Familypedia
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
in: Pages using ISBN magic links, Royal families of Europe, Gediminids,
and 6 more

Gediminids

Edit
COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania

Columns of Gediminas, symbol of the Gediminas.

The Gediminids (Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, Polish: Giedyminowicze, Belarusian: Гедзімінавічы) were a dynasty of monarchs of Grand Duchy of Lithuania that reigned from the 14th to the 16th century. One branch of this dynasty, known as the Jagiellons, reigned also in Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Hungary and Kingdom of Bohemia. Several other branches ranked among the leading aristocratic dynasties of Russia and Poland into recent times.

Their monarchical title in Lithuanian primarily was, by some folkloristic data, kunigų kunigas ("Duke of Dukes"), and later on, didysis kunigas ("Great/High Duke") or, in a simple manner, kunigaikštis. In the 18th century the latter form was changed (maybe, by polonised clerks) into tautological didysis kunigaikštis, which nevertheless would be translated as "Grand Duke" (for its etymology, see Grand Prince).

Their origin[]

The origin of Gediminas himself is much debated. Some sources say he was Vytenis' ostler, others that he was of peasant stock, some historians consider him as the son or grandson of Lithuanian or Yatvingian duke Skalmantas. Most of scholars agree, however, that Gediminas was Vytenis' brother (the parentage of Vytenis is explained differently in various fake genealogies, compiled from the 16th century onwards; according to the latest Polish research, his parentage cannot be established.[1]

List of (undoubted) Gediminids who ruled in Grand Duchy of Lithuania[]

Branches of the dynasty[]

The Eastern Orthodox branches of the family were mostly Ruthenian, which also was the one of the two main languages of their established state. Some of these families (e.g., Czartoryski) later converted to Roman Catholicism and became thoroughly Polonized. Others (e.g., Galitzine) moved to Muscovy and became thoroughly Russified.

Some of the noblest princely families of Russia and Poland belong to the Gediminid stock. In Belarusian the Gediminids are known as Гедзімінавічы (Giedziminavičy, sing.: Гедзімінавіч, Giedziminavič), in Polish — as Giedyminowicze (sing.: Giedyminowicz), in Ukrainian - as Гедиміновичі (Hedyminovychi, sing. Гедимінович Hedyminovych), and in Russian — as Gediminovichi (sing.: Гедиминович).

In Poland, most Gediminid families (such as Korecki, Olelkowicz-Słucki, Wiśniowiecki, Zbaraski) are extinct, but at least three families survive to the present: Czartoryski, Sanguszko, and Koriatowicz-Kurcewicz.

The Russian Gediminid families include Bulgakov, Golitsin, Kurakin, Khovansky, Trubetskoy, Mstislavsky, Belsky, and Volynsky.

Family tree[]

Skalmantas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Butegeidis (?-c1292)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (c1285-c1292)		Budvydas (?-c1296)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (c1292-c1296)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vytenis of Lithuania (?-1316)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (c1296-1316)		Gediminas of Lithuania (c1275-1341)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1316-1341)		Fyodor of Kiev (?-a1362)
Grand Prince of Kiev (1331-1362)
 
Vainus of Polotsk (?-a1338)
Duke of Polotsk
 
Margiris?
Duke of Samogitia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jaunutis
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1341-1345)
 
Algirdas of Lithuania (c1296-1377)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1345-1377)
 
Kęstutis of Lithuania (c1297-1382)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Władysław II Jagiełło (c1362-1434)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1377-1401)
King of Poland (1386-1434)
 
Švitrigaila (c1373-1452)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1430-1432)
 
Vytautas (c1350-1430)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1401-1430)
 
Sigismund Kęstutaitis (c1365-1440)
Grand Duke of Lithuania (1432-1440)
 
 
 
 
Continues with Jagiellon branch
(Jogailaičiai)
Skalmantas?
       
 
Butegeidis
Grand Duke of Lithuania 		Butvydas?
Grand Duke of Lithuania
 
   
         
Fiodor*
Duke of Kiev 		Vainius
Duke of Polatsk 		Vytenis
Grand Duke of Lithuania 		Gediminas
Grand Duke of Lithuania 		Margiris?
Duke of Samogitia 		NN daughter?
       
Liubka Žvelgaitis     NN son
   
           
Maria*
Duchess of Tver 		Aldona
Baptized: Ona
Queen of Poland 		Elzbieta*
Duchess of Płock 		  Eufemija
Baptized: Marija
Duchess of Galicia 		Aigusta
Baptized: Anastasia
Duchess of Moscow 		NN daughter?
Duchess of Pskov?
Duchess of Kozelsk?
       
