Dmitry Mikhailovich (Russian: Дмитрий Михайлович; 15 September 1298 – 15 September 1326), nicknamed the Fearsome Eyes or the Terrible Eyes (Russian: Грозные Очи), was Prince of Tver from 1318 and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1322 until his death in 1326.
Following the death of his father, Mikhail, he received the Tver principality and continued the struggle for the grand princely throne with the princes of Moscow. He received the title from the khan of the Golden Horde after Yury of Moscow chose to defend the borders of the Novgorod Republic instead of directly proceeding to the khan with tributary payments. Four years later, he was executed in Sarai by the Mongols for murdering Yury. The thrones of Tver and Vladimir went to his younger brother, Alexander.
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Early life
Dmitry Mikhailovich was born on 15 September 1298 in Tver. He was the eldest of the four sons of Mikhail of Tver by marriage to Anna of Kashin. Dmitry was tonsured as a monk in 1302, and from an early age, he participated in military campaigns. In 1311, at the age of 12, he marched on Nizhny Novgorod on his father's orders. However, the army only reached Vladimir as the metropolitan opposed the campaign and stated that if Dmitry disobeyed him, "he would not be blessed with the throne in Vladimir".
Dmitry continued his father's struggle with Yury of Moscow for the yarlik (patent) for the throne of the Grand Principality of Vladimir, which was granted by the khan of the Golden Horde. The grand princely title was much desired because it was considered the most prestigious among the Russian princes. This struggle began in 1304, following the death of Andrey of Gorodets, as the princes of Moscow and Tver sought leadership within the Russian lands.