The reign of Ivan III and his contribution to the collection of Russian lands. Vasily iii ivanovich - the last collector of the Russian land Ivan 3 the collector of the Russian land

On March 28, 1462, Ivan III became the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The activities of the Sovereign of all Rus' carried a truly "revolutionary" character for the development of Russia. The activities of the Sovereign of all Russia.

Collected land

It is no coincidence that Ivan III got the nickname “The Great”. It was he who managed to gather the scattered principalities of northeastern Russia around Moscow. During his lifetime, the Yaroslavl and Rostov principalities, Vyatka, Velikaya Perm, Tver, Novgorod and other lands became part of a single state.

Ivan III was the first of the Russian princes to accept the title "Sovereign of All Russia" and introduced the term "Russia" into everyday life. The Grand Duke transferred to his son a territory several times larger than he inherited himself. Ivan III took a decisive step towards overcoming feudal fragmentation and liquidation of the specific system, laid the economic, political, legal and administrative foundations of a single state.

Liberated Russia

For another hundred years after the Battle of Kulikovo, Russian princes continued to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. The role of the liberator from the Tatar-Mongol yoke fell to Ivan III. The standing on the Ugra River, which happened in 1480, marked the final victory of Russia in the struggle for its independence. The Horde did not dare to cross the river and engage in battle with the Russian troops. Payments of tribute stopped, the Horde was mired in civil strife and by the beginning of the 16th century it ceased to exist. Moscow, however, has once again established itself as the center of the emerging Russian state.

Accepted by the Code of Law

The Code of Law of Ivan III, adopted in 1497, laid the legal foundations for overcoming feudal fragmentation. The Code of Law established uniform legal norms for all Russian lands, thereby securing the leading role of the central government in regulating the life of the state. The code of laws covered a wide range of life issues and affected all segments of the population. Article 57 limited the right of peasants to move from one feudal lord to another week before and a week after St. George's Day. This laid the foundation for the enslavement of the peasants. The Code of Law was progressive for its time: at the end of the 15th century, not every European country could boast of a single legislation. The Ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire Sigismund von Herberstein translated a significant part of the Code of Law into Latin. These records were also studied by German lawyers, who compiled the all-German code of laws ("Caroline") only in 1532.

Began the path to empire

The unification of the country demanded a new state ideology and its foundations appeared: Ivan III approved the two-headed eagle as the symbol of the country, which was used in the state symbols of Byzantium and the Holy Roman Empire. The marriage of Sophia Palaeologus, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, gave additional grounds for the emergence of the idea of ​​the continuity of the grand ducal power from the Byzantine imperial dynasty. The origin of the Russian princes was also conducted from the Roman emperor Augustus. Already after the death of Ivan III, the theory "Moscow - the Third Rome" grew out of these ideas. But it's not just about ideology. Under Ivan III, Russia began to actively establish itself in the European arena. The series of wars he waged with Livonia and Sweden for domination of the Baltic marks the first stage on Russia's path to the empire proclaimed by Peter I two and a half centuries later.

Provoked an architectural boom

The unification of the lands under the rule of the Moscow principality gave rise to the flourishing of Russian culture. Throughout the country, intensive construction of fortresses, churches and monasteries was carried out. It was then that the red wall of the Moscow Kremlin was erected, and it turned into the strongest fortress of its time. During the life of Ivan III, the main part of the architectural ensemble of the Kremlin, which we can observe today, was created. The best Italian masters were invited to Russia. Under the leadership of Aristotle Fiorovanti, the five-domed Assumption Cathedral was erected. Italian architects erected the Faceted Chamber, which became one of the symbols of royal greatness. Pskov craftsmen built the Cathedral of the Annunciation. Under Ivan III, about 25 churches were built in Moscow alone. The flourishing of Russian architecture convincingly reflected the process of creating a new, unified state.

Created a loyal elite

The formation of a single state could not take place without the creation of an elite loyal to the sovereign. The local system has become an effective solution to this problem. Under Ivan III, there was an increased recruitment of people, both for military and civilian service. That is why precise rules for the distribution of state lands were created (they were transferred to temporary personal ownership as a reward for service). Thus, an estate of service people was formed, who were personally dependent on the sovereign and owed their well-being to the state service.

Introduced orders

The largest state that was developing around the Moscow principality demanded a unified system of government. Orders became her. The main state functions were concentrated in two institutions: the Palace and the Treasury. The palace was in charge of the personal lands of the Grand Duke (that is, state), the Treasury was at once the Ministry of Finance, and the chancellery, and the archive. Appointment to positions took place according to the principle of parochialism, that is, depending on the nobility of the family. However, the very creation of a centralized government apparatus was extremely progressive. The order system, founded by Ivan III, finally took shape during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, and existed until the beginning of the 18th century, when it was replaced by Peter's colleges.

It is in fairy tales that heroes “lay on the stove” for up to thirty-three years. In reality, everything was much more sad. In 1359, thirty-three years old, Ivan II Ivanovich Krasny died - the son of Ivan I Kalita, Prince of Zvenigorodsky until 1354, Prince of Moscow and Grand Duke Vladimir in 1353-1359, Prince of Novgorod in 1355-1359.

The untimely departed prince has a son, Dmitry Ivanovich. But at the time of his father's death, the prince's son was only nine years old - not so much to manage the vast lands that Prince Ivan managed to collect under his hand. Metropolitan Alexy became the guardian of young Dmitry. In the world his name was Elevfery Fedorovich Byakont. Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, Alexy acquired great political influence during the reign of Ivan II. Therefore, after the death of the prince, he actually concentrated in his hands real power in the Moscow principality, becoming a regent under the minor Dmitry.

Prince Dmitry would later become the leader of the anti-Horde resistance and enter as one of the most prominent defenders of the Russian land. But if Dmitry personified the political and military leadership of the actions of the Moscow principality against its many opponents - Lithuanians, Horde, rivals from among other Russian princes, then Metropolitan Alexy stood at the foundations of the formation of the very idea of ​​liberation from the Golden Horde yoke. Firstly, it was Metropolitan Alexy who over the course of many years was in charge of the foreign policy of the Moscow principality. The main enemy of the Moscow principality during this period was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Metropolitan Alexy acted very skillfully, imparting an ideological character to this confrontation.

The struggle of the Moscow principality with Lithuania began to be seen as a confrontation between the Christian world and the pagans. After all, a significant part of Lithuania at that time was still pagan, and this circumstance could not but be used by the far-sighted Metropolitan Alexy for his own purposes. In the 60s of the XIV century. Metropolitan Alexy will excommunicate the princes Svyatoslav of Smolensk, Mikhail of Tver, and even Bishop of Tver Vasily, who sided with the Lithuanian Olgerd for an alliance with the pagans. Patriarch Philotheus in 1370 issued a letter supporting the actions of Metropolitan Alexy and condemning the princes, whom Philotheus suggested to repent and join Prince Dmitry of Moscow.

Metropolitan Alexy was not only the de facto ruler of the Grand Duchy of Moscow at the time when Dmitry was still a very young man, but also raised the prince, was his mentor and, perhaps, it was these lessons of the saint that made Dmitry a fighter for the liberation of the Russian land. When the question arose about the choice of the Grand Duke of Vladimir, Metropolitan Alexy used his influence at the court of the khans of the Golden Horde and did everything in his power to approve Dmitry Ivanovich as the Grand Duke of Vladimir. By the way, the label to Dmitry Ivanovich was given by the beklyarbek of the Golden Horde Mamai - the one with whose army, 18 years later, Dmitry's heroes clashed on the Kulikovo field.

In the Golden Horde, the title of beklarbek was held by the highest dignitary who ruled over the entire state administration. In fact, it was an analogue of a modern head of government. Temnik Mamai (1335-1380), becoming a beklarbek of the Golden Horde in 1361, managed to concentrate in his hands almost all of the power in the weakening Horde. The only thing that prevented him from proclaiming himself a khan was the lack of kinship with the Chingizids. Therefore, Mamai remained a beklyarbek, and placed on the throne the puppet khan Abdullah, the youngest of the ten sons of Uzbek khan. In fact, the power in the Horde was in the hands of Mamai, who successfully repelled the attempts of other khans - rivals of Abdullah to take power in the state into their own hands.

At first, Dmitry Moskovsky even enjoyed a favorable attitude from Mamai. It was Mamai who, at the suggestion of Metropolitan Alexy, organized a shortcut to Dmitry for the great reign of Vladimir. However, then the strengthening of the Moscow principality alerted Mamai. The Golden Horde began to seek an alliance with the opponents of the Moscow principality. Mikhail Alexandrovich Tverskoy has long been a well-known opponent of the Moscow principality and an old ally of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He maintained good relations with the Lithuanian prince Olgerd, which was explained quite simply - Mikhail's sister Juliania Alexandrovna was married to Olgerd. Therefore, the Tver prince, when he felt that he could not cope with his next enemy, turned to his son-in-law for help. When in August 1370 the troops of Dmitry of Moscow plundered the Tver principality, Mikhail was forced to flee to Lithuania. In 1371 he went to the Golden Horde in order to get a label from the khan for the great reign in Vladimir. Beklyarbek Mamai, on behalf of Khan Abdullah, gave Mikhail Alexandrovich the coveted label and even offered military assistance for confirmation on the princely throne in Vladimir. However, Michael abandoned the Horde troops. Together with him, only the authorized ambassador of the Golden Horde Sary-Khoja went to Russia. However, when Sary-Khoja called Dmitry of Moscow to appear in Vladimir to the Grand Duke, Dmitry refused and said that he would not let Mikhail into the reign of Vladimir.

Soon Dmitry of Moscow went to Sarai, where he met with Mamai and managed to convince the actual ruler of the Golden Horde of the need to leave him as the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Mamai agreed with Dmitry's arguments, and the Horde recalled to Mikhail Tverskoy that he initially refused the help of the Horde troops and hoped to take power in Vladimir himself, so now he should not expect support from the khan. Issuing a label to Dmitry for the great reign of Vladimir, Mamai made a serious mistake. The young Moscow prince (and Dmitry was only twenty-one years old at that time) was able to become the main figure in the emerging anti-Horde opposition of the Russian princes. Already in 1374, Dmitry of Moscow seriously parted ways with Mamai, apparently either having stopped paying tribute to the Golden Horde, or having reduced its size many times over. Mamai's retaliatory move was the re-issuance of a label for the Vladimir Grand Reign to Mikhail Alexandrovich Tverskoy, but she could no longer correct the situation. Dmitry undertook a campaign in the Tver lands and forced Mikhail Tverskoy to call himself the younger brother of the Moscow prince.

In 1376, Dmitry of Moscow sent an army, commanded by Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky, who had gone over to him, to the Volga Bulgaria. There Dmitry established Russian customs posts. This was an incredible advance, since the Volga Bulgaria was a Turkic territory and was outside the then “Russian world”. Mamai's retaliatory measures included periodic raids on Ryazan and several other Russian cities. In 1378, 5 tumens (10-thousandth detachments) of the Golden Horde, commanded by Murza Begich, set out on a campaign against the Moscow principality, but on the Vozha River, in the Ryazan region, they were defeated by Dmitry's princely squad.

In an effort to retain control not only over the military-political life of the Moscow principality, but also over the religious sphere, Dmitry of Moscow, after the death of Metropolitan Alexy in the same year in 1378, refused to let Metropolitan Cyprian of Kiev, Russian and Lithuanian into Moscow. A native of the Bulgarian Tarnovo, Cyprian was a remarkable person - not only a religious figure, but also a translator of church books and a book writer. He was the only one of the high-ranking church hierarchs who completely refused to recognize the authority of the Golden Horde. After the death of Alexis, Cyprian hoped to arrive in Moscow. However, Dmitry sharply opposed the possible confirmation of Cyprian as metropolitan, since he wanted to see his confessor, priest Mityai, in this post. For this, Mityai even hastily took monastic vows and became archimandrite of the Spassky Monastery, Michael. Metropolitan Cyprian, who entered the Moscow principality, was detained, robbed and driven out of the principality in shame. After that, Cyprian betrayed Dmitry of Moscow anathema. Meanwhile, Archimandrite Michael - Mityai had already donned the clothes of a metropolitan and occupied the metropolitan chambers in Moscow. In his person, Dmitry Moskovsky wanted to see an obedient church leader.

The attempt to confirm Mityai as Metropolitan was met with ambiguity by the highest Orthodox clergy. We will not describe here all the vicissitudes and alignments in the Patriarchate of Constantinople of that time, but we will only note that several candidates were considered for the post of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia - and Michael-Mityai, and Cyprian, and Dionysius of Suzdal. Both the Patriarch of Constantinople and the influential Bishop of Suzdal Dionysius opposed the approval of Mikhail-Mityai. Mikhail-Mityai also went to Constantinople - and through Sarai, where he received support from Mamai. However, during his stay in Constantinople, Mikhail-Mityai died. The question of his confirmation as Metropolitan disappeared by itself. However, hegumen of the Pereslavl monastery Pimen, who was in the retinue of Mikhail, was approved as the metropolitan.

By the time of the events described, Hieromonk Sergius of Radonezh had acquired a great influence on Dmitry of Moscow. He was one of the companions of Metropolitan Alexy, and it was Sergius, according to the widespread version, that Alexy wanted to see his successor in the post of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, but Sergius stubbornly refused, being a modest man who strove for a simple monastic life. Sergius of Radonezh, like the late Metropolitan Alexy, was a zealous opponent of the Golden Horde and strongly opposed the cooperation of the Moscow principality with the Horde. Over time, he began to influence Dmitry of Moscow, convincing him to finally break off all relations with the Horde Khan and Beklyarbek Mamai.

