Danylo Romanovych
Danylo Romanovych (1201 – 1264) was prince of Halych-Volhynia (Galicia–Volhynia) and, from 1253, “King of Rus'”, with a crown sent by the pope. Losing his father at four, he fought the boyars, Hungary and Poland for many years before regaining Halych in 1238, and after the Mongol invasion he went to Batu Khan at Sarai in 1245 and became his vassal. He made Kholm (modern Chełm in Poland) his capital and is known as the founder of Lviv, named after his son Lev; in Ukraine he is remembered as King Danylo.
| Lived | 1201 – 1264 |
|---|---|
| Active in | Halych · Volhynia · Kholm · Sarai |
| Known for | King of Rus' in the Mongol age; founder of Lviv |
| Game start | 1238 · age 37 · Prince of Halych-Volhynia (ruler) — Winter in Kiev |
Life at a glance
- 1201 Born the eldest son of Roman Mstyslavych, prince of Halych-Volhynia.
- 1205 His father is killed fighting the Poles at Zawichost, and four-year-old Danylo is driven by the boyars from castle to castle.
- 1223 Fights the Mongols for the first time at the Battle of the Kalka River, is speared in the chest and comes back alive.
- 1238 After a long struggle he regains Halych. The same year the Mongols burn Vladimir in the north-east.
- 1240 In December the Mongols take Kyiv, held by the thousand-man commander Dmytro whom Danylo had put in charge.
- 1245 Defeats a Hungarian–Polish army at the Battle of Yaroslav, and that winter goes to Sarai and becomes Batu Khan's vassal.
- 1253 Receives at Dorohychyn the crown sent by Pope Innocent IV.
- c. 1256 Lviv, the town named after his son Lev, first appears in the chronicle.
- 1259 On the orders of the Mongol general Burundai he pulls down the walls of several towns.
- 1264 Dies at Kholm.
Family
The family members who appear with this character when you start the game. Years follow the historical record; where none survives, a ? is shown.
| Relation | Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Roman Mstyslavych | ? – 1205 | Prince of Halych-Volhynia; killed at Zawichost in 1205 |
| Mother | Anna | ? – 1253 | Prince Roman's second wife |
| Younger brother | Vasylko | 1203 – 1269 | Prince of Volhynia; stood by his brother all his life |
| Wife | Anna | ? – c. 1252 | Daughter of Mstyslav Udatny (the Bold), prince of Novgorod |
| Son | Lev | c. 1228 – c. 1301 | The son who gave Lviv its name; succeeded as prince of Halych |
| Son | Roman | Dates unknown | Married Gertrude of Babenberg and aimed at Austria |
| Daughter | Ustyna | Dates unknown | |
| Son | Shvarno | ? – 1269 | For a time Grand Duke of Lithuania |
| Son | Mstyslav | Dates unknown | Prince in Volhynia |
In the game
You begin in winter 1238 as a thirty-seven-year-old prince standing before the gates of Halych. As news that Ryazan and Vladimir have burned comes down the frozen rivers, the horsemen you fought at the Kalka fifteen years ago are back. Your brother Vasylko, your wife Anna, your eldest son Lev, ten, and his brothers are with you, and the thousand-man commander Dmytro and the monk Filaret of the Caves Monastery come into this life.
In the first event, “The gates of Halych”, you choose whether to pardon the bishop and the boyars, or to lock up Hryhoriy and give his villages to your druzhina. After the victory at Yaroslav in 1245 comes the scene of drinking kumis at Sarai, and how you stand between the khan's licence and a crown from the West becomes the thread of this life.
The turning point is “The year the Khan died”. If the Mongols turn their horses back after the Great Khan's death in 1242, real history runs to the end through burned Volodymyr, the crown at Dorohychyn and the order to pull down the walls to the winter at Kholm in 1264; if the Mongols stay on the Danube, another branch follows through a horde on the Danube and a crown that never comes.
- Scenario guide Winter in Kiev
- Era guide Middle Ages
- Related turning points What if the Mongols had stayed in Hungary in 1242?
Frequently asked questions
Why is Danylo called “King”?
Because in 1253 at Dorohychyn he received a crown sent by Pope Innocent IV and became “King of Rus'”. The pope hoped for a crusade against the Mongols and church union, but the Western help that was promised never came.
What was Danylo's relationship with the Mongols?
In 1245 he went to Sarai and became Batu Khan's vassal to keep his lands. The Galician–Volhynian Chronicle laments his having to drink kumis before the khan: “the honour of the Tatars is worse than evil.” Later he tried to break free of the Mongols with Western help, but when Burundai came in 1259 he had to pull down his walls.
Did Danylo found Lviv?
Tradition says Danylo founded it and named it after his son Lev. The town's name first appears in the chronicle around 1256; Danylo's capital was Kholm.
Sources
The Galician–Volhynian Chronicle (in the Hypatian Codex); Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, History of the Mongols; general histories of Ukraine and Rus'.