Lev I of Galicia

Lev I of Halych in front of his capital, Lviv

The Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia (1245–1349).

Lev I of Galicia (Russian: Лев Данилович, Lev Danilovich; Ukrainian: Лев Данилович, Lev Danylovych) (ca. 1228 – ca. 1301) became in turn Knyaz of Belz (1245–1264), Knyaz of Peremyshl, Knyaz of Halych (1264–1269) and Grand Prince of Kiev (1271–1301).

Family

He was a son of King Danylo of Galicia and his first wife Anna of Novgorod. His maternal grandparents were Mstislav the Bold and an unnamed daughter of Kotian, Khan of the Cumans. He was also cousin of Alexander Nevsky.

Reign

Lev moved his father's capital from Halych to the newly-founded city of Lviv. This city was named after him by its founder, Lev's father, king Daniel of Galicia. In 1247 Lev married Constance, daughter of Béla IV of Hungary. Unlike his father, who pursued a Western political course, Lev worked closely with the Mongols and together with them invaded Poland. However, although his troops plundered territory as far west as Racibórz in Silesia, sending many captives and much booty back to Galicia, Lev did not ultimately gain much territory from Poland. Lev cultivated a particularly close alliance with the Tatar Nogai Khan. He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to establish his family's rule over Lithuania. Soon after his brother Shvarno ascended to the Lithuanian throne in 1267, Lev organized the murder of Grand Duke of Lithuania Vaišvilkas. Following his brother Shvarno's loss of the throne in 1269, Lev entered into conflict with Lithuania. In 1274–1276 he fought a war with the new Lithuanian ruler Traidenis but was defeated, and Lithuania annexed the territory of Black Ruthenia with its city of Navahrudak.

In 1279, Lev allied himself with king Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and invaded Poland, although his attempt to capture Cracow in 1280 ended in failure. That same year, however, Lev defeated Hungary and temporarily annexed part of Transcarpathia, including the town of Mukachevo. In 1292 he defeated Poland and added Lublin with surrounding areas to the territory of Galicia-Volhynia. At the time of Lev's death in 1301 the state of Galicia-Volhynia was at the height of its power.

Marriage and children

Leo I married Constance of Hungary. She was a daughter of Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. They had three children:

• Yuri I of Galicia (24 April 1252/1257 – 18 March 1308).
• Svyatoslava of Halych (d. 1302). A nun
• Anastasia of Galicia (d. 12 March 1335). She married Siemowit of Masovia who was a son of Casimir I of Masovia and his third wife Euphrosyne of Opole.

Lev I of Galicia Rurik Dynasty Born: c. 1228 Died: c. 1301
Regnal titles
Preceded by Daniel of Galicia	King of Galicia-Volhynia Assumed the full title in 1293 1264–1301	Succeeded by Yuri I of Galicia

See also

• Danylo of Halych
• List of rulers of Galicia and Volhynia
• List of Ukrainian rulers

External links

• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of Danylo's family". Genealogy.EU. 
• Lev Danylovych at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine