Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky (1437 – 2 February 1508) was a noble of

Leliwa coat of arms Leliwa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several hundred szlachta families during the existence of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and remains in use today by many of the descendants of these families. The ...

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, ...

, who achieved the height of his influence during the reign of Alexander I Jagiellon (1492–1506). He was duke's marshal (1482–1496), regent of

Polatsk Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Western Dvina, Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it ...

(1484–1496),

castellan A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...

Trakai Trakai (; see Trakai#Names and etymology, names section for alternative and historic names) is a city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania or just from the administrative limits of the Lithuanian capi ...

(1492–1498), voivode of Trakai (1498–1505), and

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) ...

(1498–1508). Zabrzeziński was married to Anna, daughter of Jan, elder of Brest and

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 ...

. In the period 1476–1492, he witnessed three legal acts by the Grand Duke and was sent to two diplomatic missions (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 ...

in 1484 and

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...

in 1486). In 1501, as a member of the Lithuanian Council of Lords, he supported the proposed Union of Mielnik. Soon Zabrzeziński began a political rivalry with Michael Glinski, a quickly-rising favorite of Alexander Jagiellon. In 1504, under Glinski's influence, Alexander confiscated land possessions of Zabrzeziński's son-in-law near

Lida Lida is a city in Grodno Region, western Belarus, located west of Minsk. It serves as the administrative center of Lida District. As of 2025, it has a population of 103,262. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuanian name ''Ly ...

. The conflict was soon suppressed by Alexander, who imposed large fines and removed Zabrzeziński from all of his positions (Grand Marshal, Voivode, Council of Lords). However, soon Zabrzeziński was reinstated as the Grand Marshal and received a generous benefice. During the Battle of Kletsk against the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

in August 1506, Zabrzeziński disagreed with Glinki's command of the Lithuanian army and his men attacked first. They were easily defeated by the Tatars, who mockingly displayed severed heads of the Zabrzeziński's men. This disrespect enraged the remainder of the Lithuanian army, which attacked and soundly defeated the Horde. After Alexander's death in August 1506, Zabrzeziński accused Glinski of high treason and poisoning Alexander. As the new King

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old (, ; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the son of Casimir IV of P ...

did not clear his name, Glinski ordered Zabrzeziński killed in his residence near Hrodna in February 1508. This event is considered the beginning of Glinski's revolt against Sigismund I, which became part of the Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars.Wojciechowski Z., Zygmunt Stary (1506–1548), (Warszawa 1979), p. 77.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabrzezinski, Jan 1437 births 1508 deaths 15th-century Lithuanian nobility 16th-century Lithuanian nobility Ruthenian nobility Grand Marshals of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania