SOFIA PALEOLOGIST AND IVAN III



Introduction

Sophia Paleologue before marriage

Dowry of the Byzantine princess

New title

Code of Law of Ivan III

Overthrowing the yoke of the Horde

Family and state affairs

Conclusion

Bibliography

Application


Introduction


The personality of Ivan III belongs to an extremely important historical period from Sergius of Radonezh to Ivan IV, which has a special value. Because in this period of time, the birth of the Muscovite state, the nucleus modern Russia... The historical figure of Ivan III the Great is more homogeneous than the bright and controversial figure of Ivan IV the Terrible, well known for numerous disputes and real war opinions.

It does not cause controversy and somehow traditionally hides in the shadow of the image and name of the Terrible Tsar. Meanwhile, no one ever doubted that it was he who was the creator of the Moscow state. That it was precisely from his reign that the principles of Russian statehood were formed, and the geographical outlines of the country familiar to everyone appeared. Ivan III was the greatest personality of the Russian Middle Ages, a major politician national history, during the reign of which there were events that forever determined the life of a huge nation. But what was the significance of Sophia Palaeologus in the life of Ivan III and the whole country?

The marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus, niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XII, had a huge political significance: we can talk not only about raising the prestige of the Russian state, but also about continuity with the Roman Empire. The expression "Moscow is the third Rome" is connected with this.


1. Sophia Palaeologus before marriage


Sofia Fominichna Palaeologus (nee Zoya) (1443 / 1449-1503) - daughter of the ruler (despot) of Morea (Peloponnese) Thomas Palaeologus, niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI, who died during the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. Born between 1443 and 1449 in Peloponnese ... Her father, the ruler of one of the regions of the Empire, died in Italy.

The Vatican took over the education of the royal orphans, entrusting them to Cardinal Vissarion of Nicea. Greek by birth, a former archbishop of Nicea, he was an ardent supporter of the signing of the Union of Florence, after which he became a cardinal in Rome. He raised Zoe Palaeologus in the European Catholic traditions and especially instructed her to humbly follow the principles of Catholicism in everything, calling her "the beloved daughter of the Roman Church." Only in this case, he suggested to the pupil, fate will bestow you with everything. "It was very difficult to marry Sophia: she was a dowry."



Ivan III Vasilievich (Appendix # 5), was the son of Vasily II. From an early age he helped his blind father in state affairs as much as he could, went on campaigns with him. In March 1462, Vasily II fell seriously ill and died. Shortly before his death, he made a will. The will said that the eldest son Ivan received the grand throne, and most of the state, its main cities. The rest of the state was divided among themselves by the rest of the children of Vasily II.

By that time, Ivan was 22 years old. He continued the policy of his parent, primarily in the affairs of the unification of the lands of Russia around Moscow and the fight against the Horde. A cautious, calculating man, he slowly but surely pursued his course of conquering the appanage principalities, subordinating various rulers to his power, including his brothers, and returning the Russian lands seized by Lithuania.

“Unlike his predecessors, Ivan III did not directly lead the troops on the battlefields, carried out the general strategic direction of their actions, and provided the regiments with everything they needed. And this gave its very good results. Despite the seeming slowness, he, when necessary, showed determination and iron will».

Destiny Ivan III measured more than six decades, was filled with stormy and important events that were of exceptional importance for the history of the Fatherland.


Marriage of Ivan III with Sophia Palaeologus


In 1467, the first wife of Ivan III, Maria Borisovna, dies, leaving him his only son, heir, Ivan the Young. Everyone believed that she was poisoned (The chronicle says that she died "from a mortal potion, because her body was all swollen," the poison is believed to have been in someone donated the grand duchess belt). “After her death (1467) Ivan began to look for another wife, farther and more important.”

In February 1469, the ambassador of Cardinal Vissarion arrived in Moscow with a letter to the Grand Duke, in which it was proposed to marry the daughter of the Despot of Moreysky and, by the way, it was mentioned that Sophia (the name Zoya was diplomatically replaced by the Orthodox Sophia) had already refused two crowned suitors who were wooing her. - to the French king and duke of Mediolana, not wanting to marry a Catholic ruler - "does not want to go to Latin."

The marriage of Princess Zoya, renamed into the Russian Orthodox way in Sophia, with the recently widowed still young Grand Duke of the distant, mysterious, but, according to separate reports, the unheard of rich and strong Moscow principality was extremely desirable for the papal throne for several reasons:

1.Through his Catholic wife, it was possible to influence the Grand Duke, and through him, and the Orthodox Russian Church in the implementation of the decisions of the Union of Florence - and the Pope did not doubt that Sophia was a devoted Catholic, for she, one might say, grew up on the steps of his throne.

.Strengthening ties with distant Russian principalities in itself is of great importance for all European politics.

And Ivan III, who strengthened the grand princely power, hoped that kinship with the Byzantine house would help Muscovy increase its international prestige, which had noticeably shaken over the two centuries of the Horde yoke, and help increase the prestige of the grand ducal power within the country.

So, after much deliberation, Ivan sent the Italian Ivan Fryazin to Rome to "look at the princess", and if he liked her, then give consent to the marriage for the Grand Duke. Fryazin did so, especially since the princess gladly agreed to marry the Orthodox Ivan III.

Together with Sophia, her dowry arrived in Russia. Many carts were accompanied by the papal legate Anthony, dressed in a red cardinal's dress and carrying a four-pointed Catholic cross as a sign of hope for the conversion of the Russian prince to Catholicism. Anthony's cross was taken away at the entrance to Moscow by order of Metropolitan Philip, who did not approve of this marriage.

