List of rulers of Lithuania


The following is a list of rulers over Lithuania, the heads of authority over historical Lithuanian territory. The timeline includes Lithuania as a sovereign entity or legitimately part of a greater sovereign entity, as well as Lithuania under control or occupation of an outside authority. The incumbents and office-holders are listed by names most commonly used in English language. Where appropriate, the alternatives in Lithuanian, Ruthenian and Polish are included.
The state of Lithuania was formed in the 1230s: when threatened by the Livonian Order in the north and the Teutonic Knights in the west, the Baltic tribes united under the leadership of Mindaugas. He became the only crowned king of Lithuania. His state became known as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After Grand Duke Jogaila became also king of Poland in 1386, the two states became more closely connected, and from 1440 both were ruled by a common ruler. In 1569 the Union of Lublin was signed and a new entity—the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth—emerged. The commonwealth was partitioned in 1795 and Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire until 16 February 1918. The Council of Lithuania was able to establish the country's sovereignty only in 1919, after the end of World War I. The first republic of Lithuania existed until 1940, when it was occupied by the Soviet Union. During the Soviet-German War, Lithuania was occupied by Nazi Germany. In 1944, as Germany was losing the war, Russia re-occupied Lithuania and established the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare independence. The restored Republic of Lithuania is a democratic republic, a member of both the European Union and NATO.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1236–1569)

Title: Grand Duke except for Mindaugas, who became king of Lithuania.

House of Mindaugas (1236–1268)

Dates are approximate because of scant written sources.
TermGrand DukeImageRemarks
c. 1236–1263MindaugasInitially Grand Duke, since 1253 King of Lithuania. After he was killed by his nephew Treniota, a war between nobles for power erupted.
1263–1265TreniotaGrand Duke 1263–1264 nephew of Mindaugas
1265–1268VaišvilkasSon of Mindaugas, voluntarily gave up the throne in favour of his brother-in-law Švarnas.

Monomakhovichi (1268–1269)

TermGrand DukeImageRemarks
1268–1269Švarnas

House of Mindaugas (1269–1285)

TermGrand DukeImageRemarks
1270–1282Traidenis
1282–1285Daumantas

House of Gediminas (1285–1440)

Some dates are approximate.
TermGrand DukeImageRemarks
1285–1291ButigeidisFounder of the Gediminid dynasty
1291–1295ButvydasBrother of Butigeidis, father of Vytenis and Gediminas
1295–1316VytenisSon of Butvydas
1316–1341GediminasSon of Butvydas. After his death, the domain was divided between his seven sons.
1341–1345JaunutisSon of Gediminas. Overlord and Grand Duke, deposed by his brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis.
1345–1377AlgirdasSon of Gediminas. His co-ruler was Kęstutis, who was active in the west. Algirdas was mostly active in the east.
1377–1381JogailaSon of Algirdas. Crowned the King of Poland in 1386 and established the personal union of Lithuania and Poland. Founder of the House of Jogailaičiai.
1381–1382KęstutisSon of Gediminas, co-ruler with Algirdas. Kęstutis ruled western Lithuania. He deposed Jogaila in 1381 and took control of the whole of Lithuania, only to be captured and killed by him the next year.
1382–1392JogailaAlso King of Poland 1386–1434. His governor in Lithuania was Skirgaila.
1392–1430Vytautas the GreatSon of Kęstutis. He joined his father in the fight against Jogaila, then changed sides and became Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1392. He was to be crowned King of Lithuania in 1429, but the crown intended for him was seized at Polish-German border by the Poles. He died before the second crown arrived.
1430–1432ŠvitrigailaSon of Algirdas, brother of Jogaila. Deposed by followers of Žygimantas, son of Kęstutis.
1432–1440Sigismund KęstutaitisSon of Kęstutis, brother of Vytautas. Killed by Švitrigaila's supporters.

