ALEKSANDR Iaroslavich "Nievskiy", son of IAROSLAV Vsevolodich Grand Prince of Vladimir & his third wife Fedosia Igorevich of Riazan ([30 May 1220]-Gorodets 14 Nov 1263, bur Vladimir Monastery of the Nativity[813]). His father installed him as Prince of Novgorod in 1236[814]. He was also Prince of Dmitrov 1238/1246, and Prince of Pereyaslavl 1238/1252. Pereyaslavl was captured by the Mongols in Mar 1239. Aleksandr defended north-western Rus against Germany and Sweden. He defeated the Swedes at the battle of Neva River in 1240, from which he earned his epithet 'Nievskiy', and the Teutonic Knights at Lake Peipus (in Estonia) in Apr 1242 after ending their occupation of Pskov[815]. He left Novgorod for the Mongol court in 1246, returning in 1250[816]. He was created Grand Prince of Kiev in 1250 by the Great Mongol Khan at Karakoram, but maintained Novgorod as his main base of operations. He succeeded his brother in 1252 as ALEKSANDR Grand Prince of Vladimir, under the suzerainty of the Golden Horde[817]. The Novgorod Chronicle records that, in 1255, he was opposed by his brother Iaroslav whom "the men of Novgorod led … from Pskov and set … on the throne" in Novgorod, but Aleksandr reasserted his position later the same year[818]. In alliance with the Mongols, he forced Novgorod to submit to the Mongol request for payment of taxes and taking a census in 1259[819]. He died at Gordodets monastery on the journey back from a visit to the Mongol capital Sarai[820]. He was the subject of a hagiographic biography to which Metropolitan Kirill, patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church during Aleksandr's reign, largely contributed[821].
m firstly (Toropets[822] 1239) PARASKEVIYA [Aleksandra] Bryacheslavna of Polotsk, daughter of BRYACHESLAV Vasilkovich Prince of Polotsk and Vitebsk & his wife --- (-[1261/62]). Her marriage is referred to in the Novgorod Chronicle, which names her father but does not give her own first name[823].
m secondly ([1262/63]) VASILISA, daughter of ---.
Aleksandr & his first wife had five children:
1. VASILY Aleksandrovich ([1239/45]-1271). Prince of Novgorod 1255. He was driven out by the Novgorodians in 1257 as a gesture of defiance to his father and fled to Pskov where he was arrested and sent back to Suzdalia in disgrace[824]. [825]Betrothed (1251, contract broken before Feb 1258) to CHRISTINA of Norway, daughter of HAAKON IV "den Gamle/the Old" King of Norway & his wife Margareta Skulesdotter (1234-Seville 1262, bur Covarrubias, monastery of San Cosme and San Damian).
2. IEVDOKIA Aleksandrovna . m (before 1262) KONSTANTIN Rostislavich Prince of Smolensk, son of [ROSTISLAV Mstislavich Grand Prince of Smolensk & his wife ---].
3. DMITRYAleksandrovich ([1250]-Volok 1294[826]). He was appointed Prince of Pereyaslavl in 1253 by his father. He was installed as Prince of Novgorod by his father in 1259, but was removed by his uncle Iaroslav Grand Prince of Vladimir in 1264 after his father died[827]. The Novgorod Chronicle records that he was restored in Novgorod on the death of Prince Iaroslav, only to be removed again in 1273 in favour of his uncle Vasily, but succeeded again in 1277 on the death of the latter[828]. He succeeded his uncle in 1277 as DMITRY I Grand Prince of Vladimir. He was deposed by the Mongols in 1281, apparently for refusing to visit Sarai to swear allegiance. However, he gained support of the Mongol commander Nogai who had acquired a powerful position as an independent leader among the Golden Horde and returned as Grand Prince in 1283[829]. Dmitry was deposed in 1293 by the new khan Tokhta, who gave his support to the restoration of his brother Andrei. Prince of Kostroma 1276-1293. m ---. The name of Dmitry´s wife is not known. Dmitry & his wife had five children:
a) IVANDmitrievich "Tikhiy" ([1276]-15 May 1302). Prince of Kostroma 1293-1294. Prince of Pereyaslavl Zalesskii 1294-1302. He unsuccessfully challenged the accession of his uncle Andrei as Grand Prince of Vladimir, who in turn reclaimed the right to rule in Pereyaslavl Zalesskii. The dispute triggered the assembly of princes of 1296, which decided to allow Ivan to remain at Pereyaslavl Zalesskii[830]. He retained the territory, with the support of his uncle Daniil Prince of Moscow and Mikhail Prince of Tver, against two attempts by Prince Andrei to capture it in 1296 and 1298[831]. m ([1292/96]) --- Dmitrievna of Rostov, daughter of DMITRY Borisovich Prince of Rostov & his wife ---.
b) ALEKSANDR Dmitrievich (-1292). He "died among the Tartars"[832].
c) IVAN Dmitrievich (-1290).
d) MARIADmitrievna (-1300). According to the Novgorod Chronicle, "his [=Dmitry's] two daughters [were] … brought to Novgorod as hostages" from Koporya in 1282[833]. m DAUMANTAS [Dowmont] TIMOFEI[of Lithuania] Prince of Pskov, son of --- (-1299).
e) --- Dmitrievna . Dmitry had a second daughter, as "his two daughters" were taken hostage in 1282 according to the Novgorod Chronicle[834].
4. ANDREI Aleksandrovich ([1255]-27 Jul 1304, bur Gorodets[835]). Prince of Gorodeno and Kostroma 1276. He took part in the Mongol campaign against the north Caucasus in 1277[836]. He succeeded in 1281 as ANDREI Grand Prince of Vladimir when his brother was deposed by the Mongols, but was deposed in his turn in 1283 after his brother gained the support of the Mongol commander Nogai. He was installed as Prince of Novgorod in 1283, but was replaced by his brother Dmitry in 1284, 1293[837]. Andrei was restored as Grand Prince in 1293 with the support of the new khan Tokhta[838]. m (1294) VASILISA Dmitrievna of Rostov, daughter of DMITRY Borisovich Prince of Rostov & his wife ---. Andrei & his wife had one child:
a) BORIS Andreievich ([1295]-Kostroma 25 Feb 1303). Prince of Novgorod 1299. Prince of Kostroma [1303].
5. DANIIL Aleksandrovich (1261-4/5 Mar 1303). Prince of Novgorod 1255, 1264-1272. Prince of Moscow [1283].