Yuri Dolgoruky

1149-1157  Grand Prince of Kiev.

Yuri Dolgoruky is known as the founder of Moscow (1147). He was also a Grand Prince of Kiev who played a significant role in the power shift from Kiev to Vladimir.

Background
Lived: 1099-1157.
Yuri Dolgoruky was the sixth son of Vladimir Monomakh. He bacame the Prince of Suzdal, a title of very little significance at that time.

Reign
His zeal in grabbing land from his brother princes earned him his nickname “Long Hands”. He soon became the most powerful prince in the northern part of Kievan Rus’.

He fought his brother Izyaslav for the throne of Kiev. He became the Grand Prince of Kiev in 1149, but his reign was a failure.

Moscow
According to legend, Yuri killed a boyar who had insulted him near the village of Kuchkovo. He then ordered a fortress to be built in the same place.

In 1147, a relative, Svyatoslav Olgovich, received a message from Yuri: “Come brother, see me in Moscow”. That is considered the founding date.

Death
Yuri was poisoned, and his son expelled from Kiev. Power slowly started shifting away from Kiev to the north – to Vladimir and Novgorod.