In 1380, the relationship between Mamai and Dmitry of Moscow was finally upset. Despite the fact that Mamai was threatened by a horde of his main rival Khan Tokhtamysh, Beklarbek undertook a campaign towards Moscow, hoping to act together with the Lithuanian prince Yagailo and the Ryazan prince Oleg. From Dmitry of Moscow Mamai demanded to restore the payment of tribute. The prince refused and led his troops out to meet the horde of Mamai. On September 8, 1380, in the area south of the confluence of the Nepryadva River with the Don River, on the Kulikovo Field, one of the most significant battles in Russian history took place. Having emerged victorious in the battle on the Kulikovo field, Dmitry Moskovsky will forever go down in history as Dmitry Donskoy. Mamai was defeated and retreated to the Crimea, where he died in the same year.

The defeat of Mamai's troops symbolized the long-established real military and political strengthening of the Moscow principality. Dmitry Donskoy became the first among other Russian princes forced to recognize his seniority. Oleg Ryazansky, following Mikhail Tverskoy, also recognized himself as the younger brother of the Moscow prince. In 1381, Dmitry Donskoy invited Metropolitan Cyprian to Moscow. The clergyman, who was considered an implacable enemy of the Golden Horde, in the new situation was already an important political ally of Dmitry Donskoy.

During the twenty years during which Dmitry was in power, he was able to unite a significant part of the Russian lands around the Moscow principality. It was he who began the gradual elimination of the fragmentation of the Russian principalities, uniting them around Moscow. The Grand Duchy of Vladimir, the vast Pereyaslavl, Galich, Beloozersk, Uglich, Meshchera, Kostroma, Komi-Zyryan lands were under the control of the Moscow principality. In fact, under Dmitry Donskoy, the foundations of the Moscow / Russian statehood began to form, which took on a more perfect form after his death. In this political model, Orthodoxy became the main ideological and spiritual foundation of the Moscow principality, and the main political idea was the collection of the Russian lands and the confrontation of the opponents who attempted them - first of all, Lithuania and the Golden Horde. In his will, Dmitry Donskoy was the first to mention the great reign, which included Vladimir, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Beloozero, Kostroma, Dmitrov, Galich and Uglich. Dmitry Donskoy also demanded that the small princes live in Moscow, under the Grand Duke. This measure was supposed to help eradicate the fragmentation of Russian lands. Under Dmitry Donskoy, power in the Moscow principality began to be transferred vertically - from father to son. Who knows what else Dmitry Donskoy could have accomplished in his life if not for his untimely death. Dmitry Donskoy, like his father Ivan II Krasny, died at a young age - thirty-nine years old, in 1389. It is interesting that in everyday life the imperious and courageous prince was a very modest, very religious person - his upbringing by Metropolitan Alexy and the influence of St. Sergius of Radonezh affected. Legends have been preserved about Dmitry Donskoy as a very devout man, for whom prayer was no less important than a feat of arms, and the latter, in turn, was illuminated by prayer.

The exaltation of the image of Dmitry Donskoy began already in the 16th century. It is known that Ivan the Terrible treated Dmitry Donskoy with great respect and it was in his honor that he named his first-born Dmitry. Grozny considered himself to be the successor of the cause of Dmitry Donskoy - both regarding the gathering of Russian lands, and in the fight against the fragments of the Golden Horde - the Astrakhan, Kazan, Siberian (Tyumen) khanates. But the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Dmitry Donskoy only in 1988.

				"The Russian religious vocation, an exclusive vocation, is associated with the strength and greatness of the Russian state, with the exceptional significance of the Russian Tsar." ON. Berdyaev . "Ivan III is one of the most remarkable people whom the Russian people should always remember with gratitude, which, in justice, he can be proud of." Historian of the XIX century. ND Chechulin. "By the power he exercises over his subjects, he easily surpasses all the monarchs of the whole world." Sigismund von Herberstein
Ivan Vasilievich III. (22.01.1441-27.10.1505)

John III is one of the very few Sovereigns elected by Providence to decide the fate of nations for a long time: he is a Hero not only of Russian, but also of World History. John appeared in the political theater at a time when a new state system, together with the new power of the Sovereigns, arose in the whole of Europe on the ruins of a feudal or local system. For about three centuries Russia was outside the circle of European political activity, not participating in important changes in the civil life of peoples. Although nothing is done suddenly; although the praiseworthy efforts of the Princes of Moscow, from Kalita to Vasily the Dark, prepared a lot for Unity and our inner might: but under John III, Russia seemed to emerge from the gloom of shadows, where it did not yet have a solid image or the full existence of a state.

Grand Duke Ivan Vasilievich- Grand Duke of Moscow (1462-1505), sovereign of all Russia,found himself in the shadow of his famous grandson Ivan IV, although his merits in the creation of Russian statehood are immeasurably higher than the very dubious successes of the first Russian tsar. Ivan III, in fact, created the Russian state, laying down the principles of state administration inherent in Russia in the 16th-20th centuries.

In the second half of the 16th century, after the horrors of the oprichina, the nickname of his grandfather - Ivan the Terrible - passed to his grandson, so that in the folklore of later times, many of the former's deeds were "attributed" to the latter.

Back in the 19th century, historians appreciated the contribution of each of these sovereigns, but they could not "overcome" the stereotype that had developed by that time.

Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilyevich did not formally proclaim himself "tsar", but the word "state" was first heard from his lips.

The volume of his "state" power was in no way less than the tsar's.

The Moscow Tsar Ivan III Vasilievich received the nickname Great from historians. Karamzin put him even higher than Peter I, for Ivan III did a great state matter without resorting to violence against the people.
The explanation is generally simple. The fact is that we all live in a state created by Ivan III. When in 1462 year he ascended the throne of Moscow, the Moscow principality was still from everywhere surrounded by Russian appanage possessions: the lord of Veliky Novgorod, the princes of Tver, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Ryazan. Ivan Vasilyevich subdued all these lands either by force or by peaceful agreements. So at the end of his reign, in 1505 year, Ivan III had on all the borders of the Moscow state already only one of the heterodox and foreign neighbors: Swedes, Germans, Lithuania, Tatars.

Ivan Vasilyevich, being one of the many appanage princes, even the most powerful, having destroyed or subjugated these possessions, turned into a single sovereign of the whole people.He completed the collection of Russian lands that were in the sphere of influence of the Horde. Under him, the stage of political fragmentation of Russia ended, and the final liberation from the Horde yoke took place.

Tsar Ivan the Terrible in his famous letters called his grandfather Ivan III " an avenger of lies ", recalled“The great sovereign Ivan Vasilievich, the collector of Ruski land and owner of many lands”.

We find a very high assessment of the activities of Ivan III in foreign sources, moreover, they especially emphasized the foreign policy and military successes of the Grand Duke. Even King Casimir IV, a constant opponent of Ivan III, described him as “ a leader famous for many victories, with a huge treasury ", and warned against "frivolous" action against his power. Polish historian of the early 16th century. Matvey Mekhovsky wrote about Grand Duke Ivan III: “He was an economic and useful sovereign of his land. He ... by his prudent activities subordinated to himself and forced to pay tribute to those to whom he himself had paid it earlier. He conquered and brought to submission the multi-tribal and multilingual lands of Asiatic Scythia, stretching widely to the east and north. "

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In the middle of the 15th century. weakened Lithuania, which found itself under the blows of the Crimean and Horde khans, Hungarians, Livonians, Danes, Russians. The Kingdom of Poland helped Lithuania a lot, but the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, who dreamed of independence, were not always happy with this help. And the Poles themselves did not feel quite comfortable because of the constant onslaught from the west (from the German emperors) and from the south (from the Hungarians and steppe inhabitants). A new force began to emerge in Scandinavia - Sweden, while still dependent on Denmark, but itself controlling Finland. Sweden's time will come in 1523, when, under King Gustav I, it will be freed from Denmark. However, even during the time of Ivan III, she influenced the course of affairs in the Baltic region. In the East of Moscow in the 1440s. the Kazan Khanate was created - not very strong, but young and daring. The Golden Horde now controlled only insignificant territories in the lower reaches of the Don and Volga. Ottoman Turks got stronger across the Black Sea. In 1453. they crushed the Byzantine Empire, continued their conquests in the Balkans and in other parts of Eurasia. But they will not get to Eastern Europe so soon as to prevent Prince Ivan III from playing his diplomatic games here, on the result of which the success of the whole Russian cause largely depended.

Severe childhood

Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilievich, second son of the Grand Duke Moskovsky Vasily II Vasilyevich Darkwas born in Moscow January 22, 1440 years and was the great-grandson of Dmitry Donskoy, the winner in the Battle of Kulikovo. Ivan's mother is Maria Yaroslavna, daughter of Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich Borovsky.An interesting prophetic prediction associated with Ivan III and free Novgorod, always waging a stubborn struggle with Moscow for its political independence. In the 40s. In the 15th century, blessed Michael, known in the paternal calendar under the name of Klopsky, asceticised in the Novgorod monastery on the Klopsk piedmont tract. It was in 1400 that the local Archbishop Euthymius visited him. The blessed one said to the lord:"And today there is great joy in Moscow. The Grand Duke of Moscow gave birth to a son, who was given the name Ivan. He will destroy the customs of the Novgorod land and bring death to our city.and the ruin of the custom of our land will be from him, he will take a lot of gold and silver, and he will become the ruler of the whole Russian land. "

Ivan was born in a stormy time of wars, civil strife and strife. It was restless on the southern and eastern borders of Russia: numerous khans of the Horde that had disintegrated by that time often made devastating raids on the Russian lands. Ulu-Muhammad, who ruled the Great Horde, was especially dangerous. On July 7, 1445, in the battle of Suzdal, Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich himself was captured by the Tatars. To complete all the troubles, on July 14, Moscow burned down to the ground: stone churches and part of the fortress walls collapsed from the fire. Because of this, the Grand Duchesses - the grandmother of our hero Sofya Vitovna and mother Maria Yaroslavna - left for Rostov with their children. Fortunately, the Tatars did not dare to go to the defenseless Russian capital.

October 1 Ulu-Muhammad, setting a huge ransom,let Vasily Vasilyevich go home. The Grand Duke was accompanied by a large Tatar embassy, ​​which was to oversee the collection of the ransom in various Russian cities. The Tatars received the right to manage them until they collect the required amount.

This dealt a terrible blow to the prestige of the Grand Duke, which Dmitry Shemyaka did not take advantage of. In February 1446, Vasily Vasilyevich, taking with him the sons of Ivan and Yuri the Lesser, went on a pilgrimage to the Trinity Monastery -"hit Sergiev's coffin with your forehead", To "The patron of the Russian land and the intercessor before the Lord God."In his absence, Prince Dmitry, having entered Moscow with an army, arrested Vasily Vasilyevich's mother and wife, as well as

many boyars who held the side of the grand duke, and he himself was soon taken into custody, the conspirators in a hurry forgot about his sons, and prince Ivan Ryapolovsky managed to hide the princes Ivan and Yuri in the monastery chambers, after which he took them to Murom.

On the night of February 17-18, their father was blinded by the order of Dmitry Shemyaka, after which he was exiled to Uglich. Such a cruel punishment was the revenge of the new Grand Duke: in 1436, Vasily Vasilyevich repaired in this way with Vasily Kosy, who was captured by him, Dmitry Shemyaka's brother. Soon Ivan and Yuri followed their father into captivity in the same Uglich.

It turned out to be more difficult to hold on to power than to conquer. By the fall, a power vacuum had emerged. On September 15, 1446, seven months after the reign in Moscow, Dmitry Shemyaka released his blind rival to freedom, giving him a fiefdom in Vologda. This was the beginning of the end: soon all the opponents of the Grand Duke were drawn to the city. Abbot of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery Trifon freed Vasily the Dark from kissing Shemyake on the cross, and exactly one year after being blinded, the father of our hero solemnly returned to Moscow.

Dmitry Shemyaka, who fled to his fiefdom, continued the fight against Vasily the Dark for several more years. In July 1453, people sent by Vasily the Dark poisoned Shemyaka with arsenic.

Father's legacy

We can only guess,what feelings raged in the soul of Prince Ivan Vasilyevich in early childhood. At least three times - in 1445 and twice in 1446 - mortal fear should have seized him: the Tatar captivity of his father and the fire in Moscow, the flight to Murom, the Uglich confinement - all this fell to the lot of a five or six-year-old boy.

Life made the prince grow up early.From a very young age, hefound myself in the midst of a political struggle,became an assistant to his blind father. He was unremittingly close to him, participated in all his campaigns, and already at the age of six he was betrothed to the daughter of the Tver prince, which was supposed to mean the union of two eternal rivals - Moscow and Tver.

Since 1448 Ivan Vasilievich has been titled in the chronicles as the Grand Duke, just like his father. Long before his accession to the throne, many levers of power were in the hands of Ivan Vasilyevich; he carries out important military and political assignments. In 1448 he was in Vladimir with an army covering an important southern direction from the Tatars, and in 1452 he set off on his first military campaign. Since the beginning of the 50s. XV century. Ivan Vasilyevich, step by step, mastered the difficult craft of the sovereign, delving into the affairs of his blind father, who returning to the throne, he was not inclined to stand on ceremony not only with enemies, but in general with any potential rivals.

Public mass executions are an event unheard of in Russia before! - the reign of the blind man also ended: Vasily Vasilyevich, having learned about the intention of the servants to free Prince Vasily Yaroslavich from imprisonment, "Command all imati, and execute, and beat with a whip, and slash the hands, and cut the feet, and cut off the heads of others" .In the evening of March 27, 1462 for a year suffering from dry sickness (bone tuberculosis), Vasily the Dark died, passing the great reign to his eldest son Ivan and endowing each of the other four sons with extensive possessions.

