Vasily the Dark is the triumph of a loser. How a weak ruler strengthened Russia. Vasily Temny

16.10.2019

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Biography of Prince Vasily 2 Vasilyevich the Dark

Vasily 2 Vasilyevich (Dark) - (born March 10, 1415 - death March 27, 1462) Son of Vasily 1 Dmitrievich. Grand Duke of Moscow. Under Vasily 2, a long internecine war was waged. A coalition of appanage princes under the leadership of his uncle, the Galician prince Yuri Dmitrievich and his sons Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka, opposed him. At the same time, there was a struggle with Kazan and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Grand Duke's throne passed several times to the Galician princes (1433–1434), who enjoyed the support of Novgorod and Tver.

Vasily was blinded in 1446 by Dmitry Shemyaka (hence the "Dark"), but ultimately won in the early 50s. XV century victory.

Vasily the Dark was able to eliminate almost all the small fiefs within the Moscow principality, strengthening the grand-ducal power. As a result of the campaigns of 1441–1460. The dependence on Moscow of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod principality, Novgorod the Great, Pskov, and Vyatka increased significantly.

By order of Vasily 2, the Russian Bishop Jonah was elected metropolitan (1448), which marked the proclamation of the independence of the Russian Church from the Patriarch of Constantinople and contributed to the strengthening of the international position of Rus'.

Biography of Vasily 2 the Dark

Origin. Inheritance

1425, February 27 - died Grand Duke Vladimir and Moscow Vasily 1 Dmitrievich, leaving his inheritance, “conceptions” and the Grand Duchy to his only son Vasily, who at that time was not yet 10 years old. The beginning of Vasily's reign was marked by a plague epidemic and severe drought in 1430 - 1448. The position of the young Grand Duke on the throne was precarious. He had uncles, appanage princes Yuri, Andrey, Peter and Konstantin Dmitrievich. The eldest of them, Yuri Dmitrievich, himself laid claim to the great reign. Prince Yuri believed that the order of succession could not be established by Vasily 1, because it was determined by the spirituality of their father, Dmitry Donskoy. Yuri Dmitrievich believed that, in accordance with this will, after the death of Vasily, the Grand Duke's throne should have been inherited by him, Prince Yuri, as the eldest of the family.

Power struggle

In the struggle for power, Yuri Dmitrievich relied, on the one hand, on the support of his brother-in-law, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Svidrigail Olgerdovich, and on the other, on the intercession of his friend, the influential Horde Murza Tegini, before the khan. However, the Moscow boyars, led by the talented diplomat Ivan Dmitrievich Vsevolozhsky, were well versed in the current balance of power. Ivan Dmitrievich was able to turn the majority of the Horde Murzas against Tegini, which means he made them supporters of his prince.

Court in Orda

When, at the khan’s trial, Yuri Dmitrievich began to substantiate his claims to the great reign by referring to ancient family law, the Moscow diplomat with one phrase was able to achieve the khan’s decision in his favor, saying: “Prince Yuri is looking for a great reign according to the will of his father, and Prince Vasily - by your grace."

The Khan, very pleased with this manifestation of submission on the part of the Muscovites, ordered the label to be issued to Vasily and even ordered Yuri Dmitrievich, as a sign of submission to the Khan’s will, to lead by the bridle the horse with the Grand Duke sitting on it.

The beginning of civil strife

This episode was the reason for the continuation of the war. 1433 - during the wedding of Vasily Vasilyevich, his mother, Sofya Vitovtovna, tore off a precious gold belt from another Vasily - the son of Yuri Dmitrievich. A little earlier, one of the old boyars told Sophia that this belt once belonged to Dmitry Donskoy, and then was stolen and ended up in the family of Yuri Dmitrievich. The scandal, needless to say, was louder: the prince appeared at the wedding feast wearing a stolen item! Of course, Vasily Yuryevich and his brother Dmitry Shemyaka immediately left Moscow. Their father, Yuri Dmitrievich, took advantage of this opportunity and moved an army against his nephew.

In the battle on Klyazma, the Grand Duke's smaller army was defeated by Yuri Dmitrievich, and Vasily himself was captured and sent by Yuri to Kolomna. On Holy Week in 1434, Yuri Dmitrievich entered Moscow, but turned out to be an unwelcome guest there. The next year, Yuri again defeated the army of the Grand Duke and once again entered Moscow, which he had previously been forced to leave due to the hostility of the boyars and nobles. The mother and wife of a Moscow prince who fled to Nizhny Novgorod were captured. Unexpectedly, Yuri died.

