The Evangelical environment of voivode of Vilnius Mikolaj the Black Radziwill (1515-1565) during Iacob’s Heraclid vizite in Vilnius

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); 16 amžius; Mikalojus Radvila Juodasis, 1515-1565 (Nicholas Radziwill the Black); Didikai; Evangelikai; Socialinė biografija; 16th century; Nobles; Evangelical; Social biography.

ENThe article focuses on the group of the earliest evangelical pastors (ministers), who acted in the environment of the leader of Reformation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Voivode of Vilnius Mikolaj the Black Radziwill (1515-1565). Discussions about the confessional identity of evangelics taken place at the Radvila’s court had great impact to the formation of the Protestant faith of the future Prince of Moldova (reigned 1561-1563) Iacob Heraclid (1527-1563) known as Despot Voda, who visited Vilnius in 1557. Much has been written about the religious views of the earliest (two first generations) evangelical preachers. So in this article some aspects of their social collective biography: social and regional origin, professional activity before they became protestant ministers, their education and marital status are analyzed. Chronological period of this research covers two decades: from Radvila’s oficial conversion in 1553 to the end of the processes of formation evangelical confessions in Lithuania (in the beginning of 8 decade). After analyzing the data such a collective portrait of the first evangelical pastors (ministers) group turned out. Most of them were from the GDL (especially from Podlasie). Their social background was low. Most of the clergy were from petty nobility or from townspeople, peasant origin also occurred. A large number of them were ex-Catholic priests, rarely ex-monks. The evangelical ministers of two first generations were quite educated, studied at universities (firstly Krakow Academy and university of Königsberg, then continued their studies in Leipzig, Padua or Wittenberg). Pastors' marriages were a relatively common phenomenon. Almost all married ministers had children. [lvb.lt]