- Yuri II of Vladimir
Yuri II ( _ru. Юрий II), also known as George II of Vladimir or Georgy II Vsevolodovich (
1189 -March 4 ,1238 ), was the fourthGrand Prince ofVladimir (1212–1216, 1218–1238) who presided overVladimir-Suzdal at the time of theMongol invasion of Russia .He was the third and best-loved son of Vsevolod III and
Maria Shvarnovna .He first distinguished himself in the battles against
Ryazan in 1208. His father wanted Yuri to inheritRostov and his elder brother Konstantin to succeed him in Vladimir. The latter, however, declared that he would rule both towns or nothing at all. Thereupon Vsevolod disinherited Konstantin and passed the throne to Yuri.After Vsevolod's death, Konstantin allied himself with
Mstislav the Bold and defeated Yuri and his other brothers on the Lipitsa River. Having gained Vladimir, Konstantin sent Yuri to rule Rostov andYaroslavl . Two years later Konstantin died, and Yuri was allowed to return to Vladimir.During his reign in Vladimir, Yuri waged several wars against
Volga Bulgaria and founded the fortress ofNizhny Novgorod on theVolga River to secure the area fromBulgaria n attacks. He installed his younger brother Yaroslav inNovgorod . When theMongol s first approached Russia in 1223, he sent a small unit against them, but it arrived too late to take part in the disastrousBattle of the Kalka River .When the Mongols returned in 1237, Yuri treated their envoys with disdain. Likewise, he did not help Ryazan when
Batu Khan laid siege to that city. His own capital, however, was the next in line. Yuri's sons were soundly defeated nearKolomna , and Yuri himself could barely escape to Yaroslavl. His wife Agatha (Mikhail of Kiev's sister) and all his family died in Vladimir when a church where they had sought refuge from the fire collapsed.Yuri himself was killed on
March 4 ,1238 , in theBattle of the Sit River , whereby vast Mongol hordes defeated the army of Vladimir-Suzdal.ee also
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Mongol invasion of Russia
*Kitezh
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