Roman of Chernigov

Holy Right-⁠believing Roman of Chernigov, called Roman Mikhailovich the Old, was prince of Chernigov and Bryansk toward the end of the thirteenth century. He is remembered for his victories against the Lithuanians and for the monastery he founded after recovering his sight through prayer.

He was born in the family of the holy prince Michael Vsevolodovich. He reigned at Chernigov, as is thought, after Vsevolod (Laurence) Yaropolkovich. He is the only prince of Bryansk about whom the chronicles keep fuller news, mostly thanks to his kinship with the princes of Galicia and Volhynia; he and his son Oleg are mentioned several times in the Volhynian Chronicle, not as princes of Chernigov but of Bryansk. From 1246 he reigned at Bryansk. In 1263 he began war with the Lithuanians and won Chernigov back from them; he took the title of grand prince of Chernigov, but remained in Bryansk, a city in full growth, whose greatest flowering was precisely in his reign.

In 1264 the Hypatian Chronicle mentions him for the first time, in connection with a campaign of the Lithuanian prince Mindaugas against his domains. Just then the wedding of his daughter Olga to Prince Vladimir, grandson of the grand prince Roman of Galicia, was taking place. Learning of the Lithuanian attack, Roman set out from the wedding feast itself to meet the enemy, north-⁠west of Bryansk. He showed his courage, was wounded, but crushed the Lithuanians and returned to Bryansk victorious and with great honour. The wedding feast continued, then the princess Olga was sent to Volhynia, accompanied by Roman's eldest son Michael and many boyars. In 1274 the khan Mengu-⁠Timur gave Prince Lev of Galicia, as help against the Lithuanians, all the princes beyond the Dnieper, among them Roman and his son Oleg. In 1285 he attacked Smolensk and burned the suburb, but did not take the fortress.

In 1288 Roman went blind, but recovered his sight through prayer before the wonderworking Svensk (Caves) icon of the Mother of God. Then, in keeping with a vow, he founded the Svensk Dormition Monastery. After 1288 his name no longer appears in the sources, so it is presumed that he died soon. The khans of the Golden Horde looked with fear at the strengthening of the principality of Bryansk and at Roman's prestige among the other princes. The report of the Synodal Genealogy may be true, that Roman was killed in the Horde by order of khan Tokhta. The Brockhaus and Efron encyclopedia, however, says that in 1305 the prince was defeated by Gediminas, who took Bryansk from him.

He is commemorated on 3 October, in the new style.