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137-426: Beginnings of Medininkai are related to a fortress. According to some historians it might have been built already in the late 13th century, during the era of duke Traidenis ; it was either him or one of minor local dukes who initiated the construction. An unclear and not necessarily reliable chronicle points rather to the early 14th century, i.e. the times of the grand duke Gedyminas . The most popular theory claims that

274-660: A postulate and a novitiate , moved to Vilnius by the end of the decade. Within the administrative structure of the country Medininkai is the centre of the Medininkai Eldership ; it is one of 23 third-level units which form the Vilnius Area County , which in turn as one of 8 second-level units forms the Vilnius Region , one of 10 first-level administration units in Lithuania. According to

411-476: A backwater spot with agricultural machinery and horse carts having been most or the only vehicles. The village was plugged into the electric power grid in the early 1960s. Ruins of the Medininkai castle twice underwent some conservation works, for the first time at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, and then in the early 1970s. In both cases there were minor excavation works carried out, while the major objective

548-626: A duchy, Ducal Prussia . Elisabeth's only brother Ladislaus, king of Bohemia and Hungary , died in 1457, and after that Casimir and Elisabeth's dynastic interests were directed also towards her brother's kingdoms. King Casimir IV died on 7 June 1492 in the Old Grodno Castle in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , which was in a personal union with Poland . The intervention of the Roman curia , which hitherto had been hostile to Casimir,

685-538: A high functionary of the Grand Duchy Tribunal. When taking possession of his new property in 1796 he seized also the Augustian hospital, evicted the sick and took over the estate; the county court ordered him to give back the land and the premises, but it is not clear to what effect. Grabowski, who in new political conditions became counselor to His Imperial Majesty , kept harassing the town; as owner of

822-553: A knight named Piotr of Rytro . Casimir often relied on his instinct and feelings and had little political knowledge, but shared a great interest in the diplomacy and economic affairs of the country. After the accession of his brother, Władysław, to the throne of Poland, the tutelage was assigned to Cardinal Zbigniew Oleśnicki , however, the cleric neglected his duties as he felt a strong reluctance towards Casimir, believing that he would be an unsuccessful monarch following Władysław's death. The sudden death of Sigismund Kęstutaitis left

959-528: A penal settlement in Siberia (mostly in the Tomsk Oblast’ ). In case of some hamlets, like Józefowo/Juozapinė, the rate of the deported reached 11%. The deportees who survived returned to Medininkai or travelled further west to Poland , some as late as in the late 1950s. At the turn of the 1940s and 1950s the forced collectivisation began; the village started to host the “Red Banner” kolkhoz . Following

1096-399: A separate formation, e.g. on periodical review of local nobility of 1528 the boyars from the area were supposed to produce 138-men-strong cavalry detachment (out of nobility-raised 19,842 cavalry for the entire Grand Duchy); it was only in the 1560s that "chorąstwo miednickie" was incorporated into a unit raised in the entire Vilnius county , of which Medininkai formed part. The first half of

1233-646: A separate realm for his sons, proposed John Albert. Most Hungarian barons and prelates preferred Vladislaus because his rule in Bohemia had indicated that he would respect their liberties. Vladislaus was crowned King of Hungary on 18 September 1490 in Székesfehérvár . Around 1480 Casimir was allied with the Great Horde against Muscovy and Crimea . His failure to support Khan Akhmed at the Great stand on

1370-554: A small hospital for the poor, but for most of the 18th century the monastery was related to scandals resulting from lack of discipline. According to some sources Medininkai was "in the possessions of Duke Radziwiłł". Administrationwise until the third partition of the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth Medininkai formed part of the Vilnius county in the Vilnius voivodship; in 1795 with remnants of

1507-468: A typical agricultural area, with no industrial facilities built. What change the village was a housing estate, developed by the Kolkhoz for its employees since the mid-1970s. Buildings were located along a network of streets south of the church. As a result, the historical west–east axis of the village, running below the castle, was reduced to secondary role; the centre of gravity moved above the ruins, along

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1644-416: Is contributing to Polish culture in Lithuania. Its Medininkai branch is co-organising various competitions for children and teenagers, sight-seeing tours across Lithuania, journeys in footsteps of Polish history in Vilnius and elsewhere, and excursions to Poland, including taking part in nationwide events like Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Żołnierzy Wyklętych . ZPL is also supporting sports activities and co-financing

1781-482: Is forests, and the rest is settlements, barren land and water (mostly small lakes and ponds). The eldership falls into 5 sub-elderships (lit. seniūnaitija), 4-level smallest admin units According to the 2011 census there were 37 settlements in the eldership. Medininkai was inhabited by 580 people; other largest settlements were Podwarańce/Padvarionys (114), Łabiszki/Laibiškės (72), Kurhany/Pilkapiai (68) and Kosinka/ Kuosinė (62), though borders between them are vague (e.g.

1918-461: Is known that on February 23, 1944, its sub-units mounted an ambush near Medininkai, but it is not clear whether the battalion has ever seized the village itself. In early July 1944 the joint command of Home Army units, assembled to capture Vilnius , was located in the village of Wołkorabiszki, some 8 km from Medininkai. Following a successful joint Home Army and Soviet operation the Red Army and

2055-475: Is likely that Casimir was Poland's last illiterate monarch as there are no surviving signatures, initials or monograms present on official edicts, though this claim is disputed. Casimir was interred at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, in a red marble tomb sculpted by Veit Stoss . In 1973 a research team of 12 experts opened the tomb. Shortly afterward, 10 of the team died prematurely. It was subsequently found that

2192-445: Is located somewhat away from the village and consists of some 10 large buildings; students are hosted in barracks. Graduation is equal to obtaining a university diploma. The key organisation active in Medininkai is Union of Poles in Lithuania (ZPL). Political life in the eldership has been for decades dominated by its political emanation, Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (AWPL), which keeps winning subsequent local elections. In

2329-771: Is road transport, mostly between the Baltic states and Belarus and/or Russia. A similar Medininkai company, Hegvita Agro, apart from activities listed also leases buses and specialised heavy equipment ( snow ploughs , bulldozers , loaders, dump trucks ) and offers services related to its operations. Highly diversified fleet of both companies ranges from mini-vans to road trains . Some companies like Durga are based elsewhere but they operate their offices in Medininkai, e.g. those which offer border-related services. There are few rural retail trade outlets in Medininkai; their number differs depending upon business conditions, usually ranging from 2 to 3. Some services, e.g. barbers, operate bordering

