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

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

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

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

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

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

The strengthening of central power under Ivan III Vasilyevich required the improvement of the government apparatus. New governing bodies were created - orders. The first legislative code of the Russian state also appeared - the Code of Laws of 1497. The court life of the Grand Duke's palace in the Moscow Kremlin became more complex and ceremonious.

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

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

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

Sophia Paleologus (?-1503), wife (from 1472) of Grand Duke Ivan III, niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Paleologus. Arrived in Moscow on November 12, 1472; on the same day, her wedding to Ivan III took place in the Assumption Cathedral. The marriage with Sophia Paleologus contributed to strengthening the prestige of the Russian state in international relations and the authority of the grand ducal power within the country. Special mansions and a courtyard were built for Sophia Paleolog in Moscow. Under Sophia Paleologus, the grand-ducal court was distinguished by its special splendor. Architects were invited from Italy to Moscow to decorate the palace and the capital. The walls and towers of the Kremlin, the Assumption and Annunciation Cathedrals, the Faceted Chamber, and the Terem Palace were erected. Sofia Paleolog brought a rich library to Moscow. The dynastic marriage of Ivan III with Sophia Paleologus owes its appearance to the rite of royal crowning. The arrival of Sophia Paleologus is associated with the appearance of an ivory throne as part of the dynastic regalia, on the back of which was placed an image of a unicorn, which became one of the most common emblems of Russian state power. Around 1490, the image of a crowned double-headed eagle first appeared on the front portal of the Palace of Facets. The Byzantine concept of the sacredness of imperial power directly influenced Ivan III’s introduction of “theology” (“by God’s grace”) in the title and in the preamble of state charters.

KURBSKY TO GROZNY ABOUT HIS GRANDMOTHER

But the abundance of your Majesty’s malice is such that it destroys not only your friends, but, together with your guardsmen, the entire holy Russian land, a plunderer of houses and a murderer of sons! May God protect you from this and may the Lord, King of Ages, not allow this to happen! After all, even then everything is going as if on the edge of a knife, because if not your sons, then your half-brothers and close brothers by birth, you have overflowed the measure of bloodsuckers - your father and your mother and grandfather. After all, your father and mother - everyone knows how many they killed. In exactly the same way, your grandfather, with your Greek grandmother, having renounced and forgotten love and kinship, killed his wonderful son Ivan, courageous and glorified in heroic enterprises, born of his first wife, Saint Mary, Princess of Tver, as well as his divinely crowned grandson born of him Tsar Demetrius together with his mother, Saint Helena - the first by deadly poison, and the second by many years of imprisonment in prison, and then by strangulation. But he was not satisfied with this!..

MARRIAGE OF IVAN III AND SOFIA PALEOLOGIST

On May 29, 1453, the legendary Constantinople, besieged by the Turkish army, fell. The last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, died in battle defending Constantinople. His younger brother Thomas Palaiologos, ruler of the small appanage state of Morea on the Peloponnese peninsula, fled with his family to Corfu and then to Rome. After all, Byzantium, hoping to receive military assistance from Europe in the fight against the Turks, signed the Union of Florence in 1439 on the unification of the Churches, and now its rulers could seek asylum from the papal throne. Thomas Palaiologos was able to remove the greatest shrines of the Christian world, including the head of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. In gratitude for this, he received a house in Rome and a good boarding house from the papal throne.

In 1465, Thomas died, leaving three children - sons Andrei and Manuel and the youngest daughter Zoya. The exact date of her birth is unknown. It is believed that she was born in 1443 or 1449 in her father's possessions in the Peloponnese, where she received her early education. The Vatican took upon itself the education of the royal orphans, entrusting them to Cardinal Bessarion of Nicaea. Greek by birth, former Archbishop of Nicaea, he was a zealous supporter of the signing of the Union of Florence, after which he became a cardinal in Rome. He raised Zoe Paleologue in European Catholic traditions and especially taught her to humbly follow the principles of Catholicism in everything, calling her “the beloved daughter of the Roman Church.” Only in this case, he inspired the pupil, will fate give you everything. However, everything turned out quite the opposite.

In February 1469, the ambassador of Cardinal Vissarion arrived in Moscow with a letter to the Grand Duke, in which he was invited to legally marry the daughter of the Despot of Morea. The letter mentioned, among other things, that Sophia (the name Zoya was diplomatically replaced with the Orthodox Sophia) had already refused two crowned suitors who had wooed her - the French king and the Duke of Milan, not wanting to marry a Catholic ruler.

According to the ideas of that time, Sophia was considered a middle-aged woman, but she was very attractive, with amazingly beautiful, expressive eyes and soft matte skin, which in Rus' was considered a sign of excellent health. And most importantly, she was distinguished by a sharp mind and an article worthy of a Byzantine princess.

The Moscow sovereign accepted the offer. He sent his ambassador, the Italian Gian Battista della Volpe (he was nicknamed Ivan Fryazin in Moscow), to Rome to make a match. The messenger returned a few months later, in November, bringing with him a portrait of the bride. This portrait, which seemed to mark the beginning of the era of Sophia Paleologus in Moscow, is considered the first secular image in Rus'. At least, they were so amazed by it that the chronicler called the portrait an “icon,” without finding another word: “And bring the princess on the icon.”

However, the matchmaking dragged on because Moscow Metropolitan Philip for a long time objected to the sovereign’s marriage to a Uniate woman, who was also a pupil of the papal throne, fearing the spread of Catholic influence in Rus'. Only in January 1472, having received the consent of the hierarch, Ivan III sent an embassy to Rome for the bride. Already on June 1, at the insistence of Cardinal Vissarion, a symbolic betrothal took place in Rome - the engagement of Princess Sophia and the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan, who was represented by the Russian ambassador Ivan Fryazin. That same June, Sophia set off on her journey with an honorary retinue and the papal legate Anthony, who soon had to see firsthand the futility of the hopes Rome placed on this marriage. According to Catholic tradition, a Latin cross was carried at the front of the procession, which caused great confusion and excitement among the residents of Russia. Having learned about this, Metropolitan Philip threatened the Grand Duke: “If you allow the cross in blessed Moscow to be carried before the Latin bishop, then he will enter the only gate, and I, your father, will go out of the city differently.” Ivan III immediately sent the boyar to meet the procession with the order to remove the cross from the sleigh, and the legate had to obey with great displeasure. The princess herself behaved as befits the future ruler of Rus'. Having entered the Pskov land, the first thing she did was visit an Orthodox church, where she venerated the icons. The legate had to obey here too: follow her to the church, and there venerate the holy icons and venerate the image of the Mother of God by order of despina (from the Greek despot- “ruler”). And then Sophia promised the admiring Pskovites her protection before the Grand Duke.

Ivan III did not intend to fight for the “inheritance” with the Turks, much less accept the Union of Florence. And Sophia had no intention of Catholicizing Rus'. On the contrary, she showed herself to be an active Orthodox Christian. Some historians believe that she did not care what faith she professed. Others suggest that Sophia, apparently raised in childhood by the Athonite elders, opponents of the Union of Florence, was deeply Orthodox at heart. She skillfully hid her faith from the powerful Roman “patrons”, who did not help her homeland, betraying it to the Gentiles for ruin and death. One way or another, this marriage only strengthened Muscovy, contributing to its conversion to the great Third Rome.

Early in the morning of November 12, 1472, Sophia Paleologus arrived in Moscow, where everything was ready for the wedding celebration dedicated to the name day of the Grand Duke - the day of remembrance of St. John Chrysostom. On the same day, in the Kremlin, in a temporary wooden church, erected near the Assumption Cathedral under construction, so as not to stop the services, the sovereign married her. The Byzantine princess saw her husband for the first time. The Grand Duke was young - only 32 years old, handsome, tall and stately. His eyes were especially remarkable, “formidable eyes”: when he was angry, women fainted from his terrible gaze. Previously he was distinguished by a tough character, but now, having become related to the Byzantine monarchs, he turned into a formidable and powerful sovereign. This was largely due to his young wife.

The wedding in a wooden church made a strong impression on Sophia Paleolog. The Byzantine princess, raised in Europe, differed in many ways from Russian women. Sophia brought with her her ideas about the court and the power of government, and many of the Moscow orders did not suit her heart. She did not like that her sovereign husband remained a tributary of the Tatar khan, that the boyar entourage behaved too freely with their sovereign. That the Russian capital, built entirely of wood, stands with patched fortress walls and dilapidated stone churches. That even the sovereign's mansions in the Kremlin are made of wood and that Russian women look at the world from a small window. Sophia Paleolog not only made changes at court. Some Moscow monuments owe their appearance to her.

She brought a generous dowry to Rus'. After the wedding, Ivan III adopted the Byzantine double-headed eagle as a coat of arms - a symbol of royal power, placing it on his seal. The two heads of the eagle face the West and the East, Europe and Asia, symbolizing their unity, as well as the unity (“symphony”) of spiritual and temporal power. Actually, Sophia’s dowry was the legendary “Liberia” - a library allegedly brought on 70 carts (better known as the “library of Ivan the Terrible”). It included Greek parchments, Latin chronographs, ancient Eastern manuscripts, among which were unknown to us poems by Homer, works by Aristotle and Plato, and even surviving books from the famous Library of Alexandria. Seeing wooden Moscow, burned after the fire of 1470, Sophia was afraid for the fate of the treasure and for the first time hid the books in the basement of the stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on Senya - the home church of the Moscow Grand Duchesses, built by order of St. Eudokia, the widow. And, according to Moscow custom, she put her own treasury for preservation in the underground of the Kremlin Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist - the very first church in Moscow, which stood until 1847.

