The exhibition is divided into four semantic blocks: maps of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Europe and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on world maps are presented. In other words, you can see how the territory of Belarus was perceived within the country, as part of the Polish union state, and how Europe looked at us. The exhibition organizers are trying to answer the question of whether maps can help Belarusians find themselves.
"Whether we like it or not, the vast majority of Belarusians grew up on visual images of the Soviet educational system. Moscow, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and Tashkent suddenly turn out to be something mentally close, and Belarus suddenly turns out to be part of a no longer existing, phantom reality. The same lost historical reality that looks at us from the canvases of ancient Belarusian maps", say the organizers.
In their opinion, the Soviet propaganda system imposed a visual image of a “distant and alien West, corrupt and bourgeois.” " Let's watch. Watch with greed, with anger or joy, but not indifferently. And a complete picture of our reality will open before us", the organizers urge.
What is this reality?
The first geographical map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in other words, the oldest map of Belarus, dates back to 1595 and is called succinctly - "Lithuania". Its publisher is the famous Flemish cartographer, the founder of modern cartography - Gerhard Mercator. Judging by it, after the Union of Lublin in 1569, which marked the beginning of the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Lithuania was still perceived as an independent state in alliance with the Kingdom of Poland.
The map also allows you to touch on the mystery of the disappeared legendary Sarmatian lake-sea, which the ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote about. This huge lake just below Volkovysk on the territory of modern swampy Polesie, which is also commonly called the Sea of Herodotus, is also present on medieval maps. In Polesie, back in the 19th century, there was an oral tradition that the Black Sea once reached Pinsk and retreated only when a certain prince of Kiev excavated the mountains.
An important role in the self-identification of Belarusians is played by the original map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, created by the hands of domestic, rather than foreign, cartographers. In 1613, such a map was printed in Amsterdam by the famous publisher Willem Janszoon Blaeu, commissioned by Nicholas Radziwill, nicknamed the Orphan. It was under him that topographical and hydrographic research on the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania began on an unprecedented scale.
Radziwill map considered one of the best geographical maps XVII century in Europe due to its accuracy and artistic execution. It was included in numerous atlases and was copied for the next 150 years.
Being a great patriot of the Grand Duchy and an opponent of the transfer of the lands of Lithuania to the Kingdom of Poland, Radziwill marked on the map two borders of the Grand Duchy - before and after the Union of Lublin. In addition, the map reflects key military events with their emotional assessment by Prince Radziwill the Orphan himself. For example, you can learn about the battle of the five thousand army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under the command of Hetman Nikolai Radziwill (Red) near the Ulla River, where in 1564 he completely defeated the thirty thousand Muscovite army under the command of Shuisky.
This map is the first cartographic source where the name Ukraine is used, which makes it invaluable for our southern neighbors. Later, this map was included in the “Theater of the World, or a new Atlas of maps with a description of all regions, edited by Willem and Johann Blaeu” and published in Amsterdam. The atlases of the Blau publishing house were considered one of the best in Europe and enjoyed enormous success. The publication is now kept in the British Library in London.
ON in maps of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
In 1570, the famous Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius compiled and published the world's first atlas in Antwerp, which he called "The Spectacle of the Globe", where maps of all parts of the world known at that time were collected. At number 44 there was also a map of Lithuania - the first most accurate one at that time. It reflects everything big cities ON, set geographical names rivers and lakes, and the boundaries, albeit very schematically, of some principalities and lands are indicated. Despite many errors in geographical names, their spelling corresponds to Belarusian pronunciation with transliteration into Latin.
In a later map created by the French cartographer Nicolas Sanson de Abbeville, the names were also given in their Belarusian pronunciation with transliteration into Latin. For example, Medniki, Minski Horodzysche, Niemen, Narocz, Retrow, Lubniki. On this map, the border of Lithuania and White Rus' lies east of the Mstislavl, Chernigov and Vitebsk lands. That is, White Russia means lands located to the east of the current borders of Belarus, captured by the Muscovites from the Litvins at the beginning of the 16th century.
ON in cards Europe
In Neapolitan "Map of modern European[opean] Sarmatia or Hungary, Poland, Rus', Prussia and Wallachia", published in 1507, for the first time in history the geographical names Polonia and Lithuania are used in the title of maps. In addition, for the first time in the toponymy of Lithuania the names of the rivers Vilia, Neman, Bug, the cities of Medniki (Myednyky) - the summer residence of the Lithuanian princes, Troky - appear. The original Belarusian spelling of the geographical names Wilno, Grodno, Kofno, Lyda, Brestze is recorded on the map. This map is the heir to the Ptolemaic, ancient tradition, and in late antiquity the Greeks and Romans called Sarmatia the lands of Eastern Europe, and their inhabitants Sarmatians.
"Map of the sea and description of the northern lands and their wonders, carefully executed in the year of our Lord 1539 in Venice" created by the Swedish priest Olaf Magnus based on his travel notes and sketches from nature. For example, there is a miniature depicting in detail how bears extracted honey from wild bees in our forests, by which the author emphasized the abundance of these places. The map is an additional argument to believe that at that time Muscovy was called “White Russia”, and “Black Russia” was the name given to the lands of the Pskov region, which partially belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Belaya Rus is located at the very top of the fragment in the territory of the current Leningrad region.
It can be considered interesting to determine the attitude of Europe towards Lithuania anthropomorphic (allegorical) maps. Such cards came into fashion in the second half of the 16th century and are considered the prototype political maps. One of the first such cards is “Queen Europa” (a map of Europe in the form of a female figure). The placement of countries on a woman’s body was symbolic. For example, Turkey - an enemy of the Holy Roman Empire - was not on the map at all. Bohemia, the birthplace of the Pope of that period, is located at the level of the woman’s heart.
Specifically for Belarusians, it is important that Lithuania, in the vision of the author, and therefore of the Christian rulers, was perceived as an integral part of the body of Europe. For example, England and Scandinavia, “stricken by heresy,” did not receive this. Moreover, in an allegorical sense, Lithuania, like Poland, Livonia, and Hungary, are represented by the legs of the continent on which the whole of Europe stands. The position outside the body at the feet of Europe was occupied by Asian Muscovy, Scythia and Tartaria, located on the same level as the captured Ottoman Empire Greece and Bulgaria.
Map "Europe, a new description of Willem Blaeu" 1650, the sides are framed by engravings that masterfully describe the traditional costumes of the noble class of European peoples. Among them there is also a fragment of the gentry culture of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, the map leaves many mysteries. According to the author, the borders of Lithuania reached the Black Sea, which was not true. It is difficult to imagine that such an experienced and authoritative cartographer as Willem Blaeu made a mistake by “returning” the lost southern lands to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Moreover, years earlier he published Radziwill’s map and, like no other European cartographer, had the most accurate information on the political borders of the Grand Duchy. The author was well aware of the claims of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to these lands in the person of its largest magnates, and in particular Nikolai Radziwill. The “mistake” he made may indicate that the author shared the views on the historical justice of the rulers of Lithuania. This can also be a thank you to the card customer with the hope of possible cooperation in the future.
