Konstantin Vsevolodovich is kind. Years of reign of Konstantin Vsevolodich

Vladimir Princes:

Konstantin Vsevolodovich Dobry (Wise)
Years of life: May 18, 1186 – February 2, 1219
Reign: 1216-1218

Konstantin's father is Vsevolod III Yuryevich the Big Nest, the son of Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky. Mother - Maria, princess, according to some sources, Ossetian, according to others - Hungarian.

The ancestor of the Rostov princes. Grand Duke of Vladimir (1216 - 1218), Rostov (1207 - 1219), Novgorod (1205 - 1207).

Konstantin was the eldest son of Vsevolod Yuryevich the Big Nest and was born on May 18, 1185 in Vladimir. His mother was the Czech princess Maria Shvarnovna.

In 1198, Konstantin Vsevolodovich took part in his father’s campaign against the Polovtsians. At the end of the 1190s he reigned briefly in Pereyaslavl South. In 1205, his father sent Constantine to the city of Novgorod the Great for three years, after which he gave him possession of Rostov, Yaroslavl and Uglich and other cities.

In 1212, Konstantin Vsevolodich the Wise had a quarrel with his father Vsevolod Yuryevich over the land inheritance that he was supposed to inherit after the death of the latter. Konstantin Vsevolodich wanted to achieve, after the death of his father, a dominant position over his younger brothers, who were also supposed to receive considerable estates in North-Eastern Rus'. Owning the Vladimir and Rostov lands, Konstantin Vsevolodich could dictate his rights to the rest of the heirs of Vsevolod Yuryevich.

But Vsevolod the Big Nest refused the request of his eldest son Konstantin, because he refused to come to Vladimir to conclude a “row” at the behest of his father. Vsevolod became very angry, called his boyars and consulted with them for a long time about what to do; then he sent for Bishop Ivan, and after consulting with him, decided to give seniority to his youngest son Yuri. Thus, the supreme power in North-Eastern Rus', the city of Vladimir, along with the title of Grand Duke, was given to the 2nd son - Yuri, and Konstantin Vsevolodich the Wise was left only with his Rostov volost. Having made this important order on the distribution of possessions, Vsevolod died on April 14, 1212.

After Yuri Vsevolodovich became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, civil strife began among his brothers. But Konstantin Vsevolodovich did not want to come to terms with the existing state of affairs and went against his brother. Yuri, hoping for a peaceful outcome to the controversial matter, suggested that Konstantin Vsevolodich, as his elder brother, sit down in the city of Vladimir and give Rostov to him. But he refused, because he himself intended to sit in Vladimir, and in Rostov to put his son Vasilko as prince. Yuri offered to leave Suzdal.

Grand Duke Yuri Vsevolodovich was supported by his younger brother Yaroslav, who at that time ruled in Novgorod. The brothers moved their squads to Rostov in order to force Konstantin Vsevolodich the Wise to carry out their father's will. But the bloody battle on the Ishna River ended in vain.

The brothers' dispute was resolved in the Battle of Lipitsa (1216). April 12, 1216 on the river. Lipitsa, not far from the city of Yuryev of Polotsk, a battle took place between the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri and his brother Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, on the 1st side, and their older brother Konstantin Vsevolodovich in alliance with Prince Mstislav the Udal, on the other. About 9,000 people died in the battle.

The squads of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich suffered a crushing defeat. Konstantin Vsevolodich the Wise entered the city of Vladimir (on the Klyazma) and proclaimed himself the Grand Duke of North-Eastern Rus'. Mstislav reconciled Yuri with his brother Konstantin, after which Radilov Gorodets on the Volga was given to Yuri.

But Konstantin Vsevolodovich did not really have time to enjoy the fruits of his victory. Constantine, in poor health, was not long the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Feeling the approach of death, seeing his sons underage, he hastened to make peace with his brother Yuri Vsevolodovich, so as not to leave a dangerous enemy in him for his heirs.

