Starvation was his doom.

Every rod of the way his emaciated soldiers dropped dead in their steps.

Famine also with all its woes reigned in Novgorod.
Under these circumstances, the two parties consented to peace, the Novgorodians retaining their independence, but accepting a brother of the grand prince Andre to succeed their own prince, who was then at the point of death.
Andre, having thus terminated the strife with Novgorod by the peace which he loved, turned his attention to Kief, and with characteristic humanity, gratified the wishes of the inhabitants by allowing them to accept Roman, prince of Smolensk, as their chieftain.

Roman entered the city, greeted by the most flattering testimonials of the joy of the inhabitants, while they united with him in the oath of allegiance to Andre as the sovereign of Russia.

Andre, who was ever disposed to establish his sovereign power, not by armies but by equity and moderation, and who seems truly to have felt that the welfare of Russia required that all its provinces should be united under common laws and a common sovereign, turned his attention again to Novgorod, hoping to persuade its inhabitants to relinquish their independence and ally themselves with the general empire.
Rurik, the brother of Andre, who had been appointed prince of Novgorod, proved unpopular, and was driven from his command.