Nikolai of Lipa
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| Nikolai of Lipa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Duke of Pavatria | |
| Reign | 19 October 1277 – 5 January 1321 |
| Predecessor | Nikolai of the Nimgan |
| Successor | Ivan of Orik |
| Khan of Zalykia | |
| Reign | 29 November 1317 – 5 January 1321 |
| Predecessor | Ayuka |
| Successor | Ivan |
| Born | 1259 Samistopol, Duchy of Pavatria |
| Died | 5 January 1321 (aged 61 or 62) Usaanbalsan, Zalyk Khanate |
| Burial | |
| Issue | Ivan of Orik Katarina |
| Dynasty | Nuruk |
| Father | Nikolai of the Nimgan |
| Religion | Episemialist Church |
Saint Nicholas of Lipa | |
|---|---|
 Iconographic sketch in the Samistopol Cathedral | |
| Born | 1259 Samistopol |
| Died | 5 January 1321 |
| Venerated in | Episemialist Church |
| Burial place | Cemetary of National Heroes |
Saint Nikolai of Lipa, often styled as Nikolai the Great, Nikolai IV and Nikolas Khan in Zalykia and known otherwise as Nikolai the Holy and Nikolai the Unifier was the eldest son of Nikolai of the Nimgan who ruled as Duke of Pavatria from his coronation in 1277 to his death and Khan of Zalykia from 1317 to his death. Known mostly for his defense of Nimganopol in 1286 that halted the Zalyk advance into the duchy and turned the tide of the war, and also for unifying the two states into one when he ascended to the throne of the Khanate after the death of Ayuga Khan, he is regarded as one of Pavatria's - and by extension Soravia's - greatest ever leaders.
Title
The full title of Nikolai the Great in 1317 went as follows:
By the grace of God, the most excellent and most sovereign Duke of Pavatria, commander of the Soravian peoples, the Duke of Lipa, of Patovatra, of Samistopol, of Nimganopol, Khan of Zalykia and the outerlands, the northern lands, and the western lands, and sovereign of the venerated Kings of old, of Princes, and of men.
In official documents in the modern-day, due to his veneration as a saint, he is referred to as Saint Nikolai the Unifier or Saint Nikolai.
Early Life
Named after his father, Nikolai of the Nimgan, who was Duke of Pavatria before him, Nikolai was born sometime in 1259 in his father's palace in Samistopol. With a healthy birth and infancy, his father commissioned multiple established tutors from throughout Euclea for Nikolai's education. The use of tutors in the presence of the young heir from such an early age contributed largely to his military prowess displayed throughout much of his reign, and the tutorings were Nikolai's first early exposure to the teachings of the Episemialist Church, which had been coming under threat as the Zalyks were invading, pillaging and sacking more land as the Soravian high command struggled to find a way to counter their advances.
Due to the war, Nikolai rarely saw his father, who was either out fighting or consulting with his nobles on how to approach the situation. He spent most of his time in the care of his mother, Katarina, who was the princess of a noble family who owned lands south-east of Samistopol.