November 1472, having adopted Orthodoxy under the name of Sophia, Zoya was married to Ivan III (Appendix # 4). At the same time, the wife "Catholicized" her husband, and the husband "sent" his wife, which was perceived by his contemporaries as a victory of the Orthodox faith over "Latinism." "This marriage allowed Ivan III to feel (and declare this to the world) the successor to the once mighty power of the Byzantine emperors."

4. Dowry of the Byzantine princess


Sofia brought a generous dowry to Russia.

After the wedding Ivan III<#"justify">... Sophia Paleologue: the Moscow princess or the Byzantine princess


Sophia Paleologue, then known in Europe for her rare fullness, brought a very subtle mind to Moscow and received a very essential... “Boyars XVI attributed to her all the unpleasant innovations that eventually appeared at the Moscow court. An attentive observer of Moscow life, Baron Herberstein, who twice came to Moscow as the ambassador of the German emperor under Ivanov's successor, after listening to boyar talk, notes about Sophia in his notes that she was an unusually cunning woman who had big influence on the Grand Duke, who, at her suggestion, did a lot. " Even Ivan III's determination to throw off the Tatar yoke was attributed to her influence. In boyar tales and judgments about the princess, it is not easy to separate observation from suspicion or exaggeration guided by ill will. Sophia could only inspire what she herself cherished and what was understood and appreciated in Moscow. She could bring here the traditions and customs of the Byzantine court, pride in her origin, annoyance at marrying a Tatar tributary. “In Moscow, she did not like the simplicity of the situation and the unceremoniousness of relations at court, where Ivan III himself had to listen, in the words of his grandson,“ many revolting and reproachful words ”from the obstinate boyars. But in Moscow and without her, not only Ivan III had a desire to change all these old orders, which so did not correspond to the new position of the Moscow sovereign, and Sophia, with the Greeks brought by her, who had seen both Byzantine and Roman views, could give valuable instructions on how and by what patterns to introduce the desired changes. She cannot be denied her influence on the decorative setting and the backstage life of the Moscow court, on court intrigues and personal relationships; but on political affairs she could only act by suggestions that echoed the secret or vague thoughts of Ivan himself. "

Her husband consulted with her in making government decisions (in 1474 he bought out half of the Rostov principality, concluded a friendly alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey). The idea that she, the princess, by her Moscow marriage, makes the Moscow sovereigns the successors of the Byzantine emperors with all the interests of the Orthodox East, which held on to these emperors, could be especially intelligibly perceived. Therefore, Sophia was valued in Moscow and valued herself not so much as the Grand Duchess of Moscow, but as a Byzantine princess. In the Trinity Sergius Monastery, a silk shroud is kept, sewn by the hands of this Grand Duchess, who also embroidered her name on it. This veil was embroidered in 1498. For 26 years of marriage, Sophia, it seems, was time to forget her girlhood and former Byzantine title; however, in the signature on the shroud, she still calls herself "Tsarevna Tsaregorodskaya" and not the Grand Duchess of Moscow. And it was not without reason: Sophia, as a princess, enjoyed the right to receive foreign embassies in Moscow.

Thus, the marriage of Ivan and Sophia acquired the significance of a political demonstration, which declared to the whole world that the princess, as the heiress of the fallen Byzantine house, transferred his sovereign rights to Moscow as to the new Constantinople, where she shares them with her husband.


Formation of a single state


Already at the end of the reign of Vasily II, Moscow began to stifle the independence of the "Lord of Veliky Novgorod" - his foreign relations were placed under the control of the Moscow government. But the Novgorod boyars, headed by Martha Boretskaya, the widow of the mayor Isaac Boretsky, in an effort to preserve the independence of the republic, focused on Lithuania. Ivan III and the Moscow authorities regarded this as political and religious treason. The march of the Moscow army to Novgorod, the defeat of the Novgorodians on the Sheloni River, at Lake Ilmen (1471) and in the Dvina land led to the inclusion of vast lands of the republic in the number of Moscow possessions. This act was finally consolidated during the campaign against Novgorod in 1477-1478.

In the same 70s. Part of the Russian state became "Great Perm" (the upper reaches of the Kama, the population of Komi, a campaign in 1472), in the next decade - the lands on the Ob-river (1489, the Ugra and Vogul princes lived here with their fellow tribesmen), Vyatka (Khlynov, 1489 G.).

The annexation of the Novgorod lands predetermined the fate of the Tver principality. He was now surrounded on all sides by the Moscow possessions. In 1485, the troops of Ivan III entered the Tver land, Prince Mikhail Borisovich fled to Lithuania. "Tverichi kissed the cross to Prince Ivan Ivanovich Molodoy." He received from his father Tver in a specific possession.

In the same year, Ivan III took the official title of "Grand Duke of All Russia". So a single was born Russian state, and in the sources of that time the name "Russia" appears for the first time.

A quarter of a century later, already under Vasily III, the son of Ivan III, the lands of the Pskov Republic were annexed to Russia (1510). This act was of a formal nature, since in fact Pskov was under the control of Moscow from the 1460s. Four years later, Smolensk and its lands were included in Russia (1514), and even later - the Ryazan principality (1521), which also actually lost its independence at the end of the previous century. This is how the territory of a single Russian state developed.

True, there were still appanage principalities of the sons of Ivan III, brothers of Vasily III - Yuri, Semyon and Andrei. But the Grand Duke consistently limited their rights (prohibiting the minting of their coins, reducing judicial rights, etc.)


