The Grand Distribution of the Lithuanian - Eastern European State, which existed from the first half of the XIII century to 1795 in the territory of modern Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Poland (Slash), Latvia (1561-1569) and Estonia (1561-1569).

Since 1385, it was located with Poland in Personal Union, known as Krevian Ulya, and from 1569 - in the Seimogo Lublin Ulya. In the XIV-XVI centuries, the Great Principality of Lithuanian - the rival of Moscow Rus in the struggle for domination in Eastern Europe.

The chronology of the main event events (before the formation of a compulciety speech):
IX-XII century - the development of feudal relations and the formation of classes in the territory of Lithuania, the formation of the state
The beginning of the XIII century - the strengthening of the aggression of the German Crusaders
1236 - Lithuanians win the swords of swords in Schäulya
1260 - Victory of Lithuanians over Durpet's Teutions
1263 - Association of the main Lithuanian lands under the authority of Mindovga
XIV century - a significant expansion of the territory of the principality due to new lands
1316-1341 - Princess Gedimine
1362 - Olgerd breaks the Tatar in the battle with blue waters (the left influx of southern Bug) and takes Podolia and Kiev
1345-1377 - Best of Olgere
1345-1382 - Keestuta Prince
1385 - Grand Duke Yagailo
(1377-1392) concludes Krevian Ulya with Poland
1387 - Adoption of Lithuania Catholicism
1392 - As a result of the civilian struggle, Vitovt is becoming Vitovt, who opposed the Yagailo policy of 1410 - the United Lithuanian-Russian and Polish troops of the headwood broke the Knights of the Teutonic Order in the Grunwald battle
1413 - Golden Sania, in accordance with which the rights of Polish gentry applies to Lithuanian Catholics
1447 - the first grafting - a set of laws. Together with the judiciary
1468 he became the first experience of codification of law in the principality
1492 - "Vague the Grand Duke Alexander." The first Charter of the Shantehet
End of the XV century - the formation of the communal school of the Seima. Growth and privilege of Panov
1529, 1566, 1588 - the exit of three editions of the Lithuanian Statute - "Charter and Pie", Zemsky and regional "Privilev", which secured the rights of the gentry
1487-1537 - held with ruus breaks against the background of the strengthening of the Moscow Principality. Lithuania lost Smolensk, captured by Vitovt in 1404th. In the truce of 1503, Rus returned 70 volosts and 19 cities, including Chernigov, Bryansk, Novgorod-Seversky and other Russian lands
1558-1583 - the war of Russia with the Livonian Order, as well as with Sweden, Poland and the Grand Duration Lithuanian for the Baltic States and the exit to the Baltic Sea, in which Lithuania has failed
1569 - signing of Lublin Ulya and the unification of Lithuania in one state with Poland - Commonwealth

Map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where territorial changes in various historical periods are displayed:

Here is an excerpt from Igor Kurukin's article "Great Lithuania or Alternative Rus?", Published in the magazine "Around the World" in N1 for 2007:

In the middle of the XIII century, Prince Mindovg (Mindaugas) by iron hand combined chaotic tribal unions. Moreover, seeking to overcome Teutons, he took the royal crown from Roman dad (Mindovg remained in the history of the first and only Lithuanian king), then the East was unfolded and looking for support against the Crusaders from Alexander Nevsky. As a result, the country did not recognize the Tatar yoke and quickly expanded its territory through weakened Western Russian principalities (the land of the current Belarus).

Century later, Gedimin and Olgere had already had a power, including Polotsk, Vitebsk, Minsk, Grodno, Brest, Tours, Volyn, Bryansk and Chernigov. In 1358, Olgerda ambassadors even stated the Germans: "All Russia should belong to Lithuania." In reinforcement of these words and ahead of Muscovites, the Lithuanian prince opposed the "most" gold hordes: in the 1362th defeated the Tatars at blue waters and secured an ancient Kiev for Lithuania for almost 200 years.

According to the non-surrender coincidence, at the same time, the Moscow Princes - descendants of Ivan Kalita are "collecting" the lands. So by the middle of the XIV century there were two centers, claimed to combine the ancient Russian "inheritance": Moscow and founded in 1323. The conflict was not to be avoided, especially since the main tactical rivals of Moscow appeared in the Union with Lithuania - Tver Princes, they sought "under the arm" of the West and Novgorod boyars.

Then, in 1368-1372, Olgerd in the Union with Tver made three campaigns to Moscow, but the forces of rivals turned out to be approximately equal, and the case was over the contract separated by the "spheres of influence". Well, since it was not possible to destroy each other, I had to get closer: some of the children of the Genadum of Olgerd accepted Orthodoxy. This is here Dmitry and suggested that the dynastic union who has not yet been determined, who was not destined to take place. And not only did not like the word by the princess: it became - on the contrary. As you know, Dmitry could not resist Tokhtamysh, and in 1382 the Tatars let Moscow "on flow and looting". She was again made by the Horde Danny. The Union with a failed test stopped attracting the Lithuanian sovereign, but rapprochement with Poland gave him not only a chance to the royal crown, but also real assistance in the fight against the main opponent - the Teutonic Order.

And Yagailo nevertheless married - but not at the Moscow Princess, but on the Polish Queen of Jadvig. Breastled according to the Catholic ritual. He became the Polish king under the Christian name Vladislav. Instead of the Union with the Eastern Brothers, the Krevian Seni of 1385 with Western happened. From that time, Lithuanian history has been firmly overwhelmed with Polish: the descendants of Yagaylo (Yagellons) were made in both powers of three centuries - from XIV to XVI. But nevertheless there were two different states that retained every political device, the system of law, currency and army. As Vladislav Yagailo, he spent most of his reign in new possessions. The old rules of his cousin Vitovt and Rules brightly. In a natural union with the Poles, he defeated Germans in Grunewald (1410), joined Smolensk Earth (1404 years) and Russian principalities in Oki's upper reaches. Mighty Lithuanian could even plant his own depths for the Horde throne. The huge "otkuk" paid him Pskov and Novgorod, and the Moscow Prince Vasily I Dmitrievich, as if byverting inside out the plans of his father, married a whit-moving daughter and began to call the father's father-in-law, that is, in the system of the then feudal representations, recognized himself with his vassal. At the top of greatness and glory, Vitovt lacked only the royal crown, which he stated at the congress of monarchs of Central and Eastern Europe in 1429 in Lutsk in the presence of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of Sigismund I, the Polish King Yagailo, Tver and Ryazan Princes, Moldovan Moldovar, Embassies Denmark, Byzantium and Pope Roman. In the fall of 1430, Moscow Prince Vasily II, Metropolitan Fothy, Tverskaya, Ryazan, Odoevsky and Mazovsky Princes, Moldovan Lord, Livonsky Master, Ambassadors of the Byzantine Emperor, gathered to Coronation. But the Poles refused to miss the embassy that the royal regalia from Rome was lucky (in the Lithuanian "Chronicle Bykhovo" it is even said that the crown was taken away from the ambassadors and cut apart). As a result, Vitovt was forced to postpone the coronation, and in October of the same year, he suddenly fell ill and died. It is possible that the Lithuanian Great Prince was poisoned, because a few days before his death, he felt perfectly and even went to hunt. With whiten of the Earth of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, they stretched from the Baltic Sea to black, and its eastern border passed under Vyazma and Kaluga ...

In cases where highly developed territories were included in Lithuania, the great princes retained their autonomy, guided by the principle: "Starns are not crumbling, we do not introduce novels." So, loyal spreads from the tree of Rurikovichi (Princes Dutin, Vorotnsky, Odoevsky) for a long time retained their possessions completely. Such lands received diplomas - "Prints". Their inhabitants could, for example, demand the change of the governor, and the sovereign did not undertake certain actions against them: not to "join" into the right of the Orthodox Church, do not relocate local boyars, do not give the feots from other places, not "to dry out" received by local courts solutions. Until the XVI century, the Slavic lands of the Grand Duchy were operated by legal norms that were torn to the "Russian truth" - ancient times of laws given by Yaroslav Wisely.

