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Aleksandra Billewiczówna

Aleksandra "Oleńka" Billewiczówna was a Lithuanian noblewoman and the wife of Andrzej Kmicic.

Biography[]

Aleksandra Billewiczówna was born in Lubicz, Grand Duchy of Lithuania to a noble family. In 1655, she was engaged to marry Andrzej Kmicic, the standard-bearer of Orsha, to whom her grandfather's estate would be passed on his death. While Billewiczówna came to adore Kmicic, she disliked the rowdy company he kept and the sadness he brought about by murdering the villagers of Wołmontowicze after the Butrym family killed his friends in a bar fight. After Billewiczówna broke off her engagement to Kmicic, Kmicic kidnapped her and barricaded them in a forest hut. Billewiczówna was rescued when Michal Wołodyjowski, sent to Lubicz to rally Kmicic and his men to the Polish army, dueled Kmicic and wounded him in the head. Billewiczówna continued to love Kmicic despite her disappointment with him, and even after Kmicic acquired the reputation of a traitor for remaining loyal to Janusz Radziwiłł after he defected to the invading Swedes in August 1655. In order to coerce Kmicic into remaining loyal, Radziwill had Billewiczówna kept under the care of his brother Boguslaw Radziwill in Taurogi. Boguslaw fell in love with Billewiczówna, but her love for Kmicic remained true, and she escaped with the help of a sympathetic officer, who lent her a Swedish officer's outfit. Meanwhile, Janusz Radziwill died during the siege of Tykocin and Boguslaw was captured by the Poles at the 1656 Battle of Prostki. Billewiczówna witnessed a wounded Kmicic being carried away from the battle by Wolodyjowski, and Kmicic later rendezvoused with Billewiczówna at the church in Upita. There, Billewiczówna remained guarded until Wolodyjowski and Jan Onufry Zagloba arrived with a royal letter informing the congregation of Kmicic's heroism, causing Billewiczówna and Kmicic to make up and proceed with their marriage in 1658 once Kmicic had redeemed his sins.

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