
The House of Ostrogski (; ; ) was one of the more prominent families in the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385.
Background
The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
and in the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. The family spanned from the 14th century
Ruthenian noble
Daniil Ostrogski to the 17th century Polish members. After the death of
Janusz Ostrogski
Prince Janusz Ostrogski () (1554 – 17 September 1620 in Tarnów) was a Polish-Lithuanian noble and statesman. He served as a voivode of Volhyn (1584-1593), as a castellan of Kraków (from 1593 on), and as a starosta of Bohuslav (from 1591), ...
, the last male heir, most of the family's possessions passed to the
Zasławski family.
The family played a crucial role in preserving the
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
, particularly during the
Union of Brest
The Union of Brest took place in 1595–1596 and represented an agreement by Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Ruthenian portions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to accept the Pope's authority while maintaining Eastern Orthodox liturgical ...
signing in 1595. Members contributed to printing books in
Church Slavonic
Church Slavonic is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. The ...
(Kyiv
uthenianrecession)
and supporting the
Orthodox brotherhoods. By the 17th century almost all members turn to Catholicism and became fully associated with the Polish nation (
Polonization
Polonization or Polonisation ()In Polish historiography, particularly pre-WWII (e.g., L. Wasilewski. As noted in Смалянчук А. Ф. (Smalyanchuk 2001) Паміж краёвасцю і нацыянальнай ідэяй. Польскі ...
). Many of their possessions were passed on or inherited by members of
Sanguszko family.
History

The Ostrogski family was most likely of
Rurikid
The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the ...
stock and descended from
Sviatopolk II of Kiev. Some scholars however claim that their descent is from the
Galicia-Volhynia line of the Rurikid dynasty. Vasilko Romanovich (c.1256-1282), Prince of
Slonim
Slonim is a town in Grodno Region, in western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa (river), Isa rivers, southeast of Grodno. As of 2025, it has a population of ...
, may have been the grandfather of Prince
Daniel Ostrogski. The probable progenitor of this family was Prince Danylo Dmytrovych (''or Danylo Wasilijewicz''), who received
Ostroh from
Liubartas
Liubartas or Demetrius of Liubar (died ) was a Lithuanian prince from the Gediminid dynasty. He was the prince of Volhynia, and from 1320, he ruled over Lutsk, Liubar and Zhytomyr. Liubartas was also the last ruler of the Kingdom of Galicia–Vo ...
, son of
Grand Duke of Lithuania
This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...
Gediminas
Gediminas ( – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341.
He is considered the founder of Lithuania's capital Vilnius (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands from t ...
. His son, Prince Feodor Danilovich Ostrogski, was a supporter of King
Jagiello, who in 1386 confirmed him in possession of the
Ostroh Castle and appointed
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of
Volhynia
Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...
in 1387. In addition to Ostrog Feodor Danilovich Ostrogski became owner of
Korets, Zaslav (Izyaslav, in present
Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Khmelnytskyi Oblast (), also known as Khmelnychchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in western Ukraine covering portions of the historical regions of western Podolia and southern Volhynia. The Capital (political) ...
, Ukraine), and other towns. In some chronicles Feodor is called ''Dux Fethko de Ostrog''.
[Jan Długosz ''Annales seu cronici incliti regni Poloniae'' in 1432 year]
Their dominions in
Volynia,
Galicia, and
Podolia
Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria).
Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Boh River. It features ...
included 24 towns, 10 townlets, and more than 100 villages.
The most notable among Feodor's descendants was
Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Prince
Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski ( – 10 August 1530) was a Ruthenian prince and magnate of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He later had the title of grand hetman of Lithuania from 11 September 1497 until his death in 1530.
Career
Ostrogski began ...
, who defeated
Muscovy Muscovy or Moscovia () is an alternative name for the Principality of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721).
It may also refer to:
*Muscovy Company, an English trading company chartered in 1555
*Muscovy duck (''Cairina mosch ...
in the
Battle of Orsha (1514) and his son
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski (or ''Konstantin Konstantinovich Ostrozhski'').
Unlike other Ruthenian magnates, the Ostrogskis refused to give up
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
for
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
despite the cultural pressure that led to
Polonization
Polonization or Polonisation ()In Polish historiography, particularly pre-WWII (e.g., L. Wasilewski. As noted in Смалянчук А. Ф. (Smalyanchuk 2001) Паміж краёвасцю і нацыянальнай ідэяй. Польскі ...
of Ruthenian
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
. For several generations the Ostrogskis supported the religion of their forefathers, by opening schools, printing books in
Ruthenian language
Ruthenian (see also #Nomenclature, other names) is an exonymic linguonym for a closely related group of East Slavic languages, East Slavic linguistic Variety (linguistics), varieties, particularly those spoken from the 15th to 18th centuries in ...
with
Cyrillic
The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...
such as "
Ostrog Bible" (written by
Ivan Fedorov) and making a generous charitable contributions to the construction of the Orthodox churches in the region.
