Andrei of Polotsk
Encyclopedia
Andrei of Polotsk was the eldest son Algirdas
, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his first wife Maria of Vitebsk
. He was Duke of Pskov (through his deputy Yuri, 1342–1348) and Polotsk (1342–1387). As the eldest son of the Grand Duke, Andrei claimed his right to the throne after his father's death in 1377. Algirdas left Jogaila
, his eldest son with his second wife Uliana of Tver, as the rightful heir. Andrei's rivalry with Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland, eventually led to his demise.
in a war against the Livonian Order
to help the Pskov Republic
. The Republic asked him to stay as a duke of Pskov so that his presence would guarantee continuous support from Algirdas. Andrei accepted and was baptized in Orthodox rite
(his pagan name is unknown). However, he stayed there for a very short time and returned to Lithuania. Reasons are not entirely clear, but historians speculate it was related to death of his great-uncle Vainius
, Duke of Polotsk. Polotsk was vital to Lithuanian interests as it was situated between Lithuania and the Livonian Order. Andrei became the Duke of Polotsk and helped defend Lithuania against Livonian attacks. In Pskov Andrei left his deputy, otherwise unknown Yuri. Lithuanian historian Alvydas Nikžentaitis
speculates that this Yuri could have been grandson of Gediminas.
Yuri remained in Pskov until 1348. That year Teutonic Knights
organized a large attack against Lithuania (see Battle of Strėva
). Pskov army was helping Novgorod against Sweden when Livonian Order attacked Pskovian fortress at Izborsk
. Yuri died in the attack. Because Lithuanians were unable to help defending Pskov, the city refused to accept another deputy from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Andrei responded with repressions: all merchants from Pskov were arrested and their goods confiscated. Friendly relationship between Pskov and Lithuania was terminated. Andrei remained as Duke of Polotsk for the next three decades.
, who Algirdas designated as his heir. Jogaila at the time enjoyed strong support from his uncle Kęstutis. Andrei organized anti-Lithuanian coalition with Polotsk, Grand Duchy of Moscow
, and Livonian Order. In 1379 Moscow army attacked eastern lands of the Grand Duchy; Moscow and Lithuania were in peace since the Treaty of Lyubutsk
in 1372. Andrei's brother Dymitr I Starszy did not defend Principality of Trubetsk
and Starodub
. Russian army did not remain in taken territories and retreated into Moscow; Andrei and Dymitr followed it. Jogaila signed a ten-year truce with the Teutonic Knights on September 29, 1379 and a truce with Livonian Order on February 27, 1380 thus fracturing the coalition. He further enlisted Mamai
, Khan of the Golden Horde
, and Oleg of Ryazan Principality
as his allies against Andrei. In 1380 Andrei and Dymitr participated in the Battle of Kulikovo
between Moscow and Tatars. Tatars were badly defeated when Jogaila's army did not arrive to the battlefield on time.
In 1381 Jogaila attempted to install his loyal brother Skirgaila
in Polotsk, former domain of Andrei. As Skirgaila was laying a siege on the rebellious city, Kęstutis took the opportunity to start the Lithuanian Civil War
against Jogaila and removed him from the throne. Polotsk voluntarily surrendered to Kęstutis, who reinstated Andrei. Sources do not mention him in 1381–1385. Possibly he was waiting in Polotsk for the feud between Jogaila and Kęstutis with his son Vytautas the Great
to be sorted out. Jogaila and Vytautas reconciled in 1384. On October 10, 1385 Andrei signed a treaty with Livonian Order in which he surrendered to the Order in exchange for protection against Vytautas and other enemies. According to the treaty, Andrei became Order's vassal
and received Polotsk as a feudal estate. When Jogaila traveled to Poland to discuss the Union of Krewo
, Andrei took the opportunity to renew his war against Lithuania. In 1386 he attacked territories south east of Polotsk. His cause was helped by the Livonian Order, which attacked Duchy of Lithuania
, and by Sviatoslav of Smolensk
, who attacked Mstsislaw
, taken from Principality of Smolensk
by Algirdas.
in 1399.
Algirdas
Algirdas was a monarch of medieval Lithuania. Algirdas ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377, which chiefly meant monarch of Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his first wife Maria of Vitebsk
Maria of Vitebsk
Maria of Vitebsk was the first wife of Algirdas, future Grand Duke of Lithuania . Very little is known about her life. The only child of a Russian prince Yaroslav, Maria was the only heir to the Principality of Vitebsk. After her father's death ca. 1345, Vitebsk fell permanently under control of...
