Ivan III Vasilievich. Biography

Grand Duke Moscow (1462-1505).

It is rightfully considered one of the most prominent politicians in Europe of the Middle Ages. He was distinguished by outstanding abilities in the arts. government controlled. The era of Ivan III is essential part the final stage of the unification of Russian lands. It is to him that the merits of overcoming specific fragmentation and dependence on the Horde in Russia, the entry of the young Russian state into the international arena, and the creation of new mechanisms for governing the country belong.

Childhood, youth

Ivan III was born on January 22, 1440. He was the eldest son in the family of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II Vasilyevich, nicknamed "Dark" and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Yaroslavna, nee Princess Serpukhov (the first-born of the couple, Yuri, having lived a little more than two years, died in the same month when Ivan was born). The chronicler wrote about the birth of the future heir to the throne: "Born to the Grand Duchess ... the son of Timothy, they gave him the name John." On the twenty second day of January Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Apostle Timothy, and the apostle became the heavenly patron of the future sovereign, whom he would especially honor all his life. However, the boy is baptized with the traditional name for the Moscow Danilovich dynasty Ivan - in honor of St. John Chrysostom, one of the most revered teachers of the Church. The memory of the saint was celebrated just a few days after the birth of the heir to the throne, on January 27. The names of Ivan III will reflect the duality traditional for the princes-descendants of Rurik, when the heir had an official public name and an intra-family name used in the home circle. The baptism of the boy was performed by the abbots of the monasteries revered in the Moscow ruling family - hegumen of the Trinity-Sergius monastery Zinovy and the archimandrite of the Moscow Miracle Monastery in the Kremlin Pitirim.

The young years of Ivan III fell on the period of intensification of the intra-dynastic struggle for the Moscow grand-ducal throne, in the Soviet historical science often called "the feudal war of the second quarter of the 15th century." In February 1446, when Vasily II Vasilyevich was captured by his opponent Dmitry Yuryevich Shemyaka, the Ryapolovsky boyars loyal to Vasily II took his sons to Murom. Due to the intervention of the Bishop of Ryazan, Jonah, the boyars handed them over to Dmitry Shemyaka, after which the children were imprisoned with their father in Uglich, and later in exile in Vologda. At the end of 1446 - the beginning of 1447, Ivan III was betrothed to Maria, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Tverskoy Boris Alexandrovich, who supported the aspirations of Vasily II to regain the throne. The wedding took place in 1452, when the children grew up, and in 1458 the only known child, son Ivan, was born to the couple.

Co-ruler of Basil II

Some time after Vasily II managed to retake the grand prince's throne, Ivan III becomes co-ruler of his father and begins to be called the "grand prince". This takes place in the late 1440s. It should be noted that Vasily II was blinded by Dmitry Shemyaka and for him, a disabled head of state, the assertion of the rights of the heir, and subsequently real assistance in the burden of management, became a matter of particular importance. However, long time Ivan III's participation in public life was rather nominal and limited to his presence at official and unofficial events, as well as complicity in military campaigns. The first military campaign, which Ivan III led alone, took place in 1459 - under the leadership of a nineteen-year-old co-ruler on the Oka River, Moscow troops successfully opposed the Horde of Khan Seid-Akhmet. Nevertheless, it was these years that brought up the character of Ivan III, laid the foundations for his outstanding political instinct.

Governing body

March 27, 1462 Vasily II passed away, Ivan III becomes the sole ruler. By the beginning of his reign in North-Eastern Russia and adjacent lands, in addition to the Grand Duchy of Moscow, there were the Grand Duchy of Tver and Ryazan, as well as the Principality of Yaroslavl and Rostov. In the northwest, the Novgorod and Pskov "boyar republics" retained their independence, and in the northeast - the Vyatka land. A huge part of the territories in the west, where from time immemorial they spoke Russian and professed Orthodoxy, was dependent on the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Some Western Russian lands were included in Poland. The specific system was preserved in the country, according to which, within the principalities, there were possessions of younger relatives in status - appanages - independent of the central government, in which ruling princes didn't have the right to join. Despite the fact that the majority of all these political entities, with the exception of those dependent on Lithuania and Poland, either formally recognized the Grand Duke of Moscow as the supreme ruler, or tacitly conceded primacy to him, being weaker, there was no real unity of the Russian lands. The situation was aggravated by the continued dependence on the Horde, which had to pay a grueling tribute, called "exit" or sometimes quite sadly "imminent tribute."

