When her husband the Emperor, but a pervert: as the granddaughter of Yaroslav the Wise became the heroine of a sex scandal

The daughter of Kyiv Prince Vsevolod Eupraxia was married at the age of 12. Kiev chronicler her laconic mother, became a wife, became a nun, died. Forget — German annals that they write that the Princess married the Emperor of the German lands and became his sex slave. Her future husband several times excommunicated, and all were against this marriage, but the Princess was still Empress.

In 1054 died Kiev Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Children and relatives of the deceased ruler in the spirit of the time began to fight for the inheritance. Following the example of his father, called "father of Europe", the sons entered into the dynastic marriages with the nobility and monarchs of neighboring countries. In the fight "Yaroslav" won Vsevolod, who became the first ruler used on their seals the title "Prince of all Rus".

His 12-year-old Eupraxia daughter of Vsevolod gave Heinrich Staden, the powerful Margrave of the Northern Saxony. "Prince of all Russia" was needed allies in the fight against his nephew and Volyn Prince Yaropolk, who had many relatives in Poland and Hungary. That is why in 1086 Eupraxia went to Saxony. German Rosenfelder chronicle of the monastery reads:

In the German lands of the Duchess converted to Catholicism and got the name of Adelheid. A year after the marriage of Heinrich Staden died, and in 1086 was stabbed Prince Yaropolk Izyaslavich.

Eupraxia-Adelheid to Russia has not returned and married, not with someone else, and with the Emperor of Germany Henry IV. The new husband was an influential person and restless. In the year 1076, Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Henry from the Church. The Emperor barefoot and in the snow pleaded with the head of Catholics to forgive his sinful. Dad took pity on him, but Henry again tried to depose Gregory, and he again rejected Henry. Without thinking, the Emperor appointed his own Pope and in the Catholic Church there was a dual power.

Henry was accused of Satanism and perversion. It is believed that he was part of the heretical sect of the Nicolaitanes, the followers of which practised orgies. Even Prince Vsevolod was against this marriage. However, love is love. 14 Aug 1089 widow Eupraxia-Adelheid in the Cathedral of Cologne was married with the Emperor Henry IV, and she became Empress.

Family idyll did not last long. The Emperor was jealous of his wife, accused her of childlessness, and most importantly reproached father, who got along with the new Pope urban II — the sworn enemy of Henry. In the German chronicle says that Emperor had arranged tests better half.

One day he persuaded one of his barons to agree with Adelgado to meet for treason. Night came himself Henry, but the wife has not appeared. In the dark servant did not recognize the ruler and even tried to beat him. The result of the "rally" was a hate attack, described in the annals Shtadenskogo:

The monk chronicler wrote that the Emperor hated his wife, as much as I loved her. He imprisoned the unfortunate man in prison and ordered to rape the wife dozens of men. In this case abuse was involved as the court nobles, and common soldiers.

Reconstruction of the appearance of the German Emperor, Henry IV

Come down to the fact that the Emperor is a rapist tried to persuade his son from his first marriage to Conrad to rape his stepmother. The heir refused and then Henry began to claim that the father Conrad not he, but a Duke. After this son rebelled against his father and left his yard.

Abuse of a wife did not prevent the Emperor of Germany to war with the Pope and to make military campaigns. However, he gradually lost Rome. His land was sandwiched between allies of Pope urban II — margravine Matilda of Tuscany and the Duke of Bavaria. To solve Henry led troops in Northern Italy, but Bayern blocked the passes through the Alps. For several years the ruler has been cut off from Germany and stayed in Verona.

When Henry was and his wife Eupraxia, which in 1094 with the help of margravine Matilda escaped from her husband. Kiev Princess appeared at the court of Pope urban II, where the accused husband in Satanism, rape and all possible perversions. Chronicler Berthold wrote:

The Council of bishops, the Pope forgave the sins Adelgade and spread it with Henry, which was anathema. After that, thrice excommunicated the Emperor refused to even sons. In 1106 he abdicated, and six months later died. The priests didn't want to bury the body of the ruler, considering him cursed.

Henry IV on his knees asks Matilda of Tuscany about assistance in a dispute with the Pope. Medieval miniature

The only son of Eupraxia died in infancy and after the divorce she went back to relatives in Hungary. After a few years the former Empress moved to Kiev and in the year of death crazy husband took the veil of Andrew's convent. Apparently at home tortured woman met a not particularly warm, and perhaps the burden of the past was so strong that to live in the world she could no longer. After Eupraxia the princely daughters to Europe were no longer given.