Małżeństwo ruskiej księżnej z połowieckim chanem – konsekwencje oraz wpływ na politykę ruskiego rodu
The Marriage of a Rus’ Duchess and a Cuman Khan – the Consequences and Influence on the Policy of the Rus’ Dynasty

Summary/Abstract: The marriage between Vsevolod Davidovich’s daughter and Bashkord Khan of the Cumans, which took place around the middle of 12th century, was one of the most interesting of the mixed marriages between the Rus’ and Cuman aristocracy. It was a “precedent” event, because neither before nor after it did any of the Rus’ duchesses marry a Cuman khan. Although the marriage did play a certain political role, it must be underlined that its main reason was the conscious choice on the part of Vsevolod’s daughter, who moved out to live in the steppe with her husband. It was not an easy decision, because after the wedding the aristocrat had to coexist with people of a different ethnicity and in different cultural conditions. In the political sphere, Vsevolodovna’s wedding no doubt strengthened the position of Sviatoslav, her son from the first marriage, in Rus’. Sviatoslav got on well with his stepfather Bashkord (one of the more important Cuman khans at that time). He used the family connection with the Cumans in his efforts to regain Chernigov.

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