Email this article 
Post a Comment Vasily Bratoshych and his Treasure. Social Strategies, Memory and Oblivion in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the First Half of the 15th Century
Abstract
The paper deals with the provenance of a hoard from the first half of the 15th century, discovered near the village Litva in the Maladzyechna district of the Minsk region in Belarus. The hoard included a precious belt set, known under the conventional name “Vytautas’ Belt”, which is now stored in the National Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus. New data allowed establishing that the same hoard also included another belt set and three silver bowls—two inscribed with the names of Pan (Lord) Vasily Bratoshich and one with the name of his wife, Princess Ulyana. They are currently kept in a private collection. Comparing these findings with written sources suggests that the hoard was concealed at the end of 1432, after Grand Duke of Lithuania Žygimantas Kęstutaitis regained control of Kreva castle, which had been transferred shortly before by its lieutenant Vasily Bratoshich to Grand Duke Švitrigaila Algirdaitis, who was struggling for power with Žygimantas. The identification of the hoard’s owner not only sheds light on the wealth structure of the noble family, represented by movable property (jewelry), but also allows us to characterize Vasily Bratoshich’s social strategy—a member of an untitled but noble and influential Orthodox kinship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. His marriage to an Orthodox princess was aimed at maintaining and elevating his status without converting to Catholicism. Despite inscriptions on the bowls indicating Vasily's affiliation with the Bratoshich descendants, the kinship unity was unsettled during the dynastic war of the 1430s, which influenced the fate of the hoard.
DOI: 10.31168/2305-6754.2025.2.03
Keywords
Full Text:
PDF (Русский)References
Barvienava H., Hatyčny kaścium Vialikaha Kniastva Litoŭskaha kanca XIII — pačatku XVI st., Castrum, urbis et bellum, Baranavičy, 2002, 45–78.
Bazilevich K. V., Imushchestvo Moskovskikh knyazei v XIV–XVI vv., Trudy Gosudarstvennogo Istoricheskogo muzeya, 3, Moscow, 1926, 3–51.
Bektineev Sh. I., Denezhnoe obrashchenie na territorii Belarusi v IX–XVI vekakh. Numizmaticheskie issledovaniia, Minsk, 2014.
Bobrovnitskaya I. A., Kostina I. D., Russkoe serebro XV–XIX vekov iz sobraniya Vladimira Tsarenkova, Moscow, 2021.
Bochan Ju. M., Skiepjan A. A., Pobyt fieadałaŭ Vialikaha kniastva Litoŭskaha ŭ XV — siaredzinie XVII stahodździa, Minsk, 2011.
Dudko O., Numizmaticheskii kompleks prazhskikh groshei iz kollektsii Muzeia deneg Natsional′nogo banka Respubliki Belarus′, Bankaŭskі vesnіk, 2023, 11/724, 43–51.
Dzyarnovich O. I., Mickūnaitė G., Stenopis′ Krevskogo zamka XIV veka i ee istoriko-kul′turnyi kontekst, Trudy Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha, 116: Monumental′noe iskusstvo khristianskogo Srednevekov′ia: vzaimodeistvie traditsii i kul′tur, St. Petersburg, 2023, 221–248.
Grusha A. I., Krizis doveriya? Poyavlenie i utverzhdenie pravovogo dokumenta v Velikom Knyazhestve Litovskom (konets XIV — pervaya tret′ XVI v.), Moscow, St. Petersburg, 2019.
Grusha A. I., Pravosudie dlya vlastitelya: protsess 1467 g. v kontekste sotsiokul′turnykh izmenenii v obshchestve Velikogo knyazhestva Litovskogo vo vtoroi polovine XV v., Grusha A. I. Traditsiia i ee preodolenie: Rus′ i Velikoe Knyazhestvo Litovskoe v XII — pervoi treti XVI v., Vilnius, 2024, 70–93.