In 1217, Constantine summoned Yuri to him, gave him Suzdal, promised him the city of Vladimir after his death, bestowed him with numerous gifts and forced him to kiss the cross, so that Yuri promised him to be a father to his nephews.

In 1218, Konstantin Vsevolodovich the Wise planted his sons: Vsevolod in Yaroslavl, and Vasilka in Rostov.
Constantine reigned in Vladimir for only 3 years, after which he died in 1218. Buried in Vladimir.

Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich was distinguished by his piety and built many churches in various cities. During his reign, large-scale construction was carried out in Yaroslavl and Rostov. In 1214, a separate bishopric was created in Rostov.

(May 18, 1185 - February 2, 1218) - the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Ancient historiographers awarded him the epithets “ Wise" And " Kind“.
Reign:
- prince Novgorod(1205-1208);
- prince Rostovsky(1208-1216);
- Grand Duke Vladimirsky(1216-1218).
Before 1205 was with his father, present, as a representative of the latter, at the consecration of churches in Vladimir and participating in 1198 on a trip to the Don.

IN late 1190s reigned in Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny.
IN March 1205 was sent by his father to reign in Novgorod in place of his brother Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich where you stayed before beginning of 1208, but spent most of his time not in Novgorod, but in Vladimir and Rostov. At the same time, he, having gathered the Novgorodians, Pskovites, Ladoga residents and Novotorzhites, arrived with them to Moscow to assist his father in the campaign against Ryazan and in the siege of Pronsk.
IN 1208 gave Konstantin Vsevolodovich the inheritance of Rostov and in addition to it five more cities: Yaroslavl, Beloozero, Mologa, Uglich and Veliky Ustyug.
IN 1211 Almost all of Rostov burned out. Konstantin Vsevolodovich Having learned about this, he immediately returned to Rostov from Vladimir, where he had gone to meet his father. As a native of Rostov and a man who lived there for a long time, he established not only a moral connection with his homeland, but also became imbued with its political ideals, seeking both the seniority of Rostov over Vladimir and the political indivisibility of the entire Rostov-Suzdal land.
IN 1211 father, " starting to feel exhausted ” and sent to Rostov for the prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich, so as to " bless "his Grand Duchy of Vladimir, and Rostov to transfer to his brother Yuri Vsevolodovich. The prince refused to go to Vladimir and hand over Rostov, proving that he, as the eldest son, has the right to the entire grand duchy. After a three-fold invitation, he summoned Bishop John, clergy and laity of all ranks and statuses and forced them to swear allegiance Yuri Vsevolodovich, as his successor in the grand ducal dignity, bequeathed to him Vladimir and Suzdal, and Konstantin Vsevolodovich– Rostov and Yaroslavl.

Power struggle between older brothers.

IN 1212 passed away between brothers Konstantin And Yuri Vsevolodovich The struggle for reign in Rus' broke out. Their younger brothers went over to the side of one or the other of the older brothers. , relying on the right of the eldest in the family, demanded a great reign, and Yuri Vsevolodovich, wanting to end the dispute peacefully, Vladimir conceded to him, and asked Rostov for himself, but did not agree, wanting to take both Rostov and Vladimir for himself, and Yuri Vsevolodovich send to Suzdal. At the congress in Yuryev Konstantin And Yuri Vsevolodovichi reconciled.
IN 1213 he decided to go to Yuri, who warned him, he himself approached Rostov, burned many villages here, but the bloody battle on the Ishna River ended in vain. The brothers made peace.
IN 1216 brothers Konstantin And Yuri Vsevolodovichi resumed the fight. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich opposed Novgorod because the latter accepted Mstislav Vsevolodovich to reign. Konstantin Vsevolodovich At first he took the side of his brother, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, but then Mstislav the Udaloy attracted him to his side with a promise to deliver him the grand-ducal table. The battle took place on the banks of the Lipitsa River - it was one of the greatest battles of ancient Rus' -. Yaroslav And Yuri Vsevolodovichi fled. Konstantin Vsevolodovich entered Vladimir, led the inhabitants to the cross, reconciled Yaroslav Vsevolodovich with Mstislav the Udaly, gave Yuri Vsevolodovich Gorodets Radilov on the Volga.