2466-406: Is some 2.7 times more than the figure recorded 100 years earlier; the census from 1781 recorded 3.482 Catholics in the parish. The town consisted of a market square and 6 streets. In 1778 the fire broke out in religious premises and the 250-year-old church was burnt down to the ground. Reconstruction works commenced a few years later and probably in 1788 a new, already third shrine, was completed; it

2603-616: Is the centre of the Holy Trinity and St. Casimir parish, organized around the 1929-built church . In case the 1916-erected parish is considered continuation of the 1832-abolished parish, it is now over 600-year old and counts among the oldest ones on the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The parish forms part of the Naujosios Vilnios decanate , which in turns is part of the Vilnius archdiocese . On working days

2740-481: Is the first known Lithuanian duke to have died a natural death. All others before him were assassinated or killed in battle. Casimir IV Jagiellon Casimir IV (Casimir Andrew Jagiellon; Polish : Kazimierz Andrzej Jagiellończyk [kaˈʑimjɛʂ jaɡʲɛ(l)ˈlɔj̃t͡ʂɨk] ; Lithuanian : Kazimieras Jogailaitis ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447 until his death in 1492. He

2877-414: Is very compact; in the 21st century there have been usually no more than 5 friars hosted at the premises. At the turn of the centuries it was the centre of Franciscan rebirth in Lithuania; currently it is one of 3 Franciscan monasteries in the country. The parish and the monastery take care of the cemetery, located near the plot where the old, pre-1834 church used to stand. The oldest existing graves come from

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3014-561: The 2023 Lithuanian local elections in the Medininkai electoral district AWPL gathered 79% of all votes cast and it was the third best result of the party in the Vilnius County. Local ZPL and AWPL branches focus on raising living standards and maintaining the Polish identity of the population. However, efforts of local Polish councilors did not result in bi-lingual, Lithuanian and Polish placename signs, though there were efforts to bring

3151-492: The Muscovite legacy which accompanied princess Helena , fiancé of grand duke Alexander travelling from Moscow to Vilnius, were pompously met by Lithuanian representatives in Medininkai. The exact status of the settlement remains unclear. Some scholars claim that in the 15th century Medininkai was formally granted a borough charter , and few authors even point to the year of 1486 as the date, but details remain unknown and

3288-520: The NKVD started to detain Polish combatants; they were held prisoners within the walls of the Medininkai castle ruins. It is estimated that on July 20 there were between 4 and 6 thousand disarmed Home Army POWs amassed in the yard of the castle. By August they were marched to the Kiena railway station, loaded into trains and transported to Kaluga . Within the re-built Soviet Lithuanian structures Medininkai

3425-567: The Soły/Salos village, where it was re-assembled as the new church of the local parish community. At the time the owner of the Medininkai estate was first the son of Ignacy Grabowski, Józef and then his relative Apolinary Grabowski, major of the imperial Russian army and deputy chairman of the Vilnius county nobility. Under his rule the economy got heavily indebted; in the 1850s a certain Zofia Kamińska purchased Grabowski's payable notes and became

3562-602: The Vilnius cathedral . In the early 1650s the church underwent major rehaul; it was financially supported by the royal secretary Dymitr Karp. In 1654 a rare away sitting of the Vilnius County sejmik took place in Medininkai. However, soon afterwards the town suffered the largest disaster until then. The war between the Lithuanian-Polish state and Muscovy broke out in 1654. In 1655 the Muscovite army seized most of eastern and central Lithuania and entered Vilnius;

3699-515: The Vilnius diocese . Starting with a certain Gleb Andreevitsch, named in the document of 1453, there are 13 boyars listed as representatives of the grand duke until the mid-16th century; they were named "palatinus", "praefectus", "castellanus", or "tivunus". Usually they were holding tenures of land estates located around the castle and the settlement, though the estates remained the property of grand dukes. Feudal tenants are listed since

3836-412: The grey economy or as neighbourhood mutual assistance. Some people take advantage of the nearby Lithuanian-Belarus border crossing and offer services related, like sale of insurance, highway vignettes, currency exchange etc. State employers are the local eldership office, the school and the kindergarten. A sizeable group of villagers, especially the young ones, commute to Vilnius and work there. Formally

3973-399: The 1660s and 1670s there were very few children baptised in the parish church every year. There is some statistical data available for the second half of the 17th century, based on evidence reported in the parish books. It is hence known that in 1690 Medininkai consisted of 39 houses; application of converters typical for the era suggests that the population was around 300. It was about 30% of

4110-560: The 16th century spelled problems in terms of religious service, and it is despite the Medininkai-Bystritsa Augustians receiving new endowments and donations. The discipline within the monastery deteriorated; in 1523 the Canons left Bystritsa, and in 1528 they were removed from Medininkai for "non-compliance with rules of the order"; it was manifested e.g. by drunken episodes and dereliction of duty. Most likely at

4247-443: The 1860s; it is still where the defunct villagers are laid to rest. There are few private cemeteries on the parish territory (Czapuniszki, Gudzie, Koleśniki, Kule, Małyniszki, Tumasy, Żemły); last burials took place there in the 1960s. One of two major tourist attractions of Medininkai is the castle . Since regaining independence it has become a piece of the politically loaded national historiographic narrative, supposed to demonstrate

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4384-640: The 1950 administrative reform Medininkai became the centre of the Medininkai Commune in the Nowa Wilejka/Naujoji Vilnia County . According to the Soviet standard, theoretically the official languages in Medininkai were the republican one, i.e. Lithuanian , and the pan-Soviet Russian . In practice the Kolkhoz language was either Russian or "po prostemu", a rural mixture of Polish and Belarusian . The school, opened in

4521-404: The 1980s, but since the 1990s the figure is around 10. The language of instruction is Polish. Another facility of the educational infrastructure is the kindergarten. The eldership maintains a network of streets in the village; in the early 2020s there were 12 of them. It is also responsible for maintenance of 46.2 km local roads; 42 km of them are categorized as “hardened”. Some criticise

4658-750: The Ashmyany County became part of the Byelorussian SSR ; this was also the fate of some more distant fields, which belonged to Medininkai villagers. In June 1940 the village and the entire Lithuania was incorporated into the USSR as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic ; administrationwise it formed part of the Szumsk/Šumskas Commune within the Vilnius County. In June 1941 Medininkai were seized by

4795-534: The Belarus frontier). There is no railway line in the eldership. On the distance of some 9 km the eastern border of the eldersip overlaps the state frontier between Lithuania and Belarus. The key state investment in Medininkai is the border guards school ( Medininkų pasieniečių mokykla ), previously located in Wisaginia / Visaginas . Following some 2 years of construction work, it was opened in 2007. The compound

4932-467: The Duchy petrified, the landed nobility was getting increasingly influential. The 1620s are marked by expropriations and confiscations of municipal and religious estates by local boyars, which resulted in a spate of protests to the royal court. The Medininkai prestige suffered enormously in 1632, when remnants of prince Casimir, sanctified in 1602, were transferred from the castle to the newly built chapel in

5069-524: The Grand Duchy it was incorporated into the imperial Russia . In Russia Medininkai formed part of Ви́ленский уе́зд within the Виленская губерния . This period is marked by property transformations. Estates around the town, which until the end of the Commonwealth belonged to grand dukes, were seized by the imperial economy. Then they were put on sale and acquired by Ignacy Grabowski, previously

5206-466: The Lithuanian government the plant has been opened and remains operational. Another Lithuanian-Belarusian controversy turned out to be the migrant issue. Since the summer of 2021 the Belarus authorities launched the campaign of transferring Asian and African migrants across western borders of the country, to Poland and Lithuania. In order to accommodate migrants detained by Lithuanian border guards in

5343-506: The Medininkai castle devastated; it is not clear whether this was the result of Muscovite troops having seized and routed the fortress or another cause, e.g. an accidental fire. None of the sources consulted mentioned that the castle performed any military role afterwards and it seems it was being gradually abandoned. Though at that time city walls were being built around Vilnius , there is no information about city walls being built around Medininkai. The local military unit continued to operate as

5480-520: The Medininkai fortress was gradually gaining importance. The grand duke Vytautas visited it a number of times, e.g. in 1415 it was there that he was writing a letter to master of the Teutonic Order, and when referring his 1426 stay a medieval chronicle notes "unsere husse Medniki". Most likely at the time the stronghold underwent major upgrade, and a previous earth-wooden structure was replaced with stone-and-brick walls with towers and bastions. In

5617-553: The Order retaliated, attacking Semigalia and building Dinaburg Castle in 1273 on lands nominally controlled by Traidenis. Despite four siege engines used to throw stones, he was unable to capture the new fortress and had to retreat in 1278. In 1279 the order attacked Lithuanian lands, reaching as far as Kernavė, but on their way back they suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Aizkraukle . The Order's master, Ernst von Rassburg, became

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5754-681: The Order, it resisted and the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466) ensued. After a long and expensive war, Casimir and the Prussian Confederation defeated the Teutonic Order . In the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) , the Order recognized Polish sovereignty over the seceded western Prussian regions, Royal Prussia , and the Polish crown's overlordship over the remaining Teutonic Monastic State , transformed in 1525 into

5891-573: The Polish szlachta . Additionally, Casimir promised to protect the Grand Duchy's borders and not to appoint persons from the Polish Kingdom to the offices of the Grand Duchy. He accepted that decisions on matters concerning the Grand Duchy would not be made without the Council of Lords' consent. He also granted the subject region of Samogitia the right to elect its own elder . Casimir was the first ruler of Lithuania baptized at birth, becoming

6028-516: The Soviet era. In the early 21st century its manager was Katažina Zvonkuvienė, later a dancer, singer and a Lithuanian show-business celebrity; recently the facility is mostly closed. Presently there are 4 local institutions which contribute to cultural life in the village: the local branch of Trakai Historical Museum (Trakų istorijos muziejus), the St. Casimir school, the Roman Catholic parish and

6165-421: The St. Casimir School since 2007 have been issuing a local bulletin, named Echo . The school is housing so-called Museum of Local History, founded by a teacher Aleksander Olenkowicz; it is dedicated to Medininkai and its environs. There is also a Memory Room, which presents the history of the institution, a library and a local folk group, which used to perform also beyond Lithuania. One of statutory ZPL activities

6302-855: The Taboryszki/Tabariškės parish. During the following few years the village changed hands a few times. In January 1919 the withdrawing Germans were replaced by the Bolsheviks ; in April 1919 the Bolsheviks were driven away by the Polish army ; in July 1920 the Poles were driven away by the Bolshevik troops ; in August 1920 the Bolsheviks handed over to the newly born Lithuanian Republic ; in October 1920

6439-561: The USSR in 1988 the Medininkai Commune protested against planned legislation, which would strengthen position of the Lithuanian language; in 1989 the Supreme Soviet of LSRR ignored the protest. During emergence of the reborn Lithuanian state Medininkai was witness to an obscure episode, not fully explained until today ; on July 31, 1991, 7 officials of the Lithuanian customs, border and security services were killed at

6576-554: The Ugra River contributed to Russia's gaining its independence from the steppe nomads. According to the Chronica Polonorum by Maciej Miechowita , Casimir was of tall stature and completely bald at the mid-frontal point ( advanced receding hairline ); his face was oval and lean. Miechowita also writes that the king spoke with a speech impairment ( lisp ) and was an avid huntsman from his youth. He often hunted in

6713-603: The Vilnius County ( Виленский уезд ) in the Vilnius Governorate. The official census of 1905 lists 9 separate settlements named "Мьдники". Though at the turn of the centuries the place was still officially considered a town, in the census mentioned it is already categorized as "деревня" (village). The exact date when Medninkai lost its urban status is not known; most likely it was re-categorized with no tangible practical implications. The village listed consisted of 269 inhabitants. However, all settlements named Мьдники, in

6850-601: The Wehrmacht , which commenced over 3 years of German occupation. Since 1943 the territory south-east of Vilnius as part of so-called Inspectorate A of the underground Home Army became operational area of Polish partisan units. In early 1944 they were developed into a battalion-size 3. Wileńska Brygada Armii Krajowej . It carried out a number of combat operations against the Germans and during brief spells controlled minor locations, like Szumsk/Šumskas or Turgiele/Turgeliai; it

6987-713: The Wilno Południe electoral district. Results below the district level are not known. In April 1922 Medininkai and the entire Vilnius region was incorporated into Poland. Within the Polish republic Medininkai formed part of the Szumsk/Šumskas Commune within the Vilnius County , itself part of the Vilnius Voivodeship . In the fall of 1921, during the first official census, the village was beyond

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7124-399: The amount owned by the monastery. It was also due to deliver numerous fiscal contributions, e.g. a document from 1594 lists them meticulously even for minor hamlets and settlements. It is known that Medininkai still counted among major places, e.g. the Vilnius diocese was composed of 5 so-called keys, corresponding to present-day decanates ; one of them was the Medininkai key. Extinction of

