After the death of Vasily II the Dark in 1462, his second son Ivan III (1440-1505) ascended the Moscow throne. The new Grand Duke of Moscow received an enviable legacy from his father. All Russian princes were in fact in his full will. Internecine wars subsided, and the threat from the Golden Horde disappeared. All this was the merit of Vasily the Dark, but the son turned out to be no worse than his father.

Here it is necessary to make a small digression and say that Ulug-Mohammed, the Khan of the Golden Horde, had three sons - Kasim, Yakub and Makhmutek. The latter, wanting to gain independence, killed his father, captured Kazan and created the Kazan Khanate, which separated from the Horde.

Kasim was a friend of Vasily the Dark. He did a lot to ensure that the Grand Duke returned to the throne of Moscow in 1447. For such a service, Vasily allocated Kasim for life possession of the city on the Oka, which became known as Kasimov. It was Kasim who undertook to avenge the death of his father and became the main enemy of Mahmutek.

The Crimean Khanate also separated from the Golden Horde, and the once mighty Dzhuchiev Ulus began to include only the territory adjacent to Saray. Thus, the Golden Horde ceased to pose a serious threat to Russia. However, Moscow could not ignore the Tatar internecine wars, since they were fought near the Russian border and directly affected the interests of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

In the struggle between Kasim and Mahmutek, the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III took the most active part. In 1467, a conspiracy arose in the Kazan Khanate. Some murzas, dissatisfied with the rule of Ibrahim (son of Makhmutek), offered Kasim to take the Kazan throne. Kasim, with the support of the Russian troops, moved to Kazan, but could not achieve success.

Two years later, after the death of Kasim, the second campaign of the Kasimovites and Russians against Kazan took place. This time, Ibrahim made peace on the terms proposed by Ivan III. Thus, Kazan ceased to pose a threat, and the Grand Duke of Moscow was able to continue his father's policy towards Veliky Novgorod.

Annexation of Novgorod

In Novgorod at that time there were 2 parties: pro-Lithuanian and pro-Moscow. The first included the boyars, led by the Boretskys. The second party consisted of ordinary people. But the boyars had the power and the right to make political decisions. Therefore, in 1471, Veliky Novgorod entered into an alliance with the Grand Duke of Lithuania and the Polish King Casimir Jagiellon. He sent his governor to the city and promised protection from Moscow.

In addition, the Golden Horde, which at that time was ruled by Khan Akhmat, entered the anti-Moscow coalition. That is, a military alliance was created against Russia, and Ivan III also began to look for allies. He turned his gaze to the Crimean Khanate, headed by Khan Mengli Giray. In 1473 Moscow concluded an agreement with the Crimean Tatars. They promised to fight the Lithuanians, expecting help from the Muscovites in the fight against Akhmat.

The Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III began the war against the hostile coalition with a campaign against Veliky Novgorod in June 1471. This was not accidental, since in the Russian lands there was strong indignation at the union of Novgorod with the Golden Horde and the Lithuanians. Ordinary people looked at such an alliance as a betrayal of the all-Russian cause and compared the campaign of the Moscow prince with the campaign of Dmitry Donskoy against Mamai.

With popular support, the Muscovites moved a powerful army into the northern lands, and it was headed by Prince Daniil Kholmsky. Together with the Russian army, the Tatars, led by the Kasimov prince Daniyar, also marched. The decisive battle took place on the Shelon River on July 14, 1471. The Novgorod militia was commanded by Dmitry Boretsky. His warriors were well armed but had little military experience. The Novgorodians were also waiting for help from the Lithuanians, but they never showed up.

As a result, the Novgorod militia was defeated, and the results of the battle on Shelon turned out to be sad for Veliky Novgorod. He completely abandoned long-term plans for an alliance with Lithuania and paid Moscow a monetary contribution, which amounted to more than 15 thousand rubles. All this was discussed in a peace treaty - the Korostyn peace, which was concluded on August 11, 1471.

Warriors of Ivan III

However, Ivan III, being a smart politician, understood that the successes achieved were clearly not enough. There was a strong Lithuanian party in Novgorod, and Lithuania itself was in alliance with the Golden Horde. Therefore, the unquestioning fulfillment of obligations by Novgorod raised doubts. The Moscow prince strove for the complete subjugation of Novgorod and the overthrow of the Golden Horde.

In 1478, the Grand Duke of Moscow presented new demands to Novgorod and launched a second campaign. Now the Novgorodians were given harsh conditions: there would be no veche, no mayor, and unquestioning obedience to Moscow. This time the resistance of Novgorod was short-lived. The veche republic submitted to the will of the Grand Duke and accepted all his demands. The symbol of Novgorod liberty, the veche bell was removed and taken to Moscow, and noble families were sent to other regions as service people.

Thus ended the history of the last independent principality of Ancient Russia. It was included in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and completely lost its independence. Along with it, the stereotypes of the behavior of veche Russia disappeared, that is, a big fat cross was put on the Novgorod democracy, and people retained only the memory of past liberties.

Confrontation Tver

Not everything went smoothly with the unification of Russian lands under the authority of Moscow. In 1484, Prince Mikhail Borisovich of Tver concluded an agreement with Casimir, the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Such an act in Moscow was considered a betrayal and a stab in the back. Ivan III declared war on Tver. The prince of Tver hoped for the help of the Lithuanians, but they did not come, and Mikhail Borisovich was forced to ask for peace.

In the meantime, the Tver boyars began to leave their prince with their whole families and beat the brow of the great Moscow prince, asking to be accepted into the service. Mikhail, losing the support of his inner circle, again began to ask for help from Casimir, and such a policy ruined him completely. Moscow declared him a traitor. An army was sent to Tver and laid siege to the city. Mikhail, betrayed by all, fled to Lithuania, and the confrontation of Tver ended there.

Confrontation of the Golden Horde

It must be said right away that during the period described, the Golden Horde, as such, no longer existed. The Crimean, Kazan Khanate, Nogai Horde, etc. separated from it. Therefore, the territory with the center in Sarajevo began to be called the Great Horde. At the same time, the Horde khans themselves considered themselves the rulers of the Golden Horde, not wanting to understand that only pitiful remnants remained of their former greatness.

Especially the Horde had a negative attitude towards the growing power of Russia, which refused to pay tribute in 1473. In the summer of 1480, Khan of the Golden Horde Akhmat approached with his army to the border river Ugra (the northern tributary of the Oka) and camped, waiting for help from his Lithuanian ally Casimir.

However, Ivan III, being an experienced and far-sighted politician, foresaw a military confrontation with the Golden Horde. Therefore, he involved the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray. He moved his army to Lithuania, and Casimir was forced to defend his lands from the Tatars. As a result of this, Akhmat found himself without an ally, and the Russian army approached the other bank of the Ugra. However, both troops did not dare to start the battle. Standing on the Ugra continued until late autumn.

The outcome of the conflict was influenced by the raid of the combined detachment, consisting of Russians and Tatars. They were commanded by the voivode Nozdrevaty and prince Nur-Daulet-Girey. The detachment went to the rear of the possessions of Khan Akhmat. Upon learning of this, the Golden Horde Khan retreated. After that, the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III expelled the Khan's ambassadors and refused to resume the payment of tribute.

It is easy to understand that standing on the Ugra was just an episode in the long struggle between Russia and the Golden Horde. And it did not at all signify the overthrow of the Horde yoke. Even Vasily the Dark ceased to reckon with the Horde, and his son only consolidated his father's progressive undertakings aimed at strengthening and uniting Russia. This was done in alliance with the Crimean Tatars, who were guided by Moscow in their foreign policy.

Standing on the Ugra of the Russian and Tatar troops

It was this union that became decisive in the confrontation with the Kazan Khanate. When one of the widows of Kazan Tsar Ibrahim married Mengli-Girey, Ibrahim's son Makhmet-Ahmin claimed his rights for the Kazan throne. For help, he turned to the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III. He supported the applicant with an army led by Daniel Kholmsky. Allied military forces besieged Kazan and established the power of a Moscow protege there.

Similarly, in 1491, the Grand Duchy of Moscow supported Mengli Giray in his fight against the children of Akhmat. This marked the beginning of the final collapse of the Golden Horde. The Crimean Khan in 1502 achieved a complete victory over the last king of the Great Horde, Shikhmat.

War with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

In 1492, the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Casimir died. After that, his son Alexander was elected Grand Duke of Lithuania. But another son, Jan-Albrecht, sat on the Polish throne. As a result, the union of Poland and Lithuania collapsed. The Grand Duke of Moscow decided to take advantage of this. Taking advantage of the general confusion, he invaded the Lithuanian lands.

As a result of this, the lands previously seized by Lithuania in the upper reaches of the Oka went to Moscow. And the results of this military campaign were secured by a dynastic marriage between the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander and the daughter of Ivan III Elena. True, soon the war in the northern lands broke out with renewed vigor. The victory in it was won by the Moscow army in the battle of Vedrosh in 1500.

Lands of the Russian state by the end of the reign of Ivan III on the map

Thus, by the beginning of the 16th century, the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III received the right to call himself the sovereign of all Russia. And there were reasons for this. The entire territory of Ancient Russia, with the exception of the lands occupied by Poland, became part of the new and unified Russian state. Now this new state formation had to step into a completely different historical time.

Wives and children of Ivan III

The Sovereign of All Russia Ivan III died on October 27, 1505. His son from his second wife Vasily III (1479-1533) came to the throne. In total, the sovereign had 2 wives: Maria Borisovna Tverskaya (1442-1467) and Sophia Fominichna Paleolog (1455-1503). From the first wife there were 2 children - Alexander and Ivan. The second wife gave birth to 12 children - 7 daughters and 5 sons. Of these, the eldest son Vasily inherited the throne of his father and went down in history as Vasily III. He was the father of Ivan the Terrible.

