Andrei I Bogolyubsky

St. Andrei Bogolyubsky
Icon of St. Andrei Bogolyubsky
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Dormition cathedral, Vladimir
Feast	June 30, July 4 (burial)
Attributes	Clothed as a Russian Grand Prince, holding a three-bar cross in his right hand

Andrei I Yuryevich, commonly known under his sobriquet Andrei Bogolyubsky (Russian: Андрей Боголюбский, "Andrei the God-Loving") (c. 1111 – June 28, 1174) was Grand prince of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1157 till his death. His reign saw a complete decline of Kiev's rule over northeastern Rus, and rise of Vladimir as the new capital city. Andrei was known in the West as Scythian Caesar, and is beatified as a saint in Russian Orthodox Church.

He was the son of Yuri Dolgoruki, who proclaimed Andrei a prince in Vyshhorod (near Kiev). His mother was a Polovtsian (Cuman) princess, khan Aepa's/Ayepa's daughter.

Andrei left Vyshhorod in 1155 and moved to Vladimir. Promoting development of feudal relations, he relied on a team and on Vladimir’s townspeople; he connected to trading-craft business of Rostov and Suzdal. After his father’s death (1157), he became Knyaz (prince) of Vladimir, Rostov and Suzdal.

Andrei Bogolyubsky tried to unite Rus' lands under his authority. From 1159 he persistently struggled for submission of Novgorod to his authority and conducted a complex military and diplomatic game in South Rus. In 1169 his troops sacked Kiev. After plundering the city, stealing much religious artwork, which included the Byzantine "Mother of God" icon. Andrei appointed his brother Gleb as prince of Kiev, in an attempt to unify his lands with Kiev. Following his brother's death in 1171, Andrei became embroiled in a two-year war to maintain control over Kiev, which ended in his defeat.