7261-415: The ancient grandeur of Lithuania and glory of the Lithuanian nation. Hence, in the 21st century it was subject to far-reaching works going far beyond conservation of the ruins; on basis of historian's idea of the original construction the decayed walls were subject to major overhaul. They were heightened, reinforced and leveled; a tower, supposed to be the reconstruction of the original, has been constructed in

7398-632: The annual harvest festival . Sort of cultural activity is carried out by the Medininkai parish and the Franciscan monastery. It is calibrated along religious lines and related to the liturgical timeline, including lectures preceding the Lent , Christmas concertos or events accompanying Corpus Christi . The Medininkai monastery is also co-organizing meditations and debates in the Franciscan Spiritual Centre in Vilnius. Medininkai

7535-475: The area was seized by Polish units, who for the sake of international politics posed as in mutiny against the Warsaw government. None of the sources consulted provides information on the fate of Medininkai during these turbulent times. During elections to so-called Vilnius Parliament , organized under the provisional Polish rule within allegedly an independent state of Central Lithuania , Medininkai formed part of

7672-499: The area. In the early 20th century there was a 3-grade Russian school operational in the village; in 1911 there were 34 boys attending the classes. In September 1915 the Vilnius region was seized by the German army . In 1916 the bishop agreed to the parish having been re-established in the village and a church to be built. In 1917 a temporary chapel was constructed; the new parish accounted for 3,287 faithful, most of them taken over from

7809-620: The border crossing. According to Lithuanian juridical authorities, they were victims of the Soviet OMON troops . What used to be the internal Soviet border between the Byelorussian SRR and the Lithuanian SRR turned into a state frontier between the independent states of Lithuania and Belarus ; it ran some 2 km from the centre of Medininkai. In 1994 the post-Soviet local self-government, Council of People's Deputies,

7946-578: The castle and destroyed a large part of the town itself; the French also looted the place before withdrawing further west. Grabowski continued his private war; 1815 marks another assault of his men, who robbed municipal property and cut down much of the municipal forest. The same year the presbytery was destroyed by fire, it is not clear whether the result of arson or an accident. The parochial census of 1827 documents another period of demographic regress; it recorded 208 households and 1,386 faithful, merely 40% of

8083-435: The castle, was Jan Długosz, a monumental figure in Polish medieval historiography. Following the death of Prince Casimir, who passed away already considered a quasi-saint in Lithuania, in 1484 his remnants were buried in the castle, though not clear whether in the walls or in a purpose-built sepulchral crypt; they would remain there during the following over 150 years. The place played also important ceremonial roles, e.g. in 1494

8220-512: The census usually categorized as "усадьба" (hamlet), together numbered 415 inhabitants. The census listed separately hamlets and colonies which are now often considered parts of Medininkai, like Курганы (Kurhany, 222 inhabitants) or Язово (Józefowo, 34). In 1900-1902 the villagers tried to get the parish re-established; eventually the Russian administration did not consent. Already in 1905 the villagers resumed their efforts; this time they addressed

8357-429: The closest buildings in Medininkai and Pilkapiai are separated by some 500 metres). Both the Medininkai eldership and the Medininkai village are subject to ongoing population decline; since the fall of the USSR the number of villagers fell by 30%, and in 2021-2022 the eldership lost 43 people. Among the eldership population (no data for Medininkai separately) 63% are aged 18–65 (860 people), 21% are minors (284), and 17% are

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8494-435: The community office and a shop. The less visible investments are the water supply network and the partially completed sewage system. Because of fairly decent public bus transport and 1-hour-commuting time more and more villagers decided to seek employment in Vilnius and commuted each day to and from the city. Except brief periods, religious service was continuously offered in the church every Sunday. In wake of decomposition of

8631-705: The distance separating it from Western Europe and became a significant power in international relations. The demand for raw materials and semi-finished goods stimulated trade, producing a positive balance, and contributed to the growth of crafts and mining in the entire country. He was a recipient of the English Order of the Garter (KG), the highest order of chivalry and the most prestigious honour in England. Following Casimir's death in 1492, John I Albert succeeded him as King of Poland, and Alexander Jagiellon

8768-540: The dukes; a document from 1486 confirms that two inns in Medininkai were producing major gains both for the tenants and for the grand dukes. The first information on Tatars having been settled near the castle comes from the year of 1488; they inhabited the hamlet of Kurhany/Pilkapiai , later to become part of Medininkai. The Lithuanian-Muscovite war , which broke out in 1512, produced enemy incursions deep into central Lithuania. The imperial envoy Sigmund von Herberstein when coming back from Moscow in 1517 noted that he saw

8905-478: The early 21st century most Medininkai villagers lived either exclusively or mostly off agriculture . Today there are still many households depending upon agrarian jobs, usually related to cereal and forage type of cultivation. Animal husbandry is in decline, and a cow or a horse on Medininkai pastures is becoming sort of a rarity. Many households still keep small gardens, orchards or cultivated plots, but usually for own consumption and only with minor or no part of

9042-435: The east. The circumstances surrounding Traidenis' advance to power are not clear. While his ancestors are unknown, it is known that he came from Aukštaitija , as he was Duke of Kernavė . From the outset his relationships with Galicia–Volhynia were tense as he replaced Shvarn , Duke of Galicia–Volhynia and Lithuania. The tension eventually resulted in the 1274–1276 war. Despite Mongol support to Galicia–Volhynia, Traidenis

9179-631: The eldership for alleged lack of investment in cycling paths . The eldership is not responsible for the A3 highway , running some 2 km away from the village centre; it is categorized as major road ( magistralinis kelias ) and forms part of the European E28 transport corridor , running from Berlin to Minsk. There are 3 state roads in Medininkai; 5358 runs north to Szumsk / Šumskas , 5213 runs south to Turgiele / Turgeliai , and 5258 runs west to Rukojnie / Rukainiai (its 2-km-long eastern sector ends at

9316-401: The estate once Labyntsev passed away; a document from 1897 notes as "the sole heir" his granddaughter Katarzyna Drohojowska née Komar, but later data lists as the owner her mother, Elżbieta Komarowa, daughter to general Labyntsev. Following the administrative reform from the turn of the centuries Medininkai formed part of the Szumsk/Šumskas Commune (Шумская волость), which in turn formed part of