ON on ancient world maps
The most valuable and largest historical artifact of medieval cartography that has survived to this day is Ebstorf world map- presumably dates back to 1290. It contains perhaps the first cartographic image of such toponyms as Polotsk (Plosceke), Smolensk (Smalentike), Neman (Memela), Livonia (Livonie), Riga (Riga). Although the author made a mistake: Polotsk and Smolensk ended up on the same river - the Dvina, and Smolensk turned out to be closer to the sea than in reality. Novgorod and Kyiv were also on the same river.
"Planisphere Fra Mauro" 1450 - the crown of medieval cartography. The lands of the Grand Duchy are shown in sufficient detail on the map: there are the main water transport arteries of the country (Dvina, Neman, Dnieper) and some roads connecting cities and provinces. The map juxtaposes ancient toponyms (Sarmatia, Black Rus', Red Rus') with modern ones - Lithuania. In addition, this is the first known map where White Rus' was indicated.
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is a state in Eastern Europe that existed from the first half of the 13th century to 1795 on the territory of modern Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Poland (Podlasie), Latvia (1561-1569) and Estonia (1561-1569) .
What a misfortune and “such a scar” for all admirers of Kievan Rus, from which the world came - Kyiv itself was part of this very Principality of Lithuania.
Look at the map - here is the Moscow (also Grand) Principality the size of Moldova (it is also on the map). Now Lithuania is a small state and in fact in those distant times there was no Lithuania at all. Lithuania and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania are not at all the same thing, although of course modern Lithuania is located on the territory occupied by the mentioned principality, but only a small part of it.
In the period from 1250 to 1350, the tribes inhabiting the Baltic territories entered the stage of decomposition of the tribal system. There was no mass unification between tribes, so there was no state as such either. But feudal relations were already emerging. They originated under the influence of the same West - at the end of the 12th century, the Germans climbed into the Baltic states with their crosses, swords and a new, Christian faith. The Baltic people desperately resisted, which accelerated the emergence of a control center, that is, a state.
Relations with Russia and other neighbors
Relations with Russia were traditionally peaceful and good neighborly. The Baltic states have been connected with Russia since ancient times. The truth is not entirely clear, but there is information that the Baltic tribes have been paying tribute to Rus' since the time of Igor the Old. I didn’t find out what they paid for. Maybe for border protection?! In the 11th-12th centuries, the entire Western Dvina basin, from the sea to the upper reaches, was under the control of the Polotsk princes. Relations with Novgorod and Polotsk were especially close, which probably even participated in the resistance to the expansion of Western powers into the Baltic states.
In the XIV-XV centuries. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia was a real rival of Muscovite Rus' in the struggle for dominance in Eastern Europe. It strengthened under Prince Gediminas (ruled 1316-1341). Russian cultural influence prevailed here at this time. Gedemin and his sons were married to Russian princesses, and the Russian language dominated at court and in official business. Lithuanian writing did not exist at that time. Up to late XIV V. Russian regions within the state did not experience national-religious oppression. Under Olgerd (reigned 1345-1377), the principality actually became the dominant power in the region. The position of the state was especially strengthened after Olgerd defeated the Tatars in the Battle of Blue Waters in 1362. During his reign the state included most of present-day Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Smolensk region. For all residents of Western Rus', Lithuania became a natural center of resistance to traditional opponents - the Horde and the Crusaders. In addition, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the middle of the 14th century, the Orthodox population numerically predominated, with whom the pagan Lithuanians lived quite peacefully, and sometimes unrest was quickly suppressed (for example, in Smolensk). The lands of the principality under Olgerd extended from the Baltic to the Black Sea steppes, the eastern border ran approximately along the current border of the Smolensk and Moscow regions. There were trends leading towards the formation of a new version of Russian statehood in the southern and western lands of the former Kyiv state.
FORMATION OF THE GRAND DUCHIES OF LITHUANIA AND RUSSIAN
In the first half of the 14th century. A strong state appeared in Europe - the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia. It owes its origin to Grand Duke Gediminas (1316-1341), who during the years of his reign captured and annexed the Brest, Vitebsk, Volyn, Galician, Lutsk, Minsk, Pinsk, Polotsk, Slutsk and Turov lands to Lithuania. The Smolensk, Pskov, Galicia-Volyn and Kiev principalities became dependent on Lithuania. Many Russian lands, seeking protection from the Mongol-Tatars, joined Lithuania. The internal order in the annexed lands did not change, but their princes had to recognize themselves as vassals of Gediminas, pay him tribute and supply troops when necessary. Gediminas himself began to call himself “the king of the Lithuanians and many Russians.” Official language and the old Russian (close to modern Belarusian) language became the language of office work of the principality. In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania there was no persecution on religious or national grounds.
In 1323, Lithuania had a new capital - Vilnius. According to legend, one day Gediminas was hunting at the foot of the mountain at the confluence of the Vilni and Neris rivers. Having killed a huge aurochs, he and his warriors decided to spend the night near an ancient pagan sanctuary. In a dream, he dreamed of a wolf dressed in iron armor, who howled like a hundred wolves. The high priest Lizdeika, called to interpret the dream, explained that he should build a city in this place - the capital of the state and that the fame of this city would spread throughout the world. Gediminas listened to the priest's advice. A city was built, which took its name from the Vilna River. Gediminas moved his residence here from Trakai.
From Vilnius in 1323-1324 Gediminas wrote letters to the Pope and cities Hanseatic League. In them, he declared his desire to convert to Catholicism and invited artisans, merchants, and farmers to Lithuania. The Crusaders understood that Lithuania’s adoption of Catholicism would mean the end of their “missionary” mission in the eyes of Western Europe. Therefore, they began to incite local pagans and Orthodox Christians against Gediminas. The prince was forced to abandon his plans - he announced to the papal legates about the alleged mistake of the clerk. However, Christian churches in Vilnius continued to be built.
The Crusaders soon resumed military operations against Lithuania. In 1336 they besieged the Samogitian castle of Pilenai. When its defenders realized that they could not resist for long, they burned the castle and themselves died in the fire. On November 15, 1337, Ludwig IV of Bavaria presented the Teutonic Order with a Bavarian castle built near the Nemunas, which was to become the capital of the conquered state. However, this state had yet to be conquered.
After the death of Gediminas, the principality passed to his seven sons. The Grand Duke was considered the one who ruled in Vilnius. The capital went to Jaunutis. His brother Kestutis, who inherited Grodno, the Principality of Trakai and Samogitia, was unhappy that Jaunutis turned out to be a weak ruler and could not come to his aid in the fight against the crusaders. In the winter of 1344-1345, Kestutis occupied Vilnius and shared power with his other brother, Algirdas (Olgerd). Kestutis led the fight against the crusaders. He repelled 70 campaigns to Lithuania by the Teutonic Order and 30 by the Livonian Order. There was not a single major battle in which he did not take part. Kestutis’ military talent was appreciated even by his enemies: each of the crusaders, as they reported own sources, would consider it the greatest honor to shake Kestutis’s hand.