With a firm hand

The father gave the young prince a fragile peace with his neighbors. It was restless in Novgorod and Pskov. In the Great Horde, the ambitious Akhmat came to power, who dreamed of reviving the Chinggisid state. Moscow itself was overwhelmed by political passions. But Ivan III was ready for decisive action. At twenty-two, he already possessed a strong character, statesmanship, diplomatic wisdom. Much later, the Venetian ambassador Contarini described it as follows:“The Grand Duke looks about 35 years old. He is tall and thin, but with all that he is a handsome man. " ... Other witnesses of his life noted that Ivan III knew how to subordinate his emotions to the requirements of circumstances, he always carefully calculated all the possible consequences of his actions, was in this respect an outstanding politician and diplomat, since he often acted not so much with a sword as with a word.

Unswerving in pursuit of the intended goal, he knew how to perfectly take advantage of the circumstances and act decisively when success was assured. Its main goal was the seizure of Russian lands and their firm annexation to Moscow. In this he followed in the footsteps of the ancestors and for a long time left an example to follow for the heirs. The unification of the Russian land has been considered an urgent historical task since the time of Yaroslav the Wise. Only by clenching all forces into a single fist, it was possible to defend against the steppe nomads, Poland, Lithuania, German knights and Swedes.

How did the Grand Duke begin his reign?

The main task was to ensure the security of the eastern borders. For this, it was necessary to establish political control over the Kazan

khanate. The ongoing conflict with Novgorod also demanded its resolution. As early as 1462, Novgorod ambassadors arrived in Moscow "for peace." A preliminary peace was concluded, and Ivan III managed, in the course of a difficult diplomatic game, to win over to his side another free city, Pskov, and thereby put pressure on Novgorod. As a result of this flexible policy, Ivan III began to play the role of an imperious arbiter in the disputes between Novgorod and Pskov, whose word is law. And in fact, he first appeared as the head of the entire Russian land.In 1463, using the diplomatic gift of the clerk Alexei Poluektov, he annexed to the Moscow state Yaroslavl, concluded peace with the prince of Tver, married the prince of Ryazan to his daughter, recognizing him as an independent prince.

In the years 1463-1464. Ivan III, "showing respect for the past," gave Pskov the governor whom the townspeople wanted. But when they wanted to "set aside" from the Novgorod ruler and create an independent bishopric, Ivan III showed toughness, did not follow the lead of the Pskovites and ordered, "respecting the old days," to leave everything as it was. Too much independence was not worth giving to Pskov.Here are the Livonian Order, Lithuania, Denmark, Hanseatic merchants, Swedes ...

In 1467. the plague came to Russia again. The people greeted her "with despondency and fear." People got tired of this villain. She killed more than 250 thousand people. And then Ivan III's beloved wife, the Grand Duchess Maria, suddenly died. Ivan III was looking for a way to stir up people who were not indifferent to life, but crushed by it. In the fall of 1467. he organized a trip to Kazan. The trip was unsuccessful. Kazan Khan Ibrahim responded in kind - he sent a detachment to Russia, but Ivan III, guessing about the course of the khan, fortified the border towns.

V 1468 the grand duke equips 3 hike east. The squad of Prince Semyon Romanovich passed through the Cheremis land (Vyatka region and part of modern Tatarstan), broke through the forests covered with snow, into the land of the Cheremis and began plundering. The squad of Prince Ivan Striga-Obolensky drove away the Kazanians who had invaded the Kostroma land. Prince Daniel Kholmsky defeated the raiders near Murom. Then the detachments of the Nizhny Novgorod and Murom residents themselves went to the Kazan Khanate to plunder.

These operations were a kind of reconnaissance in force. Ivan III prepared a large army and went to Kazan.

From a passive age-old defense, Russia has finally moved on to a strategic offensive. The scale of the hostilities was impressive, the persistence in achieving the goal was enormous.

The war with the Kazan Khanate ended with a convincing victory for the Russians in 1469 g., when the army of Ivan III approached the capital of the khanate, forced Ibrahim to admit defeat and "To conclude peace with all the will of the Sovereign of Moscow"... The Russians took a huge ransom and returned to their homeland all the prisoners whom Kazan had captured over the previous 40 years.

For some time, the eastern border of the Russian land became relatively safe: However, Ivan III understood that a decisive victory over the heirs of the Golden Horde could be achieved only after the unification of all Russian lands. And he again turned his gaze to Novgorod.

THE FIGHT OF PRINCE IVAN III WITH NOVGOROD

Ivan III did not have time to rejoice at his success, when rumors came about the free mood of the Novgorodians. Being an integral part of the Russian land, Novgorod for 600 years lived according to the laws of the veche republic. From time immemorial, the Novgorodians controlledthe entire north of modern European Russia, up to the Ural ridge, and conducted general trade with the countries of the West. Traditionally subordinate to the Grand Duke of Vladimir, they retained significant autonomy, including pursuing an independent foreign policy.

In connection with the strengthening of Lithuania in the XIV century, the Novgorodians began to invite Lithuanian princes to reign in the Novgorod cities (Koporye, Korela). Influence

Moscow weakened somewhat, so that part of the Novgorod nobility conceived the idea of ​​"surrendering to Lithuania." During the election of the Novgorod archbishopMartha, the widow of the mayor Isaac Boretsky, who had an oratorical talent and a talent for organizing, took matters into her own hands. She and her children spoke at the veche with an appeal to send the new Archbishop Theophilus for approval not to Moscow, but to Kiev, and also to send ambassadors to the Polish king Casimir with a request to take Novgorod under her patronage. Her wealth, as well as her parsimony, were legendary.

Gathering nobles for feasts, she scolded Ivan III, dreamed of a free Novgorod, of a veche, and many agreed with her, not knowing, however, how to resist Moscow. Martha knew. She built diplomatic bridges with Lithuania, wanted to marry a noble Lithuanian, to own Novgorod after its annexation to the principality of Lithuania,tear Novgorod away from Moscow...

Ivan III showed composure for a long time. The Novgorodians grew bolder, “they seized many of the revenues, lands and waters of the Prince; they took an oath from the residents only in the name of Novgorod; they despised John's Stewards and Ambassadors ... they did insults to the Muscovites. " It seemed time to rein in the boyars. But Ivan III said to an official who appeared in Moscow: “Tell the people of Novgorod, my fatherland, that they, admitting their guilt, correct themselves; they did not enter my lands and waters, they kept my name honestly and menacingly in the old days, fulfilling the vow of the godfather, if they want protection and mercy from me; say that patience is at an end, and that mine will not last. " The free-lovers laughed at Ivan III and were proud of the "victory" . They didn't expect a catch. Martha sent her sons to the veche. They showered verbal filth on the Moscow prince, spoke convincingly, ending their speech with an appeal: “We don’t want Ivan! Long live Casimir! " And voices answered them like an echo: "May Moscow disappear!"

Veche decided to ask Casimir to become the ruler of the Lord of Veliky Novgorod. Lord of the Lord!

Ivan III, collecting the troops of the allies, sent Ivan Fedorovich Tovarkov to the city. He read to the townspeople an appeal, not much different from what the Grand Duke had recently said to an official. This ostentatious slowness is called indecision by some historians. Martha was decisive. Her decisiveness destroyed her. Tovarkov, who returned to Moscow, told the Grand Duke that only "The sword can humble the Novgorodians." Ivan III hesitated all the time, as if he doubted his success. No! He had no doubts. But guessing that a lot of blood of his compatriots would be shed, he wanted to share responsibility for troubles with everyone he relied on: with his mother and the metropolitan, brothers and archbishops, with princes and boyars, with governors and even with commoners. In the course of a difficult diplomatic game, Ivan III managed to win over to his side another free city, Pskov, and thereby put pressure on Novgorod. As a result of this flexible policy, Ivan III began to play the role of an imperious arbiter in the disputes between Novgorod and Pskov, whose word is law. And in fact, he first appeared as the head of the entire Russian land. Ivan III sent a letter to Novgorod, where he considered it necessary to emphasize that the power of the Grand Dukes is of an all-Russian character. He urged the Novgorodians not to retreat "from the old days", elevating it to Rurik and Vladimir the Holy. "Old" in his eyes meant the unity of the Russian land under the rule of the Grand Duke. This is a fundamentally important moment in the new political doctrine of Ivan Vasilyevich: the understanding of the Russian land as a whole.The prince gathered the Duma, reported on the treason of the Novgorodians, heard a unanimous vote: “Sovereign! Take up arms! "- and after that did not hesitate. Ivan III acted deliberately and carefully, but, having weighed everything and gathered almost all the princes (even Mikhail of Tverskoy), announced in the spring 1471 war on the Novgorod Republic. And a huge army moved towards Novgorod. The townspeople did not expect such a turn of the matter. In the Novgorod land, where there are many lakes, swamps, rivers, it is difficult to fight in the summer. The unexpected offensive of the enemy puzzled the supporters of Marfa Boretskaya. The army marched in several columns. The Pskov squad capturedVyshegorod.

Daniil Kholmsky took and burned Russu... Novgorodians started talking about peace, or at least about an armistice. But Martha convinced her fellow citizens that the indecisive Ivan could be defeated. The war continued, and King Casimir never came to the aid of the Novgorodians. Many commoners did not want to fight Moscow. Daniil Kholmsky defeated at Korostynya the suddenly attacked army of Novgorodians, which consisted of artisan people. Many militias were captured. The winners cut off the unfortunate noses and lips and sent them to Novgorod.The warriors of Kholmsky did not take the weapons and uniforms of the traitors from Novgorod!

Ivan III ordered Prince Daniel Kholmsky to approach Sheloni, and on July 14, a decisive battle took place here. Shouting "Moscow!" the soldiers of the Grand Duke rushed into battle, whose squad was 8-10 times smaller than the army of Novgorod... As V.O. Klyuchevsky writes, "Novgorod hastily put on horses and moved into the field forty thousand of all kinds of rabble, potters, carpenters and other artisans, who had never been on a horse by birth." There were only four and a half thousand Muscovites. Nevertheless, this military army was enough to utterly crush the Novgorod crowd, putting in place up to 12 thousand of the enemy. The victory was complete and unconditional.The victors dealt mercilessly with the vanquished. Many boyars were taken prisoner, and a draft treaty on the annexation of Novgorod to Lithuania was also in the hands of the Muscovites.But with the rest of the prisoners, Ivan III acted gently, realizing that they were only a tool in the hands of traitors. He did not plunder and destroy Novgorod, resisted the temptation.

For several days the squads of Kholmsky and Vereisky plundered the very Novgorod land, Ivan III disposed of the fate of the captives. He cut off the head of Dmitry, the son of Martha Boretskaya, put someone in dungeons, and released someone to Novgorod.

Under the agreement of August 11, the Novgorodians pledged to pay a gigantic indemnity at that time in the amount of 15.5 thousand rubles, to give it to Moscow Drag and Vologda and completely terminate relations with the Polish-Lithuanian state.Ivan made peace by proclaiming his mercy: "I give up my dislike, take away the sword and the storm in the land of Novgorod and let it go full without payback." But from that day on, the Novgorodians swore allegiance to Ivan III, recognized him as the highest court, and their city - the patrimony of the Grand Duke of Moscow.

In the same days, the Moscow army captured Dvina land, its inhabitants swore allegiance to Ivan III. The victory won did not turn the head of the Grand Duke. The agreement did not match Moscow's military successes. Ivan III did not mention Martha Boretskaya in it, as if forgiving the woman for her offense. In the Shelonsky treaty, Perm was included in the Novgorod land, although the Moscow princes had long dreamed of rich Ural territories. Several months passed. People who arrived in Moscow reported that they, poor fellows, were offended by the inhabitants of Perm. Ivan III immediately sent an army to the offenders. Fyodor the Pestry, who led the squad, defeated the Perm army, organized a raid in the vicinity, captured many governors, and Permian swore allegiance to Ivan III in 1472. In the same year, the Golden Horde Khan Akhmat invaded the Russian land. The Russians did not let him go beyond the Oka. Akhmat retreated, but did not change his mind to fight with Russia.

Second marriage

April 22 1467 Ivan Vasilievich became a widow. His wife, Maria Borisovna, daughter of the Grand Duke of Tverskoy, was apparently poisoned: after her death her body was terribly swollen. The Grand Duke found the wife of the clerk Alexei Poluetovich guilty of witchcraft and dismissed him from office.

Now he was to acquire a new wife. In 1469, an embassy came from Rome with a marriage proposal to Ivan III: would the Grand Duke wish to marry a Greek princess?Sophia (Zoya) Paleologue? Sophia was the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, who was killed by the Turks on the walls of Constantinople in 1453.Her father Thomas Palaeologus, ruler of Morea, with his family, retinue, jewels and the last riches of the empire, as well as the relics of the Orthodox Church, appeared to Pope Sixtus IV, received a monthly salary, lived comfortably, died in Rome, leaving the sons of Andrew and Manuel and daughter Sophia in the care of the new Pope Paul II. The sons, receiving a stable salary, lived like carefree, wealthy heirs.

Only Sophia grieved in Rome. She could not find a worthy spouse in Europe. The bride was stubborn. She did not marry the king of France, she refused the Duke of Milan, showing a dislike for Catholics, surprising for her position.