9453-447: The fall of 2021 the Vilnius government built a temporary site, named Foreigners Registration Centre. During the peak period it housed some 900 migrants. Soon media, including foreign news agencies, started to report discrimination of LGBT persons and sexual exploitation of women by Lithuanian servicemen, and Medininkai attracted attention of the EU representatives. Following media criticism in

9590-443: The fall of 2022 the migrants were moved to centres elsewhere and the Medininkai camp was dismantled. Some military plans envision Medininkai to be headquarters of one of rotating brigades from the Polish 12. Mechanised Division , as part of NATO troops supposed to flank would-be Russian advance corridor from Belarus to Poland. Theoretically the key cultural outpost in Medininkai is the local House of Culture, constructed already during

9727-451: The first half of the 15th century it was probably the largest construction of this type in Lithuania, by far larger even than the castle compound in Vilnius ; its walls of 560 metres length embraced the internal yard of some 2 ha. It was then that the Medininkai boyars formed a separate military unit, named “chorągiew miednicka”; Jan Długosz noted its taking part during the Battle of Grunwald , and 4 of its commanders are known by name for

9864-407: The first information about a representative of the grand duke and his powers in Medininkai; he is mentioned as a certain "Careybo" (Korejwo, Korejko). His rule was rather shaky, though; in 1402 another raid of Teutonic Order knights, this time commanded by Wilhelm von Helfenstein , seized and burnt the stronghold. Since the early 15th century the rule of Lithuanian grand dukes became more stable, and

10001-484: The first native Roman Catholic Grand Duke. In 1427, the Polish nobility initiated an anti- Jagiellonian opposition and attempted to have Władysław II Jagiełło 's sons Władysław III and Casimir IV Jagiellon declared illegitimate to the Polish throne as they, being sons of a Lithuanian noblewoman Sophia of Halshany , had no blood link to the previous ruling Polish dynasty, the Piasts , however Casimir's father ensured

10138-461: The first time listed some new hamlets, like Kamienny Ług. In the Saxon times the parish also recorded demographic growth, as in the mid-18th century on average there were some 135 children baptised every year; such figures were recorded again only in the mid-1920s, once the parish would be re-erected. During the early rule of the grand duke Stanisław August Poniatowski the parish counted 367 houses, it

10275-399: The former religious property, of unclear status since the parish and monastery had been closed down. Following the abolition of serfdom and gradual enfranchisment, estates started to become the property of local peasants, turning into independent farmers; documents from the 1880s note that the land near Medininkai was the property of „generała Łabińcowa i włościan”. It is not clear who inherited

10412-455: The fortress is related to the year of 1385, when it was conquered by troops of the Teutonic Order , led by the grand master Konrad Zöllner von Rotenstein . In 1387 the grand duke Jogaila abandoned paganism and adopted the Roman Catholic faith, which is usually considered as the christening of Lithuania. In an accompanying act he set up and endowed 7 churches, among them the one in Medininkai. According to historians it demonstrates that there

10549-440: The inn in 1802 he sent his men to assault the tenant of the competitive, Augustian inn. Another disastrous year in the history of Medininkai was 1812. The French Grand Armee , during their withdrawal from Russia was back in central Lithuania. In extremely harsh winter conditions (on Dec 6 the temperature in Medininkai was -37,5 °C) when seeking wood to warm up, the troops stationed in the town burnt down all facilities within

10686-527: The key highway between Vilnius and Minsk triggered emergence of business from logistics and transport sectors. In the early 1990s a member of the Polish branch of the Franciscan order settled in Medininkai; few others followed. In 1994 a small Franciscan monastery was set up in the village, the first one after the Augustians had been evicted 163 years earlier. Very briefly the monastery consisted also of

10823-527: The key point of the official infrastructure is the eldership office, which hosts also scaled-down post services. The eldership is responsible for the Secondary School of St. Casimir. There were 15 teachers on the payroll in the schooling year of 2022/2023; on its website the school provides no information as to the number of class groups or students. The number of teenagers who completed the curriculum keeps falling; there were 40-50 graduates annually in

10960-492: The king was fond of birthday celebrations for his children and watched tournaments . He was also known to be a teetotaller , and abstained from drinking wine, mead or beer at banquets. Historian Julian Bartoszewicz described the king as "wise [in thought], driven by reason and characterised by longaminity and forbearance". Casimir cared deeply for his children's education and employed the finest tutors, chiefly Jan Długosz , to supervise his sons John Albert and Alexander. It

11097-431: The last two decades of the century, when on average there were 70-80 children baptised every year. However, the town has already lost its standing; a decree by grand duke Augustus II specifies some fiscal duties named podwody for every town of the Vilnius voivodship; Medininkai was obliged to pay 15 złoty per annum, the same amount as Niemenczyn/Nemenčinė ; the neighboring Ashmyany was obliged to pay 30 złoty. None of

11234-418: The late 1940s, adopted Polish as the language of instruction, though the management layer was formed by Russians. Until the late 1950s the school educated students until late teenage; in 1956-8 there were 25 boys and girls who completed the curriculum. Later the school switched to 8th grade profile, and since then there was no school above the primary school level in Medininkai. In 1959 Nowa Wilejka/Naujoji Vilnia

11371-418: The local branch of ZPL. The museum focuses on organizing various types of events in the castle; they usually combine some popular education threads, related to its history, and entertainment. They might embrace historical reenactments , concertos, sport competitions, lectures, plays, workshops etc. In case of good weather they attract hundreds of visitors, including many travelling from Vilnius. Students from

11508-601: The matter before the EU bodies. The ratio of Poles in the village is slowly but steadily decreasing. At times nationalist Lithuanian groupings and personalities advance threads, supposed to demonstrate Lithuanian character of the region. In the late 2010s there was much anxiety in Lithuania, and in particular in regions borering Belarus, related to construction of the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant , located 20 km away from Medininkai. Despite protests of

11645-503: The mid-15th century; it is known that there were 40 such tenures in the entire Vilnius voivodship . The second half of the 15th century marks Medininkai's golden era, the period when the place enjoyed the most prestigious status. During long strings the grand duke and the king of Poland Casimir resided in the castle “to breathe better air”; he was accompanied by his sons, especially the princes Casimir , Jan and Alexander . Their preceptor and mentor, who spent long months if not years in

11782-460: The neighboring Ashmyany in the spring of 1831, but none of the sources consulted notes any rebel activity in Medininkai, except some insurgents receiving assistance in the nearby estate of the Koziełł-Poklewski family. Despite this, having re-taken control the Russian administration embarked on a repressive course. In late 1831 the Canons following some 400 years of service were forced to abandon

