oke five languages, _a thing that
foreigners admire in us_."

There are in the museum at Moscow, a throne and crown, supposed to
have belonged to this noble and patriotic duke; unfortunately it has
been shown that they were never in his possession.

In his will, Vladimir gave the dukedom of Souzdal to his son George
Dolgorouki, and another son, Mstislaf, succeeded as grand duke at
Kief. When the latter died in 1146, leaving the grand dukedom to his
son Isiaslaf, George Dolgorouki claimed the succession as the eldest
of the family. Both sides were supported by their friends, and some
fierce battles were fought, but Isiaslaf maintained himself until
his death in 1157. After his reign, Kief's importance began to (p. 051)
decrease. Twelve years later, in 1169, it was captured by the Russians
of the north. A native historian[1] says of this event: "This mother
of Russian cities had been many times besieged and oppressed. She had
often opened her Golden Gate to her enemies, but none had ever yet
entered by force. To their eternal shame, the victors forgot that
they, too, were Russians! During three days not only the houses, but
the cloisters, churches, and even the temples of St. Sophia and the
Dime, were given over to pillage. The precious images, the sacerdotal
ornaments, the books, and the bells,--all were carried off."

[Footnote 1: Karamsin.]

With the fall of Kief, the scene of Russian activity shifts to the
north. There, in the dukedom of Souzdal, George Dolgorouki laid, in
1147, the foundation of a town, Moscow, on a height overlooking the
Moscowa. For many years it remained an obscure village, and gave no
sign of its future greatness.

The chief interest at this time centers about the Russian republics,
Novgorod, Pskof, and Viatka. Although Novgorod did not possess the
advantages of Kief, since its soil was sandy, marshy, and
unproductive, the enterprise of its people made it the wealthiest and
most populous city of Russia. It is recorded that it counted 100,000
inhabitants, when Rurik arrived in Russia. He and his immediate
successors were satisfied with the position of Defender, which suited
their warlike and blunt character, and with the revenues assigned to
them, which with the spoils taken from the enemy, were ample for their
wants. These republics were administered by a vetche or municipal (p. 052)
council, with a possadnik or burgomaster, whose duty it was to see
that the city's p