Sofya Vitovtovna at the wedding of Grand Duke Vasily 2

Historical portrait of Vasily the Dark

For the most part, historians consider Vasily 2 the Dark to be a completely ordinary person, not distinguished by any talents. The scale of this personality seems incommensurate with the “sea of troubles” that she had to overcome. The tragedy of Vasily’s fate is noted by all researchers. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that the Grand Duke endured a lot of suffering through his own fault. And yet, the victory over numerous rivals - talented and cunning - is difficult to explain only by the reasonableness and experience of advisers and well-functioning state system. We must pay tribute to the tenacity of Vasily the Dark, his ability to start the fight again after defeat and his ability, speaking modern language, “select personnel.” In the many years of war that Vasily had to wage with his enemies, the opposing sides did not hesitate in choosing their means, acting with cunning and force. It is hardly appropriate to whitewash both Vasily and his opponents.

Civil strife continues

Vasily 2 returned to Moscow, made peace with the sons of the deceased: Vasily, Dmitry Shemyaka and Dmitry Krasny. But the first of them broke his oath by attacking Moscow, but was captured and blinded (which is why he received the nickname Scythe). Shemyaka was detained in Moscow, where he came to invite Grand Duke Vasily 2 to his wedding. Later, the Trinity Abbot Zinovy was able to try them on.

In the meantime, an attempt was made to unite the Catholic and Orthodox churches. 1441, March - Metropolitan Isidore returned to Moscow from the Florence Church Council, where an act was adopted on the unification of Christian churches under the leadership of the Pope. Secular authorities and the clergy made an attempt to persuade him to renounce the union, but, seeing how stubborn the Metropolitan was, they imprisoned him in the Chudov Monastery, from where he fled to Tver, and then to Rome.

Captured by the Tatars. Blindness

1445 - Vasily 2 was captured by the Tatar princes Mahmutek and Yakub. Shemyaka asked the Tatars not to let the Grand Duke go, but he was able to free himself by promising a huge ransom. In addition to money, he had to give several areas of his principality “for feeding” to the princes. But the “towns and volosts” distributed for feeding belonged to Moscow only formally. Prince Vasily managed to put the Kazan people who came with him not only into the wilderness, but also onto disputed lands.

1446 - Dmitry captured Moscow and captured both grand duchesses. Vasily himself was captured in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and blinded in Moscow, hence the nickname Dark.

Date of Dmitry Shemyaka and Vasily Dark

After being blinded

He received Vologda as an inheritance, but soon began to fight again in alliance with the Tver prince Boris Alexandrovich, whose daughter, Maria, his son Ivan was married to. 1446, December - Vasily the Dark was able to return the capital and the throne, but the war continued. 1450 - Dmitry Shemyaka arrived in Novgorod, where on July 18, 1453 he was blinded by agents of Vasily 2. If earlier princes had captured, dethroned and mutilated their relatives, now the Grand Duke decided to kill cousin, if, of course, the information about the poisoning is correct.

1456 - the Moscow army defeated the Novgorodians. Novgorod Republic was forced to give up independence in foreign policy affairs. When in January 1460 the Grand Duke and his sons Yuri and Andrey arrived in Novgorod to venerate local shrines, the issue of killing the guests was discussed at the veche, and only Archbishop Jonah managed to dissuade the townspeople from this idea.

Death

Vasily 2 Dark suffered from dry illness (tuberculosis). He was treated in the usual way at that time: lighting tinder on different parts of the body several times. This, of course, did not help, and gangrene developed in the areas of many burns. On March 27, Vasily II the Dark died, bequeathing to his eldest son and co-ruler Ivan the Grand Duchy of Vladimir and the most extensive inheritance. Prince Ivan, the future, nicknamed the Great, received at his disposal an effective corporation, which was completely devoid of internal competition. Very soon it will become the largest state in Europe.

Results of the board

Centralization of grand ducal power
Subordination of small appanage principalities to the Moscow Principality
Increasing Moscow's influence on Suzdal, Pskov, Novgorod
Preservation of religious independence

"An eye for an eye"

The grandson of Dmitry Donskoy, Vasily II, ascended the Moscow throne in 1425, at the age of ten. But his uncle, Prince of Galicia and Zvenigorod Yuri Dmitrievich, did not want to recognize his nephew as the senior prince. The struggle between them went on for many years. In 1434, Yuri nevertheless occupied Moscow, but soon died. His sons - Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka - failed to retain the great reign. In 1436, Vasily II captured Vasily Kosoy and ordered him to be blinded. Dmitry Shemyaka calmed down for a while, but harbored revenge in his soul.

