""I would like to thank the Belarusians, who always allow us, Lithuanians, to feel at home here," Mr. Bagdonas said on Wednesday while opening an exhibition at the Lithuanian embassy. "I propose celebrating the 600th anniversary of the Grunwald Battle together.""
"Held on the occasion of the millenary anniversary of the first mention of the name of Lithuania, the exhibition traces the country’s history and proves once again that Lithuania has been and will remain an integral part of Europe, Mr. Bagdonas said."
"The Grunwald Battle, which is viewed as one of the biggest in the Middle Ages, took place near the village of Grunwald (Tannenberg), now in northern Poland, on July 15, 1410. On the one side were the Teutonic Knights supported by West European mercenaries, a total of about 27,000 soldiers commanded by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. On the other side was a 39,000-strong army of Polish King Wladyslaw Jagiello (Jahajla) and his brother, Grand Duke Vitaut of the Grand Duchy of Litva."
"By the end of the day, the Teutonic Knights were defeated. Some 8,000 of them were slain, including the Grand Master of the Order. The forces of the Grand Duchy of Litva, which is broadly viewed as the medieval Belarusian state, used the white-red-white flag, which eventually became one of the state symbols of Belarus after it acquired independence in 1991."
"The Teutonic Order never recovered from the defeat. Under a peace treaty signed in Torun in 1411, the Grand Duchy of Litva regained Samogitia, a region in modern-day Lithuania, and Poland won back part of Pomerania. // BelaPAN"
"As Igor Mikhno, who headed the Belarusian delegation, told BelaPAN, Belarus delegated to the show the second largest group of knights after Poland. Some of the Belarusians participated on the side of the Teutonic Knights, while others formed a unit within the group that represented the army of Polish King Jagiello (Jahajla) and Grand Duke Vitaut of Litva."
"Mr. Mikhno praised the organizers who, with the support of private sponsors, managed to stage an excellent show which was covered by Polish television crews."
"According to Mr. Mikhno, the next events in which Belarusian historical and patriotic clubs plan to participate will be a reconstruction of a Hussite battle of 1424 in the Czech Republic, festivals of medieval knighthood in Vyborg near St. Petersburg, at the settlement of Mir, Belarus, and in the Netherlands."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 63; Tuesday, July 18, 2000; 6:20 p.m.
"For the first time in years, the city government allowed an NGO gathering in a place other than a deserted stadium on the outskirts of the city. The celebration took place at Valynskaye Pradmestse, a suburb of the ancient town of Bierascie, on the square in front of the Bierascie museum and the Castle Hill, where a castle stood in the 14th-18th centuries. The square is only a few dozen yards away from the Brest Fortress, the famous World War II memorial."
"King of Poland Jagiello (Jahajla) and his brother, Grand Duke Vitaut of Litva, met in a church in Valynskaye Pradmestse in 1409. The 9-day talks resulted in a plan of the summer 1410 campaign against the Teutonic Order. Historians say that the foundation of the Grunwald victory was laid in Bierascie."
"On July 15, 1410, a decisive battle, one of the biggest in the Middle Ages, took place near the village of Grunwald (also known as Tannenberg). On one side were the Teutonic Knights with West European mercenaries, about 27,000 soldiers commanded by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. On the other was a larger army of Jagiello and Vitaut, supported by Czech and vassal Tartar contingents, of about 39,000 men. The allied forces included a unit from Bierascie."
"By the end of the day, the Teutonic Knights were defeated. Some 8,000 of them were slain, including the Grand Master of the Order."
"The anniversary festivities included a rally in support of national independence, a festival of Belarusian poetry and music and a competition for history fans. 'The roots of our city were cut 160 years ago and hidden underneath a Russian fortress,' one of the organizers, Irina Lavrovskaya, said during the rally. 'But we must be strong and possess enough honor and faith to give Brest its glorious past back.' Grigory Bakiyevich, local leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, called for renaming Brest's streets in honor of the city's famous citizens."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 55; Sunday, July 16, 2000; 7:30 p.m.
"The name of Grand Duke Vitaut is directly associated with the history of the city. During his rule, Bierascie was ranked among the Grand Duchy's main cities and intensively developed. Grand Duke Vitaut confirmed Bierascie's Magdeburg right to self-government, allowed Jews to reside in the city, granted concessions for the maintenance of city temples."
"The city has also a direct connection to the Grunwald Battle. At their 9-day talks in 1409, King Jagiello and Grand Duke Vitaut discussed the plan of the summer 1410 campaign against the Teutonic Order, which attacked Poland and the Grand Duchy several times a year. The victorious battle near the settlement of Grunwald in 1410 stopped the Teutonic Knights' advancement to the east. The united forces of Jagiello and Vitaut included a detachment from Bierascie."
"The organizations that initiated the signature collection believe that the local authorities should above all rename Lenin Street in the heart of the city and a number of other streets that were named after persons who had nothing to do with Brest."
"The point of street renaming was raised in the city six years ago. But then the local government decided not to change anything, referring to a lack of funds. This time the initiators of the campaign intends to be more persistent. 'The authorities will have no alternative but to obey when we come to them with thousands of signatures. This will be the people's will,' said Ryhor Bakiyevich, chairman of the Regional Council of the Belarusian Popular Front."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 57; Monday, July 17, 2000; 5:20 p.m.
"For the first time in the last several years, the city authorities have allowed non-state entities to organize a rally beyond the Stroitel stadium. The festivities are to be held at Valynskaye Pradmestse, a suburb of the ancient town of Bierascie, on the square in front of the Bierascie museum and the Castle Hill where a castle stood in the 14th-18th centuries. The place is close to the Brest Fortress memorial."
"King of Poland Jagiello (Jahajla) and his brother, Grand Duke Vitaut of Litva, met in Bierascie in one of the churches that were located at Valynskaye Pradmestse in 1409. The 9-day talks resulted in a plan of the summer 1410 campaign against the Teutonic Order. Historians say that the foundation of the Grunwald victory was laid in Bierascie [Brest Province, Belarus]."
"On July 15, 1410, a decisive battle, one of the biggest in the Middle Ages, took place near the village of Grunwald (also known as Tannenberg). On one side were the Teutonic Knights with West European mercenaries, about 27,000 soldiers commanded by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. On the other was a larger army of Jagiello and Vitaut, supported by Czech and vassal Tartar contingents, of about 39,000 men. The allied forces included a unit from Bierascie."
"By the end of the day, the Teutonic Knights were defeated. Some 8,000 of them were slain, including the Grand Master of the Order."
"As Grigory Bakiyevich, one of the organizers of the festivities, said, the main objective of the celebration is to honor the town which has played an important role at different stages of European history."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 42; Wednesday, July 12, 2000; 10:30 p.m.
From the entry in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus (Zaprudnik, 1998; pp. 115):
"The battle took place near the villages of Grunwald and Tannenberg in what used to be East Prussian and now is the northern Polish province of Olsztyn. The united Polish-Belarusan-Lithuanian forces, which included soldiers from practically all Belarusan districts, led by King Jahajla and Grand Duke Vitaut, routed the soldiers of the Teutonic grand master, Ulrich von Jungingen. The battle was ferocious, with tens of thousands of victims on each side, but victory was clearly won by the Polish and Lithuanian armies."
"The outcome of the battle was legally confirmed by the 1411 Treaty of Torun, which stopped the centuries-long warfare of the Teutonic Order against its eastern neighbors. This historic event has served as a source of patriotic inspiration for young generations in Belarus as well as in Lithuania and Poland."
(Note: In the preceding excerpt, terms in bold refer to other entries in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus. The Historical Dictionary of Belarus is an important summary of the history of Belarus.)