The Great Reign of Konstantin Vsevolodovich.

Having sat on the grand-ducal throne in Vladimir, Konstantin Vsevolodovich He spent most of his time in Rostov, founding a cathedral church in the city and left behind many other monuments, including a library, which continued to grow under his son Vasilko Konstantinovich. He founded the Grigorievsky Gate within the walls of the Yaroslavl Spassky Monastery as an educational institution - the first educational institution in the North-East of Rus'.
IN 1214 Constantine Vsevolodovich transferred the religious school to Rostov, to the territory of the present Metropolitan Garden in the Rostov Kremlin.
Chroniclers call Konstantin Vsevolodovich“blessed “decorated” all good morals “who has not darkened his mind” the empty glory of this charming light “, “second Solomon “; they say that he “ keep your mind at bay " V " ageless endless life “, which and “ improve with your alms and great kindness “, indicate his truthfulness, generosity, meekness and humility, his concern for creation “ God's beautiful churches “which he decorated” wonderful ” with icons and supplied books, they praise him that he “ honored the priestly and Mnishe ranks above all else “. earned the nickname Wise, since he spoke several languages, he loved books “ more than any estate " and collected, " not sparing the fortune ” (in his library there were more than a thousand Greek manuscripts alone), appreciated art, kept “ pundits “, engaged in translations from foreign language texts.

IN 1217, feeling imminent death and fearing for the fate of young children, called on his brother Yuri Vsevolodovich from Gorodets, bestowed many gifts and assigned him, after his death, Vladimir, but for now he gave Suzdal, forcing him to swear that he would be a father for his nephews, giving Rostov to Vasilka, Yaroslavl to Vsevolod, and Uglich to Vladimir.
February 2, 1218 The prince died, causing universal sadness among the people. The chronicle says this: “ they cried with great tears - the boyars, as intercessors of their land, the servants, as for a feeder and master, the wretched and monks, as for their consolation and the clothing of their nakedness“.

Family of Konstantin Vsevolodovich

In the tenth year of life Konstantin Vsevolodovich, father, married him in 1196 in Vladimir on the daughter of Prince Smolensky Mstislav Romanovich the Old Maria(monastically - Agafya, died January 24, 1220). Children from marriage with Maria:
– Vasilko Konstantinovich (1208-1238), appanage prince of Rostov (from 1218);
– Vsevolod Konstantinovich (1210-1238), 1st appanage prince of Yaroslavl (from 1218);
– Vladimir Konstantinovich (1214-1249), 1st appanage prince of Uglitsky (from 1218).

Putin, Macron, Qishan and Abe at the plenary session...

One of the biographies of Grand Duke Konstantin (N. Belyaev, “Grand Duke Konstantin Vsevolodovich the Wise”) begins with these words: “Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich represents the most remarkable personality in Rus' at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century; He is almost alone among the warrior-princes of his time, an angel of peace and a zealous admirer of book teaching.” Indeed, in the chronicles, Grand Duke Constantine is praised for his wisdom, meekness, and piety. It is not for nothing that he is called the Wise for his enlightenment.

Grand Duke Konstantin Vsevolodovich was the eldest son in the large family of Vsevolod Georgievich the Great. He was born on May 18, 1186 - probably in Vladimir. Peaceful and bright impressions were perceived by Prince Konstantin even in the days of his childhood and youth: the future builder of many churches, he saw the consecration of the Vladimir Golden-Domed Cathedral, witnessed the construction of the Dmitrievsky, Nativity churches, the Church of the Assumption in the convent.

In 1196, Grand Duke Vsevolod took his first-born son on a campaign to the Don against the Polovtsians, but the young prince did not have to take part in the battle, since the nomads fled from the Grand Duke’s army to the Caspian Sea itself.

On October 15, 1196, while still a youth, Konstantin Vsevolodovich was married to the daughter of Prince Mstislav Romanovich.