New title


Ivan, combined with a noble wife, the heiress of the Byzantine emperors, found the old Kremlin environment boring and ugly. “Following the princess, the masters were discharged from Italy, who built for Ivan a new Assumption Cathedral, the Faceted Chamber and a new stone courtyard on the site of the former wooden choir... At the same time, in the Kremlin at the court, that complex and strict ceremony began to be established, which communicated such stiffness and tension of Moscow court life. Just as at home, in the Kremlin, among his court servants, Ivan began to act with a more solemn gait in external relations, especially since the Horde yoke fell from his shoulders by itself, without a fight, with Tatar assistance. gravitating over northeastern Russia two and a half centuries (1238-1480) ". Since then, in Moscow government, especially diplomatic, papers, a new, more solemn language has been used, a splendid terminology unfamiliar to the Moscow clerks of specific centuries has been formed. It is based on two ideas: this is the idea of ​​the Moscow sovereign, of the national ruler of the entire Russian land and the idea of ​​a political and ecclesiastical successor to the Byzantine emperors. In relations with the western courts, not excluding the Lithuanian one, Ivan III for the first time dared to show the European the political world the pretentious title of "the sovereign of all Russia", previously used only in household use, in acts of internal use, and in the treaty of 1494 even forced the Lithuanian government to formally recognize this title. After the Tatar yoke fell from Moscow, in relations with unimportant foreign rulers, for example, with the Livonian master, Ivan III calls himself the king of all Russia. This term, as you know, is an abbreviated South Slavic and Russian form of the Latin word Caesar.

“The word Caesar came into Proto-Slavic through the Gothic“ kaisar ”. In Proto-Slavic it sounded like "smsar", then it was shortened to "tsar", and then "tsar" (analogs of this abbreviation are known in German titles, for example, Swedish. Kung and English. King from kuning). "

“The title of tsar in acts of internal government under Ivan III, sometimes, under Ivan IV, was usually combined with a title of autocrat similar in meaning - this is a Slavic translation of the Byzantine imperial title autocrat. Both terms in Ancient Russia did not mean what they began to mean later, they expressed the concept not of a sovereign with unlimited internal power, but of a sovereign who was not dependent on any outside external power, who did not pay tribute to anyone. In the political language of that time, both of these terms were opposed to what we mean by the word vassal. Monuments of Russian writing before Tatar yoke sometimes Russian princes are called tsars, giving them this title as a sign of respect, not in the sense of a political term. By kings par excellence Ancient Russia until the half of the 15th century. called the Byzantine emperors and khans of the Golden Horde, the most known independent rulers to her, and Ivan III could accept this title, only ceasing to be a tributary of the khan. The overthrow of the yoke removed the political obstacle to this, and the marriage with Sophia provided a historical justification for that: Ivan III could now consider himself the only remaining Orthodox and independent sovereign in the world, such as the Byzantine emperors, and the supreme ruler of Russia, which was under the rule of the Horde khans. “Having mastered these new magnificent titles, Ivan found that it was no longer suitable for him to be called simply in Russian in government acts Ivan, the sovereign grand duke, but began to write in the church book form:“ John, by the grace of God, the sovereign of all Russia. ” To this title as a historical justification is attached a long series of geographical epithets, denoting the new limits of the Moscow state: others ”, i.e. lands ". Feeling himself a successor to the fallen house of the Byzantine emperors in terms of political power and Orthodox Christianity, and finally, and in marital relationship, the Moscow sovereign also found a clear expression of his dynastic connection with them: the Moscow coat of arms with George the Victorious was combined with a double-headed eagle - the ancient coat of arms of Byzantium (Appendix 2). This emphasized that Moscow is the heiress Byzantine Empire, Ivan III - "the king of all Orthodoxy", the Russian Church is the successor of the Greek.


Code of Law of Ivan III


In 1497, the sovereign of all Russia, Ivan III, approved a nationwide Code of Law, which replaced the Russian truth. Code of Law - the first code of laws united Russia- consolidated a single structure and management in the state. “The highest institution was the Boyar Duma - a council under the Grand Duke; its members managed individual industries state economy, served as governors in the regiments, governors in cities. Volostels, from free people, exercised power in rural areas- volosts. The first orders appear - organs central administration, they were headed by boyars or clerks, whom the Grand Duke ordered to be in charge of certain matters. "

In the Code of Laws, the term "estate" was used for the first time to denote special kind land tenure issued for the performance public service... The Code of Law for the first time on a national scale introduced a rule restricting the exit of peasants; their transfer from one owner to another was now allowed only once a year, during a week before and a week after St. George's day of autumn (November 26), after the end of field work. In addition, the natives were obliged to pay the owner the elderly - money for the "yard" - outbuildings. “The assessment of the peasant household during the transition at the time of the adoption of the Code of Law in the steppe zone was 1 ruble per year, and in the forest zone - half a dollar (50 kopecks). But as an elderly person, sometimes up to 5 and even up to 10 rubles were collected. Due to the fact that many peasants could not pay for the elderly, they were forced to remain on the lands of the feudal lords on their terms. The agreement was most often concluded orally, but written agreements have also survived ”. This is how the legal enslavement of the peasants began, which ended in the 17th century.

“The Code of Law puts under the control of the center the local government represented by the feeding staff. Instead of squads, a single military organization was created - the Moscow army, the basis of which was the noble landowners. At the request of the Grand Duke, they must appear at the service with armed people from their slaves or peasants, depending on the size of the estate. The number of landowners under Ivan III increased greatly at the expense of slaves, servants and others; they were given lands confiscated from the Novgorod and other boyars, from the princes from the unaligned regions. "

The strengthening of the power of the Grand Duke, the growth of the influence of the nobility, the emergence of the administrative apparatus were reflected in the Code of Laws of 1497.

9. Overthrowing the yoke of the Horde

palaeologus byzantine prince nobility

Along with the unification of the lands of Russia, the government of Ivan III solved another problem of national importance - liberation from the Horde yoke.

The 15th century was the time of the decline of the Golden Horde. Internal weakening, civil strife led it to disintegration in the second or third quarter of the century into a number of khanates: Kazan and Astrakhan on the Volga, Nogai Horde, Siberian, Kazan, Uzbek - to the east of it, Big Horde and Crimean - to the west and south-west.

