Nothing is known about Vaišvilkas ' youth as he entered historical sources only in 1254 when he made a treaty, in the name of his father King Mindaugas, with Daniel of Halych-Volhynia.

In the 1240-1250s the Grodno area, as well as the most of Black Ruthenia, was controlled by princes of Lithuanian origin ( Mindaugas and others ) to form the Baltic-Slavic state-Grand Duchy of Lithuania on these territories.

Theodor, brother of Gediminas, and Algimantas, son of Mindaugas from the Olshanski family, were installed in Kiev.

In reward for his knightly deeds, he was given, among other gifts, Lew's near relative ( the widow of Lev's brother Shvarn, the daughter of Lithuanian King Mindaugas ) as a wife, an estate in Ruthenian territory, and by his descendants he became the forefather of the various families which use these arms in their seals.

Theodor, brother of Gediminas, and Algimantas, son of Mindaugas from the Olshanski family, were installed in Kiev.

For example, Mindaugas granted Black Ruthenia with center in Navahrudak to his son Vaišvilkas ; Gediminas sent his brother Fiodor to Kiev.

Dausprungas ( also Dovsprunk, died after 1219 ) was older brother of Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania.

Dausprungas is mentioned only once in the peace treaty with Galicia – Volhynia in 1219 among the 21 early dukes of Lithuania as one of the five elder dukes ( other four being Zivinbudas, Daujotas, Mindaugas and Viligaila – Daujotas ' brother ).

Since Dausprungas is the only known brother of Mindaugas, Mindaugas ' nephews Edivydas and Tautvilas are presumed to be his sons.

Because it is known that Mindaugas used to kill his relatives to gain power and because Dausprungas is not mentioned in any other sources, some imply that he was killed by Mindaugas, but others rebut since his sons still ruled their lands in 1248.

* House of Mindaugas – family tree of Dausprungas

Contemporary written sources about Mindaugas are very scarce.

Other important sources are the papal bulls regarding baptism and coronation of Mindaugas.

Because written sources covering the era are scarce, Mindaugas ' origins and family tree have not been conclusively established.

* 1244-Christians are reported in Lithuania with King Mindaugas being baptized in 1251

Mindaugas ' name in historic texts was recorded in various distorted forms: Mindowe in Latin ; Mindouwe, Myndow, Myndawe, and Mindaw in German ; Mendog, Mondog, Mendoch, and Mindovg in Polish ; and Mindovg, Mindog, and Mindowh in Russian, among others.

When King Mindaugas ( 1251 – 1263 ) unified the state, he killed, expelled, or subjugated most of the regional dukes.

Since Russian sources provide the most information about Mindaugas ' life, they were judged the most reliable by linguists reconstructing his original Lithuanian name.

Led by a new generation of great Lithuanian talents Saulius Štombergas, Dainius Adomaitis, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Tomas Masiulis, Mindaugas Žukauskas, experienced foreign players Franjo Arapović and Ennis Whatley and coached by Jonas Kazlauskas, they defeated Olimpia Milano 82: 67 in the Saporta Cup final in Belgrade in 1998.

Then they waged a war against Nalšia and Deltuva, two main centers of opposition to Mindaugas and Vaišvilkas.

Mindaugas had at least two wives, Morta and Morta's sister, whose name is unknown, and possibly an earlier wife ; her existence is presumed because two children – a son named Vaišvilkas and an unnamed daughter married to Svarn in 1255 – were already leading independent lives when Morta's children were still young.

It is known that Mindaugas had more than one wife.

While Mindaugas had converted to Christianity in order to discourage Livonian Order and Teutonic Knights attacks on Lithuania, becoming king in the process, Treniota remained a staunch pagan.

It had once been partly subject to Mindaugas ' Lithuania in the 13th century.

During the rule of the first Lithuanian king, Mindaugas, Samogitians pursued an independent foreign policy and continued fighting with the Knights of the Sword even after King Mindaugas had signed a peace treaty with them.

However, it is known for a fact that at the time Mindaugas already had supreme power in Lithuania.

Mindaugas was the only King of Lithuania ; while most of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes from Jogaila onward also reigned as Kings of Poland, the titles remained separate.

* 1253 – Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.

In response, a number of small Baltic tribal groups united under the rule of Mindaugas, who is referred to as the ruler of all Lithuania in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle in 1236.

In 1250, Mindaugas entered into an agreement with the Teutonic Order ; he consented to receive baptism ( the act took place in 1251 ) and relinquish control over some lands in western Lithuania, for which he was to receive a crown in return.

On July 17, 1251, Pope Innocent IV signed two papal bulls, ordering the Bishop of Chełmno to crown Mindaugas as King of Lithuania, appoint a bishop for Lithuania, and build a cathedral.

In 1253, Mindaugas was crowned and the Kingdom of Lithuania was established.

Mindaugas was murdered in 1263 by his nephew Treniota, which resulted in great unrest and a return to paganism.

The core of the Lithuanian Land Force structure is the Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade ( MIB " Iron Wolf ") consisting of two mechanized infantry battalions ( King Mindaugas and Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas battalions ), two motorized infantry battalions ( Grand Duchess Birutė and Lithuanian Grand Duke Kestutis battalions ), artillery battalion and Lithuanian Duke Vaidotas Forward support battalion.

Mindaugas ( ca.

For example, the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle devoted 125 poetry lines to Mindaugas ' coronation, but failed to mention either the date or the location.

Due to lack of sources, some important questions regarding Mindaugas and his reign cannot be answered.

The latter two were assassinated along with Mindaugas.

The most popular Russian rendition was Mindovg, which can quite easily and naturally be reconstructed as Mindaugas or Mindaugis.

Mindaugas is an archaic disyllabic Lithuanian name, used before the Christianization of Lithuania, and consists of two components: min and daug.

During the 1230s and 1240s, Mindaugas strengthened and established his power in various Baltic and Slavic lands.

Constrained in the north and west, Mindaugas moved to the east and southeast, conquering Navahrudak, Hrodna, Vawkavysk, and the Principality of Polotsk.

Tautvilas, Edivydas, and Vykintas formed a powerful coalition in opposition to Mindaugas, along with the Samogitians of western Lithuania, the Livonian Order, Daniel of Galicia ( Tautvilas and Edivydas ' brother-in-law ), and Vasilko of Volhynia.

In 1250, the Order organized a major raid through the lands of Nalšia into the domains of Mindaugas in Lithuania proper, and a raid into those parts of Samogitia that still supported him.