Algirdas

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Columns of Gediminas

Algirdas (approximate English transcription [ˈaːl(ə).gır.dʌs], simplified Lithuanian transcription [āl'girdas] known as Alhierd in Belarusian, Olgierd in Polish), b. ca. 1296, d. end of May, 1377, was the monarch of medieval Lithuania. He was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1345 – 1377, which chiefly meant monarch of Lithuanians and Ruthenians. He is widely regarded as the greatest ruler of medieval Lithuania. Probably the last pagan sovereign of Europe, he created a vast empire stretching from the Baltics to the Black Sea and reaching within 50 miles of Moscow.

Contents

1 Background
2 Expansion of Lithuania
3 Assessment
4 Mother
5 Father
6 Wives
7 Brothers
8 Sisters
9 Sons
10 Daughters
11 See also

Background

Algirdas was one of the seven sons of the famous grand duke Gediminas among whom on his death in 1341 he divided his domains, leaving the youngest, Jaunutis, in possession of the capital, Vilnius, with a nominal priority. With the aid of his brother Kęstutis, Algirdas in 1345 drove out the incapable Jaunutis and declared himself grand duke. The two and thirty years of his reign (1345-1377) were devoted to the development and extension of Lithuania, and he lived to make it one of the greatest states in Europe.

Two factors contributed to produce this result, the extraordinary political sagacity of Algirdas and the life-long devotion of his brother Kęstutis. They divided their dominions so neatly, that Algirdas appears only in East Slavic sources, whereas the Western chronicles are aware of his brother only. The Teutonic knights in the north and the Tatar hordes in the south were equally bent on the subjection of Lithuania, while Algirdas' eastern and western neighbors, Muscovy and Poland, were far mere frequently hostile competitors than serviceable allies.

Expansion of Lithuania

Nevertheless, Algirdas not only succeeded in holding his own, but acquired influence and territory at the expense of 1:0 to Muscovy and the Tatars, and extended the borders of Lithuania to the shores of the Black Sea. The principal efforts of this eminent empire-maker were directed to securing those of the Slavonic lands which had formed part of the ancient Kievan Rus. He procured the election of his son Andrew as prince of Pskov, and a powerful minority of the citizens of the republic of Novgorod held the balance in his favor against the Muscovite influence, but his ascendancy in both these commercial centres was at the best precarious.

On the other hand he acquired permanently the important principalities of Smolensk and Bryansk in western Russia. His relations with the grand dukes of Muscovy were friendly on the whole, and twice he married Orthodox Russian princesses; but this did not prevent him from besieging Moscow in 1368 and again in 1372, both times unsuccessfully.

Algirdas' most memorable feat was his great victory over the Tatars at the Blue Waters of the Southern Bug in 1362, which practically broke up the great Kipchak horde and compelled the khan to migrate still farther south and establish his headquarters for the future in the Crimea. Indeed, but for the unceasing simultaneous struggle with the Teutonic knights, the burden of which was heroically borne by Kęstutis, Russian historians frankly admit that Lithuania, not Muscovy, would have become the dominant power of Eastern Europe. Algirdas died in summer of 1377. According to Herman de Warerberge and Dlugosz chronicles, until his death he stayed pagan and was buried on a ceremonial fire together with 18 horses and many of his possessions in a wood near Maišiagala. Russian historian Karamzin states, that he accepted Orthodox Christianity and the tonsure shortly before his death, although he does not give reference to any known historically valid written source. His descendants included Troubetzkoys, Czartoryskis, and Sanguszkos.

Assessment

Unlike his descendants, Algirdas wisely vacillated between Muscovy and Poland, spoke amongst others the Ruthenian language, and was more inclined to follow the majority of his pagan and Orthodox subjects rather than to alienate them by promoting Roman Catholicism. There are no evidences that he was baptised at all. His son Jogaila, however, ascended the Polish throne, and was the founder of the dynasty which ruled Poland for nearly 200 years.

