Saint Stephen III of Moldavia

Stephen III, better known as Stephen the Great (Romanian: Ștefan cel Mare; [ˈʃtefan tʃel ˈmare]; died 2 July 1504), was Voivode of Moldavia from 1457 until his death. He was one of the most prominent rulers of late medieval Eastern Europe, noted for his long reign, military leadership and astute diplomacy. His efforts to preserve Moldavian autonomy from more powerful neighbouring states such as the Ottoman Empire, Poland and Hungary, as well as his aptitude for nation-building and repute as a protector of the Christian faith, made him into a national hero in both Romania and Moldavia. He is canonised by the Romanian Orthodox Church. Following a period of internal strife, Stephen took the Moldavian throne in 1457 with his cousin Vlad the Impaler's support, deposing his father's murderer, Peter Aaron, who sought refuge in Poland. Stephen attacked Polish territory and prevented Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, from supporting Peter, but eventually acknowledged Casimir's suzerainty in 1459. Stephen decided to recapture Chilia (now Kiliia in Ukraine), an important port on the Danube, which brought him into conflict with Hungary and Wallachia. He besieged the town during the Ottoman invasion of Wallachia in 1462, but was seriously wounded during the siege. Two years later, he captured the town. He promised support to the leaders of the Three Nations of Transylvania against Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, in 1467. Corvinus invaded Moldavia, but Stephen defeated him at the Battle of Baia. Peter Aaron attacked Moldavia with Hungarian support in December 1470, but he was also defeated by Stephen and executed, alongside the Moldavian boyars who still endorsed him. Stephen restored old fortresses and built new ones, which improved Moldavia's defence system as well as strengthened central administration. Ottoman expansion threatened Moldavian ports in the region of the Black Sea.