Imperial features of diplomacy of the Vladimir principality among non-slavic nations

The article deals with the manifestation of imperial trends in the foreign policy (diplomacy) of the Vladimir (Rostov) Principality in 1120–1238. The first part of the article is historiographic. Following the works of V. T. Pashuto, the author considers the phenomenon of foreign policy as identical to the phenomenon of diplomacy. The author argues that V. T. Pashuto, being a representative of the “Moscow historical school”, wrote a book about the foreign policy of Old Rus’ in the style of the “St. Petersburg historical school”. The first part of the article traces the evolution of V. T. Pashuto’s estimation of categories “Empire”, “Imperial” — from negative (in relation to the diplomacy of Byzantium, the German Empire) to neutral-positive (in relation to the nations and tribes in the economic and political orbit of the Old Rus’). V. T Pashuto’s rehabilitation of the category “imperial” occurred in the period 1968–1982. It is proved that imperial diplomacy was manifested in the era of political fragmentation. The imperial function of foreign policy is defined as expansion and as inclusion of different peoples and cultures in the orbit of statehood. For an effective study of the foreign policy of Old Rus’ in the era of fragmentation, it is necessary to consider the diplomacy of a separate large state entity (principality) in the system of all its directions. There are four aspects of manifestation of imperial diplomacy. One is related to relations with non-Slavic non-Christian peoples who lived in the neighborhood. The impetus for imperial policy in the form of expansion was the military economy. It provided the needs of the princely squads. Their number increased during the period of disunity. The second part of the article is devoted
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to the study of the dynamics of the imperial diplomacy of the princes of Vladimir (Rostov) Principality in relation to the neighboring non-Slavic nations of the Volga region, the mouth of the Oka and the Trans-Volga region, Volga Bulgaria and the Finnish peoples of the Baltic Sea basin. The main historical sources for the research are Russian Chronicles (letopis’). The evolution of imperial programs and projects is considered in connection with the change of generations of princes. The leaders in subsequent generations were Yuri Dolgoruky (1120–1157), Andrey Bogolyubsky (1157–1174), Vsevolod Bol’shoe Gnezdo (1176–1212), Yuri (George) Vsevolodovich (1212–1216, 1218–1238). Bulgaria became a constant factor of their policy. Andrey Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod Bol’shoe Gnezdo set geographical directions of the expansion. The spread of power to the Volga and the Oka (with the foundation of Gorodets and Gorokhovets) together with the closure of borders around the Cheremis’ enclave is considered to be a “project” of Andrey Bogolyubsky. Vsevolod Bol’shoe Gnezdo expanded borders in the north-east direction (Ustyug). These directions were united in the reign of Yuri Vsevolodovich. In 1221, Nizhniy Novgorod was founded and the penetration in the land of the Mordvins began. Yuri Vsevolodovich and his brother Yaroslav developed a strategy to confront the Germans and the Swedes in the South-Eastern Baltic. Part of this strategy was the retention in power of Old Rus’ (Novgorod) neighboring Finno-Ugric tribes. An important means of strategy was the use of baptism of the Karelians.