Prince Vasily III Ivanovich. Interesting facts about Vasily III. Domestic and foreign policy

- (1479 1533), Grand Duke of Moscow from 1505. Son of Ivan III. He completed the unification of Rus' around Moscow by annexing Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521). Source: Encyclopedia Fatherland (baptized Gabriel, schema Varlaam) IVANOVICH ... ... Russian history

- (1479 1533), Grand Duke of Moscow from 1505. Son of Ivan III. Completed the unification of Rus' around Moscow with the annexation of Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521) ... Modern encyclopedia

- (1479 1533) Grand Duke of Moscow from 1505. Son of Ivan III. Completed the unification of Rus' around Moscow with the annexation of Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521) ...

Vasily III- (1479 1533), Grand Duke of Moscow from 1505. Son of Ivan III. He completed the unification of Rus' around Moscow with the annexation of Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521). ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1479, Moscow 1533, ibid.), Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow, sovereign of All Rus' (from 1505). Son of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus. He married (1505) Solomonia Saburova, who came from an Old Moscow boyar family. Under the rule of Vasily III... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

Vasily III (1479, Moscow 1533, ibid.), Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow, sovereign of All Rus' (from 1505). Son and He married (1505) Solomonia Saburova, who came from an Old Moscow boyar family. Passed under the rule of Vasily III... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

- (1479 1533), Grand Duke of Moscow, Sovereign of All Rus' (from 1505). Son of Grand Duke Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus. He killed in prison (1509) the nephew of Dmitry Ivanovich, crowned Ivan III (1498) for the great reign. Achieved strict obedience... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (14791533), Grand Duke of Moscow from 1505. Son of Ivan III. Completed the unification of Rus' around Moscow annexed Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Vasily III- VASILY III (14791533), Grand Duke of Moscow from 1505. Son of Ivan III. Completed the unification of Rus' around Moscow annexed Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514), Ryazan (1521) ... Biographical Dictionary

Drawing from the book Title Book. 1672… Collier's Encyclopedia

Books

• Moscow autocrats. Ivan III. Vasily III, Nikolai Kostomarov, Sergei Solovyov, Vasily Klyuchevsky, Sergei Platonov. The library of the project “History of the Russian State” is the best monuments of historical literature recommended by Boris Akunin, which reflect the biography of our country, from its very…

Vasily 3 (reigned 1505-1533) was marked by the final gathering of Russian lands around Moscow. It was under Vasily III that the process of unifying the lands around Moscow was completed and the process of creating the Russian state continued to take shape.

Most historians agree that Vasily 3, as a ruler and personality, was greatly inferior to his father, Ivan 3. It is difficult to say for sure whether this is true or not. The fact is that Vasily continued the business (and successfully) started by his father, but did not have time to start his own important business.

The end of the appanage system

Ivan 3 transferred all power to Vasily 3, and ordered his younger sons to obey their elder brother in everything. Vasily 3 inherited 66 cities (30 to his other sons), as well as the right to determine and conduct the country's foreign policy and mint coins. The appanage system was preserved, but the power of the Grand Duke over others became increasingly stronger. The system of Rus' of that period was very accurately described by Joseph Volotsky (church leader), who called the reign of Vasily 3 the reign of the “Sovereign Sovereign of All Russian Lands.” Sovereign, Sovereign- that’s how it really was. There were sovereigns who owned appanages, but over them there was a single sovereign.

In the fight against the estates, Vasily 3 showed cunning - he forbade his brothers, the owners of the estates, to marry. Accordingly, they had no children and their power died away, and the lands became subordinate to Moscow. By 1533, only 2 estates were settled: Yuri Dmitrovsky and Andrei Staritsky.

Domestic policy

Land unification

The domestic policy of Vasily 3 continued the path of his father, Ivan 3: the unification of Russian lands around Moscow. The main initiatives in this regard were as follows:

• Subjugation of independent principalities.
• Strengthening the borders of the state.

In 1510, Vasily 3 subjugated Pskov. The Pskov prince Ivan Repnya-Obolensky, who was a cruel and unprincipled man, contributed greatly to this. The people of Pskov did not like him and staged riots. As a result, the prince was forced to turn to the main Sovereign, asking him to pacify the citizens. After this there are no exact sources. It is only known that Vasily 3 arrested the ambassadors who were sent to him from the townspeople, and offered them the only solution to the problem - submission to Moscow. That's what they decided on. To gain a foothold in this region, the Grand Duke sends 300 of the most influential families of Pskov to the central regions of the country.

In 1521, the Ryazan principality submitted to the authorities of Moscow, and in 1523, the last southern principalities. Thus, the main task of the internal politics of the reign of Vasily 3 was solved - the country was united.

Map of the Russian state under Vasily 3

A map showing the last stages of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow. Most of these changes took place during the reign of Prince Vasily Ivanovich.

Foreign policy

The expansion of the Russian state under Vasily 3 also turned out to be quite extensive. The country managed to strengthen its influence, despite its rather strong neighbors.

Western direction

War of 1507-1508

In 1507-1508 there was a war with Lithuania. The reason was that the border Lithuanian principalities began to swear allegiance to Rus'. The last to do this was Prince Mikhail Glinsky (before that the Odoevskys, Belskys, Vyazemskys and Vorotynskys). The reason for the reluctance of the princes to be part of Lithuania lies in religion. Lithuania banned Orthodoxy and forcibly introduced Catholicism to the local population.

In 1508, Russian troops besieged Minsk. The siege was successful and Sigismund 1 asked for peace. As a result, all the lands that Ivan III annexed were assigned to Russia. This was a big breakthrough and an important step in foreign policy and in strengthening the Russian state.

War of 1513-1522

In 1513, Vasily 3 learned that Lithuania had reached an agreement with the Crimean Khanate and was preparing for a military campaign. The prince decided to take the lead and besieged Smolensk. The assault on the city was difficult and the city repelled two attacks, but ultimately, in 1514, Russian troops took the city. But in the same year, the Grand Duke lost the battle of Orsha, which allowed the Lithuanian-Polish troops to approach Smolensk. It was not possible to take the city.

Minor battles continued until 1525, when peace was signed for 5 years. As a result of the peace, Russia retained Smolensk, and the border with Lithuania now ran along the Dnieper River.

Southern and eastern directions

The eastern and southern directions of the foreign policy of Prince Vasily Ivanovich should be considered together, since the Crimean Khan and the Kazan Khan acted together. Back in 1505, the Kazan Khan invaded Russian lands with plunder. In response, Vasily 3 sends an army to Kazan, forcing the enemy to again swear allegiance to Moscow, as was the case under Ivan 3.

1515-1516 - the Crimean army reaches Tula, devastating the lands along the way.

1521 - the Crimean and Kazan khans simultaneously began a military campaign against Moscow. Having reached Moscow, the Crimean Khan demanded that Moscow pay tribute, as it was before, and Vasily 3 agreed, since the enemy was numerous and strong. After this, the Khan's army went to Ryazan, but the city did not surrender, and they returned to their lands.

1524 - the Crimean Khanate captures Astrakhan. All Russian merchants and the governor were killed in the city. Vasily 3 concludes a truce and sends an army to Kazan. Kazan ambassadors arrive in Moscow for negotiations. They dragged on for several years.

1527 - on the Oka River, the Russian army defeated the army of the Crimean Khan, thereby stopping constant raids from the south.

1530 - the Russian army is sent to Kazan and takes the city by storm. A ruler is installed in the city - a Moscow protege.

Key dates

• 1505-1533 – reign of Vasily 3
• 1510 – annexation of Pskov
• 1514 – annexation of Smolensk

The king's wives

In 1505, Vasily 3 decided to get married. A real show was organized for the prince - 500 noble girls from all over the country came to Moscow. The prince's choice settled on Solomnia Saburova. They lived together for 20 years, but the princess could not give birth to an heir. As a result, by the decision of the prince, Solomnia was tonsured as a nun and sent to the Suzdal convent of the Intercession.