Algirdas, the son of a Russian mother, like his father Gediminas, paid more attention to the seizure of Russian lands. During the years of his reign, the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania doubled. Algirdas annexed Kyiv, Novgorod-Seversky, Right Bank Ukraine and Podol to Lithuania. The capture of Kyiv led to a clash with the Mongol-Tatars. In 1363, the army of Algirdas defeated them at Blue Waters, the southern Russian lands were freed from Tatar dependence. Algirdas' father-in-law, Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich of Tver, asked his son-in-law for support in the fight against Moscow. Three times (1368, 1370 and 1372) Algirdas made a campaign against Moscow, but could not take the city, after which peace was eventually concluded with the Moscow prince.
After the death of Algirdas in 1377, civil strife began in the country. The throne of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was given to the son of Algirdas from his second marriage, Jagiello (Yagello). Andrei (Andryus), the son from his first marriage, rebelled and fled to Moscow, asking for support there. He was received in Moscow and sent to reconquer the Novgorod-Seversky lands from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the fight against Andrei, Jagiello turned to the Order for help, promising to convert to Catholicism. In secret from Kestutis, a peace treaty was concluded between the Order and Jogaila (1380). Having secured a reliable rear for himself, Jagiello went with an army to help Mamai against, hoping to punish Moscow for supporting Andrei and to share with Oleg Ryazansky (also an ally of Mamai) the lands of the Moscow principality. However, Jagiello arrived at the Kulikovo field late: the Mongol-Tatars had already suffered a crushing defeat. Meanwhile, Kestutis learned of a secret agreement concluded against him. In 1381 he occupied Vilnius, expelled Jogaila from there and sent him to Vitebsk. However, a few months later, in the absence of Kestutis, Jogaila, together with his brother Skirgaila, captured Vilnius and then Trakai. Kestutis and his son Vytautas were invited to negotiations at Jogaila's headquarters, where they were captured and placed in Krevo Castle. Kestutis was treacherously killed, and Vytautas managed to escape. Jagiello began to rule alone.
In 1383, the Order, with the help of Vytautas and the Samogitian barons, resumed military operations against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The allies captured Trakai and burned Vilnius. Under these conditions, Jagiello was forced to seek support from Poland. In 1385, a dynastic union was concluded between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish state in Krevo (Krakow) Castle. The following year, Jagiello was baptized, receiving the name Vladislav, married the Polish queen Jadwiga and became the Polish king - the founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty, which ruled Poland and Lithuania for over 200 years. Implementing the union in practice, Jagiello created the Vilnius bishopric, baptized Lithuania, and equalized the rights of the Lithuanian feudal lords who converted to Catholicism with the Polish ones. Vilnius received the right of self-government (Magdeburg Law).
Vytautas, who fought with Jogaila for some time, returned to Lithuania in 1390, and in 1392 an agreement was concluded between the two rulers: Vytautas took possession of the Principality of Trakai and became the de facto ruler of Lithuania (1392-1430). After campaigns in 1397-1398 to the Black Sea, he brought Tatars and Karaites to Lithuania and settled them in Trakai. Vytautas strengthened the Lithuanian state and expanded its territory. He deprived the appanage princes of power, sending his governors to manage the lands. In 1395, Smolensk was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and attempts were made to conquer Novgorod and Pskov. The power of Vytautas extended from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In order to provide himself with a reliable rear in the fight against the crusaders, Vytautas signed an agreement with the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I (who was married to Vytautas’s daughter, Sophia). The Ugra River became the borders between the great principalities.
OLGERD, AKA ALGIDRAS
V. B. Antonovich (“Essay on the History of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania”) gives us the following masterful description of Olgerd: “Olgerd, according to the testimony of his contemporaries, was distinguished primarily by deep political talents, he knew how to take advantage of circumstances, correctly outlined the goals of his political aspirations, and advantageously positioned alliances and successfully chose the time to implement his political plans. Extremely reserved and prudent, Olgerd was distinguished by his ability to keep his political and military plans in impenetrable secrecy. Russian chronicles, which are generally not favorable to Olgerd due to his clashes with northeastern Russia, call him “evil,” “godless,” and “flattering”; however, they recognize in him the ability to take advantage of circumstances, restraint, cunning - in a word, all the qualities necessary to strengthen one’s power in the state and to expand its borders. In relation to various nationalities, it can be said that all Olgerd’s sympathies and attention were focused on the Russian people; Olgerd, according to his views, habits and family connections, belonged to the Russian people and served as its representative in Lithuania.” At the very time when Olgerd strengthened Lithuania by annexing the Russian regions, Keistut was its defender before the crusaders and deserved the glory of the people's hero. Keistut is a pagan, but even his enemies, the crusaders, recognize in him the qualities of an exemplary Christian knight. The Poles recognized the same qualities in him.
Both princes divided the administration of Lithuania so precisely that Russian chronicles know only Olgerd, and German ones only know Keistut.
LITHUANIA AT THE RUSSIA MILLENNIUM MONUMENT
The lower tier of figures is a high relief on which, as a result of a long struggle, 109 finally approved figures are placed, depicting outstanding figures of the Russian state. Under each of them, on a granite base, there is a signature (name), written in a Slavic stylized font.
The figures depicted on the high relief are divided by the author of the Monument project into four sections: Enlighteners, Statesmen; Military people and heroes; Writers and artists...
The Department of State People is located on the eastern side of the Monument and begins directly behind the “Enlighteners” with the figure of Yaroslav the Wise, after which come: Vladimir Monomakh, Gediminas, Olgerd, Vytautas, the princes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Zakharenko A.G. History of the construction of the Monument to the Millennium of Russia in Novgorod. Scientific notes" of the Faculty of History and Philology of the Novgorod State Pedagogical Institute. Vol. 2. Novgorod. 1957
However, the biggest methodological error is the idea that somewhere in the West there was a super-civilized Lithuania with an advanced statehood, ruled by a progressive king - a purebred Lithuanian Mindovg. The Balts did not have any principality as a feudal state, not even the Prussians, as the most numerous tribe. At the time of the formation of the Lithuanian principalities, all the Balts had a tribal system with a strong influence of pagan priests, and their small number was explained by the fact that they had not yet really mastered agriculture. The Russian boyars chose Mindovg not for his literacy, but for the strength that stood behind him in the form of his squad and his influence among the leaders of the Baltic tribes.
Lithuania's civilization and industrialization are a product of the USSR, which it is happily losing today in the United Europe. Lithuania is gradually returning to the position it had before joining Russia. Considering themselves Germans through kinship with the Prussians, as Lithuanian nationalists declare, is obviously a unique type of patriotism, since all Prussians were completely assimilated by German colonists who moved to the indigenous lands of the Balts, captured by the Order states. Unfortunately, the Lithuanian ancestors did not know about the passionate desire of their descendants to merge with the Germans, and therefore they fought for hundreds of years against the Teutonic and Livonian orders, which came to the lands of the Baltic peoples in a crusade.
