Editing Dmitry Donskoy

{{Short description|Prince of Moscow (1359–1389)}}
{{Other uses}}
{{refimprove|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Dmitry Donskoy
| title        = 
| image        = Dmitri Donskoy.jpg
| caption      = Miniature from the ''Tsarskiy titulyarnik'' ("Tsar's Book of Titles", 1672)
| reign        = 13 November 1359 – 19 May 1389
| coronation   = 
| succession   = [[Prince of Moscow]]
| full name    = Dmitry Ivanovich
| predecessor  = [[Ivan II of Moscow|Ivan II]]
| successor    = [[Vasily I of Moscow|Vasily I]]
| succession1  = [[Grand Prince of Vladimir]]
| reign1       = 1363 – 19 May 1389
| predecessor1 = [[Dmitry of Suzdal]]
| successor1   = [[Vasily I of Moscow|Vasily I]]
| spouse       = [[Eudoxia Dmitriyevna]]
| spouse-type  = [[List of Russian consorts|Consort]]
| issue        = {{ubl|[[Vasily I of Moscow|Vasily Dmitriyevich]] |[[Yury of Zvenigorod|Yury Dmitriyevich]]}}
| issue-link   = #Marriage and children
| issue-pipe   = more...
| house        = [[Rurikids|Rurik]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Ivan II of Moscow]]
| mother       = [[Alexandra Vasilyevna Velyaminova]]
| birth_date   = 12 October 1350
| birth_place  = [[Moscow]], [[Grand Duchy of Moscow]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|df=yes|1389|5|19|1350|10|12}}
| death_place  = Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Cathedral of the Archangel]], [[Moscow Kremlin]]
}}
'''Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy'''{{efn|Also spelled as '''Dimitrii''' or '''Demetrius'''; also known as '''Dmitry of the Don'''}} ({{langx|ru|Дми́трий Ива́нович Донско́й}}; 12 October 1350 &ndash; 19 May 1389) was [[Prince of Moscow]] from 1359 and [[Grand Prince of Vladimir]] from 1363 until his death. He was the heir of [[Ivan II of Moscow|Ivan II]].

He was the first prince of Moscow to openly challenge [[Mongol]] authority in Russia. In traditional Russian historiography, he is regarded as a Russian national hero and a central figure of the Russian Middle Ages. His nickname, Donskoy ("of the [[Don (river)|Don]]"), alludes to his great victory against the [[Tatars]] in the [[Battle of Kulikovo]] (1380), which took place on the Don River.<ref>Asimov, Isaac. ''Asimov's Chronology of the World.'' New York: HarperCollins, 1989; p. 186.</ref> He is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church with his feast day on [[May 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)|19 May]].

==Early reign==

Dmitry was born in [[Moscow]] in 1350, the son of [[Ivan II of Moscow|Ivan the Fair]], Grand Prince of Moscow, and his second wife, Alexandra Vassilievna Velyaminova, the daughter of the mayor of Moscow. Dmitry was orphaned at the age of nine and ascended the throne of the [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Principality of Moscow]].<ref name=library>{{Cite web|url=https://www.prlib.ru/en/news/1166786|title=Prince Dmitry Donskoy: Victor of the Battle of Kulikovo, who was the first to bring glory to Rus' and unite it|website=Presidential Library}}</ref> Per the terms of Ivan's will, during Dmitry's minority, [[Metropolitan Alexis|Metropolitan Aleksey]] served as regent.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

In 1360 [[Khiḍr Khan]], [[Khan (title)|Khan]] of the [[Golden Horde]], transferred the title most prized among the Russian princes, that of Grand Prince of [[Vladimir, Russia|Vladimir]], to [[Dmitri Konstantinovich|Dmitry Konstantinovich]] of [[Nizhny Novgorod]]. In 1363, after that prince was deposed, Dmitry Ivanovich was crowned at Vladimir. Three years later, he made peace with Dmitry Konstantinovich and married his daughter [[Eudoxia Dmitriyevna|Eudoxia]].{{cn|date=February 2023}}