Finally it was decided to try his luck at the court of the Moscow prince. The assignment was undertaken by a certain "Greek Yuri", in which you can recognize Yuri Trakhaniot, a confidant of the Palaeologus family. Arriving in Moscow, the Greek praised Ivan III of the nobility of the bride. her adherence to Orthodoxy and her unwillingness to convert to "Latinism". Negotiations on the Moscow marriage lasted three years.

In June 1472, in St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, Ivan Fryazin became engaged to Sophia on behalf of the Moscow sovereign, after which the bride, accompanied by a magnificent retinue, went to Russia.In October of the same year, Moscow met its future empress. In the still unfinished Assumption Cathedral, a wedding ceremony took place. The Greek princess became the Grand Duchess of Moscow, Vladimir and Novgorod. A glimpse of the millennial glory of the once mighty empire illuminated young Moscow.

In Italy, they hoped that the marriage of Sophia Palaeologus would ensure the conclusion of an alliance with Russia for the war with the Turks, who threatened Europe with new conquests.Italian diplomats formulated the idea that Moscow should become the successor to Constantinople.This alliance strengthened the ties of Russia with the West, but above all it demonstrated to the whole world that Princess Sophia was transferring the hereditary sovereign rights of Byzantium to Moscow, to the new Constantinople.For Russians, For a long time Byzantium was the only Orthodox kingdom, a stronghold of the true faith, and, having become related to the dynasty of its last "Vasilevs" - emperors, Russia seemed to declare its rights to the legacy of Byzantium, to a majestic spiritual role, religious and political vocation.

After the wedding, Ivan III commanded the Moscow coat of arms with the image George the Victorious striking a snake, combine with a two-headed eagle - the ancient coat of arms of Byzantium.

Saint George was a model of class honor: in Byzantium - for the military nobility, in Western Europe - for chivalry, in the Slavic countries - for princes.

In the 11th century, he came to Kievan Rus primarily as the patron saint of princes, who began to consider him their heavenly intercessor, especially in military affairs. One of the first Christian princes, Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise (in baptism, George) did especially much to glorify his holy patron: in Kiev he built a chapel in his honor in the Church of St. Sophia, opened a monastery, founded the city of Yuryev in Chudi, where he also erected the St. George Church. The face of St. George was also adorned with silver coins issued in Novgorod - silver coins ("Yaroslavl silver").

George the warrior was always portrayed with a weapon: with a shield and a spear, sometimes with a sword.

So, Moscow becomes the heir to the Byzantine Empire, and Ivan III himself, as it were, became the heir to the Byzantine Basileus - emperors. Ivan III, following the model of Byzantium, introduced for himself, as the supreme ruler of Russia, a new title: “John, by the grace of God sovereign of all Russia and the Grand Duke of Vladimir, and Moscow, and Novgorod, and Pskov, and Tver, and Ugra, and Perm, and Bulgarian, and others. "

Monomakh's hat with barmas became the attributes of royal power in the rite of ritual wedding to the kingdom (the church wedding with the sacrament of chrismation was also introduced by Ivan III for the first time).

In the course of diplomatic relations with Livonia and German cities, Ivan III called himself "The king of all Russia", and the Danish king called him "emperor"... Later, Ivan III in one of the letters called his son Vasily "the autocrat of all Russia."

The idea of ​​a worldwide role, which was then conceived in Russia "Moscow - the third Rome" led to the fact that Ivan III by many educated people began to be regarded as "the king of all Orthodoxy", and the Russian Orthodox Church as the successor of the Greek Church.This idea was confirmed and strengthened under Ivan III, although Monk Philotheus first expressed it two decades before his birth: "Like two Romes have fallen, and the third is standing, and the fourth will never be"... What did his words mean? The first Rome, corroded by heresy, fell in the 5th-6th centuries, giving way to the Second Rome - the Byzantine city of Constantinople, or Constantinople. This city became the guardian of the Orthodox faith and experienced many clashes with Mohammedanism and paganism. But his spiritual end came in the middle of the 15th century, when he was conquered by the Turks. And after the death of Byzantium, it was Moscow - the capital of Russia - that became the center of Orthodoxy - the Third Rome.

The liberation of Rus from the Tatar yoke, the unification of scattered small estates into a large Moscow state, the marriage of Grand Duke Ivan III to Sophia Palaeologus, the conquest of the kingdoms of Kazan and Astrakhan - all this justified in the eyes of contemporaries the idea of ​​Moscow's right to such a role.

The "Great Greek" Sophia Palaeologus, made a lot of effort so that this dynastic marriage strengthened Muscovy, facilitating its conversion to the Third Rome,

contrary to the aspirations of the Vatican to convert the Moscow sovereign through his young wife to the Union of Florence. She not only brought with her Byzantine regalia and ideas about the power of power, not only advised to invite Italian architects in order to make Moscow equal in beauty and majesty to European capitals, but insisted that Ivan III stop paying tribute to the Horde Khan and free himself from his power, encouragedthe Grand Duke to decisively fight the Tatars and to overthrow the Horde yoke.

She was the first to change the attitude towards women in Russia. The Byzantine princess, brought up in Europe, did not want to look at the world from a window.
The Grand Duke allowed her to have her own Duma from the members of the retinue and to arrange diplomatic receptions in her half, where she received foreign ambassadors and conducted a conversation. For Russia, this unheard-of innovation was the first in a long line that will end with the assemblies of Peter I, and the new status of the Russian empress, and then serious changes in the position of women in Russia.

On August 12, 1479, a new cathedral in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God was consecrated in Moscow, conceived and built as an architectural image of a unified Russian state. "That church is chyudna majesty and height, lightness and sonority and space, such has not been before in Russia, apart from (apart from) the Vladimir Church ..."- exclaimed the chronicler. The festivities on the occasion of the consecration of the cathedral, which is the creation of Aristotle Fiorovanti, lasted until the end of August. Tall, slightly stooped Ivan III stood out in the elegant crowd of his relatives and courtiers. Only his brothers Boris and Andrey were not next to him. However, not even a month had passed since the beginning of the festivities, when a formidable omen of future troubles shook the capital. On September 9, Moscow suddenly caught fire. The fire spread rapidly, approaching the walls of the Kremlin. All who could went to fight the fire. Even the Grand Duke and his son Ivan Molodoy put out the flames. Many who were timid, seeing their grand princes in the crimson reflections of the fire, also began putting out the fire. By morning, the elements were stopped.Did the tired Grand Duke then think that the most difficult period of his reign, which would last about a year, would begin in the blaze of the fire?

Massacre

It is then that everything that has been achieved over decades of painstaking state labor will be at stake. Rumors reached Moscow of an impending conspiracy in Novgorod. Ivan III again went there "peacefully". On the banks of the Volkhov, he spent the rest of the fall and most of the winter.

One from the results of his stay in Novgorod was the arrest of the archbishop of Novgorod Theophilos. In January 1480, the disgraced Vladyka was sent under escort to Moscow.The rebellious nobility locked themselves in Novgorod. Ivan III did not begin to destroy the city, realizing that the famine would end the matter. He put forward the requirements: "We, the grand dukes, want our state, as we do in Moscow, so we want to be in our homeland, Veliky Novgorod." As a result, he swore in all the townspeople, and also received half of all monastic lands. Since then, the Novgorod veche no longer met. Ivan III returned to Moscow, carrying the Novgorod Veche bell with him. This age-old symbol of the boyar republic was lifted up on the Kremlin Square, in the heart of the Russian land, and from now on, together with other bells, it was beating a new historical time - the time of the Russian state.

A tangible blow was dealt to the Novgorod opposition, but the clouds over the Grand Duke continued to thicken. For the first time in many years, the Livonian Order attacked the lands of Pskov with large forces. From the Horde came vague news about the preparations for a new invasion of Russia. At the very beginning of February, another bad news came - the brothers of Ivan III, princes Boris Volotsky and Andrei Bolshoi, decided to open rebellion and came out of obedience. It was not hard to guess that they would look for allies in the person of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Casimir and, perhaps, even Khan Akhmat, an enemy from whom the most terrible danger for the Russian lands came. Under these conditions, Moscow's assistance to Pskov became impossible. Ivan III hastily left Novgorod and went to Moscow. The state, torn apart by internal unrest, was doomed in the face of external aggression. Ivan III could not help but understand this, and therefore his first movement was the desire to settle the conflict with his brothers. Their discontent was caused by the planned offensive of the Moscow sovereign on the specific rights of semi-independent rulers that belonged to them, rooted in times of political fragmentation. The Grand Duke was ready to make big concessions, but he could not cross the line beyond which the revival of the former appanage system began, which brought so many disasters to Russia in the past. The negotiations that had begun with the brothers reached an impasse. Princes Boris and Andrey chose Velikie Luki as their headquarters - a city on the border with Lithuania - and negotiated with Casimir IV. He agreed on joint actions against Moscow with Kazimir and Akhmat.

In the spring of 1480, it became clear that it would not be possible to reach an agreement with the brothers. Besidesthe boyar elite of the Moscow state split into two groups: one advised Ivan III to flee; the other advocated the need to fight the Horde. Perhaps the behavior of Ivan III was influenced by the position of the Muscovites, who demanded decisive action from the Grand Duke..In those days, terrible news came - the khan of the Great Horde, at the head of a huge army, began a slow advance to Russia. “That same summer,” the chronicle narrates, “the mischievous Tsar Akhmat ... go to Orthodox Christianity, to Russia, to holy churches and to the Grand Duke, boasting of destroying holy churches and all Orthodoxy, capturing the Grand Duke himself, like under Baty Besh (It was)" . It was not in vain that the chronicler remembered Batu here. An experienced warrior and an ambitious politician, Akhmat dreamed of a complete restoration of Horde domination over Russia.In a series of bad news, one was gratifying, which came from the Crimea. Ivan Ivanovich Zvenets Zvenigorodsky, who was supposed to to conclude an alliance agreement with the warlike Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey at any cost... The ambassador was tasked with getting a promise from the khan that in the event of Akhmat's invasion of the Russian borders, he would hit him in the rear, or at least attack the lands of Lithuania, diverting the king's forces. The embassy's goal has been achieved. The agreement concluded in Crimea became an important achievement of Moscow diplomacy. A breach was made in the ring of the external enemies of the Moscow state. The approach of Akhmat presented the Grand Duke with a choice. One could lock oneself in Moscow and wait for the enemy, hoping for the strength of its walls. In this case, the vast territory would have been in the power of Akhmat and nothing would have been able to prevent the union of his forces with the Lithuanian ones. There was another option - to move the Russian regiments towards the enemy. This is exactly what Dmitry Donskoy did in 1380. Ivan III followed the example of his great-grandfather.The situation was becoming critical.

Standing on the Ugra river. End of the Horde yoke.

At the beginning of summer, large forces were sent to the south under the command of Ivan the Young and his brother Andrei Menshoy, loyal to the Grand Duke. Russian regiments deployed along the banks of the Oka, thereby creating a powerful barrier on the way to Moscow. On June 23, Ivan III himself set out on a campaign. On the same day, the miraculous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God was brought from Vladimir to Moscow, with whose intercession they associated the salvation of Russia from the troops of the formidable Tamerlane in 1395. During August and September, Akhmat was looking for a weak spot in the Russian defense. When it became clear to him that Oka was tightly guarded, he undertook a roundabout maneuver and led his troops to the Lithuanian border.Akhmat's troops moved unhindered through Lithuanian territory and accompanied by Lithuanian guides through Mtsensk, Odoev and Lyubutsk to Vorotynsk. Here the khan expected help from Casimir IV, but never received it. Crimean Tatars, allies of Ivan III, distracted the Lithuanian troops by attacking Podolia. Knowing that the Russians are waiting for him on the Okaregiments, Akhmat decided, passing through Lithuanian lands, to invade Russian territory through the Ugra River. Ivan III, having received information about such intentions, sent his son Ivan and brother Andrey Menshoy to Kaluga and to the bank of the Ugra.Ivan III urgently left for Moscow "for advice and council" with the Metropolitan and

boyars. A council was held in the Kremlin. Metropolitan Gerontius, mother of the Grand Duke, many of the boyars and higher clergy spoke in favor of decisive action against Akhmat. It was decided to prepare the city for a possible siege.Ivan III sent his family and treasury to Beloozero.Moscow settlements were burnt down, and their inhabitants were resettled inside the fortress walls. No matter how difficult this measure was, experience suggested that it was necessary: ​​in the event of a siege, wooden buildings located next to the walls could serve as fortifications or material for the construction of siege engines for the enemy. On the same days, ambassadors from Andrei Bolshoy and Boris Volotsky came to Ivan III, who announced the end of the rebellion... The Grand Duke granted the brothers forgiveness and ordered them to move with their regiments to the Oka. Then he left Moscow again. Meanwhile, on October 8, Akhmat tried to force the Ugra, but his attack was repulsed by the forces of Ivan the Young.The battles for the crossings continued for several days, which also did not bring success to the Horde. Soon the opponents took up defensive positions on the opposite banks of the river.Shootings broke out every now and then, but neither side dared to launch a serious attack. In this situation, negotiations began, as a result of which the Russian sovereign found out that the khan was not at all confident in his strength. But he himself did not want bloodshed, because, as the true owner of the Russian land, he was its builder, and any war leads to ruin.