. He was Duke of Pskov (through his deputy Yuri, 1342–1348) and Polotsk (1342–1387). As the eldest son of the Grand Duke, Andrei claimed his right to the throne after his father's death in 1377. Algirdas left Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
, his eldest son with his second wife Uliana of Tver, as the rightful heir. Andrei's rivalry with Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland, eventually led to his demise.
Duke of Pskov and Polotsk
In 1342 Andrei joined his father Algirdas and uncle KęstutisKestutis
Kęstutis was monarch of medieval Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–82, together with his brother Algirdas , and with his nephew Jogaila...
in a war against the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
to help the Pskov Republic
Pskov Republic
Pskov, known at various times as the Principality of Pskov or the Pskov Republic , was a medieval state on the south shore of Lake Pskov. The capital city, also named Pskov, was located at the southern end of the Peipus–Pskov Lake system at the southeast corner of Ugandi, about southwest of...
. The Republic asked him to stay as a duke of Pskov so that his presence would guarantee continuous support from Algirdas. Andrei accepted and was baptized in Orthodox rite
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
(his pagan name is unknown). However, he stayed there for a very short time and returned to Lithuania. Reasons are not entirely clear, but historians speculate it was related to death of his great-uncle Vainius
Vainius
Vainius or Voin was the Prince of Polotsk from 1315 to his death. Very little is known about Vainius, brother of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. He is mentioned in written sources in 1324 for the first time. In 1326 he, already as Prince of Polotsk, signed a treaty with the Livonian Order and...
, Duke of Polotsk. Polotsk was vital to Lithuanian interests as it was situated between Lithuania and the Livonian Order. Andrei became the Duke of Polotsk and helped defend Lithuania against Livonian attacks. In Pskov Andrei left his deputy, otherwise unknown Yuri. Lithuanian historian Alvydas Nikžentaitis
Alvydas Nikžentaitis
Alvydas Nikžentaitis is a Lithuanian historian, senior research fellow of the Lithuanian Institute of History and president of Lithuanian National Historians Committee.-Biography:...
speculates that this Yuri could have been grandson of Gediminas.
Yuri remained in Pskov until 1348. That year Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
organized a large attack against Lithuania (see Battle of Strėva
Battle of Streva
Battle of Strėva, Strebe, or Strawe was fought on February 2, 1348 between the Teutonic Knights and pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the banks of the Strėva River, a right tributary of the Neman River, near present-day Žiežmariai...
). Pskov army was helping Novgorod against Sweden when Livonian Order attacked Pskovian fortress at Izborsk
Izborsk
Izborsk is a rural locality in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It contains one of the most ancient and impressive fortresses of Western Russia....
. Yuri died in the attack. Because Lithuanians were unable to help defending Pskov, the city refused to accept another deputy from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Andrei responded with repressions: all merchants from Pskov were arrested and their goods confiscated. Friendly relationship between Pskov and Lithuania was terminated. Andrei remained as Duke of Polotsk for the next three decades.
Struggle against Jogaila
After death of Algirdas in 1377, Andrei, as the eldest son, rivaled his half-brother JogailaJogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
, who Algirdas designated as his heir. Jogaila at the time enjoyed strong support from his uncle Kęstutis. Andrei organized anti-Lithuanian coalition with Polotsk, Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
, and Livonian Order. In 1379 Moscow army attacked eastern lands of the Grand Duchy; Moscow and Lithuania were in peace since the Treaty of Lyubutsk
Treaty of Lyubutsk
Treaty of Lyubutsk was a peace treaty signed in summer of 1372 between Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Dmitri Donskoi, Prince of Moscow. The treaty resulted in a seven-year peace period....
in 1372. Andrei's brother Dymitr I Starszy did not defend Principality of Trubetsk
Principality of Trubetsk
The Principality of Trubetsk was a small, landlocked Rus' principality in Eastern Europe. In the later Middle Ages it was bordered by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to its west and by Muscovy to its east. The Principality of Trubetsk was a principality within modern Bryansk Oblast, about 50 miles ...
and Starodub
Starodub
Starodub is a town and the administrative center of Starodubsky District of Bryansk Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Babinets River , southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 .-History:...
