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20-629: The term Byzantine commonwealth was coined by 20th-century historian Dimitri Obolensky to refer to the area where Byzantine general influence ( Byzantine liturgical and cultural tradition ) was spread during the Middle Ages by the Byzantine Empire and its missionaries. This area covers approximately the modern-day countries of Greece , Cyprus , North Macedonia , Bulgaria , Serbia , Montenegro , Romania , Moldova , Ukraine , Belarus , southwestern Russia , and Georgia (known as

40-692: A Blue for lawn tennis and graduated in 1940. Obolensky became a distinguished academic . He was elected a Fellow of Trinity College (1942–1948, Honorary Fellow 1991–2001) and Lecturer in Slavonic Studies, University of Cambridge (1946–1948). He became a British national in 1948. From 1949 to 1961, Obolensky was Reader in Russian and Balkan Medieval History at the University of Oxford (1949–1961) and subsequently Professor of Russian and Balkan History (1961–1985, Emeritus 1985–2001). He

60-762: Is briefly mentioned in the Older Recension of Novgorod First Chronicle (compiled c. 1275), in the Laurentian Codex (compiled 1377), and in the Hypatian Codex (compiled c. 1425), but the full text of the vita is not found in these manuscripts. It is not until the Younger Recension of the Novgorod First Chronicle (compiled c. 1450) that an extensive narrative of his demise appears, stating that

80-631: Is historically very unlikely. Giovanni da Pian del Carpine , an Italian papal legate who travelled through the lands of former Kievan Rus' in the late 1240s, wrote the following account of his death in the Ystoria Mongalorum : (…) when Michael, one of the princes of Russia, came to submit to Bati, the Tartars first tried to make him pass between two fires. After this they said that he should bow south to Chingis Khan, but he replied that he would gladly bow to Bati and his servants but not to

100-599: The Ottoman Empire , with Mehmed II styling himself Qayser-i Rûm . Thus even in the later period of the empire when the reach and sway of the empire were diminished, the rulers still maintained this conception of imperial hierarchy. This Byzantine Empire –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dimitri Obolensky Sir Dimitri Dimitrievich Obolensky FBA FSA ( Russian : Дмитрий Дмитриевич Оболенский ; 1 April [ O.S. 19 March] 1918 – 23 December 2001)

120-720: The Bulgarian Empire was a constant and powerful rival to the Byzantine empire during the Middle Ages , the Bulgarian tsars nonetheless framed their authority in a manner not hostile to 'Byzantism' per-se, styling themselves in a manner based on Orthodox Roman ideology and artistic style and calling themselves emperors of the Romans as well as tsar of Bulgarians . The same would apply to the Serbian Empire , and even

140-424: The Byzantine empire. It is argued that the complex and multi-faceted dynamics of documented cultural exchange was not aligned with the theory that Constantinople was the superior core while those in periphery understood their marginal position and merely imitated their superiors. Instead of Byzantine commonwealth, historian Christian Raffensperger, proposed that it be recast as the "Byzantine ideal". For instance, while

160-457: The bodies of Mikhail and Fedor were thrown to the dogs; but as a sign of divine favor, their bodies remained unmolested and pillars of fire hovered over them. The Nikon Chronicle (compiled c. 1550) added even more text to Mikhail's vita , including claims that the Mongols already established a system of military governors and tax collectors in all cities of Kievan Rus' in 1237–1240, which

180-413: The image of a dead man because this is improper for a Christian. When he was repeatedly told through his son Yaroslav that he must bow, and yet he refused, Bati ordered Prince Michael killed if he would not bow. Prince Michael of Chernigov was passed between fires in accordance with ancient Turco-Mongol tradition. Batu Khan sent to stab him to death for his refusal to do obeisance to Chingis Khaan's shrine in

200-513: The life and works of six persons mentioned in The Byzantine Commonwealth . He also described the commonwealth as the international community within the sphere of authority of the Byzantine emperor, bound by the same profession of Orthodox Christianity , and accepting the principles of Romano-Byzantine law. There are scholars, however, who criticize this conceptualization, disputing the notion of an unchallenged superiority of

