Religion and death Algirdas

algirdas (left) on millennium of russia monument in veliky novgorod

after death, algirdas burned on ceremonial pyre 18 horses , many of possessions in forest near maišiagala, in kukaveitis forest shrine located @ 54°55′42″n 25°01′04″e / 54.92833°n 25.01778°e / 54.92833; 25.01778. alleged burial site has undergone archaeological research since 2009. algirdas descendants include trubetzkoy, czartoryski , sanguszko families.

although algirdas said have ordered death of anthony, john, , eustathius of vilnius, later glorified martyrs of russian orthodox church, 16th-century bychowiec chronicle , 17th-century hustynska chronicle maintain converted orthodox christianity time before marriage maria of vitebsk in 1318. several orthodox churches built in vilnius during reign, later assertions baptism uncorroborated contemporary sources. despite contemporary accounts , modern studies, however, russian historians (such batiushikov) claim algirdas orthodox ruler. kiev monastery of caves commemorative book, underwritten algirdas descendants, recorded baptismal name demetrius during 1460s. following wojciech wijuk kojałowicz , macarius i, volodymyr antonovych writes algirdas took monastic vows several days before death , interred @ cathedral of theotokos in vilnius under monastic name alexius.