Ivan III in 1478 stopped paying tribute to the Great Horde - the successor of the Golden Horde. “Its ruler Khan Akhmed (Akhmat) in 1480 led an army to Moscow. He approached the Oka in the area where the Ugra River flows into it, near Kaluga, expecting help from the Polish king and Grand Duke Casimir IV. The army did not come from that - the troubles in Lithuania prevented ”.

In 1480, on the "advice" of his wife, Ivan III went with the militia to the Ugra River (Appendix No. 3), where the army of the Tatar Khan Akhmat was stationed. Attempts of the khan's cavalry to cross the river were repulsed by the Russian warriors with fire from cannons, squeaks, and archery. Also, the onset of frost and lack of food forced the khan and the army to leave. Having lost a large number of soldiers, Ahmed fled from Ugra to the southeast. He became aware that his possessions in the Horde were attacked and pogrom - a Russian army sailed there along the Volga.

The Big Horde soon disintegrated into several uluses, and Khan Ahmed died.

Russia threw off the finally hated yoke that tormented its people for about two and a half centuries. The increased power of Russia allowed its politicians to put on the order of the day the return of the original Russian lands, lost foreign invasions and Horde rule.

10. Family and state affairs


April 1474 Sophia gave birth to her first (quickly died) daughter Anna, then another daughter (who also died so quickly that they did not have time to baptize her). Disappointments in family life were compensated by activity in non-home affairs.

Sophia took an active part in diplomatic receptions (the Venetian envoy, Cantarini, noted that the reception she organized was "very stately and affectionate"). According to the legend, cited not only by Russian chronicles, but also by the English poet John Milton, in 1477 Sophia was able to outwit the Tatar khan, announcing that she had a sign from above about the construction of a temple to St. and the actions of the Kremlin. This story presents Sophia with a decisive nature ("she drove them out of the Kremlin, she demolished the house, although she did not build a temple").

But Sophia Fominichna grieved, she “cried, begged the Mother of God to give her an heir-son, distributed handfuls of alms to the poor, donated kisas to churches - and she heard her most pure prayers: again, for the third time, in the warm darkness of her nature she began new life.

Someone restless, not yet a person, but only an unbreakable part of her body, demandedly poked Sophia Fominichna in the side - sharply, resiliently, perceptibly. And it seems that this was not at all the case, which had happened to her twice already, and of a completely different order: the baby pushed hard, persistently, often.

"Boy," she believed, "boy!" The baby has not yet been born, but she has already begun great battle for his future. All the willpower, all the sophistication of the mind, the entire arsenal of great and small cunning, accumulated for centuries in the dark labyrinths and nooks of the palaces of Constantinople, was used every day by Sophia Fominichna, in order to first sow in her husband's soul the slightest doubts about Ivan the Young, who, although was worthy of the throne, but in his age he was undoubtedly nothing more than an obedient puppet in skillful hands skillful puppeteers - numerous enemies of the Grand Duke, and above all his brothers - Andrei Bolshoi and Boris.

And when, according to one of the Moscow chronicles, “in the summer of 6987 (1479 from the Nativity of Christ) on March 25 at eight o'clock in the morning, a son was born to the Grand Duke, and his name was given to him Vasily Pariysky, and Archbishop Vasiyan of Rostov was baptized in the Sergeev Monastery in Verbnaya week "".

Ivan III married his first-born Ivan Molodoy Tverskoy to the daughter of the Moldavian ruler Stephen the Great, who gave To a young son, and Ivan III's grandson - Dmitry.

In 1483, Sophia's authority was shaken: she imprudently presented the precious family necklace ("sazhenie"), which had previously belonged to Maria Borisovna, the first wife of Ivan III, to her niece, the wife of the Vereya prince Vasily Mikhailovich. The husband intended an expensive gift for his daughter-in-law Elena Stepanovna Voloshanka, the wife of his son Ivan Molodoy from his first marriage. In the conflict that arose (Ivan III demanded the return of the necklace to the treasury), Vasily Mikhailovich preferred to flee with the necklace to Lithuania. Taking advantage of this, the Moscow boyar elite, dissatisfied with the success of the prince's centralizing policy, opposed Sophia, considering it precisely her ideological inspirer of Ivan's innovations that infringed the interests of his children from his first marriage.

Sophia began a stubborn struggle to justify the right to the Moscow throne for her son Vasily. When her son was 8 years old, she even made an attempt to organize a conspiracy against her husband (1497), but he was discovered, and Sophia herself was convicted on suspicion of magic and connection with a "witch woman" (1498) and, together with her son Vasily, fell into disgrace ...

But fate was merciful to this irrepressible defender of the rights of her clan (over the years of her 30-year marriage, Sophia gave birth to 5 sons and 4 daughters). The death of Ivan III's eldest son, Ivan Molodoy, forced Sophia's wife to change her anger to mercy and return the exiled to Moscow. To celebrate, Sophia ordered a church veil with her own name ("Tsargorod princess, Grand Duchess of Moscow Sophia of the Grand Duke of Moscow").

According to Moscow ideas of that time, Dmitry had the right to the throne, who also enjoyed the support of the Boyar Duma. In 1498, when Dmitry was not yet 15 years old, he was crowned with the grand-ducal cap of Monomakh in the Assumption Cathedral.

However, already in next year Prince Vasily was proclaimed the Grand Duke of Novgorod and Pskov. “Researchers are unanimous in their interpretation of these events, seeing in them the result of a fierce struggle between groups at court. The fate of Dmitry after that was already in fact a foregone conclusion. In 1502, Ivan III took his grandson and his mother into custody, and three days later "he imprisoned the Grand Duchy of Vladimir and Moscow and made him an autocrat of all Russia."