In the veins of Sophia Palaiologos, the blood of the Byzantine emperors Palaiologos flowed. That is, this woman had the most royal origin. But Maria Borisovna came from the Rurik family. She was engaged to the future sovereign at the age of 5, and went to another world quite young. Contemporaries characterized her as an intelligent, educated, kind and humble woman.

Sophia Paleolog, though smart, was not popular with the Russian people. She has been described as overly proud, cunning, cunning, and vengeful. Perhaps the negative traits of her character were inherited by the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible? There is no specific answer here, since heredity is a rather vague and indefinite concept.

Alexander Semashko

Ivan 3 was appointed by fate to restore autocracy in Russia, did not suddenly accept this great deed and did not consider all means permitted.

Karamzin N.M.

The reign of Ivan 3 lasted from 1462 to 1505. This time entered the history of Russia as the beginning of the unification of the lands of specific Russia around Moscow, which created the foundations of a single state. It was also Ivan 3 who was the ruler under whom Russia got rid of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, which lasted almost 2 centuries.

Ivan 3 began his reign in 1462 at the age of 22. The throne passed to him according to the will from Vasily 2.

State administration

Beginning in 1485, Ivan III proclaimed himself the sovereign of all Russia. From this moment begins a unified policy aimed at strengthening the international position of the country. As for internal control, it is difficult to call the power of the prince absolute. The general scheme of governing Moscow and the entire state under Ivan 3 is presented below.

The prince, of course, ascended above everyone, but the church and the boyar duma were quite a bit inferior in importance. It suffices to note that:

• The power of the prince does not extend to church lands and boyar estates.
• The church and the boyars have the right to mint their own coin.

Thanks to the Sudebnik of 1497, the feeding system takes root in Russia, when princely officials receive broad powers in terms of local government.

Under Ivan 3, a system of transfer of power was first implemented, when the prince appointed himself a successor. It was also during this era that the first Orders began to take shape. The order of the Treasury and the Palace were founded, which were in charge of the receipt of taxes and the distribution of land to the nobles for service.

Unification of Russia around Moscow

Conquest of Novgorod

Novgorod during the period of Ivan 3 coming to power retained the principle of governance through veche. Veche chose the posadnik, who determined the policy of Veliky Novgorod. In 1471, the struggle between the boyar groups "Lithuania" and "Moscow" intensified. This was ordered to the massacre at the veche, as a result of which the Lithuanian boyars won the victory, led by Marfa Boretskaya, the wife of the retired posadnik. Immediately after this, Marfa signed the vassal oath of Novgorod to Lithuania. Ivan 3 immediately sent a letter to the city, demanding to recognize the supremacy of Moscow in the city, but the Novgorod veche was against it. This meant war.

In the summer of 1471, Ivan 3 sent troops to Novgorod. The battle took place near the Shelon River, where the Novgorodians were defeated. On July 14, a battle took place near the walls of Novgorod, where the Muscovites won, and the Novgorodians lost about 12 thousand people killed. Moscow strengthened its positions in the city, but kept self-government for Novgorodians. In 1478, when it became obvious that Novgorod did not stop trying to go under the rule of Lithuania, Ivan 3 deprived the city of any self-government, finally subordinating it to Moscow.

Novgorod was now ruled by the Moscow governor, and the famous bell, symbolizing the freedom of the Novgorodians, was sent to Moscow.

Accession of Tver, Vyatka and Yaroslavl

Prince Mikhail Borisovich of Tver, wishing to preserve the independence of his principality, married the granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Kazemir 4. This did not stop Ivan 3, who in 1485 started the war. The situation for Mikhail was complicated by the fact that many Tver boyars had already switched to the service of the Moscow prince. Soon the siege of Tver began, and Mikhail fled to Lithuania. After that, Tver surrendered without resistance. Ivan 3 left his son Ivan to manage the city. So there was a subordination of Tver to Moscow.

Yaroslavl during the reign of Ivan 3 formally retained its independence, but it was a gesture of goodwill from Ivan 3 himself. Yaroslavl was completely dependent on Moscow, and its independence was expressed only in the fact that local princes had the right to inherit power in the city. The wife of the Yaroslavl prince was the sister of Ivan 3, Anna, which is why he allowed her husband and sons to inherit power and rule independently. Although all important decisions were made in Moscow.

Vyatka had a control system similar to Novgorod. In 1489, Tver submitted to the rule of Ivan III, passing into the control of Moscow along with the ancient city of Arsk. After that, Moscow strengthened as a single center for the unification of Russian lands into a single state.

Foreign policy

The foreign policy of Ivan 3 was expressed in three directions:

• East - liberation from the yoke and the solution of the problem of the Kazan Khanate.
• Southern - confrontation with the Crimean Khanate.
• Western - the solution of border issues with Lithuania.

