Siege of Kiev (1036)
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| Siege of Kiev (1036) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Defeat of Pechenegs near Kiev in 1036 (15th century depiction) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Kievan Rus' |
 Pecheneg Khanate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Yaroslav the Wise | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown; more than Rus' | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Entire army annihilated | ||||||||
The Siege of Kiev was conducted by Pecheneg Khanate against the capital of the Kievan Rus' defended by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, which took place in 1036. It ended in a crushing defeat for Pechenegs, which led to their annihilation.[1]
In 1024, Yaroslav the Wise was in conflict with his brother, Mstislav of Chernigov. A battle took place between them at Listven, in which Mstislav defeated Yaroslav, forcing him to give up lands East of the Dnieper River. These lands only returned under Yaroslav's control in 1036, after Mstislav had passed away.[2] Yaroslav sought alliances and close ties with other European states through royal intermarriages. Kievan Rus' occupied a notable places among European states, wither others European rulers also seeking closer ties with Prince Yaroslav the Wise.[2][1] However, Prince Yaroslav would have to deal with the last major Pecheneg attack on the Rus' capital of Kiev in 1036, as the fortifications previously built to fend off Pechenegs didn't stop their raids.[3]
Siege
According to Ruthenian chronicle (translated from Hypatian Codex), there was a "fierce slaughter" taking place between the Pechenegs and Rus' army of Yaroslav the Wise, after the Pechenegs "like wild beasts" attacked from all directions and killed a certain "Prince Boris" with his servant. The Pechenegs moved to a place of where the present-day Saint Sophia Cathedral is located. Afterwards, by the evening, Yaroslav the Wise managed to triumph in battle and scatter the Pechenegs, forcing their surviving forces to flee. However, the fleeing Pechenegs ended up drowning in Sytomla and other rivers during their chaotic retreat.[4]