ANDREI YAROSLAVICH

(d. 1264), grand prince of Vladimir (1249–1252) and progenitor of the princes of Suzdal.

The third son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and grandson of Vsevolod Yurevich "Big Nest," Andrei Yaroslavich survived the Tatar invasion of Suzdalia in 1238. Three years later the Novgorodians rejected him as their prince, but on April 5, 1242, he assisted his elder brother Alexander Yar "Nevsky" in defeating the Teutonic Knights at the famous "battle on the ice" on Lake Chud (Lake Peypus). There is no clear information about Andrei's activities after their father died and their uncle Svyatoslav occupied Vladimir in 1247. Andrei may have usurped Vladimir. In any case, he and Alexander went to Saray separately, evidently to settle the question of succession to Vladimir. But Khan Baty sent them to Mongolia, to the Great Khan in Karakorum. They returned in 1249, Alexander as the grand prince of Kiev and of all Rus, and Andrei as the grand prince of their patrimonial domain of Vladimir. In 1252 Andrei defiantly refused to visit Saray to renew his patent for Vladimir with the new great khan, Mongke, but Alexander went, evidently to obtain that patent for himself. The khan sent troops against Andrei, and they defeated him at Pereyaslavl Zalessky. After he fled to the Swedes, Alexander occupied Vladimir. Later, in 1255, Andrei returned to Suzdalia and was reconciled with Alexander, who gave him Suzdal and other towns. In 1258 he submissively accompanied Alexander to Saray, and in 1259 helped him enforce Tatar tax collecting in Novgorod. Andrei died in Suzdal in 1264.

See also: alexander yaroslavich; batu; golden horde; vsevolod iii

bibliography

Fennell, John. (1973). "Andrej Yaroslavic and the Struggle for Power in 1252: An Investigation of the Sources." Russia Mediaevalis 1:49–62.

Fennell, John. (1983). The Crisis of Medieval Russia 1200–1304. London: Longman.

Martin Dimnik