Origins of Galicia-Volhynia Principality According to the Chronicles

Tracing the origins of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia) is a complex task, as the historical record is incomplete and often contradictory. The most reliable insights come from medieval chronicles, though these sources mix fact, legend, and political bias. Below are selected excerpts from the chronicles that outline the key events leading to the formation and fate of the Principality of Galicia-Volhynia.

The term “Ruthenia” (Latin: Ruthenia, Polish: Ruś) was introduced in Western and Polish sources from the 13th century onward to describe East Slavic lands. Initially, “Ruthenia” could refer broadly to all the lands of Rus’, but by the late Middle Ages and especially after the annexation of Galicia-Volhynia by Poland in the 14th century, its usage in Polish and international contexts became associated primarily with the southwestern principalities—Galicia and Volhynia. These were often called “Ruś Czerwona” (“Red Ruthenia”) in Polish administration. In the original chronicles, however, these regions were always described simply as “Rus’,” “the land of Rus’,” or by specific principality names, reflecting a unified East Slavic identity that only later became divided by political borders and external labels.

1. The Chronicle’s Purpose

Old East Slavic:
“Се повѣсть времяньныхъ лѣтъ, откуду есть пошла Русскыя земля, кто в ней почал первѣе княжити, и како Русскыя земля стала есть.”
English translation:
“This is the tale of bygone years, whence the Rus’ land has its origin, who first began to rule in it, and how the Rus’ land came to be.”

Comment: The chronicler sets out to explain the beginnings of the Rus’ land and its earliest rulers.

2. Arrival of the Varangians and the Founding of the First Cities

Old East Slavic:
“…и сѣде Рюрикъ в Новѣгородѣ, а другии его братья поидоша собѣ города поставити: одинъ сѣде в Полоцкѣ, другий в Ростовѣ, а третий в Бѣлоозерѣ.”

English translation:
“…and Rurik settled in Novgorod, and his brothers went to establish cities for themselves: one settled in Polotsk, another in Rostov, and the third in Beloozero.”

Comment: The chronicle describes how Rurik and his brothers, invited by the local peoples, became rulers and founded key northern cities—especially Novgorod, which became the first center of princely rule.
Approximate years: c. 860s–880s

3. Oleg and the Founding of Kiev as the “Mother of Rus’ Cities”

Old East Slavic:
“И приде Олегъ къ Кыѥву… и глаголаше: ‘Се буди мати градомъ Русскымъ.’”

English translation:
“And Oleg came to Kiev… and said: ‘Let this be the mother of Rus’ cities.’”

Comment: Oleg, a successor to Rurik, captured Kiev and made it the main political and cultural center of the Rus’ lands, calling it “the mother of Rus’ cities.”
Approximate year: 882

4. Expansion and Fragmentation of Rus’ Principalities

A. The Council of Liubech and the Beginning of Fragmentation

Old East Slavic:
“…И съвѣтъ бысть в Любѣчи межю князи Русскыми… да будеть всякъ держати отчину свою… И начаша быти князи собѣ в своей волости, и раздѣлишася по всем землямъ Русскымъ.”

English translation:
“…And there was a council at Liubech among the Rus’ princes… that each should hold his patrimony… And thus the princes began to have their own domains, and they divided among all the lands.”

Comment: At the Council of Liubech in 1097, the Rurikid princes formally agreed to rule their inherited lands separately. This decision marks the official start of the fragmentation of Rus’ into independent principalities, each centered on cities like Суздаль (Suzdal), Смоленскъ (Smolensk), Полоцкъ (Polotsk), Черниговъ (Chernigov), Володимиръ (Volodymyr), Галичъ (Halych/Galicia), Кыѥвъ (Kiev), Новъгородъ (Novgorod), Переяславль (Pereyaslavl), Туровъ (Turov), Ростовъ (Rostov), Муромъ (Murom), Рязань (Ryazan), Бѣлоозеро (Beloozero), and Пиньскъ (Pinsk), and others, as recorded in the chronicles of the time.
Approximate year: 1097

B. The Era of Feuds and Division (11th–12th centuries)

Old East Slavic:
“…И бысть усобица велика в Руси, и начаша князи воевати друг на друга, и бысть зело зла на Русскыи земли…”

