Agafia (Agatha) Vsevolodovna (date of birth is unknown — † February 7, 1238 in Vladimir-on-Klyazma), Grand Duchess of Vladimir (1212-1216, 1218-1238)
Father
- Vsevolod Svyatoslavich of Chernigov
Mother
- Maria, daughter of the High Duke of Poland Casimir II the Just from the Piast dynasty
Biography
Agafia was daughter of Prince Vsevolod Svyatoslavich of Chernigov and Princess Mary of Poland, maternal granddaughter of King Casimir II of Poland. The year of birth remains unknown. She was first mentioned in 1211, when she was married to prince Yuri Vsevolodovich of Vladimir [II, p. 414; 1, p. 307].
Together with her husband, she was the patroness of the Monastery of Deposition of the Robe in Suzdal, founded in 1203. It was in this monastery that Agafia’s niece, Theodulia took monastic vows and received the name Euphrosyne (future Saint Euphrosyne of Suzdal) [2, p. 493]. She died on February 7, 1238 during the capture of the city by the Mongols. According to various sources, Agafia, along with her sons Vsevolod and Mstislav and the youngest daughter, Theodora, daughters-in-law Christina and Maria and grandchildren, was either burned to death in the Assumption Cathedral, or tortured by the Mongols. I. N. Danilevsky argues that the description of the Mongol attack is a late interpolation meant to replace the original text of the chronicle. The identities of both daughters-in-law of Agathia and Yuri — Christina and Maria (according to other sources — Marina) were also doubted.
Agafia’s husband, Yuri Vsevolodovich, died a month later in the battle of the river Sit against the Mongols. The entire family of the Grand Prince was subsequently included in the pantheon of the Vladimir saints as the Martyrs of Vladimir (commemoration day on June 23/July 6).
Children
- Vladimir
- Vsevolod (1212-1238)
- Mstislav (1218-1238)
- Elena (Dobrava) (1215–1265)
- Theodora (1229-1238)
Sources
I. Zhitie Evfrosinii Suzdal'skoi // Kloss B.M. Izbrannye trudy. T. II: Ocherki istorii russkoi agiografii XIV–XVI vv. M., 2001. S. 374 – 405.
II. Polnoe sobranie russkikh letopisei (PSRL). T. 1. Lavrent'evskaia letopis'. Riazan', 2001.
III. PSRL. T. 2. Ipat'evskaia letopis'. M., 1998.
IV. PSRL. T. 21. Kniga stepennaia tsarskogo rodosloviia. Ch. 1. SPb., 1908.
Bibliography
1. Dombrovskii D. Genealogiia Mstislavichei. Pervye pokoleniia (do nachala XIV v.) / Per. s pol'skogo i vstup. slovo k rus. izd. K.Iu. Erusalimskogo, O.A. Ostapchuk. SPb., 2015.
2. Morozova L. E. Velikie i neizvestnye zhenshchiny Drevnei Rusi. M., 2009.
3. Khmyrov M.D. Alfavitno-spravochnyi perechen' gosudarei russkikh i zamechatel'neishikh osob ikh krovi / Sost. E.K. Avramenko, S.S. Atapin, L.P.Kolosova. SPb., 1993.
Links
1. Биографический энциклопедический словарь
http://expositions.nlr.ru/LaurentianCodex/_Project/page_Show.php