Where Ivan III ruled. Great Sovereign Ivan III Vasilyevich

"The Collector of Russian Lands" and Ivan the Great were named by the grateful descendants of their ruler Ivan III Vasilyevich a. And praised it statesman even higher than . He, Grand Duke 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 most big 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 was written and adopted state laws- Sudebnik, cementing 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 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 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 Palaiologos, 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 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 at the Millennium of Russia monument. Biographies of the Grand Duke are devoted to several documentaries, including 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.

Ivan 3

Biography of Ivan 3 (briefly)

Ivan Vasilyevich was born in the family of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Vasilyevich. On the eve of his death, Ivan's father made a will, according to which the lands are distributed among his sons. So the eldest son Ivan receives 16 central cities, including Moscow, into his possession.
Having entered into possession, after the death of his father, he issues a decree according to which gold coins are minted with the names of the king and his son. The first wife of Ivan 3 dies early. In order to intermarry with Byzantium, the king remarries Sophia Paleolog. In marriage, their son Vasily is born. However, the tsar does not appoint him to the throne, but his grandson Dmitry, whose father was Ivan young son from his first marriage, who died early. The tsar blamed the second wife for the death of Ivan the Young, who was hostile to her stepson, but was subsequently forgiven. The grandson Dmitry, who had previously been declared the heir to the throne, along with his mother Elena, fell into disgrace, they were imprisoned, where Elena was later killed. A little earlier, Sophia also dies. Despite mutual hatred during their lifetime, both of them are buried side by side in the Church of the Ascension.
After the death of his second wife, the king becomes seriously ill, he goes blind in one eye and his hand stops moving, which indicates brain damage. On October 27, 1505, Tsar Ivan III dies. According to his will, power passes to his son from his second marriage, Vasily 3.

Foreign policy of Ivan 3

During the reign of Ivan 3, the long-term dependence on the Horde ceases, moreover, he vehemently supports the opponents of the Horde. The final formation of the Russian independent state is taking place.
foreign policy was successful in eastbound due to the right combination military force and diplomatic negotiations the tsar succeeded in joining the Kazan Khanate to Moscow politics.

Sudebnik Ivan 3

One of important points board was the Sudebnik of Ivan 3, adopted in 1497. The Sudebnik was a set of laws that were applied at that time in Russia. This kind of municipal act fixed: a list of duties of officials, the right of peasants to transfer to another feudal lord, only on the eve or after St. George's Day, with the obligatory payment of tax for accommodation. These were the first prerequisites for the further rooting of serfdom. According to Sudebnik, lynching was not allowed under any circumstances, there was control and adjustment of trade transactions. A new form of land tenure was introduced - local, according to which landowners work and submit to the king.

Domestic policy of Ivan 3

During the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich, most of the lands around Moscow itself united, and Moscow itself became the center of the state. The structure included: Novgorod land, Tver, Yaroslavl, Rostov principality. After the victory over the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Chernigov, Bryansk and Novgorod-Seversky were annexed. Thanks to politics and conquests, Russia gained the right to make its own decisions. Appeared prikaznaya and local system of government. In domestic politics a course was taken to centralize the country. During the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich, culture reached an unprecedented rise: the Assumption Cathedral was erected, and the chronicle developed rapidly.
The reign of Ivan 3 was successful and the tsar himself was called "Great".

09.06.2016

The features of human memory are such that we more easily remember something outstanding, unusual, something that can greatly amaze the imagination than ordinary life events and people who do not have pronounced personality traits character. This applies, among other things, historical figures influencing the fate of entire countries. So it is in the case of the two Russian tsars Ivan: each schoolboy will list the deeds of the “great and terrible” Ivan the Terrible without hesitation, but at the same time he will not immediately remember what distinguished his own grandfather, Ivan III. Meanwhile, among the people, the grandfather of Tsar the Terrible received the nickname of the Great among the people. What was and what did Ivan III the Great for Russia, will tell a few interesting facts from his biography.

