Igor II of Kiev facts for kids
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Igor II Olgovich was an important leader in Kievan Rus' history. He was a Prince of Chernigov and briefly the Grand Prince of Kiev in 1146. A Grand Prince was like a king or a very powerful ruler of a large area. Igor was the son of Oleg I of Chernigov. His story is about power, betrayal, and eventually, becoming a saint.
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Becoming Grand Prince
Igor was chosen to take over from his brother, Vsevolod II of Kiev, who was the Grand Prince before him. Even though his brother tried to make sure the people of Kiev would be loyal, Igor and his family, known as the Olgovichi, were not very popular. Many people did not want him to become their new ruler.
People at the time wrote that Igor was not always honest and that he was sometimes unfair. Because of this, there was a lot of disagreement about him becoming Grand Prince.
A Short Rule
Igor ruled for less than two weeks! The people of Kiev quickly decided they wanted someone else. They invited his cousin, Iziaslav II, to be their prince instead.
Iziaslav had promised not to seek power, but he changed his mind. He attacked Igor and Igor's brother, Sviatoslav. Iziaslav's forces won the battle.
Sviatoslav managed to escape, but Igor was not so lucky. He got stuck in some swampy areas and couldn't run away because he had trouble with his legs. He was captured by Iziaslav's forces.
Life as a Monk
After his capture, Iziaslav had Igor thrown into a deep pit. Igor stayed there for a long time, until the autumn of 1146. He became very sick while he was in the pit.
Because he was so ill, Igor asked for permission to become a monk. A monk is a religious person who lives a simple life dedicated to God. Iziaslav agreed and released him. Igor was so weak that he had to be carried out of the pit and almost died from his illness.
He became a monk at the Monastery of St. Feodor in Kiev. He took on a new religious name, Ignati.
His Tragic End
In 1147, something terrible happened. A large group of people attacked Igor. They wrongly believed that he was trying to take Iziaslav's throne again.
Iziaslav's brother, Vladimir, tried to save Igor from the angry crowd. Igor tried to find safety on a balcony, but the mob pulled it down. Sadly, Igor was killed.
His body was then dragged through the streets and shown in a market. Eventually, Vladimir was able to get his body back.
A Saintly Legacy
After Igor's death, people said that miracles happened around his body. Because of this, he was declared a saint and a martyr. A martyr is someone who dies for their beliefs.
Later, his remains were moved to the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov. He is remembered as St. Igor of Chernigov.
Images for kids
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Portrait in the Tsarsky titulyarnik (1672)
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The Church of St. Igor of Chernigov in Moscow
