Mstislav was the son of Grand Prince
Iziaslav II of Kiev. Along with his father, he participated in the wars against
Yury Dolgoruky and the Chernigov princes. After an initial victory against the
Cumans in 1153, Mstislav was defeated by the Cumans at the
Psel river.
Yury Dolgoruky forced him to flee to Poland in 1155, but the next year Mstislav returned with a new army and defeated Dolgoruky at
Vladimir-Volynsk. Dolgoruky died in 1157, and Mstislav had himself crowned at Vladimir. In 1169,
Kiev was sacked by
Andrey Bogolyubsky who removed Mstislav as grand prince. In March 1169, he defended Kiev from the troops of
Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky, but was forced to leave the city and retreat to
Volhynia. In 1170, he retook Kiev. He died in Vladimir and was buried in the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God. ==Family==