English translation:
“…And there was great strife (usobitsa) in Rus’, and the princes began to make war upon one another, and there was much evil in Rus’…”

Comment: The chroniclers lament the era of “usobitsa”—internal feuding and warfare among the princes—leading to instability and further division of the land.
Approximate years: 11th–12th centuries

5. Key Chronicle Passages About the Creation, Main Events, and Decay of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)

A. Creation: Unification under Roman Mstislavich

Old East Slavic:
“…и нача княжити в Галичѣ Романъ Мстиславичь…”

English translation:
“…and Roman Mstislavich began to rule in Halych…”

Comment: In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, Roman Mstislavich—a direct descendant of Oleg and the Rurikid dynasty—united the principalities of Галичъ (Halych) and Володимиръ (Volodymyr), establishing Galicia-Volhynia земли Галичьскѣѧ и Волыньскѣѧ as a major regional power and a legitimate heir to the Kievan Rus’ tradition.
Approximate year: c. 1199

B. Danylo Romanovych Crowned King

Old East Slavic:
“…пославшася къ римскому царю о венцѣ, и прия венецъ от римского папы…”

English translation:
“…having sent envoys to the Roman emperor for a crown, and received a crown from the Pope…”

Comment: In 1253, Danylo Romanovych (Daniel of Galicia), son of Roman, was crowned by a papal legate as “King of Rus’,” marking the kingdom’s high prestige and European recognition.
Approximate year: 1253

C. Resistance to Mongol Invasions

Old East Slavic:
“…Данило же нача строити градѣ, и укрѣпи землю свою от Татаръ…”

English translation:
“…And Danylo began to build towns, and fortified his land against the Tatars (Mongols)…”

Comment: Daniel of Galicia led significant efforts to defend his principality from Mongol invasions, rebuilding cities and fortifications across the land.
Approximate years: 1238–1264

D. Prosperity and Expansion

Old East Slavic:
“…И возвеличися земля Русскыя при князѣ Даниле и сынѣ его Льве…”

English translation:
“…And the Rus’ land flourished under Prince Danylo and his son Lev…”

Comment: Under Daniel and his son Lev (founder of Львовъ/Lvovŭ), the kingdom prospered, founded new cities, developed trade, and acted as a center of diplomacy and culture.
Approximate years: mid-13th century

E. Beginning of Decay: Dynastic Strife and Foreign Threats

Old East Slavic:
“…и начаша усобицы межю князи, и множашеся злаго от Литвы, и от Ляховъ, и от Татаръ…”

English translation:
“…and quarrels began among the princes, and there grew much evil from Lithuania, and from Poland, and from the Tatars…”

Comment: After the deaths of Daniel and Lev, the kingdom was weakened by internal conflicts among princes and increasing pressure from Lithuania, Poland, and the Mongols.
Approximate years: late 13th–early 14th centuries

F. Fall: Annexation and Loss of Independence

Old East Slavic:
“…и взяша Ляхове Галичь, и сиде Король в немъ…”

English translation:
“…and the Poles took Halych, and the King sat in it…”

Comment: By the mid-14th century, Galicia-Volhynia lost its independence as the Polish king Casimir III the Great annexed its lands. The chronicles record this as the end of the independent Rus’ state. The territory was gradually absorbed by Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary, but the memory of Galicia-Volhynia as a center of Rus’ culture and statehood endured in chronicles, documents, and local tradition.
Approximate years: 1340–1349

6. Legacy and Historical Memory

Comment: Though Galicia-Volhynia ceased to exist as an independent principality after 1349, its legacy remained powerful in the chronicles and in the collective memory of the region’s people. The chroniclers continued to regard the princes of Galicia-Volhynia as rightful heirs of the Kievan Rus’ tradition. For centuries, the region’s towns, churches, and records preserved the cultural and legal heritage of Rus’, and later generations would look back to this era as a golden age of Ruthenian statehood.
Approximate years: After 1349

