Glinski rebellion
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The Glinski rebellion was a revolt in 1508 in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...
by a group of aristocrats led by Prince
Mikhail Glinski Michael Lvovich Glinsky ( lt, Mykolas Glinskis, russian: Михаил Львович Глинский, pl, Michał Gliński; 1460s – 24 September 1534) was a noble from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of distant Tatar extraction, who was also a t ...
in 1508. It grew out of a rivalry between two factions of the nobility during the final years of Grand Duke
Alexander Jagiellon Alexander Jagiellon ( pl, Aleksander Jagiellończyk, lt, Aleksandras Jogailaitis; 5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506) of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jag ...
. The revolt began when Sigismund I, the new Grand Duke, decided to strip Glinski of his posts based on rumors spread by
Jan Zabrzeziński Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky (1437 – 2 February 1508) was a noble of Leliwa coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who achieved the height of his influence during the reign of Alexander I Jagiellon (1492–1506). He was ...
, Glinski's personal enemy. After failing to settle the dispute at the royal court, Glinski and his supporters (mostly relatives) rose up in arms. The rebels swore allegiance to
Vasili III of Russia Vasili III Ivanovich (russian: Василий III Иванович, 25 March 14793 December 1533) was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. He was the son of Ivan III Vasiliyevich and Sophia Paleologue and was christened with the nam ...
, who was waging war against Lithuania. The rebels and their Russian supporters failed to achieve military victory. They were allowed to go into exile in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
and take their movable property, but their vast land possessions were confiscated.


Origin and progress


Historical background

In the early 16th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost about one third of its territory''Сагановіч Г.'' Вайна Маскоўскай дзяржавы з Вялікім княствам Літоўскім 1500-1503 // Вялікае Княства Літоўскае. Энцыклапедыя у 3 т. — Мн.: БелЭн, 2005. — Т. 1: Абаленскі — Кадэнцыя. — С. 370—371. — 684 с. — . as a result of the second war with Muscovy from 1500 to 1503. In addition, there were internal disagreements over a new union with the
Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...
(1501). To take effect, the Union of Mielnik needed to be ratified by the Lithuanian Seimas. Opponents of the union, among them Mikhail Glinski and the Grand Duke Alexander, refused to approve the union during the 1505 Seimas in
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...
. Supporters of the union wanted to expand their own political rights; the union greatly limited the power of the monarchy and in Poland led to the elective monarchy. In February 1507, the Seimas in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
decided to demand the return of the territory it had lost in the previous war with Muscovy, and dispatched an ambassador to Moscow with an ultimatum. The ambassador's failure was regarded as '' casus belli''. Moscow acted first but, despite a delay in mustering of the Lithuanian troops, did not achieve any significant results. Military actions in the first phase of the war (prior to the entry of the rebels into the conflict) were rather passive and did not bring about a desired result for either of the parties.


Causes

During the last years of Grand Duke Alexander's reign, Mikhail Glinski wielded considerable influence at court, and held the important post of Court Marshal from 1500 to 1506. The rapid growth of Glinski's influence troubled the old Lithuanian aristocracy, such as the Radziwiłł family, the Kęsgailos, and especially
Jan Zabrzeziński Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky (1437 – 2 February 1508) was a noble of Leliwa coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who achieved the height of his influence during the reign of Alexander I Jagiellon (1492–1506). He was ...
, who became Glinski's personal enemy. As a trustee of the Grand Duke, Glinski facilitated the rise of his relatives and of others, which strengthened his position. The ambassador of the German emperor, Sigismund von Herberstein, set out the essence of the rebellion in his ''
Notes on Muscovite Affairs ''Notes on Muscovite Affairs'' (''Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii'') (1549) was a Latin book by Baron Sigismund von Herberstein on the geography, history and customs of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy. The book was the main early source of knowledge ...
''. The cause of the quarrel between Glinski and Zabrzeziński, he thought, was that Trakai voivode Zabrzeziński had ordered to beat Glinski's servant because the servant was sent for a second time to get oats for the royal horses in
Trakai Trakai (; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a historic town and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. ...
. Glinski, who had great influence on the Grand Duke, contrived to have Zabrzeziński deprived of two posts including the Voivodeship, even though such posts, once awarded, were rarely taken away. Herberstein reports that although they subsequently reconciled, and Zabrzeziński retained a third post, Zabrzeziński still held a grudge against Glinski.''Герберштейн С.'' Записки о Московии. — С. 467. According to 16th century Polish historian
Maciej Stryjkowski Maciej Stryjkowski (also referred to as Strykowski and Strycovius;Nowa encyklopedia powszechna PWN. t. 6, 1997 – ) was a Polish historian, writer and a poet, known as the author of ''Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Rutheni ...
and
Bychowiec Chronicle The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled ''Bykhovets'', ''Bykovets'' or '' Bychovec'') is an anonymous 16th-century chronicle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Although one of the least reliable sources of the epoch, it is considered the most extensive ...
, the conflict between Glinski and Zabrzeziński began after Glinski achieved the dismissal of
Lida Lida ( be, Лі́да ; russian: Ли́да ; lt, Lyda; lv, Ļida; pl, Lida ; yi, לידע, Lyde) is a city 168 km (104 mi) west of Minsk in western Belarus in Grodno Region. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuan ...
vicegerent Yuri Ilyinich and the appointment of Andrei Drozhdzh, Glinski's cousin, in his place. Yuri Ilyinich complained to the
Council of Lords The Lithuanian Council of Lords ( be, Паны-Рада, lt, Ponų taryba) was the main permanent institution of central government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania active in its capital city of Vilnius. It had originated from the advisory Council ...
that his rights had been violated. The Council, including Zabrzeziński, who was a member, supported Ilyinich and declined to confirm the appointment, calling Drozhdzh a "commoner". They also drew attention to the enthronement privilege of Alexander, which said that only the deprivation of the coat of arms warranted dismissal.''Шэйфер В.'' Мяцеж ці паўстанне? — С. 104.''Stryjkowski M.'
Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudska i wszystkiej Rus
— Warszawa, 1846. — Т. ІІ. — S. 321—322.