For the new heir to the throne, Ivan wanted to make up some serious dynastic party, but after several setbacks, on the advice of the Greeks from Sophia's entourage, it was decided to hold a bride bridegroom. Vasily opted for Solomonia Saburova. However, the marriage was unsuccessful: there were no children. Having carried out a divorce with great difficulty (moreover, Solomonia, accused of witchcraft, was tonsured into a monastery), Vasily married Elena Glinskaya.

Feeling herself again the mistress of the capital, Sofya managed to attract doctors, cultural figures and especially architects to Moscow; active stone construction... The architects Aristotle Fioravanti, Marco Ruffo, Aleviz Fryazin, Antonio and Petro Solari, who arrived from Sophia's homeland and at her order, erected the Palace of Facets in the Kremlin, the Assumption and Annunciation Cathedrals on the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin; the construction of the Archangel Cathedral was completed.

Conclusion


Sophia died on August 7, 1503 in Moscow before Ivan III for two years, having achieved many honors. She was buried in the Moscow Ascension Convent in the Kremlin.

In December 1994, in connection with the transfer of the remains of the princely and royal wives to the basement chamber of the Archangel Cathedral, according to the well-preserved skull of Sophia by a student of M.M. Gerasimova S.A. Nikitin restored her sculptural portrait (Appendix No. 1).

With the arrival of Sophia, the Moscow courtyard acquired the features of Byzantine splendor, and this was a clear merit of Sophia and her entourage. The marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus undoubtedly strengthened Moscow state, facilitating his conversion to the great Third Rome. Sophia's main influence on the course of Russian history was also determined by the fact that she gave life to the man who became the father of Ivan the Terrible.

Russian people could be proud of what was done in those glorious decades of the late 15th and early XVI centuries. The chronicler reflected these feelings of his contemporaries: “Our great Russian land freed itself from the yoke ... and began to renew itself, as if it had passed from winter to a quiet spring. She again achieved her majesty, piety and serenity, as under the first prince Vladimir. "

The process of unification of lands, the formation of a single state contributed to the consolidation of the Russian lands, the formation of the Great Russian nation of nationality. Its territorial base was the lands of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, once inhabited by the Vyatichi and Krivichi, and the Novgorod-Pskov land, where the Novgorod Slavs and Krivichi lived. Growth of economic and political ties, common tasks in the struggle for national independence with the Horde, Lithuania and other opponents, historical traditions coming from the times of pre-Mongol Russia, the desire for unity became the driving factors of their unification within the framework of one nationality - the Great Russian. At the same time, other parts of the former Old Russian nationality are separated from it - in the west and southwest as a result of the Horde invasions and seizures of the Lithuanian, Polish, Hungarian rulers, the formation of the Ukrainian (Little Russian) and Belarusian nationalities is taking place.


Bibliography


1.Dvornichenko A.Yu. Russian empire from ancient times to the fall of autocracy. Tutorial... - M .: Publishing house, 2010 .-- 944 p.

Evgeny Viktorovich Anisimov “History of Russia from Rurik to Putin. People. Developments. Dates "

Klyuchevsky V.O. Compositions. In 9 volumes. V. 2. Course of Russian history. Part 2 / Aftersl. and comments. Compiled by V.A. Alexandrov, V.G. Zimin. - M .: Mysl ', 1987. - 447 p.

Sakharov A.N., Buganov V.I. History of Russia from ancient times to the end of the 17th century: Textbook. for 10 cl. general education. institutions / Ed. A.N. Sakharov. - 5th ed. - M .: Education, 1999 .-- 303 p.

Sizenko A.G. Great women of great Russia. 2010 r.

V.V. Fortunov History. Tutorial. Third generation standard. For bachelors. - SPb .: Peter, 2014 .-- 464 p. - (Series "Textbook for universities").


Application


Sophia Paleologue. Reconstruction by S.A. Nikitin.


Coat of arms of Russia under Ivan III.


Standing on the Ugra river. 1480 g.


4. The wedding of Ivan III with the Byzantine princess Sophia. Abegyan M.


Ivan III. Engraving. XVI century.


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A Greek princess who has had a significant impact on our country. From that time, in fact, the organization of an independent monarchical Russian state began.

Sophia Paleologue was born in the 40s of the 15th century, at birth she had the name Zoya and was the heir to the ancient Greek family that ruled Byzantium from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Then the Palaeologus family moved to Rome.

Contemporaries noted the oriental beauty of the princess, sharp mind, curiosity, high level her education and culture. They tried to marry Sophia with King James II of Cyprus, and then with the Italian prince Caracciolo. Both marriages did not take place, there were rumors that Sophia allegedly refused the suitors, because she did not want to give up her faith.

In 1469, Pope Paul 2 advised Sophia to marry the widowed Grand Duke of Moscow, the Catholic Church hoped this union would exert its influence on Russia.

But it took a long time to get married. The prince was in no hurry, he decided to consult with the boyars and mother Maria Tverskaya. Only then did he send his Italian envoy to Rome, Gian Batista de Volpe, who in Russia was simply called Ivan Fryazin.

He was instructed on behalf of the king to negotiate and see the bride. The Italian came back, not alone, but with a portrait of the bride. Three years later, Volpe left for the future princess. In the summer, Zoya, with her numerous retinue, set out on a journey to a northern, unknown country. In many cities through which the niece of the Greek emperor passed, the future princess of Russia aroused great curiosity.

The townspeople noted her appearance, wonderful white skin and huge black, very beautiful eyes. The princess is dressed in a purple dress, on top of a brocade robe lined with sables. On Zoya's head, priceless stones and pearls sparkled in her hair, on her shoulder, a large clasp, decorated with a large precious stone, was striking with beauty, which was striking against the background of a luxurious outfit.