Apparently, in the Middle Ages, the Eastern Slavs did not single out the Balts as an alien tribe, especially since the lands of the Balts had long been located deep in the territory of the Eastern Slavs. Some of the Balts participated in the formation of the Polish and Belarusian nations, but thanks to the formation of the Principality of Lithuania, the Balts had a chance to subsequently create Lithuania and Latvia as national states.
You just have to be aware that national feelings are a VALUE that the “national” elite instills in the people in order to maintain their dominant position. For the elite itself - nationality - empty sound(Ukraine is a striking example), however, if you instill it as a value in citizens, you can get ownership of an entire people united by this value. Paying tribute to national feelings, one should not be mistaken about their origin.
For those readers who are looking for an answer to the question - How was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania formed?, I advise you to look at the map, which clearly shows that occurs in the northwestern part of the Russian land (so called - Black Rus', according to the coloristic designation of the cardinal directions among the Slavs - black = north), which at the time of the formation of VKL was UNSUBJECTIVE Mongol-Tatar Empire. Independence (1) from Russian princes and (2) from Mongol yoke- was main condition appearance .
Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Rus'
However, a consequence of MOSCOW CENTRISM is the fact that story Galician and Lithuanian Rus' fall out of orthodoxy Russian history Russia as the history of exclusively Muscovite Rus', and then - this one-sidedness doesn't allow understand those that matured precisely in these “shards” of Kievan Rus, alien to the idea of unifying Russian lands under the rule of Moscow.
Today a frenzied war is being waged against the present and Russia, where the fact that Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia was a Russian-speaking state to hide the more important fact that Rus Lithuanian was a Russian state , the main population of which were Kyiv Rusyns. In the minds of Russians and Europeans, Batu’s invasion is did not lead to the division of Rus' into separate parts. Western Rus', Southwestern Rus' And North-Eastern Rus' always remained a country of Russians, only much later the political struggle of the power elites of these parts of Rus' diverged history Lithuanian Rus', Galician Rus' And Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' (Muscovy) according to the main criterion - who will reassemble united Rus' .
But the idea of the state among people in ancient times fully corresponded - as a community of people, to a nationality that was of no interest to anyone on some territory - under the government, for the individualization of which everyone was primarily interested in the nationality, at least the primary one. Nationality became the name of the state for the reason that could be individualized, which in those days were entirely captured by force, inhabited by many different tribes and, more often, unrelated nationalities. In conditions of impossibility of determining the ethnic composition of the people of a certain state, it was nominally assigned the nationality of his elite.
If we consider “nationality” by belonging to a tribe, then population of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania it was very colorful national composition, however, Slavic-speaking people have always prevailed numerically, preserving their dialect as a Western dialect of the Old Russian language of Kievan Rus. If the modern Russian language developed under the enormous influence of the church language of Cyril and Methodius, which was actually literary in Northern Rus', then the modern Belarusian language developed from the Western Russian dialect under the influence of Polish.
Principality of Lithuania and Russia
The Balts have always constituted a small part of the population of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, even at the birth of the Lithuanian state, a separate Lithuanian tribe, apparently - there was no (in fact, see below about the origin of the name Lithuania). The territory of the birthplace of the Lithuanian state was inhabited by well-known Baltic-speaking tribes - the Aukštaites, Samogitians, Yatvingians, Curonians, Latgalians, villages, Semigallians who fled in the 13th century from forced Christianization, Prussians (Bortei or Zuks, Skalovs, Letuvinniki), among whom there is no Lithuania. Today one can only guess where it came from word Lithuania(like Rus'), but we can say for sure that the union of the Baltic tribes, formed on the territory bordering Russia, gave the collective name to the state - Lithuania, the official language of which, due to multinationality, became the Old Russian language, in which, by analogy with the word Rusin- and the ancient Russian word was formed Litvin- litvin - in the sense subject Principality of Lithuania. Later it was unity based on citizenship of one state pushed the national self-awareness of related Baltic-speaking tribes to feel unity into one Lithuanian nation.
This is confirmed by the appearance of the first mentions of Lithuania as an adjective Lituae in Latin to name the border of some previously unknown state with Russia. Then the term appeared in Europe lithuanians to designate citizens of a state that appeared on the political arena, the core of whose elite, judging by the place of origin, became aukstaity, in the sense of some UNION of the Baltic tribes close to the Prussians. As we know, all the other Prussians were colonized by the Teutonic Order, so much so that they simply disappeared, not even leaving us a language.
History of Lithuania Wikipedia contains the article Lithuania (tribes), which actually only proves that no tribe with a name Lithuania did not have, but simply several different tribes of the Balts, from different ethnic groups, on the lands adjacent to Black Russia, formed a territorial union, which received the external name Lithuania. This Union of Lithuania fought with its neighbors - the alliance of the Balts of Yatvingia, Aukstaiti and Samogitia, although the tribes of these same nationalities were part of Union of Lithuania. Members of the Lithuania union had the name Litvina, which directly comes from the word Lithuania, but from what word the word was formed Lithuanians I don't quite understand. The term Lithuania in the sense union of Lithuanian Baltic tribes- is quite legitimate, and the existence of a separate Lithuanian tribe not recorded.
Actually, the full name is Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and Zhemoytskoye- reflected the multinational composition not of the population of the Principality of Lithuania, which was much more diverse, but the specific composition of its elite. The names of the main nationalities are sewn into the name of the state - Principality of Lithuania- for the reason that (1) the union of the Baltic tribes called Lithuania gave the first princes, (2) Principality of Lithuania and Russia not so much due to the numerical predominance of the Rusyns, since the territory of the Principality of Lithuania was formed precisely at the expense of the Russian lands of the weakened Kievan Rus, but due to the presence of Russian boyars, on whom the Novogrudok Principality rested, and in addition (3) - Principality of Zhemoytsk(Zhomoit, Zhemait, Zhamait, Zhmud - various transcriptions of the name of the second union of the Baltic tribes, known in Rus' as Zhmud - were introduced by a new dynasty of princes Gediminovich, originating from the Zhemait tribes.
The first mention of Lithuania in the European Quedlinburg Annals refers to 1009 year when describing the death of a certain missionary Bruno of Querfurt, who was killed “on the border of Rus' and Lithuania,” which itself is referred to as Lituae, that is Litua in the form of the indirect case (in the sense - Lithuanian- for the name of the border).
Perhaps the terms Lituae And lithuanians in Europe became widespread from the crusaders of the Teutonic Order, who seized the lands of the Prussians, which for the neighboring related Baltic tribes became factor for the formation own state. The Russian chronicle mentions the Litvins at almost the same time, but in connection with the campaigns of Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1040 against the Yatvingians. It seems to me that the reason for the punitive campaign of the powerful Kiev prince was the predatory raids of the squads of the emerging Lithuanian state, as a union of tribes on the outskirts of Rus', since the Baltic lands themselves were unlikely to be of particular economic interest to Rus'. It was during Yaroslav's campaign that the Novgrud fortress was laid as an outpost, which later turned into the Russian city of Novogrudok, which became the first capital of the Principality of Lithuania.