From an early age, Prince Konstantin glorified himself with wisdom and spiritual enlightenment, and acquired the special love of the people. The prince not only helped people with their everyday needs, but also took care of public education. On March 1, 1205, the parent sent his twenty-year-old son to reign in Novgorod. The chronicler tells in detail how Konstantin Vsevolodovich was escorted far out of town not only by his father and brothers, but also by many people. The cries at the same time were “like up to heaven,” which expressed both the people’s joy about the exaltation of their beloved prince, and the sadness about the removal of “a father to the orphans and a nourisher, a great comforter to the sad, a luminous star.” Having called Konstantin Vsevolodovich “a luminous star,” the chronicler adds: “for God opened his heart’s eyes to the entire church rank..., courage and intelligence lived in him, truth and truth walked with him, he was the second Solomon in wisdom.”

Soon after his arrival in Novgorod, Prince Konstantin received greatly saddening news about the death of his long-suffering mother, who, the very next day after the departure of her beloved son, took monastic vows in the monastery she built.

In August 1207, Konstantin Vsevolodovich was summoned from Novgorod by his parent, who intended to go on a campaign against the Chernigov princes. After this campaign, which ended only with the punishment of the Ryazan princes for treason, Prince Constantine returned to Vladimir, where a few days later, on November 25, he arranged the solemn consecration of the Church of St. Archangel Michael, which he erected in his yard. The church celebration was accompanied by a rich meal for the people, which allowed the chronicler to compare Konstantin Vsevolodovich with King Solomon, who organized a nationwide feast after the consecration of the Jerusalem Temple. And, as it is said in the Degree Book, the people blessed the kind and reasonable prince, just as the Israelites blessed Solomon, and the loving heart of Constantine and his wisdom spread “more than the sense of all people.”

Grand Duke Vsevolod did not now let go of his first-born son to distant Novgorod, but gave him Rostov, which was closer to the capital city. Konstantin was still in Vladimir when a great fire broke out in Rostov on May 15, 1211, and the new Rostov prince hurried there to console the townspeople.

It is clear from the chronicles that Konstantin Vsevolodovich was loved by his parent, but before his death, Grand Duke Vsevolod had reason to be angry with his eldest son. The Grand Duke, feeling the approach of his death, wanted to make an order about his possessions and called his first-born son from Rostov to solemnly declare him the heir to the Vladimir grand-ducal throne. Konstantin, having learned about such a parental will and not wanting to give Rostov to his brother Georgy, refused to go to Vladimir. Enraged by his disobedience, Vsevolod Georgievich deprived his son of the grand-ducal throne, appointing Prince George as his heir and, without changing his will, died.

Considering the peculiarities of the appanage order of government in Rus', one could assume that, as a result of such an order of the Grand Duke, Konstantin Vsevolodovich would want to seize the grand-ducal throne and civil strife would easily flare up between the brothers. Indeed, soon after the death of his parent, Constantine twice went on a campaign against his younger brother, but both times the bloodshed was insignificant, and the brothers were finally reconciled. This happened due to the meekness of their characters.

From 1212 to 1216, Konstantin Vsevolodovich, following the peaceful inclinations of his soul, was engaged in the improvement of the Rostov region. At this time, he founded the Assumption Cathedral in Rostov, the stone church of Boris and Gleb, and took care of installing a good shepherd for Rostov - Bishop Pachomius, a great ascetic of virtue.

After the bloody Battle of Lipitsa, which ended the civil strife of 1216, Konstantin Vsevolodovich took the grand-ducal throne, and his younger brother George was sent by the victors to the insignificant Radilov Gorodets on the Volga. But the very next year, the kind-hearted Konstantin Vsevolodovich summoned him and gave George possession of Suzdal. The brothers hugged each other and, as the author of “The Life of Prince George” writes, cried “for many hours.” Konstantin Vsevolodovich promised to give Vladimir to his brother after his death. Probably, the talk about the impending death was not accidental: Grand Duke Constantine, despite his youth, already felt a loss of strength and the proximity of death. And indeed, the great reign of Konstantin Vsevolodovich turned out to be short-lived.