In fact, Vasily 3 divorced Solomonia, violating all the laws of that time. Moreover, for this it was even necessary to remove Metropolitan Varlaam, who refused to arrange a divorce. Ultimately, after the change of metropolitan, Solomonia was accused of witchcraft, after which she was tonsured a nun.

In January 1526, Vasily 3 married Elena Glinskaya. The Glinsky family was not the most noble, but Elena was beautiful and young. In 1530, she gave birth to her first son, who was named Ivan (the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible). Soon another son was born - Yuri.

Maintain power at any cost

The reign of Vasily 3 seemed impossible for a long time, since his father wanted to pass the throne to his grandson from his first marriage, Dmitry. Moreover, in 1498, Ivan 3 crowned Dmitry as king, declaring him heir to the throne. The second wife of Ivan 3, Sophia (Zoya) Paleologus, together with Vasily, organize a conspiracy against Dmitry in order to get rid of a competitor for the inheritance of the throne. The plot was discovered and Vasily was arrested.

• In 1499, Ivan 3 pardoned his son Vasily and released him from prison.
• In 1502, Dmitry himself was accused and imprisoned, and Vasily was blessed to reign.

In light of the events of the struggle for the rule of Russia, Vasily 3 clearly understood that power at any cost is important, and anyone who interferes with this is an enemy. Here, for example, are the words in the chronicle:

I am king and lord by right of blood. I didn’t ask anyone for titles or buy them. There are no laws that require me to obey anyone. Believing in Christ, I reject any rights begged from others.

Prince Vasily 3 Ivanovich

Grand Duke of Moscow and All Rus' (1505-1533).

Vasily III Ivanovich was born on March 25, 1479. He was the son of the Grand Duke (1440-1505) and. The father sought to transfer full power to his son from his first marriage, Ivan Ivanovich the Young, and back in 1470 he declared him his co-ruler, but he died in 1490.

The ensuing struggle to determine the future heir to the throne ended in the victory of Vasily Ivanovich. First, he was declared the Grand Duke of Novgorod and Pskov, and in 1502 - the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir and All Rus', autocrat, that is, he became his father’s co-ruler.

After his death in October 1505, Vasily III Ivanovich unhinderedly ascended the throne, receiving, according to his father’s will, the Great Reign of Moscow, the right to manage the capital and all its income, the right to mint coins, 66 cities and the title of “Sovereign of All Rus'.”

Having become the head of state, Vasily III Ivanovich continued his father’s policy - “gathering lands,” strengthening the grand-ducal power and defending the interests of Orthodoxy in Western Rus'. From the very beginning, he energetically fought for the centralization of the state, under him the last semi-independent Russian lands were annexed - (1510), Volotsky inheritance (1513), (1514), Ryazan (1521), Starodub and Novgorod-Seversky (1522) principalities.

In foreign policy, Vasily III Ivanovich, in addition to the fight for Russian lands, also waged periodic wars with the Tatars of the Crimean and Kazan khanates, who raided. The Grand Duke's diplomatic method to protect himself from attacks was to invite Tatar princes to Moscow service, who received vast lands.

In relation to more distant countries, he pursued as friendly a policy as possible. Vasily III Ivanovich negotiated with Prussia, inviting it to an alliance against Lithuania and Livonia; received the ambassadors of Denmark, Sweden, Turkey, and the Hindu Sultan Babur. He discussed with the Pope the possibility of union and war against Turkey. Trade relations were connected with Italy, France and Austria.

In his domestic policy, Vasily III Ivanovich, in order to strengthen the autocracy, fought against the noble boyars and feudal opposition. For speaking out against the policies of the Grand Duke, many boyars and princes, and even Metropolitan Varlaam, fell into disgrace over the years. Vasily III Ivanovich took measures to remove the remnants of appanage rule to new places. The result of this policy was the rapid growth of local noble land ownership, the limitation of the immunity and privileges of the princely-boyar aristocracy.

