Aleksander Chodkiewicz (Lithuanian: Aleksandras Chodkevičius, Belarusian: Аляксандар Хадкевіч, Ukrainian: Олександр Ходкевич; ca.

He inherited vast possessions from his father Ivan Chodkiewicz, which made him 11th wealthiest person in the Grand Duchy according to the military census of 1528.

[1] Via his mother Jawnuta (Agnieszka) of the Belsky family, he was second cousin to Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania John I Albert, Alexander Jagiellon, and Sigismund I the Old.

The peak of his career came in 1544 when young Sigismund II Augustus, still influenced by his mother, appointed Chodkiewicz as voivode of Nowogródek and his son Hieronim as Castellan of Trakai.

[5] In 1506, Chodkiewicz became royal marshal (marszałek hospodarski),[6] a position which guaranteed close contacts with the King and granted a seat in the Lithuanian Council of Lords.

Sigismund Augustus almost immediately made new appointments: Chodkiewicz became voivode of Nowogródek while his son Hieronim became castellan of Trakai.

The Chodkiewiczs sided with Queen Sforza against their political rival Barbara Radziwiłł, involved in a love affair with Sigismund Augustus.

Polish historian Józef Maroszek argued that this unique blend of the early 16th century was related to attempts to establish a church union between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

[17] After Bolgarynovich's death the union was abandoned at the metropolitan level, but Kirkienė found hints that Supraśl continued the idea locally.

The monastery soon was granted the status of lavra—it became an autonomous body with great rights reserved for its founder (ktetor) and various restrictions placed on the Metropolitan.