According to legend, she brought with her a “bone throne” as a gift to her husband: its wooden frame was entirely covered with plates of ivory and walrus ivory with scenes on biblical themes carved on them. This throne is known to us as the throne of Ivan the Terrible: the king is depicted on it by the sculptor M. Antokolsky. In 1896, the throne was installed in the Assumption Cathedral for the coronation of Nicholas II. But the sovereign ordered it to be staged for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (according to other sources, for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna), and he himself wished to be crowned on the throne of the first Romanov. And now the throne of Ivan the Terrible is the oldest in the Kremlin collection.

Sophia brought with her several Orthodox icons, including, supposedly, a rare icon of the Mother of God “Blessed Heaven”... And even after the wedding of Ivan III, an image of the Byzantine Emperor Michael III, the founder of the Paleolog dynasty, with which the Moscow people became related, appeared in the Archangel Cathedral rulers. Thus, the continuity of Moscow to the Byzantine Empire was established, and the Moscow sovereigns appeared as the heirs of the Byzantine emperors.

Vasilevich

Battles and victories

The Grand Duke of Moscow from 1462 to 1505, also began to be called the Sovereign, under him Moscow was freed from the Horde yoke.

Ivan the Great himself did not personally lead any operation or battle, but one can speak of him as the supreme commander-in-chief. And the results of the wars of the reign of Ivan III are the most successful in the entire history of Muscovite Rus'.

Ivan Vasilyevich, who is called Ivan III in historical literature, is the first of the Grand Dukes of Moscow who began to lay claim to the title of Sovereign of All Rus'. The emergence of a unified (though not yet completely centralized) Russian state is associated with his name. And this could not be achieved with the help of political maneuvers alone, of which Ivan III was undoubtedly an outstanding master.

The Middle Ages were characterized by the ideal of a warrior ruler, an example of which Vladimir Monomakh gives in his “Teaching”. Besides himself, Svyatoslav Igorevich, Mstislav Tmutarakansky, Izyaslav Mstislavich, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Mstislav Udatny, Alexander Nevsky and many others covered themselves with military glory, although, of course, there were many who did not shine with military valor. The Moscow princes were no different from them either - only Dmitry Donskoy gained fame on the battlefield.

Ivan III, a pragmatist to the core, did not at all strive to live up to the ideal of a warrior prince. There were many wars during his reign - with Lithuania alone, two, also two with Kazan, and also with the Great Horde (not counting raids), Novgorod, the Livonian Order, Sweden... The prince himself, in fact, did not participate in hostilities, not a single one did not personally direct the operation or battle, i.e. cannot be considered a commander in the strict sense of the word, but one can speak of him as the supreme commander in chief. Considering that the wars during his reign ended in draws at worst, but mostly in victories, and not always over weak opponents, it is clear that the Grand Duke coped with his tasks as “commander in chief” successfully. But this is only a general conclusion . And if we turn to the details?

Ivan Vasilyevich, husband of a brave heart and ritzer valechny (military)

"Kroinika Lithuanian and Zhmoitskaya"

Of course, Ivan Vasilyevich did not inherit a small or weak power. However, just ten years before his reign, the “squabble” ended - the struggle for power between representatives of the two branches of the Moscow grand-ducal house. And Moscow had plenty of enemies, first of all, the Great Horde and Lithuania, which was Moscow’s rival in the matter of collecting Russian lands - it was in its hands that Kyiv, “the mother of Russian cities,” was located.

The first major war during the reign of Ivan III was the conflict with Kazan in 1467-1469. In the campaigns against it, which were initially unsuccessful, the Grand Duke did not take part, leaving the matter to the governors - Konstantin Bezzubtsev, Vasily Ukhtomsky, Daniil Kholmsky, Ivan Runo. The persistence of Ivan III is characteristic: after the failure of the May campaign of 1469, already in August he sent a new army, and it achieved success, the Kazan people concluded an agreement beneficial for the Muscovites.

In the same way, in fact, the governors were granted independence during the Novgorod “blitzkrieg” of 1471, especially since the rapidity of the movements of Moscow troops with the then means of communication did not contribute to interference in their actions. Three Moscow armies advancing on the Novgorod lands, one after another, achieved success, the main of which was the defeat of the Novgorod army on the banks of the Shelon in July 1471. Only after this Ivan III arrived in Rusa, where the army of Daniil Kholmsky and Fyodor the Lame was stationed and where he ordered the execution of four captured Novgorod boyars for “treason.” Ordinary Novgorodians who were captured, on the contrary, were released, thereby making it clear that Moscow was not fighting with them. And they also have no need to fight with her.

The war with Novgorod was still going on when the Khan of the Great Horde, Akhmat, moved to the southern borders of the Moscow Principality. In July, he approached the banks of the Oka and burned the town of Aleksin, driving back the Russian advance detachments. A terrible fire had just ended in Moscow, and the Grand Duke, who personally participated in the fight against the fire, upon receiving alarming news, immediately went to Kolomna to organize defense. The two or three days lost by Akhmat at Aleksin are believed to have given time to the Russian commanders to take up positions on the Oka, after which the khan chose to retreat. It can be assumed that the coherence of the actions of the Russian governors was not least the result of the skillful leadership of Ivan III. One way or another, the enemy left, unable or unwilling to build on the initial success.

The largest campaign in which Ivan III was involved was the war with the Great Horde in 1480. Its culmination, as is known, was the “stand on the Ugra”. The war took place in the context of a conflict with the Livonian Order and the rebellion of Andrei Volotsky (Bolshoy) and Boris Uglitsky - the brothers of the Grand Duke, who unceremoniously violated the agreement with them and did not allocate them with the lands of Novgorod annexed in 1478 (he had to make peace with the “troublemakers” by going concessions to them). Grand Duke Casimir promised help to Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat. True, the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey was an ally of Moscow.

Ivan III did not follow the path of Dmitry Donskoy, who in 1380 moved towards Mamai and defeated him in the extremely bloody Battle of Kulikovo, and in 1382 he preferred to leave to gather troops against Tokhtamysh, entrusting its defense to the Lithuanian prince Ostey. The great-grandson of the hero of the Kulikov Field already had other forces, and he pulled out a more ambitious strategy. Ivan decided to block the path to the enemy on the way to the capital city, which last saw the Tatars under its walls in 1451. Ivan III sent his brother Andrei the Lesser with regiments to Tarusa, his son Ivan to Serpukhov, and he himself settled in Kolomna. The Russian army thus took up positions along the Oka, preventing the enemy from crossing. Dmitry Donskoy could not afford this yet - his strength was not so great.)

Akhmat reasonably believed that he would not be able to break through the Oka River and turned west, moving towards Kaluga in order to bypass Russian defensive positions. Now the epicenter of hostilities has shifted to the banks of the Ugra River. The Grand Duke sent troops there, but did not stay with them, but preferred to come to Moscow “for council and Duma” with the boyars and church hierarchs. Just in case, the Moscow Posad was evacuated, as was the treasury and, contrary to the opinion of some close associates of Ivan III, the grand-ducal family (on the road to Beloozero, the servants of Grand Duchess Sophia did not show themselves in the best way, “becoming famous” for robberies and violence “more than the Tatars”; mother of Ivan III , nun Martha, by the way, refused to leave). The defense of the capital city in case of enemy appearance was led by boyar I.Yu. Patrikeev. The Grand Duke sent reinforcements to the Ugra, and he himself placed his headquarters in reserve positions in the rear, in Kremenets (now Kremensk). From here it was possible to reach any point in the triangle Kaluga - Opakov - Kremenets, which was defended by Russian troops, in less than a day, and also in just two or three transitions to reach the Moscow - Vyazma road, if the Lithuanian prince Kazimir (he, However, I didn’t dare to do this).

Meanwhile, in October, battles began on the Ugra for fords and climbs - the narrowest and therefore suitable places for crossing. The most fierce skirmishes took place near Opakov, 60 km from the confluence of the Ugra and the Oka, where the river is very narrow and the right bank hangs over the left. Numerous attempts by the enemy to cross the Ugra were repulsed in all areas with great damage to the Tatars. This happened thanks to the valor of the Russian soldiers, the competent organization of the battle and, not least of all, the superiority of weapons - the Russians actively used firearms, including artillery, which the Tatars did not have.

Despite the successes of his troops, Ivan III did not behave decisively. At first, for reasons that are not entirely clear, he ordered his son, Ivan the Young, to come to him, although the departure of a representative of the grand ducal family could have a negative impact on the morale of the soldiers. The prince, obviously understanding this, refused, as if even declaring: “We should fly here to die, rather than go to our father.” Voivode Daniil Kholmsky, obliged to deliver Ivan the Young to his parents, did not dare to do this. Then Ivan III entered into negotiations - perhaps he was waiting for the approach of the brothers Andrei Bolshoi and Boris, who had reconciled with him. The Khan did not refuse negotiations, but invited Ivan III to come to his headquarters and resume paying tribute. Having received a refusal, he asked to send to him at least the brother or son of the prince, and then the former ambassador - N.F. Basenkov (probably this was a hint at sending tribute, which, apparently, was delivered by Basenkov on his last visit to the Horde). The Grand Duke saw that Akhmat was not at all confident in his abilities, and refused all offers.