  2 daughters   2 children     3 children
   
             
Vytautas?
Duke of Trakai? 		Manvydas
Prince of Slonim and Kernavė 		Narimantas
Baptized: Gleb
Duke of Pinsk 		Algirdas
Grand Duke of Lithuania 		Kęstutis
Grand Duke of Lithuania 		Jaunutis
Baptized: Iwan
Grand Duke of Lithuania 		Karijotas
Baptized: Mikhail
Duke of Navahrudak 		Liubartas
Baptized: Dymitr
Duke of Volhynia
           
1 son 3, 4, or 5 sons 22 children 7 or 8 children 2 sons 4 to 10 children 3 sons


* Pagan name unknown; Christian (baptism) name provided
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vladimir, son of Algirdas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alexander Olelka
(died in 1454)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ivan Vladimirovich Belsky
(died after 1445)
 
 
Andrei Vladimirovich
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Semen I Olelkovich
(died in 1470)
 
 
 
Mikhailo Olelkovich
(died in 1481)
 
Evdokia
(wife of Stephen III of Moldavia)		TheodosiaBelsky family
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ВasilSophia
(wife of Mikhail III of Tver)		AleksanderSemen II Olelkovich
(died in 1505)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yuri I Olelkovich
(died in 1542)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yuri II
(died in 1579)
 
Semen IIISophia[2]
(wife of Yurii Chodkiewicz)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yuri III
(died in 1586)		Semen IV
(died in 1592)		Alexander
(died in 1591)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sophia Olelkovich
(1585-1612)
 


The family of Gediminas is a group of family members of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania (ca. 1275-1341), who interacted in the 14th century. The family included the siblings, children, and grandchildren of the Grand Duke and played the pivotal role in the history of Lithuania for the period as the Lithuanian nobility had not yet acquired its influence. Gediminas was also the forefather of the Gediminid dynasty, which ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1310s or 1280s to 1572.

Gediminas' origins are unclear, but recent research suggests that Skalmantas, an otherwise unknown historical figure, was Gediminas' grandfather or father and could be considered the dynasty's founder.[3] Because none of his brothers or sisters had known heirs, Gediminas, who sired at least twelve children, had the advantage in establishing sovereignty over his siblings. Known for his diplomatic skills, Gediminas arranged his children's marriages to suit the goals of his foreign policy: his sons consolidated Lithuanian power within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, while his daughters established or strengthened alliances with the rulers of areas in modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Poland.[4]

The relationships among Gediminas' children were generally harmonious, with the notable exception of Jaunutis, who was deposed in 1345 by his brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis. These two brothers went on to provide a celebrated example of peaceful power-sharing. However, Gediminas' many grandchildren and their descendants engaged in power struggles that continued well into the 15th century.[5] Gediminas' grandchildren converted Lithuania to Christianity and inaugurated the first personal union with Poland.

Origins[]

Vytenis

Vytenis, Grand Duke of Lithuania about 1295-1315.

Because written sources of the era are scarce, Gediminas' ancestry, early life, and assumption of the title of Grand Duke in ca. 1316 are obscure and continue to be the subject of scholarly debate. Various theories have claimed that Gediminas was either his predecessor Grand Duke Vytenis' son, his brother, his cousin, or his hostler. For several centuries only two versions of his origins circulated. Chronicles—written long after Gediminas' death by the Teutonic Knights, a long-standing enemy of Lithuania—claimed that Gediminas was a hostler to Vytenis;[3] according to these chronicles, Gediminas killed his master and assumed the throne. Another version introduced in the Lithuanian Chronicles, which also appeared long after Gediminas' death, proclaimed that Gediminas was Vytenis' son.[3] However, the two men were almost the same age, making this relationship unlikely. In 1868, a letter issued by the Council of Riga in 1323 was published that contained a small note mentioning Vytenis as "the brother and predecessor" of Gediminas.[3] After the letter came to light, textbooks almost universally represented Vytenis and Gediminas as brothers. However, historian Tomas Baranauskas believes the word "brother" has been interpreted too literally, and that the two were in fact cousins.[3]

Grand Duke Vytenis' origins are relatively well-established; he was the son of Butvydas, who was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1291 to 1295. No consensus exists about the identity of Butvydas' father. While some genealogies give Traidenis as the ancestor,[6] this has been described as unlikely: the later marriage of Gediminas' daughter Eufemija and Traidenis' great-grandson Boleslaw-Yuri would have violated canon law, since the two would have been related by blood, and this violation would likely have been noticed by the pope.[7]

Recent research indicates that Gediminids' ancestor may have been Skalmantas. In 1974 historian Jerzy Ochmański noted that Zadonshchina, a poem from the end of the 14th century, contains a line in which two sons of Algirdas name their ancestors: "We are two brothers - sons of Algirdas, and grandsons of Gediminas, and great-grandsons of Skalmantas."[3] This discovery led to the belief that Skalmantas was the long-sought ancestor of the Gediminids.[7][8] Ochmański posited that the poem skipped the generation represented by Butvydas, and jumped back to the unknown ancestor. Baranauskas disagrees, believing Skalmantas was Butvydas' brother rather than his father, and that Vytenis and Gediminas were therefore cousins.[3]

Siblings[]

Gedimin grav xvii

Imaginative portrait of Gediminas from the chronicle of Alexander Guagnini. This portrait is still used today as an illustration in history books.

It is known that Gediminas, born about 1275, had one sister (or possibly two, see below for the wife of Andrei of Kozelsk) and several brothers: Vainius, Fiodor of Kiev, possibly Vytenis, and possibly Margiris. If Vytenis, who was Grand Duke of Lithuania from about 1295 to 1315, was indeed Gediminas' brother, he was probably the eldest son.[9] Historians recognize one son of Grand Duke Vytenis, Žvelgaitis, who may have died before his father.[7] In 1310 Žvelgaitis, already a mature man, led an army to nearby Livonia in modern-day Latvia and Estonia.[10] After Vytenis died in about 1315, Gediminas became the Grand Duke. There are no sources indicating that Vytenis' brothers or other family members advanced competing claims.[11]

Vainius first appears in written sources in 1324. In 1326, as Duke of Polatsk, he signed a treaty with the Livonian Order and Novgorod.[12] Scholars place his death sometime between 1338[12] and 1342.[9] Vainius' only known son, Liubko, died in 1342 during a battle with the Livonian Order.

