Mstislav Izyaslavich

Right-⁠believing Prince Mstislav II Izyaslavich of Vladimir-⁠Volynsky (in Baptism Theodore; around 1125/1126 or 1132/1135 - 19 August 1170) was prince of Pereyaslavl, of Lutsk, of Volhynia and grand prince of Kiev, son of Izyaslav Mstislavich. From 1146 he took part in the struggle with the Olgovich princes and with Yury Dolgoruky. In 1150 and 1151 he helped his father regain the throne of Kiev and received Pereyaslavl as his inheritance. In 1152 he was sent by his father to Poland and Hungary for help against the prince of Galich, Vladimirko Volodarevich. In 1153 he won a victory over the Cumans and took from them many Christian prisoners.

After burying his father in 1154 he withdrew to Pereyaslavl and took no part in the struggle for power. He recognized Rostislav Mstislavich as grand prince, but rebuked him for yielding to the Cumans. In 1155, at the command of Yury Dolgoruky, who had taken Kiev, Prince Yury Yaroslavich of Turov drove him out of Peresopnitsa. After the death of Yury Dolgoruky in 1157 he recognized Izyaslav III Davidovich as grand prince, but in 1158 betrayed him and united with his former adversary, Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich Osmomysl of Galich. He worked for the grand princedom of the prince of Smolensk Rostislav Mstislavich, and in December 1159 drove Izyaslav III out of Kiev. A dispute arose between Rostislav and Mstislav over the person of the metropolitan: Rostislav was against Clement Smolyatich, set up by his late brother Izyaslav II and not recognized at Constantinople, while Mstislav would not recognize Constantine I, who had cursed his father. The conflict was settled when the parties agreed to recognize as metropolitan anyone appointed at Constantinople, except Clement and Constantine.

In 1159 Rostislav I received the grand princedom, and Mstislav withdrew to Vladimir-⁠Volynsky. In 1161 Izyaslav III, trying to regain the throne of Kiev, was mortally wounded in the battle near the village of Bulichi on the river Zhelan and died in the arms of his adversary, Mstislav Izyaslavich. In the same year Mstislav broke relations with Rostislav, but in 1162 made peace with him. In 1167, at the death of the grand prince Rostislav Mstislavich, he was invited to Kiev to the grand princedom. In 1168 he won a victory over the Cumans. Because of claims on Great Novgorod, he entered a fatal enmity with the holy prince of Vladimir, Andrei Bogolyubsky. In 1169 Andrei defeated Mstislav II, devastated Kiev and set there as prince his brother Gleb Yurievich. In 1170 Mstislav II briefly regained Kiev, but soon was forced to flee again. He withdrew to Vladimir-⁠Volynsky, where he died, and was buried in the Dormition cathedral of Vladimir-⁠Volynsky. He was the last grand prince of Kiev, honoured as first among the equal princes of the House of Rurik. With his defeat Kiev finally lost its former status, and the baton of primacy and the task of restoring and strengthening the single rule were taken up by the grand princes of Vladimir.

Mstislav II Izyaslavich was canonized in 1982. He is commemorated on 23 June (6 July in the new style), in the Synaxis of the Saints of Vladimir.