Individual Details
Eufrozine of Kiev
(Est 1126 - Bef 1186)
Euphrosyne was the first daughter of Mstislav I, grand duke of Kiev, and his second wife Ljubawa Dimitriewna Sawiditsch. In 1146 she was married to King Géza II of Hungary, who had come of age shortly before. He was the son of King Béla II of Hungary and Jelena of Serbia. They had five children of whom their son Béla III and two daughters would have progeny.
During her husband's reign Euphrosyne did not intervene in the politics of the kingdom, but after his death in 1162 her influence strengthened over their son, King Stefan III. The young king had to struggle against his uncles Laszlo II and Stefan IV to save his throne, and Euphrosyne took an active part on his behalf. She persuaded Wladislaw II, king of Bohemia, to give military assistance to her son against the invasion of Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of Byzantium.
Euphrosyne's favourite son was the youngest, Géza. Therefore, when King Stefan III died in 1172, she was planning to ensure his succession against her older son Béla who had been living in the court of the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. However, Béla returned and was crowned on 13 January 1173, although Archbishop Lukas of Esztergom refused to recognise his coronation. Shortly afterwards, King Béla III had his brother Géza arrested, which increased the tension between Euphrosyne and her son. Although Géza soon managed to escape from captivity, probably with Euphrosyne's help, in 1177 he was arrested again.
In 1186 Euphrosyne tried unsuccessfully to release her youngest son again. King Béla III ordered his mother's arrest and kept her confined in the fortress of Barancs. Shortly afterwards Euphrosyne was set free, but she was obliged to leave the kingdom for Constantinople. From there she moved to Jerusalem where she lived as a nun in the convent of the Hospitallers and then in the Basilian monastery of Saint Sabbas. She died about 1193.
Source: Leo van de Pas
During her husband's reign Euphrosyne did not intervene in the politics of the kingdom, but after his death in 1162 her influence strengthened over their son, King Stefan III. The young king had to struggle against his uncles Laszlo II and Stefan IV to save his throne, and Euphrosyne took an active part on his behalf. She persuaded Wladislaw II, king of Bohemia, to give military assistance to her son against the invasion of Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of Byzantium.
Euphrosyne's favourite son was the youngest, Géza. Therefore, when King Stefan III died in 1172, she was planning to ensure his succession against her older son Béla who had been living in the court of the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. However, Béla returned and was crowned on 13 January 1173, although Archbishop Lukas of Esztergom refused to recognise his coronation. Shortly afterwards, King Béla III had his brother Géza arrested, which increased the tension between Euphrosyne and her son. Although Géza soon managed to escape from captivity, probably with Euphrosyne's help, in 1177 he was arrested again.
In 1186 Euphrosyne tried unsuccessfully to release her youngest son again. King Béla III ordered his mother's arrest and kept her confined in the fortress of Barancs. Shortly afterwards Euphrosyne was set free, but she was obliged to leave the kingdom for Constantinople. From there she moved to Jerusalem where she lived as a nun in the convent of the Hospitallers and then in the Basilian monastery of Saint Sabbas. She died about 1193.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | Est 1126 | ||||
| Death | Bef 1186 | ||||
| Marriage | Géza II King of Hungary |
Families
| Spouse | Géza II King of Hungary (1130 - 1161) |
| Child | Béla III King of Hungary (1148 - 1196) |
| Father | Grand Duke Mstislav of Kiev (1076 - 1132) |
| Mother | Ljubawa Dimitrewna Sawiditsch ( - 1167) |