The polyethnic composition of Power was then reflected even in its name - the "Grand District Lithuanian and Russian", and the official language of the principality was considered Russian ... But - not Moscow (rather, Starobalorussky or Staro-Ukrainian - a big difference between them until the beginning of the XVII century, not traced ). It made up laws and acts of the State Chancellery. The sources of the XV-XVI centuries testify: Eastern Slavs, within the borders of Poland and Lithuania, considered themselves the "Russian" people, "Russians" or "Rusyn", at the same time, will repeat, without identifying themselves with "Muscovites".

In the northeast part of Russia, that is, in the one that, in the end, and has been preserved on the map under this name, the process of "gathering lands" was longer and more difficult, but also the degree of unification of the once independent principalities under heavy Lengus Kremlin Vladyk was immeasurably above. In the turbulent XVI century, "free autocracy" (the term Ivan Grozny) was strengthened in Moscow, the remains of the Novgorod and Pskov liberty disappeared, their own "diets" of aristocratic families and semi-broadcast border crossings. All the more or less noble subjects carried the lifelong service of the sovereign, and attempts to defend their rights regarded as a betrayal. Lithuania in the XIV-XVI centuries was, rather, the federation of land and principalities under the rule of the great princes - descendants of Gedimin. Others were the relationship between the authorities and the subjects - the sample of the social device and state orders of Poland affected. "Aliens" for the Polish nobility, Yagellons needed her support and were forced to give all new privileges, spreading them on Lithuanian subjects. In addition, the descendants of Yagailo led an active foreign policy, and for this, too, it was also necessary to pay the knights sent to the campaign.

After the Lublin Unce, according to which, in 1569, Poland and Lithuania were united in one state - Speech saluting, the Polish gentry had a powerful stream into rich and few still populated the lands of Ukraine. There both mushrooms grew by Latifundy - Zamoyskiy, Zholkev, Kalinovsky, endpool, Potoksky, Vishnevian. With their appearance, there was a lot of violence in the past: after the magnits, a Catholic clergy went beyond the magnami, and in 1596 the well-known Brest Union was born - the Union of Orthodox and Catholic Churches in the territory of the Commonwealth. The basis of the Union was the recognition of the Orthodox Catholic dogmas and the Supreme State of Pope, while maintaining rites and worship in Slavic languages \u200b\u200bin Slavic.

Sania, as expected, did not allow religious contradictions: the collisions between those who remained faithful to Orthodoxy, and the uniates were fierce (let's say, uniation bishop of Josafat Kuntsevich was killed during the Vitebsk renewal of 1623). The authorities closed Orthodox churches, and those who refused to join the Unce of the priests were expelled from parishes. Such a national-religious oppression brought in the end to the uprising of Bogdan Khmelnitsky and the actual disappearance of Ukraine from speech. But on the other hand, the privileges of the gentry, the brilliance of her education and culture attracted Orthodox nobles: in the XVI-XVII centuries, Ukrainian and Belarusian to know often reversed from the faith of fathers and passed into Catholicism, together with the new faith, adopting a new language and culture. In the XVII century, Russian language and Cyrillic emerge in the official letter, and at the beginning of the new time, when the establishment of national states was becoming in Europe, the Ukrainian and Belarusian national elites were interpreted.
Volnitsa or invalo?

... and the inevitable happened: in the XVII century, the "Children's Validity" of the gentry turned into paralysis of state power. The famous principle of Liberum Veto - the requirement of unanimity in the adoption of laws in the Seimas - led to the fact that in no way any of the "constitutions" (decrees) of the congress could not enter into force. Any meeting could disrupt any foreign diplomat or simply the divergent "ambassador". For example, in the 1652th, a certain Vladislav Sicinsky demanded to close the Seimas, and he was dumbfatherly separated! Later, 53 meetings of the highest assembly (about 40%!) Commonwealth were inconspicuously ended.

And in fact, in the economy and great politics, the total equality of the "Panov-Brothers" led to the All-Russia of those who had money and influence, - the magnates, "rabbing" who bought the highest government positions, but unsounded king. Possessing such families as already mentioned Lithuanian radariilles, with dozens of cities and hundreds of villages were comparable to sizes with modern European states, like Belgium. "Papers" contained private armies, superior and equipped with superior crown troops. And on the other pole there was a lot of the most proud, but poor nobility - "Zagal's shredder (tiny plot of land. - Ed.) Equal to the governor!" - Which by his subtleness has long inspired the hatred of the lower classes, and from "patrons" just forced to endure everyone. The only privilege of such a gentry could remain only a ridiculous demand to master the magnate of the foil it only on the Persian carpet. The requirement is - either as a sign of respect for the ancient freedoms, or in the mockery over them - was observed.

In any case, Panskaya Volost turned into a parody of itself. Everyone was as if convinced that the basis of democracy and freedom was the full impotence of the state. No one wanted to strengthen the king. In the middle of the XVII century, his army consisted of no more than 20 thousand soldiers, and the IV Fleet created by Vladislav had to sell due to the lack of funds in the treasury. The united Great Principality of Lithuanian and Poland could not "digest" huge lands, which fled in the overall political space. Most of the neighboring states have long been turned into centralized monarchies, and the Shankhetsky Republic with its anarchic voltage without an effective central government, the financial system and the regular army turned out to be non-competitive. All this, as a slowly acting poison, poisoned by compolutely.
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After the death of Wick to the Lithuanian throne, Gedimine climbed. B This period in the principality has already felt the need for centralization of power. This was due to the fact that society moved to a qualitatively new level of its existence.

Structural changes covered the entire state apparatus of Lithuania. A strong coordinating center was needed so that the country would not become easy prey of militant neighbors.

B The very beginning of the Board Gedimine succeeded in a person visible ^ Potential center of civil enginemen - to capture and execute the applicant for the Grand-Road Throne of Peborube, who helped the Teutonic Order to conquer Prussia.

When Gedimine came to power, he had two brothers - warrior and Fyodor, and six sons, of whom Manivid, Narimont and Olgerd had already entered the age of active activities. This promised the fragmentation of Votchin in the future, but still contributed to the spread of the power of a single, numerous and closely connected princely family.

The emergence of a new political center in Russia did not pass without the attention of the Konstantinople Patriarch. He allowed to establish an independent Metropolitan with the center in Novgorod (Novogrudok). The Novogorodsky Metropolitan covered Polotsk and Turkish Episcope. C 1317 to 1329, Lithuanian Metropolitan was a faeophil.

Gedimine quickly subdued to its influence adjacent to Lithuania specific principles and land. Ha East from Polotsk lay the Vitebsk Principality. Vitebsk Prince did not have children. B 1317 Gedimine concluded with him and Vitebsk boyars Agreement - the daughter of Vitebsk Prince Maria is married to the son of Gedimina Olgend. After the death of local prince Yaroslav, Viteblyan had to admit to their prince Olgere.

Yaroslav died three years later. Examination of Olgere in Vitebsk was accompanied by the conclusion of the same contract, as before Polotsk - "not to launch an old old" and not interfere in the internal affairs of Vitebsk. Son of Narimont Gedimin put at the head of the Pin Principality.

Some specific princes retained their faithful swarming to the faithfulness of Gedimine and his sons. Minsk Prince Vasily and Semyon Svislochesian recognized themselves by the Vassal of Gedimin. Drutsky princes also recognized themselves by vassals, but not directly Gedimin, and his son Olgere.

The beginning of the Gedimin Board began a conflict of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the Galician-Lyn Principality. The Northern Region of the Vladimir-Volyn Principality - Sweeper and the Brest Earth - were captured by Lithuanians. B This period, the Gedimine State acquired those borders that almost coincide with the modern borders of the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Belarus.

The army of the Galico-Vladimir Principality went on a campaign to win these acquisitions from Lithuania. However, Gedimine successfully reflected this campaign.

B of the first quarter of the XIV century clearly marked two potential center for the association of Russian lands - lumps, where the struggle for the championship between Moscow and Tver has not yet completed, and Lithuania, which turned into Russian lands with the speed of a snowball.