He had to wait a long time. Only 9 years later, in 1445, Shemyaka finally had an opportunity to take revenge on Vasily II. At this time, the Vladimir-Suzdal lands were attacked small army Kazan Tatars - about three and a half thousand sabers. Vasily II recklessly attacked the enemy, having only one and a half thousand soldiers at hand. In the battle near Suzdal, the Grand Duke showed miracles of courage, receiving many wounds. Despite this, the Moscow army was defeated, and Vasily II himself was captured. However, the Tatars themselves did not expect such success and simply did not know what to do with their victory. After dragging Vasily II with them for several months, they finally released him for a fabulous ransom at that time - 200 thousand rubles.

However, these few months played a fatal role in the fate of Vasily II. Taking advantage of his absence, Dmitry Shemyaka suddenly burst into Moscow, captured the family of the Grand Duke, and the next year captured him himself. The day of judgment came for Vasily II. By order of Shemyaka, both eyes were gouged out and imprisoned in Uglich. Since then, Vasily II has been given the nickname Dark, that is, blind.

Shemyaka's reign in Moscow left behind a painful memory. From now on, the expression “Shemyakin court” became synonymous with unjust court in Rus'. In the end, Shemyaka had to flee from Moscow to Novgorod. But the hand of the Moscow prince overtook him there too. In 1453, the cook Shemyaki, bribed by the people of Vasily II, fed his master poisoned chicken. Thus ended the most debilitating civil strife in the Moscow state, which lasted almost 30 years.

The Awake Sovereign

Although the Moscow Prince Vasily II Vasilyevich was nicknamed the Dark One, he saw some things better than his sighted contemporaries. This was especially evident in the case of the union of the Eastern and Western churches, when the Moscow boyars and bishops Orthodox faith didn't oversleep.

The main events initially unfolded far from the Russian land - in Byzantium and Italy. At the beginning of the 15th century Byzantine Empire was on the verge of death. Strictly speaking, it was no longer an empire, but a miserable piece of land around Constantinople. However, the Ottoman Turks were ready to absorb this last stronghold of the once great power. To ward off the Turkish threat from Byzantium, Emperor John VIII Palaiologos turned to Pope Eugene IV with a proposal to organize a pan-European crusade against the Turks. The Pope promised to support the Emperor, but on the condition that Orthodox Church submit to the Roman throne. Politics prevailed over religious feelings, and John VIII gave in to the pope's demands. However, such a matter required the consent of all Orthodox dioceses. And so, in 1438, a church council met in Florence, to which church hierarchs of Orthodox countries, including Rus', were invited.

The Metropolitan of All Rus' at that time was the Greek Isidore, since the Russian Church was still formally subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Isidore led a large Moscow delegation that arrived in Florence along the winter route on two hundred sleighs. Being a subject of the Byzantine emperor, Isidore did not even think of defending the interests of the Russian Church at the Council of Florence. Fulfilling the wishes of John VIII, he announced on her behalf annexation to Rome and assured the pope that upon returning to Moscow he would easily settle all formalities. “Russian bishops are ignorant,” said Isidore, “but the Grand Duke is young and at my mercy.”

And in fact, when Isidore announced in Moscow the final unification of the Eastern and Western churches, he did not encounter much resistance from the Moscow boyars and clergy. The theological aspects of the question brought boredom and drowsiness to everyone. The chronicler innocently reports that the boyars and bishops “all kept silent and dozed off and fell asleep.” Only Vasily II did not sleep. Understanding perfectly well what Isidore was driving at, the Grand Duke publicly called the Metropolitan a heretic and false teacher and ordered him to be imprisoned in the Chudov Monastery. Then the boyars and the clergy came to their senses. “We were dozing,” they repented before Vasily, “and you, the sovereign alone, stayed awake, discovered the truth, saved the faith.”

Thus, Rus' avoided the danger of becoming an ecclesiastical appendage of Rome and retained its spiritual identity. At the same time, Isidore’s betrayal served as a reason to end Rus'’s ecclesiastical dependence on the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Bishop Jonah of Ryazan, Russian by nationality, was elected the new Russian metropolitan. From then on, the Russian Church became an independent, autocephalous diocese.