Nevertheless, in a short time the Grand Duke managed to do a lot. He founded a monastery in Yaroslavl and founded the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in it, which, unfortunately, did not have time to complete; in 1218, Constantine founded a temple in Vladimir in honor of the Exaltation of the Honorable Cross, and took part in the consecration of the St. Boris and Gleb Church in Rostov. In the same year, the pious Prince Constantine received considerable spiritual consolation: the Bishop of Polotsk, “knowing the love of the prince before the entire Divine church dispensation,” brought him shrines from Constantinople: part of the tree of St. Life-giving Cross of the Lord, both hands of St. Martyr Longinus and part of the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. These shrines were first placed in the Ascension Monastery, and then, with a procession of the cross, they were transferred to the court church of St. Dimitri.

That same summer, the Grand Duke released his sons, Vasily and Konstantin, to reign in Rostov and Yaroslavl. In his farewell speech, he exhorted his sons to be in love with each other, to fear God with all their souls, to keep His commandments in everything, not to despise the poor and widows, not to “abandon” the Church, to love the priesthood and monasticism, and to have obedience to elders. Konstantin Vsevolodovich concluded his speech with words about his imminent death and the entrustment of his children to God, the Most Holy Theotokos and his brother George.

Grand Duke Konstantin Vsevolodovich reigned in Vladimir, establishing civil peace. He built temples, distributed alms, and ruled a fair court. The chronicles emphasize the good-heartedness of the Grand Duke: “This blessed prince was truthful, generous, meek, humble, had mercy on everyone, provided for everyone, most of all he loved wondrous and glorious alms and the improvement of churches, and he cared about this day and night... He clothed the naked, calmed the toiling, he warmed those dying from the winter cold, comforted the sad, did not sadden anyone in any way, but made everyone wise with conversations about everyday and spiritual things, for he often read books with diligence and did everything according to what was written, and did not repay evil for evil; God truly endowed him with the meekness of David and the wisdom of Solomon, he was filled with apostolic orthodoxy.”

The power book testifies that Konstantin Vsevolodovich even washed the beggars with his own hands, and the historian Tatishchev writes that before his death the Grand Duke gave up his house and his books to the school, which probably already existed at that time in Vladimir. The same historian testifies that Konstantin Vsevolodovich “was a great lover of reading books and was taught many sciences,” that he “had learned people with him, bought many ancient Greek books at a high price and ordered them to be translated into Russian,” that he even studied research work: “he collected many of the files of the ancient princes and wrote them himself.”

From Grand Duke Constantine, as from a pious root, came pious offspring. Three youth sons remained after him, all three were with St. Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich in the Battle of the City River; one of them, Vasily, was captured and suffered torture and death in captivity for confessing the faith of Christ, the other, Vsevolod, fell along with St. George from the Tatar sword, the third son of Prince Constantine gave the Church of Christ his son, Roman of Uglich, who was also canonized.

On February 2, 1219, on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Grand Duke died at the 33rd year of his life. After his death, as the chronicle says, “all the people of the city of Vladimir flocked to his courtyard and mourned him with great tears, the boyars - as the protector of their land, the servants - as a feeder and master, the poor and monks - as a consolation and clothing for their nakedness, and all the congregation of the poor wept, soon deprived of such a merciful one. Having heard Yuri and Yaroslav and all his brothers, they soon gathered in Vladimir and cried for him with great tears as for a beloved father and brother, because everyone had him instead of a father and he treated them as they should, for there was love between them beyond measure, .. and the whole city came together, and they laid him in the church of the Holy Mother of God of the Golden Dome, where his father was laid.”