220-426: The pagan ritual imposed by the conqueror. The prince replied that he "preferred to die rather than do what was wrong". Bati sent Michael to one of his followers who trampled on his chest with his boots until the prince died. Meanwhile the prince comforted one of his soldiers who stood near by him by saying: 'Be strong because your punishment will not last long and then at once eternal joy will follow.' After this his head

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240-647: The prince. During the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' (1237–1242), Mikhail was defeated and had to flee; in 1246, he was executed by Batu Khan . A hagiography vita of Michael of Chernigov was written some time after his death, describing his life in detail, and framing his execution as martyrdom . It is unclear when this account was written (at least after the Mongol census in Suzdalia and Novgorod in 1257–59 ), and how historically reliable it is. Mikhail's death

260-611: The region of Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe or the Orthodox civilization ). According to Anthony Kaldellis , the Byzantines in general did not have a ecumenical outlook, nor did they think about the notion of a panorthodox commonwealth, which he describes as "Roman chauvinism". The most important treatment of the concept is a study by Dimitri Obolensky , The Byzantine Commonwealth . In his book Six Byzantine Portraits he examined

280-789: Was a Russian-British historian who was Professor of Russian and Balkan History at the University of Oxford and the author of various historical works. Prince Dimitri Dimitrievich Obolensky was born in the Russian Soviet Republic on 1 April 1918 in Saint Petersburg , the son of Prince Dimitri Alexandrovich Obolensky (1882–1964) and Countess Maria (Shuvalova) (1894–1973). His family was descended from Rurik , Igor , Svyatoslav , St Vladimir of Kiev , St Michael of Chernigov , and Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov : however, as one of his students has written, "he

300-655: Was a priority for him. Commercial interests, in part, also motivated him to seize control of Halych and Kiev because they were channels through which goods from the Rhine valley and Hungary passed to Chernigov. He also negotiated commercial treaties and political alliances with the Poles and the Hungarians . He alleviated the tax burden of the Novgorodians and granted their boyars greater political freedom from

320-1069: Was a sober enough scholar to know that Rurik may not actually have existed." After the Russian Revolution , the Royal Navy helped the Obolensky family to escape from Russia in 1919, together with the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna and the Grand Duke Nicholas . He was educated in Britain at Lynchmere Preparatory School, Eastbourne, and in France at the Lycée Pasteur in Neuilly-sur-Seine , before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge , where he distinguished himself with

340-638: Was also a Student of Christ Church, Oxford (1950–1985, Emeritus 1985–2001). He later became Vice-President of the Keston Institute, Oxford. Obolensky's most enduring achievement was The Byzantine Commonwealth (1971), a large-scale synthesis on the cultural influence of the Eastern Roman Empire . Other major studies include The Bogomils : a study in Balkan neo-Manichaeism (1946) and Six Byzantine Portraits (1988). Obolensky

360-424: Was cut off quickly with a knife. The soldier, to tell the truth, also had his head cut off with a knife. Michael married once and had several children. The later Upper Oka Principalities of the 14th and 15th centuries were reigned by the "upper princes", each of which descended from Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov. In the second half of the 19th century, many family branches stemming from Mikhail flourished:

380-723: Was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (1974, Vice-President 1983–85), as well as Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries , and appointed a Knight Bachelor (1984). He was a member of the Athenaeum Club . In 1988, he returned to Russia as a delegate to the Sobor or Council of the Russian Orthodox Church convoked to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the conversion of Russia to Christianity . He

400-756: Was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1990. Obolensky married Elisabeth Lopukhin in 1947; they had no children, and the marriage was dissolved in 1989. Sir Dimitri died on 23 December 2001 at Burford in Oxfordshire. His memorial service was held in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford , and he is buried at Wolvercote Cemetery . Michael of Chernigov Archaeological evidence reveals that Chernigov towns enjoyed an unprecedented degree of prosperity during his period which suggests that promoting trade

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