Principality of Kiev
The Principality of Kiev was a Ruthenian state in the regions of central Ukraine around the city of Kiev that existed after the fragmentation of the Kievan Rus' in the early 12th century.
Territory
The Principality of Kiev occupied land areas on both banks of the Dnieper River, bordering the Principality of Polotsk to the north-west, Principality of Chernigov to the north-east, Poland to the west, Principality of Galicja to the south-west and Cumania to the south-east. Later, Kiev would be bordered by the separated Principality of Turov-Pinsk to the north and the joined Principality of Galicja-Volhynia to the west.
History
The region of the Kievan Rus' fragmented in the early 12th century and a number of semi-autonomous successor states arose. Kiev remained the core of the country and was the center of the spiritual life with the office of the Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kiev.
Following the death of Mstislav I of Kiev in 1132, the semi-autonomous states were de facto independent and so forth brought the emergence of the Principality of Kiev as a separate principality.
The importance of the Kievan Principality began to decline. In the years of 1150-1180 saw many of it's cities such as Vyshgorod, Kanev and Belgorod seek independence as individual principalities. The emergence of the principalities of Vladimir-Suzdal and Galicia-Volhynia resulted in the transition of the political and cultural center of Ruthenia as well as the migration of citizens to cities like Vladimir and Halich.
The Mongol Invasion left the Principality of Kiev in a severely ruined state. Following the invasions, it was now under a formal suzerainty of the Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal, Alexander Nevsky, whom in turn was a vassal to the Mongols. After the Battle of Irpen in 1321, Kiev was the object of desire among the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas and it was incorporated to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1362. The duchy formally existed as a distinct entity until 1471 when it was converted into the Kiev Voivodeship
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