Vladimir II Monomakh - Marriages and Children

Marriages and Children

Vladimir was married three times. His first wife was Gytha of Wessex, daughter of Harold of England who fell at Hastings and Edith Swannesha. They had at least five children:

• Mstislav I of Kiev (1 June 1076 – 14 April 1132).
• Izyaslav Vladimirovich, Prince of Kursk (c. 1077 – 6 September 1096).
• Svyatoslav Vladimirovich, Prince of Smolensk and Pereyaslav (c. 1080 – 16 March 1114).
• Yaropolk II of Kiev (1082 – 18 February 1139).
• Viacheslav I of Kiev (1083 – 2 February 1154).

The following daughter has been attributed to both the first and the second wife:

• Marina Vladimirovna (d. 1146). Married Leon Diogenes. A pretender to the throne of the Byzantine Empire, claiming to be a son of Romanos IV. Rose to the rank of khan of the Cumans in Ossetia.

The second wife, Eufimia, is considered to have been a Byzantine noblewoman. The Primary Chronicle and "Testament of Vladimir Monomakh" record her date of death on 7 May 1107. However the Chronicle does not mention her name. They had at least six children:

• Roman Volodymyrovych, Prince of Volhynia (d. 6 January 1119).
• Eufemia of Kiev (d. 4 April 1139). Married Coloman of Hungary.
• Agafia Vladimirovna. Married Vsevolod Davidovich, Prince of Gorodno. Her husband was a son of Davyd Igorevych, Prince of Volhynia (d. 1113).
• Yuri Dolgoruki (d. 15 May 1157).
• Andriy Volodymyrovych, Prince of Volhynia (11 July 1102–1141).

His third marriage is thought to have been to a daughter of Aepa Ocenevich, Khan of the Cumans. Her paternal grandfather was Osen. Her people belonged to the Kipchaks, a confederation of pastoralists and warriors of Turkic origin.

However the Primary Chronicle identifies Aepa as father-in-law to Yuri Dolgoruki. With Vladimir negotiating the marriage in name of his son. Whether father and son married sisters or the identity of intended groom was misadentified is unclear.