ALGIRDAS (Olgierd), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1345-77), Son of \Gedin\Inas, Father of \]Ogaua and '[^Vitrigaila
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PRIESTS. BISHOPS. 15 DUKES; ALGIRDAS (Olgierd), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1345-77), son of \Gedin\inas, father of \]ogaUa and '[^vitrigaila. He shared power with his brother Kfstutis: Vilnius and the eastern part of the country was Algirdas' domain, and Kfstutis reigned in Trakai, Samogitia and other western regions. Thus Algirdas was more concerned about relations with Russian duchies, while Kfstutis dealt with the Teutonic Order. Having lived an adventurous life, Kfstutis, a zealous supporter of pagan Lithuania, called "a heathen knight", enjoyed greater popularity than his brother. However, Algirdas was a more outstanding politician, thus in Algirdas' lifetime Kfstutis occupied only second place in the state. Q I: CtAlO It is known that in the year of Gediminas' death, Algirdas ruled Vitebsk and Krevo. His two wives - princess Maria of Vitebsk and prin• Grand Duke Algirdas of cess \luUanua of Tver - were Russian Orthodox. The majority of his Lilhuania. Artist J. Ozifblowski children adhered to the Russian Orthodox faith, but those who were born in Vilnius remained pagan, like their father. Algirdas annexed Kiev and many other Eastern Slavonic regions to Lithuania, waged war against the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoi and marched as far as the Kremlin. He founded an independ• ent Lithuanian Orthodox metropoly with the centre in Kiev. He defeated the Tartars at the Battle of Blue Waters (1363), participated in the strug• gle against the Teutonic knights with a demand to cede to Lithuania almost all of the ancient Prussian lands along with Konigsberg and a large part of Livonia. In Algirdas' times Lithuania became the largest and most likely strongest Central Eastern European power. Vilnius grew noticeably. The city became multinational and boasted three castles: the Higher, the Lower and the Crooked. The Teutonic army advanced on Vilnius twice, but both times the castles remained under Algirdas' control. Battle ot" Blue Waters medal, Algirdas' epoch is associated with the legends about the Franciscan l-rom the scries Victorious Lithuanian Arms. niartyrs, on whose burial place on Barren Hill (Hill of Three Crosses) Artist P. Repsys, 1989 three crosses were erected, and the Russian Orthodox martyrs ]Anthony, John and Eustachius, whose remains are held in the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit. Still, historians emphasize that Algirdas was "oted for his religious tolerance. In his times Vilnius had a Russian Orthodox church serving the needs of his wife lulianiia and her retinue, 3s well as several Catholic churches. Nevertheless, he and Kfstutis were last Lithuanian rulers whose remains were burned according to pagan rites. 16 THE MIDDLE AGE:, DPIF.STS. BISHOPS.. 17 jUKES. In Lithuania and Poland, the male name Algirdas {Olgierd} equals j^ade it his capital, and then laid the foundations for the city of Vytautas in popularity and is more frequent than Gediminas, K^stuti'^^ ^"l • s "Close to Sventaragis valley [...] the ruler killed a forest ox (we and Mindaugas. There is a street in the Naujamiestis district of Vilniu;, 11 it a bull) with his spear on the top of a hili. Exhausted after a long named in his honour. r nt and happy about his quarry, he put up at the valley; having plunged " deep sleep he saw a huge wolf standing on the top of the same hill ANDREW (Andriejus, Andrius) (?-1398), the first bishop of Vilnius ^here he had killed the beast, which seemed to be either totally iron or Born in Poland Minor, he was a Franciscan monk and a famous preach clad and inside this wolf a hundred other wolves produced a great er. It is guessed that in \Algirdas' times he carried out missionary worL howl that resounded in the surrounding fields and forests," writes in Lithuania and Vilnius and learned some Lithuanian. He was a confes IWojciech Kojalowicz-Wijuk. The prophetic dream was explained to sor to the Queen of Hungary Elisabeth, the first bishop of Serei Gediminas by pagan priest '\Lizdeika, who impelled him to found a (Moldova), and in ca. 1376-86 - a suffragan of Gniezno. He belonged ir castle and a city there. "The ruler obeyed the priest, supposing that he Gediminas erecting Vilnius the group of Jadwiga's counsellors and probably solicited for her mar had explained the will of gods correctly. After performing the rites, he castle. Artist iVI. E. AndriollL riage to jogaila. In 1388 he was appointed Bishop of Vilnius and wa.s assigned the place for the castle on the top of the high hill where he had 1882 held in high esteem by both logaila and ^Vytautas, whom he probabh killed a bull." Here myth merges with history: in the centre of Vilnius, on crowned as Grand Duke in 1392. He contributed to the building of th( the