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Biography of Konstanty Ostrogski - Military Leaders
Biography
F
For article about other Konstanty Ostrogoski, see
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski (1526-1608)
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| Konstanty Ostrogski
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| align=center colspan=2 |
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|Szlachta|Noble Family || Ostrogski
|-
|Polish heraldry|Coat of Arms || Ostrogski Coat of
Arms|Ostrogski
|-
|Parents || Ivan Ostrogski (?)
|-
|Consorts|| Aleksandra Olelkowicz
Slucka|Aleksandra Słucka
|-
|Children || with Aleksandra Olelkowicz
Slucka|Aleksandra Słucka
Konstanty Wasyl
Ostrogski
|-
|Date of Birth || Abt. 1460
|-
|Place of Birth || ?
|-
|Date of Death || 1530
|-
|Place of Death || ?
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Konstanty Ostrogski (approx. 1460 - 1530), also
known under his Ruthenians|Ruthenian name
Konstantin Ivanovich Ostrozhsky and modern
Belarusian transliteration Kanstancin
Astrožski, was a Grand Duchy of
Lithuania|Lithuanian duke and a
Hetman#List_of_Hetmans_of_the_Polish-Lithuanian_Co
mmonwealth|Grand Hetman of Lithuania since
September 11, 1497, until his death. As a speaker
of the Ruthenian language he is considered to be
one of the precursors of the Belarusian language
and a national hero in Belarus.
He started his military career under king John I
of Poland|John I Olbracht. He took part in
successful campaigns against the Tatars and
Muscovy. For his victory near Ochakov against the
forces of Mehmet Girey he was awarded with the
title of
Hetman#List_of_Hetmans_of_the_Polish-Lithuanian_Co
mmonwealth|Grand Hetman of Lithuania. He was the
first person to receive this title ever. However,
during a war with Muscovy he was defeated in the
Battle of Vedrosha (1500) and held captive for
three years. In 1503 he managed to escape and
joined king Sigismund I of Poland|Sigismund the
Old, who allowed him to resume his posts as a
hetman. As one of the main military leaders
(alongside Grand Hetmans of the Crown Mikolaj
Firlej|Mikołaj Firlej and Mikolaj
Kamieniecki|Mikołaj Kamieniecki) of the
alliance he continued to wage war against Muscovy
and in 1512 achieved a great victory against the
Tatars in the Battle of Wisniowiec|Battle of
Wiśniowiec.
In 1514 another war with Muscovy started and
Ostrogski became the commander in chief of all the
Polish and Lithuanian forces (amounting to up to
35,000 soldiers). Among his subordinates were
Jerzy Radziwill|Jerzy Radziwiłł, Janusz
Swierczowski|Janusz Świerczowski, Witold
Sampolinski|Witold Sampoliński and the future
Hetman of the Crown Jan Tarnowski. On September 8,
1514 he achieved a brilliant victory in the Battle
of Orsza, defeating the 80,000-strong army of
Vasili III of Russia|Vasili III.
He died in 1530 as a well-respected military
commander. Despite his steady loyalty to the
Catholic kings of Poland as well as an old feud
with an Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox Muscovy,
Ostrogski himself remained a devout Orthodox in
traditions of his family. He gave generously for
construction of Orthodox churches and sponsored
the creation of many church-affiliated schools for
the orthodox children. As one of the wealthiest
Orthodox nobles he was buried in the Kiev Pechersk
Lavra in Kiev.
==See also==
* Ostrogski|Ostrogski family
* Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Hetmans GL

