Page 218 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

216  INTRODUCING LITHU ANIA

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Founded in the 13th century by King Mindaugas and TALLINN VELIKIY
strengthened further by Grand Duke Gediminas in the Baltic RĪGA NOVGOROD TVER
Sea
14th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania reached its VILNIUS Polatsk MOSCOW
greatest territorial extent under Vytautas the Great. Minsk Bryansk
Brest
Originally a defensive military union, the Duchy quickly CRACOW Chernigov
started expanding eastwards and southwards, eventually Lutsk Kiev Poltava
Bratslav
stretching across much of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. MOLDAVIA
KINGDOM
The Duchy was dominated in Vilnius by a military class that OF HUNGARY Black Sea
later became a privileged nobility. Vilnius flourished as the Key
capital of culture and architecture. Grand Duchy under Vytautas

The Battle of Grünwald
Nothing quite symbolizes the Grand
Duchy at the height of its achieve­
ments like Jan Matejko’s masterpiece,
painted in 1878. Vytautas the Great is
shown at the centre, victorious in the
Battle of Grünwald (Žalgiris) against
the Teutonic Knights in 1410. The
Knights were decisively defeated by
the combined armies of the Grand
Duchy and Poland, led by Vytautas
and King Jogaila, respectively.

Grand Duke Gediminas (1275–1341)
extended the Duchy’s borders, moved
the capital to Vilnius and built a
powerful chain of defensive fortresses.
Albert II Radvila (1595–1656), who
was descended from a long line of
influential nobles, effectively ruled
the Grand Duchy as Grand
Chancellor of Lithuania within the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Grand Duke Vytautas (1350–1430),
shown here in a 17th-century portrait,
is today revered as a national hero.
Under his reign, the Grand Duchy grew
to its greatest geographical extent,
covering swathes of land between the
Baltic and Black seas.

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