Starting from the first years of his reign, Ivan III tried with all certainty to declare himself the sole ruler of the Russian land, the Grand Duke of "All Russia" (the prefix "All Russia" itself would be established in his title as a permanent one in the mid-1480s), in whose will was solution of most political issues. He continued and deepened the political line of the Moscow princes, which even before they began to realize as a special mission. The main goal of the mission was to gather all Russian Orthodox lands under the scepter of a powerful Christian ruler. The image of a pious Orthodox ruler and at the same time a warrior prince was one of the most important ways to establish Ivan III, starting from the first years of his independent reign. Specific measures to create a unified Russian state under him took two forms: 1) establishing the maximum possible control over the lands while maintaining apparent independence (with further complete absorption) and 2) direct inclusion of the territories into the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

Under Ivan III Big changes occurred in the foreign policy of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which equally reflected both the level of its claims and serious changes on the geopolitical map of Eastern Europe, starting from the middle of the 15th century (the fall of Byzantium, the rapid strengthening of the Ottoman Empire, the collapse into several state formations Golden Horde, etc.). The most dangerous neighbor of the Moscow principality in the first years after the accession of Ivan III to the throne was the Kazan Khanate - a state formed in the 1440s on the lands of ancient Volga Bulgaria, a fragment of the Golden Horde. The Great Horde, the successor of the Golden Horde, whose khan Mahmud organized a military campaign in 1464/65, also behaved very aggressively. This was the first action against Moscow by the ruling Horde Khan after the campaign of Tokhtamysh in 1382. Moreover, since the end of the 1460s, the Arabic inscription “this is Moscow money” appeared on Moscow coins, which, apparently, was associated with the strengthening of tributary relations. Thus, the difficult situation required the concentration of foreign policy precisely in the eastern direction, and it is no coincidence that the first campaign of the Moscow troops during the reign of Ivan III, which took place already in 1462, was aimed at the Cheremis (Mari), Kazan tributaries, as well as Great Perm. However, large-scale fighting against Kazan, which required lengthy preparation and considerable effort, began only in 1467. The Kazan war of 1467-1469 ended victoriously and became a significant foreign policy success for Moscow. It allowed not only to achieve calm on the Moscow-Kazan border over the next ten years, but also to free up forces for a decisive attack on Novgorod in the 1470s.

The 1460s can be considered preparations for the conquest of the Novgorod state - the most significant success of Ivan III in the "gathering" of Russian lands. It is significant that in the 1460s, Ivan III used the title of Grand Duke of "All Russia" only in relations with Novgorod. He persistently put into practice the idea of Novgorod's vassalage in relation to Moscow. A year after accession to the throne, Ivan III began to actively interfere in the traditional system of relations in North-Western Russia, sending Moscow troops to help Pskov in its military clash with the Livonian Order. Since the end of the 1460s, the ancient city on the Velikaya River has been completely in the orbit of Moscow influence. A little earlier, in 1465, the governors of Ivan III made a trip to Yugra (the land between the Pechora River and the Northern Urals), the former tributary of Novgorod. By the beginning of the 1470s, the days of the independent existence of the Novgorod "republic" were numbered.

The accession of Novgorod can be reduced to three episodes, during which the powers of Ivan III expanded. These are the campaign of 1471, which ended with the defeat of the Novgorod army on the Shelon River, the trip of Ivan III to Novgorod in 1475 with the aim of administering a trial of objectionable boyars, and the military campaign of 1477-1478.

The 1470s became a time of exacerbation of Moscow's relations with the Great Horde. In 1472, Khan Akhmat went against Ivan III on a military campaign. The attack was repulsed by Russian troops on the river. Oka near Aleksin. In Moscow, the results of the fleeting war were regarded as a success and, apparently, they soon stopped paying tribute. The very attitude towards the legal successor of the Golden Horde heritage changed: in internal political documents, the Great Horde began to be equated with other Tatar khanates. Akhmat decided to regain control of Russia after eight years. The events that took place in 1480 were called "Standing on the Ugra". Unable to achieve success, Akhmat retreated. "Standing" is considered to be the end of the Horde yoke.

The 1480s were important for the strengthening of Ivan III's power and its representation. In 1485 Tver was subordinated, in 1489 - Vyatka. On July 9, 1487, Moscow troops managed to capture Kazan. The result of this military campaign was the conclusion of a peace treaty "at the will of the Grand Duke of Moscow" and the establishment of a protectorate over the khanate, headed by the Moscow protege Mohammed-Emin. This victory was exclusively importance for Ivan III, who used it to improve his political status: it was from 1487 that the grand ducal title expanded, in which both an indication of dominance over Kazan (“Grand Duke of Bulgaria”) and Western European elements appear (the phrase “God’s grace”). A new coat of arms symbolism is also beginning to be introduced - the double-headed eagle. modern science departed from the understanding that the double-headed eagle was accepted by Ivan III as a symbol of the acceptance of power from Byzantium. In fact, the two-headed was not her coat of arms. Rather, the decision of Ivan III was influenced by numerous examples of the use of this sign in various contemporary political systems. Among them, first of all, it is necessary to single out the German Empire, with which contacts were established just in the 1480s.