Mengli-Girey, fulfilling his promise, attacked the southern lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. On the same days, Ivan III received a fiery message from the Archbishop of Rostov Vassian Rylo. Vassian urged the Grand Duke not to listen to crafty advisers who "they do not stop whispering in my ear ... deceitful words and advise ... not to resist adversaries", but to follow the example of former princes,"who not only defended the Russian land from the rotten (that is, not Christians), but also subjugated other countries." "Only take heart and be strong, my spiritual son," wrote the archbishop, "like a good warrior of Christ according to the great word of our Lord in the Gospel:" You are a good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep ... "

Colds set in. Ugra froze and from a water barrier every day more and more turned into a strong ice bridge connecting the warring

sides. Both the Russians and the Horde warlords began to get noticeably nervous, fearing that the enemy would be the first to decide on a surprise attack. The preservation of the troops became the main concern of Ivan III. The cost of the thoughtless risk was too great. In the event of the death of the Russian regiments, the road to the very heart of Russia was opened for Akhmat, and King Casimir IV would not fail to seize the opportunity and join the war. There was no certainty that the brothers and the recently subordinate Novgorod would remain loyal. And the Crimean Khan, seeing the defeat of Moscow, could quickly forget about his allied promises. Having weighed all the circumstances, Ivan III in early November ordered the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ugra to Borovsk, which in winter conditions represented a more advantageous defensive position. And then the unexpected happened! Akhmat, deciding that Ivan III would concede the coast to him for a decisive battle, began a hasty retreat, similar to an escape. Small Russian forces were sent in pursuit of the retreating HordeKhan Akhmat, for no apparent reason, suddenly turned back and went into the steppe,having plundered Kozelsk, which belonged to Lithuania, on the way back.What scared or stopped him?For those who watched from the sidelines how both armies almost simultaneously (within two days) turned back, without bringing the matter to a battle, this event seemed either strange, mystical, or received a simplified explanation: the opponents were afraid of each other, were afraid to accept battle. Contemporaries attributed this to the miraculous intercession of the Mother of God, who saved the Russian land from ruin.

The Russians later named the river Ugra "the belt of the Virgin"believing that through her prayers the Lord delivered Russia from the Tatars. And there are legends that Akhmat once saw a huge angelic host headed by the Virgin Mary on the other side in the sky - this was what shocked him so much that it made him turn his horses back.Ivan III with his son and all the army returned to Moscow, "And you rejoiced, and all people rejoiced with great joy."
On January 6, 1481, Akhmat was killed as a result of a surprise attack by the Tyumen Khan Ibak on the steppe headquarters, to which Akhmat retired from Sarai, probably fearing assassination attempts.sharing the fate of another unfortunate conqueror of Russia - Mamai.Civil strife began in the Big Horde.

It actually fell apart at the end of the 15th century into several completely independent khanates - Kazan, Crimean, Astrakhan, Siberian, Nogai Horde.

This was the end of the Horde yoke. Moscow welcomed the returning sovereign as its savior: ".. The great prince Ivan Vasilyevich came to Moscow ... and all people rejoiced in great joy. " But here it is necessary to take into account not only the military success of Ivan III, but also his diplomatic strategy, which was part of the general concept of the defensive campaign. Standing on the Ugra can be recognized as an exemplary victory plan, which can be proud of both the military and diplomatic history of our country.. The strategic plan for the defense of the Russian lands in 1480 was well thought out and clearly implemented. The diplomatic efforts of the Grand Duke prevented Poland and Lithuania from entering the war. The Pskovites, who stopped the German offensive by autumn, also contributed to the salvation of Russia. And Russia itself was no longer the same as in the XIII century, during the invasion of Batu, and even in the XIV century. - in front of the hordes of Mamai. The semi-independent, warring principalities were replaced by a strong, although not yet fully strengthened, internally Muscovite state. Then, in 1480, it was difficult to assess the significance of what happened. Many recalled the stories of their grandfathers about how, just two years after the glorious victory of Dmitry Donskoy at the Kulikovo field, Moscow was burned by the troops of Tokhtamysh. However, the story, which loves repetition, this time took a different path. The yoke that gravitated over Russia for two and a half centuries is over."From now on, our history accepts the dignity of a truly state, describing no longer senseless princely fights, but the deeds of the Kingdom gaining independence and greatness. The disagreement disappears along with our citizenship to the Tatars; surprise, they offer her a famous place in their political system, " - wrote N.M. Karamzin.

During the celebration of the 500th anniversary of standing on the Ugra River in 1980, a monument was unveiled on the banks of the legendary river in honor of a significant event in Russian history that took place in 1480 within the Kaluga Territory.

Conqueror

At the beginning of February 1481, Ivan Vasilyevich sent a 20-thousandth army to help the Pskovites, who had fought with their own forces for a long time.

Livonia... In a severe frost, the Russians "captured and burned all the German land from St. George's to Riga" and, according to the Pskov chronicler, "The German avenged twenty or more for his own." On September 1 of the same year, Ivan III, on behalf of the Novgorodians and the Pskovites, concluded a 10-year peace with Livonia, which finished off calmness in the Baltics for a while.

Later, in the summer of 1492, on the right bank of the Narva, Ivan III began the construction of the Ivangorod fortress opposite the German city of Rugodiva (Narva). The purpose of the construction of the fortress was to protect the Novgorod land from its western neighbors.

In the spring of 1483, the Russian army, led by Ivan Saltyk Travin, set off on a large campaign to the east - against the Voguli (Mansi). Having reached with fights first to Irtysh, the Russians plunged into ships and moved to Obi, and then along this mighty river - down to its lower reaches. Having subdued the local Khanty (Ugra), they managed to safely return to their homeland by the onset of winter.

The conquest of Tver and Vyatka

Five years after "standing on the Ugra", Ivan III took another step towards the final unification of the Russian lands: Tver principality... Long gone are the days when the proud and brave princes of Tver argued with the Moscow princes about which of them should collect Russia. History resolved their dispute in favor of Moscow. However, Tver remained one of the largest Russian cities for a long time, and its princes were among the most powerful.

Lithuania became the last hope of Mikhail Tversky. In 1484 he concluded a treaty with Casimir, which violated the points of an earlier agreement with Moscow. The spearhead of the new Lithuanian-Tver union was unequivocally directed towards Moscow. In response to this, in 1485 Ivan III declared war on Tver. Moscow troops invaded the Tver lands. Casimir was in no hurry to help his new ally. Unable to resist alone, Mikhail vowed that he would no longer have any relationship with the enemy of Moscow. However, soon after the conclusion of the peace, he broke his oath. Upon learning of this, the Grand Duke gathered a new army in the same year. The Moscow regiments approached the walls of Tver. Mikhail secretly fled the city. Tverichi, led by their boyars, opened the gates to the Grand Duke and swore allegiance to him. The independent Grand Duchy of Tverskoye ceased to exist. In 1489 Vyatka was annexed to the Russian state.- a remote and in many ways mysterious for modern historians land beyond the Volga. With the annexation of Vyatka, the task of collecting Russian lands that were not part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was completed. Only Pskov and the Grand Duchy of Ryazan remained formally independent. However, they were dependent on Moscow. Located on the dangerous borders of Russia, these lands often needed military assistance from the Grand Duke of Moscow. The authorities of Pskov have not dared to contradict Ivan III for a long time. In Ryazan, the young prince Ivan ruled, who was the grand-nephew of the grand duke and was obedient to him in everything.

Foreign policy successes of Ivan III

The Grand Duke led an active foreign policy. His important achievement was the establishment of allied relations with the German emperors - first with Frederick II, and then with his son Maximilian.Extensive ties with European countries helped Ivan III to develop the court ceremonial and the state emblem of Russia that had been in effect for more than one century.

By the end of the 80s. Ivan finally accepted the title of "Grand Duke of All Russia". This title has been known in Moscow since the XIV century, but it was during these years that it became official and turned from a political dream into reality. Two terrible calamities - political fragmentation and the Mongol-Tatar yoke - are a thing of the past. The achievement of the territorial unity of the Russian lands was the most important result of the activities of Ivan III. However, he understood that it was impossible to stop there. The young state needed strengthening from within. It was necessary to ensure the security of its borders.

In 1487, the grand ducal armies undertook a campaign against Kazan Khanate- one of the fragments of the disintegrated Golden Horde. Kazan Khan recognized himself as a vassal of the Moscow state. Thus, for almost twenty years, calm was ensured on the eastern borders of the Russian lands.

The children of Akhmat, who owned the Great Horde, could no longer gather under their banners an army comparable in number to the army of their father. Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey remained an ally of Moscow, he fettered the forces of both the Great Horde and the Polish-Lithuanian state, and friendly relations with him strengthened even more after in 1491, during the campaign of Akhmat's children to the Crimea, Ivan III sent Russian regiments to help Mengli. The relative calm in the east and south allowed the Grand Duke to address foreign policy issues in the west and northwest.

The central problem here was the relationship with Catholic Lithuania,which from time to time increased pressure on its Orthodox subjects, infringed on the rights of Orthodox Christians and implanted the Catholic faith.As a result of two Russian-Lithuanian wars (1492-1494 and 1500-1503), dozens of ancient Russian cities were included in the Moscow state, among which were such large ones as Vyazma, Chernigov, Starodub, Putivl, Rylsk, Novgorod-Seversky, Gomel, Bryansk, Dorogobuzh, etc. Title "the Grand Duke of All Russia "was filled in these years with new content. Ivan III proclaimed himself the sovereign not only of the lands subject to him, but of the entire Russian Orthodox population that lived on the lands that were once part of Kievan Rus. It is no coincidence that Lithuania for many decades refused to recognize the legitimacy of this new title.

By the beginning of the 90s. XV century. Russia has established diplomatic relations with many states in Europe and Asia. And with the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and with the Sultan of Turkey, the Grand Duke of Moscow agreed to speak only as an equal. The Moscow state, the existence of which only a few decades ago few knew in Europe, was rapidly gaining international recognition. Note that during the reign of Ivan III, the merchant from Tver Afanasy Nikitin made and described his Journey across the Three Seas.

Internal conversions

Inside the state, the remnants of political fragmentation gradually died away. Princes and boyars, who had recently possessed tremendous power, were losing it. Many families of the old Novgorod and Vyatka boyars were forcibly resettled to new lands. In the last decades of the great reign of Ivan III, the appanage principalities finally disappeared. After the death of Andrei Menshoy (1481) and the great-uncle of the Grand Duke Mikhail Andreevich (1486), the Vologda and Vereisk-Belozersky estates ceased to exist. The fate of Andrew the Bolshoi, the appanage prince of Uglitsky, was sad. In 1491 he was arrested and charged with treason. The elder brother recalled to him both the revolt in the difficult year for the country in 1480, and his other "incorrigations". There is evidence that later Ivan III repented of how cruelly he treated his brother. But it was too late to change anything - after two years of imprisonment, Andrei died. In 1494 the last brother of Ivan III, Boris, died. He left his Volotsk inheritance to his sons Fyodor and Ivan. According to the will, drawn up by the latter, most of the paternal inheritance due to him in 1503 passed to the Grand Duke. After the death of Ivan III, the specific system in its former meaning was never revived. And although he endowed his younger sons Yuri, Dmitry, Semyon and Andrey with lands, they no longer had real power in them. The destruction of the old appanage-princely system required the creation of a new order of governing the country. At the end of the 15th century. central government bodies began to form in Moscow - " orders ", who were the direct predecessors of Peter's "collegia" and ministries of the XIX century.

In the provinces, governors appointed by the Grand Duke himself began to play the main role. The army also underwent a change. In place of the princely squads, regiments consisting of landowners came. Landowners received from the state during their service inhabited lands, which brought them income. These lands were called "estates". Guiltiness or early termination of service meant the loss of the estate. Thanks to this, the landowners were interested in an honest and long service to the Moscow sovereign. In 1497 the Code of Law was published- the first nationwide set of laws since the times of Kievan Rus. The Code of Law introduced uniform legal norms for the entire country, which was an important step towards strengthening the unity of the Russian lands..

In 1490, at the age of 32, died the son and co-ruler of the Grand Duke, a talented commander Ivan Ivanovich Young. His death led to long dynastic crisis, which darkened the last years of the life of Ivan III. After Ivan Ivanovich was left a young son Dmitry, representing the older line of the grand duke's descendants. Another contender for the throne was the son of Ivan III from his second marriage, the future sovereign of all Russia Vasily III(1505-1533). Behind both applicants were dexterous and influential women - the widow of Ivan the Young, the Wallachian princess Elena Stefanovna and the second wife of Ivan III, the Byzantine princess Sophia Palaeologus... The choice between a son and a grandson turned out to be extremely difficult for Ivan III, and he changed his mind several times, trying to find an option that would not lead to a new series of civil strife after his death. At first, the "party" of supporters of Dmitry the grandson took the upper hand, and in 1498 he was crowned according to the previously unknown rite of the Grand Duke's wedding, somewhat reminiscent of the ceremony of wedding to the kingdom of the Byzantine emperors. Young Dmitry was proclaimed co-ruler of his grandfather. On his shoulders were laid the royal "barmas" (broad mantles with precious stones), and on his head - a golden "hat" However, the triumph of "the Grand Duke of All Russia Dmitry Ivanovich" did not last long. The very next year, he and his mother Elena fell into disgrace. And three years later, the heavy doors of the dungeon closed behind them.

Prince Vasily became the new heir to the throne. Ivan III, like many other great politicians of the Middle Ages, had to once again sacrifice both his family feelings and the fate of his loved ones as a sacrifice to the state's needs. Meanwhile, old age imperceptibly crept up to the Grand Duke. He managed to complete the work bequeathed by his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and their predecessors, the work in the holiness of which Ivan Kalita had believed, - " picking up "Russia.

His state

Summer 1503 g. the Grand Duke had a stroke. It's time to think about the soul. Ivan III, who often dealt abruptly with the clergy, was nevertheless deeply devout. The sick sovereign went on pilgrimage to the monasteries. Visiting Trinity, Rostov, Yaroslavl, the Grand Duke returned to Moscow.