/ Под ред. Н. Н. Улащика. — Moscow: Наука, 1966. — С. 118—119.
Alexander, angered by the disobedience, urged lords to the Brest
Seimas The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas), or simply the Seimas (), is the unicameral parliament of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendme ...
, where he ordered them to imprison Ilyinich and demanded lords ''"not appear in his eyes"''. Despite the chronicles' description and chronology, historians note that Zabrzeziński fell out of favor due to the fact he was an active supporter of the ratification of the Union of Mielnik, which was thwarted in the Brest Seimas. states that in 1503 Glinski had already accused Zabrzeziński of plotting an assassination.''Pietkiewicz K.'' Wielkie Кsięstwo Litewskie pod rządami Aleksandra Jagiełłończyka: Studja nad dziejami państwa i społeczeństwa na przełomie XV i XVI w. Poznań, 1995. — S. 114. On August 6, 1506, Glinski triumphed over the army of the Crimean Khan near Kletsk. On August 19, Grand Duke Alexander died. In the elections Glinski supported
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
, Alexander's younger brother. However, under the influence of rumors spread by Zabrzeziński, Sigismund deprived Glinski and his brothers and of their posts.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 141. According to Herberstein, who called Glinski and
Konstanty Ostrogski Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski (c. 1460 – 10 August 1530; lt, Konstantinas Ostrogiškis; uk, Костянтин Іванович Острозький, translit=Kostiantyn Ivanovych Ostrozkyi; be, Канстантын Іванавіч Ас ...
two especially famous people of the Grand Duchy, Glinski appealed for assistance to the Czech and Hungarian king Vladislav II and to the Crimean khan Mengli Giray. Vladislav II sent to the Grand Duke Sigismund ambassadors asking for Glinski's ''"complete satisfaction"''. Mengli Giray sent Sigismund a message demanding the restoration of Glinski as the Court Marshal and, in the case of non-fulfilment, threatened to break the ''"brotherhood"'' (military alliance). In 1507 the Polish Chancellor
Jan Laski Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...
warned Glinski that he would never be safe because of the threat from the Lithuanian nobility. At the same time, Vice-Chancellor
Maciej Drzewicki Maciej Drzewicki (22 February 1467 – 22 August 1535) was the archbishop of Gniezno and primate of Poland in 1531. He was born in Drzewica, and was a humanist. Prior to becoming archbishop, he was bishop of Włocławek in 1513 and bishop o ...
argued that Laski intentionally incited Glinski to revolt. But, according to the American historian Stephen Christopher Rowell, Drzewicki always considered Laski as the cause of all unrest under Sigismund's reign, believing him to be a kind of "evil genius".''Rowell S. C.'' Nolite confidere in principibus… — P. 85. According to Herberstein, Glinski ''"incensed at the indignity offered to him, he told the king that he should resent such infamous conduct, and that he himself would one day live to repent it"''.''Шэйфер В.'' Мяцеж ці паўстанне? — С. 105.Хроника литовская и жмойтская
// Полное собрание русских летописей. — М., 1975. — Т. 32. — С. 102—103.


