Liubech congress of princes

Liubech congress of princes. A conference of the princes of Kyivan Rus’, convened at the initiative of Volodymyr Monomakh in Liubech in 1097. Its purpose was to end the conflicts among the princes and to unite them in the struggle against the Cumans. Besides Volodymyr Monomakh the congress was attended by five princes: Sviatopolk II Iziaslavych, the grand prince of Kyiv, Oleh (Mykhailo) Sviatoslavych of Chernihiv, Davyd Sviatoslavych of Smolensk, Davyd Ihorovych of Volodymyr-Volynskyi, and Vasylko Rostyslavych of Terebovlia-Peremyshl (see Terebovlia principality). The congress abolished the seniority principle of succession and adopted the principle of patrimony, whereby each prince would possess the lands ruled by his father. The congress thereby transformed a formally unitary state into a group of independent states joined together in a unique kind of federation, in which issues of common interest were settled at princely congresses. The Liubech congress decided to conduct a joint campaign against the Cumans. The congress did not succeed in ending the strife among princes, which weakened and eventually undermined Kyivan Rus’.