There was no longer the ardor and daring of the first Moscow princes in him, but behind his prudent pragmatism, the lofty goal of life was clearly discerned. He was formidable and often terrified those around him, but he never showed thoughtless cruelty and, as one of his contemporary testified, he was "kind to people", did not get angry at a wise word spoken to him in reproach.

October 27, 1505 Ivan III, "By the grace of God, the sovereign of all Russia and the Grand Duke Volodymyr, and Moscow, and Novgorod, and Pskov, and Tver, and Yugorsky, and Vyatka, and Perm, and Bulgarian, and others" diedin Moscow 65 years old and was buried in the tomb of the great Moscow princes and kings of the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The reign of Ivan III lasted 47 years. Sophia Paleologue has been married to him for 30 years. She bore him five sons, the eldest of whom soon became the great Moscow prince Basil IV as well as four daughters.

By the end of his life, Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich had the opportunity to clearly see the fruits of his labors. Over the four decades of his reign, half-divided Russia turned into a powerful state that instilled fear in its neighbors.

The territory of the state expanded rapidly, military victories followed one another, and relations with distant countries were established. The old dilapidated Kremlin with small cathedrals already seemed cramped, and on the site of the dismantled ancient fortifications, powerful walls and towers made of red bricks arose. Spacious cathedrals rose within the walls. The new princely mansions shone with the whiteness of the stone. The Grand Duke himself, who took the proud title of "Sovereign of All Russia", donned gold-woven robes, and solemnly placed richly embroidered mantles - "barmas" - and a precious "hat" similar to a crown on his heir. But, for everyone - be he Russian or a foreigner, a peasant or a sovereign of a neighboring country - to realize the increased importance of the Moscow state, external splendor alone was not enough. It was also necessary to find new concepts - ideas, which would reflect the antiquity of the Russian land, and its independence, and the strength of its sovereigns, and the truth of its faith. This search was undertaken by Russian diplomats and chroniclers, princes and monks. Collected together, their ideas made up what is called ideology in the language of science. The beginning of the formation of the ideology of a unified Moscow state dates back to the reign of Grand Duke Ivan III and his son Vasily (1505-1533). It was at this time that two main ideas were formulated, which remained unchanged for several centuries - ideas of God's chosenness and independence of the Moscow state. Now everyone had to learn that in the east of Europe a new and strong state appeared - Russia. Ivan III and his entourage put forward a new foreign policy task - to annex the western and southwestern Russian lands that were under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In politics, far from everything is decided by one military force. The rapid rise of the power of the Grand Duke of Moscow led him to the idea of ​​the need to look for worthy justifications for his actions.

Finally, it was necessary to force Lithuania to admit that it owns the ancient Russian lands "not in truth", illegally.

The golden key that the creators of the ideology of a single Russian state picked up to several political "locks" at once became the doctrine of the ancient origin of the power of the Grand Duke. This was thought about before, but it was under Ivan III that Moscow loudly declared from the pages of the chronicles and through the lips of ambassadors that the Grand Duke received his power from God himself and from his Kiev ancestors, who ruled in the 10th-11th centuries. throughout the Russian land. Just as the metropolitans who headed the Russian Church lived first in Kiev, then in Vladimir, and later in Moscow, so the Great Dukes of Kiev, Vladimir and, finally, the Moscow Grand Dukes by God himself were placed at the head of all Russian lands as hereditary and sovereign Christian sovereigns. ... This is what Ivan III referred to when addressing the recalcitrant Novgorodians in 1472: "This is my patrimony, people of Novgorod, from the beginning: from grandfathers, from our great-grandfathers, from the Grand Duke Vladimir, who baptized the Russian land, from the great-grandson of Rurik, the first Grand Duke in your land. And from that Rurik to this day you knew the only kind of those great princes, first of Kiev, and up to the very Grand Duke Dmitry-Vsevolod Yuryevich Vladimirsky (Vsevolod the Big Nest, Vladimir prince in 1176-1212), and from that Grand Duke to me ... we own you ... " Thirty years later, during the peace negotiations with the Lithuanians after the war of 1500-1503, which was successful for Russia, the embassy clerks of Ivan III emphasized: "The Russian land from our ancestors, from antiquity, our fatherland ... we want to stand for our fatherland, how God will help us: we have God as a guide and our truth!" The clerks did not recall the "old days" by accident. In those days, this concept was very important.

That is why it was very important for the Grand Duke to declare the antiquity of his kind, to show that he is not an upstart, but the ruler of the Russian land according to "old" and "truth". No less important was the thought that the will of the Lord himself is the source of the great prince's power. This raised the Grand Duke even more above him under

In the 13th century, the country was exhausted under the humiliating yoke that the Mongol conquest imposed. The country was fragmented into smaller and larger principalities, which were at enmity among themselves. The process of unification of the Russian lands was slow and dragged on for two centuries. Who in history has shown himself as a collector of Russian lands? There are several outstanding princes who transformed fragmented Russia into an integral Russia.

The emergence of the Moscow principality

Dying, the great Alexander Nevsky gave his youngest two-year-old son Daniel a tiny lot, in the center of which was Moscow. Only at the age of fifteen did Daniil Alexandrovich begin to reign in his lands with great caution, trying to live peacefully with his neighbors, since he was weak.

Contemporaries appreciated the peaceful life of the Moscow principality, and people were drawn to it. Moscow slowly overgrown with merchant shops and craft workshops. Only towards the end of his life, Daniil Alexandrovich annexed to his lands Kolomna, which opened the way to the Volga, and Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, which was the "key" to the capital city of Vladimir. It can be considered that this was the first collector of the Russian lands. He died at the very beginning of the 16th century and left behind five sons who continued his policy.

Ivan Danilovich

Prince Ivan was the fourth son of Daniel, and he had practically no hopes of reigning in Moscow. But his three older brothers - Yuri, Boris and Afanasy - died and left no heirs. So, in 1325, at forty-two years old, Ivan I Danilovich began to reign in the Moscow lands. At this age, princes often died, and Prince Ivan's life had just begun. Then no one knew that he was a collector of Russian lands.

Two years later, the Horde was killed in Tver. This local uprising brought a punitive Mongol campaign against Russia. Prince Ivan was forced to go to suppress the uprising in Tver and as a result received Veliky Novgorod and Kostroma, as well as the throne of Vladimir.

Conventionally, Ivan Kalita became the senior prince over all the princes of Russia, such a right was given to him by the reign in Vladimir. Ivan Kalita established order firmly by any means. The collector of the Russian lands united in Moscow the ecclesiastical authority, which was formerly in Vladimir, with the secular one. For this, in 1326, he laid the foundation for Metropolitan Peter of the Church of the Mother of God. And after Kalita's death, the Orthodox see remained in Moscow. Whether the Russian princes liked it or not, Moscow united the entire northeast around it.

The personality of Ivan I Danilovich

He avoided by all means conflicts with the Horde, because this disrupted the peaceful course of life. Tribute to him was entrusted to collect from all over Russia and send it to the Horde after. But it was difficult. All under any pretext, especially Novgorodians, tried to evade paying tribute. It was necessary to frighten with the invasion, then to please the obstinate with gifts. It was especially difficult when the Horde demanded extraordinary payments. In addition, it was necessary to put things in order throughout the territory and harshly deal with the robbers, who attacked both tribute wagons and civilians. Thus, the number of robberies has decreased, the life of ordinary people has become easier.

Strange nickname

Prince Ivan received his nickname "Kalita" (purse, bag of money) for his ability to manage money, which he willingly distributed to the poor when leaving his chambers. He was immediately surrounded by a crowd, and for each there was a coin.

Even if the same person approached him several times, the prince never refused. So he received another nickname - Good. In addition, he, knowing how to save, always sent tribute in a timely manner, and therefore no one else from the Russian princes went to the Horde except him. This led to the fact that the exclusive right to communicate with the Horde was also assigned to his heirs. Ivan Danilovich used the accumulated money for the good of the principality: he bought Uglich, Belozersk and Galich. So he was, a collector of Russian lands.

Family life

The prince was married twice. The first wife was Elena, presumably the daughter of the Smolensk prince. The second wife was Ulyana, to whom Ivan left a rich inheritance and gold jewelry from his first wife.

"Great silence"

And the long-awaited peace was established in the country from 1328 to 1340. There were no more devastating raids by the "nasty". Cities were built and grew, the population, which no one destroyed and did not take in full, increased, a peaceful and calm life was established, forces were accumulated to fight the Mongols. Prince Ivan Kalita entered into dynastic marriages of sons and daughters with princes of Yaroslavl, Rostov and Belozersk in order to dispose of their estates. And he married the heir Simeon Ivanovich to the daughter of Gedimin to ensure the security of the western borders. Prince Ivan Danilovich is also a collector of Russian lands. This is undeniable.

At this time, Ivan Danilovich was strengthening Moscow. He built five cathedrals. Metropolitan Peter laid the first stone in the foundation of the Assumption Cathedral with his own hands. So Moscow turned into a religious capital.

Ivan Danilovich built a strong oak Kremlin in 1339. This was a very important matter. After all, the Mongols were very suspicious of any attempts to strengthen cities. Before his death, the prince took monastic vows and left his eldest son Simeon as heir. After the repose of Ivan Kalita, in 1340, his sons completed the decoration of temples with multicolored painting, ordered ritual utensils for jewelers, and cast new bells on the belfry.

Continuing the work of father and grandfather

The policy pursued by Ivan Kalita, the collector of Russian lands, was, in short, continued by his sons and Ivan Krasny. They learned everything from their father - to get along with neighbors and the Horde, to pacify the recalcitrant with gifts or threats. In Russia as a whole, peace reigned. And so time went on. The year 1359 came up. For thirty years of peace, a whole generation of people has grown up who did not know the raids of the Mongols. But the prince, whose glory did not fade in the centuries, Dmitry Ivanovich, could not come to terms with the economic and political dependence of Russia on the Horde. The Mongols no longer had the former unity. They were torn apart by internal contradictions. Dmitry Ivanovich decided to seize the right moment and overthrow the yoke.

He won the bloody Battle of Kulikovo in the early autumn of 1380, defeating the Mamayev army. But the time for the complete liberation of Russia has not yet come. Two years later, Tokhtamysh's troops ravaged and burned Moscow, and again the Moscow princes, humiliating themselves and fawning, went to the Horde khans with gifts and received

Ivan Vasilievich - the last collector of the Russian land

The son of Prince Vasily the Dark, who was blinded during the internecine wars by other Russian princes with high ambitions, from the age of eight sat next to his father and was his co-ruler. It was a tough, even tough school. Prince Vasily himself was a mediocre ruler, but his son turned out to be a powerful statesman.

Having ascended the Moscow throne in 1462, he did not go to the Mongols for a label to reign. Under him, the Moscow principality grew in land and people. He ended up decisively with the fragmentation of the state. Under him, the Yaroslavl (1463), Rostov (1474), Tver (1485) principalities, as well as the Vyatka land (1489) were annexed. In 1478, he destroyed the republic in Novgorod and completely subjugated the city with the lands to himself. Of course, this was the great prince - the collector of the Russian lands.

Restructuring of the Moscow Kremlin

The grandiose and large-scale work began in 1495. All the remnants of the walls of the old Kremlin were torn down, new high towers and walls were built, and the Neglinka River was dammed up.

It turned into a lake that guarded the Kremlin from the north from fires and enemies. They dug a moat along the eastern wall, and water from the lake flowed there. The Kremlin has become an impregnable island. In 1479, a new Assumption Cathedral was built inside the Kremlin. Then the Italians built It was intended for the reception of foreign ambassadors. Several churches and temples were also built, and the Kremlin became completely unrecognizable.

Personal life

The Grand Duke of Moscow was married twice. There was constant strife within his family. Ivan Young, the son of his first wife, was the heir. But he fiercely hated his father's second wife, Sophia Paleologue, and her sons. The new Greek family responded with the same hatred.

In 1490, Ivan the Young fell ill. The Greek woman provided him with her doctor, and he died. Ivan III made Ivan the Young's son, Dmitry, his heir. But Vasily, the eldest son of Sophia, threatened his father that he would flee to Lithuania and start a war with him for the throne. Ivan III surrendered and bequeathed the throne to Vasily. After the death of his father, Vasily sent all his relatives to prisons, where they died. But a significant event for Russia will take place earlier.

On the Ugra river

Since 1476, Ivan III stopped paying tribute to the Horde. The Horde became worried and began to gather forces for a campaign against Moscow. In 1480, the troops of the Great Horde, which by this time had split into three khanates, at war with each other, under the leadership of Khan Akhmat, approached Moscow for almost a hundred kilometers. It was late autumn. The Horde tried several times to cross, but their attempts were repelled by artillery, which Ivan III reorganized and made it correspond to all the best models.

The army was commanded by Ivan Young. Ivan III himself did not go to the active army, but prepared and supplied ammunition, fodder and food. For several weeks there were two armies on different banks of the Ugra. Frost hit, and Khan Akhmat led his army back. Thus ended the 240-year yoke.

When the Moscow princes showed the entire Russian society that they wanted and could free the country from the Mongol yoke, all sympathy was on their side. But the end of the shameful dependence required tightening the power within the state so that it would not again disintegrate into small estates. But this is a task that will be addressed by the next generations. In the meantime, the victory was expressed in a new title - the sovereign of all Russia.

