In historical literature, it was believed that the sons of Vladimir the Red Sun, Saints Boris and Gleb, were killed by their older brother Svyatopolk. But was it really so? Who else benefited from the death of the brothers?
Svyatopolk (nicknamed the Cursed) was actually the son of the Grand Duke Yaropolk, who was killed by Vladimir the Red Sun. Vladimir after the death of Yaropolk adopted Svyatopolk. From history it is known that after the death of Vladimir Svyatopolk seized power in Kiev and killed Boris and Gleb. Thus, he avenged Vladimir for the murder of his father and at the same time eliminated the applicants to the throne of Kiev. However, there was another rival in the struggle for the Kiev throne - Yaroslav (who received the nickname the Wise in the 19th century), the son of Vladimir.
Yaroslav didn’t really like that his father kept Boris, his beloved son, with him. And, of course, Yaroslav could not help but assume that the throne of Kiev would depart to Boris after Vladimir. Although Yaroslav, in turn, was older than Boris and had more rights to inherit Kiev after his father. At the same time, historians say that Boris, who was at the time of the death of Vladimir in a campaign against the Pechenegs, having learned about the seizure of power by Svyatopolk, did not argue with him about the rights to the throne. So why then should Svyatopolk kill Boris, and then also his brother Gleb. Maybe the murder, in fact, was committed on the orders of another person, and Svyatopolk simply put, framed and portrayed in literature as a fratricide?
The question of who is actually guilty of the death of Boris and Gleb remains unanswered today.
