Saint
Dmitriy Ivanovich Donskoy , or
Dmitriy of the Don, sometimes referred to as
Dmitriy I (12 October 1350, Moscow – 19 May 1389, Moscow), son of
Ivan II KrasnyiIvan II Ivanovich the Fair was the second son of Ivan Kalita who succeeded his brother Simeon the Proud, who died of the Black Death, as Grand Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir in 1353...
, reigned as the
Prince of MoscowThe Grand Duchy of Moscow was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and 1547. The Grand Duchy of Moscow, as the state is known in Russian records, has been referred to by many Western sources as Muscovy. However, this term is also sometimes applied to the Tsardom of Russia...
from 1359 and Grand Prince of
VladimirVladimir is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. It is the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast. Population: Vladimir was one of the medieval capitals of Russia, and two of its cathedrals are a World Heritage Site...
from 1363 to his death. He was the first prince of
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
to openly challenge Tatar authority in Russia. His nickname, Donskoy (i.e., "of the
DonThe Don is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov....
"), alludes to his great victory against the Tatars in the
Battle of KulikovoThe Battle of Kulikovo was fought by the Tartaro-Mongols and the Russians. The battle took place on September 8, 1380 at the Kulikovo Field near the Don River and resulted in a Russian victory...
(1380) which took place on the Don River.
Early reign
Dmitriy ascended the throne of
Principality of MoscowThe Grand Duchy of Moscow was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and 1547. The Grand Duchy of Moscow, as the state is known in Russian records, has been referred to by many Western sources as Muscovy. However, this term is also sometimes applied to the Tsardom of Russia...
at the age of 9. During his minority, the government was actually run by Metropolitan Aleksey of Russia. In 1360 the highest dignity among Russian princes, that of Grand Prince of
VladimirVladimir is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. It is the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast. Population: Vladimir was one of the medieval capitals of Russia, and two of its cathedrals are a World Heritage Site...
, was transferred by a
KhanKhan is an originally Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, first used by medieval Altaic-speaking nomadic tribes living to the north of China and the center of Rumelia Kailar yoruks are mentioned as yorukkhans in Ottoman arvhives...
of the
Golden HordeThe Ulus of Jochi or the Golden Horde is an East Slavic designation for the Mongol—later Turkicized—Muslim khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire after the Mongol invasion of Rus' in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus...
upon Dmitriy Konstantinovich of Nizhniy Novgorod. In 1363, when that prince had been deposed, Dmitriy Ivanovich was finally crowned at Vladimir. Three years later, he made peace with Dmitriy Konstantinovich and married his daughter Eudoxia. In 1376, their joined armies ravaged
Volga BulgariaVolga Bulgaria or Volga-Kama Bolghar, is a historic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now Russia. Today, both the Republics of Tatarstan and Chuvashia are considered to be descendants of Volga...
.
The most important event during the early years of Dmitriy's reign was construction of the first stone
Moscow KremlinThe Moscow Kremlin otherwise known as the Russian Parliament , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
, completed in 1367. The new fortress allowed the city to withstand two sieges by
AlgirdasAlgirdas or Olgerd was a monarch of medieval Lithuania. Algirdas ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377, which chiefly meant monarch of Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
of
LithuaniaThe Grand Duchy of Lithuania was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th /13th century until 1795. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the pagan Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija...
, in 1368 and 1370. Attempt for the third siege in 1372 ended in
Treaty of LyubutskTreaty of Lyubutsk was a peace treaty signed in summer of 1372 between Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Dmitri Donskoi, Prince of Moscow. The treaty resulted in a seven-year peace period.-Treaty:...
. In 1375, Dmitriy managed to settle his conflict with
Mikhail II of TverMikhail Alexandrovich was Grand Prince of Tver and briefly held the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir. He was one of only two Tver princes after 1317 to hold the grand princely title, which was almost the exclusive purview of the Muscovite princes.Mikhail Alexandrovich was the fourth son of...
over
VladimirVladimir is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. It is the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast. Population: Vladimir was one of the medieval capitals of Russia, and two of its cathedrals are a World Heritage Site...
in his favour. Other princes of Northern Russia also acknowledged his authority and contributed their troops to his impending struggle against the Horde. By the end of his reign, Dmitriy more than doubled territory of Moscow principality.
Struggle against Mamai
Dmitriy's thirty-year reign saw the beginning of the end for Mongol domination of parts of what is now Russia. The
Golden HordeThe Ulus of Jochi or the Golden Horde is an East Slavic designation for the Mongol—later Turkicized—Muslim khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire after the Mongol invasion of Rus' in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus...
was severely weakened by civil war and dynastic rivalries. Dmitri took advantage of this lapse in Mongol authority to openly challenge the Tatars.
While he kept the Khan's patent to collect taxes for all of Russia, Dmitri is also famous for leading the first Russian military victory over the Mongols.
MamaiMamai was a powerful military commander of the Blue Horde in the 1370s, who resided in the western part of this nomadic state, which is now the Southern Ukrainian Steppes and the Crimean Peninsula...
, a Mongol general and claimant to the throne, tried to punish Dmitri for attempting to increase his power. In 1378 Mamai sent a Mongol army, but it was defeated by Dmitri's forces in the Battle of Vozha River Two years later Mamai personally led a large force against Moscow. Dmitri met and defeated it at the
Battle of KulikovoThe Battle of Kulikovo was fought by the Tartaro-Mongols and the Russians. The battle took place on September 8, 1380 at the Kulikovo Field near the Don River and resulted in a Russian victory...