Beginning

Glinski began to spread rumors that authorities intended to proselytize all Orthodox Christians to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and that those who refused to convert would be executed, even though he himself was a Catholic.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 148. As proof he relied on the statement of Fyodor Kolontaev, who allegedly had received information from the . Later, under oath, Kolontaev denied that he said anything like this to Glinski. According to Russian historian , Prince Glinski wasn't sincere in his statements. Thus in 1509, while remaining a Catholic, Glinski reported in a letter to Emperor Maximilian that he preferred not to declare his true faith until achieving the return of his former position and therefore he asked the emperor, the Roman Church, and every Catholic for forgiveness. Taking advantage of Sigismund's departure to the
Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...
in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, Glinski gathered his "brothers and friends" and told them about his intentions. From his spies he knew that his enemy Jan Zabrzeziński was in his manor near Grodno. On February 2, 1508, Glinski and a cohort of 700 riders crossed the Neman River and surrounded the manor. Then Glinski's friend German Shlyaynits broke with the people into the manor. Zabrzeziński was caught getting out of his bed and beheaded on the orders of Glinski by an unnamed Muslim.Хроника литовская и жмойтская
//
Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles The Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles (, abbr. ''PSRL'') is a series of published volumes aimed at collecting all medieval East Slavic chronicles, with various editions published in Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union, and Russian Federati ...
. — Moscow, 1975. — Т. 32. — С. 102—103.
''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 143. It was the beginning of the rebellion.''Грыцкевіч А.'' Глінскіх мяцеж 1508 // Вялікае Княства Літоўскае. Энцыклапедыя у 3 т. — Мн.: БелЭн, 2005. — Т. 1: Абаленскі — Кадэнцыя. — С. 535. — 684 с. — . Having dealt with his main enemy, Glinski, who according to Polish historian
Maciej Stryjkowski Maciej Stryjkowski (also referred to as Strykowski and Strycovius;Nowa encyklopedia powszechna PWN. t. 6, 1997 – ) was a Polish historian, writer and a poet, known as the author of ''Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Rutheni ...
had 2,000 soldiers,''Stryjkowski M.'
Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudska i wszystkiej Rusi
— Warszawa, 1846. — Т. ІІ. — S. 346.
sent units throughout Lithuania and made an attempt to take the
Kaunas Castle Kaunas Castle is a medieval castle in Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century, in the Gothic style. Its site is strategic – a rise on the banks o ...
. On February 21, Grand Duke Sigismund sent a letter to the Crimean khan with an eye to embroiling Glinski with him. Mengli Giray's greatest enemy
Great Horde The Great Horde (''Uluğ Orda'') was a rump state of the Golden Horde that existed from the mid-15th century to 1502. It was centered at the core of the Golden Horde at Sarai. Both the Khanate of Astrakhan and the Khanate of Crimea broke away ...
Khan
Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Ahmed (died 1529) was the last Khan of the Great Horde, a remnant of the Golden Horde. Life He was one of the three sons of Ahmed Khan bin Küchük, the man who lost Russia in 1480. After the assassination of Ahmed Khan in 1481, his s ...
was imprisoned in the
Kaunas Castle Kaunas Castle is a medieval castle in Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century, in the Gothic style. Its site is strategic – a rise on the banks o ...
and Sigismund alleged that Glinski intended to release him.''Rowell S. C.'' Nolite confidere in principibus… — P. 86—87. After failing to take Kaunas Castle, Glinski moved his forces to
Navahrudak Novogrudok ( be, Навагрудак, Navahrudak; lt, Naugardukas; pl, Nowogródek; russian: Новогрудок, Novogrudok; yi, נאַוואַראַדאָק, Novhardok, Navaradok) is a town in the Grodno Region, Belarus. In the Middle ...
and then to
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
. But, after learning that the city was already prepared for defense, he moved back to his main estate — Turov. In Turov, Glinski negotiated with Grand Duke Sigismund, who at that time was in Kraków, and with the Council of Lords in Vilnius. Sigismund sent to Turov his man Jan Kostevich. Kostevich handed to Glinski the grand duke's promise to resolve his conflict with the Lords.''Шэйфер В.'' Мяцеж ці паўстанне? — С. 106.''Зимин А. А.'
Новое о восстании Михаила Глинского в 1508 году
// Советские архивы. — № 5. — 1970. — С. 70.
But the Glinski family didn't trust the grand duke's envoy, insisting that one of the most influential Lithuanian nobles, Albertas Goštautas, was sent in his place and stating that they would wait for his arrival until March 12. It is not entirely clear when the Glinski family began negotiations with Moscow. According to Herberstein, Wapowski, Stryjkovsky, and the , an initiative to start negotiations with Moscow came from the Glinski family, who even before the murder of Zabrzeziński sent a messenger with a letter to the Grand Duke. Justus Ludwik Decjusz Chronicle dates this to the time after the murder. This version is supported by the fact that Glinski's negotiations with Moscow are not mentioned in Sigismund's letter to Mengli Giray dated February 21, 1508.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 144. In a letter to Vasily III, Mikhail Glinski wrote that he would take the oath to Moscow if Vasily issued a charter granting protection for his estates and property. Glinski agreed to serve with all the fortresses that he already owned and those he would be able to take by force or persuasion. Vasily III, who'd heard a lot about the abilities of the Prince, accepted the offer and sent a ''"made up the best way possible"'' agreement charter to Glinski. Russian historian Mikhail Krom, taking into account the discrepancy between sources, dates the arrival of Mikhail's envoy to Moscow to March 1508. ''Russian Vremennik'', a highly detailed source on the progress of the rebellion, with a protograph created in the middle of the 16th century, contains a different version of the events. The unknown author points to the fact that negotiations were initiated not by Mikhail, but by Vasily III himself. This source reports about the Moscow envoy Mitya Gouba Moklokov's arrival to the Glinski family with a charter of invitation to the service of Vasily III with their ancestral lands. The Glinski brothers didn't wait for a response from Grand Duke Sigismund and sent their man Ivan Priezhzhy to Moscow with charters asking to take them into Moscow service and to defend them and their estates.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 145.