Prince of Novgorod 1205 - 1207
Predecessor:	Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich
Successor:	Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich
1st Prince of Rostov 1207 - 1218
Predecessor:	formation of the principality
Successor:	Vasilko Konstantinovich
Grand Duke Vladimir 1216 - 1218
Predecessor:	Yuri Vsevolodovich
Successor:	Yuri Vsevolodovich
Religion:	Orthodoxy
Birth:

Buried:	Church of the Savior on Berestov, Kyiv
Dynasty:	Rurikovich
	Vsevolod Yurievich Big Nest
	Maria, daughter of the Czech Duke Švarn
	Daughter of Mstislav Romanovich Smolensky
	Sons: Vasilko, Vsevolod, Vladimir

Power struggle

Great Reign

(May 18, 1186 - February 2, 1218) - Prince of Novgorod (1205-1207), Prince of Rostov (1207-1216), Grand Duke of Vladimir (1216-1218). Ancient historiographers awarded him with the epithets “Wise” and “Kind”.

Biography

The eldest son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod Yuryevich Big Nest. Already in the tenth year, his father married him in Vladimir to the daughter of Prince Smolensk Mstislav Romanovich, not known by name (in monasticism - Agafya, died January 24, 1220). Until 1205, he was with his father, being present, as the latter’s representative, at the consecration of churches in Vladimir and participating in the campaign to the Don against the Polovtsians in 1199. At the end of the 1190s he reigned briefly in Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny.

In 1205, he was sent by his father to reign in Novgorod in place of his brother Svyatoslav, where he stayed until 1207, but spent most of his time not in Novgorod, but in Vladimir and Rostov. Then he, having gathered the Novgorodians, Pskovites, Ladoga residents and Novotorzhites, arrived with them to Moscow to assist his father in the campaign against Ryazan and in the siege of Pronsk.

After some time, his father gave him Rostov and five other cities as his inheritance, but which ones exactly are unknown. In his absence, in 1211, almost all of Rostov burned down, and he, having learned about this, immediately returned to it from Vladimir, where he had gone to meet with his father. As a native of Rostov and a man who lived there for a long time, he established not only a moral connection with his homeland, but also became imbued with its political ideals, seeking both the seniority of Rostov over Vladimir and the political indivisibility of the entire Rostov-Suzdal land. Meanwhile, the Novgorodians accepted Prince Mstislav of Toropets as their reign; As a result, Konstantin and his brothers marched to Torzhok against Novgorod. The matter, however, ended without bloodshed.

In 1212, when his father “began to be exhausted,” he sent to Rostov for Prince Konstantin in order to “bless” him with the Grand Duchy of Vladimir, and transfer Rostov to his brother Yuri. Prince Konstantin refused to go to Vladimir and hand over Rostov, proving that he, as the eldest son, has the right to the entire Grand Duchy. After a three-fold invitation, Vsevolod summoned Bishop John, clergy and laity of all ranks and statuses and forced them to swear allegiance to Yuri, as his successor in grand-ducal dignity, bequeathed to him Vladimir and Suzdal, and to Konstantin - Rostov and Yaroslavl.

Power struggle

In 1212, Vsevolod died and a fight broke out between the brothers; their younger brothers went over to the side of first one or the other of the older brothers. Konstantin, relying on the right of the eldest in the family, began to seek a great reign, and Yuri, wanting to end the world, gave Vladimir to him, and asked Rostov for himself, but Konstantin did not agree, wanting to take both Rostov and Vladimir for himself, and send Yuri to Suzdal. At the congress in Yuryev, Konstantin and Yuri reconciled, but in 1213 Konstantin again decided to go against Yuri, who, however, warned him, he himself approached Rostov, burned many villages here, but the bloody battle on the Ishna River ended in vain; the brothers soon made peace, but in 1216 they began to fight again. In 1215, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich spoke out against Novgorod because the latter accepted Mstislav the Udal to reign; Konstantin first took his brother’s side, but then Mstislav attracted him to his side with a promise to deliver him the grand-ducal table. The battle took place on the banks of the Lipitsa River: Yaroslav and Yuri fled, and Konstantin solemnly entered Vladimir, led the inhabitants to the cross, reconciled Yaroslav with Mstislav, and gave Yuri Gorodets Radilov on the Volga.