1. The fate of the future Grand Duke Ivan III was such that from a young age he became indispensable assistant his blind father - Vasily the Dark. He is already in early years gained experience in battles, learned to maneuver in the intricacies of intrigue, which are inevitable under any throne. In his youth, Ivan participated in the fight against Dmitry Shemyaka.
2. The first wife of Prince Ivan was the meek disposition Maria, who was destined to live short life. It is believed that she fell victim to the intrigues of persons close to the prince: she was allegedly poisoned during the absence of her husband.
3. On the monument in the Kremlin (in Veliky Novgorod), dedicated to the millennium of Russia, one can see, among other rulers, the Grand Duke Ivan III. He stands, almost trampling under foot the defeated enemies: a Tatar, a Lithuanian and a German. This is an allegorical depiction of the real victories of the prince: he actually managed to save the Russian principality from expansion by the Baltic states and overthrow the Golden Horde yoke.
4. Standing on the Ugra River is an event that in 1480 determined the entire further course Russian history. There was no battle. Thanks to patience and the ability to outwit the enemy, Ivan III, without losing his soldiers, was able to get the Tatars to go home. From that moment, Russia became free - it was no longer crushed by the heavy yoke of the Golden Horde. And for this feat, the people gave Ivan the title of Saint.
5. Under Ivan III, the unification of Russian lands goes full move. Attached to the Moscow principality: Yaroslavl, Rostov, Tver, Chernihiv lands. Subdued proud and rebellious Novgorod.
6. With the active participation of Ivan III Vasilyevich, the Sudebnik was developed.
7. Ivan III assigns the peasants to the landowners, giving them the opportunity only twice a year to legal grounds move away from their landlords.
8. Historians, based on the testimony of contemporaries, after analyzing the activities of Ivan III, give him following characteristic. Cold, calm, very cautious, unhurried in actions and secretive person. These qualities helped him steadily pursue his policy without heavy bloodshed. He knew how to wait for the right moment and act deliberately, knew how to feel the situation.
9. After the death of his first wife, Ivan III did not remain single for long. His new darling becomes the heiress of the Byzantine emperors - Zoya (Sophia) Paleolog. The Pope hoped through this marriage to influence the head of the Russian state, but he was mistaken in his expectations. Of course, Sophia made changes in the life of the subjects of the Grand Duke, but this influence benefited only Russia, but not the pope. Sophia was a strong-willed and intelligent woman.
10. Having become the wife of Ivan III, Sophia now considered Russia her patrimony and thought about her good. Under her influence, the princely court acquired splendor, beauty and grandeur. Sophia contributed to the construction of the Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals. Under her, the Faceted Chamber was built. Moscow was decorated and flourished. Ivan consulted with his wife, including on political issues. The couple lived in perfect harmony for 20 years. Ivan grieved so much after the death of Sophia that he died out after 2 years.

Ivan III was one of those sovereigns who knew how to set a goal and methodically, unhurried, but confident steps to go towards it. His whole life shows that the main subject of his thoughts, his tireless concerns was the good of the state. He even chose his wife not on the basis of personal preferences (Sofya was not distinguished by beauty), but thinking about the future of Russia, about strengthening her international position. Ivan III deserves the grateful memory of his descendants. Contemporaries understood this - it was not for nothing that he became Holy and Great during his lifetime.

Grand Duke of 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 the most important part of the final stage of the unification of Russian lands. It is to him that the merits of overcoming the specific fragmentation and dependence on the Horde in Russia belong, the exit of the young Russian state to international arena, creating new mechanisms for governing the country.

Childhood, youth

Ivan III was born on January 22, 1440. He was the eldest son in the family of Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II Vasilyevich, nicknamed "Dark" and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Yaroslavna, nee Princess Serpukhovskaya (the first-born of the couple, Yuri, having lived a little over 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 prince's throne, which in Soviet historical science was 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 couple had a single famous kid- son Ivan.

