- Rostislav of Tmutarakan
Rostislav Vladimirovich (Russian: Ростислав Владимирович) (d. 1066) was a landless prince ("
izgoi ") from theRurikid dynasty ofKievan Rus’ .During his minority, Rostislav ruled
Rostov in the land of theMerya . His fatherVladimir of Novgorod was the eldest son ofYaroslav I of Kiev . If Vladimir had not predeceased his father, he would have succeeded to the Kievan throne. Under the East Slavic house law, the early death of Rostislav's father made his descendants forfeit all claims to Kiev.For five years after his father's death, Rostislav had no source of income. Finally, his uncles gave him
Volhynia , where he stayed from 1057 and 1064. According toVasily Tatischev , it was there that he married a daughter of the King ofHungary . Rostislav did not like the distant and meagre land and, in 1064, assisted by his father's friendVyshata , seized richTmutarakan on theBlack Sea littoral, previously controlled by the House ofChernigov .His predecessor,
Gleb Svyatoslavich , escaped to his father,Svyatoslav II of Chernigov. The latter approached Tmutarakan with his army and Rostislav was forced to leave the city. Once Svyatoslav returned to Chernigov, Rostislav expelled Gleb from Tmutarakan and entered the city in triumph. During his brief rule, he subdued theCircassians and other indigenous tribes. His success provoked the rivalry of GreekChersonesos , whose envoy poisoned him on3 February ,1066 .
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