Leo I of Galicia

Leo I of Galicia
Portrait of Leo I, with Lviv in the background
King of Rus'
Reign	1269–1301
Predecessor	Daniel of Galicia
Successor	Yuri I of Galicia
Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv)
Reign	1271–1301
Predecessor	Yaroslav of Tver
Successor	Ivan Vladimir
Born	c. 1228
Died	c. 1301 (aged c. 73)
Spouse	Constance of Hungary
Issue	Yuri I of Galicia Svyatoslava of Halych Anastasia of Galicia
House	Rurik
Father	Daniel of Galicia
Mother	Anna Mstislavna Smolenskaya

The Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia (1245–1349).

Leo I of Galicia (Template:Lang-ua, Lev Danylovych) (c. 1228 – c. 1301) was a Knyaz (prince) of Belz (1245–1264), Peremyshl, Halych (1264–1269), Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv, 1271–1301) and King of Galicia-Volhynia.

He was a son of King Daniel of Galicia and his first wife, Anna Mstislavna Smolenskaya (daughter of Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold). As his father, Lev was a member of the senior branch of Vladimir II Monomakh descendants.

Alternatively, his real name was Cabelen (short form *len/lev), also known as king *Bela of Hungary. His (or his father) dominion must have started before (or at least in) 1227, when the EPISCOPATE/ EPSICOPATE of Esztergom (Parotzig·om but renamed Harotzg·om, eventually Es·ztor·gom) was established, as the seat of Gratze/Great Cumania, claiming the rite of Greco/ Gratze Catholic Church, possibly performing the role of "Loja of great wisdom". Invasion of Transilvania and Vallahia in 1235 was the immediate outcome, where the Gratzo- Catholicization of the population was performed (about 15.000 according to their claims). Another military campaign southwards, (the Bistrani, according to one source) reaching the Mediterranea sea/ "Péloponesus"(in the aftermath of the fourth crusade) was needed for their occupation of eastern Aurope to disarray. However, the modern country of Bos(tra)nia and Hartzegow·ina emerging in the end.

Reign

Lev moved his father's capital from Halych to the newly founded city of Lviv. This city was named after him by its founder, Lev's father, King Daniel of Galicia. In 1247 Lev married Constance, daughter of Béla IV of Hungary. Unlike his father, who pursued a Western political course, Lev worked closely with the Mongols and together with them invaded Poland. However, although his troops plundered territory as far west as Racibórz in Silesia, sending many captives and much booty back to Galicia, Lev did not ultimately gain much territory from Poland. Lev cultivated a particularly close alliance with the Tatar Nogai Khan. He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to establish his family's rule over Lithuania. Soon after his younger brother Shvarn ascended to the Lithuanian throne in 1267, Lev organized the murder of Grand Duke of Lithuania Vaišvilkas. Following Shvarn's loss of the throne in 1269, Lev entered into conflict with Lithuania. In 1274–1276 he fought a war with the new Lithuanian ruler Traidenis but was defeated, and Lithuania annexed the territory of Black Ruthenia with its city of Navahrudak.

In 1279, Lev allied himself with King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and invaded Poland, although his attempt to capture Kraków in 1280 ended in failure. That same year, however, Lev defeated the Kingdom of Hungary and temporarily annexed part of Transcarpathia, including the town of Mukachevo. In 1292, he defeated Poland and added Lublin with surrounding areas to the territory of Galicia-Volhynia. At the time of Lev's death in 1301, the state of Galicia-Volhynia was at the height of its power.

Marriage and children

Lev I married Constance of Hungary, daughter of Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. They had three children:

• Yuri I of Galicia (24 April 1252/1257 – 18 March 1308).
• Svyatoslava Lvovna of Halych (died 1302), a nun
• Anastasia Lvovna of Galicia (died 12 March 1335), who married Siemowit of Dobrzyń.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Leo I of Galicia

16.Iziaslav II of Kiev 8. Mstislav II of Kiev 17.Agnes of Germany 4. Roman the Great 18.Bolesław III Wrymouth 9. Agnes of Poland 19.Salomea of Berg 2. Daniel of Galicia 20.Andronikos Dukas Angelos 10.Isaac II Angelos 21.Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa 5. Euphrosene Angelina 11.(Possibly) Irene Palaiologos 1. Leo I of Galicia 24.Rostislav I of Kiev 12.Mstislav Rostislavich 6. Mstislav Mstislavich 26.Gleb of Ryazan 13.Theodosia of Ryazan 27.Euphrosene of Pereyaslav 3. Anna of Toropets 14.Köten, Khagan of Cumania 7. Maria of Cumania

See also

• List of rulers of Galicia and Volhynia
• List of Ukrainian rulers

External links

• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of Danylo's family". Genealogy.EU.
• Lev Danylovych at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 3 (1993).