Fiodor, whose relationship to Gediminas was not established until the 20th century, was the longest-lived brother, surviving until at least 1362.[9] In about 1325, with help from Gediminas, he became a Duke of Kiev.[13] Fiodor was baptized in the Eastern Orthodox rite and his pagan name is unknown. Kiev was still under the influence of the Golden Horde, and Fiodor acknowledged fealty to the Horde's Khan. This subordination lasted until 1363, when Gediminas' son Algirdas soundly defeated the Horde in the Battle of Blue Waters.[13] Scholarly opinion had long considered Fiodor a Rurikid, rather than a Lithuanian, because of his Christian name. In 1916, however, a list of property belonging to Theognostus, a deceased Metropolitan of Moscow, and compiled in the 1330s, was published; among the items listed were two silver cups gifted by "Fiodor, brother of Gediminas".[14]

Margiris, the defender of Pilėnai, is often suggested as the most likely candidate for the fourth brother. The chronicles of Hermann de Wartberge mention that in 1329 Gediminas and two of his brothers raided Livonia.[9] By that time Vytenis was already dead and Fiodor was probably occupied with establishing himself in Kiev. One of these two brothers must then have been Vainius; the identity of the other still puzzles historians. Alvydas Nikžentaitis suggests that he was Margiris because sources attest to his high status and wealth.[9] Sources mention one son of Margiris, who was captured by the Teutonic Knights soon after his father's suicide in 1336 and did not return.[9]

The only direct written mention of Gediminas' sister is a legend describing the murder of two Franciscan friars who came to Vilnius to spread Christianity.[15] This legend was first presented in Chronica XXIV Generalium, a chronicle written before 1369. The events probably took place around 1340, and some eyewitnesses could still have been alive when the chronicle was written. According to the legend Friar Ulrich's preaching angered townspeople. He and his companion, Martin, were seized and brought before Gediminas, who ordered the friars killed. Ulrich was tortured and his body tossed into a river. Martin's body was rescued by Gediminas' sister, an Orthodox nun. She buried Martin at the monastery where she lived.[16] The legend was retold in other sources, including the Bychowiec Chronicle, where the number of martyrs was increased to fourteen and the initially realistic story acquired a number of miraculous trappings.[15]

Wives[]

See also: List of Lithuanian consorts

It is uncertain how many wives Gediminas had. The Bychowiec Chronicle mentions three wives: Vida from Courland; Olga from Smolensk; and Jewna from Polotsk, who was Eastern Orthodox and died in 1344 or 1345.[17] Most modern historians and reference works say Gediminas' wife was Jewna, dismissing Vida and Olga as fictitious, since no sources other than this chronicle mention the other two wives.[18] The historian S. C. Rowell argues that Gediminas' wife was a local pagan duchess, on the grounds that his marriage to a princess from a neighboring land would have been noted in other contemporary sources, and that the reliability of the Bychowiec Chronicle has been questioned.[19]

An argument has been advanced that Gediminas had two wives, one pagan and another Orthodox. This case is supported only by the Jüngere Hochmeisterchronik, a late-15th century chronicle, mentioning Narimantas as half-brother to Algirdas.[19] Other historians support this claim by arguing this would explain Gediminas' otherwise mysterious designation of a middle son, Jaunutis, as his succession would be understandable if Jaunutis were the first-born son of Gediminas and a second wife.[20]

Children and grandchildren[]

Because none of Gediminas' siblings had strong heirs, Gediminas and his children were in a favorable position to assume and consolidate power in the Grand Duchy. Gediminas had at least five daughters and seven sons, whose shrewd marriages helped to consolidate and expand the Grand Duchy's influence to areas east and west of Lithuania. Those marriages speak to Gediminas’ diplomatic talent in building alliances with the neighboring states that shared his goals to destroy the Teutonic Order and contain the growing power of Moscow and Poland.[19] The marriages of Gediminas' sons helped to consolidate the dynasty's power over various territories already within the Grand Duchy, while his daughters' and granddaughters' marriages worked to strengthen Lithuanian relationships with neighboring powers.[4]

Daughters[]

Europein1328

Map of Europe in 1328

Galicia-Volhynia map

Map of Galicia-Volhynia. Two of Gediminas' children, Liubartas and Eufemija, were involved in succession disputes over Galicia-Volhynia

In 1320 Maria married Dmitri of Tver, ruler of a Russian principality. The marriage took place soon after Mikhail Yaroslavich, Dmitri's father, was killed; his sons were searching for strong allies against Yury of Moscow, their principal competitor for the throne of Vladimir and All Rus'.[4] After 1327 Lithuania began to supplant Tver as Moscow's chief rival for supremacy in the Rus'. When Tver sought to rival Moscow, it needed an alliance with Lithuania.[21] Dmitri was killed in 1325 and Maria never remarried. Maria's brother-in-law, Alexander I, nevertheless maintained friendly relationships with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and his daughter Uliana married Algirdas, the son of Gediminas, who continued the Gediminid line.[4] The cooperation between Lithuania and Tver lasted well into the 15th century.[4]