East direction

The key task of the eastern direction is the deliverance of Russia from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The result was standing on the Ugra River in 1480, after which Russia gained independence from the Horde. 240 years of the yoke were completed and the rise of the Muscovite state began.

Wives of Prince Ivan 3

Ivan 3 was married twice: the first wife was Princess Maria of Tver, the second wife was Sophia Paleolog from the family of Byzantine emperors. From his first marriage, the prince had a son - Ivan Molodoy.

Sophia (Zoya) Palaiologos was the niece of the Byzantine emperor Constantine 11, but after the fall of Constantinople, she moved to Rome, where she lived under the auspices of the pope. For Ivan III, this was a great option for marriage, after the death of Princess Mary. This marriage made it possible to unite the ruling dynasties of Russia and Byzantium.

In January 1472, an embassy was sent to Rome for the bride, headed by Prince Ivan Fryazin. The Pope agreed to send Palaiologos to Russia under 2 conditions:

1. Russia will persuade the Golden Horde to war with Turkey.
2. Russia in one form or another will accept Catholicism.

The ambassadors accepted all the conditions, and Sophia Paleolog went to Moscow. On November 12, 1472, she entered the capital. It is noteworthy that at the entrance to the city, traffic was stopped for several days. This was due to the fact that Catholic priests were at the head of the delegation. Ivan 3 considered worship of someone else's faith a sign of disrespect for his own, so he demanded that the Catholic priests hide the crosses and move deeper into the column. Only after meeting these requirements, the movement continued.

succession to the throne

In 1498, the first dispute over the succession to the throne arose. Part of the boyars demanded that his grandson Dmitry become the heir of Ivan 3. It was the son of Ivan the Young and Elena Voloshanka. Ivan Young was the son of Ivan 3 from his marriage to Princess Mary. Another group of boyars spoke out for Vasily, the son of Ivan 3 and Sophia Paleolog.

The Grand Duke suspected his wife that she wanted to poison Dmitry and his mother Elena. A conspiracy was announced and some people were executed. As a result, Ivan 3 became suspicious of his wife and son, so on February 4, 1498, Ivan 3 names Dmitry, who at that time was 15 years old, as his successor.

After that, there was a change in the mood of the Grand Duke. He decided to re-investigate the circumstances of the assassination attempt on Dmitry and Elena. As a result, Dmitry was already taken into custody, and Vasily was appointed prince of Novgorod and Pskov.

In 1503, Princess Sophia died, and the prince's health became noticeably worse. Therefore, he gathered the boyars and declared Vasily, the future Prince Vasily 3, his heir.

The results of the reign of Ivan 3

In 1505 Prince Ivan III dies. After himself, he leaves a great legacy and great deeds that were destined to be continued by his son Vasily. The results of the reign of Ivan 3 can be characterized as follows:

• Elimination of the reasons for the fragmentation of Russia and the unification of the lands around Moscow.
• The beginning of the creation of a single state
• Ivan 3 was one of the strongest rulers of his era

Ivan 3 was not an educated person, in the classical sense of the word. He could not get enough education in childhood, but this was compensated by his natural ingenuity and quick wit. Many call him a cunning king, because he very often achieved the results he needed by cunning.

An important stage in the reign of Prince Ivan III was the marriage to Sophia Paleolog, as a result of which Russia became a strong power, and it began to be discussed throughout Europe. This, no doubt, gave impetus to the development of statehood in our country.

Key events of the reign of Ivan III:

• 1463 - annexation of Yaroslavl
• 1474 - annexation of the Rostov principality
• 1478 - annexation of Veliky Novgorod
• 1485 - annexation of the Tver principality
• Liberation of Russia from the Horde yoke
• 1480 - standing on the Ugra
• 1497 - adoption of the code of law Ivan 3.

Sofia Paleolog went from the last Byzantine princess to the Grand Duchess of Moscow. Thanks to her intelligence and cunning, she could influence the policy of Ivan III, won in palace intrigues. Sophia also managed to put her son Vasily III on the throne.

Zoya Palaiologos was born around 1440-1449. She was the daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, brother of the last Byzantine Emperor Constantine. The fate of the whole family after the death of the ruler was unenviable. Thomas Palaiologos fled to Corfu and then to Rome. After a while, the children followed him. Paleologists were patronized by Pope Paul II himself. The girl had to convert to Catholicism and change her name from Zoya to Sophia. She received an education appropriate to her status, not bathed in luxury, but not in poverty either.

Sophia became a pawn in the political game of the Pope. At first he wanted to give her as a wife to the king of Cyprus, James II, but he refused. The next contender for the girl's hand was Prince Caracciolo, but he did not live to see the wedding. When the wife of Prince Ivan III died in 1467, Sophia Paleolog was offered to him as his wife. The Pope did not mention that she was a Catholic, thereby wishing to expand the influence of the Vatican in Russia. Negotiations for marriage continued for three years. Ivan III was seduced by the opportunity to marry such an eminent person.

