principality · Poland, Lithuania and Russia

Principality of Serpukhov

1341 CE – 1456 CE (approx.) · capital Serpukhov

An appanage of the Moscow princes south of the capital, ruled by Vladimir the Bold, hero of the Battle of Kulikovo.

Origins

Serpukhov on the Oka guarded Moscow's southern approaches against the steppe. In 1341 Ivan I Kalita's will took effect, and his youngest son Andrei received Serpukhov and surrounding lands, including Borovsk, as an appanage within the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

Rule and society

Andrei's son Vladimir the Bold, cousin of Dmitry Donskoy, was Moscow's leading general. At Kulikovo in 1380 he and the commander Dmitry Bobrok led the ambush regiment whose attack decided the battle. He built the Serpukhov kremlin and founded monasteries, and his principality served as a buffer against Tatar and Lithuanian raids.

Decline and legacy

During Moscow's civil war Vladimir's grandson Vasily Yaroslavich supported Vasily II, but in 1456 the grand prince had him arrested and annexed Serpukhov. Vasily died in prison, and the appanage ended.

Lineage

Principality of SerpukhovGrand Duchy of Moscow 1263 CE – 1547 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Serpukhov. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-serpukhov
MLA
“Principality of Serpukhov.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-serpukhov. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Serpukhov.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-serpukhov.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Serpukhov’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-serpukhov (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