Michael Lvovich Glinsky (; ; ; 1460s – 24 September 1534) was a noble from the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

of distant

Tatar Tatar may refer to: Peoples * Tatars, an umbrella term for different Turkic ethnic groups bearing the name "Tatar" * Volga Tatars, a people from the Volga-Ural region of western Russia * Crimean Tatars, a people from the Crimea peninsula by the B ...

extraction, who was also a tutor of his grand-nephew,

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...

. Glinsky was born in Turov. He was a son of prince Lev Borisovich Glinsky (), and paternal uncle of

Elena Glinskaya Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya (; – 4 April 1538) was the grand princess consort of Moscow as the second wife of Vasili III of Russia, and '' de facto'' regent of Russia from 1533 until her death in 1538. She was the mother of the first crowned ...

. As a young man, Glinsky served in the court of Emperor Maximilian I and earned distinction for his military service. Around 1498 he returned to Lithuania and quickly rose in power and wealth, angering local nobles. Just after commanding the victorious

Battle of Kletsk The Battle of Kletsk (, ) was fought on 5 August 1506 near Kletsk (now in Belarus), between the Grand Ducal Lithuanian army, led by Court Marshal of Lithuania Michael Glinski, and the army of the Crimean Khanate, led by Fetih I Giray and Burnaş ...

against the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...

in August 1506, he was accused of conspiracy against the deceased Grand Duke

Alexander Jagiellon Alexander Jagiellon (; ; 5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1492 and King of Poland from 1501 until his death in 1506. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV and a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Alexander was el ...

and lost all his wealth. Glinsky began an armed rebellion against Sigismund I, the new Grand Duke. The rebellion was unsuccessful and Glinsky retreated to the

Grand Duchy of Moscow The Grand Principality of Moscow, or Muscovy, known as the Principality of Moscow until 1389, was a late medieval Russian monarchy. Its capital was the city of Moscow. Originally established as a minor principality in the 13th century, the gra ...

, where he served

Vasili III of Russia Vasili III Ivanovich (; 25 March 14793 December 1533) was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 until his death in 1533. He was the son of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologue and was christened with the name Gavriil (). Following on t ...

. When the

Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars The Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars (also known as the Russo-Lithuanian Wars or simply Muscovite Wars or Lithuanian Wars)The conflicts are referred to as 'Muscovite wars' () in Polish historiography and as 'Lithuanian wars' in Russian one; English his ...

renewed in 1512, Glinsky was instrumental in helping Moscow to capture Smolensk, a major trading centre. However, he was not rewarded with the regency of the city. Angered, he planned to betray Vasili III, but the plot was discovered and he was imprisoned for 12 years. He was freed after his niece

, daughter of his brother Vasili Lvovich Glinsky and

Ana Jakšić Anna Glinskaya (; ; ; died ) was a Serbian and Russian noblewoman. She was the daughter of Serbian voivode Stefan Jakšić () from the Jakšić family. Her sister Jelena Jakšić () was the titular despotissa of Serbia. Anna was married to ...

, married Vasili III in 1526. Before his death in 1533, Vasili appointed Elena as regent for his underage sons

Ivan Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the B ...

and Yuri. Elena disapproved of Glinsky's influence in state affairs and had him sent to prison, where he soon died of starvation.

In western courts

The Glinsky family claimed descent from Orthodox

Hungarian nobles The Kingdom of Hungary held a noble class of individuals, most of whom owned landed property, from the 11th century until the mid-20th century. Initially, a diverse body of people were described as noblemen, but from the late 12th&nbs ...

and Emir

Mamai Mamai (Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet, Mongolian Cyrillic: Мамай, ; 1325?–1380/1381) was a powerful Turco-Mongol tradition, Turko-Mongol military commander in Beylerbey rank of the Golden Horde from Kiyat clan. Contrary to popular misconcep ...

. As a young man Glinsky was sent to the court of

Emperor Maximilian I Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death in 1519. He was never crowned by the Pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed hi ...

and served in the emperor's army. He won distinction during Maximilian's campaigns against

Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...

in 1498 and was awarded the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

. In the service of Albrecht of Saxony during the

Italian Wars The Italian Wars were a series of conflicts fought between 1494 and 1559, mostly in the Italian Peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and Mediterranean Sea. The primary belligerents were the House of Valois, Valois kings o ...

, he converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Glinsky travelled extensively in Austria, Italy, and Spain. He also studied medicine at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

; this fact was used against him in later life as such education introduced him to poisons. During his twelve-year tour of western courts, Glinsky could boast of personal connections and relationships with many members of the nobility, including Emperor Maximilian I.

Return to Lithuania

In late 1498, Glinsky returned to Lithuania, where he quickly became a favourite and personal friend of

Grand Duke of Lithuania This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...

. Almost immediately upon return, Glinsky became Grand Duke's vice-regent in

Utena Utena () is a city in north-east Lithuania. It is the administrative center of Utena district and Utena County. Utena is one of the oldest settlements of Lithuania. The name of the city is most probably derived from a hydronym. The name of the ...

. He was appointed

Court Marshal of Lithuania A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

and became a member of the

Lithuanian Council of Lords The Lithuanian Council of Lords () was the main permanent institution of central government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania active in its capital city of Vilnius. It had originated from the advisory Council of the Grand Duke, established by Vytau ...

in 1500. The following year he was granted privileges to conduct lucrative trade in wax and oversee the coin mint in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

. Due to his connections with Western Europe and knowledge of foreign languages, Glinsky often acted as a foreign minister. Such a quick rise of a young man stirred up resentment among the local nobility. The greatest rivalry developed between Glinsky and

Jan Zabrzeziński Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky (1437 – 2 February 1508) was a noble of Leliwa coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who achieved the height of his influence during the reign of Alexander I Jagiellon (1492–1506). He was ...

