The defeat at the Kalka battle had important consequences for the Ol′govichi. Mstislav Svyatoslavich's premature death, as we have seen, advanced Mikhail Vsevolodovich to the office of senior prince. Significantly, he could expect little opposition to his policies from the other Ol′govichi because all his cousins who had prior claims to Chernigov had died. What is more, because princes of his generation from the senior and cadet branches had predeceased him and had no heirs, Mikhail, in his capacity as senior prince, assumed control over a number of their domains. This accumulation of territories made him the largest landowner in the land. In the light of his vast resources and having inherited a politically unified dynasty, his potential for making a successful bid for Kiev looked exceedingly promising.

Nevertheless, for the time being, Mikhail decided to live in concord with the Rostislavichi in the manner that his uncles had done for the past eleven years following the death of his father Vsevolod Chermnyy. His decision was not surprising since, following the defeat at the river Kalka, the Ol′govichi were licking their wounds and in too great a disarray to launch an offensive. Family ties may also have dissuaded him from challenging Vladimir Ryurikovich in Kiev. The latter's sister Predslava had married Roman of Volyn′. Since Mikhail had married their daughter, this made Vladimir the uncle of Mikhail's wife. Moreover, as the new senior prince, Mikhail still had to assert his authority over the Chernigov lands.