Smolensk Campaign (1159—1160)
| Smolensk Campaign | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Kievan succession crisis of 1158—1161 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
Principality of Kiev Cuman-Kipchaks | Principality of Smolensk | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Iziaslav Davydovich | Roman Rostislavich | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 10,000 captured, many killed | |||||||||
Smolensk campaign of 1159—1160 — campaign to the Principality of Smolensk in the winter of 1159–1160 by Izyaslav Davydovich and the Cumans, as part of the Kievan succession crisis of 1158—1161.
Campaign
In 1159, having received substantial reinforcements from the Cumans, Iziaslav marched on Chernihiv against Sviatoslav Olgovich and his nephew Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich. Sviatoslav Olgovich was supported by Grand Prince Rostislav Mstislavich, who sent his kinsmen to Chernihiv, prompting Iziaslav to withdraw from the city.
Soon afterward, however, upon learning of Sviatoslav Olgovich’s illness and his nephew’s departure to Novgorod-Seversky, Iziaslav once again advanced on Chernihiv with a raiding detachment, sending the Cumans ahead. After the Cumans were defeated by Sviatoslav Olgovich and Vladimir Andreevich, Iziaslav retreated to the town of Vyry, and then to the town of Zaryty, “and there, having set it ablaze and caused much destruction, they returned to their own lands.”
Having rejoined the Polovtsians, he waged war near the towns of Vorobeino and Rosusa (in the Principality of Chernihiv), and from there proceeded to his nephew Sviatoslav Vladimirovich in Vshchizh. In the winter of 1159–1160, together with the Cumans, he ravaged the Smolensk lands: “and there the Polovtsians wrought great harm, taking more than ten thousand souls and slaughtering many others.”[2][3]
References
- ^ Berezhkov N. G., Timeline of Russian chronicles
- ^ Изяслав Давыдович
- ^ Участие половцев в усобице зимой 1159-1160 гг.