Shvarno Danylovych

Shvarno Danylovych [Шварно Данилович; Švarno Danylovyč] (Lithuanian: Švarnas), b ca 1230, d 1269. Kyivan Rus’ prince and grand duke of Lithuania (from 1267); younger son of Danylo Romanovych. He married the daughter of Grand Duke Mindaugas in 1254 to strengthen a treaty between Lithuania and the Principality of Galicia-Volhynia. He favored the unification of both principalities to create a common front against the Yatvingians and Poland. After Danylo's death in 1264 he also ruled the Halych, Kholm, and Dorohychyn lands. When Mindaugas was assassinated (1263), Shvarno assisted his son, Vaišvilkas, in securing the Lithuanian throne. Vaišvilkas, a monk, abdicated in 1267 in favor of Shvarno, who ruled as grand duke until his death.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]