Aldona (baptized as Ona or Anna; her pagan name is known only from the writings of the 16th century chronicler Maciej Stryjkowski[22]) married Casimir III of Poland, son of Władysław I of Poland, when he was 15 or 16 years old. The marriage took place on either April 30 or October 16, 1325, and was a purely political maneuver to strengthen the Polish-Lithuanian coalition against the Teutonic Knights[23] (an alliance foreshadowing the Union of Krewo in 1385 and the Union of Lublin in 1569, with the latter resulting in a stable and powerful new state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth).[22] This preliminary coalition was short-lived, collapsing in about 1330, but there is no evidence of military conflict between Poland and Lithuania while Aldona was alive.[23]

The marriage into the Lithuanian dynasty that had ruled since about 1289 might have lent legitimacy to the rule of Władysław I of the Piast dynasty, who was crowned in 1320, replacing the Přemyslid dynasty.[19] But Aldona died unexpectedly at the end of May 1339 and was buried in Kraków. Aldona had two daughters: Cunigunde (d. 1357) married Louis VI the Roman, the son of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elisabeth (d. 1361) married Duke Bogislaw V of Pomerania, an area in modern-day Germany and Poland.[24] Elisabeth's daughter, Elizabeth of Pomerania, was the fourth wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor.

Gediminas' daughter Elzbieta married Wacław of Płock, one of the dukes of Masovia in modern-day eastern Poland. Her second name is recorded in writings by Maciej Stryjkowski as Danmila and Teodor Narbutt as Damila. It has been suggested these names are misread versions of Danutė,[25] a name derived from Daniel. Another interpretation is that historians confused Danutė of Lithuania, daughter of Kęstutis, with Elzbieta.[26] As an alliance, the marriage was significant because passages to and from western Europe had to pass through Masovia; it can be seen as an attempt to revive Grand Duke Traidenis' and his daughter Gaudemunda's link with Masovia in the 1270s.[4] The marriage's importance is attested by Elzbieta's dowry: 720 Kraków silver marks and nine marks of gold - three times more than an ordinary recorded dowry of the time.[4] This marriage probably took place about 1316, when Gediminas supported Wacław during a civil war in the divided Duchy of Masovia.[4] After Wacław's death in 1336, Elzbieta managed her own wealth. She is mentioned for the last time in 1361, when her brother Kęstutis escaped from Marienburg and sought refuge at his sister's house; historians put her date of death at around 1364.[25] In 1337 Elzbieta's daughter Anna, first mentioned in late 1323, married Henry of Żagań, in modern-day western Poland. Her son Bolesław III or Bolko died without a male heir in 1351 and his land was divided among other dukes.[24]

Eufemija (also known as Marija, Ofka, and Anka) married Bolesław Jerzy II of Galicia, in modern-day Ukraine, in 1331. The marriage was engineered in 1323 when the brothers Lev and Andrew of Galicia were slain without leaving heirs. Instead of replacing them with his own son Liubartas and risking a war with Poland, Gediminas forged a compromise with Władysław I of Poland.[27] Both parties agreed to install Bolesław, cousin of Władysław I and nephew of Gediminas' son-in-law Wacław of Płock, with the marriage to take place later. Bolesław at the time was fourteen years old.[27] In this way the war for control of Galicia-Volhynia was postponed until after Bolesław's poisoning in 1340; control of the area was not stabilized until 1370.[28] According to Teodor Narbutt, Eufemija was drowned beneath the ice of the Vistula River on February 5, 1342, in order to keep her out of the succession disputes.[4]

Aigusta was baptized as Anastasia in order to marry Simeon of Russia in 1333;[4] he became Grand Prince of Moscow in 1341. There is no direct evidence that she was a daughter of Gediminas, but because the marriage was high-profile, most historians have concluded that she was a member of Gediminas' family.[25] The marriage had great potential because Lithuania and Moscow were fierce rivals for supremacy in Ruthenia, but conflicts broke out again in 1335, just two years after the marriage.[4] Her two sons Vasilei and Konstantin did not survive infancy; her daughter Vasilisa married Mikhail Vasilevich of Kashin, a Tverite prince opposing Lithuania.[29] Her brother Jaunutis sought her help when he was deposed by Algirdas in 1345. Immediately before her death on March 11, 1345, Aigusta became a nun. She was buried within the Moscow Kremlin at a monastic church whose construction she had sponsored.[29]

It is possible that Gediminas had two more daughters. According to Maciej Stryjkowski, one of Gediminas' daughters was married to David, his favorite war leader.[9] However, some historians disagree with the conclusion that David was Gediminas' son-in-law, expressing skepticism about the reliability of Stryjkowski's sources.[30] The existence of another daughter, or possibly another sister, has been hypothesized based on the list of Metropolitan Theognostus' property published in 1916. The list contains a note describing Andrei Mstislavich, Duke of Kozelsk (ruled ca. 1320 — 1339), as Gediminas' son-in-law.[31] On the other hand, the Ruthenian word ziat' (зять) can mean either "son-in-law" or "sister's husband". Hence Andrei of Kozelsk could have been Gediminas' brother-in-law.