On the Moscow service

After sending the envoy, Glinski moved to
Mazyr Mazyr ( be, Мазыр, ; russian: Мозырь ''Mozyr'' , pl, Mozyrz , Yiddish: מאזיר) is a city in the Gomel Region of Belarus on the Pripyat River about east of Pinsk and northwest of Chernobyl. It is located at approximately . The p ...
, where his cousin served as vicegerent. Probably for this reason the city was surrendered by Ivashintsov without any resistance. According to Bernard Wapowski, in Mazyr Mikhail Glinski was solemnly greeted by the Orthodox clergy. At this time, the Crimean ambassador Hozyash Mirza came to the Glinski family with a proposal to move under the Mengli Giray service. Crimean ambassador promised to the princes Kiev with its surrounding lands. Glinski rejected this offer, probably due to the fact that Moklokov had already brought a response from Vasily III. The Grand Prince of Moscow took the Glinski family into his service and promised to give them all the cities that would be taken in Lithuania. He notified about the sending aid with
voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the ...
s Vasily Shemyachich, , Andrey and Semyon
Trubetskoy The House of Trubetskoy (English), Трубецкие (Russian), Трубяцкі ( Belarusian), ''Trubecki'' (Polish), ''Trubetsky'' ( Ruthenian), Трубецький (Ukrainian), ''Troubetzkoy'' (French), ''Trubic'' (Croatian), ''Trubetski'' ...
, , , , Alexander Olenka, and ''"many other of his commanders with many people"''.''Зимин А. А.'
Новое о восстании Михаила Глинского в 1508 году
// Советские архивы. — № 5. — 1970. — С. 71.
Glinskis and their supporters, most of whom were their relatives or served them,''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 150. took the oath (kissed the cross) to Vasily III in front of Moklokov. Glinski's defection turned the nature of the rebellion from an internal Lithuanian affair to an episode of the Lithuanian-Russian War. This was probably a good conjuncture for Vasily III who wanted to change the course of the war that was not going too well for him. Information about the course of the rebellion after Mazyr was taken is contradictory. According to Mikhail Krom, there is a huge discrepancy between the information from early and later sources. He regards as faithful the descriptions of events of spring — summer 1508 from the chronicles of Decius and Wapowski, from the Russian Vremennik and from Sigismund's and Mikhail's letters.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 146. According to these sources, the rebel units had not taken any cities except Mazyr. While in the later sources: Stryjkowski, Bielskys, and
Lithuanian chronicles The Lithuanian Chronicles ( lt, Lietuvos metraščiai, also called Belarusian-Lithuanian Chronicles) are three redactions of chronicles compiled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. All redactions were written in the Ruthenian language and served the ...
— Glinski was credited with taking Turov,
Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...
,
Krychaw Krychaw or Krichev ( be, Кры́чаў, Łacinka: Kryčaŭ, ; russian: Кричев, , pl, Krzyczew) is a city in the eastern Belarusian Mogilev Region. Krychaw is the administrative center of Krychaw District. As of 2009, its population was 27 ...
, and
Gomel Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census). Etymology There are at least six narratives of the o ...
, although it is known that Turov was originally in his possession and Gomel had belonged to Moscow since 1500. According to Stryjkowski, while Mikhail tried to capture
Kletsk Kletsk ( be, Клецк, Klieck, originally known as ''Klechesk'', russian: Клецк, pl, Kleck, ) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, located on the Lan River. In 2015 it had 11,237 inhabitants. History The town was founded in the ...
and Gomel, his brother Vasily operated in the Kiev region. Vasily allegedly unsuccessfully besieged
Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative ...
and
Ovruch Ovruch ( uk, Овруч, pl, Owrucz, yi, , russian: О́вруч) is a city in Korosten Raion, in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it was the administrative center of the former Ovruch Raion (district). It has ...
and urged the local Orthodox nobility to join the rebellion, promising that when Mikhail becomes the Grand Duke, he would revive the "Kiev monarchy".''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 149. From other sources we know only that the rebel units were in the Kiev region. The evidence is Lev Tishkevich's appeal to the Grand Duke, issued on June 7, 1508. Tishkevich complained that Glinski had ravaged his estate near Kiev.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 147. In June 1508, the Muscovite troops began to come from different directions. On June 11, Mikhail Glinski moved from Kletsk to
Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
, where Dmitry Zhizhemsky's detachment had been sent previously. At the same time, Vasily Shemyachich's troops came to Minsk from
Babruysk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
.''Шэйфер В.'' Мяцеж ці паўстанне? — С. 107. The joint siege of Minsk began, lasting for two weeks and ending in failure, despite Mikhail writing in his letter to Vasily III that the city garrison was ''"only thirty soldiers and there were… very few people in the city"''.''Цемушаў В.'
Менск падчас мецяжу Міхала Глінскага
// Мінск і мінчане: дзесяць стагоддзяў гісторыі (да 510-годдзя атрымання Менскам магдэбургскага права) : матэрыялы Міжнар. навук.-практ. канф., мінск, 4-5 верас. 2009 г. / рэдкал.: А. А. Каваленя інш. — Мн.: Беларуская навука, 2010. — С. 23—24.
After the failure of the siege, Glinski moved to
Barysaw Barysaw ( be, Барысаў, ) or Borisov (russian: Борисов, ) is a city in Belarus near the Berezina River in the Minsk Region 74 km north-east from Minsk. Its population is around 145,000. History Barysaw is first mentioned in t ...
, where he operated until the arrival of Lithuanian troops. Mikhail Glinski's units operated over large areas. They reached Vilnius and Novogrudok, where they joined the Muscovite troops of voivodes Andrei Trubetskoy and Andrei Lukomsky. Meanwhile, Lithuanian troops did not resist the rebels, there were only rumors that ''"the Lords had been in Lida and moved to Novogrudok and the King igismund Ihad allegedly… moved from Poland to
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...
"''. On June 12, Prince Angrey Drozhdzh with troops was sent to
Slutsk Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population i ...
.''Зимин А. А.'' Россия на пороге нового времени. — С. 88. After the failed attempt to capture Slutsk, Drozhdzh moved to
Kapyl Kapyl ( be, Капы́ль, Kapyĺ, russian: Копыль, Kopyl; pl, Kopyl; lt, Kapylius; yi, קאפּוליע) is an urban settlement and the capital of Kapyl District in Belarus. It is located west-northwest of Slutsk and south-southwest o ...
and besieged the town, but this siege was also unsuccessful. According to Stryjkowski, although this is contrary to Glisnki's letter to Vasily III, Slutsk was besieged by Glisnki himself. Stryjkowski noted the legend that, being unmarried, Glinski intended to force the widow Princess to marry him. This would give him an opportunity to claim the "Kiev monarchy" throne as Slutsk princes descended from Kievan prince . One of the few rebel successes was the besieged joining the rebellion. From
Drutsk Druck or Drutsk ( be, Друцк, ; pl, Druck, russian: Друцк, also known as ''Дрютескъ'' (''Dryutesk'') or ''Дрюческъ'' (''Druchesk'') in the Middle Ages), is a historical town in Belarus, 40 kilometres (ca. 25 miles) west ...
, Shemyatich's and Glinski's forces, as well as Shchenya's troops, retreated to Orsha. They fired upon the city with cannons, but failed to inflict any damage. In mid-July, Lithuanian forces, consisting of 15-16 thousand soldiers under the leadership of
Konstanty Ostrogski Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski (c. 1460 – 10 August 1530; lt, Konstantinas Ostrogiškis; uk, Костянтин Іванович Острозький, translit=Kostiantyn Ivanovych Ostrozkyi; be, Канстантын Іванавіч Ас ...
, came to Orsha. The two armies faced each other from 13 to 22 July, but did not dare to start the battle.''Зимин А. А.'' Россия на пороге нового времени. — С. 89. After abandoning the siege of Orsha, Moscow troops moved to
Mstsislaw Mstislaw or Mstislavl ( be, Мсціслаў, [], russian: Мстиславль [msʲtʲɪˈslavlʲ], pl, Mścisław, lt, Mstislavlis) is a town in the Mogilev Region, Eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Mstsislaw District ...
, ravaged the area and then retreated to
Vyazma Vyazma (russian: Вя́зьма) is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast, and Mozhaysk. Thr ...
. Glinski and his supporters retreated to
Starodub Starodub ( rus, links=no, Староду́б, p=stərɐˈdup, ''old oak'') is a town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, on the Babinets River (the Dnieper basin), southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 (1975). History Starodub has been known ...
, which belonged to the Grand Prince of Moscow.