Gediminas Hill still stands the first edifice of the city, the emblem of Vilnius Cathedral and St. Martin's Chapel in the Higher Castle and the Lithuania - a stone castle named after Gediminas. However, its walls Bishop Andrew. Unknown establishment of the cathedra! school. It is thought that he was buried it apparently date back to a later period. Lith. artist, I7th C, the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral. Not much is known about the historic Gediminas. It is thought that his grandfather Skalmantas and his father Butvydas (Putavyras) already ANTHONY, JOHN AND EUSTACHIUS, Russian Orthodox martyrs were grand dukes of Lithuania. Gediminas mounted the throne after the Legend has it that they were ]Algirdas' noblemen Nezhila, Kruglets anc death of his elder brother Vytenis. He had more brothers: one of them Kumets, converted to Christianity by Nestor, a priest of his first wife according to some historians, was Margins, who won fame by his Maria. The pagans purportedly became aware of their conversion wher heroic defence of the Pilenai castle. Gediminas was distinguished not so they began to grow long hair and beards. At the request of pagan priesl> much as a military leader, but as a diplomat. Nikolay Gogol called him all three were imprisoned and in 1347 hanged on the site of the later "the great pagan" and respectfully wrote, "This savage politician, who Basilian monastery on the Hill of the Holy Trinity. A wooden memoria' was illiterate and bowed to the pagan god, did not change the customs church was built on that site. In 1826-51 a special crypt was created in and the old system of government of any of the nations that he had the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit for the remains of conquered: he left everything the way it had been, confirmed all privi• Anthony, lohn and Eustachius. In 1852 the remains were moved to the leges, commanded respect for human rights and did not leave any traces Three Vilnius Martyrs icon, general reliquary, where they are presently held (in 1915 they were taken of destruction on his way. The pettiness of the neighbouring nations and Russian Orthodox Church historical figures grants him giant dimensions." Gediminas annexed of the Holy Spirit. to Russia, to be returned in 1946). Their calendar hohday is April 27th, Latter half of 20th C, and the holiday of the transfer of the rehcs is June 26th. During special Vitebsk, Minsk, Volyn and Halich to Lithuania, and Great Novgorod services the reliquary is opened: the relics are believed to have heahng and Kiev fell under his influence. Having titled himself "the king of all power. The saints are recognised and honoured by Russian Orthodox as Lithuanians and many Russians", he most certainly spoke not only well as Uniate believers. Lithuanian, but also Eastern Slavonic - Ruthenian, and had some Some historians are inchned to think that there was no religious perse knowledge of German and Latin. He married his daughter Aldona to the cution in Algirdas' times, and the story of three Russian Orthodox martyr.'- Polish prince Casimir (Kazimierz), king-to-be Casimir the Great, and as is a legend created for religious purposes in Moscow in the 15th centui-y. part of her dowry released many Polish captives. The greater part of Copy of letters by Lithuania's borders with the Teutonic Order and the Knights of the Gediminas, May 26,1323 Sword (now the Kaliningrad region and Latvia), which have survived till GEDIMINAS (Giedymin), Grand Duke of Lithuania (1316-41), fathei' '^lir days, were set in his times. Gediminas' commander David of of ]Algirdas and Kfstutis, grandfather of ]]ogaila and ]Vytautas, thi. "Grodno advanced as far as Berlin on his campaigns to the West. founder of the Gediminid dynasty (Jagiefton in the Polish tradition). Ht was one of the most remarkable rulers of early Lithuania, whose mythi Having fended off a number of attacks of the Teutonic Knights, cal prestige may be equalled only by Vytautas. Gediminas derives hi: •Gediminas wrote letters in Latin to Pope John XXII to Avignon, with '<'Y-'.X//'l^^r.^J'r^;^...., x/.„„ fame from a legend that turned him into the founder of Vilnius, ani-l promises to adopt Christianity and assertions that it was only the Grand Duke Gediminas of hence - a symbol of the city and the Lithuanian state itself ^rder's predatory polhics that hindered Lithuania's Christianisation. In 1-ithuania. Artist A, Bozza According to the chronicles and early Lithuanian historian.'- hese letters he invited craftsmen, merchants, farmers and knights from Gediminas originally was the ruler of Kernave; later he founded Trakai West to come to Lithuania. The plan of Christianisation failed, but !8 THE MIDDLE AGI: ^^^p<__PKlE5rS. BISHOPS... 19 Gediminas' letters made a considerable impression on Europe and con town extended southwest in the direction of the Franciscan church solidated the status of the Lithuanian state. froni the castle.