11919-464: The next owner. In 1857 she was permitted to build a small chapel, completed the same year near foundations of the disassembled church. Kamińska ensured also the religious service, though formal status of a priest saying the mass is not clarified. After 3 years and in unknown circumstances the priest was moved to the Carmelitan monastery in Vilnius ; also in 1860 the chapel was demolished. At that time

12056-446: The north-eastern corner. Its lower floors currently host an exposition; apart from models and drawings it contains artefacts from the medieval history of Lithuania. As a result, an opened dilapidating ruin became a closed museum, subject to entry fee. The castle periodically is location to theme festivals, related to medieval history of Lithuania. Traidenis Traidenis ( Polish : Trojden ; Belarusian : Трайдзень ; died 1282)

12193-478: The north–south axis. Traditional centre of the village gradually became an empty crossroads also because of the major infrastructural investment in the region: the Vilnius-Minsk highway , completed in the late 1970s. It was some 2 km north and parallel to historical route from Medininkai to Ahmyeny. It spared the village the nuisance of growing heavy traffic, but on the other hand it turned Medininkai into

12330-418: The number of inhabitants recorded in 2011 (1,374), the eldership is among the least populated ones in the country and ranks 439. in Lithuania. According to territory (62.9 km) it is also one of smallest ones and ranks 404. in Lithuania. According to population density (22 persons per km) the eldership ranks mid-range at position 255. Of the total eldersip surface some 50 km is cultivated agricultural area, 10.8 km

12467-421: The occupation lasted until 1660. Its results were tragic; the Muscovite troops inflicted massive damage upon the area, not only by total destruction of numerous settlements, but also by abducting great share of the population into Russia. It is known that the population of Vilnius shrank from 40 to 5 thousand, though it is not clear what was the demographic loss suffered by Medininkai. It was probably enormous, as in

12604-472: The office of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania empty. The Voivode of Trakai , Jonas Goštautas , and other magnates of Lithuania, supported Casimir as a candidate to the throne. However many Polish noblemen hoped that the thirteen-year-old boy would become a Vice-regent for the Polish King in Lithuania. Casimir was invited by the Lithuanian magnates to Lithuania, and when he arrived in Vilnius in 1440, he

12741-432: The other, none of the sources consulted contains information e.g. on staple right , and it is despite that the town was located on a busy commercial route from Vilnius eastwards. The town demonstrated some urban features like market square , castle or parish church, but it lacked city walls or bricked houses; there is neither any information on functioning of municipal self-government. The town owned some 1,250 ha, e.g. twice

12878-539: The parish is held by the Franciscans from the 1994-established Medininkai monastery. Since then there have been 7 guardians , who in parallel headed the parish; until 2020 they appeared as pastoral administrators, later as a parish priests . In 2023 this role was performed by Józef Makarczyk, the guardian but also a scientist and scholar in history of the Church , especially in the Grand Duchy. The Medininkai monastery

13015-441: The parish was in legal dispute over property with local boyars. In the early modern era Medininkai was within a "fairly large, but rather poor group of towns", which evolved from medieval lower castle settlements. However, none of them developed towards a typical large urban format. On the one hand, Medininkai boasted of various privileges for the mayor and city-dwellers, e.g. these which exempted them from transportation services; on

13152-495: The period until the mid-16th century. The scale and character of the settlement behind the castle walls are not clear. At unspecified time a parish has been erected in Medininkai; in the mid-15th century the local church is referred to as a parish church and it is known that it operated a school for children. As the Catholic infrastructure in Lithuania was being gradually developed, the Medininkai church became one of 27 churches in

13289-523: The population listed in the census carried out 46 years earlier. Medininkai was not even marked on a Russian map from the 1820s, though it was located on a major route and though similar or minor neighboring locations, like Rukojnie/Rukainiai , Kiena/Kena or Turgiele/Turgeliai were marked; even the Kamienny Ług hamlet was acknowledged. During the November Rising the insurgents took control of

13426-403: The population of the entire parish, which comprised also neighboring villages; on its territory there were 137 households, with key villages having been Kiena/Kena (20) and Kosiny/ Kuosinė (16). During half-a-century between the years of 1652 and 1702 there were 1,388 children baptised in the parish. Following demographic disaster related to the Muscovite invasion, Medininkai regained dynamics in

13563-405: The primeval tranquil woodlands extending over the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which were abundant in game . Casimir appeared modest and did not exude a sense of pride , but is said to have enjoyed occasional opulence and splendor for significant conventions. At times, his lack of frugality and preference for field sports over the affairs of state were met with staunch disapproval. Records show that

13700-526: The production intended for sale; the same applies to poultry and pigs. Single enterprises rely on activities which target the Vilnius consumer market, e.g. cultivating and trading in flowers. For few decades the most dynamic Medininkai business is a variety of services related to long-distance road haulage . Trumtransa is a Medininkai-based company which runs consignement stocks , warehouses, workshops, sale of spare parts, renting semitrailers , brokerage and customs-related service. However, its core activity

13837-549: The reasons was the 1873-built railway line from Vilnius to Minsk ; it bypassed the village running some 2 km north of the Ashmyany road, and the nearest station turned to be Kiena/Kena, some 12 km away. According to data from 1885 the Medininkai population was 297, mostly Catholics. At this time the estate again changed hands; after the Kamiński family, its new owner was general Ivan Mikhailovich Labyntsev ; he took over also

13974-441: The reliability of this claim is disputed. Late medieval chronicles mention the place as "oppidum", which points to the castle and its military role rather than to a settlement of urban features. There is no source information on usual medieval urban self-governing bodies, like a town council or municipal judicature. It is known, though, that as the town was located on a major trade route, it was of fundamental financial importance for

14111-414: The religious hierarchy; in a letter to the Vilnius bishop Edward Ropp they noted that there had been a new church constructed in Ławaryszki/Lavoriškės , so the old one might be moved to Medininkai. However, there were also other villages who set their eyes on the Ławaryszki/Lavoriškės building; the matter got stuck in the bishopic bureaucracy and has not been solved until the collapse of the Russian rule in

14248-436: The retired (230). The eldership recorded the second lowest share of minors and the third highest share of retirees in the county. Medininkai is also one of the elderships with the lowest proportion of males vs females, the phenomenon typical for rural regions. Like in most elderships south-east of Vilnius, most of the population are Poles (93.2%). Largest national minorities are Lithuanians (3.2%) and Russians (2.9%). Until

