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Vitovt

by Ilya from Slonim, Belarus

Vitovt the Great
Vitovt the Great

Heroes... Who are they? I think they can be people whom we know very well and meet every day at home, at school, in the place where we live and in our country. But they can be people who are famous in our country and all over the world for their historic deeds and feats and their great contribution to the development of our community and our planet.

Vitovt -Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Âèòîâò )
Vitovt -Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Âèòîâò )

Who is my hero? I have been thinking a lot about it. I have studied a lot of books and encyclopedias and I've decided to write about Vitovt the Great - the Grand Duke of Lithuania. In my country (in Belarus) and in Lithuania he is considered a national hero. I personally consider him a hero because he defended our Motherland and saved it from Teutonic knights and besides, he was an important figure in the national rebirth in the early 15th century.

Vitovt is known as a ruler who wasn't afraid of anything new and introduced many reforms to improve the economical development of his country. Under his rule the Grand Duchy of Lithuania gradually became more centralized as local princes with dynastic ties to the throne were replaced by the governors loyal to Vitovt. The governors were rich landowners who formed the basis for the Lithuanian nobility. During Vitovt's' rule, the influential Radziwiłł and Goštautai families began their rise. He always thought of his people and his country trying to protect them from any aggression and invasion. Many European monarchs and kings, as well as rulers of Eastern countries, were eager to make friends with him and live in peace.

Vitovt the Great. Battle at Grunwald (ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Âèòîâò )
Vitovt the Great. Battle at Grunwald (ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Âèòîâò )

Vitovt was a very great general. He fought heroically against the Golden Horda and the Teutonic Order, or crusaders, for independence. On August 12, 1399 there was a great battle between Vitovt's troops and the Golden Horda not far from The Dnieper. Though Vitovt's troops were defeated, this battle was of great historic importance as the invasion of the Golden Horda was stopped due to the courage of Vitovt's troops.

Monument to Vitautas Magnus in Kaunus (www.vitovt.com/)
Monument to Vitautas Magnus in Kaunus (www.vitovt.com/)

"In 1409 a second rebellion, backed by Vitovt, against the Teutonic Knights started. The rebels burned Skirsnemunė castle. Since both Poland and Lithuania supported the rebels, the war started and lasted three years. Vitovt gathered a large army from 18 lands under his control. The army joined Polish forces and advanced towards the Teutonic headquarters at the castle of Marienburg. In 1410 Vitovt himself commanded the forces of the Grand Duchy in the Battle of Grunwald. The battle lasted the whole day and ended in a decisive Polish-Lithuanian victory."
June 15 was a remarkable day when the Teutonic knights were defeated. Historians say that Vitovt played a very important part in this victory. He was seen everywhere encouraging his people by his bravery and courage.

Belorussians and Lithuanians remember Vitovt as a King-Hercules or a legendary king who will rise from his grave when they are in trouble and say, "I'll stand up and help you". That's why monuments in his honor were built in many towns in the independent Republic of Lithuania during the interwar period, 1918-1939. Vytautas Magnus University was named after him.

There is St Michail's church in the village of Syankovichy, not far from my native town, which was built on Vitovt's order. As the legend says Vitovt came in Slonim and built this church to hide from chasing.

Page created on 6/6/2009 9:43:24 AM

Last edited 6/6/2009 9:43:24 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

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