House of Jagiellon (1440–1569)

The act of personal union with Poland was signed as early as 1385; however, the continuous line of common rulers of the two countries started only with Casimir IV. The monarchs retained separate titles for both parts of the state, and their numbering was kept separate. The Jagiellon dynasty was a direct continuation of the Gediminids.
TermGrand DukeImageRemarks
1440–1492Casimir IV JagiellonSon of Jogaila. Elected and crowned King of Poland in 1447 after the death of king Władysław III of Poland
1492–1506Alexander ISon of Casimir IV. Elected and crowned King of Poland in 1501 after the death of king John I Albert
1506–1548Sigismund I the OldSon of Casimir IV.
1548–1569Sigismund II AugustusSon of Sigismund I the Old. De facto ruler since 1529.

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was established by the Union of Lublin in 1569. The elected King of Poland was automatically a Grand Duke of Lithuania. The first common ruler of both countries was Sigismund II Augustus. Following the partitions in 1772, 1793, and 1795, the commonwealth ceased to exist and Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire for 123 years. There are some gaps in the timeline as it took a while to elect a new king. The first Grand Duke elected after the Gediminid line became extinct and after the Valois fled back to France was Stephen Báthory, who had made an effort to be recognized as Grand Duke of Lithuania by establishing Vilnius University.
Title: King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania
Lenkijos karalius ir Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis
кароль Польшчы, вялікі князь літоўскі
Król Polski, wielki książę litewski
Rex Poloniae et Magnus Dux Lituaniae
TermGrand DukeImageHouseRemarks
1569–1572Sigismund II AugustusJagiellonSon of Sigismund I the Old.
1573–1575Henry of ValoisValoisHe abandoned the throne and fled to France, where he was crowned as King Henry III.
1575-
1586/1596
Anna Jagiellon
JagiellonDaughter of Sigismund I the Old.
1576–1586Stephen BáthoryBáthoryReceived the title jure uxoris since he was married to Anna Jagiellon;
Báthory
1588–1632Sigismund III VasaVasaProponent of a personal union between The Republic and Sweden, King of Sweden between 1592 and 1599.
1632–1648Ladislaus IV VasaVasa
1648–1668John II Casimir VasaVasaAbdicated and became a monk, last of the Vasa dynasty in Poland-Lithuania.
1669–1673Michael Korybut WiśniowieckiLithuanian nobility
1674–1696John III SobieskiPolish szlachta
1697–1706Augustus II the StrongWettinAlso Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I.
1706–1709Stanisław LeszczyńskiPolish szlachtaGreat Northern War
1709–1733Augustus II the StrongWettin2nd reign
Also Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I.
1733–1736Stanisław LeszczyńskiPolish szlachta2nd reign
War of Polish Succession
1733–1763August III WettinWettin
1764–1795Stanislaus August IIPolish szlachtaDuring his reign the merger of the Grand Duchy with the Kingdom of Poland was passed in 1791; abdicated following the Partitions of Poland; died in exile in Russia.

Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)

The Council of Lithuania declared independence on 16 February 1918 and invited Wilhelm of Urach to become king of Lithuania. The name of the state was the Kingdom of Lithuania. On 9 July 1918, Duke Wilhelm accepted the offer and took the name Mindaugas II. However, on 2 November the council revoked this decision as it was likely Germany would lose the war.
TermIncumbentImageHouseRemarks
11 July – 2 November 1918Mindaugas II
House of UrachGovernment change to a democratic republic.

State of Lithuania (1918–1920)

State of Lithuania was ruled by the Presidium of the State Council of Lithuania, its chairman was de facto Head of State. Institution of Presidium of the State Council of Lithuania was changed into President's on 4 April 1919. Chairman of the Presidium Antanas Smetona was elected as First President of the State of Lithuania by the State Council of Lithuania.
NoTermPresidentImageRemarks
-2 November 1918 – 4 April 1919Antanas SmetonaPresident of the Presidium of the Council of Lithuania.
14 April 1919 – 19 June 1920Antanas SmetonaElected as the President of Lithuania by the Council of Lithuania.