In the early 1490s, Ivan III went on the offensive on the Lithuanian border. After decades of defensive policy towards Lithuania, Moscow begins the struggle for the Russian lands that were part of this state. To early XVI century, a significant part of the Orthodox lands was conquered from Lithuania.

Personal life. power struggle

In 1467, the wife of Ivan III, Grand Duchess Maria Borisovna, died. Two years later, negotiations began on a new marriage between Ivan III and the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, Sophia (Zoya) Paleolog, who became the wife of the Grand Duke in 1472. Several daughters and sons were born from this marriage, the eldest of which is Vasily.

At the end of the reign of Ivan III, a sharp struggle of aristocratic clans for the right to inherit the throne began at the court. One of them was headed by the second wife of the sovereign Sophia Paleolog and her son, the future Grand Duke Vasily III (1505-1533). The other was headed by Ivan III's daughter-in-law Elena Voloshanka and his grandson Dmitry, son of Ivan Ivanovich Molodoy. Passions began to flare up after the death of Ivan the Young in 1490. Ivan III, having lost his heir and co-ruler, hesitated for a long time in transferring the right to inherit the throne. At the beginning of 1498, Dmitry the grandson was declared co-ruler. The ceremony of passing the inheritance was so solemn that it is called the first crowning of the kingdom in Russian history. This was followed by several years of behind-the-scenes struggle, as a result of which Vasily Ivanovich, who fell into disfavor, not only again found himself close to the court, but, like Dmitry the grandson, received the status of co-ruler. In April 1502, Dmitry the grandson was stripped of all regalia and thrown into prison with his mother. His uncle Vasily Ivan III “blessed and placed him in the Grand Duchy of Volodimersk and Moscow and all Russia.”

Birthday: 01/22/1440

Place of birth: Moscow, Russia

Date of death: 10/27/1505

Citizenship: Russia

Years of life: 1440-1505 Ivan the Great, Grand Duke of Moscow and sovereign of All Russia, under which the Russian state finally got rid of dependence (on the Golden Horde) and significantly expanded its borders. Ivan was born in 1440. in Moscow. At the age of 16, his father, the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II, nicknamed the Dark One because of his blindness, appointed Ivan his co-ruler; at the age of 22, he took the throne after the death of his father. As a youth, he participated in campaigns against the Tatars in 1448, 1448, 1454. and 1459. According to his father's will, Ivan received the largest inheritance in terms of territory and significance, which, in addition to part of Moscow, included Kolomna, Vladimir, Pereyaslavl, Kostroma, Ustyug, Suzdal, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities. His brothers Andrei Bolshoy, Andrei Menshoi and Boris received Uglich, Vologda and Volokolamsk as destinies. Ivan continued his father's policy of consolidating the Russian state.

Ivan became a "collector" of Russian lands and increased the territory of the Muscovite state from 24 thousand to about 64 thousand square meters. km. He annexed lands with the help of skillful diplomacy, bought them and seized them by force. In 1463 The Principality of Yaroslavl was annexed in 1474. - Principality of Rostov, in 1471-1478. - Vast Novogorodsk lands. In 1485 Ivan's power was recognized by the besieged Tver, and in 1489. v Vyatka, most of the Ryazan lands; influence on Pskov was strengthened. As a result of two wars with Lithuania (1487-1494 and 1501-1503), significant parts of the Smolensk, Novgorod-Seversky and Chernigov principalities came into the possession of Ivan.

The Livonian Order paid tribute to him (for the city of Yuryev). He became the first prince of Moscow, who claimed the entire territory Kievan Rus, including the western and southwestern lands that were part of the Polish-Lithuanian state at that time, which caused a centuries-old strife between the Russian state and Poland. Ivan refused to pay tribute to the Golden Horde and in 1480. liberated the Russian state from the Mongol-Tatar yoke that lasted 250 years after two troops (Ivan III and Khan Akhmat) stood against each other for a summer on the Ugra River without entering into battle ("standing on the Ugra").

Painting by N. S. Shustov “John III overthrows the Tatar yoke, tearing the image of the Khan and ordering the death of ambassadors” (1862)

Ivan's first wife, Princess Maria of Tver, died in 1467. Two years later, Pope Paul II offered the Grand Duke of Moscow the hand of his goddaughter Zoya Palaiologos, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor. After lengthy negotiations, he accepted this proposal, and in 1472. Zoya - after that called Sofya Fominichnaya - arrived in Moscow and married Ivan. Sophia, who left a memory of herself in Europe with her extraordinary corpulence, had an extraordinary mind and soon achieved noticeable influence. Ivan, at her insistence, undertook the restructuring of Moscow, erected a new palace, a reception hall, the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in the Kremlin, and much more.