Actually, Lithuanian tribes lived surrounded by Eastern Slavs from the Krivichi tribe, to whom they paid tribute, so the Western Russian dialect of the Krivichi was understandable to the Balts. To designate balts from Lithuanian union of tribes in Rus' coined the term Litvin , Litvin- by analogy with the Russian self-name - Rusin, Rusyn, and in Europe they coined the term - lithuanians to designate subjects of the Lithuanian proto-state.
For us it is no longer so important where it came from. word Lithuania- most likely that this was the self-name of the tribe that once ruled in the union of the Baltic tribes and was able to promote from its ranks the first rulers - elite, which gave its own self-name Litvin to all subjects. Later - from the word Litvin ethnonym originated Lithuanians, when the population of the main indigenous lands () needed to somehow separate themselves from their neighbors.
I do not insist on authenticity, and for Russian history the issue of the emergence of a state among the Balts is relevant only in the plane of the emergence of Lithuanian Rus', which became a competitor to the Muscovite kingdom, ripening within Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'.
In this article, the reader will need an idea of the empire as a state entity, the whole essence of which is the unlimited expansion of borders. This "spring" sewn into Principality of Lithuania allowed him from the unknown tiny city-state of Novogrudok to turn into the most powerful state in Eastern Europe.
Next article Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia from Wikipedia, which still had to be edited a little. It is possible to understand the history of the Lithuanian-Russian state only by presenting a clear periodization, since at different stages we are dealing with a completely different state, which changes not only the size of its territory, but the political vector of development. Initially Principality of Lithuania arises and acts as a typical principality of Kievan Rus, participating in the civil strife of Russian princes, which continues despite the Tatar-Mongol yoke.
However, soon two global forces - the European empire (the papal throne and the German emperors) on the one hand and the khans (elite) of the Golden Horde begin to “pull apart” the Russian principalities left without a center on opposite sides of the “barricade”, both on the issue of choice of faith and political orientation. Moreover, a feature of those times is the literal, undisguised coincidence of the “interests of states” with the personal interests of their rulers, in full accordance with the theory of elites.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia
History of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is an Eastern European state that existed from the mid-13th century to 1795 on the territory of modern Belarus and Lithuania, as well as parts of Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Poland, Estonia and Moldova.
Periodization of the history of the Principality of Lithuania
1. On from 1240 to 1385 - as an independent Russian principality fighting against Southwestern (Galician) Rus' and Northeastern (Vladimir-Suzdal) Rus' for the collection of Kyiv lands for yourself. The death of Alexander Nevsky and the feud that broke out between his heirs allowed the Lithuanian principality to seize the middle lands of Kievan Rus, and later annex almost the entire territory of the Galician-Volyn principality. becoming the most powerful state in Eastern Europe.
2. Since 1385, after the conclusion of a personal union with the Kingdom of Poland, the Principality of Lithuania has been part of the union state, where the main role belongs Polish gentry. The reason was the weakening of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the wars against Muscovy, which openly announced the gathering of Russian lands.
Since 1385 it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Poland, and since 1569 - in the Sejm Union of Lublin as part of the confederal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the XIV-XVI centuries - rival of the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the struggle for dominance in Russian lands. It was abolished by the Constitution on May 3, 1791. It finally ceased to exist after the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. By 1815, the entire territory of the former principality became part of the Russian Empire.
Rus' and Lithuania
In Russian chronicles, the first dated mention of Lithuania dates back to 1040, when the campaign of Yaroslav the Wise took place against the Yatvingians and the construction of the Novogrudok fortress began - i.e. a Russian outpost was founded against the Litvins - New town , whose name was later transformed into Novogrudok.
Since the last quarter of the 12th century, many principalities bordering Lithuania (Gorodenskoye, Izyaslavskoye, Drutskoye, Gorodetskoye, Logoiskoye, Strezhevskoye, Lukomskoye, Bryachislavskoye) left the field of view of ancient Russian chroniclers. According to the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” Prince Izyaslav Vasilkovich died in a battle with Lithuania (previously 1185). In 1190, Rurik Rostislavich organized a campaign against Lithuania in support of his wife’s relatives, came to Pinsk, but due to the melting of the snow, the further campaign had to be canceled. Since 1198, the Polotsk land has become a springboard for the expansion of Lithuania to the north and northeast. 
Lithuanian invasions begin directly into the Novgorod-Pskov (1183, 1200, 1210, 1214, 1217, 1224, 1225, 1229, 1234), Volyn (1196, 1210), Smolensk (1204, 1225, 1239, 1248) and Chernigov (1 220) lands with which chronicle Lithuania did not have common borders. The Novgorod first chronicle, dated 1203, mentions the battle of the Chernigov Olgovichi with Lithuania. In 1207, Vladimir Rurikovich of Smolensk went to Lithuania, and in 1216 Mstislav Davydovich of Smolensk defeated the Litvins, who were plundering the outskirts of Polotsk.
Article Grand Duchy of Lithuania Wikipedia I had to correct it because during the period before no formations of the Principality of Lithuania Lithuanians didn't exist, but were Litvins ka is the collective name of the Balts, who carried out raids deep into the Russian principalities.
History of the Principality of Lithuania
If you follow the chronicles, then at the beginning of the second millennium, Baltic tribes often raided the nearest Russian principalities, which allowed Russian chroniclers to correlate the robbers with the territory already known in Rus', for which the generalized name was assigned Lithuania. However, the Balts themselves have not yet been united into a single union, since we know at least about TWO unions - a separate union of Samogitian tribes, and the one that interests us - the Lithuanian union based on the Aukshaits, which, after the Yatvingians entered it, received a common name Lithuania. In those ancient times, when no one asked the nationality of the robbers, all gangs of robbers from the Varangian Sea in Rus' were called the same and without distinction - Litvins from Lithuania. Lithuania, running out of its forests onto the border villages of Pskov, caused destruction.
Actually, already THAT Lithuanian tribes pursued only purely predatory goals, tells us that the state organization of Lithuania was loose - the meaning of allied relations was reduced to the creation of a single detachment of armed men to carry out robberies of neighbors, who clearly already had a higher level of government in the form of principalities, headed by princes from the same family. Rurikovich, which united them into one confederation of principalities, called Rus'.
Chronicles tell us that the Russian princes, in order to pacify the Litvins, themselves carried out punitive raids on lands of the Balts, erecting defensive fortresses on the borders with the lands of the Balts, one of which was Novogrudok, which turned into the center of a small newly formed Russian principality. However, against the backdrop of expansion by the Crusaders and especially after the defeat of Rus' from the Mongol-Tatars, the policy of the elites of this border Russian principality began to change towards the neighboring alliances of Lithuanian tribes. Armed squads from the Balts, who have already gained experience in warfare, begin to invite the Russian border city for defense, which in chronicle form is expressed as an “invitation to reign” of their leaders (which had already happened before Mindovg).
It should be noted that - history of the Lithuanian state, most likely, it would never have started, because the Balts were already pushed out from all sides by the Order of the Crusaders - the Teutonic and Livonian, and, well, what to hide - Rus' itself, if in a small Russian principality, the boyars (read correctly - the elite) would not dare to invite the Lithuanian leader Mindaugas and his retinue to reign. This is how TWO problems were solved at once - (1) armed guards appeared and (2) RAIDS from Lithuania stopped, since they themselves Litvins began to defend Novogrudok.
