Andrey Bogolyubsky

Saint Andrew Yuryevich Bogolubsky
Andrey Bogolyubsky. Forensic facial reconstruction by Mikhail Gerasimov.
Right-Believing, Passion Bearer
Born	unknown Rostov, Kievan Rus'
Died	28 June 1174 Bogolyubovo, Vladimir-Suzdal
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized	15 October 1702 (Translation), Dormition Cathedral, Vladimir by Russian Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Dormition cathedral, Vladimir
Feast	4 July (burial), 30 June, 23 June, 10 October, 25 May
Attributes	Clothed as a Russian Grand Prince, holding a three-bar cross in his right hand
Patronage	Russian NBC Protection Troops

Andrew I (died 28 June 1174; Russian: Андрей Ю́рьевич Боголюбский, romanized: Andrey Yuryevich Bogolyubsky, lit. Andrey Yuryevich of Bogolyubovo), was Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1157 until his death. During repeated internecine wars between the princely clans, Andrey accompanied his father Yuri Dolgorukiy during a brief capture of Kiev in 1149; 20 years later, he led the Sack of Kiev (1169), and made efforts to elevate Vladimir on the Klyazma as the new capital of Kievan Rus'. He was canonized as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church in 1702.

Biography

Andrey Bogolyubsky was born ca. 1111,^{[where?][citation needed]} to a daughter of Ayyub Khan, the Kipchak leader, and to Yuri I Vladimirovich (Russian: Юрий Владимирович), commonly known as Yuri Dolgoruki (Russian: Юрий Долгорукий). Yuri was a son of Volodimer II Monomakh, progenitor of the Monomakhovichi. Yuri proclaimed Andrey a prince in Vyshgorod (near Kiev).^{[citation needed]}

Career

Andrey left Vyshgorod in 1155 and moved to Vladimir,^{[citation needed]} a little town on the river Klyazma founded in 1108. After his father's death in 1157, he became Knyaz (prince) of Vladimir, Rostov and Suzdal. He commenced the construction of fortifications around the town of Vladimir in 1158 (completed in 1164), as well as the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir. In 1162, Andrey sent an embassy to Constantinople, lobbying for a separate metropolitan see in Vladimir. Fortifications around Vladimir were completed in 1164. The same year Andrey attacked the Volga Bolgars; he won a victory, but a son was killed in battle, to whose memory he ordered the construction of the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl in 1165.

In 1169 Andrey's troops sacked Kiev, devastating it as never before. After plundering the city, stealing much religious artwork, which included the Byzantine "Mother of God" icon. Andrey appointed his brother Gleb as prince of Kiev, in an attempt to unify his lands with Kiev. Following his brother's death in 1171, Andrey became embroiled in a two-year war to maintain control over Kiev, which ended in his defeat.

Andrey established for himself the right to receive tribute from the populations of the Northern Dvina lands.^{[citation needed]} As "ruler of all Suzdal land",^{[This quote needs a citation]} Bogolyubsky transferred the capital to Vladimir, strengthened it, and constructed the Assumption Cathedral, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, and other churches and monasteries. Under his leadership Vladimir was much enlarged, and fortifications were built around the city.

Death

During Andrey's reign, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality achieved significant power, and it became the strongest among the Kievan Rus' principalities.^{[citation needed]} The expansion of his princely authority, and his conflicts with the upper nobility, the boyars, gave rise to a conspiracy that resulted in Bogolyubsky's death on the night of 28–29 June 1174, when twenty of them burst into his chambers and slew him in his bed.

According to the story of Andrey Bogolyubsky's death as recorded in the Kievan Chronicle of the Hypatian Codex (Ipatiev), and the Radziwiłł Chronicle, his "right hand" was cut off by an assailant called "Peter" (Петръ):

• Kievan Chronicle sub anno 6683 (1175 [sic]): Church Slavonic: Петръ же ѿтѧ ему руку десную. кнѧзь же вьзрѣвъ. на н҃бо. и реч̑ Гс̑и в руцѣ твои предаю тобѣ дх҃ъ мои. и тако оуспе оубьенъ же быс̑ в суботу на нощь., romanized: Petrʺ že ѿtѧ emu ruku desnuju knѧzʹ že vʹzrѣvʺ knѧzʹ že vʹzrѣvʺ. na n҃bo . i reč̑ Gs̑i v rucѣ tvoi predaju tobѣ dh҃ʺ moi. i tako ouspe oubʹenʺ že bys̑ v subotu na noŝʹ., lit. 'And Peter took from him his right hand. The prince looked upon heaven and said: 'Lord, into your hands I commit my spirit.' And so was he taken away on Saturday night.'
• Radziwiłł Chronicle sub anno 6683 (1175 [sic]): Church Slavonic: Петръ ему же от(ъ)тя руку десную. И убьенъ ж(е) быс(ть) в суб(оту) на ноч(ь)., romanized: Petrʺ emu že ot(ʺ)tja ruku desnuju. I ubʹenʺ ž(e) bys(tʹ) v sub(otu) na noč(ʹ)., lit. 'And Peter took his right hand from him. And he was killed on Saturday night.'

However, the Radziwiłł Chronicle's adjoining miniature depicts his assailants cutting off his left arm. Moreover, when Dmitry Gerasimovich Rokhlin [ru] examined the exhumed body of Andrey Bogolyubsky in 1965, he "found a lot of cut marks on the left humerus and forearm bones". A 2009 special historical study by Russian historian A.V. Artcikhovsky (2009) would later confirm Rokhlin's observations.

Descendants

With his wife, Andrey Bogolyubsky had one son, Yury Bogolyubsky, who became the husband of Queen Tamar of Georgia.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

• The ancient icon, Theotokos of Bogolyubovo, was painted in the 12th century at the request of Andrey Bogolyubsky.
• Andrey had the castle, Bogolyubovo, built near Vladimir, and it would become his favorite residence and the source of his nickname, "Bogolyubsky".^{[citation needed]}
• His victory over the Bulgars is remembered yearly during the Honey Feast of the Saviour.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

• 
  Grand Prince Saint Andrey Bogolyubsky, by Viktor Vasnetsov c. 1890
• 
  Andrey Bogolyubsky. Forensic facial reconstruction by Mikhail Gerasimov. 1941

See also

• Andronikos I Komnenos