Construction was also carried out in other cities - Kolomna, Tula, Ivan-gorod. Under Ivan, complex and strict palace ceremonies of the Byzantine emperors were introduced. He began to call himself the Grand Duke of "All Russia", and this title in 1494. was recognized by Lithuania. The first of the Moscow princes, he was called "king", "autocrat". In 1497 he introduced a new heraldic shield of Muscovite Russia - a black double-headed Byzantine eagle. Moscow, thus, claimed the status of the successor of Byzantium (later the Pskov monk Philotheus called it the "third Rome"; the "second" was the fallen Constantinople).

In domestic politics, Ivan strengthened the structure of central power, demanding unquestioning obedience from the boyars. In 1497 was issued a code of laws v Sudebnik, compiled with his participation. Centralized administration led to the establishment of a local system, and this, in turn, contributed to the formation of a new class - the nobility, which became the backbone of the autocrat's power. Ivan had a tough and stubborn disposition, he was characterized by insight and foresight, especially in matters of foreign policy. Ivan died in 1505, having raised the prestige of Muscovite Russia high in Europe. His son, Vasily III, became his heir.

"Ivan III was one of the outstanding statesmen feudal Russia. Possessing an extraordinary mind and breadth of political ideas, he was able to understand the urgent need to unite the Russian lands into a single state ... The State of All Russia came to replace the Grand Duchy of Moscow, "- Zimin A.A.

Ivan III's campaign against Veliky Novgorod
The article talks about short biography Ivan III - the Grand Duke of Moscow, who played a huge role in the process of unification of Russian lands into a single state.

Biography of Ivan III: early years

Ivan Vasilyevich was born in 1440 and was the son of Moscow Prince Vasily II. The father took care of the succession to the throne and ordered from childhood to call Ivan the Grand Duke. From an early age, the boy began to sign all the most important state decrees together with his father. Early initiation to state activity formed the firm character and ambition of the future Grand Duke. Ivan subtly understood complex political issues and set clear goals, the implementation of which he stubbornly pursued.
In 1462, Vasily II died and Ivan received a great reign, receiving the title of Ivan III. From the first years of his reign, he led a decisive struggle against the remaining independent princes. A year later, he subjugated the Yaroslavl princes and declared their lands his fiefdom.
Another important task of the new prince was the fight against the independent Novgorod Republic. Novgorod still remained the largest center of North-Western Russia and continued to claim a leading role in politics. Ancient Russia. Ivan III sent ambassadors to Novgorod with firm demands for the recognition of Moscow's authority. Novgorodians feared an open clash with the Grand Duke of Moscow, so they began to look for allies abroad. The rapprochement of the Novgorod Republic with Lithuania began. A Lithuanian prince was invited to reign, and an agreement was concluded with King Casimir, according to which Novgorod passed under the rule of Lithuania, which pledged to protect it from Moscow's encroachments.
A military clash became inevitable. In 1471, the Moscow army utterly defeated the Novgorodian army on the river. Sheloni. Lithuania did not provide assistance, and Novgorod asked for mercy. As a result, an agreement was concluded under which Novgorod renounced Lithuania, transferred some territories to Moscow, and was obliged to pay an indemnity.