Also, Vasily III Ivanovich pushed the boyars away from participating in solving state issues. “Councils” with the boyar duma during his reign were mainly of a formal nature: all matters were decided personally by the Grand Duke or in contact with a few trusted people. However, the strength of tradition was such that the tsar had to appoint representatives of the boyars to significant positions in the army and administration.

The reign of Vasily III Ivanovich was also marked by the rise of Russian culture, the spread of the Moscow style of literary writing, which took a leading place among other regional literatures. At the same time, the architectural appearance of the Moscow Kremlin took shape, which turned into a well-fortified fortress.

Vasily III Ivanovich was married twice. His first marriage took place back in 1505. His wife then became the boyar's daughter Solomonia Saburova. Since this marriage was fruitless, Vasily III Ivanovich, despite the protests of the church, obtained a divorce in 1525. His second wife was the princess, whom he married in 1526. In this marriage were born the sons Ivan (future) and the feeble-minded Yuri.

Grand Duke Vasily III Ivanovich died on December 3, 1533. He was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The dying prince declared the three-year-old to be his heir under the regency of Elena Glinskaya.

The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Ivanovich III (1505 - 1533, born in 1479) is most famous for the fact that during his reign the gathering of the fragmented appanages of North-Eastern Rus' into a single state was completed. Under Vasily III, the veche city of Pskov (1510) and the last appanage principalities - Ryazan (1517) and Chernigov-Seversky (1517-1523) were annexed to Moscow. Vasily continued the domestic and foreign policies of his father, Ivan III, whom he resembled in his stern, autocratic character. Of the two main church parties of the time, in the first years of his reign, the predominance belonged to non-covetous people, but then it passed to the Josephites, whom Basil III supported until his death.

Vasily III. Miniature from the Tsar's title book

The former, purely service composition of the Moscow boyars, as the Russian North-East was unified, was replenished with recent appanage princes, people much more influential and demanding. In this regard, Vasily treated the boyars with suspicion and distrust, consulting with him only for show, and even then rarely. He conducted the most important affairs not with the help of the boyars, but with the help of humble clerks and nobles (like his close butler Shigona Podzhogin). Vasily treated such rootless nominees rudely and unceremoniously (deacon Dolmatov paid with imprisonment for refusing to go to the embassy, ​​and Bersen-Beklemishev was executed for contradicting the Grand Duke). During the reign of Vasily III, the conflict between the grand-ducal power and the boyars, which during the reign of his son, Ivan the Terrible, led to the horrors of the oprichnina, began to gradually intensify. But Vasily behaved with the boyars still very restrained. Neither of noble representatives of the boyar class were not executed under him. Vasily, for the most part, limited himself to taking oaths from the boyars (Shuisky, Belsky, Vorotynsky, Mstislavsky) that they would not leave for Lithuania. Only Prince Vasily Kholmsky fell into disgrace under him (for what, it is unknown).

Unification of Muscovite Rus' under Ivan III and Vasily III

But Vasily treated close relatives who, due to dynastic kinship, could challenge his power with the usual severity of his predecessors. Vasily's rival, his nephew Dmitry Ivanovich (grandson of Ivan III from his eldest son, Ivan), died in prison. Vasily III established strict supervision over his brothers, Yuri and Andrei. Andrei was allowed to marry only when Vasily III himself became the father of two children. Vasily's brothers hated his favorites and the new order.

Not wanting to transfer the throne to either Yuri or Andrei, Vasily, after a long childless marriage, divorced his first wife, the barren Solomonia Saburova, and married (1526) Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya, the niece of the famous Western Russian nobleman Mikhail Glinsky. From her he had sons Ivan (in 1530, the future Ivan the Terrible) and Yuri (1533). Solomonia Saburova was imprisoned in the Suzdal Intercession Monastery, and opponents of the divorce (Metropolitan Varlaam, as well as the leaders of non-covetous people Vassian Kosoy Patrikeev and the famous Byzantine scientist Maxim the Greek) also suffered.

