Mikalojus Radvila the Old
Encyclopedia
Mikalojus Radvila or Mikolaj I nicknamed the Old (c. 1450-1509) was a Lithuanian noble. He was known after a patronym Radvilaitis, made of his father's name Radvila, which in turn became a family name
of his heirs, Radvilos, later Polonised as Radziwiłł.
Mikalojus had been a regent of Smolensk
from 2 December 1481; in 1483 a 10,000-strong army was summoned by him for protection of Smolensk lands. He had been the Castellan of Trakai
since 31 May 1488 and regent of Novgorodok, later a regent of Bielsk Podlaski
. He was the Voivod of Vilnius since 1492 and the first Grand Chancellor
of Lithuania
from 1504 until his death in 1509. His sons Jerzy/Jurgis, Mikojal/Mikalojus and Jan/Jonas were the progenitors of the three Radziwill
family lines.
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
of his heirs, Radvilos, later Polonised as Radziwiłł.
Mikalojus had been a regent 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...
from 2 December 1481; in 1483 a 10,000-strong army was summoned by him for protection of Smolensk lands. He had been the Castellan of Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
since 31 May 1488 and regent of Novgorodok, later a regent of Bielsk Podlaski
Bielsk Podlaski
-Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko...
. He was the Voivod of Vilnius since 1492 and the first Grand Chancellor
Kanclerz
Kanclerz was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. A respective office also existed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 16th...
of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
from 1504 until his death in 1509. His sons Jerzy/Jurgis, Mikojal/Mikalojus and Jan/Jonas were the progenitors of the three Radziwill
Radziwill
The Radziwiłł family is an noble family of Lithuanian origin. The descendants of Kristinas Astikas, a close associate of the 14th century Lithuanian ruler Vytautas, were highly prominent for centuries, first in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the...
family lines.