Vladimir II Monomakh

Vladimir II Monomakh was a Rurikid prince, the son of Vsevolod I of Kyiv, who spent decades campaigning, governing principalities and negotiating the rivalries of the Rus’ dynastic system. He ruled Pereiaslav and other territories before becoming grand prince of Kyiv in 1113, a position he held until his death in 1125.

Vladimir was remembered both as a military leader and as an advocate of princely cooperation against external enemies. The text traditionally known as his Instruction presents ideals of rulership, justice, family duty and personal conduct. His marriage to Gytha of Wessex connected the Rurikid dynasty with the displaced family of Harold Godwinson.

Carol McGrath’s The Betrothed Sister carries Gytha of Wessex from the wreckage of her family’s position after 1066 into Kievan Rus’, where she marries Prince Vladimir Monomakh. Vladimir is both husband and political anchor for Gytha’s second life: his dynasty connects the exiled Godwin family to the wider network of European royal marriages, while his military and princely responsibilities expose her to a culture and political order far removed from Norman-ruled England.