Yaropolk Izyaslavich - Svyatoslav and Exile To The West

Svyatoslav and Exile To The West

Despite the successful exclusion of the Polotsk Rurikids, in 1073 Izyaslav was expelled from the Kievan throne by his brothers, Svyatoslav, Prince of Chernigov, and Vsevolod, Prince of Pereyaslavl. King Boleslaw was not as willing or able to assist Izyaslav this time around, and probably for this reason Izyaslav traveled further West; at Mainz in early 1075, Izyaslav sought the aid of King Henry IV of Germany, but to no avail.

Izyaslav sent Yaropolk to Rome to request aid from Pope Gregory VII. It is likely that while there Yaropolk made complaints about Boleslaw and about the money the latter had formerly seized from Izyaslav, as the pope subsequently issued a request that Boleslaw return it. Pope Gregory addressed a letter to Izyaslav, called "Demetrius", "King of the Russians", and to his "queen" Gertruda. The letter noted that Yaropolk, called "Peter", had given his own as well as his father's fidelity to the pope, and that it had been requested that the "kingdom of the Russians" be held of St Peter. Two papal legates were sent to Izyaslav, and Izyaslav was urged to give them his full co-operation.

It was only after Svyatoslav's death in late 1076 that Izyaslav was able to recover the status of Grand Prince. Vsevolod, who had previously fought against him, was appointed Prince of Chernigov and thus heir to the Kievan throne, explaining perhaps Vsevolod's lack of opposition. The Poles were persuaded by the papacy to give Izyaslav assistance recovering his kingdom, and on July 15, 1077, Izyaslav re-entered Kiev.