Monument to Duke Vykintas in Tverai
(died ca. 1253) was Duke of
Samogitia and rival to future
King of Lithuania Mindaugas. In 1236 he probably led Samogitian forces in the
Battle of Saule against the
Livonian Order. The order suffered a great defeat, was on the brink of collapse, and was forced to become a branch of the
Teutonic Knights.
In 1248
Mindaugas sent him together with
Tautvilas and
Edivydas to a military campaign in
Smolensk. When they failed Mindaugas tried to capture their estates. The three men organized a vast coalition against Mindauges which included Tautvilas' brother-in-law
Daniel of Halych, Livonian Order, and Samogitians. The dukes of
Halych-Volhynia managed to gain control over
Black Ruthenia, an area ruled by
Vaišvilkas.
In 1250, the Livonian Order organized two major raids, one against Nalša land and the other against the domains of Mindaugas and those parts of Samogitia that still supported him. However, Mindaugas succeeded in bribing Andreas von Stierland, the master of the order, who was still angry at Vykintas for the defeat in 1236. Mindaugas was to be baptised and crowned as King of Lithuania. In return he agreed to relinquish control over some lands in the western Lithuania. In 1252, Tautvilas and his remaining allies attacked Mindaugas in
Voruta, sometimes considered to be the first capital of
Lithuania. The attack failed and Tautvilas' forces retreated to defend themselves in
Tverai castle, in the present-day
Rietavas municipality. Vykintas died ca. 1253 and Tautvilas escaped to his brother-in-law to Halych-Volhynia. In 1253 Mindaugas was crowned as promised.
Vykintas' sister was married to
Dausprungas, Mindaugas' brother.
See also