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, an invalid at the head of state, the approval of the rights of the heir, and subsequently real help in the burden of management became a matter of special importance. However, for a long time, the participation of Ivan III in public life was rather nominal and was limited to the 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 resisted 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 relatives who were younger in status - appanages, independent of the central government, into which the ruling princes did not 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 an exhausting 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. main goal 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, great changes also took place in the foreign policy of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which equally reflected both the level of his claims and serious changes in geopolitical map of Eastern Europe, starting from the middle of the 15th century (the fall of Byzantium, the rapid strengthening Ottoman Empire, split 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, from the end of the 1460s, the Arabic inscription “this is Moscow money” appears on Moscow coins, which, apparently, was associated with the strengthening of tributary relations. Thus, a difficult situation required concentration foreign policy it is in the eastern direction, and it is no coincidence that the first campaign of the Moscow army in the reign of Ivan III, which took place already in 1462, was directed 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 Livonian Order. From the late 1460s ancient city on the Velikaya River is 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 Northern Urals), a 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 military hike. 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 of exceptional 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 (the phrase “ by 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 highlight 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. By the beginning of the 16th century, a significant part of the Orthodox lands had been 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 of Ivan III with 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.”

Grand Duke of Moscow and All Russia (1462-1505).

Ivan III Vasilyevich was born on January 22, 1440. He was the son of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dark (1415-1462) and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Yaroslavna, daughter of the Serpukhov prince.

Ivan III Vasilyevich was brought up at the court of his father. In 1452, the young prince personally led the Moscow army during the internecine war. In 1456, he, along with his father, took a real part in government. Shortly before his death in 1462, he made a will, according to which he divided the grand-ducal lands among his sons. As the eldest son, Ivan III Vasilyevich received not only the great reign, but also the main part of the territory of the state - 16 main cities (not counting, which he was supposed to own together with his brothers). Having become the Grand Duke, Ivan III Vasilyevich for the first time since the invasion of Batu did not go to the Horde to receive a label.

Continuing the policy of his father, Ivan III Vasilyevich subjugated the principalities by force or diplomatic agreements: Yaroslavl (1463), Rostov (1474), Tver (1485), Vyatka land (1489), etc. In 1467-1469 he successfully conducted military operations against Kazan khanate, achieving its vassalage. In 1471, Ivan III Vasilyevich made a campaign against and, thanks to a simultaneous attack on the city in several directions by professional soldiers, won the last feudal war in Russia, including the Novgorod lands in the Russian state. In 1478, the Novgorod feudal republic also formally ceased to exist.

In 1480, the Horde Khan Akhmat moved a huge army to Russia, wanting to subjugate the country again, which had not paid tribute since 1476. At this time, the main forces of the Russians were diverted to the war with the Livonian Order on the northwestern borders of the state. Feudal rebellion younger brothers Grand Duke also weakened the forces of Ivan III Vasilyevich. In addition, Khan Akhmat concluded an agreement with the Polish king Casimir IV. Forces last Ivan III Vasilyevich managed to neutralize thanks to a peace treaty with the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray. In an effort to bypass the regiments of the Grand Duke, who stood in, Akhmat made a roundabout maneuver, but his attempt to force the Ugra River failed. For the first time, Russian lungs were used on the battlefield. field guns- "squeaked", thanks to which the Horde were repulsed from the fords. After a long “standing on the Ugra”, accompanied by minor skirmishes, in November 1480 Akhmat began to retreat and flee. The military success of Ivan III Vasilyevich put an end to the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia.

The victory over external enemies allowed Ivan III Vasilyevich to liquidate most of the destinies. After the wars with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1487-1494 and 1500-1503), many Western Russian cities went to the Russian state: Chernigov, Novgorod-Seversky, Gomel, and others.

The strengthening of the central government under Ivan III Vasilyevich required the improvement of the government apparatus, new governing bodies were created - orders. The first legislative code of the Russian state appeared - the Sudebnik of 1497. The court life of the grand-ducal palace in the Moscow Kremlin became more complicated and ceremonial.

Ivan III Vasilyevich developed an active diplomatic activity, the tasks of which were also subordinated to dynastic politics. In 1472, two years after the death of the Grand Duke's first wife, he entered into a second marriage. His wife, the niece of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI. Thanks to this marriage, the family of the Grand Dukes of Moscow became related to the last dynasty of Byzantium, and the double-headed eagle of the Paleologs first appeared in Russian state symbols.

Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilyevich died on October 27, 1505 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

In general, we can say that the reign of Ivan III Vasilyevich was extremely successful, and the nickname of the Grand Duke, “The Great”, widespread in science and journalism, characterizes the scale of the deeds of this outstanding politician era of the creation of a unified Russian state.