Translated from Lithuanian by GLORIA O’BRIEN

Author’s Note:
Writers and reporters, in this day and age, seldom find cause to mention Lithuania, but when they do, they usually refer to her as “little”, “small”, or even “tiny”. It is true that she now looks small in the map of Europe, but there was a time, during the first half of the past millennium, when Lithuania’s Grand Dukes, and their allies through friendship or marriage, held sway over lands that stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea, ruling over Ukraine, Belarus, and parts of Russia itself. Lithuania’s fierce warriors were known, feared and respected by their neighbors and opponents. “Lietuvos Metraštis”, or “Lithuanian Chronicles”, is a collection of tales, minstrel lays, copies of letters or documents, and stories both factual and apochryphal, some of which were written down long after the events were supposed to have taken place. The following is a free translation of an entry in Lithuania’s Chronicles, describing events that took place during the rule of Algirdas, a son of Gediminas, born circa 1296, ruled 1345-1377.

There was stability and good order in those days in the lands ruled by Algirdas Gediminaitis, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Rus, who reigned for many years over the Lithuanian Grand Duchy and maintained peaceful and sincerely friendly relations with Dmitri Ivanovich, Grand Duke of Moscow. But suddenly, and without cause, Dmitri discontinued relations of peace and friendship, and sent a messenger to Algirdas, with a declaration of war. “My lord sends you fire and a sword, and bids me tell you this: ‘I will be in your lands and take them, after the bright spring, after the quiet summer’”.

So Grand Duke Algirdas drew flint and tinder from a velvet bag, and, striking fire onto the tinder gave it to the messenger, saying, “Give this to your ruler and tell him that we, Lithuanians, already possess fire, and as for his threat to set foot in my lands after a bright spring and a quiet summer, tell him this: As God wills, I, Algirdas, will be in Moscow at Easter time, and will greet him with a red egg, my spear piercing his shield, and with the help of God I will thrust my spear against the walls of Moscow.”

“For it is not the warrior who plans to fight only at a convenient time, but he who is willing to join in battle at the most inconvenient moment, who will demonstrate his martial resolve to his enemy.”

Releasing the messenger, he called up his Lithuanian and Rus armies, and, not delaying, marched from Vitebsk toward Moscow. And on the very morning of Easter, as the Grand Duke of Moscow, with his escort of nobles and princelings, exited the church after Resurrection devotions, Grand Duke Algirdas with all his forces, banners and flags unfurled, appeared on Pasveikinimo (Greetings) Hill.

Seeing that Algirdas had arrived at his gates with his full forces, as strong and mighty as he had foretold, Moscow’s Grand Duke fell into the deepest fright and terror. Realizing that he had no way of withstanding these forces, he sent a plea for peace, offering many fine gifts and tribute, if only Dmitri would not be driven out of Moscow, his fatherland, and inviting Algirdas to take anything at all that he might want, in hopes of assuaging his wrath.

And Grand Duke Algirdas in his goodness and mercy, allowed Dmitri to remain in Moscow and made peace with him. When the agreement had been completed, Moscow’s Grand Duke rode out to meet Algirdas, bringing him uncounted numbers of fine gifts – gold, silver, precious pearls, sables and other rare and costly furs, and made payment for all the expenses of Algirdas’s march to Moscow. Then Algirdas told Dmitri: “Though I have now made peace with you, I will not neglect to fulfill my vow, and leave a sign that Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Rus and Zemaitija, left his mark on the walls of your city Moscow.”

And leaping upon his warhorse, weapon in hand, he rode to the city gates and rammed his spear against the wall. Riding away, he shouted in a great voice, “Grand Duke of Moscow, remember, that the Lithuanian’s spear stood at the wall of Moscow”!

Much later, Grand Duke Algirdas and his armies, having conquered and taken many cities and extended his borders as far as Mozaiskas and Kolomnos, marched home in glory, carrying uncountable tribute, and having taken many prisoners, while preserving the lives of all their own people.

This article was published in Lithuanian Heritage May/June 2005

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