Meanwhile, winter had come, and the Tatars were about to cross the ice not only across the Ugra, but also across the Oka. Ivan III ordered the troops to withdraw to positions near Borovsk, from where it was possible to block the routes from both rivers. It was probably at this time that I.V. Oshchera Sorokoumov-Glebov and G.A. Mamon allegedly advised Ivan III to “run away, and the peasantry (Christians - A.K.) issue”, i.e. either make concessions to the Tatars up to the recognition of their power, or retreat into the interior of the country so as not to put the army at risk. The chronicler even calls Mamon and Oshera “Christian traitors,” but this is a clear exaggeration.

At the same time, Rostov Archbishop Vassian Rylo, who probably regarded Ivan III’s behavior as cowardice, sent a message to the Grand Duke in which he accused him of unwillingness to raise his hand against the “tsar,” i.e. Horde Khan, and called, without listening to the “debauchers” (supporters of concessions to Akhmat), to follow the example of Dmitry Donskoy. But already in mid-November the Tatars, not ready for military operations in the winter, began to retreat. Their attempt to ruin the volosts along the Ugra was not entirely successful - the steppe inhabitants were pursued by the detachments of Boris, Andrei the Great and the Lesser, the brothers of the Grand Duke, and the Horde had to flee. The raid of Tsarevich Murtoza, who crossed the Oka River, also ended in failure due to the energetic resistance of the Russian troops.

What conclusions can be drawn? Ivan III and his governors, realizing the increased military power of the Moscow principality, which was also helped by Tver, decided, however, not to give a general battle, victory in which promised great glory, but would have been associated with heavy losses... And besides, no one could guarantee. The strategy they chose turned out to be effective and least costly in terms of human losses. At the same time, Ivan III did not dare to abandon the evacuation of the settlement, which was very troublesome for ordinary Muscovites, but this precaution can hardly be called unnecessary. The chosen strategy required good reconnaissance, coordination of actions and a quick reaction to changes in the situation, taking into account the mobility of the Tatar cavalry. But at the same time, the task was made easier by the fact that the enemy did not have the factor of strategic surprise, which so often ensured success for the steppe inhabitants. The bet not on a general battle or sitting out under siege, but on active defense along the river banks, paid off.

The most striking military event in the history of the reign of Ivan III was, perhaps, the second war with Lithuania. The first was a “strange” war, when detachments of the parties carried out raids, and embassies made mutual claims. The second became “real”, with large-scale campaigns and battles. The reason for it was that the Moscow sovereign lured to his side the princes of Starodub and Novgorod-Seversk, whose possessions thus came under his authority. It was impossible to defend such acquisitions without a “proper” war, and in 1500, the last year of the outgoing 15th century, it began.

Smolensk was chosen as the main strategic goal, to which the army of Yuri Zakharyich moved, to which D.V. then came to the aid. Shchenya and I.M. Vorotynsky. Here one of the first local clashes known to us took place: Daniil Shchenya became the commander of a large regiment, and Yuri Zakharyich became a guard. He wrote dissatisfied to the Grand Duke: “Then I need to guard Prince Danil.” In response, there was a menacing shout from the Sovereign of All Rus': “Are you really doing this, you say: it’s not good for you to be in a guard regiment, guarding Prince Danilov’s regiment? It’s not up to you to guard Prince Danil; it’s up to you to guard me and my affairs. And what the governors are like in a large regiment, they are like that in a guard regiment, otherwise it’s not a shame for you to be in a guard regiment.” The new commander, Daniil Shchenya, showed his best side and completely defeated the Lithuanian army of Hetman Konstantin Ostrogsky with his soldiers on July 4, 1500 in the Battle of Vedroshi. In November 1501, the troops of Prince Alexander of Rostov defeated the army of Mikhail Izheslavsky near Mstislavl. Smolensk increasingly found itself surrounded by Russian armies.

However, it was not possible to take it - the Livonian Order entered the war under the influence of Lithuanian diplomacy. The fighting proceeded with varying degrees of success. They had to transfer Daniil Shchenya to Livonia, but he, too, suffered setbacks at times. This also affected operations against the Lithuanians: the campaign against Smolensk launched in 1502 failed due to weak organization (the campaign was led by the young and inexperienced prince Dmitry Zhilka) and, probably, a lack of strength. In 1503, the Moscow and Lithuanian principalities signed an agreement, according to which the former received Chernigov, Bryansk, Novgorod-Seversky, Dorogobuzh, Bely, Toropets and other cities, but Smolensk remained with Lithuania. Its accession will be the only major foreign policy achievement of the successor of the first sovereign of all Rus' - Vasily III.

What conclusions can be drawn based on the above?

Being, as already mentioned, not a commander, but the supreme commander-in-chief, Ivan III did not participate in the operations themselves; he appeared in the camp only during both the Novgorod (1471, 1477–1478) and Tver (1485) campaigns, which did not promise difficulties. And even more so, the Grand Duke was not seen on the battlefield. It is reported that his ally, the ruler of Moldavia, Stefan III, used to say at feasts that Ivan III was multiplying his kingdom by sitting at home and indulging in sleep, while he himself was barely able to protect his own borders, fighting almost every day. There is no need to be surprised - they were in different positions. However, the pragmatic approach of the Moscow sovereign is striking. The glory of the commander did not seem to bother him. But how successfully did he cope with the tasks of the commander-in-chief?

Great Stefan, the famous palatine of Moldavia, often remembered him at feasts, saying that he, sitting at home and indulging in sleep, multiplies his power, and he himself, fighting every day, is barely able to protect the borders

S. Herberstein

Being primarily a politician, Ivan III skillfully chose the time for conflicts, tried not to wage a war on two fronts (it is difficult to imagine that he would have decided on such an adventure as the Livonian War, given the continuing Crimean threat), tried to lure representatives of the enemy to his side. the elite (or even the common people), which was especially successful in the wars with Lithuania, Novgorod, and Tver.

In general, Ivan III had a good understanding of his subordinates and mostly made successful appointments; many capable military leaders came to his rule - Daniil Kholmsky, Daniil Shchenya, Yuri and Yakov Zakharichi, although, of course, there were mistakes, as in the case of the completely inexperienced Dmitry Zhilka in 1502 (the fact that this appointment was determined by political reasons does not change the essence of the matter: Smolensk was not taken). In addition, Ivan III knew how to keep his governors in his hands (remember the case of Yuri Zakharyich) - it is impossible to imagine during his reign the situation that existed in 1530 near Kazan, when M.L. Glinsky and I.F. Belsky argued about who should be the first to enter the city, which in the end was not taken (!). At the same time, the Grand Duke obviously knew how to choose which advice from the governor was most useful - his successes speak for themselves.

Ivan III had an important trait - he knew how to stop in time. After a two-year war with Sweden (1495-1497), the Grand Duke, seeing its futility, agreed to a draw. In the conditions of a war on two fronts, he did not prolong the war with Lithuania for the sake of Smolensk, considering the acquisitions already made sufficient. At the same time, if he believed that victory was close, he showed persistence, as we saw in the case of Kazan in 1469.

The results of the wars of the reign of Ivan III are the most successful in the entire history of Muscovite Rus'. Under him, Moscow not only did not become a victim of the Tatars, as under Dmitry Donskoy and Ivan the Terrible, but was never even besieged. His grandfather Vasily I could not defeat Novgorod, his father, Vasily II, was captured by the Tatars near Suzdal, his son, Vasily III, almost gave Moscow to the Crimeans and was able to conquer only Smolensk. The time of Ivan III is glorified not only by its extensive territorial acquisitions, but also by two major victories - during the “standing on the Ugra” and in the Battle of Vedroshi (nowadays, alas, little known to anyone). As a result of the first, Rus' finally got rid of the power of the Horde, and the second became the most outstanding success of Moscow weapons in the wars with Lithuania. Of course, the successes of Moscow under Ivan III were favored by historical conditions, but not every ruler knows how to use them. Ivan III succeeded.

KOROLENKOV A.V., Ph.D., IVI RAS

Literature

Alekseev Yu.G.. Campaigns of Russian troops in Ivan III. St. Petersburg, 2007.

Borisov N.S.. Russian commanders of the XIII–XVI centuries. M., 1993.

Zimin A.A. Russia at the turn of the XV-XVI centuries: (Essays on socio-political history). M., 1982.

Zimin A.A. Russia on the threshold of the New Time: (Essays on the political history of Russia in the first third of the 16th century). M., 1972.

Internet

Readers suggested

Slashchev-Krymsky Yakov Alexandrovich

Defense of Crimea in 1919-20. “The Reds are my enemies, but they did the main thing - my job: they revived great Russia!” (General Slashchev-Krymsky).

Stalin (Dzhugashvilli) Joseph

Miloradovich

Bagration, Miloradovich, Davydov are some very special breed of people. They don't do things like that now. The heroes of 1812 were distinguished by complete recklessness and complete contempt for death. And it was General Miloradovich, who went through all the wars for Russia without a single scratch, who became the first victim of individual terror. After Kakhovsky’s shot on Senate Square, the Russian revolution continued along this path - right up to the basement of the Ipatiev House. Taking away the best.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

For the highest art of military leadership and immeasurable love for the Russian soldier

Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich

One of the most talented Russian generals of the First World War. Hero of the Battle of Galicia in 1914, savior of the Northwestern Front from encirclement in 1915, chief of staff under Emperor Nicholas I.

