The prince and the urban communities in the internecine war of the middle of the 12th century

The article is devoted to the political and military relations between Russian princes and urban communities in the middle of the 12th century. The author notes that both sides tried to retain the political initiative in the conditions of internecine struggle. Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich of Volyn achieved the greatest success: he combined political concessions, demagogy and competent military organization and managed to attract the city corporations of southern Russia to his side and win the fight for Kiev.