The Kiev uprising (Russian: Киевское восстание; Polish: Powstanie Kijowskie; Ukrainian: Київське повстання) was a revolt by the inhabitants of Kiev (modern Kyiv) and nearby cities, to remove the Polish occupying force of Bolesław I the Brave from their territories. It was reportedly provoked when Bolesław (Boleslav) did not transfer to Sviatopolk I of Kiev his right to the throne of Kiev, but instead installed Polish garrisons. The uprising is disputed by Polish historians, as it is not mentioned in the Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg, although it does appear in the Russian Primary Chronicle.
Svyatopolk ordered his forces to kill the Polish garrisons during the uprising, but Bolesław evacuated in time with some wealth from the city which saved his life. Although Bolesław saved himself and saved the bulk of his army, almost all the soldiers from those who remained garrisoned in the cities were killed.
When Yaroslav learned about the withdrawal of the Polish forces from Kiev, he gathered the squad again and led it to the city, Polish sources report that Yaroslav chased them, however, this is unlikely, because he was preparing to march on Kiev to give a general battle, which became the Battle of the Alta River (1019).
Uncertainty over events
The Primary Chronicle alleges that as the result of Polish plundering, Sviatopolk ordered: "that any Lyakhs [i.e. Poles] found in the city should be killed". The resulting unrest, according to the Primary Chronicle, forced Bolesław to leave Kiev, whereupon Sviatopolk was left to fend for himself.
This turn of events is omitted in the only contemporary source, which is Thietmar of Merseburg's Chronicon Thietmari. Thietmar's chronicle of the expedition, which is written in a part of the Chronicon not devoted to the expedition, recounts that Duke Boleslav invaded the Russian king's realm with his army, where he says:
... and that after placing his long-exiled brother-in-law, the Russian's brother, on the throne, he returned in high spirits.
According to Thietmar, Bolesław asked Yaroslav the Wise to return his daughter who he had taken prisoner. When Yaroslav refused, Bolesław took members of Yaroslav's family back to Poland as prisoners as he returned home in September. His captives included Vladimir's widow and Yaroslav's sister, Predslava, whose hand Bolesław had earlier sought. Having been rebuffed, Bolesław took her as a concubine. The Bolesław also took commoners as well as much of the treasury of Kiev. Among the notable commoners was the venerated Saint Moses the Hungarian.
In the past, some historians (such as Zhylenko and Kostomarov) have conjectured that Bolesław decided to rule the Kievan lands himself, though Bolesław had no power base there and no Rurikid blood. Bolesław's main motivation, according to modern historians, was to regain the Cherven Towns for his patrimony, while at the same time aiding his kinsman, to whom he had an obligation. The expedition also furnished an occasion to enrich his followers from Kiev's wealth.
Soon after his arrival, Bolesław sent a large force to quarter in Kiev and in nearby towns, forcing Kievans to sustain them, and collected significant tributes that he divided among his allies. It was chronicled by Thietmar that before departing, Bolesław:
.... was shown an unspeakable amount of treasure, most of which he distributed among his friends and supporters.
On many subsequent occasions during the Kievan period, the rulers of Poland, as well as Hungarians or Pechenegs, were paid to intervene in Kievan succession disputes; in the case of Bolesław II, the Polish monarch took the money without making any expedition.