14385-628: The rivalry of Matthias Corvinus , King of Hungary, who even went so far as to stimulate the Teutonic Order to rise against Casimir. The death of Matthias in 1490 was a great relief to Poland, and Casimir employed the two remaining years of his reign in consolidating his position still further. In 1490, Casimir's son John Albert was elected the King of Hungary by a party among the Hungarian nobles . He was, however, defeated by his older brother, King Vladislaus II of Bohemia. Casimir, who wanted to secure

14522-411: The royal Yagiellonian line did not spell much change for Medininkai, except that the now electable Polish kings and Lithuanian dukes when residing in the Grand Duchy lived in Vilnius and no longer visited other locations, as was their habit before. The rule of grand duke Stephen Báthory produced further donations for the Medininkai boyars, but not for the town itself. As political and economic regime of

14659-423: The rumours. To eliminate hearsay, Władysław placed Sophia before a court. It is likely that the Teutonic Order and Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf were implicated. Following Casimir's birth, Sophia pledged an oath of innocence ( iuramentum purgatorium ) and the charges were dismissed. The question of paternity did not persist as many of the children, including Casimir, closely resembled their elderly father. He

14796-475: The service is held once, on Sundays and religious holidays three times a day. Religious service is only in Polish. The villagers remain fairly religious; the annual pastoral visit , which takes place around Christmas, is admitted by 70-80% of households. The most important day in a year, the Harvest Festival , is partially a religious event, strongly marked by the Catholic spirit. Religious service in

14933-618: The so-called Jędrzejewicz reform there was one 6-grade school in Medininkai. Following the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939, two days later Medininkai was seized by the Red Army with no combat recorded. After a month, in late October the area was ceded by the Soviets to the Republic of Lithuania. The newly established Lithuanian-Soviet frontier separated Medininkai from some of its remote settlements, e.g. Kamienny Ług as part of

15070-579: The sources consulted mentions the fate of Medininkai during the Northern War . In 1702 Vilnius was captured by the Swedish army, but it is not known whether the Swedes garrisoned the town before in 1708 the region was seized by Russian troops, theoretically allied with the grand duke Augustus . Medininkai was undergoing the period of moderate territorial growth; the 1730 inventory of municipal estates for

15207-697: The state frontiers; the following census, dated 1931, recorded 79 households and 504 inhabitants. It excluded minor colonies and settlements which are now de facto parts of Medininkai, like Kurhany/Pilkapiai (45 houses, 249 inhabitants) or Józefowo/Juozapinė (respectively 14 and 64) Religious statistics reveals similar data; in 1927 the entire parish amounted to 2,877 faithful, in 1931 to 3,017, and in 1934 to 3,287. The latter comprised 502 faithful in Medininkai alone; other major locations were Kurhany/Pilkapiai (294), Żemajtele/Žemaitėliai (223), Gudzie/Gudai (201), Podwarańce/Padvarionys (197), Dworce/Dvarčiai (181), Bojary/Bajorai (127) and Wołkogule/Valkagulia (116). The community

15344-510: The strongest part turned out to be the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania ; the first elected mayor was Czesław Ancukiewicz. In line with general political and economic change the "Red Banner" kolkhoz was disbanded, and its estates and properties were divided among local coopratives, enterprises and private individuals; some plots expropriated half a century earlier returned to heirs of the original owners. Nearby border crossing at

15481-412: The stronghold was built in the mid-14th century on orders of the grand duke Algirdas . It was located at the major Ashmyany route, though its exact role remains uncertain. Historiographic accounts from the 19th century, rooted in a somewhat loose interpretation of sources, advanced the theory that Algirdas and his wife were frequent visitors to the place. However, the first scientifically accepted note on

15618-435: The succession for his sons. Casimir succeeded his brother Władysław III (killed at the Battle of Varna in 1444) as King of Poland after a three-year interregnum on 25 June 1447. In 1454, he married Elisabeth of Austria , daughter of King Albert II of Germany and Elizabeth of Luxembourg , a descendant of King Casimir III of Poland . Her distant relative was Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor . The marriage strengthened

15755-487: The third master to be killed by Traidenis. The defeat encouraged conquered Semigallians to rebel. The Semigalians, led by Nameisis , were now willing to acknowledge Lithuania's superiority and asked Traidenis for assistance. In 1281, Traidenis conquered Jersika Castle in the present-day Preiļi District , and was able to exchange it for Dinaburg Castle. However, Traidenis died soon afterwards, and assistance to Semigalians, exhausted by constant warfare, diminished. Traidenis

15892-493: The ties between the house of Jagiellon and the sovereigns of Hungary-Bohemia and put Casimir at odds with the emperor through internal Habsburg rivalry. That same year, Casimir was approached by the Prussian Confederation for aid against the Teutonic Order , which he promised, by making the separatist Prussian regions a protectorate of the Polish Kingdom . However, when the insurgent cities rebelled against

16029-460: The time the church building ceased to exist; one historian speculates it might have been the result of fire. The Canons were re-established by a separate foundation in 1540 and it was then that the friars returned to the town. The new church of Holy Trinity was built centrally by the main road leading to Ashmyany , while the renewed parish and cloister received new donations from the grand duke Sigismund (1541) and his son (1560, 1562). Despite this,

16166-477: The town was visited by a Polish writer Władysław Syrokomla ; his late- romantic account dedicated to ruins of the castle was published as part of a book, which went to print in 1860. During the January Rising in the spring of 1863 Medininkai proved a recruitment ground for an insurgent detachment of Józef Śniadecki. In the second half the 19th century Medininkai was getting furtherly marginalised. One of

16303-466: The village. The full-scale drama unfolded in 1832, when the governorate officials closed down the church and declared the parish dissolved. The faithful were distributed among the neighboring parishes of Turgiele/Turgeliai, Taboryszki/Tabariškės and Rukojnie/Rukainiai; Medininkai was assigned to the Taboryszki parish. In 1834 the building of the closed church was disassembled and materiel was moved to

16440-544: The young Grand Duke was underage, the supreme control over the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was in the hands of the Lithuanian Council of Lords , presided by Jonas Goštautas . Casimir was taught Lithuanian language and the customs of Lithuania by appointed court officials. During Casimir's rule the rights of the Lithuanian nobility — dukes, magnates, and boyars (lesser nobles), irrespective of their religion and ethnicity — were put on an equal footing to those of