Constantinople Patriarch proceeds to a new policy - support for the church unity of Russia. After the death of the Ferofila, the Constantinople Patriarch was not appointed new Metropolitan, and subjugated to the Torov and Polotsky Diocese of the Metropolitan "All Russia" Feagnoste. Feagnoste headed the Department in Vladimir from 1328 to 1353 and was extremely negative about attempts to create other metropolis. B 1331 Gedimine attempted to revive Metropolitan in Galich, but she was rapidly favored - Constantinople Patriarch did not approve the draft Grand Duke Lithuanian.

The main enemy of the Grand District of Lithuanian during this period the Teutonic Order remained. From the beginning of the Gedimin's Board, the Crusaders led almost continuous attacks on the shores of Neman in its lower current. This area was, in fact, the "gate" into the depths of the principality. Therefore, Gedimine sought to reliably close these "gates" by defensive castles.

Below, by the flow of Nemman, the Crusaders built their locks that served to reflect Lithuanian raids and as supporting bases for further promotion southeast. First, such an outpost was the castle of Ragnet. B 1313 The Tutons founded a new castle as a new castle in the course of Nemman, Christh.

The fight against the Teutonic Order Hedimine had an excellent assistant - Prince Davyd. At first, Davyd was a governor in Grodno, and later became the main governor. Almost no victory over the Crusaders both in defensive and in offensive operations did not do without his participation. Davyd Grodnensky enjoyed a huge influence at the court of the Grand Duke. Gedimine even gave his daughter for him.

Gedimine also threatened a distant oriental enemy-gold horde. At Khan Uzbek, the Tatars attempts resumed to incline the Lithuanian principality to pay Dani. For this purpose, Tatar campaigns on Lithuania were taken in 1315 and 1324.

In order to keep the Golden Chanis from new raids, Gedimine has activated diplomatic efforts and often slally ambassadors with rich gifts in Saray-Batu. It was expensive worth the treasury, but the Gedimine was typical of the problem as not military, but by diplomatic means.

For the purpose of preventing new raids of Crusaders, Gedimine sent several letters to Rome, in which he expressed his intention to take Catholicism, but only if baptism would carry out papal legats, and not the missionaries of the Teutonic Order.

Of course, this step would deprive the actions of the crusaders of their propaganda base, but its implementation was associated with great risk. The influence of the Roman Kuria on the internal affairs of the Grand District of Lithuanian and its foreign policy would inevitably increase. The baptism in Catholicism could not help but cause opposition among both supporters of paganism and among the Orthodox population of the state.

Ho himself the Grand Duke always strived for the maximum rapprochement with Western Europe. This opened Lithuania wider opportunities for domestic trade, allowed to attract qualified masters in which the young state felt a strong need.

Continuous wars, which was forced to lead Lithuania, demanded a permanent inflow of the Kuznetsov and the squire, but the greatest need was felt in the builders - with Gedymin, the mass construction of stone fortifications was unfolded.

Using the old connections of Prince Wick with Riga Magistrate, Gedimine is achieved in 1323 to normalize relations with the Livonia. A joint declaration was adopted, which announced the territories of Prussia, Livonian archbishopianism and the Lithuanian principality of the zone of the world and free trade. At the same time, Gedimine published vaccinations, in which the inhabitants of German free cities are invited to move to Lithuania on preferential terms.

The capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian Gedimine suffered to Vilnius (modern Vilnius). There is a beautiful legend about the base of the Grand Duke of this city after the dream of sleep, who dreamed of him after hunting. HA is the case of archaeologists believe that the city on the site of the later curve of the castle on Bald Mount already existed from the XIH century. The city was founded on the place of the settlement of the ancient Curves.

With the name of the Gedimin, the base of the stone castle on the mountain, which now carries his name. The same first-class for those times the fortress arose in Mednis, Krev, Lida and Trakai. At the same time, the first Catholic chosets appear in the Grand Duch of Lithuanian - two in wine and one in Novilday.

However, the turbulent reform activity of Gedimin caused a strong negative reaction of a part of the country's population. Among the Lithuanians and the faith of faith, the ancestors and covenants of antiquities were perceived as a symbol of combating aggressive crusaders. A consistent with the convergence with Western Europe was made by the party at the same time, the Gedimin rate for rapprochement with the West caused a desperate opposition to the Teutonic Order. Crusaders unfolded through their representatives throughout Europe campaigning against the agreement of Pope with Gedymin. BCE This led to the fact that the baptism of Lithuania was broken at the last moment.

When the papal legats arrived in Vilna, they were told that the conversations about the baptism of Lithuania were explained by the misunderstanding, poorly translating letters of the Grand Duke. Gedimine was forced to abandon the intention to baptize Lithuania under strong pressure of the opposition.

However, the reforms of Gedimin were not finally minimized. State violence, erected into the rank of law, remained. Catholic churches continued to exist. Ho at the same time in the valley of the twist, the most walls of the Vilensky Castle, burned the sacred lights in the pagan capital at night. The world with the Livonian Order lasted until 1330.

The diplomatic success of Gedimin's diligence of the shaft numerous of his descendants. He had seven sons and seven daughters, which made it possible to strengthen international agreements with marriages for every taste. Hedimine's sons had the right to inherit the thrones of those principal, whose dynasties were broken, and daughters were the key to good neighborly relations with the collants.

One daughter of Gedimin became a wife of Davyd - the best Lithuanian commander. Another - Dunmila, in the baptism of Alzhbet, married Mazovsky Prince Vaclav Plotsky. The third daughter of Mary in 1320 Vinpla married Tver Prince Dmitry Groznyy eyes. The fourth daughter of Aldon, in the baptism of Anna, married in 1325 for the only son of the Polish king of Vladislav Pokletka - Koriaich Kazimir. The fifth daughter of Augustus in 1331 was married with the son of the Grand Duke Moscow Ivan Kalita Semen. The sixth daughter of the offka - with the son of Trajden Mazowiecki Boleslav. The seventh daughter Gedimin married the last ruler of the Galician-Volyn Principality of Yury Andreevich.

The Union of the Grand Principality of Lithuanian in 1325 with Vladislav Kozomekomezn marked the complete change of political orientation in Polish affairs. If earlier the Grand Duke Viten, and then, at first, and Gedimine supported the enemies of Vladislav Pokletkka, for example, Vaclav Plotsky, the marriage of Anna Gedym Shushvna with the heir of the Polish throne marked the beginning of the allied relations of two states.

Vladislav Pokletk at that time continued the fierce struggle for the unity of Poland and against harassment on her crown of the Czech king Yana Luxembourg. By combining the Krakow and Sandomira lands, great and great

part of Kabyii, Vladislav Poolek proclaimed himself. In 1320, the king. In the quality of countering the Czech Republic, the locomotion used a good relationship with the new Hungarian king Karl-Robert Anjou, for which in 1320 he gave his daughter to Alskhet.

B Turn, Jan Luxembourg created together with Vaclav Plotsky and Teutonic Order against the Polish kingdom. Against this coalition and was sent to the Union of Vladislav Poolek with the Grand Duke Gedimin.

B 1326 The United Polish-Lithuanian army led by Davyd Grodno was held through Poland on the lands of Brandenburg Kurfure and reached Frankfurt-on-Oder. HA the opposite way This army devastated the ownership of Vaclav Plotsky and the southern regions of Prussia. This hike seemed the last for Davyd Grodno. He was killed by Mazovian Knights in his army, bribed the crusaders. The Chief Voivod of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian became the boyar Margelis, who was in this position from 1329 to 1336.

However, the devastating raid of Davyd Grodno in German and Masovian lands did not prevent the war of the Czech kingdom against Vladislav Pokletka, which began in 1327- to year. B 1329 The Czech king in the Union with Vaclav Plotsky acted against the Grand District of Lithuania.

The Teutonic Order, who captured the Dogynsky Principality and part of the owners of Vladislav Pokletki in Babyi, took advantage of the neighbors. B 1330 Died Vaclav Plotsky died. Later died at the age of 73, Vladislav Balkiek. The son of Lockkeek Kazimir has achieved the cessation of this war in 1335.