General of Infantry (1914), Adjutant General (1916). Active participant in the White movement in the Civil War. One of the organizers of the Volunteer Army.

In the conditions of the disintegration of the Russian state during the Time of Troubles, with minimal material and personnel resources, he created an army that defeated the Polish-Lithuanian interventionists and liberated most of the Russian state.

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

Successfully commanded Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War. Among other things, he stopped the Germans near Moscow and took Berlin.

Romanov Pyotr Alekseevich

During the endless discussions about Peter I as a politician and reformer, it is unfairly forgotten that he was the greatest commander of his time. He was not only an excellent organizer of the rear. In the two most important battles of the Northern War (the battles of Lesnaya and Poltava), he not only himself developed battle plans, but also personally led the troops, being in the most important, responsible directions.
The only commander I know of who was equally talented in both land and sea battles.
The main thing is that Peter I created a domestic military school. If all the great commanders of Russia are the heirs of Suvorov, then Suvorov himself is the heir of Peter.
The Battle of Poltava was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) victory in Russian history. In all other great aggressive invasions of Russia, the general battle did not have a decisive outcome, and the struggle dragged on, leading to exhaustion. It was only in the Northern War that the general battle radically changed the state of affairs, and from the attacking side the Swedes became the defending side, decisively losing the initiative.
I believe that Peter I deserves to be in the top three on the list of the best commanders of Russia.

Dokhturov Dmitry Sergeevich

Defense of Smolensk.
Command of the left flank on the Borodino field after Bagration was wounded.
Battle of Tarutino.

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

Russian admiral who gave his life for the liberation of the Fatherland.
Oceanographer, one of the largest polar explorers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, military and political figure, naval commander, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, leader of the White movement, Supreme Ruler of Russia.

Vladimir Svyatoslavich

981 - conquest of Cherven and Przemysl. 983 - conquest of the Yatvags. 984 - conquest of the Rodimichs. 985 - successful campaigns against the Bulgars, tribute to the Khazar Khaganate. 988 - conquest of the Taman Peninsula. 991 - subjugation of the White Croats. 992 - successfully defended Cherven Rus in the war against Poland. In addition, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Kosich Andrey Ivanovich

1. During his long life (1833 - 1917), A.I. Kosich went from a non-commissioned officer to a general, commander of one of the largest military districts of the Russian Empire. He took an active part in almost all military campaigns from the Crimean to the Russian-Japanese. He was distinguished by his personal courage and bravery.
2. According to many, “one of the most educated generals of the Russian army.” He left behind many literary and scientific works and memories. Patron of sciences and education. He has established himself as a talented administrator.
3. His example served the formation of many Russian military leaders, in particular, General. A. I. Denikina.
4. He was a resolute opponent of the use of the army against his people, in which he disagreed with P. A. Stolypin. "An army should shoot at the enemy, not at its own people."

Comrade Stalin, in addition to the atomic and missile projects, together with Army General Alexei Innokentievich Antonov, participated in the development and implementation of almost all significant operations of the Soviet troops in the Second World War, and brilliantly organized the work of the rear, even in the first difficult years of the war.

Saltykov Pyotr Semyonovich

The commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War, was the main architect of the key victories of the Russian troops.

Oktyabrsky Philip Sergeevich

Admiral, Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, commander of the Black Sea Fleet. One of the leaders of the Defense of Sevastopol in 1941 - 1942, as well as the Crimean operation of 1944. During the Great Patriotic War, Vice Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky was one of the leaders of the heroic defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. Being the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, at the same time in 1941-1942 he was the commander of the Sevastopol Defense Region.

Three Orders of Lenin
three Orders of the Red Banner
two Orders of Ushakov, 1st degree
Order of Nakhimov, 1st degree
Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree
Order of the Red Star
medals

Makarov Stepan Osipovich

Russian oceanographer, polar explorer, shipbuilder, vice admiral. Developed the Russian semaphore alphabet. A worthy person, on the list of worthy ones!

Dolgorukov Yuri Alekseevich

An outstanding statesman and military leader of the era of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Prince. Commanding the Russian army in Lithuania, in 1658 he defeated Hetman V. Gonsevsky in the Battle of Verki, taking him prisoner. This was the first time since 1500 that a Russian governor captured the hetman. In 1660, at the head of an army sent to Mogilev, besieged by Polish-Lithuanian troops, he won a strategic victory over the enemy on the Basya River near the village of Gubarevo, forcing hetmans P. Sapieha and S. Charnetsky to retreat from the city. Thanks to the actions of Dolgorukov, the “front line” in Belarus along the Dnieper remained until the end of the war of 1654-1667. In 1670, he led an army aimed at fighting the Cossacks of Stenka Razin, and quickly suppressed the Cossack rebellion, which subsequently led to the Don Cossacks swearing an oath of allegiance to the Tsar and transforming the Cossacks from robbers into “sovereign servants.”

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The brilliant military leadership of the USSR in the Second World War.

Ivan groznyj

He conquered the Astrakhan kingdom, to which Russia paid tribute. Defeated the Livonian Order. Expanded the borders of Russia far beyond the Urals.

Gurko Joseph Vladimirovich

Field Marshal General (1828-1901) Hero of Shipka and Plevna, Liberator of Bulgaria (a street in Sofia is named after him, a monument was erected). In 1877 he commanded the 2nd Guards Cavalry Division. To quickly capture some passes through the Balkans, Gurko led an advance detachment consisting of four cavalry regiments, a rifle brigade and the newly formed Bulgarian militia, with two batteries of horse artillery. Gurko completed his task quickly and boldly and won a series of victories over the Turks, ending with the capture of Kazanlak and Shipka. During the struggle for Plevna, Gurko, at the head of the guard and cavalry troops of the western detachment, defeated the Turks near Gorny Dubnyak and Telish, then again went to the Balkans, occupied Entropol and Orhanye, and after the fall of Plevna, reinforced by the IX Corps and the 3rd Guards Infantry Division , despite the terrible cold, crossed the Balkan ridge, took Philippopolis and occupied Adrianople, opening the way to Constantinople. At the end of the war, he commanded military districts, was governor-general, and a member of the state council. Buried in Tver (Sakharovo village)

Saltykov Pyotr Semyonovich

The largest successes of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763 are associated with his name. Winner in the battles of Palzig,
In the Battle of Kunersdorf, defeating the Prussian king Frederick II the Great, Berlin was taken by the troops of Totleben and Chernyshev.

Uborevich Ieronim Petrovich

Soviet military leader, commander of the 1st rank (1935). Member of the Communist Party since March 1917. Born in the village of Aptandrius (now Utena region of the Lithuanian SSR) in the family of a Lithuanian peasant. Graduated from the Konstantinovsky Artillery School (1916). Participant of the 1st World War 1914-18, second lieutenant. After the October Revolution of 1917, he was one of the organizers of the Red Guard in Bessarabia. In January - February 1918 he commanded a revolutionary detachment in battles against Romanian and Austro-German interventionists, was wounded and captured, from where he escaped in August 1918. He was an artillery instructor, commander of the Dvina brigade on the Northern Front, and from December 1918 head of the 18th Infantry divisions of the 6th Army. From October 1919 to February 1920, he was the commander of the 14th Army during the defeat of the troops of General Denikin, in March - April 1920 he commanded the 9th Army in the North Caucasus. In May - July and November - December 1920, commander of the 14th Army in battles against the troops of bourgeois Poland and the Petliurites, in July - November 1920 - 13th Army in battles against the Wrangelites. In 1921, assistant commander of the troops of Ukraine and Crimea, deputy commander of the troops of the Tambov province, commander of the troops of the Minsk province, led the military operations during the defeat of the gangs of Makhno, Antonov and Bulak-Balakhovich. From August 1921 commander of the 5th Army and the East Siberian Military District. In August - December 1922, Minister of War of the Far Eastern Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the People's Revolutionary Army during the liberation of the Far East. He was commander of the troops of the North Caucasus (since 1925), Moscow (since 1928) and Belarusian (since 1931) military districts. Since 1926, a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, in 1930-31, deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and chief of armaments of the Red Army. Since 1934 member of the Military Council of NGOs. He made a great contribution to strengthening the defense capability of the USSR, educating and training command staff and troops. Candidate member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1930-37. Member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee since December 1922. Awarded 3 Orders of the Red Banner and Honorary Revolutionary Weapon.

Markov Sergey Leonidovich

One of the main heroes of the early stage of the Russian-Soviet war.
Veteran of the Russian-Japanese, First World War and Civil War. Knight of the Order of St. George 4th class, Order of St. Vladimir 3rd class and 4th class with swords and bow, Order of St. Anne 2nd, 3rd and 4th class, Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd and 3rd th degrees. Holder of the St. George's Arms. Outstanding military theorist. Member of the Ice Campaign. An officer's son. Hereditary nobleman of the Moscow Province. He graduated from the General Staff Academy and served in the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade. One of the commanders of the Volunteer Army at the first stage. He died the death of the brave.

Stalin (Dzhugashvili) Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Soviet Union. Thanks to his talent as a Commander and Outstanding Statesman, the USSR won the bloodiest WAR in the history of mankind. Most of the battles of World War II were won with his direct participation in the development of their plans.

Ermak Timofeevich

Russian. Cossack. Ataman. Defeated Kuchum and his satellites. Approved Siberia as part of the Russian state. He dedicated his entire life to military work.

