Andrew of Galicia
Encyclopedia
Andriy II Yuriyevych or Andrew of Galicia (unknown - 1323) was the last Rus'
Rus' (people)
The Rus' were a group of Varangians . According to the Primary Chronicle of Rus, compiled in about 1113 AD, the Rus had relocated from the Baltic region , first to Northeastern Europe, creating an early polity which finally came under the leadership of Rurik...

 king of Galicia-Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...

 in 1308–1323 (according to other sources since 1315). He was the son of Yuriy I (1252-1308) whom he succeeded on the royal throne of Galicia. His mother was Euphemia of Kuyavia
Euphemia of Kuyavia
Euphemia of Kuyavia was a Kuyavian princess, she was Queen consort of Galicia-Volhynia.She was the daughter of Casimir I of Kuyavia by his third wife Euphrosyne, daughter of Casimir I of Opole...

. After the death of his father, he ruled the kingdom together with his brother Lev II
Lev II of Galicia
Lev Yurevich or Lev II of Galicia was the last Rurikid king of Galicia-Volhynia in 1308–1323 . He was the son of Yuri I of Galicia whom he succeeded on the royal throne of Galicia. After the death of his father, he ruled the kingdom together with his brother Andrey. His mother was Euphemia...

. Though the kingdom was one being managed together, there are sources informing that Andrew was seated in Volodymyr-Volynskyi
Volodymyr-Volynskyi
Volodymyr-Volynsky is a city located in Volyn Oblast, in north-western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Volodymyr-Volynsky District, the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...

 and Lev II in Galicia.

Fighting Lithuania and Tatars

It is known that in the second decade of 14th century, Lithuanian strengthened its pressure upon Galicia-Volhynia taking Dorohychyn
Drohiczyn
Drohiczyn is a small historic town in Siemiatycze County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. The town with population 2,110 is situated on a bank of the Bug River.- History :...

 and Berestia
Berestia
Berestia , or Land of Berestia is the part of Belarusian and Polish ethnic territory, bounded by the Bug River, Pripyat River, Yaselda River, and Narew River.-Cities:...

 lands away. The years of rule of brothers were in constant fight with Gediminas of Lithuania.

Ha had established firm relations with Polish king Władysław I the Elbow-high and Teutonic order and attempted to weaken dependence from the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...

. For some time king Andrew had been fighting the Mongol-Tatars and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

.

They were also in union with the allies of Władysław I the Elbow-high - Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

n and Pomorian kings against margrafs of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

 (1315).

Death

According to some historians he died together with his brother Lev II battling the Mongol-Tatars or Lithuanians
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...

 while defending Berestia
Berestia
Berestia , or Land of Berestia is the part of Belarusian and Polish ethnic territory, bounded by the Bug River, Pripyat River, Yaselda River, and Narew River.-Cities:...

.

Both king Andrew and his brother Lev II were much respected on the west. In May 1323, the Polish king Władysław I the Elbow-high in his letter to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 wrote with regret: "The two last Ruthenian kings, that had been firm shields for Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 from the Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...

, left this world and after their death Poland is directly under Tatar threat."

After their death the line of direct descendants of Roman Mstyslavych broke and the Galician state remained without a dynasty. Galician boyars (nobility) attempted to rule the state themselves. That perhaps was the reason that that they sought the protection of the Tatars, which Władysław I the Elbow-high became afraid of. But soon more conservative elements took hold among the boyars and the Galician throne was given to the Mazovian duke Boleslaw Trojdenowicz (related to the deceased royal brothers through marriage to their sister Maria), who took the name Yuriy II and who ruled Galicia from 1323 until 1338. Boleslaw Treojdenowicz was married to Andrew's sister Maria
Heiress Maria of the Duchies of Galicia
Heiress Maria of the Duchies of Galicia was wife to George II of Halych and sister to Leo II of Halych and Andrew of Halych, daughter of George I of Halych...

 who ruled along with the husband. Her niece, Eufemia, heiress of Volhynia ruled in Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...

.

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