Vladimir-Suzdal
Grand Principality of Vladimir Великое княжество Владимирское | |||||||||
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| 1125–1389 | |||||||||
Seal of Alexander Nevsky
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Vladimir-Suzdal in 1237 | |||||||||
| Capital | Suzdal (1125–1157) Vladimir (1157–1389) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Russian | ||||||||
| Religion | Russian Orthodoxy | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Grand Prince | |||||||||
• 1125–1157 (first) | Yuri Dolgoruky | ||||||||
• 1363–1389 (last) | Dmitry Donskoy | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1125 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1389 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Russia | ||||||||
| History of Russia |
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| Russia portal |
The Principality of Suzdal, from 1157 the Grand Principality of Vladimir, commonly known as Vladimir-Suzdal, or simply Suzdalia, was a medieval principality that was established during the disintegration of Kievan Rus'. In historiography, the territory of the grand principality and the principalities that emerged from it is commonly denoted as northeast Russia or northeast Rus'.
Yury Dolgoruky (r. 1125–1157) moved his capital from Rostov to Suzdal in 1125, following the death of his father. He ruled a principality that had become virtually independent. His son Andrey (r. 1157–1175) moved the capital to Vladimir and had Kiev sacked in 1169, leading to political power shifting to the north-east. Andrey's younger brother Vsevolod III (r. 1176–1212) secured control of the throne, and following his death, a dynastic conflict ensued. Yury II (r. 1212–1216, 1218–1238) was killed during the Mongol invasions of 1237–1238. His younger brother Yaroslav II (r. 1238–1246) and the other princes submitted to Mongol rule.
By the end of the 13th century, the grand principality had fragmented into over a dozen appanages. Moscow and Tver emerged as the two leading principalities, leading to a struggle between them for possession of the grand princely throne. From 1331, the prince of Moscow was also the grand prince of Vladimir, except for one brief interruption from 1359 to 1363, when the throne was held by Nizhny Novgorod during the minority of Dmitry Donskoy. In 1389, the grand principality became a family possession of the prince of Moscow and the two thrones were united. The original territory of the grand principality would later serve as the core of the centralized Russian state.