It's simple - It was he, as a commander, who made the greatest contribution to the defeat of Napoleon. He saved the army under the most difficult conditions, despite misunderstandings and grave accusations of treason. It was to him that our great poet Pushkin, practically a contemporary of those events, dedicated the poem “Commander”.
Pushkin, recognizing Kutuzov's merits, did not oppose him to Barclay. In place of the common alternative “Barclay or Kutuzov,” with the traditional resolution in favor of Kutuzov, Pushkin came to a new position: both Barclay and Kutuzov are both worthy of the grateful memory of posterity, but Kutuzov is revered by everyone, but Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly is undeservedly forgotten.
Pushkin mentioned Barclay de Tolly even earlier, in one of the chapters of “Eugene Onegin” -

Thunderstorm of the twelfth year
It has arrived - who helped us here?
The frenzy of the people
Barclay, winter or Russian god?...

Drozdovsky Mikhail Gordeevich

Golovanov Alexander Evgenievich

He is the creator of Soviet long-range aviation (LAA).
Units under the command of Golovanov bombed Berlin, Koenigsberg, Danzig and other cities in Germany, striking important strategic targets behind enemy lines.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Personally took part in the planning and implementation of ALL offensive and defensive operations of the Red Army in the period 1941 - 1945.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

“There is a city in vast Russia to which my heart is given, it went down in history as STALINGRAD...” V.I. Chuikov

Yuri Vsevolodovich

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War! Under his leadership, the USSR won the Great Victory during the Great Patriotic War!

Vatutin Nikolay Fedorovich

Operations "Uranus", "Little Saturn", "Leap", etc. and so on.
A true war worker

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

To a person to whom this name means nothing, there is no need to explain and it is useless. To the one to whom it says something, everything is clear.
Twice hero of the Soviet Union. Commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. The youngest front commander. Counts,. that he was an army general - but just before his death (February 18, 1945) he received the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Liberated three of the six capitals of the Union Republics captured by the Nazis: Kyiv, Minsk. Vilnius. Decided the fate of Kenicksberg.
One of the few who drove back the Germans on June 23, 1941.
He held the front in Valdai. In many ways, he determined the fate of repelling the German offensive on Leningrad. Voronezh held. Liberated Kursk.
He successfully advanced until the summer of 1943, forming with his army the top of the Kursk Bulge. Liberated the Left Bank of Ukraine. I took Kyiv. He repulsed Manstein's counterattack. Liberated Western Ukraine.
Carried out Operation Bagration. Surrounded and captured thanks to his offensive in the summer of 1944, the Germans then humiliatedly walked through the streets of Moscow. Belarus. Lithuania. Neman. East Prussia.

Nevsky, Suvorov

Of course, the holy blessed prince Alexander Nevsky and Generalissimo A.V. Suvorov

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

Voivode Shein is a hero and leader of the unprecedented defense of Smolensk in 1609-16011. This fortress decided a lot in the fate of Russia!

Khvorostinin Dmitry Ivanovich

A commander who had no defeats...

Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich

He made a great contribution to strengthening the fleet before the war; conducted a number of major exercises, initiated the opening of new maritime schools and maritime special schools (later Nakhimov schools). On the eve of Germany's surprise attack on the USSR, he took effective measures to increase the combat readiness of the fleets, and on the night of June 22, he gave the order to bring them to full combat readiness, which made it possible to avoid losses of ships and naval aviation.

He united the Russian lands around Moscow and threw off the hated Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich

Successes in the Crimean War of 1853-56, victory in the Battle of Sinop in 1853, defense of Sevastopol 1854-55.

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak (November 4 (November 16) 1874, St. Petersburg - February 7, 1920, Irkutsk) - Russian oceanographer, one of the largest polar explorers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, military and political figure, naval commander, active member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1906), admiral (1918), leader of the White movement, Supreme Ruler of Russia.

Participant of the Russian-Japanese War, Defense of Port Arthur. During the First World War, he commanded the mine division of the Baltic Fleet (1915-1916), the Black Sea Fleet (1916-1917). Knight of St. George.
The leader of the White movement both on a nationwide scale and directly in the East of Russia. As the Supreme Ruler of Russia (1918-1920), he was recognized by all the leaders of the White movement, “de jure” by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, “de facto” by the Entente states.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.

Baklanov Yakov Petrovich

The Cossack general, “the thunderstorm of the Caucasus,” Yakov Petrovich Baklanov, one of the most colorful heroes of the endless Caucasian War of the century before last, fits perfectly into the image of Russia familiar to the West. A gloomy two-meter hero, a tireless persecutor of highlanders and Poles, an enemy of political correctness and democracy in all its manifestations. But it was precisely these people who achieved the most difficult victory for the empire in the long-term confrontation with the inhabitants of the North Caucasus and the unkind local nature

Rokhlin Lev Yakovlevich

He headed the 8th Guards Army Corps in Chechnya. Under his leadership, a number of districts of Grozny were captured, including the presidential palace. For participation in the Chechen campaign, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, but refused to accept it, stating that “he has no moral right to receive this award for military operations on his own territory.” countries".

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

I beg the military historical society to correct the extreme historical injustice and include in the list of the 100 best commanders, the leader of the northern militia who did not lose a single battle, who played an outstanding role in the liberation of Russia from the Polish yoke and unrest. And apparently poisoned for his talent and skill.

Prince Svyatoslav

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

A person who combines the body of knowledge of a natural scientist, a scientist and a great strategist.

Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich

General Kotlyarevsky, son of a priest in the village of Olkhovatki, Kharkov province. He worked his way up from a private to a general in the tsarist army. He can be called the great-grandfather of Russian special forces. He carried out truly unique operations... His name is worthy of being included in the list of the greatest commanders of Russia

Rurikovich (Grozny) Ivan Vasilievich

In the diversity of perceptions of Ivan the Terrible, one often forgets about his unconditional talent and achievements as a commander. He personally led the capture of Kazan and organized military reform, leading a country that was simultaneously fighting 2-3 wars on different fronts.

Romodanovsky Grigory Grigorievich

There are no outstanding military figures on the project from the period from the Time of Troubles to the Northern War, although there were some. An example of this is G.G. Romodanovsky.
He came from a family of Starodub princes.
Participant of the sovereign's campaign against Smolensk in 1654. In September 1655, together with the Ukrainian Cossacks, he defeated the Poles near Gorodok (near Lvov), and in November of the same year he fought in the battle of Ozernaya. In 1656 he received the rank of okolnichy and headed the Belgorod rank. In 1658 and 1659 participated in hostilities against the traitor Hetman Vyhovsky and the Crimean Tatars, besieged Varva and fought near Konotop (Romodanovsky’s troops withstood a heavy battle at the crossing of the Kukolka River). In 1664, he played a decisive role in repelling the invasion of the Polish king’s 70 thousand army into Left Bank Ukraine, inflicting a number of sensitive blows on it. In 1665 he was made a boyar. In 1670 he acted against the Razins - he defeated the detachment of the chieftain's brother, Frol. The crowning achievement of Romodanovsky's military activity was the war with the Ottoman Empire. In 1677 and 1678 troops under his leadership inflicted heavy defeats on the Ottomans. An interesting point: both main figures in the Battle of Vienna in 1683 were defeated by G.G. Romodanovsky: Sobieski with his king in 1664 and Kara Mustafa in 1678
The prince died on May 15, 1682 during the Streltsy uprising in Moscow.

Maksimov Evgeniy Yakovlevich

Russian hero of the Transvaal War. He was a volunteer in fraternal Serbia, participating in the Russian-Turkish war. At the beginning of the 20th century, the British began to wage war against the small people - the Boers. Eugene successfully fought against the invaders and in 1900 was appointed military general. Died in Russian Japanese war. In addition to his military career, he distinguished himself in the literary field.

Prince Monomakh Vladimir Vsevolodovich

The most remarkable of the Russian princes of the pre-Tatar period of our history, who left behind great fame and good memory.

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

During his short military career, he knew practically no failures, both in battles with the troops of I. Boltnikov, and with the Polish-Liovian and “Tushino” troops. The ability to build a combat-ready army practically from scratch, train, use Swedish mercenaries in place and at the time, select successful Russian command cadres for the liberation and defense of the vast territory of the Russian northwestern region and the liberation of central Russia, persistent and systematic offensive, skillful tactics in fight against the magnificent Polish-Lithuanian cavalry, undoubted personal courage - these are the qualities that, despite the little-known nature of his deeds, give him the right to be called the Great Commander of Russia.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

The largest figure in world history, whose life and government activities left a deep imprint not only on the fate of the Soviet people, but also on all humanity, will be the subject of careful study by historians for many more centuries. The historical and biographical feature of this personality is that she will never be consigned to oblivion.
During Stalin's tenure as Supreme Commander-in-Chief and Chairman of the State Defense Committee, our country was marked by victory in the Great Patriotic War, massive labor and front-line heroism, the transformation of the USSR into a superpower with significant scientific, military and industrial potential, and the strengthening of our country's geopolitical influence in the world.
Ten Stalinist strikes is the general name for a number of the largest offensive strategic operations in the Great Patriotic War, carried out in 1944 by the armed forces of the USSR. Along with other offensive operations, they made a decisive contribution to the victory of the countries of the Anti-Hitler Coalition over Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II.

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

One of the most successful generals in Russia during the First World War. The Erzurum and Sarakamysh operations carried out by him on the Caucasian front, carried out in extremely unfavorable conditions for Russian troops, and ending in victories, I believe, deserve to be included among the brightest victories of Russian weapons. In addition, Nikolai Nikolaevich stood out for his modesty and decency, lived and died as an honest Russian officer, and remained faithful to the oath to the end.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

The Soviet people, as the most talented, have a large number of outstanding military leaders, but the main one is Stalin. Without him, many of them might not have existed as military men.