Fading and outcomes

From Starodub, Glinskis moved to Pochep, where Mikhail left his supporters and treasury with princes Dmitry Zhizhemsky, Ivan Ozeretsky, and Andrei Lukomsky, and went to the Grand Prince in Moscow,''Зимин А. А.'
Новое о восстании Михаила Глинского в 1508 году
// Советские архивы. — № 5. — 1970. — С. 72.
hoping to receive military support.''Шэйфер В. Мяцеж ці паўстанне?'' — С. 108. Grand Prince Vasily III bestowed upon Glinski
Maloyaroslavets Maloyaroslavets (russian: Малояросла́вец) is a town and the administrative center of Maloyaroslavetsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Luzha River (Oka's basin), northeast of Kaluga, the adminis ...
,
Medyn Medyn (russian: Меды́нь) is a town and the administrative center of Medynsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Medynka River ( Oka basin), northwest of Kaluga, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: Histo ...
, and villages near Moscow and made other gifts. Then Vasily III let him go back to his own estates in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and sent voivove ''"with the people along with many pischalniks"'' in support. On returning to Mazyr, Mikhail wanted to continue the struggle, but, on October 8, Russian-Lithuanian peace negotiations led to the signing of ''"perpetual peace"''. The peace called for a return to status quo ante bellum and the Lithuanian recognition of Moscow's gains of the previous wars. Glinskis and their supporters were given the right to go to Moscow with all their movable property.''Шэйфер В.'' Мяцеж ці паўстанне? — С. 108. The vast land possessions of the rebels in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were subject to confiscation, although Sigismund I had already begun to distribute them to his supporters back in April 1508.''Rowell S. C.'' Nolite confidere in principibus… — P. 87. Glinski's main estate — Turov — was granted to Prince Konstanty Ostrogski. At the end of 1508, Mikhail Glinski moved to Moscow, where he received Maloyaroslavets as a fiefdom and
Borovsk Borovsk (russian: Бо́ровск) is a town and the administrative center of Borovsky District of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Protva River just south from the oblast's border with Moscow Oblast. Population: 12,000 (1969). History ...
in ("feeding"). Medyn was granted to Ivan Glinski. According to historian Mikhail Crom, the route followed by the rebellion shows that Glinski had no plan for the war and rushed from one shady enterprise to another. Minsk events show that Glinski had no significant military force. Glinski's main goal — reclaiming the high position he had held in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania — was not achieved.


Rebels

The real size of the rebel forces is unknown. Stryjkowski noted that at the beginning of the rebellion Glinskis had 2000 soldiers. According to the Lithuanian and Samogitian Chronicle, they had 3000 horsemen. Historical sources contain information about 52 rebels and at least 26 of them belonged to the Glinski family, were their relatives, retainers or clients.''Шніп М. А.'' Унутрыпалітычны канфлікт… — С. 4. 11 princes are mentioned in the Russian Vremennik among those who went with Mikhail to Moscow. 5 of them were from the Glinski family: three brothers , and Mikhail himself (sons of Lev Glinski) as well as Dmitry and Ivan Glinski. Two of these 11 were Dmitry and Vasily Zhizhemsky (Glinski's relatives). The remaining four princes were Ivan Kozlovsky (according to the source, he served the Glinskis), Vasily Muncha, Ivan Ozeretsky and Andrei Drutsky. The rest of the rebels mentioned in the Russian Vremennik were untitled — Mikhail's cousins Andrey Drozhdzh, Pyotr Drozhdzh and Jakub Ivashintsov, Semyon Aleksandrov with children Mikhail and Boris, Mikhail Gagin, deacon Nikolsky, brothers Pyotr and Fyodor Furs, Ivan Matov, Svyatosha, Demenya, Izmaylo Turov, Voin Yatskovich and 3 of Mikhail's retainers from the Krizhin family. According to Aleksandr Zimin, in Moscow, most of them formed a social clique known as "" (Court Lithuania).