Biography of Ivan III: merging with the Byzantine dynasty

In 1467 Ivan III's wife died. Negotiations began with Byzantium on the marriage of the Grand Duke with Princess Sophia Paleolog. The marriage took place in 1472 and was of great political importance. Thanks to kinship with the dynasty of Byzantine emperors, Russia became on a par with European monarchies. The title of the Grand Duke increased significantly in the eyes of his contemporaries. According to numerous testimonies, the wife of Ivan III was a very experienced and cunning woman. She tried in every possible way to strengthen the power of her husband. In Russia, the court order was significantly changed, which included many features and customs of the Byzantine ceremonial.
The attitude towards Ivan III became much more respectful. His rule acquired the character of autocratic power. The behavior of the Grand Duke also changed. He began to act like an absolute master. It was Ivan III, and not his famous grandson, who first began to be called Grozny.
Ivan III with even greater zeal continued the policy of uniting Russia. In 1474, he bought out the remaining territories of the Rostov Principality, which was now completely under the rule of Moscow.
The main direction of policy was the final subjugation of Novgorod. Taking advantage of the reservation of the Novgorod ambassadors, who accidentally called the Grand Duke the sovereign (the term "master" was usually used), Ivan III demanded recognition of his absolute power from Novgorod. Having received a refusal, he sent troops who began to ravage and burn the Novgorod territories. Soon the Moscow army laid siege to Novgorod. The Novgorod boyars sent ambassadors to negotiate the surrender of the city. Several times Ivan III did not receive ambassadors, putting forward increasingly stringent demands. When famine began in the city, the inhabitants agreed to any conditions. The self-government of Novgorod was forever abolished, the city recognized the absolute power of Ivan III. As a sign of special humility, the Grand Duke ordered that the veche bell be removed and taken to Moscow. The annexation of Novgorod in 1478 meant a complete victory for Moscow in the process of "gathering" the lands.
Novgorod made another attempt to restore independence a year later. Ivan III again made a pacifying campaign. The main instigators of the uprising were executed, a large number of noble people were evicted from Novgorod, supporters of the Grand Duke moved in their place.
Biography of Ivan III: late period board
During the reign of Ivan III, an important event in Russian history took place - standing on the Ugra (1480). Moscow did not recognize the power of the Horde khans for a long time and did not pay tribute. Khan Akhmat, having gathered an army, was going to punish the Moscow prince. He concluded an agreement with Lithuania and hoped to strike with the combined forces. King Casimir did not send help. Ivan III and Akhmat showed indecision, occupying the opposite banks of the river. Ugra. With the onset of winter, the Khan's army retreated. Despite the fact that no hostilities took place, standing on the Ugra became a symbol of the final deliverance from the Tatar-Mongol yoke.
In 1485, after a predatory campaign, the power of the Grand Duke recognized Tver, where the son of Ivan III was imprisoned. Four years later, Vyatka was annexed.
Ivan III's policy towards Lithuania developed successfully. Orthodox princes living in the border areas constantly passed under his citizenship. From 1492 to 1503 minor military operations of Ivan III against King Alexander were successfully going on. Accession was carried out on a voluntary basis. As a result, under the treaty of 1503, Ivan III was assigned the right to all the annexed territories.
In 1506, Ivan III died, leaving behind a significantly fortified Russian unified state.

Years of life: 1440-1505. Reign: 1462-1505

Ivan III is the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II the Dark and Grand Duchess Maria Yaroslavna, daughter of the Serpukhov prince.

In the twelfth year of his life, Ivan was married to Maria Borisovna, princess of Tver, in the eighteenth year he already had a son, Ivan, nicknamed Young. In 1456, when Ivan was 16 years old, Vasily II the Dark appointed him as his co-ruler, and at the age of 22 he became the Grand Duke of Moscow.

Even as a youth, Ivan participated in campaigns against the Tatars (1448, 1454, 1459), had seen a lot, and by the time he ascended the throne in 1462, Ivan III had an already established character, was ready to make important state decisions. He had a cold, judicious mind, a strong temper, an iron will, and was distinguished by a special lust for power. By nature, Ivan III was secretive, cautious, and did not rush to the intended goal quickly, but waited for an opportunity, chose the time, moving towards it with measured steps.

Outwardly, Ivan was handsome, thin, tall and slightly round-shouldered, for which he received the nickname "Humpback".

Ivan III marked the beginning of his reign by issuing gold coins, on which the names of Grand Duke Ivan III and his son Ivan the Young, heir to the throne, were minted.

The first wife of Ivan III died early, and the Grand Duke entered into a second marriage with the niece of the last Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI, Zoya (Sophia) Paleolog. Their wedding took place in Moscow on November 12, 1472. She immediately became involved in political activities, actively helping her husband. Under Sophia, he became more severe and cruel, demanding and power-hungry, demanded complete obedience and punished for disobedience, for which Ivan III first of the kings was called the Terrible.

In 1490, the son of Ivan III from his first marriage, Ivan Molodoy, unexpectedly died. From him there was a son Dmitry. The question arose before the Grand Duke, who should inherit the throne: son Vasily from Sophia or grandson Dmitry.

Soon a conspiracy against Dmitry was uncovered, the organizers of which were executed, and Vasily was taken into custody. February 4, 1498 Ivan III crowned his grandson to the kingdom. This was the first coronation in Russia.

In January 1499, a conspiracy against Sophia and Vasily was uncovered. Ivan III lost interest in his grandson and reconciled with his wife and son. In 1502, the tsar placed Dmitry in disgrace, and Vasily was declared the Grand Duke of All Russia.

The great sovereign decided to marry Vasily to a Danish princess, but the Danish king declined the offer. Fearing not to have time to find a foreign bride before his death, Ivan III chose Solomonia, the daughter of an insignificant Russian dignitary. The marriage took place on September 4, 1505, and on October 27 of the same year, Ivan III the Great died.