For major monetary compensation, Yang Luxembourg refused the claims to the Polish throne. The Polish king Casimir had to accept the final transition to Silesia to the Czech kingdom. The struggle of the Polish kingdom with the Crusaders for the Dogynsk Earth determined the foreign policy of the country for the next few decades.

Gedimine actively helped the Polish king in this war, as it objectively was an integral - part of the defense of the actually Lithuanian lands from the Teutonic Order of Luxembourg ally. In 1328, as a result of successful hostilities, crusaders were forced to leave their far advanced outpost - Castle Christmel.

Veliky Master Werner von Arsenn, who personally led the defense of Christmel, promised to convey the castle peacefully, as he had exhausted all the possibilities of defense, and invited noble Lithuanians to take the construction under their control. When the Lithuanian embassy arrived inside, the Crusaders closed the gate and burning the Lithuanians together with a wooden castle. One of the Crusaders, an eyewitness of this atrocity, closed the mind and later Oh stabbed a cunning master.

In 1330, the war broke out the war of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian with the Livonian Order with such a fierce, as if there was no previous temporary improvement in relationships. The warring sides began to exchange devastating raids again.

B Gedimine Board Start widely use the new name of his state - the Grand District Lithuanian, Zhtzatsky and Russian. The latter name emphasized the claims of Lithuania on expansion in the eastern direction. Under "Lithuania" during this period, the oldest ownership of the Lithuanian dynasty - Auchtiatia, a stomach and the Poaman cities from Grodna to the Novograde was understood. Under Rusya, they were meant those lands that they adopted Lithuanian princes under the contract either included in the vassal dependence on Lithuania - Polotsk, Minsk, Vitebskoye, the Sweet, Pinsky and Kiev principalities, as well as those of Kievan Rus, who Gedimine intended to subordinate further .

The Grand Duke Lithuanian was actively preparing to continue expansion to the Slavic lands, since the war with the Teutonic Order no longer absorbed all the resources of his power. Like the Hordean Khan, Gedimine intervened in the struggle between Moscow and Tver for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir.

Gedimine made a bet on Tver. B 1327- year Tver Prince Alexander made desperate on

meanwhile, the act was supported by the rebellion of citizens against the Khan Baskaka Chol-Khan. It was the first open uncleaning of the Golden Horde since the times. Suzdal uprising of 1262 years - the first in the memory of everyone who inhabited Russia at this moment. With the help of the Moscow prince Ivan Kalita Khan Uzbek easily suppressed the Tver uprising. Gedimine gave political asylum by Prince Alexander. Despite the threats of Tatar raids, Gedimine did not give up a Tver fugitive Horde, and in 1331 he helped Alexander to give a reign in Pskov. In the same year, Gedimine tried to hold his candidate for the vacant place of the bishop in Veliky Novgorod, but this attempt of the Lithuanian prince failed due to the active opposition of Russian Orthodox hierarchs.

However, Gedimine continued the struggle for the Great Novgorod, who provided control over the Russian north. B 1333 Novgorod residents called on the prince of the son of Gedimina Narimont. B 1338 Narimont planted instead of himself the young son Alexander.

Union with the Grand Durability Lithuanian concluded and Smolensk Prince Ivan Alexandrovich. With the help of Gedimin, he is trying to keep politics that are not dependent on both the Mongolian Khan of Uzbek and from the Moscow prince Ivan Kalita. In 1339, a trip with the participation of Tatars and Moscow troops is organized against the Smolensk Principality. However, the hike ended unsuccessfully.

The attempt of the Lithuanian prince to plant his own gender in the Bryansk principality was not crowned with success. B Bryansk flashes the uprising, during which Gleb Svyatoslavovich was killed - the goldenman of the Gedimin. The new Bryansky Prince Dmitry, established on the throne, thanks to Smoot, was hostile, both in relation to Ivan Smolensky and to Gedimine.

B 1336 The ruler of the Galico-Volyn Principality, Yuri Andreevich, died at the age of 30, not leaving the heir. The extinction of the once mighty dynasty of Galician princes caused an acute struggle of aggressive neighbors for the Galician-Lynsk lands.

The Supreme Han of the Golden Horde of Uzbek tried to play the role of Sisser and join the possession of the Gas-Lico-Volyn Votchin. However, Tatars immediately collided with the opposition of several strong political opponents - the local population, the Polish kingdom, the Grand Principality of the Lithuanian and Hungarian Kingdom.

BCE Attempts by Tatars to achieve their not crowned with success. They could not embell their opponents among themselves. The prince of Galitskaya Earth was proclaimed Boleslav Mazovsky - son-in-law Gedimine. After Crossing in Orthodoxy, Boleslav took the name of Yuri. Prince of Volyn Earth, Gedimine managed to land his youngest son Lubart.

The son of Mazovian Prince Galichane was taken to the prince with the condition that he would not incline the local population to Catholicism. However, Boleslav-Yuri did not fulfill the 'of this condition, for which he paid for life - in 1340 he was poisoned by the courtiers. The struggle for the Galician-Volyn Principality passed to a new round.

In the end, Galico-Lviv boyars swore to the Polish king Casimir, and Vladimirolutsky - Prince Lyubart Gediminovich. The once mighty power turned out to be divided between two neighbors.

Gedimine arranged his sons for the princess in those cities whose residents were still danutrics of the Golden Horde. Tribute went from Vladimir, Lutsk, Brest, Pinsk and Vitebsk, which submitted to the dependent on Tatar Smolensk. The hostels of Lithuanian princes in these cities did not cause a military conflict with the Golden Horde just because a compromise solution was found: new princes adhered to double vassalitet - from Tatar Khan and from the Lithuanian Prince.

Tribute from these lands was still entered into the Golden Horde, however, in several reduced sizes. The same tribute was paid to the Polish king with the Galician land until 1357, for which he was reproached in his posts of Pope Innocent V. With Volyn lands, tribute to the Golden Horde went down to the end of the XIV century - already under the grandchildren of Gedimin.

Gedimine was forced to go to this compromise, as he could not afford the luxury to lead the war with a giant Golden Horde while the crusaders strengthened their onslaught from the north. Special tax is the so-called "Ordinshchina" - was entrusted not only to Volyn and Podneprovsky lands, but also to the actual Lithuanian lands. In some cases, the "Ordinshchina" was not as given to Tatars, but in a grand-road treasury for expenses related to the maintenance of the world with the Golden Ord - Embassy missions, gifts and bribes Khanam. Later, Lithuanian princes began to leave this tax entirely, but his old name - "Ordinshchyna" - remained.

Gedimine Wars with Teutonic Order continued all these years with varying success. The colossal sacrifices who carried the warring parties did not benefit any of the opponents. B 1331 The Lithuanians together with the army of Vladislav Donkeka defeated the Crusaders in the battle of the center of the Swimmer in Poland.

In 1333, a new crusade led by the Duke of Bavarian, during which the important Lithuanian fortress of the Bead on the Neman river was seized and burned. Next door to the ruins of Velon began the construction of a powerful castle, which was called Baerburg.

B 1336 The Great Master of Teutoffs Dietrich von Altenburg restored the fortress of Yurgenburg. Thus, the Lithuanian border has steadily moved to the south. Or the mouth of Neman, her already separated over one and a half hundred miles. With this bridgehead, the Crusaders received an excellent opportunity to directly threaten not only a traditional, but also the major cities of the Grand Principality of Lithuania.

The border with the state of the Crusaders flew to forty miles from Kaunas, and in a hundred thirty - from Vilnius (Vilna). B 1337 in Baerburg was founded by the Catholic church, which was supposed to become the center of the new province after the rapid, according to the leadership of the Teutonic Order, the Baptism of Lithuania.

At the same time, the Knights of the Livonian Order strengthened their head from the northeast. B 1334 Livonsky Master Eberhard von Mannheim came at the head of his troops to the walls of the capital of the Grand Principality of Lithuanian and looted the surroundings.