"Skorotatarshchina"

During the reign of Vasily II the Dark, Moscow again saw the Tatars under its walls. This Tatar raid of 1451 received ancient Russian literature the name "fast Tatarism" because it ended as suddenly as it began.

This time Vasily II was well prepared for the attack, setting up a barrier on the Oka. However, the Moscow governor, who was placed at the head of the defense, was afraid of the Tatar hordes and cleared the river bank. Without encountering resistance, the Tatars under the command of Tsarevich Mazovsha rushed to Moscow and early in the morning on Friday, June 3, appeared under its walls. There was a drought, so when the Tatars set fire to the wooden Moscow suburbs, the fire immediately engulfed the stone Kremlin from all sides. Smoke covered the entire city, making it difficult to see the enemy's preparations. The enemy approached the city gates and weak areas of the city fortifications, where stone walls have not yet been erected. But Muscovites successfully repelled attacks everywhere. When the suburbs surrounding the Kremlin burned down and it became finally possible to take a deep breath, the defenders of Moscow began to make forays here and there. By dusk, the Tatars retreated from Moscow, and the townspeople began hastily preparing for tomorrow's battle, putting in order their cannons, rifles, bows, shields and other weapons.

Great was their amazement and joy when the next morning it was discovered that the Tatars had suddenly fled. Loot was lying in the empty Tatar camp, heavy objects made of iron and copper. Apparently, Mazowsza was convinced that it was useless to besiege a strong city with a large garrison and left, abandoning everything that could slow down the rapid retreat.

The list of Moscow disasters of the 14th-15th centuries ends with the imminent Tatar war. Fires continued to devastate Moscow, and the Tatars threatened it again in 1480. However, from the second half of the 15th century, a new growth of the Moscow state began, associated with the name of the unifier of Rus' - Ivan III Vasilyevich.
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Vasily Vasilyevich lost power several times and returned to it again. He received the nickname “Dark” after being blinded by his opponent Dmitry Shemyaka.

Nephew vs uncle

Vasily Vasilyevich was born in 1415. His father died when the boy was only ten years old. At first, the boyar regency council ruled for the child. Vasily I transferred power to his son, contrary to the long-standing law, according to which the throne, according to seniority, should have passed to the next brother of the deceased - Yuri Dmitrievich. This prince received only the city of Galich as his inheritance and considered himself deprived. Subsequently, this dynastic conflict led to a long and bloody internecine war.

Vasily 2 the Dark, whose domestic and foreign policy in the first years of his reign was determined by advisers from among the boyars, had a powerful defender in the person of his maternal grandfather, the Lithuanian prince Vytautas. This monarch ruled a huge power from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Yuri Dmitrievich rightly feared intercession dangerous neighbor. However, in 1430, the elderly Vytautas died.

Khan's court

For some time, the conflict between uncle and nephew was frozen. However, in 1431, old feuds again made themselves felt. Yuri, not wanting to remain an appanage prince, threatened his nephew with war. Then Vasily II the Dark suggested going to the Horde (at that time Rus' was still dependent on the Tatars), where King Mahmet ruled.

The opponents faced the khan's trial. Young Vasily had experienced boyars who were able to turn the Tatar Murzas against Yuri and his supporters. Convinced by Moscow diplomats, the nobles began to petition their king for Vasily. At the trial, the Moscow prince defended his case with the charter, according to which inheritance was carried out from father to son, and not from brother to brother. Yuri referred to the will of Dmitry Donskoy, which stated that he was considered the successor of Vasily I.

In the end, Mahmet took the side of the young prince. Moreover, Yuri, by order of the khan, had to lead his horse. Vasily 2 the Dark did not want to humiliate his relative and abandoned this ancient Tatar ritual. As a token of compensation, my uncle received the city of Dmitrov, which remained after the death of another son of Donskoy, Pyotr Dmitrievich. Upon returning home, Vasily was again solemnly placed on the grand-ducal throne (the ceremony was performed by the Tatar nobleman Ulan Tsarevich). This event became symbolic because it was after it that the city of Vladimir formally lost its status as the capital of Rus'.

A stolen belt and a ruined wedding

At the khan's court, a Moscow boyar named John played a particularly important role. He spoke more convincingly than others before Makhmet, after which Vasily 2 the Dark finally won the argument with his uncle. John wanted the young ruler to marry his daughter. Vasily did not do this and in 1433 he married the daughter of the Serpukhov prince, Maria Yaroslavna.

