Battle of Vilnius (1655)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Vilnius, battle of Wilno, or battle of Vilna was the invasion by Russia
n and Cossack
forces of Vilnius
(Wilno), the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, that occurred between the 7th and 9th of August 1655 (sources vary: Davies states July 28, Frost
August 8, Black August 9). The Lithuanian forces under the leadership of hetman
Janusz Radziwiłł were defeated by the Russian army of Alexis of Russia.
It was the first time that a foreign power managed to capture the Vilnius Castle Complex
. Invading forces plundered the city for several days, and a fire consumed part of the city; in particular the Jewish quarter was burned by the Cossacks and many Jews were killed. Davies gives an estimate of 20,000 inhabitants killed in "an indiscriminate slaughter". Some scholars have suggested that certain relics, as well as the body of Vytautas the Great
, were lost during the plundering of Vilnius Cathedral
. The six years Muscovite occupation that followed, resulted in a major depopulation and a decline of the town for many years to come.
Defeat at the battle of Vilnius was one of the reasons Janusz Radziwiłł and several other Lithuanian magnates surrendered the Grand Duchy to Sweden at the Union of Kėdainiai
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
forces of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
(Wilno), the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, that occurred between the 7th and 9th of August 1655 (sources vary: Davies states July 28, Frost
Robert I. Frost
Robert I. Frost is a British historian and academic.He attended the University of St Andrews, the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. He earned his doctorate in the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at the University of London.He taught school for three years in the mid-1980s...
August 8, Black August 9). The Lithuanian forces under the leadership of hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Janusz Radziwiłł were defeated by the Russian army of Alexis of Russia.
It was the first time that a foreign power managed to capture the Vilnius Castle Complex
Vilnius Castle Complex
The Vilnius Castle Complex , is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings, which evolved between the 10th and 18th centuries, were one of Lithuania's major defensive...
. Invading forces plundered the city for several days, and a fire consumed part of the city; in particular the Jewish quarter was burned by the Cossacks and many Jews were killed. Davies gives an estimate of 20,000 inhabitants killed in "an indiscriminate slaughter". Some scholars have suggested that certain relics, as well as the body of Vytautas the Great
Vytautas the Great
Vytautas ; styled "the Great" from the 15th century onwards; c. 1350 October 27, 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Vytautas was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
, were lost during the plundering of Vilnius Cathedral
Vilnius Cathedral
The Cathedral of Vilnius is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania.It is situated in Vilnius Old Town, just off of Cathedral Square. It is the heart of Lithuania's Catholic spiritual life....
. The six years Muscovite occupation that followed, resulted in a major depopulation and a decline of the town for many years to come.
Defeat at the battle of Vilnius was one of the reasons Janusz Radziwiłł and several other Lithuanian magnates surrendered the Grand Duchy to Sweden at the Union of Kėdainiai
Union of Kedainiai
Union of Kėdainiai was an agreement between several magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the king of the Swedish Empire, Charles X Gustav. It was signed on 20 October 1655 during the "Swedish Deluge", part of the Second Northern War...
.