The reign of Ivan III and his contribution to the collection of Russian lands

Introduction

Childhood and adolescence of Ivan III

Fight against Kazan

Conquest of Novgorod

Hike in peace to Veliky Novgorod

Standing on the Eel

The conquest of Tver and Vyatka

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (1462 - 1505) was an important stage in the process of creating a unified Russian state. This is the time of the formation of the main territory of Russia, its final liberation from the Mongol yoke and the formation of the political foundations of a centralized state. Ivan III was a major statesman, a man of great political plans and decisive undertakings. Intelligent, far-sighted, prudent and persistent, but cautious and cunning, he was a worthy successor to his father's work. Ivan Vasilievich was nicknamed the Great for a long time.

Almost half a century of his reign passed under the sign of the struggle for the reunification of the Russian lands. Ivan III managed to change the entire appearance of the state - to turn it from a strong principality into a powerful centralized state.

With great success, Ivan Vasilyevich carried out the unification under his rule of various regions of Great Russia. For this, he mobilized a large military force, but he did not need bloody battles, since the population did not offer serious resistance.

Purpose of the work: to consider the features of the reign of Ivan III.

1. Consider the childhood and youth of Ivan III.

2. Examine the early years of government.

3. Consider the specifics of the fight against Kazan.

4. To study how Ivan III conquered Novgorod.

5. Consider the main points of standing on the Ugra.

6. To study how Ivan III conquered Tver and Vyatka.

Childhood and adolescence of Ivan III

Ivan III was born on January 22, 1440. He came from a family of Moscow grand dukes. His father was Vasily II Vasilyevich Dark, his mother was Princess Maria Yaroslavna, the granddaughter of the hero of the Battle of Kulikovo V.A. Serpukhovsky. A few days after the boy's birth, on January 27, the church recalled "the transfer of the relics of St. John Chrysostom." In honor of this great saint, the baby was named John. Wanting to legitimize the new order of succession to the throne and to take away any pretext for unrest from the hostile princes, Vasily II, during his lifetime, called Ivan the Grand Duke. All letters were written on behalf of the two great dukes. In 1446, Ivan was betrothed to Maria, the daughter of Prince Boris Alexandrovich of Tverskoy, who was distinguished by his caution and foresight. The groom was about seven years old at the time of the betrothal. This future marriage was supposed to symbolize the reconciliation of the eternal rivals - Moscow and Tver. In the last ten years of the life of Vasily II, the prince Ivan was constantly next to his father, participated in all his affairs and campaigns. By 1462, when Vasily died, 22-year-old Ivan was already a man who had seen a lot, with an established character, ready to solve difficult state issues.

The first years of the reign of Ivan III

At the end of 1461, a conspiracy was discovered in Moscow. Its participants wanted to free the Serpukhov prince Vasily Yaroslavich, languishing in captivity, and kept in touch with the camp of emigrants in Lithuania - political opponents of Vasily II. The conspirators were captured. At the beginning of 1462, during the days of Great Lent, they were put to a painful execution. The bloody events against the background of Lenten prayers of repentance marked the change of eras and the gradual advance of autocracy. Soon, on March 27, 1462, at 3 o'clock in the morning, Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark died.

There was now a new sovereign in Moscow - the 22-year-old Grand Duke Ivan. As always, at the moment of the transfer of power, external opponents revived, as if they wanted to make sure that the young sovereign was holding the reins of government firmly in their hands. Novgorodians have long ceased to fulfill the terms of the Yazhelbitsky Treaty with Moscow. The Pskovians expelled the Moscow governor. In Kazan, Khan Ibragim, unfriendly to Moscow, was in power. Vasily the Dark, in his spiritual life, directly blessed the eldest son with "his fatherland" - the great reign. Since Batu subjugated Russia, the Horde sovereign ruled over the thrones of the Russian princes. Now no one asked his opinion. Akhmat, the khan of the Great Horde, who dreamed of the glory of the first conquerors of Russia, could hardly come to terms with this. It was also uneasy in the grand ducal family itself. The sons of Vasily the Dark, the younger brothers of Ivan III, received by their father's will all together almost as much as the Grand Duke inherited, and were unhappy with this.

In such an atmosphere, the young sovereign decided to act assertively. Already in 1463, Yaroslavl was annexed to Moscow. Local princes, in exchange for possessions in the Yaroslavl principality, received lands and villages from the hands of the Grand Duke. Pskov and Novgorod, dissatisfied with the imperious hand of Moscow, could easily find a common language. In the same year, German regiments entered the Pskov limits. The Pskovites turned to Moscow and Novgorod for help at the same time. However, the Novgorodians were in no hurry to help their "younger brother". For three days the Grand Duke did not let the arriving Pskov ambassadors “in sight”. Only after that did he agree to change his anger to mercy. As a result, Pskov received the governor from Moscow, and his relations with Novgorod sharply deteriorated. This episode best demonstrates the techniques with which Ivan Vasilyevich usually achieved success: he first tried to separate and quarrel with opponents, and then conclude peace with them one by one, while achieving favorable conditions for himself. The Grand Duke went to military clashes only in exceptional cases, when all other means were exhausted. Already in the first years of his reign, Ivan III knew how to play a subtle diplomatic game. In 1464, the arrogant Akhmat, the ruler of the Great Horde, decided to go to Russia. But at the decisive moment, when the Tatar hordes were ready to rush into Russia, the troops of the Crimean Khan Azy-Girey struck in the rear. Akhmat was forced to think about his own salvation. This was the result of the agreement reached in advance between Moscow and Crimea.

Fight against Kazan

A conflict with Kazan was inevitably imminent. Long-term preparation preceded the fighting. In Russia, since the time of Vasily II, the Tatar prince Kasym lived, who had undoubted rights to the throne in Kazan. It was him that Ivan Vasilyevich intended to establish in Kazan as his protege. Moreover, the local nobility persistently invited Kasym to take the throne, promising support. In 1467, the first campaign of the Moscow regiments against Kazan took place. It was not possible to take the city on the move, and the Kazan allies did not dare to side with the besiegers. To top it all off, Kasym died soon after.

Ivan Vasilyevich urgently had to change his plans. Almost immediately after the unsuccessful expedition, the Tatars made several raids on the Russian lands. The Grand Duke ordered to strengthen the garrisons in Galich, Nizhny Novgorod and Kostroma and began to prepare a large campaign against Kazan. All strata of the Moscow population and the lands subject to Moscow were mobilized. Individual regiments consisted entirely of Moscow merchants and townspeople. The brothers of the Grand Duke led the militia of their possessions.

The army was divided into three groups. The first two, led by voivods Konstantin Bezzubtsev and Prince Peter Vasilyevich Obolensky, converged at Ustyug and Nizhny Novgorod. The third army of Prince Daniil Vasilyevich Yaroslavsky moved to Vyatka. According to the grand duke's plan, the main forces should have stopped before reaching Kazan, while the "eager people" (volunteers) and the detachment of Daniel Yaroslavsky were supposed to make the khan believe that the main blow should be expected from this direction. However, when they began to call out those who wanted, almost all of Bezzubtsev's army volunteered to go to Kazan. Having plundered the outskirts of the city, this part of the Russian regiments got into a difficult situation and was forced to fight their way to Nizhny Novgorod. As a result, the main goal was again not achieved.

But Ivan Vasilyevich was not like that to come to terms with failure. In September 1469, a new Moscow army under the command of the Grand Duke's brother, Yuri Vasilyevich Dmitrovsky, again approached the walls of Kazan. The "ship" army (that is, the army loaded onto river ships) also took part in the campaign. Having besieged the city and blocked the access of water, the Russians forced Khan Ibrahim to capitulate, "took the world at all their will" and achieved the extradition of "polon" - compatriots languishing in captivity.

Conquest of Novgorod

New alarming news came from Novgorod the Great. By the end of 1470, the Novgorodians, taking advantage of the fact that Ivan Vasilyevich was absorbed first by internal problems, and then by the war with Kazan, stopped paying duties to Moscow and again seized the lands, which they abandoned under an agreement with the former grand dukes. In the veche republic there has always been a strong party oriented towards Lithuania. In November 1470, the Novgorodians received Mikhail Olelkovich as prince. In Moscow, there was no doubt that behind his back stood the rival of the Moscow sovereign in Russia - the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Casimir IV. Ivan Vasilievich believed that the conflict was inevitable. But he would not be himself if he immediately entered an armed confrontation. For several months, until the summer of 1471, there was an active diplomatic training. Thanks to the efforts of Moscow, Pskov took an anti-Novgorod position.

The main patron of the free city was Casimir IV. In February 1471, his son Vladislav became the Czech king, but in the struggle for the throne he had a powerful rival - the Hungarian sovereign Matthew Corvin, who was supported by the Pope and the Livonian Order. Vladislav could not have stayed in power without the help of his father. The far-sighted Ivan Vasilievich waited almost six months, not starting hostilities, until Poland was drawn into the war for the Czech throne. Casimir IV did not dare to fight on two fronts. The Khan of the Big Horde, Akhmat, also did not come to the aid of Novgorod, fearing an attack by Moscow's ally, the Crimean Khan Khadzhi-Girey. Novgorod was left alone with the formidable and powerful Moscow.

In May 1471, a plan for an offensive against the Novgorod Republic was finally developed. It was decided to strike from three sides in order to force the enemy to crush the forces. “The same summer ... the prince was great with the brethren and with all his might went to Novgorod the Great, from all sides fighting and captivating,” the chronicler wrote about this. It was a terrible dry land, and this made the usually impassable swamps near Novgorod completely surmountable for the grand ducal regiments. All North-Eastern Russia, obedient to the will of the Grand Duke, converged under his banner. Allied armies from Tver, Pskov, Vyatka were preparing for the campaign, regiments arrived from the possessions of the brothers of Ivan Vasilyevich. Clerk Stefan Borodaty, who could speak from memory with quotations from Russian chronicles, rode in the wagon train. This "weapon" was very useful later in negotiations with the Novgorodians.

The Moscow regiments entered the Novgorod limits in three streams. On the left flank, the 10-thousandth detachment of Prince Daniel Kholmsky and the governor Fyodor the Khromy acted. A regiment of Prince Ivan Striga Obolensky was sent to the right flank to prevent the influx of fresh forces from the eastern possessions of Novgorod. In the center, at the head of the most powerful group, the sovereign himself spoke.

The times are past when in 1170 the "free men" - Novgorodians - utterly defeated the armies of the Moscow prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. As if yearning for those times, at the end of the 15th century. an unknown Novgorod master created an icon depicting that glorious victory. It was different now. On July 14, 1471, the 40,000-strong army - everything that they could muster in Novgorod - met in battle with the detachment of Daniel Kholmsky and Fyodor the Lame. As the chronicle tells, "... soon the Novgorodians ran away, persecuted by the wrath of God ... The regiments of the Grand Duke chased after them, stabbed them and flogged them." The posadniki were taken prisoner, and the text of the treaty with Casimir IV was found. In it, in particular, there were the following words: "And the great prince of Moscow will go to Veliky Novgorod, because our lord the honest king will put you on horseback for Veliky Novgorod against the great prince." The sovereign of Moscow was furious. The captured Novgorodians were executed without mercy. The embassies arriving from Novgorod in vain asked to calm their anger and start negotiations.

Only when the archbishop of Novgorod Theophilus arrived at the headquarters of the Grand Duke in Korostyn, the Grand Duke heeded his entreaties, having previously subjected the ambassadors to a humiliating procedure. At first, the Novgorodians beat the Moscow boyars with their foreheads, who, in turn, turned to the brothers of Ivan Vasilyevich to beg the sovereign himself. The Grand Duke's correctness was proved by references to the chronicles, which the clerk Stefan the Bearded knew so well. On August 11, the Korostyn Treaty was signed. From now on, Novgorod's foreign policy was completely subordinate to the will of the Grand Duke. Veche letters were now issued on behalf of the Moscow sovereign and were sealed with his seal. For the first time, he was recognized as the supreme judge in the affairs of the previously free Novgorod.

This skillfully conducted military campaign and diplomatic success made Ivan Vasilyevich a true "sovereign of all Russia". On September 1, 1471, he entered his capital with a victory to the enthusiastic shouts of Muscovites. The jubilation continued for several days. Everyone felt that the victory over Novgorod raised Moscow and its sovereign to a previously unattainable height. On April 30, 1472, the ceremonial laying of the new Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin took place. He was supposed to become a visible symbol of the Moscow power and unity of Russia.

In July 1472, Khan Akhmat reminded of himself, who still considered Ivan III to be his "ulusnik", that is, subjects. Having deceived the Russian outposts that were waiting for him on all roads, he suddenly appeared under the walls of Aleksin - a small fortress on the border with the Wild Pole. Akhmat laid siege to and set fire to the city. The brave defenders preferred to die, but did not lay down their arms. Once again, a formidable danger loomed over Russia. Only the union of all Russian forces could stop the Horde. Akhmat, who approached the banks of the Oka, saw a majestic picture. Before him stretched "many regiments of the Grand Duke, like the sea hesitated, but the armor on them is byahu pure velmy, like silver shining, and the armor is overwhelming." On reflection, Akhmat ordered to retreat ...

Marriage to Sophia Paleologue. Family matters

The first wife of Ivan III, Princess Maria Borisovna of Tver, died on April 22, 1467: about midnight. The Grand Duchess was 25 years old. There were rumors of her poisoning.