Key Dates: Principality of Galicia-Volhynia

Date	Event	Notes
1199	Unification of Galicia and Volhynia	Prince Roman Mstislavich (Roman the Great) unites the two principalities, founding the Galicia-Volhynia state.
1205	Death of Roman Mstislavich	Dynastic crisis follows; young Danilo (Daniel) and his mother Anna are forced into exile as local boyars and neighboring states compete for power.
1221	Danilo Romanovich returns to Volhynia	Danilo reestablishes his family's authority in Volhynia, overcoming internal and external rivals.
1230s	Founding of major cities	Danilo (Данило Романовичъ) and his brother Vasylko (Василько Романовичъ) actively build and strengthen key urban centers—most notably founding Львовъ (Lvovŭ, Lviv) ca. 1256, as well as Холмъ (Kholm, now Chełm, Poland), and strengthening Володимиръ (Volodymyr), Галич (Halych), and others.
1238	Danilo secures Halych (Galicia)	Danilo takes control of the Galician capital Галич (Halych), reunites Galicia and Volhynia, and resists Hungarian and Polish influence.
1240–1241	Mongol invasion and aftermath	Mongol armies invade and devastate the principalities, including the sack of Kyiv (1240) and raids on Galicia-Volhynia. Danilo is compelled to recognize Mongol overlordship, though the state remains internally autonomous.
1253	Coronation of Danilo as King	Danilo is crowned by a papal legate in Дорогичинъ (Dorohychyn) as Rex Russiae (“King of Rus’”)—the only East Slavic prince so crowned in the Middle Ages. This was a political move to gain Western support against the Mongols; he remained a pragmatically Orthodox ruler.
1256	First known mention of Lviv	The city of Lviv (Львовъ, Lvovŭ) is first mentioned in the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle, likely founded a few years earlier by Danilo and named for his son Lev.
1264	Death of Danilo Romanovich	Lev I, his son, becomes ruler and shifts the political center to Lviv, which grows rapidly as a commercial and political hub.
1272	Lviv becomes capital	Under Lev I, Lviv becomes the capital of Galicia-Volhynia, replacing Halych (Galicia).
1323	Extinction of Romanovych dynasty	The last rulers from the founding dynasty, Lev II and Andriy (Andrew), die without heirs, leading to a period of succession crisis and increased Polish and Lithuanian intervention.
1325–1340	Rule of Yuri II Boleslav	Yuri II Boleslav (a Piast, Polish prince) is installed as ruler with support from both the local elite and external powers. His rule represents the last native (though non-dynastic) Ruthenian prince.
1340	Death of Yuri II Boleslav	Yuri II Boleslav is poisoned; a period of conflict and division between Poland and Lithuania over the region follows.
1349	Annexation by Poland	King Casimir III of Poland completes the annexation of Galicia; Volhynia is soon incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The independent Galicia-Volhynia principality ceases to exist.

The map below shows the territory of Kievan Rus’ (Русскыя земля / Русь) during its peak, spanning the late 10th to early 12th centuries. The highlighted area marks the approximate extent of the medieval Rus’ state, including many principal cities such as Novgorod (Великий Новгородъ), Chernihiv (Черниговъ), Halych (Галичъ), Smolensk (Смоленскъ), and more. Kyiv (Кыѥвъ) was the capital, known as the "mother of Rus’ cities". Yaroslav the Wise (Ярославъ Мудрый) expanded the state and was renowned for law, diplomacy, and culture. The proximity to the Byzantine Empire shaped the art, religion, and trade of Kievan Rus’. Princes of Rus’ married into Byzantine royalty, and the Christianization of Rus’ in 988—marked by the adoption of Orthodox Christianity from Byzantium—linked Rus’ spiritually and culturally to the Eastern Roman Empire. This left a lasting religious legacy and profoundly shaped the identity of Rus’. Tmutarakan (Тмуторокань), shown in the southeast, was a distant principality controlling key trade routes between the Black Sea and the steppe. The map includes neighboring peoples such as the Pechenegs, Khazars, Poles, Magyars (Hungarians), Balts, Finns, and others who interacted with Rus’ through war, trade, and alliances. After the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the Rus’ state gradually fragmented into rival principalities, paving the way for the rise of new regional powers.

The period depicted here is foundational for the histories of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, whose early chronicles all refer to these lands as Rus’ (Русь).

Kievan Rus' map, 10th–12th century — Kievan Rus’ at its height (late 10th – early 12th centuries)

Note: The map displays city names as they appear in the Russian language. However, since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, many of these cities are internationally recognized under their official Ukrainian names, which can differ from the Russian forms. This table is provided to help readers identify these locations across Ukrainian, Russian, and historical (Old East Slavic) sources.

