Sviatopolk I — later called "the Accursed" in the Primary Chronicle — struck these coins during his contested rule over Kyiv, a period defined entirely by fratricidal war against his brothers following Vladimir the Great's death in 1015. He is traditionally held responsible for the murders of Boris, Gleb, and Sviatoslav, making his coinage among the most politically fraught of the entire Rus' series. Whether that attribution is accurate or Yaroslav's later propaganda remains debated.
The srebrenniks of Sviatopolk are exceedingly rare survivors. His reign ended in 1019 when Yaroslav — subsequently "the Wise" — defeated him at the Alta River, the same river where Boris had been killed.
Sviatopolk I — later called "the Accursed" in the Primary Chronicle — struck these coins during his contested rule over Kyiv, a period defined entirely by fratricidal war against his brothers following Vladimir the Great's death in 1015. He is traditionally held responsible for the murders of Boris, Gleb, and Sviatoslav, making his coinage among the most politically fraught of the entire Rus' series. Whether that attribution is accurate or Yaroslav's later propaganda remains debated.
The srebrenniks of Sviatopolk are exceedingly rare survivors. His reign ended in 1019 when Yaroslav — subsequently "the Wise" — defeated him at the Alta River, the same river where Boris had been killed.