Mother

Jewna, daughter of Prince Iwan of Polock (? – 1344)

Father

Gediminas (Gediminas; ca 1275 – winter 1341 under Veliuona), Grand Prince of Lithuania, ruler of Lithuanians and Ruthenians 1316 – 1341

Wives

Maria of Witebsk 1318 (? – 1346)

Uliana of Tver 1350 (ca 1325 – 1392)

Brothers

Monwid (ca 1300 – 1348), Prince of Kernave and Slonim 1341 – 1342

Narymunt (Narimantas, Gleb, David; ca 1300 – 2 February 1348), Prince of Pinsk 13?? – 1348, Polock, Navahradak

Jaunutis (Jaunutis, Ivan; ca 1300 – after 1366), Grand Prince of Lithuania 1341 – 1345, Prince of Izjaslawl 1346 – 1366

Kestutis (Kiejstut; 1297 – 15 August 1382 Kreva), Prince of Trakai, Grand Prince of Lithuania 1381 – 1382;

Koriat (Michael; ca 1300 – ca 1362), Prince of Navahradak 1341 – 1347

Lubart (Lubko, Lubartas, Dymitr; ca 1300 – 1384), Prince of Polock 13?? – 1342, Wlodzimierz, Łuck 1340 – 138?, Wolynia 1340 – 1349, 1350 – 1366, 1371 – 1383, King of Galicja (independent kingdom 1253 – 1349) 1340 – 1349

Sisters

Maria (ca 1300 – 1349), Princess of Lithuania

Aldona (Anna; after 1309 – 26 May 1339), Princess of Lithuania, Queen of Poland 1333 – 1339

Damilla (Elisabeth; 14th century – 1364), Princess of Plock

Eufemia (14th century – 5 February 1342), Princess of Halicz and Halych-Volhynia

Augusta (Anastacia; 14th century – 11 March 1345), Grand Princess of Vladimir-Moscow

Sons

Demetrius I Starszy (1327 – 12 August 1399 Battle of the Worskla River), Prince of Trubczewsk 1357 – 1399, Briansk 1357 – 1379, Starodub 1370 – 1399, Druck 13?? – 13??

Andrew (Wigund; 1325 – 12 August 1399; baptized Moscow 1342), Prince of Polock 1342 – 1387, Pskow 1341 – 1343, 134? – 1348, 1377 – 1379, 1394 – 1396

Constantine (14th century – before 30 October 1390), Prince of Czartorysk

Vladymir (14th century – after October 1398), Prince of Kiew, Kopylsk, Sluck

Fiodor (Theodore; 14th century – 1399), Prince of Rylsk 1370 – 1399, Ratnie 1387 – 1394, Briansk 1393

Jogaila (ca 1351 – 1 June 1434 Gródek Jagielloński), Grand Prince of Lithuania 1377 – 1381, 1382 – 1392, King of Poland 1386 – 1434

Skirgaila (Ivan; ca 1354 – 11 January 1397 Kiew), Prince of Trakai 1382 – 1395, Kiew 1395 – 1397, regent of Lithuania

Korybut (Dymitr; after 1350 – after 1404), Prince of Novgorod-Seversky 1386 – 1392/93

Lingweni (Simon; 14th century – after 19 June 1431), Prince of Mscislaw, regent of Great Novgorod

Karigaila (Cassimir; after 1350 – 1390), Prince of Mscislaw, regent

Wigunt (Alexander; after 1350 – 28 June 1392), Prince of Kernave

Švitrigaila (Swidrygiello, Svitrigaylo, Boleslaw; ca 1370 – 10 February 1452 Luck), Prince of Witebsk 1392 – 1393, 1430 – 1436, Podolia 1400 – 1402, Novgorod-Seversky 1404 – 1408, 1420 – 1438, Czernichow 1419 – 1430, Grand Prince of Lithuania 1430 – 1432, ruler of Wolynia 1437 – 1452

Daughters

Fiedora (born 14th century)

Agrypina (Mary; 14th century – 1393)

Kenna (Joan; ca 1350 – 27 April 1368), Princess of Slupsk

Helen (after 1350 – 15 September 1438), the wife of Vladimir the Bold

Mary (after 1350 - ?), Princess of Lithuania

Wilheida (Catherine; after 1350 – after 4 April 1422), Princess of Lithuania

Alexandra (after 1350 – 19 June 1434), Princess of Czersk, Rawa, Sochaczew, Plock, Gostynin, Plonsk, and Kujawy

Jadwiga (after 1350 – after 1407), Princess of Oswiecim 1395/96 – 1405