16577-596: Was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1269 or 1270 until 1282. He is the second most prominent grand duke of Lithuania in the 13th century after Mindaugas . His reign ended a seven-year unrest period after Mindaugas was assassinated in 1263 and firmly established the Grand Duchy as a pagan state for another hundred years. Traidenis expanded the Grand Duchy into the territories of Sudovians and Semigalians and strengthened its presence in Black Ruthenia . Unlike Mindaugas, Traidenis did not concentrate on expansion into

16714-436: Was again incorporated into the Szumsk/Šumskas Commune. Very few of its inhabitants decided to join the organized transfer of Poles into Poland , and almost all preferred to stay on their family economy. However some farmers, usually owners of larger properties who employed hired workforce, were dubbed kulaks and enemies of the working people. In 1948-1952 53 people, which was around 2% of the parish population, were sentenced to

16851-438: Was almost entirely Catholic; there were merely 3 Orthodox faithful and a handful of Jews recorded. The overwhelming majority of the Medininkai neighbourhood residents were farmers or agricultural workers; apart from few small brickyards and sawmills there were no industrial facilities in the area. Migration to Vilnius and other urban centres was minor. Elżbieta Komarowa, who commenced parcelation of her possessions already in 1908,

16988-444: Was already some sort of settlement beyond the castle walls existent at the time. It proves also that Medininkai was among key points in the state infrastructure. The church has indeed been constructed. In 1391 Jogaila subordinated the shrine to the newly erected Bystritsa parish, where he set up the monastery of Canons of Penitence ; it is most likely they who delivered religious service in the Medininkai church. The year of 1398 brings

17125-494: Was also a wooden building. For reasons which are not clear it got consecrated 3 years later, in 1791, again dedicated to the Holy Trinity . In the 1780s and 1790s the Canons monastery, still operational in the town, was running a primary school. Its books indicate that boys "of urban descent" prevailed, though there were also boys "of rural descent" and exceptionally also few "of noble descent". The Augustians were also running

17262-423: Was anxious that implementation of agrarian reform might prove disastrous; she decided to sell the rest of her estates in advance, before the law comes into force. The process was marked by tension and conflict; when the villagers decided to purchase a plot for a future church, intervention of the official land estate office was needed to get the deal done. Location of the plot purchased was not very convenient, as it

17399-450: Was baptised on 21 December 1427 and was named after his deceased brother. Stanisław Ciołek , Bishop of Poznań , or Nicholas of Radom composed a panegyric contrafactum titled Hystorigraphi aciem in honour of his birth which was sung at the christening ceremony. In his early years, Casimir was nursed by his mother and supervised by vice-chancellor Wincenty Kot , the future Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland , as well as by

17536-617: Was dissolved. In 1995 the third-level admin unit, the Medininkai Eldership ( Medininkų seniūnija ), was set up. Its headquarters was in Medininkai and the eldership formed part of the Vilnius Area County ( Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė ), which in turn formed part of the Vilnius Region ( Vilniaus apskritis ). The same year the first local elections were held; both at the commune level and at the county level

17673-581: Was due to the permutations of European politics . The pope was anxious to get rid of the Hussite King of Bohemia, George Podebrad, as the first step towards the formation of a league against the Ottoman Turks . Casimir was to be a leading factor in this combination, and he took advantage of it to procure the election of his son Vladislaus II as the King of Bohemia . But he would not commit himself too far, and his ulterior plans were frustrated by

17810-417: Was ensuring that the crumbling walls would not decay further on. In 1967 a modern, large school building was completed. In 1981 there were new modules added: a gym hall, canteen and library; there was also an outdoor sport compound built. In the 1970s and 1980s some 40-50 students were completing education every year. Other investments visible until today are 4 residential multi-flat blocks, a large kindergarten,

17947-474: Was further developed by Gediminas . Traidenis, known for his devotion to paganism and anti-German attitude, was also successful in fighting with the Livonian Order . In 1270 he won the Battle of Karuse , fought on ice near Saaremaa , and killed Otto von Lutterberg , master of the Order. A new master, Andreas von Westfalen, sought a quick revenge, but was also killed by Traidenis. However, by 1272

18084-545: Was incorporated into Vilnius; as a result, the Medininkai Commune was moved from the Naujoji Vilnia County to the Vilnius County. In 1963 the commune was dissolved and Medninkai was incorporated into the newly established Podwarance/Padvarionys Commune, but 1965 marked return to the old setup. What ratio of villagers were members of the Communist Party is unclear. Medininkai and surroundings remained

18221-554: Was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers; under him, Poland defeated the Teutonic Knights in the Thirteen Years' War and recovered Pomerania . The Jagiellonian dynasty became one of the leading royal houses in Europe. The great triumph of his reign was bringing Prussia under Polish rule. The rule of Casimir corresponded to the age of "new monarchies" in western Europe. By the 15th century, Poland had narrowed

18358-495: Was placed somewhat away from the village, on the other side of the castle ruins. In 1927 the villagers purchased the closed church in Rukojnie/Rukainiai. It was disassembled and re-assembled in Medininkai, consecrated in 1929; it was the sixth subsequent shrine in the village. In the 1920s there were schools open in Medininkai (180 students), Podwarańce/Padvarionys, Żemajtele/Žemaitėliai and Nielidziszki/Nelidiskai; after

18495-492: Was proclaimed Grand Duke of Lithuania. Casimir Jagiellon was the third and youngest son of King Władysław II Jagiełło (known as Jogaila) and his fourth wife, Sophia of Halshany . Casimir's mother was 40 to 50 years younger than his father, which caused widespread speculations that the children were the product of adultery . A scandal erupted when Sophia was accused of marital infidelity and two of her ladies-in-waiting were subsequently arrested and tortured for disseminating

18632-630: Was proclaimed as the Grand Duke of Lithuania on 29 June 1440 by the Council of Lords , contrary to the wishes of the Polish noble lords — an act supported and coordinated by Jonas Goštautas. When the news arrived in the Kingdom of Poland concerning the proclamation of Casimir as the Grand Duke of Lithuania, it was met with hostility, even to the point of military threats against Lithuania. Since

18769-424: Was successful in battle and his control over Black Ruthenia ( Novogrudok , Grodno , Slonim , and other cities) was strengthened. Traidenis also made incursions into Poland , especially surroundings of Lublin and Łęczyca , that continued to about 1306. However, these raids did not affect Masovia as Traidenis established a dynastic link through his daughter Gaudemunda with its dukes . This dynastic relationship

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