The betrothal in absentia took place on June 1, 1472, after which Sophia Paleolog went to Muscovy. Everywhere she was given all sorts of honors and organized holidays. At the head of her motorcade was a man who carried a Catholic cross. Upon learning of this, Metropolitan Philip threatened to leave Moscow if the cross was brought into the city. Ivan III ordered to take away the Catholic symbol 15 miles from Moscow. Dad's plans failed, and Sophia returned to her faith again. The wedding took place on November 12, 1472 in the Assumption Cathedral.

At court, the newly-made Byzantine wife of the Grand Duke was disliked. Despite this, Sophia had a huge influence on her husband. The chronicles describe in detail how Palaiologos persuaded Ivan III to free himself from the Mongol yoke.

Following the Byzantine model, Ivan III developed a complex judicial system. At the same time, for the first time, the Grand Duke began to call himself "Tsar and Autocrat of All Russia." It is believed that the image of the double-headed eagle, which later appeared on the coat of arms of Muscovy, Sophia Paleolog brought with her.

Sofia Paleolog and Ivan III had eleven children (five sons and six daughters). From his first marriage, the tsar had a son, Ivan Molodoy, the first contender for the throne. But he fell ill with gout and died. Another "obstacle" for the children of Sophia on the way to the throne was the son of Ivan the Young Dmitry. But he and his mother fell out of favor with the king and died in captivity. Some historians suggest that Palaiologos was involved in the deaths of the direct heirs, but there is no direct evidence. Ivan III's successor was Sophia's son Vasily III.

The Byzantine princess and princess of Muscovy died on April 7, 1503. She was buried in a stone sarcophagus in the Ascension Monastery.

The marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus turned out to be successful politically and culturally. were able to leave a mark not only in the history of their country, but also become beloved queens in a foreign land.

"WAS THERE A BOY?..". THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF THE UNMARKED GRAVE

In the summer of 1934, a discovery took place, the importance of which historians could only feel for a long time later. Alexei Dmitrievich Varganov, director of the Suzdal Museum of Local Lore, while excavating in the Cathedral of the Pokrovsky Monastery, unearthed a small tomb. The tomb was located between the burials of a certain "old woman Alexandra", who died in 1525, and "old woman Sophia", known in the world under the name of Solomonia Yuryevna Saburova, Grand Duchess Solomonia, the first wife of Vasily III Ivanovich ...

Who is right? There was no inscription on a small white stone slab that lay in the tomb of the Pokrovsky Cathedral. According to the ornament on the stone, according to the way it was processed, the tombstone could be attributed rather to the first half of the 16th century, and not to the beginning of the 17th, as it should have been, if it were the grave of Anastasia. And it is generally difficult to accurately determine from the bones of a child whether it is a boy or a girl. But under the stove, in a wooden deck, lay not the skeleton of a child, but ... just a bundle of rags! A silk shirt embroidered with silver thread was girded with a sling embroidered with pearls.

This find has baffled archaeologists. Such false burials are called cenotaphs. They are known worldwide. There are empty mounds-cenotaphs of the Old Russian time, but for the period of the XIV-XVI centuries. nothing like it has been found before. The engineer G. L. Grigoriev put forward an interesting version, later developed and supplemented by the writer A. L. Nikitin. They suggested that the clue lies in the family drama of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III and his first wife Solomonia (Solomonida) Saburova.

Most chroniclers agree that in the last days of November 1525, Grand Duke Vasily III divorced his wife, Grand Duchess Solomonia, after about twenty-one years of marriage. The reason for the divorce is the absence of heirs, the "infertility" of the spouse.

Vasily III needed a divorce in order to marry Elena Vasilievna Glinskaya. That was an unprecedented step for Russia of that time. Firstly, the departure to the monastery of one of the spouses was allowed by the Orthodox Church only with the mutual consent of both; Secondly, there was no question of any new marriage with a living first wife! If, in general, the church allowed a second marriage (after the death of his wife), with difficulty, considering it "semi-legal", then this one could not be justified in any way and was regarded as adultery.

An eyewitness to the events described, Baron Sigismund Herberstein visited Moscow twice in the first quarter of the 16th century, fulfilling diplomatic missions of the German Emperor Maximilian I and Archduke Ferdinand. The first time he appears in Russia in 1517, the second time? at the end of 1525.

Herberstein spoke Russian, Polish and Slovenian. In the preface to his book Notes on Moscow Affairs, he warns that the information presented was not received by him from any one interlocutor, but was carefully checked by "cross-examination" of several.