Gedimine undertakes desperate attempts to reverse the course of events in their favor. For this purpose, Oh was settled in 1338 by Baerburg. However, the siege ended with a severe defeat of Lithuanians. Magister von Altenburg even said that under Baerburg, the whole color of Lithuanian knighthood was destroyed, therefore, de, in the future, the Crusaders should not be afraid to get a serious rebuff in Lithuania.

However, this time the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order issued the desired for valid. Already three years later, the Lithuanians moved to a new offensive. B 1341 I still managed to capture Baerburg. With the siege of this castle, Prince Gedimin was mortally wounded by a small gun shot - a weapon that the crusaders began to use the weapon.

The life and reign of Gedimin due to the lack of a sufficient number of historical sources are also shrouded in secrets and unknown. Those few news that they reached us do not give a complete view of Gedimine. Maybe brighter than all the characteristics of Gedimin speak his cases? If they are analyzed, then we get up the great personality of the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian - a courageous fighter with the enemy, a talented commander, reasonable policy.

Almost nothing is known about the activities of Gedimin to the Grand Paint Period. Where was he, what did he do? Only one can assume that he was a governor in Aukshtaitia, Lithuanian land, because in the order documents, he is called the king of this land. Judging by the fact that in the Klaipeda Earth there were villages, the names of which comes from his behalf, and in the Tombic volost, Dosburg mentions some kind of Gedimin Castle, then, probably, he owned these lands.

M. Minin or Gedyn - Grand Duke Lithuanian, connecting under its authority not only actually Lithuanian, but many Russian lands, largely relied on the Russian element; In intercourse with foreign states, he took the title of King Lithuania and Russia, appointed Russian people to the embassy; The Russian was the most prominent companion of him - David, the head of Grodno.

There was a fierce struggle with German knights, they had a number of lesions (especially strong - under the swimmers in 1331). In 1322 he entered into an alliance with Prince Mazovia and in 1325 - with the king of Poland by Vladislav Lokotkom, which wrapped the last marriage of the son of Vladislav Casimir with his daughter Aldon.

Like his predecessors, Gedimine continued the accession of Western Russian lands. Under his authority, the Old Russian lands with the cities of Polotsk (), Grodno and Bestiy (Brest) (), Vitebsk (), Minsk (), Tours and Pinsk () and others were switched. About his campaign to Ukraine and the liberation of it from the Ordane rule there is a description of Karamzin:

This courageous knight (Gedimine Lithuanian), in 1319 he graduated from the victory with the Order, immediately rushed to Vladimir (Volynsky) ... The city surrendered ... As soon Ovruch, Zhytomyr, the city of Kiev and walked to the Dnieper ... besieged Kiev. More residents did not lose hope and courageously reflected several attacks, finally, without seeking help ... And knowing that Gedimine gestrates defeated, they took the gate. The clergy came out with the crosses and, together with the people, he swore to be the faithful sovereign Lithuanian, who, having saved Kiev from Iga Mogolov, ... Soon he won all southern Russia (we are talking about Kievan Rus) to Putivl and Bryansk.

From Russian lands under the rule of Gedimin were: Black Rus, attached by Lithuanians in the early XIII century; The land of Polotsk, attached at Mindovge and when Gedimine he managed his brother, warrior; Principality Minsk, Pinskoye and Tourway, who fell under the authority of Lithuania, probably at the end of the XIII or the beginning of the XIV centuries, and the Principality of Vitebskoye.

The story about the campaign of Gedimin at 1320 - 21 years old on Volyn and Kiev and the conquest of these areas refers, as Professor Antonovich thinks, to the field of historical legends and arose already in the XVI century. Other opinion is holding the newest Russian historian Lithuania - Professor Lyubavsky. Gedimine tried to spread his influence and other neighboring Russian land, mainly on Pskov and Novgorod. He helped Pskov in their fight against the Livonian Order, supported in Pskov against Ivan Kalita and later shelted Prince Alexander Mikhailovich in his possessions, stood on the side of Pskovichi in their desire to achieve complete independence from Novgorod in church attitude.

Heedimine's Novgorod residents, capturing once Novgorod Lord and Boyar, took the promise to give feeding his son to Narimuntu. The promise was fulfilled in 1333, when Novgorod, close to Ivan Kalito, gave Narimuntu to the father's stepper, Orekhovets, the Korel Earth and Half Corgana. However, the Narimist lived more in Lithuania, and in 1338, when he not only did not appear at the call of Novgorod to defend him against the Swedes, but also withdrew his son Alexander, all sorts of connection with Novgorod were broken.

Under Gedimine, the foundations of the policy of the great princes of Lithuanian in relation to Russian lands, which subsequently led them to clashes with the princes of Moscow; But at this time, the immediate intercourse of both states was still a peaceful character, and in 1333 Simeon Ivanovich even married the daughter of Gedimin, Aigush, in the baptism of Anastasia. The attention of the Gedimin focused on the fight against the crowned Lithuanians by the Livonian Order.

In 1325, he accepted the proposal of the Union by the Polish king of Vladislav Lokoboka for his son and the heir, Kazimir, his daughter Aldon, in Baptism Anna, and undertaken together with the Poles a number of successful campaigns on the Crusaders, and the latter suffered a particularly strong defeat in Battle of swimmers in 1331

At the same time, Gedimine intervened in the internal affairs of Livonia, where at that time a civil war was held between the Archbishop Riga and the city of Rigo, on the one hand, and the Order, on the other; He accepted the side of the first against the Order and managed to significantly weaken the crusaders, so in the last years of his life, they had no big hiking on Lithuania. Gedimine is attributed to the construction of Curf cities and Wilna.

The great princes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian Charowo Vitovt

Gedimine (1316-1341)

Gedimine (1316-1341)

The life and reign of Gedimin due to the lack of a sufficient number of historical sources is also shrouded in the mystery. Those few information that came to us do not give a complete view of Gedimine. Maybe brighter than all the characteristics about Gedimine speak his business?

If they are analyzed, then we first appear the outstanding personality of the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian - a courageous fighter with the enemy, a talented commander, reasonable policy. Heedimine historians bind the beginning of the elevation of the Grand District of Lithuania.

In the Belarusian chronicles, Gedimine is called the son of Wick. For a long time it was thought. In the XIX century, when "Livonian acts" were published, it turned out that in a letter of Riga Magistrate to Gedimine in 1323 he was named after a brit. So the document corrected the chronicles and chronicles mistakes.

Almost nothing is known about the activities of Gedimin to its grand mining period. Where was it, what did you do? It can only be assumed that he was a governor of the Winner in Aukshtiatia, because he was named the king of this land in the order of the documents.

From the very beginning of his reign, Gedimina had to lead the war with the Crusaders. The Order still with fire and sword came to the Grand Duchy Lithuanian. In the winter of 1316, Marshal Henry von Plotsky made a campaign to the border parish of the pastia, killed and took 500 people in un. The hike repeatedly - now on the hemal parish of the Mesten, where Marshal brought the many peeligrims arrived from Germany. Another detachment ruined the suburb of the Castle of Bisen, and the spring crusaders captured the castle himself. In the summer they again attacked the moon. And this is only one year. Order persistently sought to conquer the hemitia to unite his Prussian and Livonian lands.

The tactic was simple, but efficient - the transformation of the pemium in the desert.

Crusades on the sequence occurred in 1317-1319. In 1320, the Order Armediary, headed by a militant Henry, the von of Plock again performed on his hemitia. According to the "Chronicles of Lithuanian and Zhmutskaya", the Crusaders divided "troops to their own way, all the land, the Zhmutsky fire and the sword spun and won the castle without a disruption and the jurbed." After the Crusaders, they took the storming and burned it.