Domestic policy of Ivan III

The cherished goal of Ivan III's activity was to collect lands around Moscow, to put an end to the remnants of specific disunity for the sake of creating a single state. The wife of Ivan III, Sophia Paleolog, strongly supported her husband's desire to expand the Muscovite state and strengthen autocratic power.

For a century and a half, Moscow extorted tribute from Novgorod, took away land and almost brought the Novgorodians to their knees, for which they hated Moscow. Realizing that Ivan III Vasilyevich finally wants to subjugate the Novgorodians, they freed themselves from the oath to the Grand Duke and formed a society for the salvation of Novgorod, headed by Martha Boretskaya, the widow of the posadnik.

Novgorod concluded an agreement with Casimir, the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, according to which Novgorod passes under his supreme authority, but at the same time retains some independence and the right to Orthodox faith, and Casimir undertakes to protect Novgorod from the encroachments of the Moscow prince.

Twice Ivan III Vasilyevich sent ambassadors to Novgorod with good wishes to come to their senses and enter the Moscow lands, the Metropolitan of Moscow tried to convince the Novgorodians to "correct", but all in vain. Ivan III had to make a trip to Novgorod (1471), as a result of which the Novgorodians were defeated first on the Ilmen River, and then Shelon, Casimir did not come to the rescue.

In 1477, Ivan III Vasilyevich demanded from Novgorod the full recognition of him as his master, which caused a new rebellion, which was suppressed. January 13, 1478 Velikiy Novgorod completely submitted to the power of the Moscow sovereign. In order to finally pacify Novgorod, Ivan III replaced the Novgorod archbishop Theophilus in 1479, moved unreliable Novgorodians to Moscow lands, and settled Muscovites and other residents on their lands.

With the help of diplomacy and force, Ivan III Vasilyevich subjugated other specific principalities: Yaroslavl (1463), Rostov (1474), Tver (1485), Vyatka lands(1489). Ivan married his sister Anna to a Ryazan prince, thus securing the right to interfere in the affairs of Ryazan, and later inherited the city from his nephews.

Ivan acted inhumanly with his brothers, taking away their inheritances and depriving them of the right to any participation in state affairs. So, Andrei Bolshoy and his sons were arrested and imprisoned.

Foreign policy of Ivan III.

During the reign of Ivan III in 1502, the Golden Horde ceased to exist.

Moscow and Lithuania often fought over the Russian lands under Lithuania and Poland. As the power of the great sovereign of Moscow increased, more and more Russian princes with their lands passed from Lithuania to Moscow.

After Casimir's death, Lithuania and Poland were again divided between his sons, Alexander and Albrecht, respectively. The Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander married the daughter of Ivan III Elena. Relations between son-in-law and father-in-law worsened, and in 1500 Ivan III declared war on Lithuania, which was successful for Russia: parts of the Smolensk, Novgorod-Seversky and Chernigov principalities were conquered. In 1503, a truce agreement was signed for 6 years. Ivan III Vasilyevich rejected the offer of eternal peace until Smolensk and Kyiv were returned.

As a result of the war of 1501-1503. the great sovereign of Moscow forced the Livonian Order to pay tribute (for the city of Yuryev).

Ivan III Vasilyevich during his reign made several attempts to subdue the Kazan kingdom. In 1470, Moscow and Kazan made peace, and in 1487 Ivan III took Kazan and enthroned Khan Mahmet-Amin, who had been a faithful novice of the Moscow prince for 17 years.

Reforms of Ivan III

Under Ivan III, the design of the title of "Grand Duke of All Russia" began, and in some documents he calls himself the king.

For internal order in the country, Ivan III in 1497 developed a Code of Civil Laws (Sudebnik). The chief judge was the Grand Duke, the highest institution was the Boyar Duma. Mandatory and local government systems appeared.

The adoption of the Code of Laws by Ivan III became a prerequisite for the establishment of serfdom in Russia. The law limited the exit of peasants and gave them the right to transfer from one owner to another once a year (St. George's Day).

The results of the reign of Ivan III

Under Ivan III, the territory of Russia expanded significantly, Moscow became the center of the Russian centralized state.

The era of Ivan III was marked by the final liberation of Russia from the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

During the reign of Ivan III, the Assumption and Annunciation Cathedrals, the Palace of Facets, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe were built.

Ivan III Vasilievich (Ivan the Great) January 22, 1440 - died October 27, 1505 - Grand Duke of Moscow from 1462 to 1505, sovereign of all Russia. Collector of Russian lands around Moscow, creator of the all-Russian state.

In the middle of the 15th century, Russian lands and principalities were in a state of political fragmentation. There were several strong political centers to which all other regions gravitated; each of these centers pursued a completely independent internal policy and opposed all external enemies.

