Könchek (Cuman)

Grandson of Sharukan and son of Otrok, he unified the Polovts tribes in the second half of the twelfth century.

Taking advantage of divisions among Russian princes, he made war against them in 1170 and 1180 by attacking the principalities of Kiev, Pereïaslavl, and Chernigov.

His daughter Svoboda ("Liberty" in Russian) married Vladimir III Igorevich, son of Igor, in 1188.

In 1203, his son Yuri took Kiev as an ally of the prince Rurik Rostislavich who, chased from Kiev, recruited from the Polovts tribes to regain power.

Konchek appears as a character in the opera Prince Igor, by Alexander Borodin (1890).

Polovtses fighting Russian troops – illustration: Ivan Bilibin for The Tale of Igor's Campaign )