The last male member of the family was
Janusz Ostrogski
Prince Janusz Ostrogski () (1554 – 17 September 1620 in Tarnów) was a Polish-Lithuanian noble and statesman. He served as a voivode of Volhyn (1584-1593), as a castellan of Kraków (from 1593 on), and as a starosta of Bohuslav (from 1591), ...
(d. 1620); the last female was
Anna Alojza Ostrogska (1600–54), married to Grand Hetman
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz (; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a Polish–Lithuanian identity, Polish–Lithuanian military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from 1605 Grand Hetman of Lit ...
. When a junior line of the family (princes
Zasławski or Zasławski-Ostrogowski) which inherited the Ostrogoski fortune became extinct in 1682 (with the death of
Aleksander Janusz Zasławski
Prince Aleksander Janusz Zasławski-Ostrogski (1650–1682) was the last male representative of the Ostrogski princely line. He was the 4th ordynat of the Ordynacja Ostrogska, Ostrogski Family Fee Tail.
Biography
Son of Prince Władysław Dominik ...
), their huge possessions passed to the
Lubomirski
The House of Lubomirski is a Princely Houses of Poland, Polish princely family. The Lubomirski family's coat of arms is the Drużyna coat of arms, which is similar to the Szreniawa coat of arms but without a cross.
Origin and the coat ...
family (due to their marriage with Aleksander sister,
Teofilia Ludwika Zasławska) and other families of Polish
szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
. A complicated litigation concerning the Ostrogski inheritance continued until the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
annexed Poland during the
Partitions.
Notable family members
*
Daniil Ostrogski (? - after 1366), ancestor of the Ostrogski house.
*
Feodor Ostrogski (1360–1446), governor of
Volhynia
Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...
.
*
Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski ( – 10 August 1530) was a Ruthenian prince and magnate of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He later had the title of grand hetman of Lithuania from 11 September 1497 until his death in 1530.
Career
Ostrogski began ...
(1460–1530) -
Hetman of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
*
Ilia Ostrogski (1510–1539),
Braclaw starost
*
Elizaveta Ostrogska (1539–1582)
*
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski (1526–1608), marshal of Volhynia and
voivode
Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
of the
Kiev Voivodeship.
*
Janusz Ostrogski
Prince Janusz Ostrogski () (1554 – 17 September 1620 in Tarnów) was a Polish-Lithuanian noble and statesman. He served as a voivode of Volhyn (1584-1593), as a castellan of Kraków (from 1593 on), and as a starosta of Bohuslav (from 1591), ...
(1554–1620), Voivode of
Volhynian Voivodship and
castellan
A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...
of Kraków.
*
Aleksander Ostrogski (1571–1603), Voivode of the Volhynian Voivodship.
*
Aleksander Janusz Zasławski-Ostrogski (c.1650 - 1682), Last of Dukes Ostrogski-Zasławski.
*
Władysław Dominik Zasławski-Ostrogski (c.1616-1656), Voivode of Sandomierz Voivodship.
*
Zofia Ostrogska
Princess Zofia Ostrogska (; 1595–1622) was a Polish–Lithuanian noblewoman of Ruthenian origin, known as the heiress of one of the greatest fortunes in Poland. She was the wealthiest woman in Poland.
She married Stanisław Lubomirski in 16 ...
(1595–1662), married
Stanisław Lubomirski.
*
Anna Alojza Ostrogska (1600–1654), married
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz (; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a Polish–Lithuanian identity, Polish–Lithuanian military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from 1605 Grand Hetman of Lit ...
.
*
Katarzyna Ostrogska (1602–1642), married
Tomasz Zamoyski.
*
Teofilia Ludwika Zasławska (1650–1709), married
Dymitr Jerzy Wiśniowiecki, then
Józef Karol Lubomirski
*
Katarzyna Ostrogska (1560–1579), married
Krzysztof Mikołaj "the Thunderbolt" Radziwiłł
Family tree
See also
*
Romanovychi
*
Ostrogski ordynacja
*
Lithuanian nobility
The Lithuanian nobility () or ''szlachta'' of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (, ) was historically a legally privileged hereditary elite class in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth (including during period of foreign r ...
*
List of szlachta
References
External links
Ostrozkiat the
Encyclopedia of Ukraine
The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' (), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies.
Development
The work was created under the auspices of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Europe (Sarcelles, near Paris). As the ...
Ostrogski Dynasty
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostrogski Family