After the matchmaking, Ivan 3 was given as a gift a portrait of the bride of skillful work. There was a version that the Greek woman was engaged in magic and thus bewitched the portrait. One way or another, the wedding of Ivan 3 and Sophia took place in November 1472 when Sophia arrived in Moscow.

Hopes catholic church on Sophia Paleologue did not come true. When entering Moscow, the Pope's representative was denied the solemn carrying of the Catholic cross, and subsequently his position at the Russian court did not play any role. The Byzantine princess returned to the Orthodox faith and became an ardent opponent of Catholicism.

In the marriage of Sophia and Ivan 3, there were 12 children. The first two daughters died in infancy. There is a legend that the birth of a son was predicted by Sophia to the saints. During the pilgrimage of the Moscow princess to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the monk appeared to her and lifted up a male infant. Indeed, soon Sophia gave birth to a boy, who later became the heir to the throne and the first recognized Russian tsar - Vasily 3.

With the birth of a new contender for the throne, intrigues began at court, a struggle for power ensued between Sophia and the son of Ivan 3 from his first marriage, Ivan the Young. The young prince already had his heir - little Dmitry but he was in poor health. But soon Ivan the Young fell ill with gout and died, the doctor who treated him was executed and rumors spread that the prince had been poisoned.

His son, Dimitri, the grandson of Ivan 3, was crowned as the Grand Duke, and was considered the heir to the throne. However, in the course of Sophia's intrigues, his grandfather, Ivan 3, soon fell into disgrace, was imprisoned and soon died, and the right of inheritance passed to Sophia's son, Vasily.

As a Moscow princess, Sophia showed great initiative in her husband's state affairs. At her insistence, Ivan 3 in 1480 refused to pay tribute to the Tatar khan Akhmat, tore up the letter and ordered to expel the Horde ambassadors out.

The consequences were not long in coming - Khan Akhmat gathered all his soldiers and moved to Moscow. His troops settled on the Ugra River and began to prepare for an attack. The gentle banks of the river did not give the necessary advantage in battle, time passed and the troops remained in place, waiting for the onset of cold weather to cross the river on the ice. At the same time, riots and uprisings began in the Golden Horde, perhaps this was the reason why the khan deployed his tumens and left Russia.

Sophia Palaeologus transferred her legacy of the Byzantine Empire to Russia. Together with the dowry, the princess brought rare icons, a large library with the works of Aristotle and Plato, the writings of Homer, and as a gift to her husband, she received a royal throne made of ivory with carved biblical subjects. All this later passed on to their grandson -

Thanks to her ambitions and great influence on her husband, she introduced Moscow to the European order. Under her, etiquette was established in the prince's court, the princess was allowed to have her own half of the palace and to receive ambassadors on her own. The best architects and painters of that time were summoned from Europe to Moscow.

The wooden capital of Sophia clearly lacked the former grandeur of Byzantium. Buildings were erected that became the best decorations in Moscow: Assumption, Annunciation, Archangel Cathedrals. Also built: The Faceted Chamber for receiving ambassadors and guests, the Kazenny Dvor, the Stone Chamber Embankment, the towers of the Moscow Kremlin.

Throughout own life Sophia considered herself a Tsarevgorod princess, it was her who had the idea to make the third Rome out of Moscow. After marriage, Ivan 3 introduced into his coat of arms and printers the symbol of the Palaeologus clan - a two-headed eagle. In addition, Russia began to be called Russia, thanks to the Byzantine tradition.

Despite the apparent dignity, the people and the boyars treated Sophia with hostility, calling her "Greek" and "sorceress." Many feared her influence on Ivan 3, since the prince began to be distinguished by a tough disposition and demand complete obedience from the subjects.

Nevertheless, it was thanks to Sophia Paleologue that the rapprochement between Russia and the West took place, the architecture of the capital changed, private ties with Europe were established, and also strengthened foreign policy.

Ivan 3's campaign against independent Novgorod ended with its complete elimination. The fate of the Novgorod Republic also predetermined its fate. The Moscow army entered the territory of the Tver land. Now Tver "kissed the cross" swearing allegiance to Ivan 3, and the Tver prince was forced to flee to Lithuania.

The successful unification of the Russian lands created the conditions for liberation from the Horde dependence, which happened in 1480.

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Sofia Palaeologus wife of Ivan 3: biography, personal life, historical facts... The series "Sofia", which is broadcasted by the TV channel Russia 1, aroused great interest in the personality of this amazing woman, who, through love, was able to reverse the course of history and contributed to the emergence of Russian statehood. Most historians claim that Sophia (Zoya) Palaeologus played a huge role in the formation of the Muscovy. It is thanks to her that the "two-headed eagle" appeared, and it is she who is considered the author of the concept "Moscow - the third Rome". By the way, the double-headed eagle was at first the emblem of her dynasty. Then he migrated to the coat of arms of all Russian emperors and tsars.

Zoe Palaeologus was born on the Greek Peloponnese in 1455. She was the daughter of the Moray despot Thomas Palaeologus. The girl was born in a rather tragic time - the fall of the Byzantine Empire. After Constantinople was taken by the Turks and Emperor Constantine died, the Palaeologus family fled to Corfu, and from there to Rome. There Thomas forcibly converted to Catholicism. The parents of the girl and her two young brothers died early, and Zoe was raised by a Greek scientist who served as cardinal under Pope Sixtus the Fourth. In Rome, the girl was brought up in the Catholic faith.

Sofia Paleologus, wife of Ivan 3: biography, personal life, historical facts. When the girl was 17 years old, they tried to marry her to the king of Cyprus, but the clever Sofia herself contributed to the breakdown of the engagement, since she did not want to marry a Gentile. After the death of her parents, the girl secretly communicated with Orthodox elders.

