Analysis Battle on the Irpin River

the kingdom of galicia–volhynia (1245–1349)

information lithuanian conquest comes confused , unreliable lithuanian chronicles (second , third redaction) , ukrainian (gustynskaia chronicle) produced many years after events. no contemporary sources directly corroborate story. in 1880s, ukrainian historian vladimir bonifatevich antonovich first critically evaluate chronicles , dismiss campaign , battle fiction. however, after careful analysis, modern historians believe antonovich critical , there truth story.

political situation

the principalities of galicia–volhynia attracted gediminas attention on; attacked brest in 1315 , arranged marriage between son liubartas , euphemia, daughter of andrew of galicia. after attack in 1315, principality allied teutonic order, long-standing enemy of lithuanians. links between alliance , lithuanian attach suggested bronisław włodarski. galicia–volhynia rich land , offered access further south kiev. letters of gediminas 1323 suggest commercial rivalry contributing factor in attack. there no known attacks teutonic knights on lithuania between july 1320 , march 1322, indicate peace mentioned in chronicle. there attack on lithuania golden horde in 1325; historians feliks shabuldo , romas batūra interpreted direct reprisal lithuanian expansion. lithuanian takeover of cherkasy, kaniv, putyvl refers campaign led vytautas in 1392.

it known brothers andrew , leo of galicia–volhynia died sometime between may 1321 , may 1323. however, death did not bring lithuanian control galicia–volhynia. brothers did not have male heir , succeeded bolesław jerzy ii of mazovia, son of sister maria, , not liubartas. bolesław jerzy poisoned in 1340 bringing prolonged galicia–volhynia wars split territory between grand duchy of lithuania , kingdom of poland. contemporary sources not indicate brothers slain lithuanians. swiss chronicler john of winterthur recorded poisoned rebellious subjects. in letter pope john xxii, polish king władysław elbow-high lamented death of andrew , leo left poland vulnerable attack golden horde , made no mention of lithuania aggression.

personal names

names recorded in chronicle confused. chronicle mentions prince vladimir of volodymyr-volynskyi. no such prince known @ time of gediminas reign; last prince vladimir iii ivan vasilkovich died in 1289. however, conceivable error – scribe might have accidentally transferred name of city prince andrew of galicia. case simple mistake bolstered fact brother s name correctly recorded leo ii of galicia. further, contemporary sources attest brothers andrew , leo of galicia–volhynia died sometime between may 1321 , may 1323. roman of bryansk 13th-century prince; dmitry romanovich prince of bryansk @ time. explained error , confusion of patronymic name first name of more famous predecessor. there no evidence prove or disprove whether leo , dmitry romanovich brothers-in-law. historians had suggested 3 names borrowed earlier campaign: hypatian codex recorded 1274 battle between lithuanians , vladimir of volodymyr-volynskyi, leo of galicia, , roman of chernigov , bryansk @ drahichyn. however, historian s. c. rowell found no other textual similarities between 1274 battle in codex , 1320s campaign in lithuanian chronicles.

nothing can said oleg of pereyaslavl nothing known on princes of pereyaslavl after devastation in 1240 during mongol invasion of rus . stanislav of kiev not found in other sources , cannot explained error. chronicles mention escaped principality of ryazan married daughter of local prince , succeeded throne. contradicts known facts ivan yaroslavich of ryazan succeeded son ivan ivanovich korotopol in 1327. s. c. rowell found mention of ioann stanislavich who, rowell extrapolated, have been prince of vyazma , son of stanislav of kiev (stanislav not common name among east slavs). genealogy of shilovskys (ru:Шиловские), boyar family ryazan, mentioned fled kiev stanislav. if nothing else, mention in genealogy proves story of battle on irpin river predates chronicles.

algimantas, son of mindaugas alšėniškiai family, lithuanian, other gediminas, mentioned chronicle. list of olshanskis found in pskov-caves monastery mentions algimantas (olgimont) baptized michael. son ivan olshansky prominent noble in grand duchy and, in 1399, became viceroy in kiev after skirgaila s death. historians struggled reconcile algimantas fiodor (theodore) mentioned in 1331. @ time, newly consecrated archbishop basil kalika traveled volodymyr-volynskyi home veliky novgorod. stopped prince fiodor of kiev, tatar basqaq (tax collector), , fifty warriors. in 1916, new evidence published fiodor brother of gediminas , historians reinterpreted 1331 incident shows fiodor still paying tribute mongols. lithuanians gained full control of city in 1362 after battle of blue waters against golden horde.