And on February 11, 1469, an ambassador from Rome, the Greek Yuri, arrived in Moscow from Cardinal Vissarion. He came to the Grand Duke to invite him to marry the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Sophia Palaeologus, who lived in exile after the fall of Constantinople. For Russians, For a long time Byzantium was the only Orthodox kingdom, the stronghold of the true faith. The Byzantine Empire fell under the blows of the Turks, but, becoming related to the dynasty of its last emperors, Russia seemed to declare its rights to the legacy of Byzantium, to the majestic spiritual role that this power once played in the world. Soon a representative of Ivan III, an Italian in the Russian service, Gian Battista della Volpe (Ivan Fryazin, as he was called in Moscow), went to Rome. In June 1472, in St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, Ivan Fryazin became engaged to Sophia on behalf of the Moscow sovereign, after which the bride, accompanied by a magnificent retinue, went to Russia. In October of the same year, Moscow met its future empress. First of all, Sophia defended a prayer service in the church, and then, accompanied by Metropolitan Philip, went to the chambers of the Grand Duchess Maria Yaroslavna, where she met her future husband. On the same day, a wedding ceremony took place in the still unfinished Assumption Cathedral. The Greek princess became the Grand Duchess of Moscow, Vladimir and Novgorod. A glimpse of the millennial glory of the once mighty empire illuminated young Moscow.

Crowned rulers almost never have quiet days. Such is the lot of the sovereign. Soon after the wedding, Ivan III went to Rostov to his sick mother and there he received news of the death of his brother Yuri. Yuri was only a year younger than the Grand Duke. Returning to Moscow, Ivan III decided to take an unprecedented step. In violation of the ancient custom, he joins all the lands of the deceased Yuri to the great reign, without sharing it with the brothers. An open gap was brewing. At that time, the mother, Maria Yaroslavna, managed to reconcile the sons. According to the agreement concluded by them, Andrei Bolshoi (Uglitsky) received the city of Romanov on the Volga, Boris - Vyshgorod, Andrei Menshoy Tarusa. Dmitrov, where the late Yuri reigned, remained with the Grand Duke. For a long time, Ivan Vasilyevich cherished the idea of ​​achieving an increase in his power at the expense of his brothers - appanage princes. Not long before the campaign against Novgorod, he proclaimed his son the Grand Duke. According to the Korostynsky treaty, the rights of Ivan Ivanovich were equated with the rights of his father. This raised the heir to an unprecedented height and excluded the claims of the brothers Ivan III to the throne. And now one more step was taken, laying the foundation for new relations between members of the grand ducal family.

On the night of April 4-5, 1473, Moscow was engulfed in flames. Violent fires, alas, were not uncommon. That night Metropolitan Philip departed for eternity. He was succeeded by Bishop Gerontius of Kolomna. The Assumption Cathedral, his favorite brainchild, survived for a short time. On May 20, the walls of the temple collapsed, already almost completed. The Grand Duke decided to start building a new shrine himself. On his instructions, Semyon Ivanovich Tolbuzin went to Venice, who negotiated with a skilled stone, foundry and cannon master, Aristotle Fioravanti. In March 1475 the Italian arrived in Moscow. He led the construction of the Assumption Church, which to this day adorns the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin.

Hike "Mirom" to Veliky Novgorod. End of the Veche Republic

Defeated, but not submitting to the end, Novgorod could not but bother the Grand Duke of Moscow. November 21, 1475 Ivan III arrived in the capital of the veche republic "peace". Everywhere he accepted gifts from residents, and with them complaints about the arbitrariness of the authorities. The "withered people" - the vechestra, headed by Vladyka Theophilus - arranged a magnificent meeting. Feasts and receptions lasted for almost two months. But here, too, the sovereign must have noticed which of the boyars was his friend, and who was a hidden "adversary." On November 25, representatives of Slavkova and Mikitina streets filed a complaint against him against the arbitrariness of higher Novgorod officials. After the trial, the mayor Vasily Onanyin, Bogdan Esipov and several other people were seized and sent to Moscow, all leaders and supporters of the "Lithuanian" party. The pleas of the archbishop and boyars did not help. In February 1476 the Grand Duke returned to Moscow.

The star of Novgorod the Great was inexorably approaching sunset. The society of the veche republic has long been divided into two parts. Some stood for Moscow, others looked hopefully towards King Casimir IV. In February 1477, Novgorod ambassadors arrived in Moscow. Greeting Ivan Vasilyevich, they called him not "lord", as usual, but "sovereign." At that time, such an appeal expressed complete submission. Ivan III immediately took advantage of this circumstance. The boyars Fyodor the Khromoy, Ivan Tuchko Morozov and the clerk Vasily Dolmatov went to Novgorod to inquire what "state" the Novgorodians wanted from the Grand Duke. The veche met, at which the Moscow ambassadors presented the essence of the matter. Supporters of the "Lithuanian" party heard what was being said and threw accusations of treason in the face of the boyar Vasily Nikiforov who had visited Moscow: "Perevetnik, you were with the Grand Duke and you kissed the cross against us." Vasily and several other active supporters of Moscow were killed. Novgorod was worried for six weeks. The ambassadors were told about their desire to live with Moscow "in the old days" (that is, to preserve Novgorod's liberty). It became clear that a new campaign could not be avoided.

But Ivan III, as usual, was in no hurry. He understood that every day the Novgorodians would become more and more mired in mutual squabbles and accusations, and the number of his supporters would grow under the impression of an impending armed threat. And so it happened. When the Grand Duke set out from Moscow at the head of the combined forces, the Novgorodians could not even assemble regiments to try to repel the attack. The young Grand Duke Ivan Ivanovich was left in the capital. On the way to the headquarters every now and then the Novgorod embassies arrived in the hope of starting negotiations, but they were not even allowed to see the sovereign. When no more than 30 km remained to Novgorod, the Archbishop of Novgorod Theophilos himself arrived with the boyars. They called Ivan Vasilyevich "the sovereign" and asked him to "postpone anger" against Novgorod. However, when it came to negotiations, it turned out that the ambassadors did not have a clear idea of ​​the current situation and were demanding too much.

The Grand Duke walked with an army on the ice of Lake Ilmen and stood under the very walls of the city. Moscow armies surrounded Novgorod from all sides. Reinforcements came up every now and then. Pskov regiments arrived with cannons, the grand duke's brothers with an army, the Tatars of the Kasimov prince Daniyar. Theophilus, who once again visited the Moscow camp, was given the answer: "We, the Grand Duke, will delight us, the Grand Duke, with our sovereign, our fatherland, Novgorod, beat our forehead, and they know, our fatherland, how ... beat our forehead." Meanwhile, the situation in the besieged city deteriorated markedly. There was not enough food, a pestilence began, internecine squabbles intensified. Finally, on December 7, 1477, to the direct question of the ambassadors what kind of "state" Ivan III wants in Novgorod, the sovereign of Moscow replied: be, and we keep our state as we have on the lower lands. " These words sounded like a verdict for the Novgorod veche of the freemen. The territory of the state collected by Moscow has increased several times. The annexation of Novgorod is one of the most important results of the activities of Ivan III, the Grand Duke of Moscow and "All Russia".

Standing on the Ugra. End of the Horde yoke

In the spring of 1480, the Khan of the Great Horde, Akhmat, set out with his army to Moscow, which in 1476 refused to pay tribute to the Tatars. Having reached the mouth of the Ugra River, the Mongol army was stopped by the Russian army. Russian commanders blocked the fords and river crossings for the Tatars. For several days there were battles for the crossing of the Ugra, but all the attacks of the Horde were repulsed. The Tatars moved two miles away from the river. The Ugrians also got up in Luza. The troops of Ivan III took up positions on the opposite bank. The "standing on the Ugra" began.

Akhmat was waiting for help from the Polish-Lithuanian king Casimir IV. Ivan III entered into an agreement with his rebel brothers Boris Volotsky and Andrey Bolshoi and, trying to gain time while waiting for their retinues to approach, entered into negotiations with the khan. However, the Russian embassy was not successful. Shootings broke out periodically, but neither side dared to take active steps.

At the end of October, Prince Ivan III ordered the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ugra to Borovsk, in order to fight there in a favorable situation if the Horde crossed the river.

On November 11, 1480, Khan Akhmat, not waiting for help from the Lithuanians and learning that the army of Ivan III was operating in his deep rear, began to retreat. During wintering at the mouth of the Donets, on January 6, 1481, Khan Akhmat was killed in a clash with the army of the Siberian Khan Ibak. Soon after this, civil strife began, and the Horde broke up into a number of independent khanates, with which the Russian state waged a struggle throughout the 16th-18th centuries.

Standing on the Ugra River marked the final fall of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The Moscow state became sovereign not only in fact, but also formally.

The conquest of Tver and Vyatka

Five years after "standing on the Ugra", Ivan III took another step towards the final unification of the Russian lands: the Tver principality was included in the Russian state.

Long gone are the days when the proud and brave princes of Tver argued with the Moscow princes about which of them should collect Russia. History resolved their dispute in favor of Moscow. However, Tver remained one of the largest Russian cities for a long time, and its princes were among the most powerful. Quite recently, the Tver monk Thomas enthusiastically wrote about his Grand Duke Boris Alexandrovich “I looked a lot in wise books and among the kingdoms that existed, but nowhere did I find either among the tsars of the tsar or among the princes of the prince who would be like this Grand Duke Boris Alexandrovich. .. And truly it befits us to rejoice, seeing him, the Grand Duke Boris Alexandrovich, a glorious reign, full of much autocracy, for those who obey - from him honor, and those who do not obey - execution! "

The son of Boris Alexandrovich, Mikhail, no longer had either the power or brilliance of his father. However, he understood well what was happening in Russia: everything was moving towards Moscow - willingly or unwillingly, voluntarily or yielding to force. Even Novgorod the Great - and he could not resist the Moscow prince and parted with his veche bell. And the Tver boyars - don't they run one by one to the service of Ivan of Moscow ?! Everything is moving towards Moscow ... Wouldn't it be his turn, the Grand Duke of Tver, to acknowledge the power of a Muscovite over himself one day? ..

Lithuania became Mikhail's last hope. In 1484 he concluded a treaty with Casimir, which violated the points of an earlier agreement with Moscow. The spearhead of the new Lithuanian-Tver union was unequivocally directed towards Moscow. In response to this, in 1485 Ivan III declared war on Tver. Moscow troops invaded the Tver lands. Casimir was in no hurry to help his new ally. Unable to resist alone, Mikhail vowed that he would no longer have any relationship with the enemy of Moscow. However, soon after the conclusion of the peace, he broke his oath. Upon learning of this, the Grand Duke gathered a new army in the same year. The Moscow regiments approached the walls of Tver. Mikhail secretly fled the city. Tverichi, led by their boyars, opened the gates to the Grand Duke and swore allegiance to him. The independent Grand Duchy of Tverskoye ceased to exist.

In 1489, Vyatka, a remote and in many ways mysterious for modern historians land beyond the Volga, was annexed to the Russian state. With the annexation of Vyatka, the task of collecting Russian lands that were not part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was completed. Only Pskov and the Grand Duchy of Ryazan remained formally independent. However, they were dependent on Moscow. Located on the dangerous borders of Russia, these lands often needed military assistance from the Grand Duke of Moscow. The authorities of Pskov have not dared to contradict Ivan III for a long time. In Ryazan, the young prince Ivan ruled, who was the grand-nephew of the grand duke and was obedient to him in everything.

Conclusion

The personality of Ivan the Great was controversial, as was the time in which he lived. There was no longer the ardor and daring of the first Moscow princes in him, but behind his prudent pragmatism, the lofty goal of life was clearly discerned. He was formidable and often terrified those around him, but he never showed thoughtless cruelty and, as one of his contemporary testified, he was “kind to people”, did not get angry at a wise word spoken to him in reproach. He was never in a hurry, but realizing that the time to act had come, he acted quickly and decisively. Wise and prudent, Ivan III knew how to set clear goals and achieve them.

Ivan III can be confidently called an outstanding Russian statesman who displayed outstanding military and diplomatic abilities. It was under him that the Russian lands found unity, threw off the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Ivan was a skillful politician, a patriot of both Russia and its capital, Moscow. Under him, Russian architects and craftsmen, together with masters driven from Italy, began to rebuild the Kremlin, the Assumption and Annunciation Cathedrals, striking with their harmony and beauty, were erected, the Arkhangelsk and many secular palace buildings were laid.

The head of the mighty state, Ivan III, adds the words "All Russia" to the title of Grand Duke and Sovereign (such attempts were made earlier, under Ivan Kalita, for example, but ambitions were not backed up by real power; now it was). And the point here is not in the vanity of the Russian sovereign, but in the prestige of Russia in international affairs.

Formally, Ivan III remained the Grand Duke. However, he managed to secure the title of tsar and autocrat to his heirs. Under him, a solemn court ceremony came into practice.

But this is all - as it were, the outer surroundings of the royal power. For the subsequent fate of Russia, other innovations of Ivan III were much more important. This is the growth of the influence of the Boyar Duma. This is the improvement of the management of state affairs, which formed the foundation of a new apparatus of power - orders of the 16th century. This is the adoption in 1497 of the Code of Law, which created a new legal procedure. It must be said that neither England, nor France, nor Germany had any national laws similar to the Code of Law of Ivan III at that time.

Of course, Ivan III created the Russian state as a feudal, class state. Of course, being the son of his cruel age, he was cruel, he was and cunning in defending his interests. But he possessed a remarkable quality that placed him in the ranks of the outstanding sovereigns of the then Europe: when it was necessary to decide state affairs, he knew how to rise above personal interests and prejudices of the time.

List of used literature

1. Alekseev Yu. G. "Sovereign of All Russia",

2. Karamzin N. M. "History of the Russian State", Kaluga, "Golden Alley", 1997

3. Klyuchevsky V.O. "Russian History"

4. Platonov S. F. "Textbook of Russian History"

5. Encyclopedia "History of Russia and its closest neighbors", M., "Avanta +", 1995

6.http: //ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/

7.http: //www.tonnel.ru/?l=gzl

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