Solomonia Saburova. Painting by P. Mineeva

Foreign policy of Vasily III

After the death of his son-in-law, Grand Duke Alexander of Lithuania (1506), Vasily decided to take advantage of the turmoil that arose among the noble lords of Lithuania. Among them, Mikhail Glinsky, who was insulted by Alexander's brother and successor, Sigismund, stood out for his education, military glory, wealth and land holdings. Mikhail Glinsky in response went into the service of Vasily III. This circumstance, as well as the poor treatment in Lithuania of Vasily’s sister (Alexander’s wife) Elena, who died in 1513, as was suspected of poison, caused a war between Lithuania and Moscow. During it, Glinsky lost all his former Lithuanian possessions, in return for which he received Medyn and Maloyaroslavets from Vasily. Sigismund's alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey caused the second war between Vasily III and Lithuania in 1512. On August 1, 1514, Vasily, with the assistance of Glinsky, took Smolensk from the Lithuanians, but on September 8 of the same year, Sigismund’s commander, Prince Ostrozhsky, inflicted a heavy defeat on the Moscow army at Orsha. However, according to the truce of 1522, concluded through the ambassador of the German Emperor Maximilian I, Herberstein, Smolensk remained with Moscow.

Crimean Tatar archer

Besides Lithuania, the main concern of the reign of Vasily III was Tatar relations, especially Crimean ones. Having submitted to powerful Turkey at the end of the 15th century, Crimea began to receive strong support from it. The raids of the Crimean Tatars alarmed the Moscow state more and more (raid on the Oka in 1507, on the Ryazan Ukraine in 1516, on the Tula in 1518, the siege of Moscow in 1521). Russia and Lithuania alternately gave gifts to the Crimean robbers and embroiled them in their mutual squabbles. The strengthened Crimean khans tried to subjugate Kazan and Astrakhan in order to restore the former Golden Horde - from the Upper Volga region and the Urals to the Black and Caspian seas. Vasily III did his best to oppose the annexation of Kazan to Crimea, which in 1521 led to the most dangerous Tatar raid on Rus' from the south and east. However, Kazan, torn apart by internal strife, became more and more subordinate to Moscow (the siege of Kazan in 1506, peace with its khan, Muhammad-Amen in 1507, the appointment from Moscow of the Kazan king Shah-Ali (Shigaleya) in 1519. and Jan-Ali in 1524, the construction by Vasily on the border with the Kazan possessions of the powerful fortress of Vasilsursk in 1524, etc.). With this constant pressure on Kazan, Vasily also anticipated the achievements of Ivan the Terrible. In 1523, the Crimean Khan Muhammad-Girey captured Astrakhan, but was soon killed there by the Nogais.

Vasily III Ivanovich in baptism Gabriel, in monasticism Varlaam (born March 25, 1479 - death December 3, 1533) - Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow (1505-1533), Sovereign of All Rus'. Parents: father John III Vasilyevich the Great, mother Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologus. Children: from first marriage: George (presumably); from his second marriage: and Yuri.

Vasily 3 short biography (article review)

The son of John III from his marriage to Sophia Palaeologus, Vasily the Third was distinguished by his pride and inaccessibility, punishing the descendants of appanage princes and boyars under his control who dared to contradict him. He is “the last collector of the Russian land.” After annexing the last appanages (Pskov, the northern principality), he completely destroyed the appanage system. He fought with Lithuania twice, following the teachings of the Lithuanian nobleman Mikhail Glinsky, who entered his service, and finally, in 1514, he was able to take Smolensk from the Lithuanians. The war with Kazan and Crimea was difficult for Vasily, but ended in the punishment of Kazan: Trade was diverted from there to the Makaryev fair, which was later moved to Nizhny. Vasily divorced his wife Solomonia Saburova and married the princess, which further aroused the boyars who were dissatisfied with him against him. From this marriage Vasily had a son, Ivan IV the Terrible.