Sons[]

Lithuanian state in 13-15th centuries

Expansion of the Lithuanian state during the 13th-15th centuries

The chronicle of John of Winterthur contains a reference to Gediminas' eight sons.[9] The names of seven sons can be found in various written sources, while the identity of the eighth remains disputed. Alvydas Nikžentaitis suggests that this son was the Duke of Trakai who perished in 1337 near Veliuona.[9] Duke of Trakai was an important position held either by the Grand Duke himself or his second-in-command. Therefore 18th- and 19th-century historians believed that it was Gediminas himself who died in Veliuona,[32] which still advertises itself as the place of Gediminas' burial. Nikžentaitis further postulates that the name of the unknown son might have been Vytautas, as records mention a young and powerful Yuri, son of Vytautas and deputy of Andrei, son of Algirdas. Yuri died in 1348.[33] His high position in youth could easily be accounted for by being a grandson of Gediminas.[9] However, others dispute these theories, arguing that the note in John of Winterthur's chronicle was misinterpreted.[34]

It is unclear why, but Jaunutis, a middle son not mentioned in any written sources before the coup d'état accomplished by his brothers, was designated by Gediminas as his heir in Vilnius and consequently became the Grand Duke.[35] His brother Kęstutis, Duke of Trakai, was assisting him in Samogitia. Despite help from Narimantas, Jaunutis was deposed by his brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis in 1345, just four years after Gediminas' death.[35] Jaunutis tried, but failed, to solicit help from his brother-in-law Simeon of Russia and was baptized as Iwan in the process. He was forced to reconcile with Algirdas and in compensation received the Duchy of Zasłaŭje, which he ruled until his death in 1366.[36]

Several sons of Gediminas continued his male line, but it was Algirdas who continued the main Gediminid line. Before deposing his brother Jaunutis in 1345, he ruled Kreva and, despite remaining pagan, married Maria, a daughter of the last prince of Vitebsk.[19] After 1345 he became the Grand Duke of Lithuania and shared his power with his brother Kęstutis. Their successful collaboration is celebrated in Lithuanian historiography, and gave rise to a much debated theory that a tradition of co-rule or diarchy in Lithuania was customary and arose as early as 1285.[9] The Grand Duchy experienced its greatest expansion during their reign. While Algirdas was mostly active in the east, Kęstutis occupied himself by managing the Duchy's interactions with the Teutonic Knights, Poland, and other western European entities.[37] In 1350 Algirdas contracted a second marriage with Uliana of Tver; he chose their son Jogaila as the next Grand Duke. In 1385 Jogaila opened a new chapter in the history of Lithuania by converting the country to Christianity and signing a personal union with Poland, becoming King of Poland. This Polish-Lithuanian union, in various forms, survived until the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. Jogaila's branch of the Gediminids is known as the Jagiellon dynasty.

Algirdas the Grand Duke of Lithuania Reversum

Commemorative silver coin (50 litas) with a modern portrait of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1345-1377

Kęstutis, Duke of Trakai, despite exercising considerable autonomy while controlling the western provinces of the duchy, was loyal to Algirdas and acknowledged his superiority. Kęstutis was a devoted pagan and dedicated his life to defending Lithuania from the Teutonic Knights. A popular romantic legend arose about his marriage to the pagan priestess Birutė of Palanga. They had seven or eight children, including Vytautas the Great.[24] After Algirdas' death in 1377, his son Jogaila became the Grand Duke. At first Kęstutis and his son Vytautas acknowledged Jogaila's rule, but after Jogaila signed the controversial Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights, Kęstutis seized Vilnius and became the Grand Duke in late 1381. In August 1382 he was imprisoned in Kreva and died there.[38][39] Vytautas continued his fight for supremacy, and the conflicts between the descendants of Algirdas and Kęstutis lasted well into the 15th century.[5]

Manvydas was the eldest son of Gediminas and inherited the territories of Kernavė and Slonim from his father.[34] Little is known about him, and he died soon after Gediminas. It is believed that he was killed in the Battle of Strėva in 1348 along with his brother Narimantas.[9]

Narimantas was the second son of Gediminas. He was baptized as Gleb and went on to rule Pinsk, Polotsk, and - as his patrimony by invitation of Novgorod's nobles - Ladoga, Oreshek and Korela.[40] He initiated a tradition of Lithuanian mercenary service north of Novgorod on the Swedish border that lasted until Novgorod's fall to Moscow in 1477[41] and helped keep Moscow at bay.[42] In 1345 Narimantas became the strongest supporter of his deposed brother Jaunutis and went to Jani Beg, Khan of the Golden Horde, to ask for support against Algirdas and Kęstutis. There are rumors that Narimantas married a Tatar princess, but they lack credibility.[21] After a few years the brothers reconciled, and it is believed that Narimantas led the Battle of Strėva in the name of Algirdas and died there. He left behind three to five sons who founded Russian princely families, including Kurakin and Galitzine.[40]

Karijotas was baptized as Mikhail and inherited Navahrudak in Black Ruthenia. In 1348 he was sent by Algirdas to Khan Jani Beg to negotiate a coalition against the Teutonic Knights, but was handed over to Moscow for ransom.[21] He died about 1363. It is uncertain how many children he had: the number varies between four and nine.[43]

Liubartas (baptized Dymitr) was Gediminas' youngest son. In the early 1320s he married a daughter of Andrew of Galicia and ruled Lutsk in eastern Volhynia.[28] After Andrew's and his brother Lev of Galicia's deaths about 1323, Galicia-Volhynia experienced a power vacuum. Rather than promoting Liubartas and risking a war with Poland, Gediminas married his daughter Eufemija to Boleslaw-Yuri II of Galicia. War with Poland was thereby postponed until 1340. The Galicia-Volhynia Wars were settled after 1370, when Poland received Galicia, while Lithuania retained Volhynia.[28] Liubartas died around 1385, having ruled Volhynia for roughly sixty years. He had three sons.

