The characterization of Svyatoslav in the famous historical work “The Word of Igor's Campaign” may interest any reader, because he plays an important role in the story. This Kiev prince acts as a wise man with his aspirations. You can learn more about his biography and role in the book from this article.
Known facts
The characterization of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich should begin with the fact that such a person really existed. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but presumably these are the twenties of the twelfth century. The man is a cousin to the main characters of the story - Igor and Vsevolod. In 1180, he had the honor of becoming Prince of Kiev. He devoted most of his life to the fight against the Polovtsian attacks on Kievan Rus. In the same year, when he took his place in Kiev, he went camping on the already mentioned nomadic tribes. Svyatoslav inflicted a crushing defeat on them thanks to his courage. In 1181 he entered into an alliance with Rurik Rostislavovich and provided for thirteen years a peaceful life in Russia until his death. These facts will help to better characterize Svyatoslav.
Confusion in facts and image
It is worth noting that the author of the work shows facts a bit strange. In the characterization of Svyatoslav, important information is that he is a cousin of the main characters. The writer calls him their father, and because of this, you can get confused in the characters. In fact, the author calls him that because he occupies a place in the princely hierarchy in Kiev. Thus, he seemed to be his mentor, but the author chose to call it paternity.
It is this prince that is shown on the pages of the work as the brightest character. His image is exhibited from the very best side, as can be judged by his wise statements in the direction of the brothers. In the work “The Word about Igor's Regiment”, the characteristics of Svyatoslav and other heroes will be very different. At the time of the events, he was about sixty years old. The author focuses on his appearance with gray hair and the burden of long life. Svyatoslav confirms the status of a father in a hierarchy with his attitude to his brothers. He always calls them affectionately “children” and shows with this kindness.
Caring for the State
In the description of Svyatoslav in "The Word about Igor's Regiment", it is necessary to mention that he in every possible way cared about the safety of Kievan Rus. He ruled the central city and he was worried about the Polovtsian activity on the borders of the state. The prince even compared himself to an old falcon, who had already grown old, but would not give his nest any offense. The true obstacle in this struggle was other rulers who did not want to unite against a common enemy. They placed their personal conflicts above the security of the state. For this reason, too, Svyatoslav looks in a positive light. The author of the work was not mistaken in giving the image of the prince a patriotic orientation. Various chronicles and authentic sources claim that he was close to love for his native Russia. He repeatedly proved this with his actions. Throughout the story in the book, the hero is worried about the fact that the country cannot unite. In “The Word of Igor’s Regiment,” Svyatoslav’s description is built around this image — a kind and wise man who cares about the state.
Foresight
In the work “The Word about Igor’s Regiment”, the characteristics of Svyatoslav and other main characters intersect, because his actions are based on the actions of his “sons”. The loss of Igor in the battle against the Polovtsy became a high-profile event. Nomadic tribes decided that they could fight against the soldiers of Russia, because they had already won one victory. Svyatoslav is the father in the hierarchy for Igor, and therefore the Polovtsy think that they won over him. This fact is of great concern to the prince, because brave enemies can invade the state. But Svyatoslav was able to look a few steps forward. He is trying to unite all the rulers in Russia into a single cohesive state, but he did not succeed. In the characterization of Prince Svyatoslav, it is worth noting that he saw weakness in civil strife. The character in the book understands the perniciousness of the internal struggle for power, the desire to get glory. But no one wanted to listen to his words.
A little more about personality
In his reign, Svyatoslav was not a cruel prince. He was kind in nature and strove to bring peace to his power. That is why he teamed up with Rurik Rostislavovich. This compromise helped rule out military strife for thirteen years. In those realities, such a period was considered a great achievement. At the same time, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich ruled only Kiev, and Rurik had power over other cities in the state. In his attitude to enemies, the character completely changed. He became merciless and cruel, without even the slightest pity. The opinion of historians and researchers in the analysis of this figure diverges. Many of them agree that the personality of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in this period in Russia was quite significant. He ruled Kiev, managed to conclude a profitable alliance in 1181, which brought peace, and also successfully fought with the Polovtsy. This is enough to create the image of a positive character.
Other opinions and results
In the characterization of Svyatoslav in the “Word on Igor's Regiment”, it should be noted that his reign was in difficult times. With his good character, he did everything in his power. Some historians talk about this, emphasizing the difficulties in his hectic life. A number of other researchers believe that the author idealizes the figure of Svyatoslav too strongly. He shows only the best sides of the hero, and misses all his possible minuses from sight. If you summarize all the information from the book and the opinions of experts, it turns out that Svyatoslav was an outstanding prince, who in history does not have much weight. His wisdom and foresight allowed to achieve some success in the political direction. Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich also conducted a successful military campaign against the Polovtsy. Only now, his strength was not enough for a new unification of Kievan Rus into a single powerful state.