Battle on the Irpen' River

Battle on the Irpin River
Date Early 1320s Location Belgorod Kievsky on the Irpin River 50°23′N 30°13′E / 50.383°N 30.217°E / 50.383; 30.217Coordinates: 50°23′N 30°13′E / 50.383°N 30.217°E / 50.383; 30.217 Result Lithuanian victory
Belligerents
Grand Duchy of Lithuania	Kiev Principality
Commanders and leaders
Gediminas	Stanislav of Kiev Oleg of Pereyaslavl † Roman of Bryansk Leo II of Galicia †

The Battle on the Irpin River is a semi-legendary battle between the armies of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Principality of Kiev. According to the story, Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, conquered Volhynia before turning his attention to Kiev. He was opposed by Prince Stanislav of Kiev allied with the Principality of Pereyaslavl and Bryansk. Lithuanians achieved a great victory and extended their influence to Kiev. There are no contemporary sources that attest to the battle. It is known only from late and generally unreliable Lithuanian Chronicles. Therefore, historians disagree whether it was an actual battle in the early 1320s or a fictional story invented by later scribes. Lithuanians gained full control of the city only in 1362 after the Battle of Blue Waters against the Golden Horde.

As told by the Lithuanian Chronicles, having made peace with the Teutonic Order, Gediminas marched against Volhynia. The Lithuanian Army successfully attacked and captured Volodymyr-Volynskyi. Prince Vladimir (most likely incorrect name for Andrew of Galicia) was killed during the battle. His brother Leo II of Galicia fled to his brother-in-law in Bryansk. The Lithuanian Army spent the winter in Brest and, second week after Easter, marched against the Principality of Kiev. They captured Ovruch and Zhytomyr. At Belgorod Kievsky on the small Irpin River about 23 km (14 mi) south west of Kiev, Gediminas was stopped by the joint army of Stanislav of Kiev, Oleg of Pereyaslavl, Roman of Bryansk, and Leo II of Galicia. The Lithuanians achieved a decisive victory. Oleg and Leo were slain on the battlefield. Stanislav escaped first to Bryansk and then to Ryazan. Gediminas then captured Belgorod Kievsky and besieged Kiev for a month. Left without its ruler, Kiev surrendered. The Lithuanians also captured Vyshhorod, Cherkasy, Kaniv, Putyvl, as well as Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi. Algimantas, son of Mindaugas from the Alšėniškiai family, was installed in Kiev as Gediminas' viceroy.

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