Novogrudok was able to break the inflexible rule about the possibility of reigning exclusively by members of the Rurikovich family due to the circumstances of the weakening of Rus', when the clan of Rurikovich princes, which owned Russia, was brutally reduced as a result of defeats in battles with the Mongol-Tatars. Actually, both in relation to the crusaders, clad in armor along with their horses, and in relation to the unusual deceptive tactics of the Tatar cavalry, Rus' was faced with an unfamiliar technology of warfare. Moreover, the almost unarmed Tatars on small horses turned out to be even more invulnerable than the German knights clad in iron.
The third condition for the success of the first Lithuanian prince was the almost immediate support from the Pope and the European Empire, which, with the assistance of Poland, was carrying out the colonization of the Baltic lands. Granting Mindaugus the title of king was an advance to attract Lithuania to the side Catholic Europe. Although the heirs of Mindaugas were no longer crowned kings, according to all the rules they received the title of grand dukes, even according to the concepts accepted in the empire of the Eastern Slavs. The royal title was never required by the Lithuanian princes, since the Principality of Lithuania was Russian, and Rus' had its own tradition of glorifying rulers, in which only the title “Grand Duke” was supreme.
What are the reasons for the formation of the Principality of Lithuania
Reasons for the formation of the Principality of Lithuania- in changing the policy of the Russian elite of the Russian city of Novogrudok in relation to the leaders of the unions of neighboring Lithuanian tribes from hostile - to the creation of a single state association - Russian Lithuanian state- in the form of the Novgrudian principality, in which - in principle, “Russian” in its location - the invited Litvin began to rule Mindovg, How first Lithuanian prince.
I think no one really thought about what to call the new one back then. Russian-Lithuanian state- it naturally turned out that the adjective Lithuanian put before the word principality, especially since the Ministry of Education and Science had no choice but to accept the Western Russian language as the state language - simply, formation of the Lithuanian-Russian state began in the Russian city of Novogrudok. Any Balt language was of no interest to anyone, since the language of communication between Rusyns and Litvins had probably long been the Rusyn language.
Now, after answering the question - what are the reasons for the formation of the principality of Lithuania, I want to give an idea of the states themselves during the era of feudalism. In Russian orthodox history they put forward in first place as something extraordinary - features of Kievan Rus as a confederation of almost independent principalities, which allows some anti-Russian historians to argue that the state itself - Kievan Rus- in reality it wasn’t. Actually, they appeal to today’s idea of the structure of the state as centralized, the creation of which in Rus' only Ivan the Terrible will be able to complete.
Firstly, Kyiv Rus is just a term for a period in the history of Rus' called Kyiv or pre-Mongolian- from before the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, when the political center and capital ancient Russian state was Kyiv. At that time, feudal fragmentation, which was carried around like a sack, was not a unique feature of the ancient Russian state - in Europe, all states were separate feuds as a certain territory that the feudal lord COULD PERSONALLY BYPASS to collect taxes. Since, simply for physical reasons, the feudal lord could not control a large territory, the European principalities were small in size. States in Europe were like nesting dolls - small fiefs formed a larger feud of the lord, larger in relation to the fiefs of the vassals, since it overlapped them. Even larger were the fiefs of lords, princes or dukes, who together constituted the fief of the king or grand duke, whose fief was considered a state.
Secondly, the principle according to which only members of the Rukovich family could reign in the Russian principalities was also not unique, although it was carried out unquestioningly hundreds of years after the bloody lesson taught by the Prophetic Oleg to the Kiev “impostors” - from simple warriors who took the place of the Kyiv princes and sentenced to death only for lack of kinship with Rurik. After all, the entire history of the European empire shows us the struggle of princes to install themselves or their descendants in the vacant place of the monarch.
Features of the Lithuanian state were typical of territorial empires, which undoubtedly was Principality of Lithuania 13th-15th century, since it was formed by the leader of the pagan Balts, who became a prince in the Christian Orthodox principality, inhabited by Rusyns, but outside the principality already called Litvins. The main feature of the Lithuanian state thing is great state of Lithuania became a “melting pot” in which two current nations were formed - Lithuanians and Belarusians, as descendants of those Litvinians and Russians who were united by the Great Russian-Lithuanian state, which became one of the three parts of Rus' during the period of the Mongol yoke called.
To understand the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, some periodization should be carried out, since Principality of Lithuania in the 13th century is "Great" only in the dreams of his princes, while Grand Duchy of Lithuania 15th century- the largest state in Europe by territory (if you don’t count Golden Horde or, perhaps, North-Eastern Rus', which did not have any fixed borders in the East).
Grand Duchy of Lithuania 13th century
The consolidation of the Principality of Lithuania took place against the background of the gradual advance of the crusaders of the Order of the Sword in Livonia and the Teutonic Order in Prussia, waging a crusade to convert the pagan Prussians to Christianity, who stubbornly continued to adhere to their ancient pagan beliefs. Unfortunately, the details of the existence of statehood among the Baltic tribes themselves remained outside the attention of chroniclers, since the Teutonic Order did not keep records of events among the conquered Baltic tribes, and Russian chroniclers, since the campaign of Yaroslav the Wise, have been losing interest in the peoples of this region of Kievan Rus, since the main The enemies are the crusaders of the Teutonic and Livonian orders, the fight against which is the prerogative of the princes of the Novgorod land and the Pskov principality. The rest of Rus' focused all its attention on the infighting between the brother princes and the first attack of the Mongol-Tatars, which destroyed the flower of the Russian army.
Princes of the Principality of Lithuania
I hope the reader understands that History is a description of the activities of the elite of society, who make decisions and often answer with their lives for the correctness of their choice. Everything is in full accordance with the theory of elites - representatives of the people living in different parts of the state are not only unable to assess the event (which is important when writing history), but do not even know about it if it did not affect them personally. Knowing and assessing is the function of the elite, which, in order to make life easier for its descendants, just so that they remain in power for as long as possible, begins to write history as instructions based on accumulated experience. Chronicles were written by literate people in ancient times at the request of the authorities; today, versions of history are offered by the intelligentsia - and the elite chooses the option that is beneficial to them in today's conditions.
Therefore, there is no objective or “in general” history - each is written from some point in space and time - know, from a certain angle, which is necessarily present and determines the assessment of events, and the role of elite representatives in them. The first Lithuanian princes, not burdened with obligations to any numerous parties of the elite or officials, acted based on their purely personal interests, disposing of the state as personal property.
The world is diverse, so we are interested in the character, personal qualities and even the appearance of the princes of Lithuania, which definitely influenced the course of history. The logic of development goes by itself, and the mistakes or tactical successes of the princes are a retreat or adherence to the strategy of this logic, which sometimes changes the goals of the logic itself.
