Yury of Smolensk

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Yury Svyatoslavich or Georgy Svyatoslavovich (Russian: Юрий Святославович or Георгий Святославович) was the last sovereign ruler of Smolensk and Bryansk (1386-95, 1401-04) whose life was spent in vain attempts to fend off aggression by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

[edit] Biography

In 1386 a war broke out between Olgierd's sons, Skirgaila and Wigund. The latter fled from Polotsk to Smolensk and asked Yury's father for help. The armies of Smolensk and Skirgaila clashed near Mstislavl. After Yury's father was killed in battle and his brothers were taken prisoner, the Lithuanians approached Smolensk and allowed Yury to assume the throne on certain conditions, after exacting a sizable indemnity from him.

In 1395, while Yury was visiting his father-in-law, Oleg Korotopol of Ryazan, his brother-in-law, Vytautas the Great (Vitovt), took Smolensk and installed his governor there. Four years later, Vitovt was routed by the Tatars in the Battle of the Vorskla River. In 1401, Yury and Oleg made use of his plight to retake Smolensk and Bryansk, where the pro-Lithuanian boyars were promptly executed.

In the fall Vitovt laid siege to Smolensk but was forced to retreat after signing an armistice. Two years later, Smolensk withstood a two-week siege by Vitovt. Solicitous to preclude a new attack, Yury went to Moscow to ask Vasily I for help against Vitovt (who was Vasily's father-in-law). Although Yury promised to bequeathe his possessions to Vasily, the Muscovite ruler hesitated to accept this flattering proposal, until the boyars of Smolensk opened the city gates to Vitovt and surrendered Yury's capital to his old enemy (1404). Thus Smolensk was lost to Russians for more than a century.

As Vasily was eager to accuse Yury of short-sightedness, the latter left Moscow and proceeded with his son to Novgorod, where he was treated honourably and was given an appanage of thirteen towns, including Porkhov and Tiversk. In 1406 he returned to Moscow, reconciled himself with Vasily and was sent to govern Torzhok in his name. While there, he attempted to seduce the wife of his cousin, Prince Semyon of Vyazma. When she refused his advances, Yury killed her and her husband and, afraid of the imminent punishment, fled to the Golden Horde, where he died soon thereafter, in 1407.

[edit] Progeny

Yury had two daughters, Anastasia and Elena. The latter was the wife of Grand Duke Svitrigaila of Lithuania. The former married in 1399 Yury of Zvenigorod, giving birth to the famous Dmitry Shemyaka.