Principality of Galicia-Volhynia
The Principality of Galicia-Volhynia, later Kingdom of Ruthenia (Ukrainian: Га́лицько-Воли́нське князівство, Ру́ське королі́вство; in Latin: Regnum Galiciae et Lodomeriae, Regnum Rusiae) was a medieval monarchical state in Eastern Europe that ruled the regions of Galicia and Volhynia between the years 1199 and 1349. Together with the Republic of Novgorod and the Principality of Vladimir-Súzdal, was one of the three most important powers that emerged from the fall of Kievan Rus. After the enormous destruction caused by the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus in 1239-41, Danilo Romanovich was forced to swear allegiance in 1246 to Batu Khan of the Golden Horde. He strove, however, to free his kingdom of the Mongol yoke, unsuccessfully trying to establish military alliances with other European rulers.
Geography
Western Galicia-Volhynia stretched between the San and Wieprz rivers, in what is now southeastern Poland, while the eastern territories included the Pripyat marshes (Pripyat River, in present-day Belarus) and the upper reaches of the Southern Bug River, in present-day Ukraine. It controlled the territory of Rus menora (Rus propria ) which included the lands of Red Ruthenia, Black Ruthenia and the rest of southwestern Kievan Rus. He also briefly dominated the region of Bessarabia and Moldova.
During its existence the kingdom was surrounded by Black Ruthenia, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Principality of Turov and Pinsk, the Principality of Kiev, the Golden Horde, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Kingdom of Poland, the Principality of Moldavia and the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights.
History
Rise and Heyday
Volhynia and Galicia had originally been two separate Rurikid principalities, ruled by rotating assignment of the younger members of the kyiv dynasty. The line from which Roman came held the Principality of Volhynia, while another line, that of Yaroslav Osmomisl, held the Principality of Hálych (later called Galicia). Galicia-Volinia was created after the death, in 1198 or 1199, of the last prince of Galicia, Vladimir II Yaroslavich.
Prince Roman the Great of Vladimir-Volinia (modern Volodímir-Volinski) then acquired the principality of Galicia, uniting both territories in one State. At that time, the main cities were Hálych and Volodimir-Volhynia. In 1204 he captured kyiv. He later allied himself with Poland, signed a peace treaty with Hungary, and developed diplomatic relations with the Byzantine Empire. At the height of his reign, he briefly became the most powerful of the Rus' princes. On his death, the principality entered a period of chaos, being contested by Poland and Hungary, who came to a compromise in 1214, in favor of Andrew II's son, Coloman of Lodomeria, who had married a daughter of Leszek I the White.
Kingdom of Ruthenia (1253-1349)
In 1221, Mstislav Mstislávich, son of Mstislav Rostislávich, liberated Galicia-Volhynia from the Hungarians, but it was Daniel of Galicia, son of Román, who reunified all the territories. Daniel defeated the Poles and Hungarians at the Battle of Yaroslav, and crushed their ally Rostislav Mikhailovich, son of the Chernigov prince in 1245. In this year, Pope Innocent IV allowed Daniel to be crowned king, being the only member of the Rurikids to be crowned with the title of Rex Russiae.
Under Daniel's reign, Galicia-Volhynia was one of the most powerful states in eastern central Europe. Literature flourished, producing the Chronicle of Galicia and Volhynia. Population growth was aided by immigration from the west and south, including Germans and Armenians. Trade developed, due to trade routes between the Black Sea with Poland, Germany and the Baltic Sea.
After Daniel's death in 1264, he was succeeded by his son Leo I of Galicia, who moved the capital to Léopolis in 1272, and for some time was able to maintain the fortress of the state.
Decline and Fall
After the death of Leo I in 1301, a period of decline followed. He was succeeded by his son Yuri I, who ruled for only seven years, losing Lublin to the Poles in 1302, and Transcarpathia to the Hungarians. From 1308 to 1323 Galicia-Volinia was ruled jointly by the sons of Yuri I, Andrés and Leo II. Being the tributary kingdom of the Mongols, they participated in expeditions with Uzbeg Khan and his successor, Janibeg Khan. Both died in battle in 1323, without heirs.
After the extinction of the Rurykid dynasty, Volhynia passed to the control of the Lithuanian prince Liubartas, while the boyars took control of Galicia. Later, in 1349, King Casimir III of Poland, during a successful invasion, captured and annexed Galicia. Galicia–Volhynia ceased to exist as an independent state.
Territorial organization
(middle century XIII)
(year)
Internal
routes
trade
principalities
Russians
Czernowitz
The principality was formed at the end of the XII century by the union of the principalities of Galicia and Volhynia. The lands stretched along the basins of the San, Dniester and Western Bug rivers.
The principality was bordered on the east by the Turov principality and the kyiv principality; to the south, with the land of Berlad and with the Golden Horde; to the southwest, with the Hungarian Kingdom; to the west, with the Polish Kingdom; and to the north, with Lithuania. The Carpathian Mountains separated the principality from Hungary, although in the 1320s the border was set further south.
List of rulers
The first ruler after the unification of the principalities of Galicia and Volhynia was Roman the Great. After the dissolution of Kievan Rus, the principality became a kingdom.