Great Reign

Having become the Grand Duke of Vladimir, he did not break ties with Rostov, spending most of his time here, founding the cathedral church and leaving behind many other monuments, and, by the way, a library, which continued to grow under his son Vasilko. The chroniclers call Constantine “blessed”, adorned with “all good morals”, who did not darken his mind with the “vain glory of this charming light”, “the second Solomon”; they convey that he “focuses his whole mind” on “ageless, endless life,” which he “enriches with his alms and great goodness,” pointing to his truthfulness, generosity, meekness and humility, to his concerns about creating “beautiful churches of God,” which he decorated with “wonderful” icons and supplied with books, praise him that he “honored the priestly and monastic rank above all else” and so on. Constantine was awarded the nickname “The Wise”: he spoke several languages, loved books “more than any property” and collected, “not sparing his fortune” (in his library there were more than a thousand Greek manuscripts alone), appreciated art, kept “learned men” with him, engaged in translations from foreign language texts.

Prince Konstantin had three sons: Vasilko, Vsevolod and Vladimir. In 1217, Constantine, feeling his imminent death and fearing for the fate of his young children, called his brother Yuri from Gorodets, bestowed him with many gifts and assigned him, after his death, Vladimir, and for now he gave him Suzdal, forcing him to swear that he would be a father for his nephews, giving Rostov - Vasilka, Yaroslavl - Vsevolod, and Uglich - Vladimir. Prince Constantine died on February 2, 1218, causing general sadness among the people; The chronicle says this: “they cried with great tears - the boyars, as the intercessors of their land, the servants, as for a feeder and master, the wretched and monks, as for their consolation and the clothing of their nakedness.”

Prince Konstantin was the eldest son of the Vladimir prince Vsevolod Yuryevich the Big Nest and was born on May 18, 1185. In 1205, he was sent by his father to reign in Novgorod in place of his brother Svyatoslav, where he stayed until 1207. Konstantin loved the city of Rostov, loved to visit and live there, and during his lifetime his father, Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, allocated the Rostov inheritance for his eldest son from the then huge principality of Vladimir. So Konstantin Vsevolodovich became the founder of the Rostov princes and ruled in Rostov from 1207. He hatched the idea of achieving Rostov's seniority over Vladimir.

In 1212, sensing the approach of death, Vsevolod the Big Nest sent to Rostov for Prince Constantine in order to transfer to him the Grand Duchy of Vladimir, and give Rostov to his brother Yuri. But Prince Konstantin demanded the entire great principality for himself, and offered to give Suzdal to Yuri. After a three-time invitation, Vsevolod transferred to Yuri the right to the Great Principality of Vladimir, bequeathing to him Vladimir and Suzdal, and Konstantin received Rostov and Yaroslavl.

After the death of Vsevolod in 1212, a struggle broke out between the brothers. First one brother won, then the other. Constantine achieved his final victory only in 1216, receiving the title of Grand Duke of Vladimir and retaining Rostov for himself. Yuri was given Radilov Gorodets on the Volga.

But Konstantin Vsevolodovich by that time was no longer very healthy. His sons were still minors. Feeling the approach of death, he decided to make peace with his brother Yuri Vsevolodovich, so as not to leave him as a dangerous enemy for his sons.

In 1217, Constantine called Yuri to himself, gave him Suzdal, and promised to give the city of Vladimir after his death, asking Yuri to be a father for his nephews. In 1218, Konstantin Vsevolodovich divided the Rostov principality between his sons. Rostov went to Vasilko, Yaroslavl to Vsevolod, and Uglich to Vladimir. After the death of Constantine, the Grand Duke's throne again passed to his brother Yuri.

Prince Konstantin was one of the most educated people of his time: he spoke several languages, loved books “more than any property.” He had a huge library, in which there were more than a thousand Greek books alone. Konstantin Vsevolodovich spared no expense in acquiring new books; he kept with him learned people who translated books into the Slavic language. In Yaroslavl, in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, he opened the first school in the north-east of Rus'. Through his efforts, the first two stone churches were built in Yaroslavl. Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich was awarded the nickname “Wise”.