The most important event during Dmitry's early reign was to start building the [[Moscow Kremlin]]; it was completed in 1367. Thanks to the new fortress, the city withstood two sieges by [[Algirdas]] of [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]] during the [[Lithuanian–Muscovite War (1368–1372)]].<ref name=stmuseum/> The war ended with the [[Treaty of Lyubutsk]]. In 1375, Dmitry settled, in his own favor, a conflict with [[Mikhail II of Tver]] over [[Vladimir, Russia|Vladimir]]. Other princes of in the northeastern [[Rus' principalities]] acknowledged his authority and contributed troops to the impending struggle against the Horde. By the end of his reign, Dmitry had more than doubled the territory of the Principality of Moscow.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

==Struggle against Mamai==
[[File:Dmitry Donskoy in front of Marinkina tower (Kolomna Kremlin).jpg|thumb|Monument to Dmitry Donskoy in front of Marinkina tower ([[Kolomna Kremlin]])]]

[[Mongol]] domination of Rus' began to crumble during Dmitry's thirty-year reign. The [[Golden Horde]] was severely weakened by civil war and dynastic rivalries. Dmitry took advantage of this lapse in Mongol authority to openly challenge the Tatars. While he kept the Khan's patent to collect taxes for all of Russia,{{cn|date=February 2023}} Dmitry is also famous for leading the first Russian military victory over the Mongols.{{cn|date=February 2023|reason=The Mongols/Tatars lost battles to Rus' troops many times before, e.g. during the 1252–1254 Kuremsa raid on South Volyn, and the 1362/1363 Battle of Blue Waters.}} [[Mamai]], a Mongol general and claimant to the throne, tried to punish Dmitry for attempting to increase his power. In 1378 Mamai sent a Mongol army, but it was defeated by Dmitry's forces in the [[Battle of Vozha River]].<ref name=stmuseum/>

Two years later Mamai personally led a large force against Moscow. [[Sergius of Radonezh]] blessed Dmitry Donskoy when he went to fight the Tatars in the signal [[Battle of Kulikovo]] field, but only after he was certain Dmitry had pursued all peaceful means of resolving the conflict. Sergius sent the two warrior monks [[Alexander Peresvet]] and his friend [[Oslyabya|Rodion Oslyabya]] to join the Russian troops. The battle of Kulikovo was opened by single combat between two champions. The Russian champion was Alexander Peresvet. The Horde champion was Temir-murza. The champions killed each other in the first run. Dmitry defeated the Horde.<ref name=library/> In gratitude for the victory, Dmitry established the Dormition monastery on the Dubenka River and built a church in honor of the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos over the graves of the fallen warriors.<ref name=baltimore>{{Cite web|url=http://www.holy-transfiguration.org/library_en/saints_dmitriy.html|title=Lives of the Saints|website=www.holy-transfiguration.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |author      = Timofeychev, A.
 |url         = https://www.rbth.com/arts/history/2017/07/19/the-battle-of-kulikovo-when-the-russian-nation-was-born_806685
 |title       = The Battle of Kulikovo: When the Russian nation was born
 |publisher   = Russia Beyond the Headlines
 |date        = 2017-07-19
 |access-date  = 2020-01-29
}}</ref>

The defeated Mamai was presently dethroned by a rival Mongol general, [[Tokhtamysh]].  That khan reasserted Mongol rule of Rus and [[Siege of Moscow (1382)|overran Moscow]] in 1382 for Dmitry's resistance to Mamai. Dmitry, however, pledged his loyalty to Tokhtamysh and to the Golden Horde and was reinstated as Mongol principal tax collector and Grand Duke of Vladimir. Upon his death in Moscow in 1389, Dmitry was the first Grand Duke to bequeath his titles to his son [[Vasili I of Moscow|Vasily I of Moscow]] without consulting the Khan.<ref name=library/>

==Marriage and children==

He was married to [[Eudoxia of Moscow|Eudoxia of Nizhniy Novgorod]]. She was a daughter of [[Dmitry of Suzdal]] and Vasilisa of [[Rostov Veliky|Rostov]]. They had at least twelve children:

