Dmitry Konstantinovich of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod (1322–1383) was a medieval Russian prince, son of Konstantin Vasilyevich of Suzdal, the first ruler of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal Principality, and great-great-grandson of Andrey Yaroslavich, the younger brother of Alexander Nevsky. He held the throne as Prince of Suzdal from 1356, and as Grand Prince of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod from 1365; in 1360–1363 he bore the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir. Dmitry Konstantinovich's baptismal name was Foma, and in monastic life — Fyodor; historians refer to him as "the Elder" to distinguish him from his younger brother of the same name — Dmitry Nogot, a landless Prince of Suzdal.[1] He was one of the key figures in the inter-princely struggles of the second half of the 14th century and the father-in-law of Dmitry Donskoy.[1]
Struggle for the Grand Principality of Vladimir
In 1359 unrest broke out in the Golden Horde: Khan Kulpa was overthrown and killed by Khan Navruz. Taking advantage of the death of the Muscovite Grand Prince Ivan Krasny and the instability in the Horde, Dmitry Konstantinovich traveled to Navruz and obtained from him a yarlyk (charter) conferring the grand principality of Vladimir. Returning to Rus, he entered Vladimir and proclaimed himself Grand Prince.[1]
However, Navruz's rule proved short-lived: as early as June 1360 he was overthrown and executed as an impostor. The new de facto ruler of the Horde, Mamai, acting in the name of Khan Abdullah, issued a yarlyk conferring the grand principality on the young Dmitry of Moscow. The Muscovite boyars assembled an army and marched first on Vladimir, then on Suzdal. A standoff ensued near Suzdal: understanding that Moscow's military power vastly exceeded his own, Dmitry Konstantinovich did not dare give battle. In 1363 he renounced his claim to the grand principality and acknowledged the rights of Dmitry Donskoy.[1]
Alliance with Moscow and internal conflicts
In 1366 Dmitry Konstantinovich gave his daughter Yevdokia in marriage to the fifteen-year-old Muscovite prince Dmitry, the future Donskoy, thereby sealing an alliance between the two principalities. The final reconciliation took place on 18 January 1366, when the wedding of Yevdokia and the Muscovite prince was celebrated.[1] By that time, however, the authority of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince had been considerably undermined: his own brother Boris had seized Nizhny Novgorod. Dmitry Konstantinovich was able to recover the Nizhny Novgorod throne only with the help of his Muscovite son-in-law. Through the mediation of Dmitry of Moscow, Abbot Sergiy Radonezhsky was sent to resolve the dispute over Nizhny Novgorod; only when persuasion proved ineffective did the Muscovite prince provide troops, whereupon Boris yielded the Nizhny Novgorod throne.[1][1]
In 1375 Dmitry Konstantinovich joined Dmitry Donskoy and other princes in a campaign against Mikhail of Tver.[1]
Assessments by contemporaries and historians
The historian N. S. Borisov characterized Dmitry Konstantinovich as a man of "inordinate ambition" who "clearly overestimated both his own capabilities and those of his principality." The prince's ambitions were backed by his sons — Vasily Dmitrievich Kirydepa and Semyon Dmitrievich. Dmitry Konstantinovich died in 1383; his daughter Yevdokia Dmitrievna became the wife of Dmitry Donskoy and is remembered in history as one of the outstanding women of her time.[1]
In 1372 Dmitry Konstantinovich laid the foundations of The Kremlin in Nizhny Novgorod, with a single tower — marking the beginning of stone defensive construction in the city. In 1374 or 1375 an embassy from Mamai arrived in Nizhny Novgorod — more than a thousand warriors led by Murza Sarayka; on the prince's orders the envoys were killed, while Sarayka himself and his personal guard were imprisoned in the fortress. In 1377, at the court of Dmitry Konstantinovich in Nizhny Novgorod, one of the most important monuments of Old Russian chronicle-writing was produced — the Laurentian Codex.[1][1][1]
Sources
- stuki-druki.com — Dmitry Konstantinovich of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod — Dmitry Konstantinovich's baptismal name was Foma, and in monastic life — Fyodor; historians refer to him as "the Elder" because… (archive)
- proza.ru — 1359–1362. Dimitry IV Konstantinovich (Boris Milovzorov) / Proza.ru
- docs.google.com — List of authentic certificates (archive)