Kramarovskii M. G., The “Simferopol treasure”: Its First Owners and Interpretation of the Value of This Treasury in Fourteenth Century, pervye vladel’tsy i gipoteza stoimosti sokrovishchnitsy v XIV v., Antichnaya drevnost′ i srednie veka, 2019, 47, 195–209.
Kramarovskii M. G., Posle Griunval′da. Krym i VKL po materialam klada iz der. Litva, Sud′by slavianstva i ekho Gryunval′da: Vybor puti russkimi zemlyami i narodami Vostochnoi Evropy v srednie veka i rannee novoe vremia (k 600-letiiu bitvy pri Gryunval′de / Tannenberge). Materialy mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferentsii, 22–24 oktyabrya 2010 g., St. Petersburg, 2010, 136–143.
Kramarovskii M. G., Zoloto Chingisidov: kul′turnoe nasledie Zolotoi Ordy, St. Petersburg, 2001.
Lickievič A. U., “Srebny kaval” Chatsabei z-pad Maladzechna (XV st.): iashche raz pra mahchymae pachodzanne srebnych paiasnych naboraŭ sa skarbu kala v. Litva, Belaruskaia daŭnina, 1, Minsk, 2014, 109–121.
Lickievič A. U., Memaryial Vitaŭta, Vialikae kniastva Litoŭskae. Entsyklapedyia, 3, Minsk, 2010, 348.
Lickievič A. U., Taiamnitsa “paiasoŭ Vitaŭta”, Belaruskaia dumka, 2007, 12, 80–85.
Litskevich O. V., Poruchitel′stvo litovsko-russkoi znati za nobilia Bratoshu Koilutovicha (1387–1394 gg.), Belaruskaia daŭnina, 1, Minsk, 2014, 29–58.
Lukin: V., Novgorodskoe veche, 2nd ed., Moscow, 2018.
Mikheev S. M., Corrigenda epigraphica, 1, Russkij yazyk v nauchnom osveshchenii, 2025, 1/49, 266–288.
Nikolaeva T. V., Prikladnoe iskusstvo Moskovskoi Rusi, Moscow, 1976.
Petrauskas R., Lietuvos diduomenė XIV a. pabaigoje — XV a.: Sudėtis — struktūra — valdžia, Vilnius, 2003.
Petrauskas R., Riteriai Lietuvos Didžiojoje Kunigaikštystėje XIV a. pabaigoje — XVI a. Pradžioje, Istorijos šaltinių tyrimai, 1, Vilnius, 2008, 91–113.
Petrov D. A., Serebrianye izdeliia, prinadlezhavshie novgorodskim arkhiepiskopam i boiaram, v kazne velikogo kniazia moskovskogo, Novgorodskii istoricheskii sbornik, 17/27, Veliky Novgorod, 2017, 50–81.
Polechow S., Butyrski M., Pieczęć kniazia Iwana Olgimuntowicza Holszańskiego, Inter Regnum et Ducatum. Studia ofiarowane Profesorowi Janowi Tęgowskiemu w siedemdziesiątą rocznicę urodzin, Białystok, 2018, 441–461.
Polechow S., Itinerarium Witolda, wielkiego księcia litewskiego: 4/5 VIII 1392 — 27 X 1430, Rocznik Lituanistyczny, 5: Rok 2019, Warszawa, 2019, 9–120.
Polechow S., Poręczenie za kniazia Żedywida a wydarzenia lat 1392–1393 w Wielkim Księstwie Litewskim, Zapiski Historyczne, 2020, 85/3, 71–104.
Polekhov S. V., Nasledniki Vitovta. Dinasticheskaшa voina v Velikom knшazhestve Litovskom v 30-e gody XV veka, Moscow, 2015.
Postnikova-Loseva M. M., Russkie serebrianye i zolotye kovshi, Moscow, 1953 (= Trudy Gosudarstvennogo Istoricheskogo muzeia. Pamyatniki kul′tury, 10).