Gedimine, together with the army stood between Jurborg and Kovno and waited for a team of man from Polotsk and the Novogorod. And only when the help arrived, the Grand Duke opposed the Crusaders. Beyond the town of Jaces on July 27, the enemy troops met. The first battle began the crusaders. Armed with handicrafts, they opened fire. The Tatars, who stood ahead of the troops of Gedimin, answered them. But, without presting the knights chained in armor, they retreated. Thinking in a slight victory, the crusaders chased behind the Tatar Connection and fell into an ambush, where Heedmin was with the main forces. The bloody singer was tied ... "And so the Germans are sterling, and Lithuania with the hibility of staging, copies, swords, the spear of the battle of the Battle of the sides of the preach, the cry of people, the louds of the zvroyny, Rzan horses, the sound of the pipes and the tambourines," says "Chronicle Lithovskaya and Zhmutskaya. " In the midst of the battle in the rear of the knights rebelled the gems, which were in the Order of the Troops. "The Germans were mixed up, whapping unkindered health," and that was enough for the Gedimin detachments to go to the offensive. The Novogorodsky and Polotsk shelves hit the flanks. But the cowardly escape did not save the knights. Litvinine drove the enemy, "Biyuchi, Stynayuchi, Kolyukhi, Shootychi, Topyachi and Imayuchi So, Izh on Kilomans Milight on the roads and fields of the German body". 29 knights died and 220 warriors. In the battle fell and Heinrich von Plock. Peter Dusburg writes about the big losses of the Crusaders: "Other, wandering in the forest for many days and nights, returned, weakening from hunger." Two years after that, defeat the Order did not attack Lithuania, and only in 1322, when Knights from Silesia and Bohemia came to the rescue, the Crusaders devastated Vaiken's volosts, Russgen and Ariogalu in Gemitia, "destroying fire and sword as castles, so other buildings, They arranged such a closer for people that even rushing to the wall did not survive. " But Litvins acted "fire and sword." David Gorodensky ruined Derp's bishopian in Livonia. Died and was notified "in eternal captivity" five thousand Christians.

So the board of Gedimin began. One of the main tasks for him was to create a powerful defensive line, relying on which you could beat the attack of the Crusaders. Obviously, the state has enough material and human resources to implement this difficult task. Gedimine understood that the situation requires voltage of all forces. It starts the construction of stone castles along line line, wine, medical, city, Novogorod, Lida, Krevo, Mijdel. From all over the state they gathered builders, the princely tivens drove the simple people to pour trees, dig up the Rips, and stones. Through the century, the people remembered these grand construction projects, and since then the expressions still live: "Czyaba Ziba Zabatі ў Vilna Mount Kapac!" Or "You're on CRAўski Zamak Kamensky Zseaga!".

Somewhere at this time, Gedimine carries the capital of the Grand Duchy of the Novogorod to Vilna and builds there, on a mountain curve, a castle. Already in 1323, it was called a royal city in Gedimine Mrormats. It is believed that it was Gedimine that founded this city. "Chronicle Lithuanian and Zhmutskaya" narrates: "And in the small host we went after the prince of the great kgidimin in the fishing from the troc for Chotari Mile, and find the mountain red over the Vilna River, on which the Zerar of the Great Tour, and kill him on that grief, where Now postowing the Mountain Tour. And Velmi was postponed before the troops of the Khuti, and become in Luce on Schwintorosa, where the first grand princes were bhagali, and snagged here. And in a hurry, he saw him, the dream was shto on the mountain, which was called covered, and now bald, the wolf is the Great Wolf, but in it to choke, yak would be a hundred Willians. And he found himself from his sleep and see to exorbit his name Lisdieka, which was found by the Eagle nest, and was that Lisdao at Prince Kgidimin, the nipple, and then Pop Khantyansky: "Saw, Dae, Esma's dream." And he sought him all, he saw him in a dream. And he will see the Lisardo to say: "Princess, the wolf is a great zheleznaya sign - the city is a party here, and it is to choke in it inside, then the glory will be wondering on all the light." And the prince of Great Kgydimin NEVEVTREY W, NOT POTADCHYUKHYU, and sent the city and laid down the city, one on Schwintorosa Nizhny, and the other on the covered grief, which is now called lyso, and groan the name of the town of Vilnia.

Colorful legend. But the Order of Kondrad Koriburg, who visited in 1397, wrote in his diary that the dream about Wolf saw Lieseko, who told the great princess about him. The Supreme Priest was interested in his residence of the Curvich-City became the capital.

Historians V. Golubovich and E. Golubovich, based on archaeological excavations, found that the curvice city was on a mountain curve. According to historians, it is more older than the settlement under the title "Curvich city" existed already in the XI-XII centuries, when a part of Lithuanian lands belonged to the Polotsky Prince. But, according to archeology, the settlement of the curvice was located on the left, eastern bank of the Vilia River. Erected by Gedimin on the curve Mount the castle defended this settlement from the West. Therefore, the Order of the Chronist Vigand Marbersky and called the Slavic city to the Slavic city. On the transfer of the capital, martial law was influenced. Kiburg wrote: "In militarily, the position of the city is excellent, it can be defended with minor fortifications: numerous elevations, gorges and deep ravines deliver very convenient cases for attacking precipitating. With this position, you can impart into the city and, surrounding, cut to the last person; There would be only a garrison of courageous and faithful and, while well the greeted - Wilna cannot be made of special damage. It follows from this that it is not a dream about the Iron Wolf and not the prediction of the Warlock Dali Gedymin's thought to establish here the capital of the state, but knowledge of the military, and the benefits of the location could not hide. Gedimine was a great commander of his time and worthy of our imitation, although he is a pagan. " From all these facts it follows that the township existed before Gedimin in this area, and he only built a castle there.

Gedimine also attribute to the conquest of the Galico-Volyn and Kiev principalities in 1320. This is reported in the Belarusian chronicles of the XVI century. Russian historian N. Karamzin believed that the story about the campaign in 1320 Gedimin on Volyn and Kiev - the fiction of the chroniclers. Modern Gedimina Historical Documents do not mention this campaign, and yet deny the possibility of a transfer of Gedimin on Volyn and Kiev. Probably, the Tatar rage in 1324 on Lithuania was caused by this campaign. But neither Kiev nor Volyn were conquered by Gedimin.

It was impossible to defeat the Order only, and Gedimine understood it well. In the time of time, the events favorable for Gedimin took place. Reggerer and Riga Archbishop began to fight Livonian knights for Riga freedom from the Order of Riga. Here, the thought arose in Riga, to turn to Gedimine with a request for help. In 1322, the Riga embassy arrived in wine. Gedimine willingly accepted the offer to Riga to conclude the Union with them. The ambassadors managed to persuade the Great Prince to turn to Pope John XXII with a message in which he would have shown the bloody nature of the Order and promised to baptize Lithuania. Gedimine sent a message to the message, in which it was written: "Higherous Father, Pope John, High Priest of the Roman Table, Gedimine, King of Litvinov and many other Rusins.

We have already heard that all followers of the Christian faith must submit to your will and fatherly power and that the Catholic faith itself is sent by the concern of the Roman Church, so these messages we inform your mercy that our predecessor King Mindovg with the whole kingdom adopted the Christian faith, but For outrageous injustices and numerous mods of the Brothers Teutonic Order, everyone retreated from faith, and we are because of the offense that we are doing, until today is in the mistakes of our ancestors. Our predecessors were inappropriate sent to the conclusion of the world to the gentlemen, the Riga Archbishops of their ambassadors, whom they (Teutons), were completely killed, as they testify cases during the time of Mr. Isarka, that Bonifacia had contributed to the establishment of the world between us and the Brothers of the Teutonic Order and sent us his message ; But when the ambassadors from Mr. Isark returned, then on the way they killed, others hung or forced to be drowned.

Also, our predecessor, King Vitan, sent a message to Mr. Legate Francis, Archbishop Frederick with a request to send him two brothers of the Order of Minorites, giving them place and the constructed church. Having learned about this, the brothers of the Prussian Teutonic Order sent the detachment around the circumferential paths and burned this church.

They also capture the Lord Archbishops, and Bishops, and Clericov, as evidenced by the case with Mr. John, who was killed in Kuria in the time of Pope Boniface, and with Mr. Archbishop Frederick, whom they were driving out from the Church: and from the occasion with one Clerick Mr. Bertold, Which they in the city of Riga were unmamiously killed in his house.

They also empty the Earth, as evidenced by the example of zemvalia and many other. But they say what they do in order to protect Christians.

