ANDREI ALEXANDROVICH

(d. 1304), prince of Gorodets and grand prince of Vladimir (1294–1304).

Andrei Alexandrovich's father, Alexander Yaroslavich "Nevsky," gave him Gorodets; after his uncle, Grand Prince Vasily Yaroslavich, died, he also received Kostroma. In 1277, when Andrei's elder brother, Grand Prince Dmitry, went to Novgorod, Andrei ingratiated himself to Khan Mangu Temir by campaigning with him in the Caucasus. In 1281 Andrei visited the Golden Horde, and Khan Tuda Mangu gave him troops to evict Dmitry from Vladimir. Andrei deposed his brother, but in 1282, after learning that Dmitry had returned from abroad and was assembling an army in his town of Pereyaslavl Zalessky, he was forced to ask the khan in Saray for reinforcements. Dmitry, meanwhile, solicited auxiliaries from Nogay, a rival khan, and defeated Andrei. The latter remained hostile. In 1293 he visited the Golden Horde again, and the khan despatched an army, which invaded Suzdalia and forced Dmitry to abdicate. After Dmitry died in 1294, Andrei became the grand prince of Vladimir. Soon afterward, a coalition of princes challenged his claim to Dmitry's Pereyaslavl. In 1296 all the princes met in Vladimir and, after refusing to give Pereyaslavl to Andrei, concluded a fragile agreement. Thus, in 1299, when the Germans intensified their attacks against the Novgorodians, Andrei refused to send them help because he feared that if he did, the other princes would attack him. In 1300 they rejected his claim to Pereyaslavl at another meeting. Three years later, after appealing to the khan and failing yet again to get the town, he capitulated. Andrei died in Gorodets on July 27, 1304.

See also: alexander yaroslavich; golden horde; novgorod the great

bibliography

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

Martin, Janet. (1995). Medieval Russia 980–1584. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Martin Dimnik