.
The defeated Mamai was presently dethroned by a rival Mongol general,
TokhtamyshTokhtamysh , was the last khan of the White Horde, who unified the White Horde and Blue Horde subdivisions of the Golden Horde into a single state. He was a descendant of Genghis Khan's eldest grandson, Orda Khan. - Early campaigns :...
. That khan reasserted Mongol rule over parts of what now is Russia and overran Moscow for Dmitri's resistance to Mamai. Dmitri, however, pledged his loyalty to Tokhtamysh and to the Golden Horde and was reinstated as Mongol principal tax collector and Grand Duke of Vladimir. Upon his death in 1389, Dmitri was the first Grand Duke to bequeath his titles to his son
VasiliyVasiliy I Dmitriyevich , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1389.He was the oldest son of Dmitri Donskoi and Grand Princess Eudoxia, daughter of the Grand Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod.-Domestic policy:Basil I continued the process of unification of the Russian lands: in 1392, he...
without consulting the Khan.
Marriage and children
He was married to
Eudoxia of Nizhniy NovgorodEudoxia Dmitriyevna —monastic name, Euphrosyne— was a Grand Duchess of Muscovy and wife of Dmitry Donskoy.-Family:Eudoxia Dmitriyevna was a daughter of Dmitry Konstantinovich, Grand Prince of Nizhny Novgorod and Vasilisa of Rostov....
. She was a daughter of
Dmitriy of SuzdalDmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal , was a powerful Prince of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod who dominated Russian politics during the minority of his son-in-law, Dmitri Donskoi. The famous Shuisky family descends from his eldest son, Vasily Kirdyapa.A senior descendant of Vsevolod the Big Nest, he...
and Vasilisa of
RostovRostov is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so-called Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero in Yaroslavl Oblast, 202 km to the north east of Moscow. Population:...
. They had at least twelve children:
- Daniil Dmitriyevich (c. 1370 - 15 September 1379).
- Vasiliy I of Moscow (30 September 1371 – 27 February 1425).
- Sofia Dmitriyevna. Married Fyodor Olegovich, Prince of Ryazan
Ryazan Principality existed from 1078 when it was separated from the Chernigov Principality. In 1521 the Principality became a part of Muscovy. The first ruler of Ryazan was supposedly Yaroslav Sviatoslavich, Prince of Chernigov , later Prince of Murom-Ryzan.In 1097 the Principality became...
(reigned 1402-1427).
- Yuriy Dmitriyevich
Yury Dmitrievich , also known as George II of Moscow, Yury of Zvenigorod and Jurij Zwenihorodski, was the second son of Dmitri Donskoi. He was the Duke of Zvenigorod and Galich from 1389 until his death. During the reign of his brother Vasily I, he took part in the campaigns against Torzhok ,...
, Duke of ZvenigorodZvenigorod is an old town in Moscow Oblast, Russia. Population: 12,917 ; -History:The community has existed since the 12th century, although its first written mention is dated 1338. The town's name is derived from two roots, meaning "to ring bells" and "town". It may be translated as "the town...
and GalichGalich is a town in Kostroma Oblast, Russia, situated on the southern bank of Lake Galichskoye. It is also a minor railroad node of the Trans-Siberian railway. Population: -History:...
(26 November 1374 – 5 June 1434). Claimed the throne of Moscow against his nephew Vasiliy II of Moscow.
- Maria Dmitriyevna (d. 15 May 1399). Married Lengvenis
Lengvenis was one of the sons of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and the ruler of Great Novgorod . He was know for his skills as a military leader....
.
- Anastasia Dmitriyevna. Married Ivan Vsevolodovich, Prince of Kholm
Kholm is a town in the southern part of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, the administrative center of Kholmsky District. Its population is 4,300 ; 4,325...
.
- Simeon Dmitrievich (d. 11 September 1379).
- Ivan Dmitriyevich (d. 1393).
- Andrei Dmitriyevich, Prince of Mozhaysk
Mozhaysk is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to the west from the Russian capital, on the historic road leading to Smolensk and then to Poland. Population:...
(14 August 1382 – 9 July 1432).
- Piotr Dmitriyevich, Prince of Dmitrov
Dmitrov is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to the north of Moscow. It is located on the Yakhroma River and the Moscow Canal, which connects the Russian capital with the Volga River. Population: 61,500 ; 62,219 ....
(29 July 1385 – 10 August 1428).
- Anna Dmitriyevna (born 8 January 1387). Married Yuriy Patrikiyevich. Her husband was a son of Patrikey, Prince of Starodub
Starodub is a town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Babinets River , 169 km southwest of Bryansk. Population: 18,643 ; 16,000 .-History:...
and his wife Helena. His paternal grandfather was Narimantas. The marriage solidified his role as a BoyarA boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rusian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century.The rank has lived on as a surname in Russia and Finland, where it is...
attached to Moscow.
- Konstantin Dmitriyevich, Prince of Pskov
Pskov Republic was a Russian medieval state between the second half of the 13th century and early 16th century.-Origin:After the disintegration of Kievan Rus' in the 12th century, the city of Pskov with its surrounding territories along the Velikaya River, Lake Peipus, Pskovskoye Lake and Narva...
(14 May/15 May 1389 - 1433).
External links