The information about M. Strykouski’s biography is contained in his autobiographical memoirs “Khroniki” (“Chronicles”) and in matrikul of Kraków University.
There is no information about his later life and death. It is considered that he died in 1593.
In 1554 he was sent to the grammatical school in Bzhaeziny Lydskiya.
In 1563 M. Strykouski entered Kraków University. In 1565 he went to Grand Duchy of Lithuania in order to take part in The Livonian War. In 1569 M. Strykouski graduated from the university.
In 1569 he returned to military service and served in Vitebsk garrison under historic A. Gvanini’s command. At the same time M. Strykouski was occupied with literary-historical activities. In 1574 he was included in Polish embassy’s staff in Constantinople. In the end of 1575, when king S. Batoryj came to the throne, M. Strykouski as the author of anti-Turkish work had to retire. He lived in prince Y. Slutskij’s house. After Y. Slutskij’s death, M. Strykouski found himself under bishop M. Gedrojts’s surveillance, and under his influence M. Strykouski was ordained and became a canon. In 1580 he went to Poland in order to supervise the publication of “Khroniki” (“Chronicles”), which was issued in 1582.
M. Strykouski is the author of Polish and Latin poems, verses. The majority of his works were not preserved (“ Idylii” (“Idylls”), “Pra uzyatstse Tsaragrada” (“About Seizure of Tsaragrad”) and others). A part of Strykouski’s works reached us in revised versions, which border upon plagiarism. “Apisanne Sarmatyi Eurapejskaj” (“Sarmatyya Eurapejskaya’s description”), which was written by Strykouski in 1573, was appropriated to A. Gvanini. A. Gvanini published this work in 1578 with the title “Khronika Eurapejskaj Sarmatyi” (“Eurapejskaya Sarmatyya’s Chronicles”). During 1575-1578 M. Strykouski was writing his main work “Khronika polskaya, zhamojtskaya i useya Rusi”, which was published in 25 volumes in 1582.
