Olshanski

Olshanski (Lithuanian: Alšėniškiai or Alšėnų kunigaikščiai, Belarusian: Гальшанскі, Polish: Holszański) was a Lithuanian[1] princely family of Hipocentaur coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Their patrimony was in Halshany (now in Belarus) and their property included Rokantiškės and Halshany Castles. During the 14–16th centuries most of the family was Orthodox by faith and Ruthenian by language, although there were exceptions, in particular Paweł Holszański was a Catholic Church official.

This article is about the Lithuanian family. For the player of American football, see Igor Olshansky.

Hipocentaur coat of arms

The family was founded by Ivan Olshanski (fl. 1382–1402), a close ally of Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. Ivan's daughter Uliana married Vytautas while granddaughter Sophia of Halshany married Vytautas' cousin Jogaila, King of Poland. Sophia gave birth to Jogaila's sons and became the mother of the Jagiellonian dynasty which ruled Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Bohemia. The male line of the Olshanski family ended in 1556 with the death of Prince Semen (Paweł Holszański, last-but-one male representative of the family, died just one year before). Princess Maria Olshanskaya, the wife of Andrey Kurbsky, died in 1586.[2] Their estates were inherited by the Sapieha family, which hailed from Smolensk.

Origin

For the first time Olshanski family is mentioned in written sources at the end of the 14th century when Ivan, son of Algimantas, assisted Vytautas in the Lithuanian Civil War (1381–84) against Jogaila. Such a late mention of strong family is attributed to the geographic location of their domain: Halshany was not in the way of either the Livonian Order or the Teutonic Knights.[3] In contemporary sources, Algimantas is mentioned only in Ivan's patronymic name. However, late and unreliable Lithuanian Chronicles created a fanciful genealogy of Algimantas that connected him to the legendary Palemonid dynasty that allegedly hailed from the Roman Empire. Modern historians have discarded the genealogy as a work of fiction not based on historical facts.[3]

Family tree

Family of Olshanski
Algimantas Ivan Olshanski Died in or after 1402 Alexander Served Vasili I of Russia Ruled Pereyaslavl until 1408 Andrew Regent of Kiev? Uliana Wife of Vytautas Grand Duke of Lithuania Michael Regent of Kiev Died in 1433? Semeon the Fierce Executed in 1433 Sophia Wife of Jogaila King of Poland Maria Wife of Iliaș Voivode of Moldavia Vasilisa Wife of Ivan Belsky Yuri Died after 1456 Several other? Jagiellonian dynasty Roman II and Alexăndrel Belsky family Alexander Castellan of Vilnius Died in 1511 Uliana Eastern Orthodox Saint Died at age 16 Ivan Prince of Dubrovytsia Executed in 1481 Anna Wife of Martynas Goštautas Semeon Great Hetman Died in 1505 Anna[4] Wife of Petras Jonaitis Mantigirdaitis Janusz Starost of Slonim Died after 1505 Jerzy Voivode of Kiev Died in 1510 Paweł Bishop of Lutsk and Vilnius Died in 1555 Yuri Died in 1536 Vasilisa Tatiana Wife of Konstanty Ostrogski Died in 1522 Several daughters and sons Maria[2] Wife of Andrey Kurbsky Died in 1586 Ivan Voivode of Kiev and Trakai Died in 1549 Semeon Last male heir Died in 1556
References Main source:[3]
Notes The family tree is incomplete.

References

In-line

1. Bumblauskas, Alfredas (2005). Senosios Lietuvos istorija 1009-1795 (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: R. Paknys Press. p. 207. ISBN 9986-830-89-3.
2. A. N. Narbut (1995). Genealogy of Belarus, vol. 1. Moscow.
3. Jonynas, Ignas (1933). "Alšėniškiai". In Vaclovas Biržiška (ed.). Lietuviškoji enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 347–359.
4. Petrauskas, Rimvydas (2003). Lietuvos diduomenė XIV a. pabaigoje – XV a. (in Lithuanian). Aidai. p. 261. ISBN 9955-445-67-X.

General

1. Jonas Zinkus; et al., eds. (1985). "Alšėnų kunigaikščiai". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). I. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 52.
2. (in Polish) Wolff J. Kniaziowie litewsko-ruscy od końca czternastego wieku. – Warszawa, 1895. S. 94-115;