Ukrainian	Russian	Old East Slavic
Київ (Kyiv)	Киев (Kiev)	Кыѥвъ (Kyiev), Кыевъ (Kyev)
Чернігів (Chernihiv)	Чернигов (Chernigov)	Черниговъ (Chernigov)
Переяслав (Pereiaslav)	Переяславль (Pereyaslavl)	Переяславль (Pereiaslavl, Pereyaslavl)
Володимир (Volodymyr)	Владимир-Волынский (Vladimir-Volynsky)	Володимиръ (Volodymyr)
Турів (Turiv)	Туров (Turov)	Туровъ (Turov)
Перемишль (Peremyshl)	Перемышль (Peremyshl)	Перемышль (Peremyshl)

Kievan Rus’ vs. Русскыя земля / Русь
The term “Kievan Rus’” (Киевская Русь, Kyjivska Rus’) is a modern label, coined mostly by 19th-century historians, to distinguish the early period when Kyiv (Kiev) was the main center of power from later “Rus’” states such as Vladimir-Suzdal or Muscovy. The medieval chronicles never use the term “Kievan Rus’.” Instead, they refer to the state as “Rus’,” “the land of Rus’,” or simply “the Rus’ land” (Русь, Русскыя земля). Where modern historians might say “the rulers of Kievan Rus’,” the chronicles would say князи Русскыя земли (“princes of the Rus’ land”) or князи Руси (“princes of Rus’”).

Validity and Authenticity of the Sources Used
The Hypatian Chronicle (Ipatiev Chronicle) survives in a manuscript copied at or near the Ipatiev Monastery in the early 1400s, as confirmed by paleographic and material analysis. The text is a compilation of earlier sources, some dating back to the 11th–13th centuries. While the authenticity of the chronicle as a medieval document is widely accepted, scholars recognize that—like all such works—it contains legendary elements, political bias, and later editorial changes. These chronicles should be read both as historical records and as reflections of the worldview and concerns of their authors and copyists. Researchers often cross-check the Hypatian Chronicle with other major chronicles—such as the Laurentian, Radziwiłł, and others—to verify events and names. The Hypatian Chronicle is not the only source on early Rus’, but it is one of the key manuscripts for the history of southwestern Rus’ and Galicia.

Primary Medieval Sources Used for Names and Historical Facts

Hypatian Chronicle (Ipatiev Chronicle, Іпатіївський літопис) – compiled in the late 13th to early 14th century, covers events from the 9th century to 1292. Famous for first mentioning Львовъ (Lvovŭ, Lviv) in 1256 and extensively describing southwestern Rus’, including Halych and Volodymyr.
Galician–Volhynian Chronicle (Галицько-Волинський літопис) – composed in the mid-13th century, covering c. 1201–1292. Focuses on the history of Galicia–Volhynia, the reigns of Roman Mstislavich, Danylo Romanovych, and Lev Danylovych, with detailed references to Галичъ (Halychŭ), Володимиръ (Volodymyrŭ), Львовъ (Lvovŭ), and other towns.
Laurentian Chronicle (Лаврентьевская летопись) – compiled in 1377, contains the Primary Chronicle (Повесть временных лет) and additional material up to 1305. One of the oldest sources for early Rus’ and its principalities.
Radziwiłł Chronicle (Radziwiłł, Königsberg, or Кенигсбергская/Радзивилловская летопись) – compiled in the 15th century, but based on older material; known for its extensive illustrations and records of place names in Old East Slavic.
Medieval Latin and Polish Chronicles – including works by Jan Długosz (15th c.) and royal/episcopal charters, which often use Latinized (e.g., Leopolis for Lviv) or Polonized forms but sometimes preserve the original Slavic names.
Medieval Church Records and Charters – 12th–15th centuries, including land grants, church foundations, and legal codes that preserve historical forms and spelling of city and region names.

Note: The spelling of names (with the “ъ” hard sign) and terminology are taken directly from these chronicles and documents. Where possible, modern equivalents are provided in parentheses for clarity.

The Origins of Galicia-Volhynia Principality According to the Chronicles