Preobrazhensky A. S., Prikladnoe iskusstvo, Istoriya russkogo iskusstva, 4: Iskusstvo serediny XIII — serediny XIV veka, Smirnova E. S., ed., Moscow, 2019, 466–655.
Ryabtsevich V. N., “Period prazhskogo grosha” v rynochnoi zhizni Velikogo kniazhestva Litovskogo. (Klad iz derevni Litva Minskoi oblasti), Srednevekovaia numizmatika Vostochnoi Evropy, 3, Moscow, 2009, 178–189.
Ryabtsevich V. N., Klad iz derevni Litva v Belarusi, Ikonografiia deneg Srednei i Vostochnoi Evropy, Humenné, 2007, 44–45.
Sidorenko V. A., Mamai i Simferopol′skii klad, Imperium et barbaricum: vzaimodeistvie tsivilizatsii. Sbornik statei v chest′ 70-letiia Mikhaila Kazanskogo, Aibabin A. I., Khairedinova E. A., eds., Simferopol, 2023, 262–269.
Starykievič S. V., Neviadomae pra viadomae. (Chto nasiŭ pojas “Vitaŭta”? Novaia versiia), Maladzyechna, 2017.
Steponavičienė D., Lietuvos valdovo dvaro prabanga XIII a. viduryje — XVI a. Pradžioje, Vilnius, 2007.
Sterligova I. A., Studying the “Mongolian” Period in the History of Old Russian Toreutics, Bulletin of the Russian Medieval Art Department, 2019, 1, 43–52.
Sterligova I. A., To the origin of ancient Russian gold and silver ladles, Bulletin of the Russian Medieval Art Department, 2022, 2, 28–49.
Szybkowski S., Rycerscy goście z Polski na dworze wielkiego księcia Witolda — próba portretu grupy, Litwa i jej sąsiedzi w relacjach wzajemnych (XIII–XVI w.), Pytasz-Kołodziejczyk A., Kubicki R., Radoch M., eds., Olsztyn, Gdańsk, 2014, 81–105.
Turilov A. A., Chara velikogo kniazia Vladimira Davydovicha — pamiatnik russkoi kul′tury XIV stoletiya, Moskovskii Kreml′ XIV stoletiya: drevnie sv′atyni i istoricheskie pam′atniki, Moscow, 2009, 393–399.
Varonin V. A., Da pytannia ab chase i abstavinach uchavannia hrashova-rechavaha skarbu kala vioski Litva Maladzechanskaha raiona Minskai voblastsi, Studia Numismatica Albaruthenica, Minsk, 2011, 1/1, 94–106.
Vitkauskienė B. R., Złotnictwo wileńskie: ludzie i dzieła. XV–XVIII wiek, Warszawa, 2006.
Vołkaŭ M. A., Darohi z Menska ŭ Vilniu ŭ XIV–XVIII stst., Minsk i minchanie: diesiats stahoddziaŭ historyi. Da 955-hoddzia horada, Alachnovič R. A., ed., Minsk, 2023, 50–61.
Yurchenko A. G., 300 “zolotykh poyasov” v mongol′skom imperskom kontekste, Mongolica-XIV. Sbornik nauchnykh statei po mongolovedeniiu, St. Petersburg, 2015, 19–29.
Yushko A. A., Famil′nye tsennosti i nekotoraia nedvizhimost′ predstavitelei moskovskogo velikokniazheskogo doma, Srednevekovye iskusstva i remesla. K 90-letiiu so dnia rozhdeniia Tat′iany Ivanovny Makarovoi, Moscow, 2021, 249–260.
Zawadzki J., Uwagi do genealogii i majątku Sudymuntowiczów herbu Trąby (1434–1490), Miscellanea Historico-Archivistica, 30, Warszawa, 2023, 7–28.
Zimin A. A., Vitiaz′ na rasput′e. Feodal′naia voina v Rossii XV v., Moscow, 1991.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sergey V. Polekhov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.