In 1467, the wife of Ivan III, Maria Borisovna, dies in Russia. And Pope Paul II, hoping for the spread of Catholicism in the territory of Russia, proposes to wife the widowed prince Sophia. They say that the Moscow Prince liked the girl for the portrait. She possessed amazing beauty: snow-white skin, beautiful expressive eyes. In 1472 the marriage took place.


The main achievement of Sophia is that she influenced her husband, who, as a result of this influence, refused to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. Local princes and people did not want war and were ready to pay tribute further. However, Ivan III was able to break the fear of the people, which he himself coped with with the help of a loving wife.

Sofia Paleologus, wife of Ivan 3: biography, personal life, historical facts. In a marriage with the Prince, Sofia had 5 sons and 4 daughters. Personal life has developed very well. The only thing that darkened Sophia's life was her relationship with her husband's son from his first marriage, Ivan Molodoy. Sofia Paleologue became the grandmother of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Sofia died in 1503. Her husband outlived his wife by only 2 years.

In the family of the Sea despot Thomas Palaeologus (+ 1465), brother of Emperor Constantine XI.

Orphaned early, Sophia was brought up together with her brothers at the court of the Pope.

Profitable marriage

« I was with her- says the chronicler, - and your lord(legate Anthony), not according to our custom, dressed all in red, wearing gloves, which he never takes off and blesses in them, and they carry a cast crucifix in front of him, high on the shaft; he does not approach the icons and does not cross himself, in the Trinity Cathedral he venerated only the Most Pure One, and then by order of the princess».

Having learned that in front of the procession they were carrying the Latin cross, Metropolitan Philip threatened the Grand Duke: “ If you will allow in noble Moscow to carry the cross in front of the Latin bishop, then he will enter into a single gate, and I, your father, will go out of the city differently.».

According to legend, she brought with her as a gift to her husband a "bone throne" (now known as the "throne of Ivan the Terrible"): its wooden frame was covered with plates of ivory and walrus with scenes carved on them on biblical themes.

Sophia also brought with her several Orthodox icons, including, as it is assumed, a rare icon of the Mother of God “The Blessed Sky”.

Fight for the throne

On April 18, Sofia gave birth to her first (quickly died) daughter Anna, then another daughter (who also died so quickly that they did not have time to baptize her).

In the year, Sofia's first son, Vasily, was born. Over the years of her 30-year marriage, Sophia gave birth to 5 sons and 4 daughters.

in the year the eldest son of Ivan III, Ivan Molodoy, had an ache in his legs ("kamchyug") and died at the age of 32. He was the latter who left his young son Demetrius (+ 1509) from his marriage to Elena, daughter of Stephen, ruler of Moldavia, and therefore now the question arose of who should inherit the great reign - son or grandson. The struggle for the throne began, the court was divided into two sides.

The princes and boyars supported Elena, the widow of Ivan the Young, and her son Dmitry; on the side of Sofia with her son Vasily were only boyar children and clerks. They began to advise the young Prince Vasily to leave Moscow, seize the treasury in Vologda and Beloozero, and destroy Demetrius. But the conspiracy was discovered in December. In addition, the enemies told the Grand Duke that Sophia wanted to poison his grandson in order to put him on the throne. own son that she is secretly visited by sorcerers who are preparing a poisonous potion, and that Vasily himself is involved in this conspiracy. Ivan III sided with his grandson and arrested Vasily.

However, Sofia managed to achieve the fall of Elena Voloshanka, accusing her of adhering to the heresy of the Judaizers. Then the Grand Duke put his daughter-in-law and grandson in disgrace and in the year named Basil the legitimate heir to the throne.

Impact on politics and culture

Contemporaries noted that Ivan III, after his marriage to the niece of the Byzantine emperor, was a formidable sovereign at the Moscow grand-ducal table. The Byzantine princess brought sovereign rights to her husband and, according to the Byzantine historian F.I. Uspensky, the right to the throne of Byzantium, which the boyars had to reckon with. Previously, Ivan III loved "meeting against himself", that is, objections and disputes, but under Sophia he changed his treatment of courtiers, began to behave inaccessible, demanded special respect and easily fell into anger, every now and then imposing disgrace. These misfortunes were also attributed to the pernicious influence of Sophia Palaeologus.

An attentive observer of Moscow life, Baron Herberstein, who twice came to Moscow as the ambassador of the German emperor to the reign of Vasily III, after listening to boyar talk, notes about Sophia in his notes that she was an unusually cunning woman who had a great influence on the Grand Duke, who, at her suggestion, made much. Finally, the chroniclers confirm this, saying, for example, that according to the suggestions of Sophia, Ivan III finally broke with the Horde. As if one day she said to her husband: “ I refused my hand to rich, strong princes and kings, for faith I married you, and now you want to make me and my children tributaries; don't you have enough troops?»

As a princess, Sophia, she enjoyed the right to receive foreign embassies in Moscow. According to the legend, cited not only by Russian chronicles, but also by the English poet John Milton, in the year Sophia was able to outwit the Tatar khan, announcing that she had a sign from above about the construction of a temple to St. and the actions of the Kremlin. This story presents Sophia with a decisive nature (“ put them out of the Kremlin, demolished the house, although the temple was not built"). Ivan III really refused to pay tribute and trampled on the khan's letter right at the Horde court in Zamoskvorechye, Russia actually stopped paying tribute to the Horde.

