Dmitry of Tver

Who was Dmitry of Tver?

Dmitry Mikhaylovich of Tver, nicknamed The Fearsome Eyes, was a Grand Prince of Vladimir and Grand Prince of Tver. He was a son of Mikhail of Tver and Anna of Kashin.

Dmitry continued his father's fight with Grand Prince Yuri Danilovich of Moscow for the yarlik that is, the diploma or patent of office for the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir, which was granted by the Khan of the Golden Horde. The title was much desired because the Grand Prince of Vladimir was the khan's tax-collector in Rus', and as such could gain authority and real power over the other princes of Rus'.

Following Yury's machinations which led the khan to grant the yarlik to Moscow and their father's execution at the Horde in 1318, Dmitry and his brother, Alexander, fought a series of battles with Yury and intrigued against him at the Horde, culminating in Dmitry's acquisition of the yarlik of office for the grand princely throne in 1322 and his murder of Yury at the Horde three years later. Dmitry was himself arrested for the murder and executed in Sarai on the orders of Uzbeg Khan in 1326. His remains were taken back to Tver and interred in the cathedral there.