Sophia Paleolog. How a Byzantine princess built a new empire in Russia
Sophia Paleologue went from the last Byzantine princess to Grand Duchess Moscow. Thanks to her intelligence and cunning, she could influence the policies of Ivan III and won palace intrigues. Sophia also managed to place her son Vasily III on the throne.
Sophia Paleolog. Reconstruction from the skull.
Zoe Paleologue was born around 1440-1449. She was the daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, who was the brother of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine. The fate of the entire family after the death of the ruler turned out to be unenviable. Thomas Palaiologos fled to Corfu and then to Rome. After some time, the children followed him. The paleologists were patronized by Pope Paul II himself. The girl had to convert to Catholicism and change her name from Zoe to Sophia. She received an education appropriate to her status, without basking in luxury, but without poverty either.
Meeting of Princess Sophia by Pskov mayors and boyars at the mouth of the Embakh on Lake Peipus. Fedor Bronnikov.
Sophia became a pawn in the political game of the Pope. At first he wanted to give her as a wife to King James II of Cyprus, but he refused. The next contender for the girl's hand was Prince Caracciolo, but he did not live to see the wedding. When the wife of Prince Ivan III died in 1467, Sophia Paleologue was offered to him as his wife. The Pope kept silent about the fact that she was a Catholic, thereby wanting to expand the influence of the Vatican in Rus'. Negotiations for marriage continued for three years. Ivan III was seduced by the opportunity to have such an eminent person as his wife.
Grand Duke John III Vasilievich. Portrait from the Tsar's Title Book.
The betrothal in absentia took place on June 1, 1472, after which Sophia Paleologus went to Muscovy. Everywhere she was given all kinds of honors and celebrations were held. At the head of her cortege was a man who carried a Catholic cross. Having learned about this, Metropolitan Philip threatened to leave Moscow if the cross was brought into the city. Ivan III ordered to take away the Catholic symbol 15 versts from Moscow. Dad's plans failed, and Sophia returned to her faith again. The wedding took place on November 12, 1472 in the Assumption Cathedral.
Sofia Paleologue enters Moscow. Miniature of the Front Chronicle.
At court, the newly-made Byzantine wife of the Grand Duke was not liked. Despite this, Sophia had a huge influence on her husband. The chronicles describe in detail how Paleologue persuaded Ivan III to free himself from the Mongol yoke.
Following the Byzantine model, Ivan III developed a complex judicial system. Then for the first time Grand Duke began to call himself “the Tsar and Autocrat of All Rus'.” It is believed that the image of the double-headed eagle, which subsequently appeared on the coat of arms of Muscovy, was brought by Sophia Paleologus with her.
Vasily III. Portrait from the Tsar's Title Book.
Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III had eleven children (five sons and six daughters). From his first marriage, the tsar had a son, Ivan the Young, the first contender for the throne. But he fell ill with gout and died. Another “obstacle” for Sophia’s children on the path to the throne was Ivan the Young’s son Dmitry. But he and his mother fell out of favor with the king and died in captivity. Some historians suggest that Paleologus was involved in the deaths of the direct heirs, but there is no direct evidence. Ivan III's successor was Sophia's son Vasily III.
Her personality has always worried historians, and opinions about her varied to the contrary: some considered her a witch, others idolized her and called her a saint. Your interpretation of the phenomenon Grand Duchess several years ago, director Alexey Andrianov presented it in the serial film “Sofia”, which was broadcast on the TV channel “Russia 1”. We'll figure out what's true and what's in it.
The film novel "Sofia", which has made its presence known on the wide screen, stands out from other historical domestic paintings. It covers a distant era that had not even been filmed before: the events in the film are dedicated to the beginning of the formation of Russian statehood, in particular the marriage of the Great Moscow Prince Ivan III with the last heir to the Byzantine throne.
