Anna Sudimont, Queen consort of Lithuania

Ona (Anna) (born circa 1350 - died on July 31, 1418 in Trakai) was Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1392–1418). She was the second wife of Vytautas the Great, Grand Duke of Lithuania. Anna was the mother of Sophia of Lithuania, the only child of Vytautas, and the wife of Vasily I of Moscow. She is best remembered for helping Vytautas escape from a prison in Kreva in 1382 and thus probably saving his life. Little is known about Anna's life and even her origins remain disputed by historians.

Ona (Anna) and Vytautas got married around 1370. Anna first comes to light in 1382 when her husband was imprisoned in Kreva by his cousin Jogaila during the Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384). While all accounts agree that she freed her husband, details vary from source to source. It is unclear how much freedom Anna had in Kreva and if she was guarded. It is written in the Lithuanian Chronicles that she had two maids with her. She convinced one of them to exchange clothes with Vytautas who then escaped undetected. Wigand of Marburg claimed that Vytautas dressed in Anna's clothes rather than one of Anna's maids. It is believed that Anna remained in Kreva and no information is available on how she escaped or was released. Teodor Narbutt (1784–1864) later added many colorful details to the story, including Vytauta's illness and maid Alena, who sacrificed herself to save her master.

In 1389, when her husband's coup to capture Vilnius failed, Anna was in Hrodna. After the failed coup Anna followed her husband to the Teutonic Knights, where Vytautas asked for an alliance against his cousins Jogaila and Skirgaila in the Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392). For a while, she was held hostage to guarantee that Vytautas would not break the alliance. After the disagreements were settled in 1392, Anna confirmed the Astravas Agreement, the peace treaty that made Vytautas the Grand Duke of Lithuania. She signed two letters, one given to Jogaila and another to his wife Jadwiga of Poland. Anna continued to be active in political life and attended negotiations for the Treaty of Salinas (1398).

In 1400, Anna visited the tomb of Dorothea of Montau in Marienwerder (modern Kwidzyn) and prayed in the churches of Saint Anne in Brandenburg and Saint Barbara in Oldenburg. She was accompanied by her brother-in-law Sigismund Kęstutaitis and an escort of 400 men. Anna was greeted with expensive gifts and lavish receptions. Anna continued to maintain a good relationship with the Teutonic Knights, who sent her expensive gifts, including clavichord and portative organ in 1408 and an exclusive quality wine in 1416. After her death, all churches in Prussia were ordered to hold requiem masses. Various chronicles and documents recorded much less positive interaction between Anna and Poland.

It is believed that St. Anne's Church, built in Vilnius Lower Castle before 1390, was so named in Anna's honor. It was later known as St. Barbara's Church but did not survive to the present. Flemish traveler Guillebert de Lannoy wrote favorably about the Grand Duchess Anna.

After she died in 1418, Vytautas wanted to marry her niece Juliana Olshanska, daughter of Ivan Olshanski. Polish historian Jan Długosz asserts that Ivan of Karachev, the first husband of Juliana, was murdered by Vytautas to secure a marriage with her. The Bishop of Vilnius refused the ceremony due to their close relationship (Vytautas was Juliana's uncle-in-law) and demanded they seek approval from the pope. Eventually, the Bishop of Wrocław performed the ceremony.

Origin

There is considerable debate about who the parents of Anna were. According to the Bychowiec Chronicle, a late and unreliable source, Anna was a sister of Yuri Svyatoslavich, the last sovereign ruler of Smolensk. A document from 1413 mentions a "Russian duke Basil" as Vytautas's brother-in-law. Indeed, one of Anna's (and Yuri's) brothers was named Basil. For a long time, this was the only theory about her origins. However, no other contemporary sources mention this relationship even though Lithuania and Smolensk were at war several times. The First Lithuanian Chronicle, the basis for which was written while Vytautas was still alive, describes in detail how wars against Smolensk were waged in 1386, 1395, 1401, and 1404, but mentions nothing about Vytautas and Yuri being in-laws.