Such centers of power were Moscow, Novgorod the Great, already beaten more than once, but still mighty Tver, as well as the Lithuanian capital - Vilna, which owned the entire colossal Russian region, called "Lithuanian Rus". Political games, civil strife, external wars, economic and geographical factors gradually subordinated the weak to the strongest. It became possible to create a single state.

Childhood

Ivan III was born on January 22, 1440 in the family of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Vasilyevich. Ivan's mother was Maria Yaroslavna, daughter of the appanage prince Yaroslav Borovsky, a Russian princess of the Serpukhov branch of the house of Daniel. He was born on the day of memory of the Apostle Timothy and in his honor received his "direct name" - Timothy. Nearest religious holiday It was the day of the transfer of the relics of St. John Chrysostom, in honor of which the prince received the name by which he is best known in history.

In childhood, the prince endured all the hardships of civil strife. 1452 - he was already sent as a nominal head of the army on a campaign against the Ustyug fortress Kokshenga. The heir to the throne successfully fulfilled the assignment he received, cutting off Ustyug from the Novgorod lands and brutally ruining the Kokshenga volost. Returning from a campaign with a victory, on June 4, 1452, Prince Ivan married his bride. The bloody civil strife that had lasted for a quarter of a century soon subsided.

In subsequent years, Prince Ivan became co-ruler with his father. On the coins of the Muscovite state, the inscription “defend all Russia” appears, he himself, like his father, Vasily, bears the title “Grand Duke”.

Accession to the throne

March 1462 - Ivan's father, Grand Duke Vasily, fell seriously ill. Shortly before that, he had drawn up a will, according to which he divided the grand-princely lands among his sons. As the eldest son, Ivan received not only the great reign, but also the main part of the territory of the state - 16 main cities (not counting Moscow, which he was supposed to own together with his brothers). When Vasily died on March 27, 1462, Ivan became the new Grand Duke without any problems.

Reign of Ivan III

Throughout the reign of Ivan III, the main goal of the country's foreign policy was the unification of northeastern Russia into a single state. Having become the Grand Duke, Ivan III began his unifying activity with the confirmation of previous agreements with neighboring princes and a general strengthening of positions. So, agreements were concluded with the Tver and Belozersky principalities; Prince Vasily Ivanovich, married to the sister of Ivan III, was placed on the throne of the Ryazan principality.

Unification of principalities

Beginning in the 1470s, activities aimed at annexing the rest of the Russian principalities intensified sharply. The first was the Principality of Yaroslavl, which finally lost the remnants of independence in 1471. 1472 - Prince Dmitrovsky Yuri Vasilyevich, Ivan's brother, died. The Dmitrov principality passed to the Grand Duke.

1474 - the turn of the Rostov principality came. The Rostov princes sold "their half" of the principality to the treasury, finally turning into a service nobility as a result. The Grand Duke transferred what he received to the inheritance of his mother.

Capture of Novgorod

The situation with Novgorod developed differently, which is explained by the difference in the nature of the statehood of the specific principalities and the commercial and aristocratic Novgorod state. An influential anti-Moscow party was formed there. A clash with Ivan III was inevitable. 1471, June 6 - a ten thousandth detachment of Moscow troops under the command of Danila Kholmsky set out from the capital in the direction Novgorod land, a week later, the army of Striga Obolensky advanced on the campaign, and on June 20, 1471, Ivan III himself began the campaign from Moscow. The advance of Moscow troops through the lands of Novgorod was accompanied by robberies and violence, designed to intimidate the enemy.

Novgorod also did not sit idly by. A militia was formed from the townspeople, the number of this army reached 40,000 people, but its combat effectiveness, due to the haste of forming from townspeople not trained in military affairs, was low. On July 14, a battle began between the opponents. In the course of the Novgorod army was utterly defeated. The losses of Novgorodians amounted to 12,000 people, about 2,000 people were taken prisoner.

1471, August 11 - a peace treaty was concluded, according to which Novgorod was obliged to pay an indemnity of 16,000 rubles, retained its state structure, but could not "surrender" under the rule of the Lithuanian Grand Duke; a significant part of the vast Dvina land was ceded to the Grand Duke of Moscow. But several years passed before the final defeat of Novgorod, until on January 15, 1478, Novgorod surrendered, the veche orders were abolished, and the veche bell and the city archive were sent to Moscow.

Invasion of the Tatar Khan Akhmat

Ivan III breaks the Khan's charter

Relations with the Horde, which were already strained, finally deteriorated by the beginning of the 1470s. The Horde continued to disintegrate; on the territory of the former Golden Horde, in addition to the immediate successor (“Great Horde”), the Astrakhan, Kazan, Crimean, Nogai and Siberian Hordes were also formed.

