Algirdas of Lithuania
| Algirdas | |
|---|---|
| Grand Duke of Lithuania | |
Fragment from medal by Juozas Kalinauskas
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| Reign | 14th century 1316–1377 1345–1377 (as Grand Duke of Lithuania) |
| Predecessor | Jaunutis |
| Successor | Jogaila |
| Born | c. 1296 |
| Died | Late May 1377 possibly Maišiagala |
| Spouse |
Maria of Vitebsk Uliana Alexandrovna of Tver |
| Issue | For others, see family of Algirdas |
| Dynasty | Gediminid |
| Father | Gediminas |
| Mother | Jewna |
| Religion | Paganism |
Algirdas (Belarusian: Альгерд, Ukrainian: Ольгерд, Polish: Olgierd; c. 1296 – May 1377) was a ruler of medieval Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his brother Kęstutis (who defended the western border of the Duchy) he created an empire stretching from the present Baltic states to the Black Sea and to within fifty miles of Moscow.
Algirdas was one of the seven sons of Grand Prince Gediminas. Before his death in 1341, Gediminas divided his domain, leaving his youngest son Jaunutis in possession of the capital, Vilnius. With the aid of his brother, Kęstutis, Algirdas drove out the incompetent Jaunutis and declared himself Grand Prince in 1345. He devoted the next thirty-two years to the development and expansion of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Two factors are thought to have contributed to this result: the political sagacity of Algirdas and the devotion of Kęstutis. The division of their dominions is illustrated by the fact that Algirdas appears almost exclusively in East Slavic sources, while Western chronicles primarily describe Kęstutis. Lithuania was surrounded by enemies. The Teutonic Order in the northwest and the Golden Horde in the southwest sought Lithuanian territory, while Poland to the west and Muscovy to the east were generally hostile competitors.
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