Republic of Lithuania (1920–1940)

The institution of President was created on 4 April 1919.
NoTermPresidentImageRemarks
219 June 1920 – 7 June 1926Aleksandras StulginskisActing President. Re-elected by the Seimas on 21 December 1922 and in June 1923.
37 June – 18 December 1926Kazys GriniusElected by parliament, but overthrown by a military coup d'état.
-18–19 December 1926Jonas StaugaitisFormally, for one day, as the head of Seimas.
-19 December 1926Aleksandras StulginskisFormally, as the new head of Seimas, only for several hours.
19 December 1926 – 15 June 1940Antanas SmetonaSecond term, elected president after a military coup d'état. After the Soviet ultimatum of 1940, Smetona travelled to Germany, then to Switzerland and then to the United States. He did not sign any Soviet given documents, unlike Latvian and Estonian Presidents who were forced to do that after their countries occupations, to legitimate the occupation of Lithuania and upon leaving he hoped to form a government in exile. In the United States, he was active in public and sought to unite the Lithuanian Americans and all the other Lithuanians abroad in order to raise the Lithuania's occupation affair all the time till his tragic death in 1944.
-15–17 June 1940Antanas MerkysThe Prime Minister, de facto acting president after Smetona's departure. Not recognised by Lithuanian diplomats abroad; he assumed the role of president illegally, as Smetona had neither resigned nor died.
-17 June – August 1940Justas PaleckisChosen unconstitutionally by leaders of the Lithuanian communists under pressure from the Soviet Union, not recognized internationally nor by the Lithuanian diplomatic service.
-16 February 1949 – 26 November 1954Jonas ŽemaitisOfficially named as the fourth President of Lithuania in March 2009.
-26 November 1954 – 29 November 1957Adolfas RamanauskasOfficially named as the Head of State in November 2018.

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1941 and 1944–1990)

The Soviet Union occupied Lithuania and established the Lithuanian SSR in July 1940. As Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Lithuania was occupied by the Germans. For a few days before the German occupation, Lithuania was ruled by pro-German rebel government of Juozas Ambrazevičius. Under the Germans, the General District of Lithuania was governed by the administration of general Petras Kubiliūnas. As Nazi Germany retreated, the Soviet Union reoccupied the country and reestablished the Lithuanian SSR in 1944.
Title: First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania.
NoTermFirst SecretaryRemarks
121 July 1940 – 24 June 1941
13 July 1944 – 22 January 1974		Antanas Sniečkus
218 February 1974 – 14 November 1987Petras Griškevičius
31 December 1987 – 19 October 1988Ringaudas Bronislovas SongailaFirst leader of the party to be deposed of his power
419 October 1988 – 11 March 1990Algirdas Mykolas BrazauskasLost power as independence was declared

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet acted as a collective head of state from 25 August 1940 to 11 March 1990.
TermChairman of the Presidium
of the Supreme Soviet		Remarks
125 August 1940 – 14 April 1967Justas Paleckis In exile in Russian SFSR 1941–1944
214 April 1967 – 24 December 1975Motiejus Šumauskas
324 December 1975 – 18 November 1985 Antanas Barkauskas
418 November 1985 – 7 December 1987 Ringaudas Songaila
57 December 1987 – 15 January 1990 Vytautas Astrauskas
615 January 1990 – 11 March 1990 Algirdas Brazauskas

Republic of Lithuania (1990–present)

The leader of the Supreme Council was the official head of state from the declaration of independence on 11 March 1990 until the new Constitution came into effect in 1992 establishing the office of President and the institution of Seimas. The state and its leadership were not recognized internationally until September 1991 NB: Iceland was the first country to recognise the regained independence of Lithuania in February 1991.
Title from 1990 to 1992: [Chairman of the Supreme Council .
Title from 1992 onwards: President.
NoPortraitName
ElectedTook officeLeft officeAffiliation/Notes
-Vytautas Landsbergis
—11 March 199025 November 1992As Chairman of the Supreme Council.
4Algirdas Brazauskas
—25 November 199225 February 1993First post-Soviet President
4Algirdas Brazauskas
199325 February 199325 February 1998First post-Soviet President
5Valdas Adamkus
1997–9826 February 199826 February 2003
6Rolandas Paksas
2002–0326 February 20036 April 2004Impeached and removed from office.
-Artūras Paulauskas
—6 April 200412 July 2004As leader of Seimas, temporarily performed the duties of the President until the next election.
7Valdas Adamkus
200412 July 200412 July 2009
8Dalia Grybauskaitė
2009
2014		12 July 200912 July 2019First female President of Lithuania. Became the second President to be re-elected.
9Gitanas Nausėda
201912 July 2019Incumbent