Sophia managed to attract doctors, cultural figures and especially architects to Moscow. The creations of the latter could make Moscow equal in beauty and majesty to European capitals and maintain the prestige of the Moscow sovereign, as well as emphasize the continuity of Moscow not only to the Second, but also to the First Rome. The arriving architects Aristotle Fioravanti, Marco Ruffo, Aleviz Fryazin, Antonio and Petro Solari erected the Palace of Facets in the Kremlin, the Assumption and Annunciation Cathedrals on the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin; completed construction

Most historians agree that her grandmother, the Grand Duchess of Moscow Sophia (Zoya) Palaeologus, played a huge role in the formation of the Muscovy. Many consider her to be the author of the concept "Moscow - the third Rome". And together with Zoya Paleologina appeared double-headed eagle... At first, it was the family coat of arms of her dynasty, and then migrated to the coat of arms of all the tsars and Russian emperors.

Childhood and youth

Zoe Palaeologus was born (presumably) in 1455 in Mystra. The daughter of the Moray despot Thomas Palaeologus was born in a tragic and crucial time - the time of the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

After the capture of Constantinople by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II and the death of Emperor Constantine, Thomas Palaeologus fled to Corfu with his wife Catherine of Ahai and their children. From there he moved to Rome, where he was forced to convert to Catholicism. Thomas died in May 1465. His death happened shortly after the death of his wife in the same year. The children, Zoya and her brothers - 5-year-old Manuel and 7-year-old Andrey, moved to Rome after the death of their parents.

The Greek scientist, the Uniate Vissarion of Nicea, who served as a cardinal under Pope Sixtus IV (it was he who ordered the famous Sistine Chapel), took up the upbringing of orphans. In Rome, the Greek princess Zoe Palaeologus and her brothers were raised in the Catholic faith. The cardinal took care of the maintenance of the children and their education.

It is known that Bessarion of Nicea, with the permission of the pope, paid for the modest court of the young Paleologues, which included a servant, a doctor, two professors of Latin and Greek, translators and priests. Sophia Palaeologus received a fairly solid education at that time.

Grand Duchess of Moscow

When Sophia came of age, the Venetian signoria took care of her marriage. To marry a noble girl was first proposed to the King of Cyprus, Jacques II de Lusignan. But he refused this marriage, fearing a conflict with the Ottoman Empire. A year later, in 1467, Cardinal Vissarion, at the request of Pope Paul II, offered the hand of a noble Byzantine beauty to the prince and Italian nobleman Caracciolo. A solemn betrothal took place, but for unknown reasons the marriage was canceled.


There is a version that Sophia secretly communicated with the Athonite elders and adhered to the Orthodox faith. She herself made an effort not to marry a non-believer, upsetting all marriages offered to her.

In 1467, a crucial year for the life of Sophia Palaeologus, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Maria Borisovna, died. In this marriage was born The only son... Pope Paul II, counting on the spread of Catholicism to Moscow, invited the widowed sovereign of All Russia to marry his ward.


After 3 years of negotiations, Ivan III, having asked for advice from his mother, Metropolitan Philip and the boyars, decided to marry. It is noteworthy that the negotiators from the Pope prudently kept silent about the transition of Sophia Palaeologus to Catholicism. Moreover, they reported that the proposed wife Paleologina was an Orthodox Christian. They didn’t even know that it was so.

In June 1472, the absentee betrothal of Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus took place in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome. After that, the bride's train departed from Rome for Moscow. The same Cardinal Vissarion accompanied the bride.


The Bologna chroniclers described Sophia as a rather attractive person. She looked 24 years old, she had snow-white skin and incredibly beautiful and expressive eyes. Her height was no higher than 160 cm. The constitution of the future wife of the Russian sovereign was dense.

There is a version that the dowry of Sophia Palaeologus, in addition to clothes and jewelry, contained many valuable books, which later formed the basis of the mysteriously disappeared library of Ivan the Terrible. Among them were treatises and unknown poems.


Meeting of Princess Sophia Palaeologus at Lake Peipsi

At the end of a long route that ran through Germany and Poland, the Roman guides Sophia Palaeologus realized that their desire to spread (or at least bring closer) Catholicism to Orthodoxy through the marriage of Ivan III to Palaeologus was defeated. Zoe, barely leaving Rome, showed a firm intention to return to the faith of her ancestors - Christianity. The wedding took place in Moscow on November 12, 1472. The ceremony took place at the Assumption Cathedral.

The main achievement of Sophia Palaeologus, which turned into a great blessing for Russia, is considered her influence on her husband's decision to refuse to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. Thanks to his wife, Ivan the Third finally dared to throw off the centuries-old Tatar-Mongol yoke, although the local princes and elite offered to continue paying the quitrent in order to avoid bloodshed.

Personal life

Apparently, the personal life of Sophia Palaeologus with the Grand Duke Ivan III was successful. In this marriage, a considerable offspring were born - 5 sons and 4 daughters. But it is difficult to call the cloudless existence of the new Grand Duchess Sophia in Moscow. The boyars saw the enormous influence that the wife had on her husband. Many people didn't like it.


Vasily III, son of Sophia Palaeologus

Rumor has it that the princess had a bad relationship with the heir, born in the previous marriage of Ivan III, Ivan the Young. Moreover, there is a version that Sophia was involved in the poisoning of Ivan Molodoy and the further removal from power of his wife Elena Voloshanka and son Dmitry.

Be that as it may, Sophia Palaeologus had a tremendous influence on the entire further history of Russia, on its culture and architecture. She was the mother of the heir to the throne and the grandmother of Ivan the Terrible. According to some reports, the grandson bore no small resemblance to his wise Byzantine grandmother.

Death

Sophia Palaeologus, Grand Duchess of Moscow, died on April 7, 1503. The husband, Ivan III, outlived his wife by only 2 years.


Destruction of the grave of Sophia Palaeologus in 1929

Sophia was buried next to the previous wife of Ivan III in the sarcophagus of the tomb of the Ascension Cathedral. The cathedral was destroyed in 1929. But the remains of the women of the royal house survived - they were transferred to the underground chamber of the Archangel Cathedral.