Image of Dovmont, Trinity Cathedral wall painting

Our Lady of Mirozh with S. Dovmont and his wife Maria

Daumantas, later Dovmont^[1] (Russian: Довмонт, Ruthenian: Dowmont, Belarusian: Daǔmont), Christian name Timothy^[2] (Russian: Тимофей), ; c. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Ruthenian (also The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages 1240? – May 17, 1299), was a Lithuanian princeling best remembered as a military leader of the Pskov Republic between 1266 and 1299. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a Nobility rank Pskov Republic ( Псковская республика in Russian) was a Russian Medieval state between the second half of the 13th century During his term in office, Pskov became de facto independent from Novgorod. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod

In Lithuania

Until 1265, Daumantas^[3] was Duke of Nalšia, a northern province of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and was an ally of King Mindaugas. Nalšia or Nalšėnai was an ancient land (regional duchy a subject of Polatsk) in the early stages of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca Mindaugas' and Daumantas' wives were sisters. In spite of the family relationship, Daumantas chose to ally himself with Mindaugas' nephew Treniota, who was Duke of Samogitia. Treniota ( Troniata; ca 1210–1264 was the Grand Duke of Lithuania (1263–1264 Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Treniota had been steadily increasing his personal power within the kingdom as he tried to spark an all-Balts rebellion against the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order. The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561

In 1263, Treniota assassinated Mindaugas and two of his sons. It has been suggested that he acted in collusion with Daumantas. As a result the Grand Duchy of Lithuania relapsed into paganism for another one hundred and twenty years. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Some Ruthenian chronicles say that Treniota's motive for the murder was to further his power, and Daumantas' was revenge: after Queen Morta's death c. 1262, Mindaugas took Daumantas' wife for himself. When Mindaugas dispatched a large army towards Bryansk, Daumantas participated in the expedition, but suddenly returned and killed Mindaugas and two of his sons. Bryansk01jpg|thumb|left|200px|Forest Museum in Bryansk]]Ziu-9 Bryansk 2056

According to the Bychowiec Chronicle (a late and not very reliable source), Daumantas received the title, Duke of Utena, as his reward. The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled Bykhovets, Bykovets or Bychovec) named the Letopis of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is an anonymous 16th Utena ( is a city in north-east of Lithuania. It is the Administrative center of Utena district and Utena County.

When Vaišelga, the eldest son of Mindaugas, entered into an alliance with Halych-Volhynia in 1264, he was able to take revenge for his father's death by killing Treniota. Vaišelga or Vaišvilkas (also spelled as Vojszalak, Vojšalk, Vaišalgas, killed on December 9 1268) was the Prince The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was Daumantas and his followers fled to Pskov. Pskov (Псков ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov) in Latvian Pleskava, in Estonian Pihkva, is an ancient city located in

Ruler of Pskov

A medieval tower of the Pskov kremlin. View01jpg|thumb|right|250px|Remains of the Kolomna Kremlin]] Kremlin (Кремль Kreml) is the Russian word for "fortress" "citadel" or "castle"

After arriving in Pskov, Dovmont was baptized into Eastern Orthodoxy, assumed the Christian name Timotheus (Ruthenian: Timofei) and married a daughter of Dmitry of Pereslavl, son of Alexander Nevsky. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Dmitry Alexandrovich (ca 1250-1294 was Grand Duke of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1276 until 1281 and then from 1283 until 1293 Saint Alexander Nevsky (Алекса́ндр Яросла́вич Не́вский in Russian; transliteration Aleksandr Yaroslavich Nevskij) ( May 30 He led Pskovian armies against Lithuanians and defeated them on the bank of the Western Dvina, proceeded to devastate the land of Duke Gerdenis, and captured his two sons and wife. The Daugava or Western Dvina (Daugava Западная Двина́ (Zapadnaya Dvina Заходняя Дзвiна za'xodnʲaja dzʲvʲi'na Dźwina Düna Väina Dovmont's daring spirit, his friendly ways, and the success of his military enterprise persuaded the Pskovians to elect him as their knyaz, or military leader. Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a Nobility rank

Dovmont's election was never sanctioned by the Novgorod Republic, which had traditionally controlled the Pskovian affairs. The Novgorod Republic (Новгородская республика / Novgorodskaya respublika Новгородская земьля / Novgorodskaya zemlja) was a Prince Yaroslav of Novgorod planned to punish the Pskovians for their willfulness and oust Dovmont from the city, but the Novgorodians refused to support Yaroslav's campaign and, joining their forces with the Pskovians, invaded Lithuania the following year. Yaroslav III Yaroslavich (Russian Ярослав Ярославович was the first Prince of Tver and the tenth Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1264 Dovmont was again in command and returned to Pskov in triumph.