House of Algirdas[]

House of Algirdas refers to the siblings, children, and grandchildren of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377. The family was from the Gediminids dynasty. Algirdas' son Jogaila started the Jagiellon branch of the dynasty.

Parents[]

  • Gediminas (ca 1275 - winter 1341), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1316-1341)
  • Jewna (died in 1344), daughter of Prince Ivan of Polotsk

Wives[]

  • Maria of Vitebsk (died in 1346), married in 1318
  • Uliana of Tver (1325-1392), married in 1350

Brothers[]

  • Kęstutis (1297 - 15 August 1382 in Kreva), Duke of Trakai, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1381-1382)
  • Manvydas (ca 1288-1348), Prince of Kernavė and Slonim (1341-1348)
  • Narimantas (baptized Gleb; ca 1300-1348), Duke of Pinsk, Polock and Novgorod
  • Jaunutis (baptized Iwan; ca 1300 - after 1366), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1341-1345), Duke of Izjaslawl (1346-1366)
  • Karijotas (baptized Michal; ca 1300 - ca 1362), Prince of Navahradak (1341-1362)
  • Liubartas (baptized Dymitr; ca 1300-1384), Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Luck (1340-1384)

Sisters[]

  • Maria (ca. 1300-1349), Princess of Lithuania
  • Aldona of Lithuania (Anna; after 1309 - 26 May 1339), Princess of Lithuania, Queen of Poland (1333-1339)
  • Damilla (baptized Elzbieta; died in 1364), Princess of Płock
  • Eufemia (died on 5 February 1342), Princess of Halicz and Volodymyr-Volynskyi-Halicz
  • Aigusta (Anastazja; died on 11 March 1345), Grand Princess of Vladimir-Moscow

Sons[]

with Maria of Vitebsk

  • Andrei of Polotsk (1325 - 12 August 1399), Duke of Polock (1342-1387), Pskov (1342-1348)
  • Demetrius I Starszy (1327 - 12 August 1399 in the Battle of the Vorskla River), Duke of Bryansk (1356-1379 and 1388-1399)
  • Constantine (died before 30 October 1390), Prince of Czartorysk
  • Vladimir Olgerdovich (died after October 1398), Prince of Kiev (1362-1394), Kopyl, Sluck. Ancestor of Olelkovich and Belsky families.
  • Fiodor (Theodore; died in 1399), Prince of Rylsk (1370-1399), Ratnie (1387-1394), Bryansk (1393)

with Uliana of Tver

  • Jogaila (ca. 1351 - 1 June 1434), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1377-1381, 1382-1392), King of Poland (1386-1434)
  • Skirgaila (baptized Ivan; ca 1354 - 11 January 1397 in Kiev), Duke of Trakai (1382-1395), Kiev (1395-1397), regent of Lithuania
  • Dymitr Korybut (after 1350 - after 1404), Prince of Novgorod-Seversky (1386-1392/93)
  • Lengvenis (baptised Simon; died after 19 June 1431), Prince of Mstislavl, regent of Great Novgorod
  • Karigaila (baptized Cassimir; after 1350-1390), Prince of Mstislavl
  • Vygantas (baptized Alexander; after 1350 - 28 June 1392), Prince of Kernavė
  • Švitrigaila (baptized Boleslaw; ca. 1370 - 10 February 1452 in Lutsk), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1430-1432), ruler of Volynia (1437-1452)

Daughters[]

  • Fiedora
  • Agrypina (baptized Mary; died in 1393)
  • Kenna (baptized Joan; ca. 1350 - 27 April 1368), wife of Casimir IV, Duke of Pomerania.
  • Helen (after 1350 - 15 September 1438), wife of Vladimir the Bold
  • Maria (after 1350 - ?), Princess of Lithuania
  • Wilheida (baptized Catherine; after 1350 - after 4 April 1422), Princess of Lithuania
  • Alexandra of Masovia (after 1350 - 19 June 1434)
  • Jadwiga (after 1350 - after 1407), Princess of Oświęcim (1395/96 - 1405)

Olelkovich family[]

The Olelkovich family was a 15th-16th-century noble family from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Their main possession was the Duchy of Slutsk-Kapyl; therefore, they are sometimes known as Slutskys. They hailed from the Lithuanian Gediminids (male line) and Russian Rurikids (female line). According to a 1528 military census, the family was the fourth wealthiest magnate family in the Grand Duchy.[44] However, its influence declined after the Union of Lublin (1569). The last member of the family was Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill (1585-1612), wife of Janusz Radziwiłł and saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church. After her death, considerable wealth and the Duchy of Slutsk passed to the Radziwiłł family.[44]

Family history[]

Alexander Olelka (died in 1454) was the ancestor of the family. He was a son of Vladimir, Duke of Kiev, and grandson of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania.[45] Alexander inherited his father's domains in the Duchy of Slutsk-Kapyl and in 1440 restored family's dynastic interest in the Principality of Kiev, which was confiscated from Vladimir in 1395 after a power struggle with Grand Duke Vytautas and given to Skirgaila.[46] Alexander married Anastasia, daughter of Sophia of Lithuania and Vasily I of Moscow, and had two sons Semen (died in 1505) and Mikhailo Olelkovich (died in 1481).[44]

