Alekna Sudimantaitis ( be, Алехна Судзімонтавіч, pl, Olechno Sudymuntowicz; died in 1490/1491) was an influential

Lithuanian noble The Lithuanian nobility or szlachta ( Lithuanian: ''bajorija, šlėkta'') was historically a legally privileged hereditary elite class in the Kingdom of Lithuania and Grand Duchy of Lithuania (including during period of foreign rule 1795–1918 ...

Trąby coat of arms Trąby (, " Horns") is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by many ''szlachta'' (noble) families under the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. History The origin of the horn motif lies in the extent of lands conceded being ...

, Grand Chancellor of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...

(1478–1490) and

Voivode of Vilnius The Voivode of Vilnius ( lt, Vilniaus vaivada, pl, wojewoda wileński) was a high-ranking officer in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who governed the Vilnius Voivodeship from 1413. He was considered as the most influential member of the Lithuanian Cou ...

(1477–1490). Alekna is mentioned in written sources in 1446. He was royal cup-bearer (

cześnik A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as ...

, 1448–1477) and chamberlain ( podkomorzy; 1449–1453). According to the

Bychowiec Chronicle The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled ''Bykhovets'', ''Bykovets'' or '' Bychovec'') is an anonymous 16th-century chronicle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Although one of the least reliable sources of the epoch, it is considered the most extensive ...

, Alekna led a Lithuanian squad in the 1454 Battle of Chojnice. During the battle Alekna was taken captive by the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

. He was also

starosta The starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', german: link=no, Starost, Hauptmann) is a term of Slavic origin denoting a community elder whose role was to administer the assets of a clan or family estates. Th ...

Hrodna Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...

(1458–1459) and regent of

Polatsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...

(1463–1477). After the death of

Mykolas Kęsgaila Mykolas Kęsgaila Valimantaitis''Mykolas'' (Michael) is his Christian given name, ''Kęsgaila'' is his pagan given name, and ''Valimantaitis'' is his patronymic used as last name. His sons used ''Kęsgaila'' as their last name. (died ca. 1450) wa ...

in 1476, Alekna became Grand Chancellor and

. He held those positions until his death in 1490 or 1491; the positions were taken over by Alekna's relative

Mikalojus Radvila the Old Mikalojus Radvila or Mikolaj I nicknamed ''the Old'' ( lt, Mikalojus Radvilaitis, Mikalojus II Radvila Senasis, pl, Mikołaj Radziwiłłowicz Stary, la, Nicolaus II Radziwil Priscus) (c. 1450 – 16 July 1509) was a Lithuanian noble. He was ...

. In 1482, a brevis from

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...

to launch a new crusade against the

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

was addressed to Alekna and

Martynas Goštautas Martynas Goštautas ( pl, Marcin Janowicz Gas(z)tołd, links=no or ''Marcin Gasztołdowicz''; uk, Га́штовт Марти́н Іва́нович, links=no; 1428, Vilnius – c. 1483, Vilnius) was a nobleman from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania o ...

Voivode of Trakai lt, Trakų vaivadija pl, Województwo trockie , conventional_long_name = Trakai Voivodeship , common_name = Trakai , subdivision = Voivodeship , nation = Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1413–1569) Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) , year_ ...

. He considered Hozhevo ( be, Хожево) near

Maladzyechna Maladzyechna ( be, Маладзе́чна, Maladziečna, ; russian: Молоде́чно, Molodechno; pl, Mołodeczno) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, an administrative centre of the Maladzyechna District (and formerly of the Maladzyech ...

and Ratomas near

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

as his patrimony. He also held territories near

and in Tureysk (russian: Турейск). Through his wife, Alekna inherited

Dokshytsy , , image_caption = In the center of town , image_flag = Flag of Dokšycy and Dokšycy Rajon.svg , flag_alt = , image_seal = , seal_alt = , image_shield = Coat of ...

. From Grand Duke Casimir, Alekna received

Smalyavichy Smalyavichy; russian: Смолевичи, Smoleviči; yi, סמאָלאָוויטש / Смоловіч, Smolovich; pl, italic=no, Smolewicze / Смолэвичэ; lt, italic=no, Smaliavičai / Смалявичай is a city in Minsk Region, Be ...

Voŭpa Vowpa ( be, Воўпа; pl, Wołpa; russian: Вольпа, Volpa; lt, Volpos) is an agrotown in Vawkavysk District, Grodno Region, Belarus.Carol Herselle Krinsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985, ''Synagogues of Europe: Architectu ...

, Ostroshitsy ( be, Астрошыцы). He funded an altar inside a chapel of

Vilnius Castle Complex The Vilnius Castle Complex ( lt, Vilniaus pilių kompleksas or ) is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings, which evolved b ...

, where his wife Jadvyga was buried. It is likely that he was buried there as well.

Family

Biased works of

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histor ...

claimed that Alekna was of "humble lot," when in fact Alekna hailed from an established noble family. He was a son of Sudimantas Dargaitis and second cousin of

(see family tree in

Astikai Astikai ( la, Astikus, pl, Ościk, ''Ościkowicze'' or ''Ostik'') was a Lithuanian noble family, that prospered in late 14th and early 17th centuries. Kristinas Astikas, a noble from Kernavė, was the founder of the family. There is some vague ...

). He married Jadvyga, daughter of

Jonas Manvydas Jonas "Ivaška" Manvydas ( pl, Jan (Iwaszko) Moniwidowicz; died 1458) was a Lithuanian noble. A member of the Manvydas family, he was Voivode of Trakai from 1443 to 1458. Biography Manvydas was first recorded in written sources in May 1423 when he ...

. They had five daughters: *Sophia, wife of Alexander

Olshanski Olshanski or Olshansky is a Ukrainian or Belorussian habitational name for someone from Olshana or Olshanka in Ukraine or Olshany in Belarus or a americanized form of Polish and Jewish (from Poland) Olszanski. Notable people with the name include: ...

*Alexandra, wife of Mikołaj

Tęczyński The House of Tęczyński was a powerful family of nobility (''szlachta'') in the Kingdom of Poland, during the times of the late Piast dynasty, the Jagiellon dynasty and in the early decades of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (from 14th cen ...

– one of the first known marriages of a Lithuanian noblewoman to a Polish nobleman *Daughter of unknown name, wife of Stanislovas Kęsgaila *Jadviga, wife of Jonas Kontautaitis, Stanislovas Mantautas, and Stanislovas Kęsgaila *Anna, a

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

nun

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sudimantaitis, Alekna 1491 deaths 15th-century Lithuanian nobility Ruthenian nobility Year of birth unknown Grand Chancellors of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Voivode of Vilnius