Evaluation

The evaluation of the Glinski Rebellion is controversial. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were discrepancies in the different approaches to understanding the rebellion, as well as in the individual facts of the accounts. ''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 139. Historians
Volodymyr Antonovych Volodymyr Antonovych ( ukr, Володимир Боніфатійович Антонович, tr. ''Volodymyr Bonifatijovych Antonovych''; pl, Włodzimierz Antonowicz; russian: Влади́мир Бонифа́тьевич Антоно́вич, ...
, ,
Mykhailo Hrushevsky Mykhailo Serhiiovych Hrushevsky ( uk, Михайло Сергійович Грушевський, Chełm, – Kislovodsk, 24 November 1934) was a Ukrainian academician, politician, historian and statesman who was one of the most important figure ...
and
Mitrofan Dovnar-Zapol'skiy Mitrofan Viktorovich Dovnar-Zapol'skiy ( be, Мітрафан Віктаравіч Доўнар-Запольскі, russian: link=no, Митрофан Викторович Довнар-Запольский; , Rechytsa, Minsk Governorate – 30 Sep ...
while noting the rebellion's narrowness, described it as a struggle between those of "Russian" and "Lithuanian origins" in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and as an Orthodox Christian struggle against Catholic proselytism. ''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 140. , on the other hand, called the rebellion "the great disorder of the masses" and an "all-Russian affair", but this evaluation was strongly disputed by Liubavsky. Meanwhile, Polish historians
Ludwik Finkel Ludwik Michał Emanuel Finkel (20 March 1858, in Bursztyn – 24 October 1930, in Lwów) was a Polish historian, and rector of the Lviv University. From 1878 to 1881 he studied history, philosophy and history of literature at the Lwów Univers ...
,
Oskar Halecki Oskar Halecki (26 May 1891, Vienna, Cisleithania, Austria-Hungary – 17 September 1973, White Plains, New York, United States of America) was a Polish historian, social and Catholic activist. Life and career Halecki, whose first name is sometim ...
, , and the Russian historian Alexander Presnyakov denied that the rebellion had ethnic and religious aspects and considered Mikhail Glinski a shady dealer, supported only by his dependents. In
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
historiography, the concept put forward by historian Anatoly Kuznetsov has prevailed. This concept follows the interpretation proposed by Yarushevich — that the Glinski rebellion is considered a "revolt of the masses", aimed at the Russian people's liberation from the authority of Catholic Lithuania. Prominent Soviet historian Alexander Zimin, while an adherent of this approach, added some significant adjustments. Zimin believed that people sympathized with the idea of the rebellion, but "the princes did not want to use the popular movement of Belarusians and Ukrainians for reunification with Russia", leading to the failure of the uprising. Another influential Soviet historian, , noted that the population not only didn't support the rebellion, but it didn't support even the overall unifying policy of the Russian state in the 16th century. He believed the rebellion was caused by feudal lords who pursued their own interests and generally took "the anti-national position". The situation changed after the Soviet Union collapsed. In 1992, Russian historian published his paper in which he completely rejected the Yarushevich-Kuznetsov concept. Krom considered the Rebellion a shady enterprise, caused by the desire of Mikhail and his brothers to regain their lost position. He concluded that the majority of Orthodox princes were satisfied with the situation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and they did not strive to separate.''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой… — С. 151—152. Mikhail Krom noted that in the early sources there are no ethnic or religious connotations for the events. These connotations appear only in the writings of the late 1560s-1590s, when ethnic and interconfessional differences in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania sharply worsened and the past was reinterpreted in the form of Orthodoxy-Catholicism confrontation. Ethnic or religious reasons for the rebellion are also rejected by the American historian Stephen Christopher Rowell, who pointed out that Glinski supporters were limited to his relatives and clients, and the rebellion itself was a gamble in the sense that no plan existed and the actions had different purposes.''Rowell S. C.'' Nolite confidere in principibus… — P. 87, 91—92. Stephen Rowell believed that Glinski not opposed to the monarch, whose vassal he considered himself to be at the beginning of the rebellion, but to Zabrzeziński and his supporters directly. Polish historian saw causes of the rebellion in the absence of family ties between the Glinski family and the state elites represented by Radziwiłł, Zabrzeziński, Kiszka and Kęsgaila. This caused disagreement between Mikhail and Jan Zabrzeziński, and between Mikhail and the Council of Lords as a whole.''Tęgowski J.'' Ślub tajemny Jana Janowica Zabrzezińskiego. Garść uwag o powiązaniach rodzinnych elity możnowładczej na Litwie w XV i początkach XVI wieku // Średniowiecze polskie i powszechne — T. 2. — Katowice, 2002. — S. 257. According to Belarusian historian Makar Shnip, in the early 16th century political groupings made up on an ethnoreligious basis did not exist in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The cause of the Glinski uprising was the confrontation between Mikhail and Jan Zabrzeziński on different economic and political issues, as well as the reluctance of the Grand Duke Sigismund to resolve the case in court and his decision to strip Mikhail and his brothers of their posts. Belarusian historians consider the rebellion itself to have been spontaneous, aimed at achieving Glinski's personal goals, with no specific sociopolitical ideas.