Semen married Maria, a daughter of Jonas Goštautas. In mid 1450s Goštautas planned to depose Grand Duke Casimir IV Jagiellon and to install his son-in-law Semen Olelkovich.[47] Semen inherited the Principality of Kiev, but after his death it was converted into the Kiev Voivodeship. His descendants continued to claim the rights in the region, but the voivodeship was ruled by appointed officials (voivodes) from other noble families. The loss of Kiev could be attributed to Olelkovich's faith (Eastern Orthodoxy rather than Catholicism) and their close kinship with the Grand Princes of Moscow, who threatened Lithuania's eastern borders.[48] However, the Duchy of Slutsk-Kapyl was not converted into a powiat and remained in the family's hands. Disappointed by such politics, Mikhailo Olelkovich organized opposition to Casimir IV and even attempted a coup in 1481. The plot was discovered, possibly by voivode of Kiev Ivan Chodkiewicz, and Mikhailo was executed.[48] In 1471, Mikhailo was also involved in a brief affair when Novgorod Republic invited him to become its ruler in a bid to break away from Moscow's influence. However, the attempt ended in a decisive defeat in the Battle of Shelon.[49]

After Mikhailo's death, the Olelkovichs did not occupy any state offices. They submitted their bids for the throne of the Grand Duke in 1492 and 1572, but gained little support.[44] Semen II moved his court from Kapyl to Slutsk thus establishing the so-called Slutsk line.[45] His descendants are often known as Slutsky. During the Muscovite-Lithuanian Wars, Semen also won a September 1502 battle near Babruysk against the Crimean Khanate.[50] Yuri I also had possessions in Veisiejai, where he funded a Catholic church, and Liškiava.[44]

Family tree[]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vladimir, son of Algirdas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alexander Olelka
(died in 1454)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ivan Vladimirovich Belsky
(died after 1445)
 
 
Andrei Vladimirovich
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Semen I Olelkovich
(died in 1470)
 
 
 
Mikhailo Olelkovich
(died in 1481)
 
Evdokia
(wife of Stephen III of Moldavia)		TheodosiaBelsky family
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ВasilSophia
(wife of Mikhail III of Tver)		AleksanderSemen II Olelkovich
(died in 1505)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yuri I Olelkovich
(died in 1542)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yuri II
(died in 1579)
 
Semen IIISophia[2]
(wife of Yurii Chodkiewicz)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yuri III
(died in 1586)		Semen IV
(died in 1592)		Alexander
(died in 1591)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sophia Olelkovich
(1585-1612)
 

References[]

