The Council of Liubech (sometimes referred to as the Liubech Conference)[1] (Russian: Любечский съезд) was one of the best documented princely meetings in Kievan Rus' that took place in Liubech (today in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine) on October 19, 1097.[2] The council ended the Chernihiv war of succession (1093–1097) between Sviatopolk II of Kiev, Vladimir II Monomakh and Oleg I of Chernigov who fought for the heritage of his father Sviatoslav II of Kiev.[3]
The council, initiated by Vladimir Monomakh, brought together Sviatopolk II, Vasylko Rostyslavych, Davyd Sviatoslavich, Oleg I, and other Rus' princes. It aimed to stop the Chernigov war of succession,[4] to pacify the people, and to present a unified front against the Polovtsy (Cumans). It resulted in the division of Kievan Rus' among the princes, letting their immediate families inherit them. This broke a rota system (lestvichnoe pravo) that had been followed in Kievan Rus' for two centuries which saw the oldest son take the throne and was ruled by a succession of the eldest. Further, rulership of certain regions were never stable but shifted gradually upwards.[2]
As a result, each prince within Kievan Rus’ was given his principality as patrimonial domain.[5]
Following the conference in the second-quarter of the 12th century, historical chronicles began mentioning local princes as the growing issue became the regularization of relations between local princes and their individual clan estates, or principalities.[6]
The Council assigned/confirmed the principalities as follows:
Of the remaining "outcast" princes:
This change effectively established a feudal system in Kievan Rus'.[citation needed] It stopped the struggle for Chernigov, but was not observed perfectly. After the death of Sviatopolk in 1113, the citizens of Kyiv revolted and summoned Monomakh to the throne. Nevertheless, the new dispensation allowed other principalities to consolidate their power and to develop as powerful regional centers: most notably Galicia-Volhynia and Vladimir-Suzdal. Further, the conference resulted in numerous policy developments including continued progress towards the Kievan Russian legal code known as the "Russian Truth" and the historigraphical chronicle known as "The Initial Code."[10]
Despite the conference's larger goal of uniting the Kievan princes against the Cumans (otherwise known as the Polovtsians), the feuding did not end between the princes and instead led to continued conflicts. The blinding of David Igorevich by Vsevolod I of Kiev acted as a catalyst for continued warring which led to Vladimir II to organize the Vytychiv Congress on August 10, 1100.[11]