The Holy and Dear Father, and the Christians and I did not fight the struggle to destroy the Catholic faith, but in order to resist the injustice, how the kings and princes of Christians do; This is clear because we have the brothers of the Order of Minorites and the Order of the Righteous, who we gave full freedom to the baptism of other rites.

We, Dear Father, wrote it to you because you know why our ancestors fell into the sin of infidelity and disbelief. But now, the Holy and Dear Father, we diligently pray that you pay attention to our plight, since we are ready, like other Christian kings, for you to go and take the Catholic faith, only we did not oppress the named Palays, namely masters and brothers. " Here he is the voice of the excuse of "paganism" of Litvinov, the story of their dramatic opposition to the robber Tutonian Order, which his robbin attacks on Lithuania disgasted them from Christianity, as from the faith of their enemies. Gedimine wanted Europe to find out the truth about Teutonic knights.

It was a year, and Pope John XXII did not respond to a diploma of Gedimine.

Meanwhile, new gedimin letters appeared in Europe. In the message of the citizens of Lübeck, Strathzund, Bremen, Magdeburg, Cologne dated January 25, 1323, Gedimine invited them to the Grand Duchy, promised to give the earth, to give Magdeburg law, to free the merchants from duties, and the priests are to build churches and freely preach God's Word. "For our desire is now to do not harm anyone, but to help everyone and strengthen the world, fraternity and real love with all the believers," wrote Gedimine. In the second literacy of May 26, 1323, he assured: "I promise you an oath to all that we will establish such a world whom Christians never knew." In these words, the dream of Gedimin, politics and man, to which he sincerely sought with all his heart, the dream of the world.

Finally, on August 6, 1323, a joint embassy from the Riga Archbishop and Magistrate, the Danish ruler of the Reversion Earth and representatives of the Livonian Order arrived in wine. The ambassadors were interested in Gedimin, whether he would fulfill the promise. The Grand Duke was evaded from a direct response. "How soon will leave the ambassadors from the dad, which I am waiting every day, then everything will be known. What I have now on my heart, God knows and I myself. From my fathers, I heard that Dad is our common father, the closest behind him is the archbishop, then other bishops. Every person I let live in my land according to his custom and in his faith. " It seems that Gedimine or changed his mind to the Catholic faith, or doubted the correctness of his decision, and for this there were serious reasons. As soon as it became known about the desire of Gedimin to baptize Lithuania, the pemology feudals were made against him. They threatened the Great Prince to capture him with his family and with the help of the Crusaders to drive from the state or kill. Crusaders skillfully used the discontent of the pemptites and bought them against Gedimine. At the same time, the Order was offered by Gedimine a bribe of 1000 brands, if only he was baptized from the Order of the Priests: Thus, the Bishop of Lithuania would be in the jurisdiction of the Order of the Odden Metropolis. Gedimine rejected this proposal, understanding well where the Crusaders are clone: \u200b\u200bsubordinate to Lithuania the Order through the church.

The right world with Lionia Gedimine concluded. Moreover, according to the "chronicle" of Wartberg, Heedimine force forced the Livonian ambassadors to sign the world, "otherwise they will see if they manage to get out of his land." This argument intelligibly affected the ambassadors, and on October 2, they concluded the world that the Livonian Order was recognized. And Pope John XXII on August 31, 1324 approved him.

But the Order did not comply with the peace treaty. In 1323, Livonian knights went to the ball, where his oceans devastated. "They also ruined Polotsky Earth and after 40 days again ruined the same land, eighty people killed severely, and some were told with them," Gedimine's Riga magistrate reported.

And finally, the papal legats arrived. On July 3, 1324, Gedimine accepted them in his Vilen Castle.

Gedimine, realizing that the baptism of Lithuania will not bring the desired world with the Order, but will only lead to a discount with the hemiteee and the Orthodox population of the state, refused its intentions. "I did not order anything like this. If Brother Bertold wrote so much, then let the responsibility for this lie fall on his head. If I had ever had the intention to be baptized, I would add to the devil, and not to you. I really said how it is written in a diploma that I will read the dad, for he is older than me, and Mr. Archbishop, I also respect how my father, for he is older than me, and I will respect my peers, as brothers, and those younger than me like sons. I do not forbid Christians to serve God for their customs. Rusins \u200b\u200b- in their own way, and we serve God for our customs, and all of God. What do you talk about Christians? Where there are more injustice, violence, cruelty and excesses than Christians, especially those who seem pious, like, for example, crusaders who commit all evil ... Since those times, how these Christians appeared here, they never performed What they promised in their oaths. Last year there were ambassadors of your land here; With a general agreement, without any coercion, they concluded the world with us and on behalf of the whole Christianity confirmed the counterpart, kissed the cross and did not fulfill what was bonded by an oath. They killed my ambassadors, whom I sent for the statement of the world, and not only their alone, but many others, and many times they killed, took captive, kept in a hard capt - I do not believe more oaths, "answered Gedimine.

Respects are rare for those times the warpness of Gedimin, especially humane in comparison with militality to other confessions and religions of papalic curia and crusaders. It should be agreed with the historian V. Vasilevsky, who wrote: "To come to consciousness about the unity of the Supreme Being, which everyone is equally served and worshiped - and the Polish Catholic, and the Orthodox Russian, and the Lithuanian pagan, for this Gedimin should have become above His paganism and even above their time. "

Gedimine painfully experienced the collapse of his hopes. He probably was an emotional man and could not hold back feelings of disappointment and resentment. The ambassadors testify: "After we heard from some brother, the Order of Minorites, as if one woman from the closest to the queen reported to him that when we were there and after we left the reception, the king for all night went to his fell, Having taught with her sideways, I cried bitterly, and having stopped, I started again, and it seems that every night he did so three times and, as this woman suggested, he did it because he should refuse his initial decision. "

Still, the Order was not going to abide by the world with the Grand Durability Lithuanian and planned to raise Europe against him. Intensified policies and Gedimine. Prince in Pskov was elected Gorodensky Starosta David, who in 1322 and 1323 he beat off the city of Livonian knights and ruined Derpta and Revetsky lands. Gedimine in 1325 entered into a world with the Polish king by Vladislav Pokletka, while holding his marriage of his daughter Aldons with the son of Kazimir's belon. The world was concluded with Novgorod. Heedimine once again confirmed his desire to preserve the world. Ambassador of the forest stated in Riga Magist and the Riga authorities that "the King of our wishes to strictly read the world, unless it is forced to abandon it, protecting against his enemies, whose enemy attacks we are, we are exposed all the time." Apparently, it was the forest ("one noble Litvin, as if the second after the king", according to Dusburg) officially conveyed on behalf of Gedimin Prelates and Leishers, that they will never wait for the harmony of the king to baptize their or their people, and added that This king of the power of his gods swore, which will never accept other religion than his ancestors followed.

The Grand Duke Gedimine in the eyes of Europe remained the prince of pagans, which justified the war war against the Grand Principality of Lithuania. But Gedimine created a coalition against the Order, which included Poland, Riga, Novgorod, Pskov. Now he was going to the attack on the Order.

In 1326, the joint actions of the Grand Duch of Lithuanian and Poland began. Polish army and squad at 1200 riders David Gorodensky reached Frankfurt-on-Oder. Marcgraf Louis Brandenburg was forced to abandon his plans to conquer Western Pomerania and supporting the Order. In response, Prussian knights divided the city's land in 1328, burned out the outskirts of two castles in the hemisytia, and in 1330 they attacked there on the suburb of the Gedimin Castle and burned him. The war took a protracted character and demanded from the Gedimin searching for ways to contain the order.

Gedimine again took advantage of hostile Riga with Livonian knights. Riganese promised Gedimine to convey the bishop castles. But when Gedimine in April 1329 came to the Livonia, I learned that the castles captured the Crusaders. Grounding Gedimine threatened with threats. But those promised him in consolation that he would lead to where he could cause great harm to the Order. In fact, the conductors showed the Gedimina rich Livonian possessions, which Litvini ruined and caused the order of losses by more than 6000 silver brands.