In 1933 Lithuanian historian Ignas Jonynas published a study in which he attempted to debunk the Bychowiec Chronicle and demonstrate that Anna was not an Orthodox duchess from Slavic lands, but a daughter of a local Lithuanian noble. He argued that Anna was a sister of Sudimantas, a nobleman from Eišiškės and commander of Vytautas' army. Teutonic Chronicle mentions Sudimantas as a swoger of Vytautas. At the time swoger meant brother-in-law. Another document from 1416 refers to Sudimantas as magen, which denoted a relative, usually related by blood. Since Jonynas' study, Sudimantas has been variously presented as Anna's brother, father, or sister's husband.

Polish historian Jan Tęgowski disagreed with Jonynas and argued that both Sudimantas and Lev of Drutsk (who is also mentioned as Vytautas' swoger) were married to sisters of Vytautas's first wife, duchess Maria of Lukoml. Jonynas expressed serious doubts that Maria, daughter of Andrei, existed at all. Information about her is found in the same unreliable Bychowiec Chronicle. The only contemporary source that mentions Maria of Lukoml dates from 1440–1443 and concerns the division of her estate after her death. It does not mention any relationship to Vytautas.

References

• (Lithuanian) Vytautas Spečiūnas, ed (2004). "Ona". Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. pp. 88. ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
• Simas Sužiedėlis, ed (1970–1978). "Anne". Encyclopedia Lituanica. I. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 102–103. LCC 74-114275.
• (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 35–38. LCC 84212910.
• Turnbull, Stephen R; Richard Hook (2003). Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights. Osprey Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1841765619.
• Urban, William (2006). Samogitian Crusade. Chicago: Lithuanian Research and Studies Center. pp. 204–205. ISBN 0-929700-56-2.
• Urban, William (2003). Tannenberg and After. Chicago: Lithuanian Research and Studies Center. pp. 88, 262. ISBN 0-929700-25-2.
• (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 68–71. LCC 84212910.
• (Lithuanian) Kviklys, Bronius (1985). Vilniaus arkivyskupija I dalis. Lietuvos bažnyčios. 5. Chicago: Lithuanian Library Press. p. 399. ISBN 0-932042-54-6.
• Rowell, S. C. (Spring 1994). "Pious Princesses or Daughters of Belial: Pagan Lithuanian Dynastic Diplomacy, 1279–1423". Medieval Prosopography 15 (1): 33. ISSN 0198-9405.
• (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 51–54. LCC 84212910.
• (Polish) Tęgowski, Jan (1995). "Małżeństwa księcia Witolda Kiejstutowicza". Rocznik polskiego towarzystwa heraldycznego heraldycznego 2 (13): 177–182. ISSN 1230-803X.
• (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. p. 59. LCC 84212910.
• (Lithuanian) Petrauskas, Rimvydas (2003). Lietuvos diduomenė XIV a. pabaigoje – XV a.. Aidai. p. 86. ISBN 9955-445-67-X.
• (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 47–50. LCC 84212910.

En el cuadro, Kestutis y su hijo Vitautas son tomados prisioneros por Jogaila en 1382; el primero muere en prisión en diciembre de ese año, mientras que Vitautas logra escapar gracias a su esposa Anna.

Ona Sudimantaitė-Vytautienė (m. 1418 m. rugpjūčio 31 d. Trakuose) – Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Vytauto pirmoji žmona.

Ona gimė Eišiškių kunigaikščio Sudimanto šeimoje ir iki santuokos vadinosi Ona Sudimantaite. Ištekėjo už Vytauto apie 1370 m.

Ona du kartus padėjo savo vyrui Vytautui ypač sunkiomis jo gyvenimo aplinkybėmis: pirmą kartą išvaduodama jį iš Krėvos pilies (1382 m.), kur jam grėsė jo tėvo Kęstučio likimas arba ilgametis kalėjimas, ir antrą kartą (1389 m.) po nepavykusio sąmokslo paimti klasta Vilnių.