Herberstein tells about the "case of Solomon" extremely curious details. Solomonia, according to Herberstein, fought back from being tonsured, tore off and trampled on the monastic doll with her feet. “Outraged by this unworthy act, John Shigonya, one of the first advisers, not only expressed a sharp reprimand to her, but also hit her with a whip, adding: “Are you really resisting the will of the Sovereign? Are you really slow to fulfill his command? ”After these words, she, having lost heart, loudly declares in the presence of everyone that she puts on a doll against her will and under compulsion, and calls on God to avenge such a great offense.

Now free, Vasily marries Elena Glinskaya. But suddenly there is a rumor that Solomonia is pregnant and will even be resolved soon. This rumor was confirmed by two respectable women, the spouses of top advisers, the treasurer George the Small and the bed-keeper Yakov Mazur, and assured that they had heard from the lips of Solomonia herself a confession that she was pregnant and would soon be resolved.

Hearing this, the emperor became very angry and removed both women from himself, and even ordered one, the wife of George, to be scourged for not informing him of this in a timely manner. Then, wanting to know the matter with certainty, he sends to the monastery where Solomonia was kept, adviser Theodoric Cancer and a certain secretary Potat and instructs them to carefully investigate the veracity of this rumor.

"During our then stay in Muscovy, some argued for us as an indisputable truth that Solomonia gave birth to a son named George, but did not want to show the child to anyone. Moreover, when certain persons were sent to her to investigate the truth, she, they say, answered them that they are unworthy of their eyes seeing the child, and when he puts on his majesty, he will avenge the offense of his mother. Some stubbornly denied that she had given birth. "(c)

Interesting? Undoubtedly! Giving two versions of the rumors, Herberstein actually conveys the opinions of two hostile factions. For the first of them, the birth of a son by Solomon is beneficial, it demonstrates? Wrong? Basil III, for another? the appearance of this son is highly undesirable. After all, if the rumor is true, the son of Solomon should become the legitimate heir to the throne, even if the next year a son was born to Elena! The eldest son of the Grand Duke and, no less important, from the first, legal wife! It would be another matter if Solomonia had been convicted of treason, of "adultery", but even the very possibility of this, judging by the documents, was never mentioned.

This is the legal side of things. But the historian has no right to rely on one piece of information, even on an eyewitness account, if it is not supported by other evidence. And they are not! That is why it was generally believed that Herberstein's message merely relayed a rumor spread by Solomonia's supporters, primarily the Saburovs.

The discovery of A. D. Varganov again put this question up for discussion. But here the opinions of historians are divided! For those who denied the existence of George, the "doll" was proof that Solomonia staged the death of a child when a second commission arrived at the Intercession Monastery, which could convict her of deceit.

Other historians believed that the disgraced Grand Duchess managed to save her son, and a false burial was one of the ways to prevent the intrigues of the Glinskys, who would not stop at poison and a dagger to destroy a possible pretender to the throne. Some facts spoke in favor of the second version.

Firstly, none of the clergy and "leaders" of the Intercession Monastery would have gone to a dangerous deception of the authorities just for the sake of the reputation of Solomon.

Secondly, performing a funeral rite over a "doll" is sacrilege, the most terrible crime for the laity, not to mention the clergy!

Thirdly, the shirt itself requires an explanation. According to the definition of the restorer of the Historical Museum E. S. Vigdonova, it belonged to a boy of 3-5 years old from the? upper class? society in the early 16th century. In a hurry before the arrival of the "commission" could not put anything at all! And here - as if "part" of the person over whom the funeral service was performed.

So what was George?

The alleged son of Solomonia and Basil could have been born in July, at the latest - in August 1526. And in September of this year, a month or two later, Vasily makes a truly royal gift to the old woman Sofya. Here is this significant document, dated September 19, 7035 (1526).

"Behold, the Great Prince Vasily Ivanovich of all Russia granted you the Old Lady Sophia in Suzdal with his village of Vysheslavsky with villages and repairs ..."

On what occasion is such a gift to the disgraced? For the "offense" of divorce? Maybe. But, besides the coincidence of dates, another consideration is alarming. Such gifts were received by the Grand Duchess from their spouses in the event of the birth of heirs! Is it possible to see in this donation Vasily's first step towards the "recognition" of George?

Another document. Resurrection chronicle under the same year says: "The same summer, he erected a great kiyaz ... a stone church at the Frolovsky (now Spassky) Gates of the Kremlin of the Holy Martyr George."

Why put? What vow? In honor of what event? The documents are silent on this. But it is known that the construction of a temple in honor of the patron saint of a newborn was in the custom of the grand-ducal family of that time.

A year after the birth of Ivan IV, Vasily also erects a church in honor of his saint. Thus, by constructing a temple in honor of "the holy martyr George," Vasily, as it were, publicly acknowledged the birth of his son!

