Maria of Vitebsk

Maria of Vitebsk (; ; ) was the first wife of Algirdas, future Grand Duke of Lithuania (marriage took place ).

Life

Very little is known about her life. The only child of a Russian prince Yaroslav, Maria was the only heir to the Principality of Vitebsk. After her father's death in , Vitebsk fell permanently under control of Algirdas and other Gediminids.

Maria gave birth to five sons, all of whom grew up while Algirdas was still only a regional duke in Christianized lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. All five sons were baptized in Orthodox rite and ruled Russian lands giving rise to prominent clans of Russian dukes (Trubetskoy family from Demetrius I Starshy, Czartoryski family from Constantine, Sanguszko family from Fiodor, Belsky and Olelkovich families from Vladimir).

After Maria's death, Algirdas married another Russian princess, Uliana of Tver. After Algirdas' death, the eldest sons of Maria and Uliana battled over succession rights.

Issue

1. Andrei of Polotsk (1325 – 12 August 1399 in the Battle of the Vorskla River), Prince of Polotsk (1342–1387), Pskov (1342–1348)
2. Demetrius I Starszy (1327 – 12 August 1399 in the Battle of the Vorskla River), Duke of Bryansk (1356–1379 and 1388–1399)
3. Constantine (died before 30 October 1390), Prince of Chortoryisk. According to J. Tęgowski, he may be son of Karijotas.
4. Vladimir Olgerdovich (died after October 1398), Grand Prince of Kiev (1362–1394), Kapyl, Slutsk. Ancestor of Olelkovich and Belsky families.
5. Fedor (Theodore; died in 1399), Prince of Rylsk (1370–1399), Ratnie (1387–1394), Bryansk (1393)
6. Theodora, wife of Sviatoslav Titovich of Karachev
7. Agrypina (baptized Mary; died in 1393), wife of Boris of Suzdal

References