He was the first prince of Moscow to openly challengeMongol authority in Russia. In traditional Russian historiography, he is regarded as a Russian national hero and a central figure of the Russian Middle Ages. His nickname, Donskoy ("of theDon"), alludes to his great victory against theTatars in theBattle of Kulikovo (1380), which took place on the Don River.[1] He is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church with his feast day on19 May.
Dmitry was born inMoscow in 1350, the son ofIvan the Fair, Grand Prince of Moscow, and his second wife, Alexandra Vassilievna Velyaminova, the daughter of the mayor of Moscow. Dmitry was orphaned at the age of nine and ascended the throne of thePrincipality of Moscow.[2] Per the terms of Ivan's will, during Dmitry's minority,Metropolitan Aleksey served as regent.[citation needed]
In 1360Khiḍr Khan,Khan of theGolden Horde, transferred the title most prized among the Russian princes, that of Grand Prince ofVladimir, toDmitry Konstantinovich ofNizhny Novgorod. In 1363, after that prince was deposed, Dmitry Ivanovich was crowned at Vladimir. Three years later, he made peace with Dmitry Konstantinovich and married his daughterEudoxia.[citation needed]
The most important event during Dmitry's early reign was to start building theMoscow Kremlin; it was completed in 1367. Thanks to the new fortress, the city withstood two sieges byAlgirdas ofLithuania during theLithuanian–Muscovite War (1368–1372).[3] The war ended with theTreaty of Lyubutsk. In 1375, Dmitry settled, in his own favor, a conflict withMikhail II of Tver overVladimir. Other princes of in the northeasternRus' principalities acknowledged his authority and contributed troops to the impending struggle against the Horde. By the end of his reign, Dmitry had more than doubled the territory of the Principality of Moscow.[citation needed]
Monument to Dmitry Donskoy in front of Marinkina tower (Kolomna Kremlin)
Mongol domination of Rus' began to crumble during Dmitry's thirty-year reign. TheGolden Horde was severely weakened by civil war and dynastic rivalries. Dmitry took advantage of this lapse in Mongol authority to openly challenge the Tatars. While he kept the Khan's patent to collect taxes for all of Russia,[citation needed] Dmitry is also famous for leading the first Russian military victory over the Mongols.[citation needed]Mamai, a Mongol general and claimant to the throne, tried to punish Dmitry for attempting to increase his power. In 1378 Mamai sent a Mongol army, but it was defeated by Dmitry's forces in theBattle of Vozha River.[3]
Two years later Mamai personally led a large force against Moscow.Sergius of Radonezh blessed Dmitry Donskoy when he went to fight the Tatars in the signalBattle of Kulikovo field, but only after he was certain Dmitry had pursued all peaceful means of resolving the conflict. Sergius sent the two warrior monksAlexander Peresvet and his friendRodion Oslyabya to join the Russian troops. The battle of Kulikovo was opened by single combat between two champions. The Russian champion was Alexander Peresvet. The Horde champion was Temir-murza. The champions killed each other in the first run. Dmitry defeated the Horde.[2] In gratitude for the victory, Dmitry established the Dormition monastery on the Dubenka River and built a church in honor of the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos over the graves of the fallen warriors.[4][5]
The defeated Mamai was presently dethroned by a rival Mongol general,Tokhtamysh. That khan reasserted Mongol rule of Rus andoverran Moscow in 1382 for Dmitry's resistance to Mamai. Dmitry, however, pledged his loyalty to Tokhtamysh and to the Golden Horde and was reinstated as Mongol principal tax collector and Grand Duke of Vladimir. Upon his death in Moscow in 1389, Dmitry was the first Grand Duke to bequeath his titles to his sonVasily I of Moscow without consulting the Khan.[2]
Maria Dmitriyevna (d. 15 May 1399). MarriedLengvenis.
Anastasia Dmitriyevna. Married Ivan Vsevolodovich, Prince ofKholm.
Simeon Dmitrievich (d. 11 September 1379).
Ivan Dmitriyevich (d. 1393).
Andrey Dmitriyevich, Prince ofMozhaysk (14 August 1382 – 9 July 1432).
Pyotr Dmitriyevich, Prince ofDmitrov (29 July 1385 – 10 August 1428).
Anna Dmitriyevna (born 8 January 1387). Married Yury Patrikiyevich. Her husband was a son ofPatrikas, Prince ofStarodub and his wife Helena. His paternal grandfather wasNarimantas. The marriage solidified his role as aBoyar attached to Moscow.
Konstantin Dmitriyevich, Prince ofPskov (14 May/15 May 1389 – 1433).[3]
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