Bagration, Denis Davydov...

The War of 1812, the glorious names of Bagration, Barclay, Davydov, Platov. A model of honor and courage.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

Full Knight of the Order of St. George. In the history of military art, according to Western authors (for example: J. Witter), he entered as the architect of the “scorched earth” strategy and tactics - cutting off the main enemy troops from the rear, depriving them of supplies and organizing guerrilla warfare in their rear. M.V. Kutuzov, after taking command of the Russian army, essentially continued the tactics developed by Barclay de Tolly and defeated Napoleon’s army.

Rurik Svyatoslav Igorevich

Year of birth 942 date of death 972 Expansion of state borders. 965 conquest of the Khazars, 963 march south to the Kuban region, capture of Tmutarakan, 969 conquest of the Volga Bulgars, 971 conquest of the Bulgarian kingdom, 968 founding of Pereyaslavets on the Danube (the new capital of Rus'), 969 defeat of the Pechenegs in the defense of Kyiv.

John 4 Vasilievich

Momyshuly Bauyrzhan

Fidel Castro called him a hero of World War II.
He brilliantly put into practice the tactics of fighting with small forces against an enemy many times superior in strength, developed by Major General I.V. Panfilov, which later received the name “Momyshuly’s spiral.”

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief during the Great Patriotic War, in which our country won, and made all strategic decisions.

Kappel Vladimir Oskarovich

Without exaggeration, he is the best commander of Admiral Kolchak’s army. Under his command, Russia's gold reserves were captured in Kazan in 1918. At 36 years old, he was a lieutenant general, commander of the Eastern Front. The Siberian Ice Campaign is associated with this name. In January 1920, he led 30,000 Kappelites to Irkutsk to capture Irkutsk and free the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Kolchak, from captivity. The general's death from pneumonia largely determined the tragic outcome of this campaign and the death of the Admiral...

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

October 3, 2013 marks the 80th anniversary of the death in the French city of Cannes of the Russian military leader, commander of the Caucasian Front, hero of Mukden, Sarykamysh, Van, Erzerum (thanks to the complete defeat of the 90,000-strong Turkish army, Constantinople and the Bosporus with the Dardanelles retreated to Russia), the savior of the Armenian people from the complete Turkish genocide, holder of three orders of George and the highest order of France, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich.

Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich

Commander of the First Cavalry Army of the Red Army during the Civil War. The First Cavalry Army, which he led until October 1923, played an important role in a number of major operations of the Civil War to defeat the troops of Denikin and Wrangel in Northern Tavria and Crimea.

Stessel Anatoly Mikhailovich

Commandant of Port Arthur during his heroic defense. The unprecedented ratio of losses of Russian and Japanese troops before the surrender of the fortress is 1:10.

His Serene Highness Prince Wittgenstein Peter Christianovich

For the defeat of the French units of Oudinot and MacDonald at Klyastitsy, thereby closing the road for the French army to St. Petersburg in 1812. Then in October 1812 he defeated the corps of Saint-Cyr at Polotsk. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian-Prussian armies in April-May 1813.

Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich

One of the best Russian generals of the First World War. In June 1916, troops of the Southwestern Front under the command of Adjutant General A.A. Brusilov, simultaneously striking in several directions, broke through the enemy’s deeply layered defenses and advanced 65 km. In military history, this operation was called the Brusilov breakthrough.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. Under his leadership, the Red Army crushed fascism.

Yaroslav the Wise

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

The best Russian commander during the First World War. An ardent patriot of his Motherland.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

Commander of the 62nd Army in Stalingrad.

Uvarov Fedor Petrovich

At the age of 27 he was promoted to general. He took part in the campaigns of 1805-1807 and in the battles on the Danube in 1810. In 1812, he commanded the 1st Artillery Corps in the army of Barclay de Tolly, and subsequently the entire cavalry of the united armies.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Victory in the Great Patriotic War, saving the entire planet from absolute evil, and our country from extinction.
From the first hours of the war, Stalin controlled the country, front and rear. On land, at sea and in the air.
His merit is not one or even ten battles or campaigns, his merit is Victory, made up of hundreds of battles of the Great Patriotic War: the battle of Moscow, battles in the North Caucasus, the Battle of Stalingrad, the battle of Kursk, the battle of Leningrad and many others before the capture Berlin, success in which was achieved thanks to the monotonous inhuman work of the genius of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Svyatoslav Igorevich

Grand Duke of Novgorod, from 945 of Kiev. Son of Grand Duke Igor Rurikovich and Princess Olga. Svyatoslav became famous as a great commander, whom N.M. Karamzin called “Alexander (Macedonian) of our ancient history.”

After the military campaigns of Svyatoslav Igorevich (965-972), the territory of the Russian land increased from the Volga region to the Caspian Sea, from the North Caucasus to the Black Sea region, from the Balkan Mountains to Byzantium. Defeated Khazaria and Volga Bulgaria, weakened and frightened the Byzantine Empire, opened routes for trade between Rus' and eastern countries

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich

Suvorov Mikhail Vasilievich

The only one who can be called GENERALLISIMO... Bagration, Kutuzov are his students...

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

The commander, under whose command the white army, with smaller forces, won victories over the red army for 1.5 years and captured the North Caucasus, Crimea, Novorossia, Donbass, Ukraine, Don, part of the Volga region and the central black earth provinces of Russia. He retained the dignity of his Russian name during the Second World War, refusing to cooperate with the Nazis, despite his irreconcilably anti-Soviet position

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

The great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art.
Prince of Italy (1799), Count of Rymnik (1789), Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, Grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Prince of the Royal Blood (with the title "King's cousin"), Knight of all Russian orders of their time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army, which repelled the attack of Nazi Germany, liberated Europe, author of many operations, including “Ten Stalinist Strikes” (1944)

Vorotynsky Mikhail Ivanovich

“Drafter of the statutes of the watchdog and border service” is, of course, good. For some reason, we have forgotten the Battle of YOUTH from July 29 to August 2, 1572. But it was precisely with this victory that Moscow’s right to many things was recognized. They recaptured a lot of things for the Ottomans, the thousands of destroyed Janissaries sobered them up, and unfortunately they also helped Europe. The Battle of YOUTH is very difficult to overestimate

Pozharsky Dmitry Mikhailovich

In 1612, during the most difficult time for Russia, he led the Russian militia and liberated the capital from the hands of the conquerors.
Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky (November 1, 1578 - April 30, 1642) - Russian national hero, military and political figure, head of the Second People's Militia, which liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian occupiers. His name and the name of Kuzma Minin are closely associated with the country’s exit from the Time of Troubles, which is currently celebrated in Russia on November 4th.
After the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the Russian throne, D. M. Pozharsky plays a leading role at the royal court as a talented military leader and statesman. Despite the victory of the people's militia and the election of the Tsar, the war in Russia still continued. In 1615-1616. Pozharsky, on the instructions of the tsar, was sent at the head of a large army to fight the detachments of the Polish colonel Lisovsky, who besieged the city of Bryansk and took Karachev. After the fight with Lisovsky, the tsar instructs Pozharsky in the spring of 1616 to collect the fifth money from merchants into the treasury, since the wars did not stop and the treasury was depleted. In 1617, the tsar instructed Pozharsky to conduct diplomatic negotiations with the English ambassador John Merik, appointing Pozharsky as governor of Kolomensky. In the same year, the Polish prince Vladislav came to the Moscow state. Residents of Kaluga and its neighboring cities turned to the tsar with a request to send them D. M. Pozharsky to protect them from the Poles. The Tsar fulfilled the request of the Kaluga residents and gave an order to Pozharsky on October 18, 1617 to protect Kaluga and surrounding cities by all available measures. Prince Pozharsky fulfilled the tsar's order with honor. Having successfully defended Kaluga, Pozharsky received an order from the tsar to go to the aid of Mozhaisk, namely to the city of Borovsk, and began to harass the troops of Prince Vladislav with flying detachments, causing them significant damage. However, at the same time, Pozharsky became very ill and, at the behest of the tsar, returned to Moscow. Pozharsky, having barely recovered from his illness, took an active part in defending the capital from Vladislav’s troops, for which Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich awarded him new fiefs and estates.

Golenishchev-Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

(1745-1813).
1. A GREAT Russian commander, he was an example for his soldiers. Appreciated every soldier. “M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov is not only the liberator of the Fatherland, he is the only one who outplayed the hitherto invincible French emperor, turning the “great army” into a crowd of ragamuffins, saving, thanks to his military genius, the lives of many Russian soldiers.”
2. Mikhail Illarionovich, being a highly educated man who knew several foreign languages, dexterous, sophisticated, who knew how to animate society with the gift of words and an entertaining story, also served Russia as an excellent diplomat - ambassador to Turkey.
3. M.I. Kutuzov is the first to become a full holder of the highest military order of St. St. George the Victorious four degrees.
The life of Mikhail Illarionovich is an example of service to the fatherland, attitude towards soldiers, spiritual strength for Russian military leaders of our time and, of course, for the younger generation - future military men.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

In front of the Kazan Cathedral there are two statues of the saviors of the fatherland. Saving the army, exhausting the enemy, the Battle of Smolensk - this is more than enough.

