peace by limiting the interest moneylenders could charge. For a while at least, he protected Rus from its eventual disintegration into small, feudal states.

Monomakh was a wise ruler who strove to maintain peace in the country and protect his subjects from the invading Polovtsians (Cumans). He left his children a valuable Testament to guide them.

In 1113, the monk Nestor began to write his Chronicle, the primary basis for history’s treatment of Monomakh as a great and sage ruler. Yet the fact that said Chronicle was composed during Monamakh’s reign surely must be taken into account when weighing its credibility.