John was offended and went to Yuri. In the future, boyars tossing from one camp to another will become commonplace. In the meantime, Vasily’s quarrel with his adviser demonstrated that the conflict with Yuri is far from over.

At the wedding of the Grand Duke, another memorable incident occurred, which many contemporaries associated with the beginning of a new internecine war. His cousins (sons of Yuri himself) Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka came to the feast for young Vasily. Suddenly the holiday was overshadowed by a scandal. Vasily Kosoy was wearing a golden belt. The mother of the Grand Duke Sophia recognized this jewel, which was once allegedly stolen from Dmitry Donskoy. The woman, not paying attention to decency, tore off the belt from Vasily Kosoy, declaring that the valuable thing rightfully belonged to her family.

Yuri's children were offended, left the palace in anger and immediately went to their father in Uglich. The scene with the belt was especially inappropriate due to the fact that Kosoy and Shemyaka were going to become peacemakers and mediators between warring relatives. Now, on the contrary, they began to turn their father against Vasily Vasilyevich.

The war begins

The amount of accumulated grievances between the princes became critical. A few weeks after the memorable wedding, war broke out. Yuri's army advanced to Moscow. Vasily 2 the Dark did not suspect anything about enemy actions until the very moment when the Rostov governor galloped up to him, reporting that his uncle had already captured neighboring Pereslavl. The Grand Duke's council was inactive - since the time of Dmitry Donskoy and his son, the boyar entourage had become smaller and cowardly. Instead of an army, an embassy was sent to Yuri. The prince was already standing in the vicinity of the Trinity Monastery and was not going to make concessions.

The reign of Vasily II the Dark was about to end. In April 1433, the young man took his wife and mother and moved to Tver. He soon surrendered to Yuri, who had already entered Moscow and was declared Grand Duke. Many close associates advised the winner not to show mercy. Yuri, however, listened to the nobleman Simeon Morozov, who said the opposite, and let his nephew rule the estate in Kolomna. The relatives said goodbye together. The feast passed, Vasily, having received generous gifts, left Moscow.

In Kolomna

It soon became clear that Prince Vasily II the Dark was not inferior to his uncle in his lust for power. Suddenly, many boyars and noble citizens began to leave Moscow and went to Kolomna together. Once in the capital, Yuri brought with him his close aristocracy. These boyars from Uglich and other appanage cities occupied the positions of the former Moscow aristocrats. Many noble people who were left out of work realized their mistake and began to go over to the side of Vasily, who, on the contrary, having come to power, did not change anything from the old orders of his father and grandfather.

Suddenly Kolomna became the de facto capital of the grand duchy. Yuri's sons blamed boyar Morozov for everything, who advised Vasily to be released. The nobleman was killed. Frightened by their father's anger, Shemyaka and Kosoy left for Kostroma. Yuri, meanwhile, decided to return to Galich himself, since he understood that under new circumstances he would not be able to hold Moscow for long. In September 1433, Vasily returned to the capital. However, the troubles of his reign were just beginning.

Continuing the fight

Less than a year after the change of power in Moscow, Yuri again gathered regiments and defeated the army of the Grand Duke on the Kusi River. Vasily II the Dark, whose policy was not much different from his uncle’s, ruined Galich. In 1434, Yuri and his sons defeated his nephew in a battle within Rostov. Vasily cowardly fled to Nizhny Novgorod. The winner took Moscow and captured his wife and mother.

Having again become the Grand Duke, Yuri enlisted the support of his nephews Mikhail and Ivan Andreevich (who owned Beloozero, Kaluga and Mozhaisk), as well as Ivan Fedorovich Ryazansky. The new allies promised not to have anything to do with Vasily, who had become an exile. It seemed that this time Yuri Dmitrievich would be able to retain the throne. But just a few months later (June 5, 1434) he died, just shy of his sixtieth birthday.

Against Vasily Kosoy

After the death of Yuri, Vasily Vasilyevich, having found mutual language with Dmitry Shemyaka and his younger brother Dmitry the Red, expelled Vasily Kosoy from the capital and once again became the Moscow sovereign. The allies were rewarded. Shemyak received Rzhev and Uglich, Krasny - Zvenigorod, Bezhetsky Verkh and Vyatka. Their contract document has been preserved, in which the princes assured each other of friendly intentions. In fact, all the grandchildren of Dmitry Donskoy were hard-hearted and cowardly, which predetermined the inevitability of another internecine war.