1472 - Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat began a campaign against Russia. At Tarusa, the Tatars met with a large Russian army. All attempts of the Horde to cross the Oka were repulsed. The Horde army burned the city of Aleksin, but the campaign as a whole ended in failure. Soon, Ivan III stopped paying tribute to the Khan of the Great Horde, which would inevitably lead to new clashes.

1480, summer - Khan Akhmat moved to Russia. Ivan III, having gathered troops, headed south, to the Oka River. For 2 months, the army, ready for battle, was waiting for the enemy, but Khan Akhmat, also ready for battle, did not start offensive operations. In the end, in September 1480, Khan Akhmat crossed the Oka south of Kaluga and headed through Lithuanian territory to the Ugra River. Violent clashes began.

The attempts of the Horde to cross the river were successfully repulsed by Russian troops. Soon Ivan III sent the ambassador Ivan Tovarkov to the khan with rich gifts, asking him to retreat away and not to ruin the "ulus". 1480, October 26 - the river Ugra froze. The Russian army, gathered together, withdrew to the city of Kremenets, then to Borovsk. On November 11, Khan Akhmat gave the order to retreat. "Standing on the Ugra" ended with the actual victory of the Russian state, which received the desired independence. Khan Akhmat was soon killed; after his death, civil strife broke out in the Horde.

Expansion of the Russian state

The peoples of the North were also included in the Russian state. 1472 - "Great Perm", inhabited by Komi, Karelian lands, was annexed. The Russian centralized state was becoming a multinational super-ethnos. 1489 - Vyatka was annexed to the Russian state - remote and largely mysterious lands beyond the Volga for modern historians.

The rivalry with Lithuania was of great importance. Moscow's desire to subjugate all Russian lands all the time ran into opposition from Lithuania, which had the same goal. Ivan directed his efforts towards the reunification of the Russian lands that were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 1492, August - troops were sent against Lithuania. They were headed by Prince Fyodor Telepnya Obolensky.

The cities of Mtsensk, Lubutsk, Mosalsk, Serpeisk, Khlepen, Rogachev, Odoev, Kozelsk, Przemysl and Serensk were taken. A number of local princes went over to the side of Moscow, which strengthened the position of the Russian troops. And although the results of the war were sealed by a dynastic marriage between the daughter of Ivan III, Elena, and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, soon the war for the Seversky lands broke out with renewed vigor. The decisive victory in it was won by the Moscow troops in the battle of Vedrosh on July 14, 1500.

By the beginning of the 16th century, Ivan III had every reason to call himself the Grand Duke of All Russia.

Personal life of Ivan III

Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog

The first wife of Ivan III, Princess Maria Borisovna of Tver, died on April 22, 1467. Ivan began to look for another wife. 1469, February 11 - Ambassadors from Rome appeared in Moscow to offer the Grand Duke to marry the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Sophia Paleolog, who lived in exile after the fall of Constantinople. Ivan III, having overcome religious rejection in himself, ordered the princess from Italy and married her in 1472. In October of the same year, Moscow met her future empress. A wedding ceremony took place in the still unfinished Assumption Cathedral. The Greek princess became the Grand Duchess of Moscow, Vladimir and Novgorod.

The main significance of this marriage was that the marriage to Sophia Paleolog contributed to the establishment of Russia as the successor of Byzantium and the proclamation of Moscow as the Third Rome, the stronghold of Orthodox Christianity. After his marriage to Sophia, Ivan III for the first time dared to show the European political world the new title of sovereign of all Russia and forced him to recognize it. Ivan was called "the sovereign of all Russia."

Formation of the Moscow state

At the beginning of Ivan's reign, the Principality of Moscow was surrounded by the lands of other Russian principalities; dying, he handed over to his son Vasily the country that united most of these principalities. Only Pskov, Ryazan, Volokolamsk and Novgorod-Seversky were able to maintain relative independence.

During the reign of Ivan III, the final formalization of the independence of the Russian state took place.

The complete unification of the Russian lands and principalities into a mighty state required a whole series of cruel, bloody wars in which one of the rivals had to crush the forces of all the others. Internal transformations were no less necessary; in state system each of the listed centers continued to maintain semi-independent specific principalities, as well as cities and institutions that had noticeable autonomy.

Their complete subordination to the central government ensured that whoever was the first to do this, strong rears in the fight against their neighbors and an increase in their own military power. Speaking differently, greatest chance it was by no means the state that had the most perfect, most lenient and democratic legislation that had the victory, but the state whose internal unity would be unshakable.

Before Ivan III, who ascended the throne in 1462, there was no such state yet, and hardly anyone could have imagined the very possibility of its emergence in such a short period of time and within such impressive boundaries. In all of Russian history, there is no event or process comparable in its significance to the formation at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. Moscow State.