Vsevolod inherited his forefathers' patrimony, Chernigov, in 1204. In November of 1178 he married Maria, daughter of Casimir II. He was an active participant of the struggle for Kiev and frequently summoned the Polovtsians for help. In 1210, he concluded an alliance with Vsevolod III and managed to hold Kiev for four years, until he was expelled from the city by Vsevolod III's archenemy, Mstislav the Bold. He is not mentioned by chronicles thereafter, so it is safe to assume that he died ca. 1215. His bloodline was continued by his son, Mikhail of Chernigov.