  1. ^ Jan Tęgowski, "Pierwsze pokolenia Gedyminowiczów", 1999
  2. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Kirkienė, Genutė (2008). "Chodkevičių giminės ištakos". LDK politikos elito galingieji: Chodkevičiai XV-XVI amžiuje. Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. p. 146. ISBN 978-9955-33-359-3. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g (Lithuanian) Baranauskas, Tomas (1996-11-23). "Gedimino kilmė". Voruta 44 (278). Retrieved on 2007-03-10. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rowell, S. C. (1994). Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire Within East-Central Europe, 1295-1345. Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series. Cambridge University Press. pp. 89-93. ISBN 978-0-521-45011-9. 
  5. ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 69
  6. ^ (Russian) rukovoditel' avtorskogo kollektiva P. Ch. Grebel'skij (1995). Families of the Nobility of the Russian Empire. Second Volume. Princes. St. Petersburg: Vesti. p. 26. ISBN 5-86153-012-2. 
  7. ^ a b c Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 52-55
  8. ^ Jokimaitis, Rimantas; Algis Kasperavičius, Eugenijus Manelis, Beatričė Stukienė (1999). World and Lithuanian History. VI-XVIII centuries. The World and Lithuania. Vilnius: Kronta. pp. 118-135. http://web.archive.org/web/20050925035027/http://clioh.hist.uu.se/lithuania/. Retrieved 2007-03-10. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l (Lithuanian) Nikžentaitis, Alvydas (1989). Gediminas. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. pp. 7-16. 
  10. ^ Nikžentaitis, Alvydas. Gediminas, p. 23
  11. ^ Rowell, C. S. Lithuania Ascending, p. 60
  12. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Jonas Zinkus, et al., ed (1988). "Vainius". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija. IV. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. pp. 419. 
  13. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Gudavičius, Edvardas (2004). "Teodoras". In Vytautas Spečiūnas. Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. pp. 31. ISBN 5-420-01535-8. 
  14. ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 100
  15. ^ a b Nikžentaitis, Alvydas. Gediminas, pp. 55-57
  16. ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 275-276
  17. ^ (Lithuanian) Ivinskis, Zenonas (1953-1966). "Jaunė". Lietuvių enciklopedija. IX. Boston, Massachusetts: Lietuvių enciklopedijos leidykla. pp. 335. LCCWp globe tiny 55020366. 
  18. ^ (Lithuanian) Vytautas Spečiūnas, ed (2004). "Jaunutis". Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. pp. 38, 46. ISBN 5-420-01535-8. 
  19. ^ a b c d e Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 87-88
  20. ^ Kiaupa, Zigmantas; Jūratė Kiaupienė, Albinas Kunevičius (2000) [1995]. The History of Lithuania Before 1795 (English ed.). Vilnius: Lithuanian Institute of History. p. 118. ISBN 9986-810-13-2. 
  21. ^ a b c Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 114
  22. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Gudavičius, Edvardas (2004). "Aldona". In Vytautas Spečiūnas. Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. pp. 40. ISBN 5-420-01535-8. 
  23. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1933). "Aldona". In Vaclovas Biržiška. Lietuviškoji enciklopedija. I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 208-211. 
  24. ^ a b c Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. xxxvi
  25. ^ a b c (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1937). "Damilla". In Vaclovas Biržiška. Lietuviškoji enciklopedija. V. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 1414.  Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "elz" defined multiple times with different content
  26. ^ (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1937). "Danutė". In Vaclovas Biržiška. Lietuviškoji enciklopedija. 5. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 1501-1502. 
  27. ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 224
  28. ^ a b c Simas Sužiedėlis, ed (1970-1978). "Liubartas". Encyclopedia Lituanica. III. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 411-412. LCCWp globe tiny 74-114275. 
  29. ^ a b Rowell, S. C. (Spring 1994). "Pious Princesses or Daughters of Belial: Pagan Lithuanian Dynastic Diplomacy, 1279-1423". Medieval Prosopography 15 (1): 39-40. ISSN 0198-9405. 
  30. ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 82
  31. ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 160-161
  32. ^ (Lithuanian) Zemlickas, Gediminas (2006-06-21). "Istorija ir „Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija“ (2)". Mokslo Lietuva 11 (345). Retrieved on 2009-02-15. 
  33. ^ (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1933-1944). "Andrius". In Vaclovas Biržiška. Lietuviškoji enciklopedija. I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 575-585. 
  34. ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 280
  35. ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 282-283
  36. ^ Simas Sužiedėlis, ed (1970-1978). "Jaunutis". Encyclopedia Lituanica. II. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. p. 516. LCCWp globe tiny 74-114275. 
  37. ^ Kiaupa, Zigmantas; Jūratė Kiaupienė, Albinas Kunevičius (2000) [1995]. The History of Lithuania Before 1795 (English ed.). Vilnius: Lithuanian Institute of History. pp. 119-120. ISBN 9986-810-13-2. 
  38. ^ (Lithuanian) Ivinskis, Zenonas (1978). Lietuvos istorija iki Vytauto Didžiojo mirties. Rome: Lietuvių Katalikų Mokslo Akademija. pp. 271-274. 
  39. ^ "Kestutis". Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045186/Kestutis. Retrieved 2007-09-25. 
  40. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Kiaupa, Zigmantas (2004). "Narimantas". In Vytautas Spečiūnas. Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. pp. 42. ISBN 5-420-01535-8. 
  41. ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 175
  42. ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 251
  43. ^ Simas Sužiedėlis, ed (1970-1978). "Karijotas". Encyclopedia Lituanica. III. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 47-48. LCCWp globe tiny 74-114275. 
  44. ^ a b c d e (Lithuanian) Jonas Zinkus, et al., ed (1985-1988). "Olelkaičiai". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija. 3. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 237. LCCWp globe tiny 86232954. 
  45. ^ a b Simas Sužiedėlis, ed (1970-1978). "Olelko family". Encyclopedia Lituanica. IV. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 113-114. LCCWp globe tiny 74-114275. 
  46. ^ (Lithuanian) Petrauskas, Rimvydas; Jūratė Kiaupienė (2009). Lietuvos istorija. Nauji horizontai: dinastija, visoumenė, valstybė. IV. Baltos lankos. p. 68. ISBN 978-9955-23-239-1. 
  47. ^ (Lithuanian) Petrauskas, Rimvydas (2003). Lietuvos diduomenė XIV a. pabaigoje - XV a.. Aidai. pp. 115, 189. ISBN 9955-445-67-X. 
  48. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Kirkienė, Genutė (2008). "Chodkevičių giminės ištakos". LDK politikos elito galingieji: Chodkevičiai XV-XVI amžiuje. Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. p. 90. ISBN 978-9955-33-359-3. 
  49. ^ Naroll, Raoul; Vern L. Bullough, Frada Naroll (1974). Military deterrence in history: a pilot cross-historical survey. SUNY Press. p. 131. ISBN 087395047X. http://books.google.com/books?id=afZnn1NRxIAC&pg=PA131. 
  50. ^ (Lithuanian) Batūra, Romas (September 2006). "Klecko mūšiui - 500 metų". Kariūnas 3 (90). 


Main sources:

  • (Lithuanian) Nikžentaitis, Alvydas (1989). Gediminas. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. pp. 7-16. 
  • Rowell, S. C. (1994). Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire Within East-Central Europe, 1295-1345. Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series. Cambridge University Press. pp. xxxii-xxxviii. ISBN 978-0-521-45011-9. 


See also[]

  • Columns of Gediminas
  • Galitzine family
  • List of Belarusian rulers
  • List of Lithuanian rulers
  • List of Ukrainian rulers
  • House of Mindaugas - the first royal family of Lithuania
  • Palemonids - legendary dynasty of Romans who settled in Lithuania
  • Gediminas' Tower


References[]

External links[]

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Gediminids. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Family of Gediminas. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Family of Algirdas. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Olelkovich. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More Familypedia