Vladimir the Great, king of Kiev

Also known as Volodimer Svjatoslavič, Влади́мир I Святосла́вич, Владимир Святой, Владимир Великий, Владимир Креститель, and Владимир Красное Солнышко.

King (Kniaz') of Novgorod (970 - 980)

King (Kniaz') of Kiev (about 980 - 1015). Raffensperger (2020) argues that kniaz' should be translated "king", not "prince."

Events

Date of Birth: about the mid 950s.

Place of Birth: unknown.

The date is given by Ingham and Raffensperger (TAG 82:2:114)..

Date of Death: 15 July 1015.

Place of Death: Berestovo.

The date and place are given by Ingham and Raffensperger, citing the Primary Chronicle.

Relationships

Father: Sviatoslav I of Rus.

This relationship is given by Franklin (pp. 417-418), by Nazarenko, and by Raffensperger (website).

Mother: Malusha, daughter of Malk of Lyubech.

This relationship is given by Franklin, by Nazarenko, and by Raffensperger (website).

Partner: Czech woman of Bohemia.

This relationship is given by Raffensperger (2016; website)

Spouse: Rogneda, daughter of Rogvolod of Polotsk.

This relationship is given by Franklin and by Nazarenko. Raffensperger (2006; 2016; website) notes that it is not perfectly clear what the marriage status of Rogneda and Vladimir was. (Rogneda was a pagan, whom Vladimir kidnapped after she refused to marry him. That she was the mother of Iaroslav may have influenced the description of their relationship in the sources.)

Partner: second Czech woman of Bohemia.

This relationship is given by Raffensperger (2016; website)

Partner: Bulgar woman.

This relationship is given by Raffensperger (2016; website)

Spouse: Anna Porphyrogenita.

This relationship is given by Franklin, by Nazarenko, and by Raffensperger (2006; 2016; website).

Spouse: unknown.

Raffensperger (2006; 2016; website) notes that Vladimir likely remarried after Anna's death in 1011, but the identity of this wife, if she existed, is unknown.

Partner: the Greek wife of his brother, Iaropolk Sviatoslavich.

This relationship is given by Nazarenko.

Partner: Vladimir is stated by contemporary sources and later historians to have had several hundred concubines.

Children (by the first Czech woman):

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Raffensperger.)

Vysheslav (died about 988), prince of Novgorod.

Children (by Rogneda):

Iziaslav (died 1001), prince (kniaz') of Polotsk.

Iaroslav (about 978 - 20 February 1054), later Iaroslav I “the Wise”, king of Kiev, married Ingigerd Olafsdottir.

Mstislav “the Brave” (died 1036), kniaz' of Tmutorokan (about 988 - 1036); kniaz' of Chernigov (about 1024 - 1036).

Vsevold, kniaz' of Vladimir.

Predslava.

A daughter probably married Bernhard, margrave of Saxon Nordmark.

Children (by the second Czech woman):

Sviatoslav (died 1015), kniaz' of Dereva (about 988 - 1015).

Mstislav

Children (by the Bulgar woman):

Boris Roman (about 985 - 24 July 1015), kniaz' of Rostov (about 988 - 1015).

Gleb David (died  5 September 1015), kniaz' of Murom (about 988 - 1015).

Children (mother unknown):

Pozvizd (died after 1015).

Sudislav (died about 1062 or 1063).

Stanislav (died before 1015), prince of Smolensk.

"Premislava" (died about 1015) married Szár László, prince of Hungary. Raffensperger (2006; 2016 p. 23) notes that she is usually called Premislava by historians, but that there is no good evidence for this name.

Dobronega Maria (before 1012 - 1087) married Kazimierz I Karol, prince of Poland.

References

Franklin, Simon, and Jonathan Shepard. The Emergence of Rus 750-1200. (New York: Longman, 1996).

Ingham, Norman W, and Christian Raffensperger. "Ryurik and the First Ryurikids" in The American Genealogist Vol. 82, no. 1 and no. 2.

Nazarenko, A. Rjurikiden genealogical table in volume 9 of Lexikon des Mittelalters. Munich: LexMA-Verlag, 1980-1998.

Raffensperger, Christian. Re-examining Rus’: The Place of Kievan Rus’ in Europe, ca. 800-1146. PhD thesis, Chicago: 2006. [Volume 3: Appendix. Russian Dynastic Marriages 988-1146]

Raffensperger, Christian. "Volodimer Svjatoslavič" on Rusian Genealogy (website). [Consulted 3 February 2018].

Raffensperger, Christian. Ties of Kinship: Genealogy and Dynastic Marriages in Kyivan Rus’. (Harvard U.P. 2016).

Raffensperger, Christian. "Rus' in Medieval Europe: A Consideration of Historiography" in New Past (2020).