Mindovg

The first prince of the Great Principality of Lithuania (union of the chronicled Litva, situated in the central part of contemporary Belarus, and Polotsk principality) with the capital in Novogrudok. The coat-of-arms if the Great Principality was a famous Chase, which history started in Polotsk. The Russian historian Tatischev wrote: "A knight with a sword was the coat-of-arms of Belarus from time immemorial". The first mentioning about "Mindovg’s Litva" appeared in chronicles in 1235, and Mindovg’s coronation took place in 1253.

Mindovg gained power after execution of his competitors, "had fame and honour and did not tolerate anyone against him". A pagan Mindovg, Lithuanian by origin, adopted the belief of his subjects – Orthodoxy – in order to come to the throne, and later Catholicism under the influence of the Lithuanian princes and Livonian knights, what provided him support of the Pope Innocent IV and king’s throne in Novogrudok. But Mindovg refused from his union with the Pope and the knights and started an open war against the crusaders. Internal struggle of the Lithuanian knights caused a conspiracy and murder of Mindovg as well as of his two small sons.