User:Alvsjo/Vasiliy Kirdyapa

Vasiliy Kirdyapa
Vasiliy Dmitrievich Kirdyapa (Russian: Василий Дмитриевич Кирдяпа) (approximately 1350 - 1403) - the eldest son of Dmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod, a Prince of Suzdal (1364 - 1382) and Gorodets (1387-1403). He was the ancestor of the senior branch of a Rurikid Princely family, the Princes Shuysky.

Biography
In 1364 Dmitri Konstantinovich dispatched his two eldest sons, Vasility and Semyon, for negotiations with their uncle Boris Konstantinovich, a Prince of Gorodets, Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod, who ruled Nizhny Novgorod during that time bypassing the superiority of his elder brother. Boris Konstantinovich didn't let his nephews enter the city, so Vasiliy went to the Golden Horde where he got the jarlig, or khan's permission for his father to rule over the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. Dmitri yielded the jarlig to the Prince of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy, although with help of the latter's troops he drove Boris out of Nizhny Novgorod. After that Boris took over Gorodets and Vasiliy became the ruler of Suzdal.

In 1367 Vasiliy joined his father and uncle in an attempt to repel Bulat-Temir, who came from the Golden Horde to foray the regions of the Principality of Suzdal—Nizhny Novgorod along the Volga river. In 1370 Vasiliy was dispatched by his father to fight against Asan, the prince of Kazan. There is a controversial claim that he carried out a massacre of Sary-Aka's embassy sent by the commander of the Blue Horde Mamai in Nizhny Novgorod in 1374.

In 1376 Vasiliy and his younger brother Ivan conducted a plundering raid along with troops from the principalities of Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod on Kazan where they inflicted severe losses and laid the city under heavy contribution.

In 1382 along with his brother Semyon Vasiliy joined the khan of the Blue Horde Tokhtamysh in his revenge raid on Moscow. The brothers fooled the defenders of the city into starting negotiations with Tatars in exchange for the guarantees of their security. But the Tatars killed the negotiators and stormed into the city. Moscow experienced the utter destruction being burning down with around 24 thousand of the citizens killed. After that Vasiliy was taken by Tokhtamysh to the Blue Horde as a hostage where he was kept till an unsuccessful attempt to escape in 1386 when he was caught and brought back to be punished by the khan.

Eventually in 1387 Tokhtamysh let him go and granted permission to rule over Gorodets. By that time Dmitri Konstantinovich had already died and Boris Konstantinovich seated again in Nizhny Novgorod. With military assistance from Moscow Vasiliy and Semyon forced their uncle out of Nizhny Novgorod and made him govern Gorodets.

In 1393 the Grand Prince of Moscow Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich, a nephew of Vasiliy and Semyon purchased the jarlig to take over Nizhny Novgorod from the Golden Horde. After driving Boris Konstantinovich out of Nizhny Novgorod where the latter seated during that time once again, the Grand Prince besieged Suzdal to take over his uncles. The outcome of the campaign is unclear although some historians claim that the brothers were able to bring Nizhny Novgorod back under their control. For example, according to Vasily Tatishchev, in 1394 Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich approached Nizhny Novgorod and forced Vasiliy Kirdyapa along with his brother Semyon to leave the city and granted them Shuya. Apparently, the brothers as the senior among the Suzdal—Nizhny Novgorod princes were displeased with such a negligible principality as Shuya. This could be confirmed by reports that the brothers attempted to reach the Golden Horde in 1394 to complain and retake Nizhny Novgorod. The Grand Prince sent the troops to catch the brothers but Vasiliy and Semyon managed to escape the pursuers.

Apparently, Vasiliy reconciled with his nephew for since his escape to the Horde he hasn't been mentioned in the annals till the time of his death that followed in 1403 in Gorodets.

Descendants
Vasiliy Kirdyapa had four sons although the name of his wife is unknown.
 * Ivan Vasilievich Kirdyapin - a Prince of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod (1390—1417). He was buried in the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Nizhny Novgorod.
 * Yuri-George Vasilievich Kirdyapin - a Prince of Nizhny Novgorod and Suzdal. He possessed a half of the city of Shuya. His descendants were named the Princes Shuysky.
 * Fyodor Vasilievich Kirdyapin - he was childless.
 * Daniil Vasilievich - a Prince of Gorodets. He was killed in a battle near Lyskovo in 1412.