A little excursion: Zoya (that’s what the girl was named at birth) was proposed as a wife Ivan III at 14 years old. Pope Sixtus IV himself really hoped for this marriage (he hoped to strengthen Catholicism in Russian lands through marriage). Negotiations lasted a total of 3 years and were ultimately crowned with success: at the age of 17, Zoya was engaged in absentia in the Vatican and sent along with her retinue on a journey through Russian lands, which only after inspecting the territories ended with her arrival in the capital. The Pope’s plan, by the way, completely fell apart when the newly minted Byzantine princess short terms She was baptized and received the name Sophia.
The film, of course, does not reflect all historical vicissitudes. In 10 hour-long episodes, the creators tried to contain, in their opinion, the most important of what happened in Rus' at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. It was during this period that, thanks to Ivan III, Rus' finally freed itself from the Tatar-Mongol yoke, the prince began to unite the territories, which ultimately led to the formation of a solid, strong state.
The fateful time became so in many ways thanks to Sofia Paleolog. She, educated and culturally enlightened, did not become a mute addition to the prince, capable only of procreating the family and the princely surname, as was the custom in that distant time. The Grand Duchess had her own opinion on everything and could always voice it, and her husband invariably rated it highly. According to historians, it was probably Sofia who put into Ivan III’s head the idea of uniting the lands under a single center. The princess saw unprecedented power in Rus', believed in its great goal, and, according to the hypothesis of historians, it belongs to her famous phrase"Moscow is the third Rome."
The niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Sophia also “gave” Moscow the coat of arms of her dynasty - that same double-headed eagle. It was inherited by the capital as an integral part of its dowry (along with the book library, which later became part of the heritage of the great library of Ivan the Terrible). Uspensky and Annunciation Cathedrals- designed and created thanks to the Italian Alberti Fioravanti, whom Sofia personally invited to Moscow. In addition, the princess called from Western Europe artists and architects, so that they would ennoble the capital: they would build palaces and erect new temples. It was then that Moscow was decorated with the Kremlin towers, the Terem Palace and the Archangel Cathedral.
Of course, we cannot know what the marriage of Sofia and Ivan III really was like; unfortunately, we can only guess about this (we only know that, according to various hypotheses, they had 9 or 12 children). A serial film is, first of all, an artistic perception and understanding of their relationship; it is, in its own way, the author’s interpretation of the princess’s fate. In the film novel, the love line is brought to the fore, and all other historical vicissitudes seem to be an accompanying background. Of course, the creators do not promise absolute authenticity; it was important for them to make a sensual picture that people will believe in, whose characters will sympathize with, and sincerely worry about their serial fate.
However, the filmmakers paid enormous attention to everything regarding details. In this regard, it is possible and necessary to learn about history in a film: historically accurate sets were created specifically for filming (the decoration of the prince’s palace, the secret offices of the Vatican, even the smallest household items of the era), costumes (of which more than 1000 were made, mostly by hand). For the filming of “Sofia,” consultants and experts were hired so that even the most fastidious and attentive viewer would not have any questions about the film.
In the film novel, Sofia is a beauty. Actress Maria Andreeva - the star of the popular Spiritless - at not quite 30, on the screen (at the date of filming) she really looks 17. But historians have confirmed that in fact Paleologue was not a beauty. However, ideals change not only over centuries, even over decades, and therefore it is difficult for us to talk about it. But the fact that she suffered from excess weight (according to her contemporaries, even critically) cannot be omitted. However, the same historians confirm that Sofia was indeed a very smart and educated woman for her time. Her contemporaries also understood this, and some of them, either out of envy or because of their own ignorance, were sure that Paleologue could only become so smart thanks to connections with dark forces and the devil himself (based on this controversial hypothesis, one federal TV channel even directed the film “The Witch of All Rus'”).
However, Ivan III in reality was also unprepossessing: short, hunchbacked and not distinguished by beauty. But the filmmakers obviously decided that such a character would not evoke a response in the souls of the audience, so the actor for this role was selected from among the country’s main heartthrobs, Evgeniy Tsyganov.
Apparently, the director wanted to please the eye of the fastidious viewer first of all. In addition, for him, the viewer craving spectacle, they created an atmosphere of real historical action: large-scale battles, massacres, natural disasters, betrayal and court intrigue, and in the center - a beautiful love story of Sophia Palaeologus and Ivan III. The viewer can only stock up on popcorn and enjoy the beauty of a well-filmed romantic story.
Photo: Getty Images, stills from the serial film
Most historians agree that the grandmother, Grand Duchess Sophia (Zoya) Paleologus of Moscow played a huge role in the formation of the Muscovite kingdom. Many consider her the author of the concept “Moscow is the third Rome”. And together with Zoya Paleologina, a double-headed eagle appeared. At first it was the family coat of arms of her dynasty, and then migrated to the coat of arms of all the tsars and Russian emperors.
Childhood and youth
Zoe Paleologue was born (presumably) in 1455 in Mystras. The daughter of the despot of Morea, Thomas Palaiologos, was born at a tragic and turning point - the time of the fall Byzantine Empire.
After the capture of Constantinople by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II and the death of Emperor Constantine, Thomas Palaiologos, along with his wife Catherine of Achaia and their children, fled to Corfu. From there he moved to Rome, where he was forced to convert to Catholicism. In May 1465, Thomas died. His death occurred shortly after the death of his wife in the same year. The children, Zoya and her brothers, 5-year-old Manuel and 7-year-old Andrei, moved to Rome after the death of their parents.
The education of orphans was undertaken by the Greek scientist, Uniate Vissarion of Nicaea, who served as a cardinal under Pope Sixtus IV (he was the one who commissioned the famous Sistine Chapel). In Rome, the Greek princess Zoe Palaiologos and her brothers were raised in the Catholic faith. The cardinal took care of the maintenance of the children and their education.
It is known that Vissarion of Nicea, with the permission of the pope, paid for the modest court of the young Palaiologos, which included servants, a doctor, two professors of Latin and Greek languages, translators and priests. Sofia Paleolog received a fairly solid education for those times.
Grand Duchess of Moscow
When Sophia came of age, the Venetian Signoria became concerned about her marriage. The king of Cyprus, Jacques II de Lusignan, was first offered to take the noble girl as his wife. But he refused this marriage, fearing conflict with Ottoman Empire. A year later, in 1467, Cardinal Vissarion, at the request of Pope Paul II, offered the hand of a noble Byzantine beauty to the prince and Italian nobleman Caracciolo. A solemn engagement took place, but for unknown reasons the marriage was called off.
There is a version that Sophia secretly communicated with the Athonite elders and adhered to Orthodox faith. She herself made an effort not to marry a non-Christian, upsetting all the marriages offered to her.
In the turning point for the life of Sophia Paleologus in 1467, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Maria Borisovna, died. This marriage produced an only son. Pope Paul II, counting on the spread of Catholicism to Moscow, invited the widowed sovereign of All Rus' to take his ward as his wife.
After 3 years of negotiations, Ivan III, having asked for advice from his mother, Metropolitan Philip and the boyars, decided to get married. It is noteworthy that the negotiators from the pope prudently kept silent about Sophia Paleologue’s conversion to Catholicism. Moreover, they reported that the proposed wife of Paleologina is an Orthodox Christian. They didn't even realize that it was so.
In June 1472, in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, the betrothal of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus took place in absentia. After this, the bride's convoy left Rome for Moscow. The same Cardinal Vissarion accompanied the bride.
Bolognese chroniclers described Sophia as a rather attractive person. She looked 24 years old, had snow-white skin and incredibly beautiful and expressive eyes. Her height was no higher than 160 cm. The future wife of the Russian sovereign had a dense physique.
There is a version that in Sophia Paleolog’s dowry, in addition to clothes and jewelry, there were many valuable books, which later formed the basis of the mysteriously disappeared library of Ivan the Terrible. Among them were treatises and unknown poems.
Meeting of Princess Sophia Paleolog on Lake Peipsi At the end of a long route that ran through Germany and Poland, the Roman escorts of Sophia Palaeologus realized that their desire to spread (or at least bring closer) Catholicism to Orthodoxy through the marriage of Ivan III to Palaeologus had been defeated. Zoya, as soon as she left Rome, demonstrated her firm intention to return to the faith of her ancestors - Christianity. The wedding took place in Moscow on November 12, 1472. The ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral.
The main achievement of Sophia Paleolog, which turned into a huge benefit for Russia, is considered to be her influence on her husband’s decision to refuse to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. Thanks to his wife, Ivan the Third finally dared to throw off the centuries-old Tatar-Mongol yoke, although local princes and elites offered to continue paying the quitrent to avoid bloodshed.
Personal life
Apparently personal life Sophia Paleologue's relationship with Grand Duke Ivan III was successful. This marriage produced a significant number of offspring - 5 sons and 4 daughters. But it’s difficult to call the existence of the new Grand Duchess Sophia in Moscow cloudless. The boyars saw the enormous influence that the wife had on her husband. Many people didn't like it.
Vasily III, son of Sophia Paleologus Rumor has it that the princess had a bad relationship with the heir born in the previous marriage of Ivan III, Ivan the Young. Moreover, there is a version that Sophia was involved in the poisoning of Ivan the Young and the further removal from power of his wife Elena Voloshanka and son Dmitry.
Be that as it may, Sophia Paleolog had a huge influence on the entire further history Rus', its culture and architecture. She was the mother of the heir to the throne and the grandmother of Ivan the Terrible. According to some reports, the grandson bore considerable resemblance to his wise Byzantine grandmother.
Death
Sophia Paleologue, Grand Duchess of Moscow, died on April 7, 1503. The husband, Ivan III, survived his wife by only 2 years.
Destruction of the grave of Sophia Paleolog in 1929 Sophia was buried next to the previous wife of Ivan III in the sarcophagus of the tomb of the Ascension Cathedral. The cathedral was destroyed in 1929. But the remains of the women of the royal house were preserved - they were transferred to the underground chamber of the Archangel Cathedral.
Ivan III and Sophia Paleologue
Ivan III Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Moscow from 1462 to 1505. During the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich, a significant part of the Russian lands around Moscow was united and transformed into the center of the all-Russian state. The final liberation of the country from the power of the Horde khans was achieved. Ivan Vasilyevich created a state that became the basis of Russia until modern times.
The first wife of Grand Duke Ivan was Maria Borisovna, the daughter of the Tver prince. On February 15, 1458, a son, Ivan, was born into the family of the Grand Duke. The Grand Duchess, who had a meek character, died on April 22, 1467, before reaching the age of thirty. The Grand Duchess was buried in the Kremlin, in the Ascension Convent. Ivan, who was in Kolomna at that time, did not come to his wife’s funeral.
Two years after her death, the Grand Duke decided to marry again. After a conference with his mother, as well as with the boyars and the metropolitan, he decided to agree to the proposal recently received from the Pope to marry the Byzantine princess Sophia (in Byzantium she was called Zoe). She was the daughter of the Morean despot Thomas Palaiologos and was the niece of the emperors Constantine XI and John VIII.
The decisive factor in Zoya’s fate was the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Constantine XI died in 1453 during the capture of Constantinople. 7 years later, in 1460, Morea was captured by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, Thomas fled with his family to the island of Corfu, then to Rome, where he soon died. To get support, last year During his life, Thomas converted to Catholicism. Zoya and her brothers - 7-year-old Andrei and 5-year-old Manuel - moved to Rome 5 years after their father. There she received the name Sophia. The Palaiologos came under the patronage of Cardinal Vissarion, who retained his sympathies for the Greeks.
Zoya has grown over the years into an attractive girl with dark, sparkling eyes and soft white skin. She was distinguished by a subtle mind and prudence in behavior. According to the unanimous assessment of her contemporaries, Zoya was charming, and her intelligence, education and manners were impeccable. Bolognese chroniclers wrote enthusiastically about Zoe in 1472: “She is truly charming and beautiful... She was short, she seemed about 24 years old; the eastern flame sparkled in her eyes, the whiteness of her skin spoke of the nobility of her family.”
In those years, the Vatican was looking for allies to organize a new crusade, intending to involve all European sovereigns in it. Then, on the advice of Cardinal Vissarion, the pope decided to marry Zoya to the Moscow sovereign Ivan III, knowing about his desire to become the heir of the Byzantine basileus. The Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinal Vissarion tried to renew the union with Russia through marriage. It was then that the Grand Duke was informed about the stay in Rome of a noble bride devoted to Orthodoxy, Sophia Paleologus. Dad promised Ivan his support if he wanted to woo her. Ivan III's motives for marrying Sophia, of course, were related to status; the brilliance of her name and the glory of her ancestors played a role. Ivan III, who claimed the royal title, considered himself the successor of the Roman and Byzantine emperors.
On January 16, 1472, Moscow ambassadors set off on a long journey. In Rome, Muscovites were honorably received by the new Pope Sixtus IV. As a gift from Ivan III, the ambassadors presented the pontiff with sixty selected sable skins. The matter quickly came to an end. Pope Sixtus IV treated the bride with paternal concern: he gave Zoe, in addition to gifts, about 6,000 ducats as a dowry. Sixtus IV in St. Peter's Cathedral performed a solemn ceremony of Sophia's betrothal in absentia to the Moscow sovereign, who was represented by the Russian ambassador Ivan Fryazin.
On June 24, 1472, having said goodbye to the pope in the Vatican gardens, Zoe headed to the far north. The future Grand Duchess of Moscow, as soon as she found herself on Russian soil, while still on her way down the aisle to Moscow, insidiously betrayed all the hopes of the pope, immediately forgetting her entire Catholic upbringing. Sophia, apparently, met in childhood with the Athonite elders, opponents of subordination Orthodox to Catholics, deep down she was deeply Orthodox. She immediately openly, brightly and demonstratively showed her devotion to Orthodoxy, to the delight of the Russians, venerating all the icons in all churches, impeccably behaving Orthodox service, being baptized like an Orthodox Christian. The Vatican's plans to make the princess a conductor of Catholicism in Rus' failed, as Sophia immediately demonstrated a return to the faith of her ancestors. The papal legate was deprived of the opportunity to enter Moscow, carrying the Latin cross in front of him.
Early in the morning of November 21, 1472, Sophia Paleologus arrived in Moscow. On the same day, in the Kremlin, in a temporary wooden church, erected near the Assumption Cathedral under construction, so as not to stop 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.” And before, Ivan Vasilyevich 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.
Sophia became the full-fledged Grand Duchess of Moscow. The very fact that she agreed to go from Rome to distant Moscow to seek her fortune suggests that she was a brave, energetic woman.
She brought a generous dowry to Rus'. After the wedding, Ivan III adopted the coat of arms of the Byzantine double-headed eagle - 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 secular power. Sophia's dowry was the legendary “Liberia” - a library (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.
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. Sophia also brought with her several Orthodox icons.
With the arrival in the capital of Russia of the Greek princess, the heir to the former greatness of the Palaiologans, in 1472, a fairly large group of immigrants from Greece and Italy formed at the Russian court. Over time, many of them occupied significant government positions and more than once carried out important diplomatic assignments for Ivan III. They all returned to Moscow with large groups of specialists, among whom were architects, doctors, jewelers, coiners and gunsmiths.
The great Greek woman brought with her her ideas about the court and the power of government. Sophia Paleolog not only brought about changes at court - some Moscow monuments owe their appearance to her. Much of what is now preserved in the Kremlin was built precisely under Grand Duchess Sophia.
In 1474, the Assumption Cathedral, built by Pskov craftsmen, collapsed. The Italians were involved in its restoration under the leadership of the architect Aristotle Fioravanti. With her, they built the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Faceted Chamber, so named on the occasion of its decoration in the Italian style - with facets. The Kremlin itself is a fortress that guarded ancient center capital of Rus' - grew and was created before her eyes. Twenty years later, foreign travelers began to call the Moscow Kremlin a “castle” in European style, due to the abundance of stone buildings in it.
Thus, through the efforts of Ivan III and Sophia, the Paleologus Renaissance flourished on Russian soil.
However, Sophia's arrival in Moscow did not please some of Ivan's courtiers. By nature, Sophia was a reformer, participation in government affairs was the meaning of the life of the Moscow princess, she was decisive and smart person, and the nobility of that time did not like this very much. In Moscow, she was accompanied not only by the honors given to the Grand Duchess, but also by the hostility of the local clergy and the heir to the throne. At every step she had to defend her rights.
The best way to establish oneself was, of course, childbearing. The Grand Duke wanted to have sons. Sophia herself wanted this. However, to the delight of her ill-wishers, she gave birth to three daughters in a row - Elena (1474), Elena (1475) and Theodosia (1475). Unfortunately, the girls died soon after birth. Then another girl was born, Elena (1476). Sophia prayed to God and all the saints for the gift of a son. There is a legend associated with the birth of Sophia's son Vasily, the future heir to the throne: as if during one of the pilgrimage campaigns to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in Klementievo, Grand Duchess Sophia Paleologue had a vision St. Sergius Radonezhsky, who was “thrown into the depths of her youth as a young man.” On the night of March 25-26, 1479, a boy was born, named Vasily in honor of his grandfather. For his mother, he always remained Gabriel - in honor of the Archangel Gabriel. Following Vasily, she gave birth to two more sons (Yuri and Dmitry), then two daughters (Elena and Feodosia), then three more sons (Semyon, Andrei and Boris) and the last, in 1492, daughter Evdokia.
Ivan III loved his wife and took care of his family. Before the invasion of Khan Akhmat in 1480, for the sake of safety, Sophia was sent first to Dmitrov and then to Beloozero with her children, court, noblewomen and princely treasury. Bishop Vissarion warned the Grand Duke against constant thoughts and excessive attachment to his wife and children. One of the chronicles notes that Ivan panicked: “I was in horror and wanted to run away from the shore, and sent my Grand Duchess Roman and the treasury with her to Beloozero.”
The main significance of this marriage was that the marriage to Sophia Paleologus contributed to the establishment of Russia as the successor to Byzantium and the proclamation of Moscow as the Third Rome, the stronghold of Orthodox Christianity. After his marriage to Sophia, Ivan III for the first time dared to show the European political world the new title of Sovereign of All Rus' and forced him to be recognized. Ivan was called “the sovereign of all Rus'.”
The question inevitably arose about the future fate of the offspring of Ivan III and Sophia. The heir to the throne remained the son of Ivan III and Maria Borisovna, Ivan the Young, whose son Dmitry was born on October 10, 1483 in his marriage to Elena Voloshanka. In the event of his father’s death, he would not hesitate to get rid of Sophia and her family in one way or another. The best they could hope for was exile or exile. At the thought of this, the Greek woman was overcome with rage and impotent despair.
Throughout the 1480s, Ivan Ivanovich's position as the legal heir was quite strong. However, by 1490, the heir to the throne, Ivan Ivanovich, fell ill with “kamchyuga in the legs” (gout). Sophia ordered a doctor from Venice - “Mistro Leon”, who arrogantly promised Ivan III to cure the heir to the throne. Nevertheless, all the doctor’s efforts were fruitless, and on March 7, 1490, Ivan the Young died. The doctor was executed, and rumors spread throughout Moscow about the poisoning of the heir. Modern historians regard the hypothesis of the poisoning of Ivan the Young as unverifiable due to a lack of sources.
On February 4, 1498, the coronation of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich took place in the Assumption Cathedral in an atmosphere of great pomp. Sophia and her son Vasily were not invited.
Ivan III continued to painfully search for a way out of the dynastic impasse. How much pain, tears and misunderstanding his wife had to experience, this strong, wise woman who was so eager to help her husband build new Russia, Third Rome. But time passes, and the wall of bitterness that his son and daughter-in-law built with such zeal around the Grand Duke collapsed. Ivan Vasilyevich wiped away his wife’s tears and cried with her. Like never before, he felt that the white light was not nice to him without this woman. Now the plan to give the throne to Dmitry did not seem successful to him. Ivan Vasilyevich knew how all-consumingly Sophia loved her son Vasily. Sometimes he was even jealous of this maternal love, realizing that the son reigned entirely in the mother’s heart. The Grand Duke felt sorry for his young sons Vasily, Yuri, Dmitry Zhilka, Semyon, Andrei... And he lived together with Princess Sophia for a quarter of a century. Ivan III understood that sooner or later Sophia’s sons would rebel. There were only two ways to prevent the performance: either destroy the second family, or bequeath the throne to Vasily and destroy the family of Ivan the Young.
On April 11, 1502, the dynastic battle came to its logical conclusion. According to the chronicle, Ivan III “put disgrace on his grandson, Grand Duke Dmitry, and on his mother, Grand Duchess Elena.” Three days later, Ivan III “blessed his son Vasily, blessed him and made him autocrat of the Grand Duchy of Volodymyr and Moscow and All Rus'.”
On the advice of his wife, Ivan Vasilyevich released Elena from captivity and sent her to her father in Wallachia (good relations with Moldavia were needed), but in 1509 Dmitry died “in need, in prison.”
A year after these events, on April 7, 1503, Sophia Paleologus died. The body of the Grand Duchess was buried in the cathedral of the Kremlin Ascension Monastery. Following her death, Ivan Vasilyevich lost heart and became seriously ill. Apparently, the great Greek Sophia gave him the necessary energy to build a new power, her intelligence helped in state affairs, her sensitivity warned of dangers, her all-conquering love gave him strength and courage. Leaving all his affairs, he went on a trip to the monasteries, but failed to atone for his sins. He was overcome by paralysis: “... took away his arm and leg and eye.” On October 27, 1505, he died, “having been in the great reign for 43 and 7 months, and all the years of his life were 65 and 9 months.”
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From the book “Stars” that conquered millions of hearts author Vulf Vitaly YakovlevichPEROVSKAYA SOFIA LVOVNA (born in 1853 - died in 1881) Revolutionary populist, active member of the organization " People's will" The first female terrorist convicted in a political case and executed as an organizer and participant in the assassination of Emperor Alexander II. First
From the book "Days of My Life" and other memories author Shchepkina-Kupernik Tatyana LvovnaSofia Kovalevskaya Princess of MathematicsHer biography absorbed all the complexities of that strange time. She became a scientist when women were not allowed into science at all costs. Moreover, she became a famous mathematician at a time when it was believed that a woman
From the book of the Russian Head of State. Outstanding rulers that the whole country should know about author Lubchenkov Yuri NikolaevichSofya Petrovna and Levitan In addition to theater houses, one of the first houses where I began to visit in Moscow and from where, like a lake, rivers flow in all directions, I made many acquaintances, some of which turned into friendships - lasting to this day , - was
From the book Silver Age. Portrait gallery of cultural heroes of the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. Volume 1. A-I author Fokin Pavel EvgenievichPrincess Sophia and the archers of the Cell of the Novodevichy Convent. Illuminated by the quiet glow of the lamps, icon faces meekly look out from the icon case. A gentle twilight fell on the walls, covering the corners... Quiet all around. Only from afar can the night guard knock be faintly heard, muffled by the thick
From the book Silver Age. Portrait gallery of cultural heroes of the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. Volume 3. S-Y author Fokin Pavel Evgenievich