Comparing this news of Herberstein with the Volga legends about the robber Georgy Kudeyar, L. G. Grigoriev and A. L. Nikitin came to the conclusion that the son of Solomonia was covered by her and subsequently survived. To save George, the Suzdal cenotaph was created. He had to show the Moscow authorities that the boy died and the problem of a secret heir (and the mythical George was five years older than the son of Vasily III and his second wife Elena Glinskaya, Ivan the Terrible) was resolved. Nevertheless, rumors that the "brother" was alive reached Grozny. Then, as G. L. Grigoriev and A. L. Nikitin believe, the tsar created an oprichnina corps, chased George all over the country, and finally overtook and killed in Novgorod, for which he ruined Tver along the way, and then, for the company, another and Pskov.

Outstanding connoisseur of the XVI century. Academician M.N. Tikhomirov proposed his curious hypothesis. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is expressed in artistic form. This is a short story "Solomonides", created by a scientist in the 1960s. It is dedicated to the tragic story of the Grand Duchess and ends with a story about the second wedding of Vasily III and the birth of his son Ivan.

"The news of the birth of Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich,- writes M.N. Tikhomirov, - quickly spread throughout the cities and villages, it also reached Suzdal to the Intercession Monastery, where Solomonida languished, but Solomonida reacted to this news indifferently. She rocked a rag doll in her arms, caressed her and called her beloved Yurochka, Grand Duke Yuri Vasilyevich, looking with joyful and at the same time senseless eyes at the heavens and the clouds floating on them, at the distant clouds, silently looking at human crimes. So, according to the literary version of M.N. Tikhomirov, the unfortunate Solomonia went crazy and invented herself a “child” in the form of a rag doll.

And yet we will try to find another possible answer. Give it ethnographic parallels. Among the northern Khanty, a custom was recorded when, in the absence of the body of the deceased (he could drown or go missing), they made a substitute for the burial structure - “ura-hot” (“hurray-house”). This is a small structure, similar to the one in which the body of the deceased was placed. Inside it was placed the actual “cheers” - the image of the deceased, which was a set of miniature clothes, usually without a solid base.

According to the ideas of the Ugrians, such cenotaphs allowed the deceased, whose body was not found in the afterlife, to take his place among relatives.

Thus, the Suzdal cenotaph with a rag "boy" can be a similar substitute for a grave. The child died and his body was never found. For relatives, as well as to perform funeral services, they made a false grave. One thing is confusing: making such a grave in a church is contrary to Orthodox canons. However, back in the 16th century, they might not have been embarrassed about such reasons ...

The grateful descendants of their ruler Ivan III Vasilievich called Ivan the Great "collector of Russian lands" and Ivan the Great. And he extolled this statesman even higher than. He, the Grand Duke of Moscow, ruled the country from 1462 to 1505, having managed to increase the territory of the state from 24 thousand square kilometers to 64 thousand. But the main thing is that he finally managed to save Russia from the obligation to pay a huge quitrent to the Golden Horde every year.

Ivan the Third was born in January 1440. The boy became the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II Vasilyevich and Maria Yaroslavna, the granddaughter of Prince Vladimir the Brave. When Ivan was 5 years old, his father was captured by the Tatars. In the Principality of Moscow, the eldest of the descendants of the family, the prince, was immediately placed on the throne. For his release, Vasily II was forced to promise a ransom to the Tatars, after which the prince was released. Arriving in Moscow, Ivan's father again took the throne, and Shemyaka went to Uglich.

Many contemporaries were dissatisfied with the actions of the prince, who only worsened the situation of the people by increasing the tribute for the Horde. Dmitry Yuryevich became the organizer of a conspiracy against the Grand Duke, together with his comrades-in-arms, took Vasily II prisoner and blinded him. Approximate Vasily II and his children managed to hide in Murom. But soon the liberated prince, who by that time had received the nickname Dark because of his blindness, went to Tver. There he enlisted the support of the Grand Duke Boris of Tver, betrothing six-year-old Ivan to his daughter Maria Borisovna.

Soon, Vasily managed to restore power in Moscow, and after the death of Shemyaka, civil strife finally stopped. Having married his bride in 1452, Ivan became co-ruler with his father. The city of Pereslavl-Zalessky was under his control, and at the age of 15 Ivan had already made his first campaign against the Tatars. By the age of 20, the young prince led the army of the Moscow principality.

At the age of 22, Ivan had to take up the reign on his own: Vasily II passed away.

Governing body

After the death of his father, Ivan the Third inherited the largest and most significant inheritance, which included part of Moscow and the largest cities: Kolomna, Vladimir, Pereyaslavl, Kostroma, Ustyug, Suzdal, Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan's brothers Andrei Bolshoy, Andrei Menshy and Boris got into the administration of Uglich, Vologda and Volokolamsk.

Ivan III, as bequeathed by his father, continued the policy of collecting. He consolidated the Russian state by all possible means: sometimes by diplomacy and persuasion, and sometimes by force. In 1463, Ivan III managed to annex the Principality of Yaroslavl, in 1474 the state increased at the expense of the lands of Rostov.