In the description of Wartberg Gedimin looks like a fierce pagan. So, in the parish of Paustle, the king with his brothers for two nights used the church as a stable for their horses and committed countless shameful things. " It is valuable for us to mention Wartberg about the Gedimin brothers, probably the warrior of Polotsk and Fedor Kiev, which may indicate participation in the campaign of Polotsk and Kiev friend.

Yet Livonian knights subordinate to Riga and now did not need the world with the Grand Durability Lithuanian. Twice - in 1330 and 1332 - they went to the gem. And in 1333, Magister Ebergard Mannheim with a numerous army on the ladies in Dvina sailed to Polotsk. Halm soldered the crusaders. Next year, Livonian knights ruined auchtia, killing 1,200 people. After they headed for Polotsk, from where they were again driven by Polotozhan.

At the same time, the Grand Duke Gedimin conducted a policy of unification of the Belarusian lands. After his death in 1341, Polotsk, Vitebskaya, Menskaya, Pinskaya, Berestek Land and Sweet, and the Galician-Volyn Earth, were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian, and the Galician-Volyn Earth. Therefore, Gedimine is tutulating as the "King of Lithuania and many Rusins", at least in the status, he was the Grand Duke, as he was called in the chronicles. In historical documents, nothing is reported, as the association of Belarusian lands under the rule of Gedimin. And therefore, we can assume that this process was meditarian. Already in 1326, the Menskoy Principality was as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Mensky Prince Vasily traveled by Gedimin Ambassador to Novgorod. The embassy was represented by the Prince of Sprobuzh and Vyazma Fedor Svyatoslavich. This makes it possible to think that the power of Gedimin spread to the Smolensk principality. It was not by chance that Smolensky Prince called himself a "young brother" Gedimin, emphasizing his vassal dependence on him. Later in 1338, the Smolensk Prince Ivan Alexandrovich in the agreement with Riga pointed out that he concludes him "according to the preclusion, some of the brother my oldest ketdimine and his children Gleb and Alcerd." Thus, the Smolensky Prince coordinated its policy with wine, Polotsk and Vitebsk.

The Vitebsk Principality was joined in peace. Gediminov Son Olgerd in 1318 married the daughter of Vitebsky Prince Yaroslav Vasilyevich Mary and after his death in 1320 he began to own Vitebsk. Berestiy Land and Sweeve were attached, probably in 1323, when the last Galician-Volyn Prince was died, Andrei Yurevich, whose daughter was married to the son of Gedimin Lubart. But the son of the Vozignan Princess Anastasia and Boleslav Troydenevich Mazovsky (great-grandchildren), a nephew, who was supported by his father, who supported his father, was claimed to Galico-Volynskoye, and Boleslav Troydenevich Mazzovsky (great-grandfather), a nephew, who was supported by his father. Probably, they concluded a contract with Gedimine and divided Galico-Volyn inheritance: Galicia and Volyn got Boleslav, and Gedimine - Punches, Berestei and Pinsky Town Land. Performing this treaty, Gedimine sent in the fall of 1323 for Vinj David Gorodensky. Vinzhin was captured, many village of Principality burned, 20 thousand people were killed and captured. A crushing blow, as Dosburg noted, from which the Vzhinsky land "Hardly ever was able to go." This defeat allowed Boleslav Troidovich to become Galico-Volynsky Prince, and Gedimine to take the sun, Berestei and Pin-Torovskaya lands. But, apparently, because of these lands between Hedimine and Vaclav Plotsky, a conflict arose. And this time Gedimine decided a question with a weapon. The ardent army led by David Gorodensky captured the Plock and ruined Mazovia. Probably, Gedimine's crawl handed out just David Gorodensky, his son-in-law. And to strengthen the new land acquisition, Gedimine brought the Union with Boleslav Troidenovich, issuing his daughter to Efimia (OFCU) for him in 1331. After the death of Boleslav in 1340, Poland seized Galicia, and Lubart began to pronounce Volyn. This happened the section of the Galician-Volyn Principality, but did not end up the struggle for his inheritance between inclues and the Polish kingdom.

Gedimine, favorably using a political situation and marriage unions, peacefully expanded the boundaries of his state. The political wisdom of Gedimin manifested itself in the inclusion of new lands in his state, he guaranteed them "antiquities not to handle, but not to introduce novels," preserved local laws, the rights of feudalists, burghers and clergy, the jurisdiction of their local courts, independence at the conclusion of trade agreements . This confirms the peaceful grades of 1338 with the Order. Gedimine pointed out in it that he concludes the world with the consent of the bishop, the king (Gleb-Narimont) and the city of Polotsk and King (Olgerda) and the city of Vitebsk. It is noteworthy that the Treaty of Polotsk and Vitebsk city communities are indicated in the contract, it means that in these cities, the veneer is preserved - the authority of self-government controlling power. Decisions were taken by the will of the city community. Evening also controlled the Zemskaya "Hidden", Podachi, customs duties, trade, published Zemstvo Charters. The choice of Belarusian cities from Dani Golden Horde himself, the choice of Belarusian cities of Lithuanian princes, because they were not under Rurikovich's authority and were not included in the Russian Ulus.

In the collection of land of the Eastern Slavs, Gedimine collided with Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita. Political enemies Kalita were looking for support from Gedimin. This was done by Tver and Smolensk Princes, Pskov and even the "great Mr. Novgorod". Especially supported by Gedimine Allied telly connections: at first with the prince Dmitry Mikhailovich, for which in 1320 he betrayed his daughter Maria, and after his death in 1325 - and with his brother Alexander. When Kalita in 1327 captured Tver, Alexander fled to Pskov and with the support of Gedimin became the Pskov Prince. The influence of Gedimine spread to Novgorod, who was afraid of both Swedish expansion and greedy servants of Kalita, who burned silver from the pockets for the payment of "Ordinshchina". In 1333, Novgorod invited to himself servant Prince Gleb-Narimont and gave him suburbs of Ladoga, nut, Coporye and Karelian land. Ivan Kalita was forced to be considered with this, so I concluded with the Gedimine Union and in 1333 he married his son Simeon on his daughter Augustus. But the friendly relations between the two rulers did not work out. Everyone conducted his policies, at least both have common enemies - the Order and the Horde interested in inciting hostility between them. At the request of Kalita, Khan Uzbek called Alexander Mikhailovich in Horde, and there they were killed.

Lost Grand Duke Gedimine and its influence in Novgorod. Gleb-Narimont, apparently, worried about the case in Polotsk, where he was a prince. He did not respond to the requests of Novgorod to come to Novgorod and ruled them through her son Alexander. In the end, Ivan Kalita in 1339 with the help of Horde restored its power in Novgorod. But remained in the orbit policy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian Smolensk, who in 1333 and in 1339, Gedimine helped to drive a Tatar army directed by Kalita.

The last years of his life Gedimine spent in the fight against Prussian knights. As Dosburg wrote, "walking in the footsteps of his predecessors, all his efforts died to the death of faith and Christians." The German emperor Louis Bavarian in 1338 "complained" to the Order of Gemite, Kononia, Rus and Lithuania and thereby pushed the "God's" knights to new conquests. In 1341, the Crusaders took the Zhemite Castle of Velon in the siege. Gedimine with the army hurried to the rescue. On the way, he decided to master the Odense castle by Bayerburg. During the assault, the Grand Duke was in the ranks of his soldiers. The stone core from Bombard fell into Gedimin and killed him.

For other news, Gedimin was poisoned. In 1341, the Grand Duke to enlist the union with the Czech King of Jan Luxembourg, wanted to baptize Lithuania with it. This is what the court chronicle of the Czech king Benesh Weitmali writes: "At that very year, the Lithuanian Prince, wanting to take the Christian faith, invited 10 priests and many Christians. His own, consulting, prince poisoned. " It was probably so it was. As a wise politician, Gedimine understood the fear of endless and bloody war with the Order, the reason for which was the paganism of his subjects. The first attempt of baptism was failed due to the resistance of their themselves and the crusaders. Now, when the Czech king was looking for allies against Emperor Louis Bavarian, who supported the Order, Gedimine decided to take advantage of the favorable moment. But, as we see, "our own" and poisoned him.

1316 Birley 1988, 89-107.