The most unreasonable of the princes turned out to be Vasily Kosoy. He surrounded himself with vagabonds and robbers, and with this gang, after several months of peaceful life, he began to plunder his cousin’s possessions. His army captured Ustyug, killed the Grand Duke's governor and many unarmed residents. At this time, Shemyaka came to Moscow with the intention of inviting Vasily Vasilyevich to his own wedding. Angered by the actions of Kosoy, the sovereign put Dmitry in chains and sent him into exile in Kolomna. It was an dishonorable and reckless act.

Finally, Vasily 2 the Dark, in short, tired of the atrocities of his cousin, gathered an army (joined by Dmitry the Red) and met his gang not far from Rostov. Kosoy, hoping to defeat the enemy by cunning, begged for a truce. Vasily Vasilyevich disbanded the army, after which his camp was suddenly attacked by enemy soldiers. This time the Grand Duke showed a determination that was rare for himself. Without moving, he himself notified the troops of the alarm by blowing a special trumpet. The army of Kosoy hoped for a mistake by the Muscovites, but it itself was shamefully defeated and scattered.

Victories and defeats

The defeated Vasily Yuryevich tried to escape, but was captured. The Grand Duke, forgetting about mercy, ordered his cousin to be blinded. Even at the most dark ages In Russian history, such execution enjoyed a bad reputation and was considered simply barbaric. To calm his conscience, Vasily II the Dark, whose biography was full of errors, ordered the release of Shemyaka and returned the appanage cities to him. Kosoy lived in solitude for another 12 years, forgotten by all relatives and friends.

In 1437, Khan of the Golden Horde Makhmet was deprived of power by his brother Kichim. Once he contributed to Vasily’s accession to the throne and now hoped for his help. Khan, together with an army of three thousand, approached the Russian borders, but received news that the Grand Duke demanded that he leave. Then the Tatars took the border town of Belev.

Vasily 2 the Dark, who lived in peace for a short time, was forced to gather an army again. He entrusted the army to Shemyaka. The cousin was defeated. Makhmet, however, realizing that he could not stay in Belevo, went to the Volga region, where he restored Kazan from the Ashes and became the actual founder of the Kazan Khanate - a state that was the most important eastern neighbor of the Moscow Principality in the 15th - 16th centuries.

Captured by the Tatars

The Kazan Khanate immediately became a serious headache for Vasily Vasilyevich. Regular invasions of the Tatars began. Makhmet even captured and plundered the old part Nizhny Novgorod. In 1445, his two sons, Mahmud and Yakub, headed for Suzdal with an army. The Grand Duke led the army, hoping for help from the appanage princes. Shemyaka did not give his cousin a single warrior.

How, after several years of peace, Vasily II the Dark was unable to gather a large army, why the Dark One frivolously decided to defeat the Tatars with small forces, there are no exact answers to these questions in the chronicles. One way or another, but on July 7, 1445, the small Moscow army squad was defeated. Foreign policy Vasily 2 the Dark turned into a complete failure. The Grand Duke was captured by the Tatars. The Kazan princes, as a sign of victory, removed his gold jewelry and sent them as intimidation to Moscow.

Not a single Moscow prince had previously been captured by non-believers. The news of Vasily's unfortunate fate caused panic in the capital, which was aggravated by a major fire. At the same time, taking advantage of the anarchy, the Tver prince Boris Alexandrovich plundered Torzhok.

Although the Kazan princes won, they did not have the strength to further ravage the Russian lands. They returned to their father. Meanwhile, Mahmet learned that the neighboring mongol khan captured Kazan. These circumstances led to the release of Vasily and the end of the war. The Grand Duke paid a large ransom and gave several small towns to feed the Tatars.

Blindness

It is believed that Vasily 1, Vasily 2 the Dark and Ivan III finally united the Russian lands around Moscow. Before this happened, the country had to experience a lot of troubles. For Vasily himself, even captivity was not the last test.

Dmitry Shemyaka, who did not provide support to the Grand Duke in the war with the Tatars, was afraid of revenge. After Vasily returned home, he set about organizing the conspiracy. Shemyaka was joined by Ivan Mozhaisky and Boris Tverskoy. The conspirators also found comrades-in-arms among some Moscow boyars.

In February 1446, Vasily 2 the Dark, short biography whom he speaks of as a pious man, taking his two sons with him, he went on a traditional journey to the Trinity Lavra. Shemyaka found out about this and, together with a loyal detachment, came to Moscow. He had accomplices in the city, who opened the gates and let the prince into the Kremlin. Dmitry took Vasily's family captive and sent Ivan Mozhaisky to the Trinity Monastery.

