principality · Poland, Lithuania and Russia
Principality of Kiev
Origins
When Mstislav the Great died in 1132, the unity of Kievan Rus' broke down. Kiev itself and its surrounding lands became one principality among many, though still senior in prestige and the seat of the metropolitan. Princes of the Monomakh and Olgovichi lines competed for its throne.
Rule and society
Kiev changed hands dozens of times in the 12th century. The armies of Andrei Bogolyubsky sacked it in 1169, and Rurik Rostislavich and his Cuman allies sacked it again in 1203. The Mongols destroyed the city in 1240, and for a century it was ruled by minor princes and Mongol officials.
Decline and legacy
Around 1362 Algirdas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania took Kiev and gave it to his son Volodymyr. Under the Olelkovich princes it was a Lithuanian vassal state with an Orthodox court. When Semen Olelkovich died in 1470, Casimir IV abolished the principality in 1471 and made it a voivodeship.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Principality of Kiev was conquered by Mongol Empire1240 CE
- Principality of Kiev paid tribute to Golden Horde1242 CE – 1362 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Kiev. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kiev
- MLA
- “Principality of Kiev.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kiev. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Kiev.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kiev.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Kiev’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kiev (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