The first Lithuanian princes
First Lithuanian prince first mentioned in the agreement of 1219 between the Galicia-Volyn principality and the “princes” of Lithuania, Diavoltva and Samogitians ( Lithuania- in the sense of the name of the union of Lithuanian tribes). The contract appears in Russian Prince Mindovg, How fourth leader on the list of Baltic leaders, which immediately raises the question of the reasons why the future first prince of Lithuania By 1240, he took a leading position among the other Lithuanian prince leaders.
We must understand that the Lithuanian princes mentioned in the chronicle were still leaders of tribal unions, since concept of prince assumes that he has a personal castle - a fortress or in Old Russian detinets, around which a city grows. Since we do not know about Lithuanian cities, the Lithuanian leaders have not yet distinguished themselves enough from among their fellow tribesmen to have a fortified personal dwelling with a warehouse for storing the collected tribute. However, the further history of the approval of Mindaugas as the first among the five leaders mentioned in the chronicle confirms the fact that among the Balts there are already families or clans that have seized power or have hereditary advantages to occupy the place of leader. Perhaps someone else, thanks to his personal courage or wisdom, could still take the place of leader, but the history of the rise of Mindaugas shows that the men of his clan already realize the value of supporting each other in order to find the entire clan in a privileged position among the rest of the tribe. The chronicle mentions Mindaugas fourth, and soon after his reign, his brothers and nephews are listed, who occupy key positions of power among the Baltic tribes. The remaining leaders from the chronicle list of leaders disappear from the historical scene, apparently pushed aside by a close-knit group of men from the Mindaugas clan.
Actually, the above paragraph is the beginning of a separate article - as an insert into this article, which has already become too long. The first Lithuanian princes They also acted as leaders of the Baltic squads, since it was important for them to receive support among their fellow tribesmen and, accordingly, members of their own family, who occupied key positions in the alliances of the Baltic tribes. Obviously, the resource of the Russian Principality of Novogrudok was immediately used to strengthen the positions of Mindaugas’s relatives in the power structures of the alliances of Lithuanian captivity.
On the other hand, an invitation to the principality had only the force of an agreement between the hired leader of a military squad, and the practice of invitation itself had ancient traditions, when the squad was expelled. Therefore, the first prince of Lithuania should be considered as a successful adventurer who, like Rurik, managed to realize the opportunity and gain a foothold in the place of the prince, without relying on any party or family ties among the Russian boyars. Most likely, the first Lithuanian prince was a member of the dynasty of Polotsk princes through the female line, as the chronicle hints at. The Principality of Polotsk itself lost its importance, but a century earlier it was in second place among the Russian principalities, the lot of the first heirs to the throne of the Kyiv Grand Dukes.
I single out Mindovg both as a person and as the leader of the Baltic tribes, who became the first prince for the Balts themselves, who became citizens of the state he created on the Russian lands of Black Rus' and the adjacent lands of the Balts themselves.
Board of Mindovg
So, let us once again recall the geopolitical situation in the Baltic region, when the Russian principalities, weakened by defeat from the Tatar-Mongols, leave the border lands outside their sphere of attention, where, in violation of the rule, it became possible to invite princes not from the Rurik dynasty. According to one hypothesis, the boyars of the Russian city of Novogrudok and Lithuanian prince Mindovg Negotiations about an invitation to reign begin closer to 1240, when Mindaugas is nominated for the role of the main leader among the leaders of the Baltic tribes. The main danger for Novogrudok came from Prince Daniil of Galitsky, since the Galician-Volyn principality, in its expansionist desire to dominate all of Rus', which itself was the most southwestern principality, “reached” even to the northern outskirts of Rus'. The eastern direction for the expansion of the Galician principality was blocked by the Tatars, in the western direction the Galician prince sought friendship with Hungary, only the northern direction remained.
The first Lithuanian prince successfully used the opposition of the Pskov principality, and most importantly - Alexander Nevsky, who reigned in Novgorod, with Daniil of Galicia, but in the end Lithuania fell under the influence of the Galician-Volyn principality, which became the main fighter against the crusaders invited by the Polish king to Prussian lands. Novgorod and Pskov would simply annex the Novogrudok principality, and an alliance with the strong Galician principality would provide the Lithuanian principality with the possibility of independence from the Russian principalities and assistance in the fight against the crusaders. In addition, the distance from the Golden Horde allowed the Principality of Lithuania not to pay tribute and accumulate resources, and even ensured its safety from sudden attacks by the Tatars. All history of the Principality of Lithuania- this is its expansion at the expense of the weakening Galician-Volyn principality, which did not have such a favorable geopolitical position.
Considering the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the aspect of its formation as Lithuanian Rus, we must remember that immediately after the invasion of the Tatars, Kievan Rus disintegrated into TWO parts - the unauthorized Galician-Volyn principality and the northeastern confederation of Russian principalities. Galician Rus' came into contact with the European empire, from which it began to seek protection in the confrontation with the Golden Horde, and North-Eastern Rus', with the help of Alexander Nevsky, entered into a close alliance with the Golden Horde. Moreover, assistance from the Western European Empire required Galician Rus' to profoundly change its cultural and religious foundations, while the Tatars did not seek to change anything in the states they captured, in which their original way of life was preserved. As history has shown, CHOICE OF Alexander Nevsky turned out to be more effective for the self-preservation of Rus'. The core for the revival of Rus' was preserved precisely in the northern principalities, among which Moscow became the main collector of Russian lands.
The most likely reason for inviting Mindaugas to reign in Russian Novogrudok was his hypothetical membership in the Russian dynasty of Polotsk princes (see the biography of Mindaugas), since at that time kinship with princes and dynastic marriages were decisive for occupying the princely throne. A pagan taking the place of prince in an Orthodox city was not something unusual, since no one paid attention to it. The baptism of Mindaugas according to the Orthodox rite is not recorded, but most likely it was with his family, since his son Voishelk makes a pilgrimage to Athos and becomes a monk, but the baptism of Mindaugas according to the Catholic rite in 1251 is a recorded fact that clearly served the political purposes of weakening the pressure on the part of the order's Catholic states.
History of the Lithuanian state begins with the wars that Prince Mindovg organizes to transform his tiny Principality of Novogrudok into the Principality of Lithuania, for which he first eliminates rivals among the leaders of the Baltic tribes, forcing his nephew Tovtivil (Mindovk’s protégé in the Principality of Polotsk) together with the rest of the leaders to make a campaign against the Smolensk lands, promising the captured lands for their management. Having learned about the failure of the campaign, Mindovg seized the lands of the prince-leaders and tried to organize their murder. Most likely, the leaders from the failed Smolensk campaign returned not to their own, but to other Balt tribes.
Lithuanian king
To weaken the coalition of his enemies, which included the Livonian Order, Prince Mindovg uses a trick - he “gives” the Livonian Order the lands of the Baltic tribes that disobey him in exchange, first for baptism according to the Catholic rite, and then in 1253 coronation of Mindaugas on behalf of Pope Innocent IV. Having donated part of the Samogitian and Yatvingian lands to the Livonian Order, Mindovg strengthens its power over all of Black Russia (the word “Black” goes back to the ancient designation of the cardinal direction - Server - y, for which reason the name Bela Rus will initially designate North-Eastern Rus', and Red Rus'- southern Galich lands of Rus').