. Russian army did not remain in taken territories and retreated into Moscow; Andrei and Dymitr followed it. Jogaila signed a ten-year truce with the Teutonic Knights on September 29, 1379 and a truce with Livonian Order on February 27, 1380 thus fracturing the coalition. He further enlisted Mamai
Mamai
Mamai of Borjigin kin, was a powerful military commander of the Blue Horde in the 1370s which is now the Southern Ukrainian Steppes and the Crimean Peninsula....
, Khan of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
, and Oleg of Ryazan Principality
Ryazan Principality
The Grand Duchy of Ryazan existed from 1078 when it was separated from the Chernigov Principality as the provincial Murom Principality.-Prior to the invasion of Batu Khan:...
as his allies against Andrei. In 1380 Andrei and Dymitr participated in the Battle of Kulikovo
Battle of Kulikovo
The Battle of Kulikovo was a battle between Tatar Mamai and Muscovy Dmitriy and portrayed by Russian historiography as a stand-off between Russians and the Golden Horde. However, the political situation at the time was much more complicated and concerned the politics of the Northeastern Rus'...
between Moscow and Tatars. Tatars were badly defeated when Jogaila's army did not arrive to the battlefield on time.
In 1381 Jogaila attempted to install his loyal brother Skirgaila
Skirgaila
Skirgaila , also known as Ivan; ca. 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev; baptized 1383/1384 as Casimir) was a regent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for his brother Jogaila from 1386 to 1392. He was son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife Uliana of Tver.-Biography:After...
in Polotsk, former domain of Andrei. As Skirgaila was laying a siege on the rebellious city, Kęstutis took the opportunity to start the Lithuanian Civil War
Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384)
The Lithuanian Civil War of 1381–1384 was the first struggle for power between the cousins Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland, and Vytautas the Great. It began after Jogaila signed the Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights which was aimed against his uncle Kęstutis,...
against Jogaila and removed him from the throne. Polotsk voluntarily surrendered to Kęstutis, who reinstated Andrei. Sources do not mention him in 1381–1385. Possibly he was waiting in Polotsk for the feud between Jogaila and Kęstutis with his son Vytautas the Great
Vytautas the Great
Vytautas ; styled "the Great" from the 15th century onwards; c. 1350 October 27, 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Vytautas was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
to be sorted out. Jogaila and Vytautas reconciled in 1384. On October 10, 1385 Andrei signed a treaty with Livonian Order in which he surrendered to the Order in exchange for protection against Vytautas and other enemies. According to the treaty, Andrei became Order's vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
and received Polotsk as a feudal estate. When Jogaila traveled to Poland to discuss the Union of Krewo
Union of Krewo
In a strict sense, the Union of Krewo or Act of Krėva was a set of prenuptial promises made in the Kreva Castle on 14 August 1385 by Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, in exchange for marriage to the underage reigning Queen Jadwiga of Poland...
, Andrei took the opportunity to renew his war against Lithuania. In 1386 he attacked territories south east of Polotsk. His cause was helped by the Livonian Order, which attacked Duchy of Lithuania
Duchy of Lithuania
Duchy of Lithuania was a state-territorial formation of ethnic Lithuanians, that existed from the 12th century until 1413. Most of the time it was a constituent part and a nucleus of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania...
, and by Sviatoslav of Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, who attacked Mstsislaw
Mstsislaw
Mstsislaw is a town in Mahilyow Voblast, Eastern Belarus. As of 2004, its population is 11,700.Mstsislaw was first mentioned in the Ipatiev Chronicle under 1156. It was initially included within the Principality of Smolensk, but had become the capital of the Principality of Mstsislaw by 1180. In...
, taken from Principality of Smolensk
Principality of Smolensk
The Principality of Smolensk was a Kievan Rus' lordship from the eleventh to the fifteenth century...
by Algirdas.
Capture and release
Lithuanian army led by Skirgaila attacked Polotsk in 1387. Livonian Order did not defend it and the city soon surrendered. Andrei was captured; his son Simeon died in the fighting and another son Iwan escaped to Pskov, where he is mentioned as a duke in 1389. Andrei was imprisoned in Poland for seven years. He was released in 1394 by request of Vytautas. After the release Andrei moved to Pskov, where he attempted to negotiate a truce between Pskov and Novgorod. After this event he is mentioned only once – as one of the prominent figures, who perished in the Battle of the Vorskla RiverBattle of the Vorskla River
The Battle of the Vorskla River was a great battle in the medieval history of Eastern Europe. It was fought on August 12, 1399, between the Tatars, under Edigu and Temur Qutlugh, and the armies of Tokhtamysh and Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania...
in 1399.