Osterman-Tolstoy Alexander Ivanovich

One of the brightest "field" generals of the early 19th century. Hero of the battles of Preussisch-Eylau, Ostrovno and Kulm.

Kazarsky Alexander Ivanovich

Captain-lieutenant. Participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. He distinguished himself during the capture of Anapa, then Varna, commanding the transport "Rival". After this, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed captain of the brig Mercury. On May 14, 1829, the 18-gun brig Mercury was overtaken by two Turkish battleships Selimiye and Real Bey. Having accepted an unequal battle, the brig was able to immobilize both Turkish flagships, one of which contained the commander of the Ottoman fleet. Subsequently, an officer from the Real Bay wrote: “During the continuation of the battle, the commander of the Russian frigate (the notorious Raphael, which surrendered without a fight a few days earlier) told me that the captain of this brig would not surrender, and if he lost hope, then he would blow up the brig If in the great deeds of ancient and modern times there are feats of courage, then this act should overshadow all of them, and the name of this hero is worthy of being inscribed in gold letters on the Temple of Glory: he is called captain-lieutenant Kazarsky, and the brig is “Mercury”

Rurikovich Svyatoslav Igorevich

Great commander of the Old Russian period. The first Kiev prince known to us with a Slavic name. The last pagan ruler of the Old Russian state. He glorified Rus' as a great military power in the campaigns of 965-971. Karamzin called him “Alexander (Macedonian) of our ancient history.” The prince freed the Slavic tribes from vassal dependence on the Khazars, defeating the Khazar Khaganate in 965. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, in 970, during the Russian-Byzantine War, Svyatoslav managed to win the battle of Arcadiopolis, having 10,000 soldiers under his command, against 100,000 Greeks. But at the same time, Svyatoslav led the life of a simple warrior: “On campaigns he did not carry carts or cauldrons with him, did not cook meat, but, thinly slicing horse meat, or animal meat, or beef and roasting it on coals, he ate it like that; he did not have a tent , but slept, spreading a sweatshirt with a saddle in their heads - the same were all the rest of his warriors. And he sent envoys to other lands [envoys, as a rule, before declaring war] with the words: “I’m coming to you!” (According to PVL)

Kornilov Vladimir Alekseevich

During the outbreak of the war with England and France, he actually commanded the Black Sea Fleet, and until his heroic death he was the immediate superior of P.S. Nakhimov and V.I. Istomina. After the landing of the Anglo-French troops in Evpatoria and the defeat of the Russian troops on Alma, Kornilov received an order from the commander-in-chief in the Crimea, Prince Menshikov, to sink the ships of the fleet in the roadstead in order to use sailors for the defense of Sevastopol from land.

Rumyantsev Pyotr Alexandrovich

Russian military leader and statesman, who ruled Little Russia throughout the reign of Catherine II (1761-96). During the Seven Years' War he commanded the capture of Kolberg. For victories over the Turks at Larga, Kagul and others, which led to the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace, he was awarded the title “Transdanubian”. In 1770 he received the rank of Field Marshal. Knight of the Russian orders of St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. George 1st class and St. Vladimir 1st class, Prussian Black Eagle and St. Anna 1st class

Peter the First

Because he not only conquered the lands of his fathers, but also established the status of Russia as a power!

Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich

Assembled and coordinated the actions of a team of talented military leaders

Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich

Khvorostinin Dmitry Ivanovich

An outstanding commander of the second half of the 16th century. Oprichnik.
Genus. OK. 1520, died on August 7 (17), 1591. At voivode posts since 1560. Participant in almost all military enterprises during the independent reign of Ivan IV and the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich. He has won several field battles (including: the defeat of the Tatars near Zaraisk (1570), the Battle of Molodinsk (during the decisive battle he led Russian troops in Gulyai-gorod), the defeat of the Swedes at Lyamitsa (1582) and near Narva ( 1590)). He led the suppression of the Cheremis uprising in 1583-1584, for which he received the rank of boyar.
Based on the totality of merits of D.I. Khvorostinin stands much higher than what M.I. has already proposed here. Vorotynsky. Vorotynsky was more noble and therefore he was more often entrusted with the general leadership of the regiments. But, according to the commander’s talats, he was far from Khvorostinin.

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

He headed the Smolensk defense against Polish-Lithuanian troops, which lasted 20 months. Under the command of Shein, multiple attacks were repelled, despite the explosion and a hole in the wall. He held back and bled the main forces of the Poles at the decisive moment of the Time of Troubles, preventing them from moving to Moscow to support their garrison, creating the opportunity to gather an all-Russian militia to liberate the capital. Only with the help of a defector, the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth managed to take Smolensk on June 3, 1611. The wounded Shein was captured and taken with his family to Poland for 8 years. After returning to Russia, he commanded the army that tried to recapture Smolensk in 1632-1634. Executed due to boyar slander. Undeservedly forgotten.

Udatny Mstislav Mstislavovich

A real knight, recognized as a great commander in Europe

Karyagin Pavel Mikhailovich

Colonel, chief of the 17th Jaeger Regiment. He showed himself most clearly in the Persian Company of 1805; when, with a detachment of 500 people, surrounded by a 20,000-strong Persian army, he resisted it for three weeks, not only repelling the attacks of the Persians with honor, but taking fortresses himself, and finally, with a detachment of 100 people, he made his way to Tsitsianov, who was coming to his aid.

Rurikovich Svyatoslav Igorevich

He defeated the Khazar Khaganate, expanded the borders of Russian lands, and successfully fought with the Byzantine Empire.

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

One of the most talented and successful commanders of the First World War. Coming from a poor family, he made a brilliant military career, relying solely on his own virtues. Member of the RYAV, WWI, graduate of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. He fully realized his talent while commanding the legendary “Iron” brigade, which was then expanded into a division. Participant and one of the main characters of the Brusilov breakthrough. He remained a man of honor even after the collapse of the army, a Bykhov prisoner. Member of the ice campaign and commander of the AFSR. For more than a year and a half, possessing very modest resources and much inferior in numbers to the Bolsheviks, he won victory after victory, liberating a vast territory.
Also, do not forget that Anton Ivanovich is a wonderful and very successful publicist, and his books are still very popular. An extraordinary, talented commander, an honest Russian man in difficult times for the Motherland, who was not afraid to light a torch of hope.

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

The youngest and one of the most talented Soviet military leaders. It was during the Great Patriotic War that his enormous talent as a commander and his ability to quickly and correctly make bold decisions were revealed. This is evidenced by his path from division commander (28th tank) to commander of the Western and 3rd Belorussian fronts. For successful military operations, the troops commanded by I.D. Chernyakhovsky were noted 34 times in the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Unfortunately, his life was cut short at the age of 39 during the liberation of Melzak (now Poland).

Joseph Vladimirovich Gurko (1828-1901)

General, hero of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. The Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, which marked the liberation of the Balkan peoples from centuries-old Ottoman rule, brought forward a number of talented military leaders. Among them should be named M.D. Skobeleva, M.I. Dragomirova, N.G. Stoletova, F.F. Radetsky, P.P. Kartseva and others. Among these illustrious names there is one more - Joseph Vladimirovich Gurko, whose name is associated with the victory at Plevna, the heroic transition through the winter Balkans and victories along the banks of the Maritsa River.

Ivan 3 was appointed by fate to restore autocracy in Rus'; he did not suddenly accept this great cause and did not consider all means permitted.

Karamzin N.M.

The reign of Ivan 3 lasted from 1462 to 1505. This time went down in Russian history as the beginning of the unification of the lands of appanage Rus' around Moscow, which created the foundations of a single state. It was also Ivan 3 who was the ruler under whom Rus' got rid of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, which lasted almost 2 centuries.

Ivan 3 began his reign in 1462 at the age of 22. The throne passed to him according to the will of Vasily 2.

Government

Beginning in 1485, Ivan 3 proclaimed himself sovereign of all Rus'. From this moment on, a unified policy begins, aimed at strengthening the country’s international position. As for internal governance, the prince’s power can hardly be called absolute. The general scheme of governing Moscow and the entire state under Ivan 3 is presented below.

The prince, of course, rose above everyone, but the church and the boyar duma were quite a bit inferior in importance. It is enough to note that:

• The power of the prince does not extend to church lands and boyar estates.
• The church and boyars have the right to mint their own coins.

Thanks to the Code of Law of 1497, a feeding system took root in Rus', when princely officials received broad powers in terms of local government.

Under Ivan 3, a system of transfer of power was first implemented, when the prince appointed a successor for himself. It was also during this era that the first Orders began to be formed. The Treasury and Palace orders were founded, which were in charge of the receipt of taxes and the distribution of land to the nobles for their service.

The unification of Rus' around Moscow

Conquest of Novgorod

During the period when Ivan III came to power, Novgorod retained the principle of government through the veche. The veche elected a mayor who determined the policy of Veliky Novgorod. In 1471, the struggle between the boyar groups of “Lithuania” and “Moscow” intensified. This was ordered into a massacre at the assembly, as a result of which the Lithuanian boyars, led by Marfa Boretskaya, the wife of the former mayor, won. Immediately after this, Martha signed the vassal oath of Novgorod to Lithuania. Ivan 3 immediately sent a letter to the city, demanding recognition of the supremacy of Moscow in the city, but the Novgorod veche was against it. This meant war.