Didžioji kunigaikštienė Ona buvo Astravos (1392 m.) ir Salyno (1398 m.) derybų dalyvė. Ji gerai išmanė aukštosios Lietuvos politikos reikalus. Vokiečių ordinas, visuomet turįs tikslių žinių apie Lietuvos visuomeninius ir politinius santykius, labai aukštai vertino didžiosios kunigaikštienės Onos politinį vaidmenį Lietuvoje. Jis įvairiomis dovanomis stengėsi pelnyti jos palankumą, pavyzdžiui, 1408 m. Ordino magistras Ulrichas fon Jungingenas pasiuntė jai muzikos instrumentus − klavikordą ir portatyvą. 1413−1414 m. žiemą ji priėmė flamandų keliautoją ir diplomatą Gilberą de Lanua (Gilbert de Lanua). Gavęs žinią apie jos mirtį, Vokiečių ordino magistras įsakė atlaikyti už jos vėlę šv. mišias ir vigilijas visose Ordino bažnyčiose.

Ona Vytautienė palaidota Vilniaus katedroje.

LITERATŪRA

Iš laisvosios interneto enciklopedijos Vikipedija. Prieigą per internetą, žiūrėtą 2015-01-28 <http://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ona_Vytautien%C4%97>.

Она Судимантайте-Витаутене (умерла 31 августа 1418 года в Тракае) — великая княгиня Литовская, первая жена великого князя Литовского Витовта.

биография

Она родилась в семье Судимантаса, герцога Эйшишского, и до замужества ее звали Она Судимантайте. Она вышла замуж за Витовта около 1370 года.

Она дважды помогала мужу Витаутасу в особенно трудных обстоятельствах его жизни: первый раз, освободив его из Кревского замка (1382 г.), где ему грозила участь отца Кястутиса или длительный тюремный срок, и второй раз (1389 г. ) после неудавшегося заговора с целью обманным путем захватить Вильнюс.

Великая княгиня Она была участницей переговоров в Астраве (1392 г.) и Салине (1398 г.). Она хорошо разбиралась в делах высокой литовской политики. Немецкий орден, который всегда хорошо знал социальные и политические отношения Литвы, высоко ценил политическую роль великой княгини Анны в Литве. Он пытался завоевать ее благосклонность различными дарами, например, в 1408 году. Магистр Ордена Ульрих фон Юнгинген прислал ей музыкальные инструменты — клавикорд и переносной. 1413−1414 гг. зимой он принимал фламандского путешественника и дипломата Жильбера де Лануа. Получив известие о ее смерти, магистр Тевтонского ордена приказал св. мессы и бдения во всех церквях Ордена.
^ a b Urban, William (2003). Tannenberg and After. Chicago: Lithuanian Research and Studies Center. pp. 88, 262. ISBN 0-929700-25-2.

^ a b c (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 68–71. LCC 84212910.

^ (Lithuanian) Kviklys, Bronius (1985). Vilniaus arkivyskupija I dalis. Lietuvos bažnyčios. 5. Chicago: Lithuanian Library Press. p. 399. ISBN 0-932042-54-6.

^ a b Rowell, S. C. (Spring 1994). "Pious Princesses or Daughters of Belial: Pagan Lithuanian Dynastic Diplomacy, 1279–1423". Medieval Prosopography 15 (1): 33. ISSN 0198-9405.

^ a b c (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 51–54. LCC 84212910.

^ a b (Polish) Tęgowski, Jan (1995). "Małżeństwa księcia Witolda Kiejstutowicza". Rocznik polskiego towarzystwa heraldycznego heraldycznego 2 (13): 177–182. ISSN 1230-803X.

^ (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. p. 59. LCC 84212910.

^ a b (Lithuanian) Petrauskas, Rimvydas (2003). Lietuvos diduomenė XIV a. pabaigoje – XV a.. Aidai. p. 86. ISBN 9955-445-67-X.

^ a b (Lithuanian) Jonynas, Ignas (1984) [1932]. "Vytauto šeimyna". Istorijos baruose. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 47–50. LCC 84212910.