Biography of Vasily III

The beginning of the reign. Bride's choice

The new Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III Ivanovich began his reign by resolving the “throne issue” with his nephew Dmitry. Immediately after his father’s death, he ordered that he be shackled “in iron” and put in a “close ward,” where he died 3 years later. Now the tsar had no “legitimate” opponents in the competition for the grand-ducal throne.

Vasily ascended the Moscow throne at the age of 26. Having later shown himself to be a skilled politician, even under his father he was preparing for the role of autocrat in the Russian state. It was not in vain that he refused a bride from among the foreign princesses and for the first time a bridesmaid ceremony for Russian brides was organized at the Grand Duke's palace. 1505, summer - 1,500 noble maidens were brought to the bride.

A special boyar commission, after a careful selection, presented the heir to the throne with ten worthy candidates in all respects. Vasily chose Salomonia, the daughter of boyar Yuri Saburov. This marriage would be unsuccessful - the royal couple had no children, and, first of all, no son-heir. In the first half of the 20s, the problem of an heir for the grand ducal couple worsened to the limit. In the absence of an heir to the throne, Prince Yuri automatically became the main contender for the kingdom. Vasily developed a hostile relationship with him. It is a well-known fact that the appanage prince himself and his entourage were under the watchful eye of informants. The transfer of supreme power in the state to Yuri generally promised a large-scale shake-up in the ruling elite of Russia.

According to the strictness of the observed tradition, the second marriage of an Orthodox Christian in Russia was possible only in two cases: the death or voluntary departure of the first wife to a monastery. The sovereign's wife was healthy and, contrary to the official report, had no intention of voluntarily entering a monastery. Salomonia's disgrace and forced tonsure at the end of November 1525 completed this act of family drama, which split Russian educated society for a long time.

Grand Duke Vasily III Ivanovich on the hunt

Foreign policy

Vasily the Third continued his father’s policy of creating a unified Russian state, “followed the same rules in foreign and domestic policy; showed modesty in the actions of monarchical power, but knew how to command; loved the benefits of peace, not fearing war and not missing the opportunity to gain important for the sovereign power; less famous for his military happiness, more for his cunning that was dangerous to his enemies; did not humiliate Russia, he even exalted it...” (N. M. Karamzin).

At the very beginning of his reign, in 1506, he launched an unsuccessful campaign against the Kazan Khan, which ended in the flight of the Russian army. This beginning greatly inspired King Alexander of Lithuania, who, relying on the youth and inexperience of Vasily III, offered him peace with the condition of returning the lands conquered by John III. A rather stern and brief answer was given to such a proposal - the Russian Tsar owns only his own lands. But, in the letter of accession to the throne sent to Alexander, Vasily rejected the complaints of the Lithuanian boyars against the Russians as unfair, and reminded of the inadmissibility of converting Elena (Alexander’s wife and sister of Vasily III) and other Christians living in Lithuania to Catholicism.

Alexander realized that a young but strong king had ascended the throne. When Alexander died in August 1506, Vasily tried to offer himself as king of Lithuania and Poland in order to end the confrontation with Russia. However, Alexander’s brother Sigismund, who did not want peace with Russia, ascended the throne. Out of frustration, the sovereign tried to recapture Smolensk, but after several battles there were no winners, and a peace was concluded, according to which all the lands conquered under John III remained with Russia and Russia promised not to encroach on Smolensk and Kyiv. As a result of this peace treaty, the Glinsky brothers appeared in Russia for the first time - noble Lithuanian nobles who had a conflict with Sigismund and who came under the protection of the Russian Tsar.

By 1509, external relations had been regulated: letters were received from Russia’s longtime friend and ally, the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey, which confirmed the invariability of his attitude towards Russia; A 14-year peace treaty was concluded with Livonia, with the exchange of prisoners and the resumption of: security of movement in both powers and trade on the same mutually beneficial terms. It was also important that, according to this agreement, the Germans broke off allied relations with Poland.

Domestic policy

Tsar Vasily believed that nothing should limit the power of the Grand Duke. He enjoyed the active support of the Church in the fight against the feudal boyar opposition, harshly dealing with those who expressed dissatisfaction.