When rumors about the capture of the capital reached the Grand Duke, he did not believe in this dubious news. His guards also acted carelessly. Ivan's armed detachment, hiding in the carts, attacked the guards and killed them. Finally Vasily realized that things were bad. Finding himself surrounded, he locked himself in the church. Soon Ivan Mozhaisky came to the monastery. Vasily begged him not to violate the sanctity of the temple and not to commit a crime.

The traitor assured the sovereign of his good intentions, and he surrendered into the hands of the enemy. Immediately they announced to Vasily that he was a prisoner of Grand Duke Dmitry Yuryevich. The slave was sent under guard to Moscow. Four days later he was blinded. Vasily was subjected to the same execution to which he had once doomed his cousin and namesake Vasily Kosoy. The blinding was carried out on behalf of Shemyaka, Boris Tverskoy and Ivan Mozhaisky. The conspirators explained their actions by the fact that the overthrown prince condoned the Tatars.

Return to power

The blinded Vasily was poisoned into exile in Uglich. His sons Ivan (the future Ivan III) and Yuri ended up in the hands of faithful monks, who transported them to the fortified and neutral Murom. Dmitry resorted to deception and, at the request of the local bishop, lured his nephews to Moscow. He promised the church that after this he would free Vasily. However, Shemyaka broke his word. He also sent his nephews to Uglich, where he left his blind cousin.

Dmitry's treachery turned more and more boyars and military men against him. Finally, fearing a rebellion, he freed Vasily and gave him reign in Vologda. Numerous supporters began to gather around the blind man. Some wanted to serve him with the sword, others with prayer. Moreover, Vasily entered into an alliance with Boris Tversky (as a sign of agreement, the wedding of their children was celebrated: Ivan Vasilevich and Maria Borisovna).

Dmitry learned about his cousin’s intentions and stood with the army next to Volok Lamsky. Vasily’s army bypassed his positions with a cunning maneuver, approached Moscow and took the capital without a fight. The Grand Duke again took the throne - this time until his death. On January 27, 1450, Shemyaka suffered a decisive defeat in a battle near Galich. He continued the fight, but having lost his father's inheritance, he was left without supporters. In 1453, Dmitry Yuryevich, who was in exile in Novgorod, was poisoned by the people of the Grand Duke.

Death. Results of the reign

Although at its first stage the reign of Vasily 2 the Dark was a series of internecine wars, then the Grand Duke managed to stabilize the situation in the country. Most of the small estates were annexed to his power, and those that retained imaginary independence were in fact completely dependent on Moscow. Domestic policy Vasily 2 the Dark in church affairs was built on the principle of independence from Constantinople (in 1488 in Rus', without regard for the Greeks, Bishop Jonah was elected metropolitan).

The Grand Duke lived a short life. He died in 1462 at the age of 47. Towards the end of his life, tuberculosis was added to Vasily’s blindness. The Emperor was treated with cauterizations, which caused him to develop gangrene. Vasily was succeeded by his son Ivan III, who continued to strengthen the Grand Duchy and finally united Rus'. After a long internecine war, the law according to which power was transferred from parents to children, and not from brothers to brothers, was finally established in the Moscow state.

Vasily II Vasilievich Dark
Years of life: 1415-1462
Reign: 1432-1446, 1447-1462

From the Rurik dynasty. From the family of Moscow Grand Dukes. Son of Grand Duke Vasily I Dmitrievich and Princess of Lithuania . Grandson .

Vasily Dark became a Moscow prince at the age of 9, after the death of his father Vasily I Dmitrievich in 1425. The real power was with the widow princess Sofia Vitovtovna, boyar I.D. Vsevolozhsk and Metropolitan Photius. However, Vasily’s uncles, Yuri, Andrey, Peter and Konstantin Dmitrievich, applied for the leadership. At the same time, Yuri Zvenigorodsky, according to the will of his father Dmitry Donskoy, was to receive a great reign after the death of his brother, Vasily I Dmitrievich.

Both sides began preparing for an internecine war, but agreed on a temporary truce and in 1428 entered into an agreement according to which the 54-year-old uncle Yuri Zvenigorodsky recognized himself as the “young brother” of the 13-year-old nephew Vasily Vasilyevich. Sofya Vitovtovna took advantage of the influence of her father Vitovt, after which it was difficult for Yuri to persist in his desire to take the throne.

