Bolesław Chrobry and Kyiv Rus: Alliances, Conflicts, Legacies
What did Gniezno and Kyiv have in common at the time of Bolesław Chrobry?
In the new documentary film by ‘Realna Istoriya’, we tell the story of relations between medieval Poland and Russia. The history of the reign of Bolesław Chrobry and his role in shaping the relationship between Gniezno and Kyiv is specifically discussed. The story of the reign of Poland's first king becomes the starting point for a broader story about the Piasts' family ties with the Rurikikovichs ruling Kyiv, about alliances and neighbourly feuds that were decisive for the future of the region, about the ambitions and passions of rulers from both dynasties.
Why is the story of those times important today?
Bolesław Chrobry and his policy towards Ruthenia show that relations between Poles and Ukrainians have been dynamic since the dawn of history for both peoples, influencing their historical development and even their very identity. Disputes over the Czerwieńskie Grody, the alliance with the prince Svyatopolk, the intervention in Kyiv, the coronation of Daniel in Drohiczyn as king of Rus, or the Polish presence in Red Ruthenia, Volhynia, Podolia and Kyiv - these are important elements in the memory of Poles and Ukrainians about the past. It is worth noting at this point that it is the awareness of the centuries-old Polish-Ukrainian historical community and Moscow's usurpation of the history of the former Rus' that increases the solidarity between the two peoples at a time when Ukraine is fighting for its independence from Russian imperialism, and Poland is instrumental in helping it.
Historians from Poland speak in the film:
- Prof. Hieronim Grala,
and Ukraine:
- Vadym Aristov, analysing both the policies of Bolesław Chrobry, the other Piasts and the Rurikiviks, and their consequences for our region.
This was the fifth episode of a series on the history of Polish-Ukrainian relations. The project is carried out in cooperation with the Ukrainian history channel ‘Realna Istorija’.