In the summer of 1471, Ivan 3 sent troops to Novgorod. The battle took place near the Sheloni River, where the Novgorodians were defeated. On July 14, a battle took place near the walls of Novgorod, where the Muscovites won, and the Novgorodians lost about 12 thousand people killed. Moscow strengthened its position in the city, but retained self-government for the Novgorodians. In 1478, when it became obvious that Novgorod was not stopping its attempts to come under Lithuanian rule, Ivan 3 deprived the city of all self-government, finally subordinating it to Moscow.

Novgorod was now ruled by the Moscow governor, and the famous bell, symbolizing the freedom of the Novgorodians, was sent to Moscow.

Annexation of Tver, Vyatka and Yaroslavl

Prince Mikhail Borisovich of Tver, wanting to preserve the independence of his principality, married the granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kazemir 4. This did not stop Ivan 3, who started the war in 1485. The situation for Mikhail was complicated by the fact that many Tver boyars had already gone into the service of the Moscow prince. Soon the siege of Tver began, and Mikhail fled to Lithuania. After this, Tver surrendered without resistance. Ivan 3 left his son Ivan to rule the city. This is how the subordination of Tver to Moscow took place.

Yaroslavl, under the reign of Ivan 3, formally retained its independence, but this was a gesture of good will by Ivan 3 himself. Yaroslavl was completely dependent on Moscow, and its independence was expressed only in the fact that local princes had the right to inherit power in the city. The wife of the Yaroslavl prince was Ivan III's sister, Anna, so he allowed her husband and sons to inherit power and rule independently. Although all important decisions were made in Moscow.

Vyatka had a control system similar to Novgorod. In 1489, Tver submitted to the authority of Ivan III, coming under the control of Moscow along with the ancient city of Arsk. After this, Moscow strengthened as a single center for uniting Russian lands into a single state.

Foreign policy

The foreign policy of Ivan 3 was expressed in three directions:

• Eastern - liberation from the yoke and a solution to the problem of the Kazan Khanate.
• Southern – confrontation with the Crimean Khanate.
• Western – solution of border issues with Lithuania.

East direction

The key task of the eastern direction is to rid Rus' of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The result was a stand on the Ugra River in 1480, after which Rus' gained independence from the Horde. 240 years of yoke were completed and the rise of the Moscow state began.

Wives of Prince Ivan 3

Ivan 3 was married twice: the first wife was the Tver princess Maria, the second wife was Sophia Paleologus from the family of Byzantine emperors. From his first marriage, the prince had a son, Ivan the Young.

Sophia (Zoe) Palaeologus was the niece of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine 11, but after the fall of Constantinople she moved to Rome, where she lived under the patronage of the Pope. For Ivan III, this was an excellent option for marriage, after which he would marry Princess Maria. This marriage made it possible to unite the ruling dynasties of Russia and Byzantium.

An embassy was sent to Rome for the bride in January 1472, headed by Prince Ivan Fryazin. The Pope agreed to send Palaiologos to Russia under two conditions:

1. Russia will persuade the Golden Horde to war with Turkey.
2. Russia will accept Catholicism in one form or another.

The ambassadors accepted all the conditions, and Sophia Paleolog went to Moscow. On November 12, 1472, she entered the capital. It is noteworthy that at the entrance to the city, traffic was stopped for several days. This was due to the fact that Catholic priests were heading the delegation. Ivan 3 considered admiration for someone else’s faith a sign of disrespect for one’s own, so he demanded that the Catholic priests hide the crosses and move deeper into the column. Only after these demands were met did the movement continue.

Succession to the throne

In 1498, the first dispute about succession to the throne arose. Some of the boyars demanded that his grandson Dmitry become the heir of Ivan 3. This was the son of Ivan the Young and Elena Voloshanka. Ivan the Young was the son of Ivan 3 from his marriage to Princess Maria. Another group of boyars spoke out for Vasily, the son of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus.

The Grand Duke suspected his wife that she wanted to poison Dmitry and his mother Elena. A conspiracy was announced and some people were executed. As a result, Ivan 3 became suspicious of his wife and son, so on February 4, 1498, Ivan 3 named Dmitry, who was 15 years old at that time, as his successor.

After this, a change occurred in the Grand Duke’s mood. He decided to re-investigate the circumstances of the assassination attempt on Dmitry and Elena. As a result, Dmitry was already taken into custody, and Vasily was appointed prince of Novgorod and Pskov.

In 1503, Princess Sophia died, and the prince’s health became noticeably worse. Therefore, he gathered the boyars and declared Vasily, the future Prince Vasily 3, his heir.

Results of the reign of Ivan 3

In 1505, Prince Ivan 3 dies. After himself, he leaves a great legacy and great deeds, which his son Vasily was destined to continue. The results of the reign of Ivan 3 can be characterized as follows:

• Eliminating the causes of fragmentation of Rus' and unifying the lands around Moscow.
• The creation of a unified state began
• Ivan 3 was one of the strongest rulers of his era

Ivan 3 was not an educated man, in the classical sense of the word. He could not receive enough education as a child, but this was compensated for by his natural ingenuity and intelligence. Many call him a cunning king, because he very often achieved the results he needed by cunning.

An important stage in the reign of Prince Ivan III was the marriage with Sophie Paleolog, as a result of which Russia became a strong power, and it began to be discussed throughout Europe. This, undoubtedly, gave impetus to the development of statehood in our country.

Key events of the reign of Ivan III:

• 1463 – annexation of Yaroslavl
• 1474 – annexation of the Rostov Principality
• 1478 – annexation of Veliky Novgorod
• 1485 – annexation of the Tver Principality
• Liberation of Rus' from the Horde yoke
• 1480 – standing on the Ugra
• 1497 – adoption of the code of law of Ivan 3.

Ivan 3rd Vasilyevich was born on January 22, 1440. He was the son of Moscow Prince Vasily 2nd the Dark and the daughter of Prince Yaroslav Borovsky - Maria Yaroslavna. Prince Ivan the 3rd is better known under the names Ivan the Holy and Ivan the Great. In a short biography of Ivan the 3rd, it is necessary to mention that from a very young age he helped his blind father. In an effort to make the new order of transfer of power legal, Vasily the 2nd named his son Ivan Grand Duke during his lifetime. All letters of that time were drawn up on behalf of the two princes. Already at the age of seven, Ivan Vasilyevich was engaged to the daughter of Prince Boris of Tver, Maria. It was planned that this marriage would become a symbol of reconciliation between the rival principalities of Tver and Moscow.

For the first time, Prince Ivan 3rd Vasilyevich led the army at the age of 12 years. And the campaign against the Ustyug fortress turned out to be more than successful. After his victorious return, Ivan married his bride. Ivan III Vasilyevich made a victorious campaign in 1455, directed against the Tatars who had invaded Russian borders. And in 1460 he was able to close the Tatar army’s path to Rus'.

The prince was distinguished not only by his lust for power and perseverance, but also by his intelligence and prudence. It was the great reign of Ivan the 3rd that became the first in a long time that did not begin with a trip to receive a label in the Horde. Throughout the entire period of his reign, Ivan the 3rd strove to unite the northeastern lands. By force or with the help of diplomacy, the prince annexed to his lands the territories of Chernigov, Ryazan (partially), Rostov, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Dimitrovsk, Bryansk, etc.

The domestic policy of Ivan the 3rd was focused on the fight against the princely-boyar aristocracy. During his reign, a restriction was introduced on the transfer of peasants from one landowner to another. This was allowed only during the week before and the week after St. George's Day. Artillery units appeared in the army. From 1467 to 1469, Ivan 3rd Vasilyevich led military actions aimed at subjugating Kazan. And as a result, he made her a vassal. And in 1471 he annexed the lands of Novgorod to the Russian state. After military conflicts with the Principality of Lithuania in 1487-1494. and 1500-1503 The territory of the state was expanded by annexing Gomel, Starodub, Mtsensk, Dorogobuzh, Toropets, Chernigov, Novgorod-Seversky. Crimea during this period remained an ally of Ivan the 3rd.

In 1472 (1476) Ivan the Great stopped paying tribute to the Horde, and the Standing on the Ugra in 1480 marked the end of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. For this, Prince Ivan received the nickname Saint. The reign of Ivan the 3rd saw the flourishing of chronicles and architecture. Such architectural monuments as the Faceted Chamber and the Assumption Cathedral were erected.

The unification of many lands required the creation of a unified legal system. And in 1497 the Code of Laws was created. The code of law of Ivan the 3rd united legal norms previously reflected in the statutory charters, as well as in individual decrees of Ivan the Great's predecessors.

Ivan the 3rd was married twice. In 1452 he married the daughter of the Tver prince, who died at the age of thirty. According to some historians, she was poisoned. From this marriage there was a son, Ivan Ivanovich (Young).

In 1472 he married the Byzantine princess Sophia Palaeologus, niece of Constantine 9th, the last Byzantine emperor. This marriage brought the prince sons Vasily, Yuri, Dmitry, Semyon and Andrey. It is worth noting that the second marriage of Ivan the 3rd caused great tension at court. Some of the boyars supported Ivan the Young, the son of Maria Borisovna. The second part provided support to the new Grand Duchess Sophia. At the same time, the prince accepted the title of Sovereign of All Rus'.

After the death of Ivan the Young, the great Ivan 3rd crowned his grandson Dmitry. But Sophia's intrigues soon led to a change in the situation. (Dmitry died in prison in 1509) Before his death, Ivan the 3rd proclaimed his son as his heir. Prince Ivan 3rd died on October 27, 1505.