Eastern Europe and Rus’ before the Baptism (1st–10th c.)Wars and battles

Feud of the Sviatoslavichi

The first war of succession in Rus’: Yaropolk attacked his brother Oleg, who died at Vruchiy (Ovruch) in 977; Vladimir fled overseas, returned with Varangians, took Polotsk and Rogneda by force, and seized Kyiv, where Yaropolk was killed — in 978 or 980.

Date: 977 – between 978 and 980start: year known; end: exact date unknown: an interval is given · duration: ≈ 2 years
Place: Kyivtoday: Kyiv, Ukraine · Eastern Europe
Route: Vruchiy (Ovruch) → Novgorod → Polotsk → Kyiv
Participants: Yaropolk I, Oleg of the Drevlians, Vladimir the Great, Kievan Rus’, Varangians
Threads: Eastern Europe and Rus’ before the Baptism (1st–10th c.)
Also known as: Rogneda; Рогнеда; Rogvolod; Рогволод; Vladimir takes Kyiv; Вокняжение Владимира

The pretext was the killing of Lyut, son of the voevoda Sveneld, by Oleg while hunting (975). In 977 Yaropolk marched into the Drevlian land; Oleg’s men fled into Vruchiy, and in the crush on the bridge over the moat Oleg fell and was crushed to death. Yaropolk then took Novgorod, and Vladimir fled to the Varangians. Returning with a Scandinavian army, Vladimir took Polotsk, killed Prince Rogvolod and his sons and took his daughter Rogneda, who had refused “to unshoe the son of a slave woman”. Yaropolk was betrayed by his adviser Blud, came to his brother to negotiate and was killed by two Varangians.

The Primary Chronicle dates Vladimir’s accession to 980, but the earliest Life of Vladimir, by Jacob the Monk (11th century), says he entered Kyiv on 11 June 978, and the 37 years of his reign counted by the chronicle also point to 978. Many historians accept the earlier date; the interval keeps both.

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