Andrei II of Russia
Encyclopedia
Prince Andrey II Yaroslavich (Андрей Ярославич) (ca. 1222 – 1264) was the third son of Yaroslav II
who succeeded his uncle Svyatoslav III
as the Grand Duke of Vladimir
in 1249. Three years later, he challenged the Mongols and was ousted by them from Russia.
In 1240 Novgorodians expelled his brother, Alexander Nevsky
, from the city and asked Yaroslav II
to send them another commander. Andrey was sent to the wayward republic instead, only to leave it several months later. When the city was attacked by Teutonic Knights
, Yaroslav again sent Andrey with several units to help. In 1242, Andrey joined his Suzdalian forces with Alexander's and saw action in the celebrated Battle on the Ice.
In 1247, when their father died, Andrey and Alexander went to Karakorum
in Mongolia
, where Andrey was appointed the next Grand Duke of Vladimir by Guyuk
khan. On their return to Russia two years later, they found that the Russian capital had been seized by their young brother Mikhail Khorobrit
. The latter, however, was killed in battle with Lithuania
ns several months later.
Upon ascending the golden throne of his fathers, Andrey resolved to assert some independence from the Horde
. He married a daughter of Danylo of Halych, who was the Mongols' avowed enemy. A year later, his uncle Svyatoslav, offended by his ousting from Vladimir, went to the Horde to secure the throne for himself. He was followed by Alexander Nevsky
, who blamed Andrey for appropriating a portion of tribute due to the Horde. The khan sent a punitive expedition
which defeated Andrey near Pereslavl. Novgorod didn't want to give him shelter, either, so that Andrey had to escape to Kolyvan
and then to Sweden
.
In 1256 Andrey travelled to Sarai
to ask pardon for his former infidelity. On his return to Russia, he received from Alexander the easternmost Russian lands, including the towns of Nizhny Novgorod
and Gorodets
on the Volga. After Alexander died in 1263, Andrey aspired to add Vladimir to his possessions, but was thwarted in his designs by his younger brother Yaroslav of Tver.
Andrey is an ancestor of the famous aristocratic dynasty of Suzdal
and Nizhny Novgorod
princes, which has been known since the fourteenth century as the House of Shuisky
.
Yaroslav II of Vladimir
Yaroslav II , Christian name Theodor was the Grand Prince of Vladimir who helped to restore his country and capital after the Mongol invasion of Russia.-Prince of Pereyaslav:...
who succeeded his uncle Svyatoslav III
Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich of Vladimir
Sviatoslav Vsevolodovich of Vladimir was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal ....
as the Grand Duke of Vladimir
Vladimir
Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
in 1249. Three years later, he challenged the Mongols and was ousted by them from Russia.
In 1240 Novgorodians expelled his brother, Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
, from the city and asked Yaroslav II
Yaroslav II of Vladimir
Yaroslav II , Christian name Theodor was the Grand Prince of Vladimir who helped to restore his country and capital after the Mongol invasion of Russia.-Prince of Pereyaslav:...
to send them another commander. Andrey was sent to the wayward republic instead, only to leave it several months later. When the city was attacked by Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, Yaroslav again sent Andrey with several units to help. In 1242, Andrey joined his Suzdalian forces with Alexander's and saw action in the celebrated Battle on the Ice.
In 1247, when their father died, Andrey and Alexander went to Karakorum
Karakorum
Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and of the Northern Yuan in the 14-15th century. Its ruins lie in the northwestern corner of the Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia, near today's town of Kharkhorin, and adjacent to the Erdene Zuu monastery...
in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, where Andrey was appointed the next Grand Duke of Vladimir by Guyuk
Guyuk
Guyuk may refer to:*Guyuk, Nigeria, a town*Uğurtaş, a town in Turkey, formerly called Güyük*Güyük Khan , the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire...
khan. On their return to Russia two years later, they found that the Russian capital had been seized by their young brother Mikhail Khorobrit
Mikhail Khorobrit
Mikhail Iaroslavich Khorobrit was Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir in 1248. He was a younger brother of Aleksandr Nevsky and he and his son, Boris, are sometimes said to have been princes of Moscow before Daniil Aleksandrovich, although this is not always accepted...
. The latter, however, was killed in battle with Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
ns several months later.
Upon ascending the golden throne of his fathers, Andrey resolved to assert some independence from the Horde
Horde
Horde may refer to:* Ordo * a clan or army of steppe nomads . See Orda * the Blue and White Horde, formed 1226, 1227* the Golden Horde, a Turkic-Mongol state established in the 1240s...
. He married a daughter of Danylo of Halych, who was the Mongols' avowed enemy. A year later, his uncle Svyatoslav, offended by his ousting from Vladimir, went to the Horde to secure the throne for himself. He was followed by Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
, who blamed Andrey for appropriating a portion of tribute due to the Horde. The khan sent a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
which defeated Andrey near Pereslavl. Novgorod didn't want to give him shelter, either, so that Andrey had to escape to Kolyvan
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
and then to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
In 1256 Andrey travelled to Sarai
Sarai (city)
Sarai was the name of two cities, which were successively capital cities of the Golden Horde, the Mongol kingdom which ruled Russia and much of central Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries...
to ask pardon for his former infidelity. On his return to Russia, he received from Alexander the easternmost Russian lands, including the towns of Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
and Gorodets
Gorodets
Gorodets is a town and the administrative center of Gorodetsky District of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Volga River, northwest of Nizhny Novgorod...
on the Volga. After Alexander died in 1263, Andrey aspired to add Vladimir to his possessions, but was thwarted in his designs by his younger brother Yaroslav of Tver.
Andrey is an ancestor of the famous aristocratic dynasty of Suzdal
Suzdal
Suzdal is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated northeast of Moscow, from the city of Vladimir, on the Kamenka River. Population: -History:...
and Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
princes, which has been known since the fourteenth century as the House of Shuisky
Shuisky
The Princes Shuisky were a Rurikid family of boyars descending from Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Vladimir-Suzdal and Prince Andrey Yaroslavich, brother to Alexander Nevsky. Their name is derived from the town of Shuya, of which they gained ownership in 1403. The family briefly reached the...
.