Now Vasily the Third could engage in domestic politics. He turned his attention to Pskov, which proudly bore the name of “brother of Novgorod.” Using the example of Novgorod, the sovereign knew where the boyars' freedom could lead, and therefore wanted to subjugate the city to his power without leading to a rebellion. The reason for this was the refusal of the landowners to pay tribute, everyone quarreled and the governor had no choice but to turn to the court of the Grand Duke.

In January 1510, the young tsar went to Novgorod, where he received a large embassy of Pskovites, which consisted of 70 noble boyars. The trial ended with all the Pskov boyars being put into custody, because the tsar was dissatisfied with their insolence against the governor and injustice against the people. In connection with this, the sovereign demanded that the Pskov residents abandon the veche and accept the sovereign's governors in all their cities.

Noble boyars, feeling guilty and not having the strength to resist the Grand Duke, wrote a letter to the people of Pskov, asking them to agree to the demands of the Grand Duke. It was sad for the free people of Pskov to gather in the square for the last time to the ringing of the veche bell. At this meeting, the sovereign’s ambassadors announced their consent to submit to the royal will. Vasily III arrived in Pskov, restored order there and installed new officials; took the oath of allegiance to all residents and founded the new church of St. Xenia; the commemoration of this saint occurred precisely on the day of the end of the freedom of the city of Pskov. Vasily sent 300 noble Pskovites to the capital and went home a month later. Following him, the veche bell of the Pskovites was soon taken.

By 1512, relations with the Crimean Khanate worsened. The intelligent and loyal Khan Mengli-Girey, who was a reliable ally of John III, grew very old, became decrepit, and his sons, the young princes Akhmat and Burnash-Girey, began to lead politics. Sigismund, who hated Russia even more than Alexander, was able to bribe the brave princes and incite them to campaign against Rus'. Sigismund was especially furious when he lost Smolensk in 1514, which had been under Lithuania for 110 years.

Sigismund regretted that he released Mikhail Glinsky, who diligently served the new land, to Russia, and began to demand the return of the Glinskys. M. Glinsky made special efforts during the capture of Smolensk; he hired skilled foreign soldiers. Mikhail had the hope that, out of gratitude to his services, the sovereign would make him the sovereign prince of Smolensk. However, the Grand Duke did not love and did not trust Glinsky - he who cheated once will cheat a second time. In general, Vasily struggled with inheritances. And so it happened: offended, Mikhail Glinsky went over to Sigismund, but fortunately, the governors were quickly able to catch him and, by order of the tsar, he was sent in chains to Moscow.

1515 - the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey died, and his throne was inherited by his son Muhamed-Girey, who, unfortunately, did not inherit many of his father’s good qualities. During his reign (until 1523), the Crimean army acted either on the side of Lithuania or Russia - everything depended on who would pay the most.

The power of Russia of that era aroused the respect of various countries. Ambassadors from Constantinople brought a letter and an affectionate letter from the famous and terrible Turkish Sultan Soliman for all of Europe. Good diplomatic relations with him frightened the eternal enemies of Russia - Mukhamet-Girey and Sigismund. The latter, without even arguing about Smolensk, made peace for 5 years.

Solomonia Saburova. Painting by P. Mineeva

Unification of Russian lands

Such a respite gave the Grand Duke time and strength to fulfill his and his great father’s long-standing intention - to completely destroy the appanages. And he succeeded. The Ryazan inheritance, ruled by the young Prince John, almost seceded from Russia, with the active participation of Khan Mukhamet. Put in prison, Prince John fled to Lithuania, where he died, and the Ryazan principality, which had been separate and independent for 400 years, merged in 1521 into the Russian state. There remained the Seversky Principality, where Vasily Shemyakin, the grandson of the famous Dmitry Shemyaka, who troubled power during the times, reigned. This Shemyakin, so similar to his grandfather, had long been suspected of friendship with Lithuania. 1523 - his correspondence with Sigismund was revealed, and this is already open treason to the fatherland. Prince Vasily Shemyakin was thrown into prison, where he died.