, Voivode of Trakai. In 1504, Grand Duke Alexander, urged by Glinsky, confiscated land possessions of Zabrzeziński's son-in-law. The following year, Zabrzeziński was fined, stripped of his titles, and banished from the Council of Lords along with his supporters. However, shortly after, Zabrzeziński reconciled with Alexander and was reinstated as the

Grand Marshal of Lithuania Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation) ...

. In August 1506, Glinsky replaced Stanisław Kiszka, the Great Hetman of Lithuania, who had fallen ill, as the commander of the Lithuanian army during the

Battle of Kleck The Battle of Kletsk (, ) was fought on 5 August 1506 near Kletsk (now in Belarus), between the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, Grand Ducal Lithuanian army, led by Court Marshal of Lithuania Michael Glinski, and the army of the Crimean Khanate, led ...

. He led the Lithuanians to a decisive victory against the

Glinski's rebellion

Alexander Jagiellon died in August 1506 and was succeeded by his brother Sigismund I. Even before Alexander's death, Zabrzeziński renewed the rivalry and spread rumours that Glinski planned to poison Alexander and even hoped to seize the throne himself. Such rumours were effective: Glinski lost his privileges and titles, while his brother Ivan lost

Kiev Voivodeship The Kiev Voivodeship (; ; ) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1471 until 1569 and of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1569 until 1793, as part of Lesser Poland Province of ...

. As his trial was postponed and Sigismund I travelled to Poland to settle his coronation as King of Poland, Glinski, and his relatives began an armed rebellion against Sigismund I. On 7 February 1508, Glinski attacked

Hrodna Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, from Minsk, about from the border with Poland, and from the border with Lithuania. Grodno serves as the ad ...

and decapitated Zabrzeziński. His men then unsuccessfully attacked

Kaunas Castle Kaunas Castle () is a medieval castle in Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was built during the mid-14th century in the Gothic style. Its site is strategic—a rise on the banks of the Nemunas ...

in an attempt to liberate imprisoned

Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Ahmed ( Turki and Persian شیخ احمد; died 1529) was the last Khan of the Great Horde, a remnant of the Golden Horde, reigning from 1481 to 1502. Reign He was one of the three sons of Ahmed Khan bin Küchük, the man who lost Ru ...

, the deposed Khan of the

Great Horde The Great Horde (, ''Uluğ Orda'') was the rump state of the Golden Horde that existed from the mid-15th century to 1502. It was centered at the core of the former Golden Horde at Sarai on the lower Volga. Both the Khanate of Astrakhan and the ...

. He then planned but never began an attack on

. Glinski proclaimed himself a defender of the discriminated Eastern Orthodox believers and envisioned the establishment of the Duchy of Boristen (ancient name for the

Dnieper River The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

) with capital in

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

. Glinski's rebellion gained limited support among Orthodox nobility and became intertwined with the Muscovite–Lithuanian War of 1507–1508. Despite support from the

, Glinski failed to capture

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

Slutsk Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450. Geography ...

Orsha Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662. History ...

Mstsislaw Mstislaw or Mstislavl is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Mstsislaw District. In 2009, its population was 10,804. As of 2024, it has a population of 10,019. History Mstislavl was first mentioned in the ...

Krychaw Krychaw or Krichev (, ; , , ) is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Krychaw District. It is situated on the Sozh River. In 2009, its population was 27,202. As of 2024, it has a population of 23,264. ...

. By 1508, Glinski retreated to Moscow and pledged allegiance to

In Moscow's service

In 1512, Muscovy resumed war with Lithuania and besieged Smolensk three times. Glinski used his Western connections to bring a number of artillerymen, who were instrumental in capturing the city in July 1514. Glinski expected that for his services he would become a vice-regent of Smolensk. However, Vasili III chose Vasily Nemoy Shuysky. Enraged Glinski opened negotiations with Sigismund I – Glinski would return to Lithuania and help to recapture Smolensk if the Grand Duke guaranteed him immunity. The negotiations were discovered by the Russians and Glinski was arrested. Imprisoned and awaiting execution, he converted back to Eastern Orthodoxy. This move possibly softened Vasili's resolve and Glinski was pardoned. Glinski spent 12 years in prison until 1526 when Vasili III married his niece

. Glinski regained some of his former wealth and power as a loyal servant of Vasili III. In 1533, Vasili III died of an infection to a leg wound. Before his death, Vasili appointed Elena as regent for his underage sons

and Yuri. Glinski became a member of the regency council, and soon proved to be a political rival of Elena and her lover Prince Obolensky for the influence in the regency council. Elena spread rumours that Glinski quickened Vasili's death with poison as he did to Alexander Jagiellon in Lithuania. In August 1534, he was again taken to prison, where he died on 24 September of starvation.

References

Sources

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glinski, Michal 1470s births 1534 deaths People from Zhytkavichy district Ruthenian nobility 15th-century Lithuanian nobility 16th-century Lithuanian nobility People from the Grand Principality of Moscow 15th-century Russian nobility Russian people of Tatar descent Court Marshals of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 16th-century Russian nobility