*Daniil Dmitriyevich ({{Circa|1370}} – 15 September 1379).
*[[Vasily I of Moscow|Vasiliy I of Moscow]] (30 September 1371 &ndash; 27 February 1425).
*Sofia Dmitriyevna. Married Fyodor Olegovich, [[Ryazan Principality|Prince of Ryazan]] (reigned 1402–1427).
*[[Yury Dmitrievich|Yuriy Dmitriyevich]], Duke of [[Zvenigorod]] and [[Galich, Russia|Galich]] (26 November 1374 &ndash; 5 June 1434). Claimed the throne of Moscow against his nephew [[Vasily II of Moscow|Vasiliy II of Moscow]].
*Maria Dmitriyevna (d. 15 May 1399). Married [[Lengvenis]].
*Anastasia Dmitriyevna. Married Ivan Vsevolodovich, Prince of [[Kholm, Kholmsky District, Novgorod Oblast|Kholm]].
*Simeon Dmitrievich (d. 11 September 1379).
*Ivan Dmitriyevich (d. 1393).
*Andrey Dmitriyevich, Prince of [[Mozhaysk]] (14 August 1382 &ndash; 9 July 1432).
*Pyotr Dmitriyevich, Prince of [[Dmitrov]] (29 July 1385 &ndash; 10 August 1428).
*Anna Dmitriyevna (born 8 January 1387). Married Yury Patrikiyevich. Her husband was a son of [[Patrikas]], Prince of [[Starodub]] and his wife Helena. His paternal grandfather was [[Narimantas]]. The marriage solidified his role as a [[Boyar]] attached to Moscow.
*Konstantin Dmitriyevich, Prince of [[Pskov Republic|Pskov]] (14 May/15 May 1389 – 1433).<ref name=stmuseum>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kulpole.ru/en/history/detail.php?SECTION_ID=46&ID=136|title="Heroes of the Kulikovo battle", The State Museum of Military History, Moscow|access-date=2019-01-02|archive-date=2019-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102095126/https://www.kulpole.ru/en/history/detail.php?SECTION_ID=46&ID=136|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Veneration ==
{{Infobox saint|name=Demetrius Ioannovich Donskoy|image=Блюдо с портретом Дмитрия Донского к 500-летию Куликовской битвы.jpg|titles=[[Right-Believing|Right-Believing Prince]]|feast_day=23 January, 9 May, 19 May, 6 July, 22 August, 22 September|honored_in=[[Eastern Orthodox Church]]|canonized_date=6 June 1988|canonized_place=[[Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius]]|canonized_by=[[1988 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church]] ([[Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow]])|major_shrine=[[Cathedral of the Archangel]]|attributes=[[sword]] and [[helmet]]|patronage=[[The Military Police of Russia]]}}
[[Right-Believing|Right-Believing Prince]] Demetrius Ioannovich Donskoy was [[canonized]] on 6 June 1988 in [[Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius]] by [[1988 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church]] under [[Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=ДИМИТРИЙ ИОАННОВИЧ|url=https://www.pravenc.ru/text/178205.html|access-date=2022-01-23|website=www.pravenc.ru}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:Russian poster WWI 011.jpg|Dmitriy Donskoy in a [[World War I]] patriotic poster by [[Konstantin Korovin]]
Yvon kremlin.jpg|Dmitriy Donskoy in the [[Battle of Kulikovo]], by [[Adolphe Yvon]]
Facial Chronicle - b.10, p.049 - Tokhtamysh at Moscow.jpg|Defense of Moscow from Tokhtamysh in 1382
1000 Donskoi.jpg|Dmitriy Donskoy on the [[Millennium of Russia]] monument in [[Veliky Novgorod]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Bibliography of Russian history (1223–1613)]]
*[[Rulers of Russia family tree]]
*''[[Dmitry Donskoy (opera)|Dmitry Donskoy]]'', opera by [[Anton Rubinstein]] (1852).
*[[Russian ship Dmitri Donskoi|''Dmitri Donskoi'' (ship)]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Dmitry I, Grand Prince of Moscow}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Demetrius Donskoi | volume= 7 |last= Bain |first= Robert Nisbet |author-link= Robert Nisbet Bain| page = 983 |short= 1}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dmitry of Suzdal]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[Grand Prince of Vladimir]]|years= 1362–1389}} 
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Vasily I of Moscow|Vasily I]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ivan II of Moscow|Ivan II]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Russian monarchs#Grand Princes of Moscow|Prince of Moscow]]|years= 1359–1389}} 
{{s-end}}

{{Sovereign Rulers of Russia}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dmitry Donskoy}}
[[Category:1350 births]]
[[Category:1389 deaths]]
[[Category:14th-century grand princes of Moscow]]
[[Category:14th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:Grand princes of Vladimir]]
[[Category:Medieval child monarchs]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodox royal saints from Russia]]
[[Category:Daniilovichi family]]