We must understand political situation Western (Black) Rus', which became the historical center of the Principality of Mindovg, as a northwestern wedge of Russian lands, on which the interests of the Catholic German orders and Veliky Novgorod opposing them, led by Alexander Nevsky, the Kingdom of Poland and Daniil Galitsky, converged, and, for the latter, Mindovg turned out to be a natural ally. For Galicia-Volyn Principality of Lithuania as independent it was of interest for contrasting with rivals, which in no way canceled Daniil’s claims to reign under the right of the Rurikovichs, therefore, as we know, Mindovg was forced to transfer rule in Novogrudok to Daniil’s son Roman, which, together with Mindovg’s rebaptism into Catholicism, leads him to confrontation with his own son Voishelk, who headed the Orthodox party.
Voishelk’s biography confirms the thesis that the Lithuanian princes already in the second generation became Russian princes, since son of Mindaugas demonstrates exceptional loyalty to Orthodoxy. In addition, Voishelk goes against his pagan father, who was baptized several times for political purposes and returned to paganism before his death, and returns to reign only for the sake of becoming a truly Russian Principality of Lithuania, since he himself recognizes the right of the Rurikovichs to reign and voluntarily transfers the rule to Shvarn, his son Daniil Galitsky. Since Voyshelk, the Principality of Lithuania has firmly entered the “circle” of Russian principalities with the rights of an appanage principality.
Actually, it is difficult to show the borders of the Lithuanian-Russian state under Mindovga and Voishelka on the map - I depicted an area that captured the Russian lands and the lands of the Balts. For me, it is more important to show that literally after a few years of reign (in 1254), Mindovg recognized his Russian principality as part of the empire of the Galician prince Daniel, planting in Novogrudok, former capital principality - Roman Danilovich, son of Daniel. In fact, this was the recognition of the laws of Rus' on reigning, according to which only a member of the Rurikovich dynasty could reign. In fact, a strange situation arises when King Mindovg, having transferred the capital to Rurikovich, himself is in an unknown residence - most likely precisely because of the unknown - on the territory of the Lithuanian tribes. Dual power will continue under the son of Mindovg - Voishelka, who will kill Roman Danilovich, but then voluntarily give the Principality of Lithuania to another son of Daniel - Shvarn Danilovich, in turn recognizing the unconditional rights of the Rurikovichs to reign in any Russian principality.
The first Lithuanian princes could not fight against the rules of Galician Rus, which was not only the hegemon in the region, but also almost the only natural ally of the Lithuanian princes. Most likely, the Novogrudok principality would have simply been annexed by its Russian neighbors, but as an outpost of the Galicia-Volyn principality in the northwestern corner of Rus', it was preserved as a state entity. The patronage of Galician Rus had to be paid for by the transfer of power to the sons of Daniil of Galicia, but they also contributed to the expansion of the territory and strengthening of the principality as not an appanage, but a Grand Duchy.
Another thing is that the Galician-Volyn principality itself, for which the Principality of Lithuania became an inheritance, is beginning to fall apart for several reasons at once, which, in the context of the weakening influence of the Galician princes, allows a new generation of Lithuanian impostors from the Zhmud leaders to seize power in the Principality of Lithuania and create a new dynasty of Lithuanian princes - Gediminovichi.
The murder of Schwarn as a legitimate Russian prince from the Rurik dynasty pitted the Principality of Lithuania against the rest of Rus'. After several political assassinations of the new princes, apparently self-promoted by their military squad, princely power was finally consolidated under Gediminas, as the prince of the Lithuanian principality, independent of the Galician grand dukes.
As I already said, activities of the Lithuanian princes covered in a separate article - but note that with Gediminas the expansion of the Lithuanian principalities begins by annexing primarily the southern Russian lands. After the death of the main (from our point of view) political figures - Alexander Nevsky and Daniil Galitsky, their states were fragmented into inheritances of heirs, who did not particularly show themselves, except for Daniil Alexandrovich, who with his peace-loving policy brought the seedy appanage Moscow principality into the first rank of the most influential principalities.
Lithuania's entry into the political system Catholic Europe allowed Mindaugus to strengthen his power among the Baltic tribes, and create an alliance with the Galician-Volyn principality by transferring the reign in Novogrudok to the son of the Galician prince Roman Danilovich (Novogrudok prince 1254-1258). The union was not overshadowed by the joint campaign against Poland and Lithuania of the Horde and Galicians, organized under pressure from the khans of the Golden Horde, who did not forgive Mindaugas for accepting the title of king from the Pope. Daniil Galitsky himself avoided the campaign, transferring command to his brother, Prince of Volyn Vasilko Romanovich, which did not save his son Roman Danilovich from being captured by Voishelka, the son of Mindovg, who led the Russian party in Novrogrudok. Roman Danilovich was killed in 1258, which coincides with Mindaugas’s renunciation of Christianity (it is not clear whether it was only Catholicism) and the return to open struggle against the Catholic Orders. After supporting several Prussian uprisings, the Lithuanians, under the leadership of Midovg, win the Battle of Durbe, which became the stage of the annexation of Samogitia to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. However, in 1263, Mindovg, along with his younger sons, was killed as a result of a conspiracy organized by the Polotsk prince Tovtivil and Mindovg’s nephews - Troinat and Dovmont, which ended with Troinat (1263-1264) taking the place of the Grand Duke, who soon killed the head of the conspirators Tovtivil.
Some modern historians, disputing the conclusions of the Imperial Geographical Society (although without access to its archives - no one worked with the Polotsk Chronicle after Tatishchev), consider Gedimina a descendant of the Zhmudins, who “they had been sitting on the princely thrones of the appanages of the Principality of Polotsk for a long time - it was weakened and princes from strong Lietuva (Zhmudi) were invited/appointed there, so the annexation of the Polotsk lands took place voluntarily and peacefully”
A question immediately arises that cannot be answered.
How probable is an invitation (peaceful - there was no conquest) to the princely throne in the Christian center of the leaders of the pagan aborigines
[
“The Samogits wear poor clothes and, in the vast majority of cases, are ashen in color. They spend their lives in low and, moreover, very long huts; in the middle of them there is a fire, near which the father of the family sits and sees the cattle and all his household utensils. For they have custom of keeping cattle, without any partition, under the same roof under which they live. The more noble ones also use buffalo horns as cups. ... They blast the earth not with iron, but with wood... When going to plow, they usually carry with them there are a lot of logs with which to dig the ground"
S. Herberstein, “Notes on Muscovy”, 16th century, about contemporary Zhmudins. (It was even sadder in the 13th century) ]
And what guided the residents, preferring them to people from neighboring (Volyn, Kyiv, Smolensk, Novgorod, Mazovia) principalities, which
- represent a powerful state entity
- closer in culture
- closer in language
- dynastically related
- live in cities, know writing and similar laws
And this despite the fact that at that time in Polotsk there was "freedom Polotsk or Venice"- undesirable rulers were quite often simply expelled.