References

; Notes ; Historical sources * ''Sigismund von Herberstein.'
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// Translated into English and edited by R. H. Major. — London: Hakluite Society, 1852. — Vol. 2. — P. 88. *: ''Russian scientific edition:'' Сигизмунд Герберштейн. Записки о Московии. В двух томах. — Том 1. Латинский и немецкий тексты, русские переводы с латинского А. И. Малеина и A. B. Назаренко, с ранненововерхненемецкого A. B. Назаренко. / Под редакцией А. Л. Хорошкевич. — Москва: Памятники исторической мысли, 2008. — С. 465-469.

// Полное собрание русских летописей. — Moscow: Наука, 1975. — Т. 32 : Хроники: Литовская и Жмойтская, и Быховца. Летописи: Баркулабовская, Аверки и Панцырного. — 235 с. — С. 172—173.

// Полное собрание русских летописей. — Moscow: Наука, 1975. — Т. 32. — С. 102—103.

// Полное собрание русских летописей. — Moscow: Наука, 1980. — Т. 35 : Летописи белорусско-литовские. — 306 с. — С. 167—168.

// Полное собрание русских летописей. — Moscow: Наука, 1980. — Т. 35 : Летописи белорусско-литовские. — 306 с. — С. 234. * Russian Vremennik = Русский временник // ''Зимин А. А.'

// Советские архивы. — № 5. — 1970. — С. 70-73. * ''Stryjkowski M.'
Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudska i wszystkiej Rusi
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Kroniki Bernarda Wapowskiego (1480—1535)
/ ed. J. Szujskiego // Scriptores Rerum Polonicarum. — T. 2. — Cracoviae, 1874.

// Monumenta Poloniae Historica / пер. с лат., комментарии А. С. Досаева (2011). — Tomus 3. — Lwow, 1878. * Lietuvos metrika. — Knyga Nr. 8 (1499—1514): Užrašymų knyga 8 / Parengė Algirdas Baliulis, Romualdas Firkovičius, Darius Antanavičius. — Vilnius, 1995. ; References * ''Rowell S. C.'' Nolite confidere in principibus: Mikhail Glinsky, Sigismund the Old and the Council of Lords // Faworyci i opozycjoniści. Król a elity polityczne w Rzeczypospolitej XV—XVIII wieku / red. M. Markiewicz i R. Skowron. — Kraków, 2006. — P. 77—100. * ''Зимин А. А.'' Россия на пороге нового времени (Очерки политической истории России первой трети XVI в.). — Moscow: Мысль, 1972. — 452 с. — С. 79—95. * ''Кром М. М.'' Меж Русью и Литвой. Пограничные земли в системе русско-литовских отношений конца XV — первой трети XVI в. — 2-е изд., исправ. и доп. — Moscow: Квадрига; Объединенная редакция МВД России, 2010. — 320 с. — С. 139—153. * ''Шніп М. А.'
Унутрыпалітычны канфлікт 1508 г. у Вялікім княстве Літоўскім у кантэксце міжнародных адносін ва Усходняй Еўропе: Аўтарэф. дыс. … канд. гіст. навук
— Мн., 2009. — 24 с. * ''Шэйфер В.'
Мяцеж ці паўстанне? Выступ Міхала Глінскага падчас вайны Маскоўскай дзяржавы з ВКЛ у 1507—1508 гг.
// Гістарычны Альманах. — 1999. — Т. 2. — С. 101—109. {{Lithuanian wars and conflicts Conflicts in 1508 Wars involving the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 16th-century rebellions 16th century in Lithuania 1508 in Europe