Mstislav Principality
Mstislav Principality
one of the appanage principalities in the territory of Smolensk. It arose at the end of the 12th century with its center in the city of Mstislav on the Vikhra River, a tributary of the Sozh River. The Mstislav Principality occupied the southern part of Smolensk Province. Its first prince was Mstislav, after whom the principality was named; Mstislav was the son of the Smolensk prince Roman Rostislavich. The Mstislav Principality was conquered by the Lithuanian prince Ol’gerd Gediminovich in 1358 and became a Polish possession in 1514. The principality was transformed into a vʘvodstro (territory under a military governor) in 1569. The territory of the Mstislav Principality was given over to Russia in 1772.