Karigaila

Karigaila ( _pl. Korygiełło, died on September 16 1390 in Vilnius)lt icon cite encyclopedia | editor=Vytautas Spečiūnas | encyclopedia=Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas | title=Karigaila | year=2004 | publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas | location=Vilnius | isbn=5-420-01535-8 | pages=58] was one of the sons of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife Uliana of Tver. He ruled Mstsislaw after it was captured from the Principality of Smolensk. He is sometimes mistaken with his brother Constantine, who gave rise to the House of Czartoryski. [cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=The American Cyclopaedia: A Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge | first=George |last=Ripley |coauthors=Charles Anderson Dana | title=Chartoryski |volume=V |location=New York |publisher=D. Appleton and Company |year=1874| pages=623 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nZ0UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA623 ] After his older brother Jogaila signed the Union of Krewo, Karigaila was baptized as Casimir in Kraków in March 1386. He then hurried from Poland to eastern Grand Duchy of Lithuania to subdue his half-brother Andrei of Polotsk, who renewed his struggle for power against Jogaila. On April 18 1386 he and his other brother soundly defeated Sviatoslav of Smolensk, who allied himself with Andrei and attacked Mstsislaw, in the Battle of the Vekhra River. During the Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392) Karigaila commanded defense of the Crooked Castle in Vilnius. The castle fell and he was killed. Later Jogaila complained that Karigaila was taken captive and brutally executed by the Teutonic Knights; the Knights denied and claimed that Karigaila was killed in the fight and they only found his body. [cite book| title=Samogitian Crusade |first=William |last=Urban |publisher=Lithuanian Research and Studies Center |location=Chicago |year=2006 | isbn=0-929700-56-2 |pages=200] Karigaila is buried at Vilnius Cathedral. [lt icon cite web| url=http://www.vilniauspilys.lt/arkikatedra2 |title=Arkikatedra Bazilika |publisher= The Directorate of the State Cultural Reserve of Vilnius Castles |accessdate=2008-07-08]

ee also

* House of Algirdas – family tree of Karigaila

References