In the next year the Pskovian-Novgorodian alliance was cemented by the invasion of the Livonian Order. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 The Pskovians, led by Dovmont, joined their forced with the Novgorodians, led by Yaroslav and Alexander Nevsky's son Dmitry, and inflicted a crushing defeat on the knights in the Battle of Rakovor (1268, near modern-day Rakvere). Saint Alexander Nevsky (Алекса́ндр Яросла́вич Не́вский in Russian; transliteration Aleksandr Yaroslavich Nevskij) ( May 30 Dmitry Alexandrovich (ca 1250-1294 was Grand Duke of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1276 until 1281 and then from 1283 until 1293 This article is about a 1268 battle See also Battle of Rakvere (1603. Rakvere (Wesenberg or Wesenbergh) is a Town in northern Estonia and the county seat of Lääne-Viru County, 20 km south of the Gulf The following year Grand Master of the Order, Otto von Lutterberg, laid siege to Pskov, but Dovmont, supported by the Novgorodians, repelled the attack, personally wounding Lutterberg in battle. Otto von Lutterberg was the Ordensmeister of the Livonian Order of the Teutonic Knights from 1266 to 1270 and was in command of the Livonian Order in 1268 when the The knights sought peace at any cost and their attacks on Pskov and Novgorod ceased for thirty years.

Later years and legacy

Dovmont Town in Pskov.

In 1270, Yaroslav again attempted to interfere into Pskovian affairs and to replace Dovmont by his puppet ruler. The Pskovians stood up for Dovmont, forcing Yaroslav to abandon his plans. In order to strengthen his position, Dovmont married Dmitry's daughter, Maria. In 1282, when his father-in-law was ousted from Vladimir to Koporye, Dovmont made a sally into Ladoga, where he captured Dmitry's treasury from the Novgorodians and transported it to Koporye. Vladimir (Влади́мир) is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway Koporye (Копорье Koporje is a historic village ( selo) in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located about 100 km to the Staraya Ladoga (Ста́рая Ла́дога or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas is a village ( selo) in the Volkhovsky Thereupon his name disappears from chronicles for some seventeen years.

In 1299, the Livonian Order unexpectely invaded North-Western Ruthenia and laid siege to Pskov. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 Having expelled them from the republic, Dovmont abruptly lapsed into illness and died, survived by his son (?), David of Hrodna. David (killed in 1327 was a Castellan of Hrodna and one of the most famous warleaders of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. His body was buried in the Trinity Cathedral, where his sword and personal effects would be on exhibit until the 20th century.

According to Pskovian chronicles, no ruler was loved by the citizens of Pskov more than Dovmont; they particularly praise his military skills and wisdom. After the Russian Orthodox Church canonized him, he came to be regarded as a patron saint of Pskov (on the par with Vsevolod Mstislavich). See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure Vsevolod Mstislavich (Всеволод Мстиславич the patron saint of the city of Pskov, ruled as Prince of Novgorod in 1117-32 Prince of Pereslavl The fortifications erected by Dovmont in Pskov's downtown became known as the "Dovmont Town". A church to the memory of the blessed prince Dovmont-Timofei was consecrated there in 1574.

In the 1990s, Russian author Sergei Kalitin wrote a novel, Hour of the Wolf, about the life of Dovmont and his transition from a "minor Lithuanian noble" to Prince of Pskov. Sergei Borisovich Kalitin (Сергей Борисович Калитин Sergej Borisovič Kalitin) is a Russian author of several Historical novels.

References

• (Lithuanian) "Daumantas". Encyclopedia Lituanica II. Encyclopedia Lituanica (likely named after Encyclopædia Britannica or Encyclopedia Americana) is a six-volume (about 3600-page English language Encyclopedia (1970-1978). Ed. Simas Sužiedėlis. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. 39-40. LCCN 74-114275-{{{3}}}. The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering cataloging records in the Library of Congress in the United  
• (Lithuanian) Ivinskis, Zenonas (1937). "Daumantai". Lietuviškoji enciklopedija VI. Ed. Vaclovas Biržiška. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. 172-177.