Thus, the dream of uniting Rus', fragmented into appanage principalities, into a single whole under the rule of one king was realized.

1523 - the Russian city of Vasilsursk was founded on Kazan soil, and this event meant the beginning of the decisive conquest of the Kazan kingdom. And although throughout his reign Vasily the Third had to fight the Tatars and repel their raids, in 1531 the Kazan Khan Enalei became a novice of the Russian Tsar, recognizing his power.

Divorce and marriage

Everything was going well in the Russian state, but Vasily III did not have an heir for 20 years of marriage. And various boyar parties began to be formed for and against a divorce from the barren Saburova. The king needs an heir. 1525 - a divorce took place, and Solomonida Saburova was tonsured a nun, and in 1526 Tsar Vasily Ivanovich married Elena Vasilievna Glinskaya, the niece of the traitor Mikhail Glinsky, who in 1530 gave birth to her first son and heir to the throne, John IV (the Terrible ).

Elena Glinskaya - second wife of Grand Duke Vasily III

Board results

The first signs of the prosperity of the Russian state were successfully developing trade. The largest centers besides Moscow were Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk and Pskov. The Grand Duke cared about the development of trade, which he constantly pointed out to his governors. Handicrafts also developed. Craft suburbs - settlements - emerged in many cities. The country provided itself, at that time, with everything necessary and was ready to export more goods than import what it needed. The wealth of Rus', the abundance of arable land, forest lands with precious furs, are unanimously noted by foreigners who visited Muscovy in
those years.

Under Vasily III, urban planning and the construction of Orthodox churches continued to develop. The Italian Fioravanti builds in Moscow, following the model of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, which becomes the main shrine of Muscovite Rus'. The cathedral will be an image for Russian temple craftsmen for many decades.

Under Vasily III, the construction of the Kremlin was completed - in 1515 a wall was erected along the Neglinnaya River. The Moscow Kremlin is turning into one of the best fortresses in Europe. Being the residence of the monarch, the Kremlin becomes a symbol of the Russian state right up to the present day.

Death

Vasily III always had enviable health and he was not seriously ill with anything, probably because it was so unexpected that an abscess on his leg led him to death 2 months later. He died on the night of December 3-4, 1533, having managed to give all orders for the state, transferring power to his 3-year-old son John, and the guardianship of his mother, the boyars and his brothers - Andrei and Yuri; and before his last breath he managed to accept the schema.

Vasily was called a kind and affectionate sovereign, and therefore it is not surprising that his death was so sad for the people. Throughout the 27 years of his reign, the Grand Duke worked hard for the good and greatness of his state and was able to achieve a lot.

That night, for the history of the Russian state, “the last collector of the Russian land” passed away.

According to one of the legends, during her tonsure, Solomonia was pregnant, gave birth to a son, George, and handed him over “to safe hands,” and everyone was told that the newborn had died. Subsequently, this child will become the famous robber Kudeyar, who with his gang will rob rich carts. This legend interested Ivan the Terrible very much. The hypothetical Kudeyar was his older half-brother, which means that he could lay claim to the royal throne. This story is most likely a folk fiction.

For the second time, Vasily III married a Lithuanian woman, young Elena Glinskaya. Only 4 years later Elena gave birth to her first child, Ivan Vasilyevich. As the legend goes, at the hour of the baby's birth, a terrible thunderstorm allegedly broke out. Thunder struck from the clear sky and shook the earth to its foundations. The Kazan Khansha, having learned about the birth of an heir, said to the Moscow messengers: “A king was born to you, and he has two teeth: with one he can eat us (Tatars), and with the other you.”

There was a rumor that Ivan was an illegitimate son, but this is unlikely: an examination of the remains of Elena Glinskaya showed that she had red hair. As you know, Ivan was also red-haired.

Vasily III was the first Russian tsar to shave his chin hair. As legend has it, he trimmed his beard to make himself look younger to his young wife. He did not last long in a beardless state.