Rostislav Mikhailovich - Prince of Novgorod

Prince of Novgorod

Rostislav underwent the ritual hair-cutting ceremony (postrig) in the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod on May 19, 1230, and his father installed him on the throne. The postrig conferred on Rostislav the official status of prince of Novgorod and thus he ruled Novgorod as a fully fledged prince after the ceremony. Rostislav, in keeping with his father’s policy, continued to pass legislation favoring the Novgorodians.

In September a frost destroyed the crops in the Novgorod district causing a great famine. Novgorodians opposed to his father’s rule took advantage of the calamity to foment unrest, and they incited the townsmen to plunder the court of Posadnik Vodovik who was his father’s man. Although the posadnik forced the rival boyars to swear oaths of allegiance on November 6, but a month later when he and Rostislav visited Torzhok, the Novgorodians looted Vodovik’s court and those of his supporters. Shortly afterwards Rostislav was forced to flee to his father.

The Novgorodians considered themselves free to invite another prince, and they summoned Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Vladimir, who came on December 30.

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