But that was only the beginning. Russia continued to expand, acquiring vast expanses of Novgorod lands. Then Tver surrendered to the mercy of the winner, and after it, Vyatka and Pskov gradually passed into the possession of Ivan the Great.

The Grand Duke managed to win two wars with Lithuania, taking possession of a large part of the Smolensk and Chernigov principalities. Tribute to Ivan III was paid by the Livonian Order.

A significant event during the reign of Ivan III was the annexation of Novgorod. The Grand Duchy of Moscow has been trying to annex Novgorod since the time of Ivan Kalita, but only managed to impose tribute on the city. Novgorodians sought to maintain independence from Moscow and even sought support from the Lithuanian principality. The only thing that kept them from taking the final step was that Orthodoxy was in danger in this case.

However, with the installation of the Lithuanian henchman, Prince Mikhail Olelkovich, in 1470 Novgorod signed an agreement with King Kazemir. Upon learning of this, Ivan III sent ambassadors to the northern city, and after disobedience, a year later he started a war. During the Battle of Shelon, the Novgorodians were defeated, but no help came from Lithuania. As a result of the negotiations, Novgorod was declared the patrimony of the Moscow prince.

Six years later, Ivan III undertook another campaign against Novgorod, after the boyars of the city refused to recognize him as sovereign. For two years, the Grand Duke waged a grueling siege for the Novgorodians, eventually finally subjugating the city. In 1480, the resettlement of Novgorodians to the lands of the Moscow principality began, and Moscow boyars and merchants to Novgorod.

But the main thing is that since 1480 the Grand Duke of Moscow stopped paying tribute to the Horde. Russia, finally, sighed from the 250-year yoke. It is noteworthy that the liberation was achieved without bloodshed. For a whole summer, the troops of Ivan the Great and Khan Akhmat stood against each other. They were separated only by the river Ugra (the famous standing on the Ugra). But the battle did not take place - the Horde left with nothing. In the game of nerves, the army of the Russian prince won.

And during the reign of Ivan III, the current Moscow Kremlin appeared, built of brick on the site of an old wooden building. A code of state laws was written and adopted - the Sudebnik, which cemented the young state. There were also the beginnings of diplomacy and, for its time, the advanced landowning system. Serfdom began to take shape. The peasants, who used to pass from one owner to another freely, were now limited by St. George's day. The peasants were allocated a certain time of the year for the transition - a week before and after the autumn holiday.

Thanks to Ivan the Third, the Grand Duchy of Moscow turned into a strong state, which they learned about in Europe. And Ivan the Great himself turned out to be the first Russian ruler who called himself "the sovereign of all Russia." Historians argue that today's Russia basically has the foundation that Ivan III Vasilyevich laid with his activities. Even the double-headed eagle - and he migrated to the coat of arms of the state after the reign of the Grand Duke of Moscow. Another symbol of the Principality of Moscow borrowed from Byzantium was the image of George the Victorious, striking the serpent with a spear.

They say that the doctrine of "Moscow - the Third Rome" originated during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich. Which is not surprising, because under him the size of the state increased almost 3 times.

Personal life of Ivan III

The first wife of Ivan the Great was Princess Maria of Tver. But she died, giving birth to her husband's only son.

The personal life of Ivan III changed 3 years after the death of his wife. Marriage to an enlightened Greek princess, niece and goddaughter of the last emperor of Byzantium, Zoya Paleologus, turned out to be fateful both for the sovereign himself and for all of Russia. Baptized in Orthodoxy brought many new and useful things to the archaic life of the state.

Etiquette appeared at court. Sofia Fominichna Paleolog insisted on the restructuring of the capital, "writing out" famous Roman architects from Europe. But the main thing is that it was she who begged her husband to decide on refusing to pay tribute to the Golden Horde, because the boyars were extremely afraid of such a radical step. Supported by his faithful wife, the sovereign tore up another khan's letter, which the Tatar ambassadors brought him.

Probably, Ivan and Sophia really loved each other. The husband listened to the wise advice of his enlightened wife, although his boyars, who previously had undivided influence on the prince, did not like this. In this marriage, which became the first dynastic, numerous offspring appeared - 5 sons and 4 daughters. To one of the sons, state power passed.

Death of Ivan III

Ivan III survived his beloved wife by only 2 years. He died on October 27, 1505. The Grand Duke was buried in the Archangel Cathedral.

Later, in 1929, the relics of both wives of Ivan the Great, Maria Borisovna and Sophia Paleolog, were transferred to the basement chamber of this temple.

Memory

The memory of Ivan III is immortalized in a number of sculptural monuments, which are located in Kaluga, Naryan-Mar, Moscow, Veliky Novgorod on the Millennium of Russia monument. Several documentaries are devoted to the biographies of the Grand Duke, including those from the series "Rulers of Russia". The love story of Ivan Vasilievich and Sophia Paleolog formed the basis of the plot of the Russian series Alexei Andrianov, where the main roles were played by and.