Prince Vasily the Dark

The beginning of the reign of Vasily Vasilyevich was marked by a plague epidemic and a terrible drought in 1430, 1442 and 1448. The reign of Vasily II Vasilyevich all his life took place in conditions of a long internecine struggle for power with the Prince of Zvenigorod Yuri Dmitrievich, and then with his son.

In 1430, Yuri dissolved the peace, taking advantage of the death of the actual head of Metropolitan Photius, as well as Vasily Vasilyevich’s grandfather, Vitovt. Yuri Dmitrievich went to the Horde to sue Vasily. Vasily Vasilyevich also hastily went to the horde with his boyars.

In the spring of 1432, the rivals appeared before the Tatar princes. Yuri Yuryevich defended his rights according to the right of ancient tribal custom, referring to the chronicles and the will of his father Donskoy. From Vasily’s side, Ivan Dmitrievich Vsevolozhsky spoke about rights; with skillful flattery he was able to persuade the khan to give a label to Vasily.

Vsevolozhsky hoped that the Grand Duke would marry his daughter. But upon arrival in Moscow, things took a different turn. Sofia Vitovna, the mother of Vasily Vasilyevich, insisted that her son become engaged to Princess Marya Yaroslavna, considering this marriage more profitable from different points of view. Vsevolzhsky harbored a grudge and left Moscow, and soon went over to Yuri’s side and became his adviser.

Vasily the Dark years of reign

After Vasily received the label, the struggle for power did not stop. In 1433, a battle took place between uncle and nephew on the banks of the river. Klyazma near Moscow, and Yuri won.

Yuri expelled Vasily from Moscow in 1433. Vasily II received the title Prince of Kolomna. The city of Kolomna became the center of united forces that sympathized with the prince in his policy of “gathering Rus'.” Many Muscovites refused to serve Prince Yuri and came to Kolomna, which for some time became an administrative, economic and political state. Having received support, Vasily Vasilyevich was able to regain the throne in 1434 after the death of Yuri, but during the war he was deprived of it several more times.

In 1436, Yuri’s son Vasily Kosoy spoke out against Vasily II Vasilyevich the Dark, but was defeated, captured and blinded.

Basil II's refusal in 1439 to accept the Florentine union with the Roman Catholic Church was of great importance for the preservation of his own culture and statehood.

On July 7, 1445, in a battle near the outskirts of Suzdal, Vasily II Vasilyevich with the united Russian troops was defeated by Kazan troops under the command of the Kazan princes Mahmud and Yakub (sons of Khan Ulu-Muhammad). After which Vasily II and his cousin Mikhail Vereisky were taken prisoner, but on October 1, 1445 they were released. A large sum was given for them, and a number of cities were also given to the Kazan princes. Under the terms of this enslaving agreement, the Kasimov Khanate was created within Russia, in Meshchera, the 1st khan of which was Tsarevich Kasim, the son of Ulu-Muhammad.

Why Vasily the Dark

In 1446 Vasily II was captured in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and on February 16 at night on behalf of Dmitry Yuryevich Shemyaka, Ivan Mozhaisky and Boris Tverskoy and was blinded, after which he received the nickname “Dark”. Then, Vasily Vasilyevich and his wife were sent to Uglich, and his mother Sofya Vitovtovna was exiled to Chukhloma.

But Vasily II continued the war anyway. In 1447, Vasily received Martinian's blessing for a campaign against Dmitry Shemyaka, who had captured Moscow, by visiting the Ferapontov Monastery. With great difficulty, Vasily the Dark regained the Moscow throne, winning in the early 50s. XV century victory.

By order of Vasily II, in 1448, the Russian bishop Jonah was elected metropolitan, which became a sign of the declaration of independence of the Russian church from the Patriarch of Constantinople and strengthened the international position of Rus'.

After the death of Shemyaka in 1453, thanks to successful campaigns against Novgorod, Pskov and Vyatka, Vasily was able to restore the unity of the lands around Moscow, eliminating almost all the small fiefs within the Moscow principality.

Vasily II Vasilyevich the Dark died of a dry disease - tuberculosis in 1462 on March 27. Before his death, he wanted to become a monk, but the boyars dissuaded him. He was buried in Moscow in the Archangel Cathedral.

During the reign of Vasily the Dark, the city of Kazan was restored, the Kingdom of Kazan was founded and the Crimean Khanate arose.

The only wife of Vasily II since 1433 was Maria Yaroslavna, the daughter of the appanage prince Yaroslav Borovsky.

Vasily and Maria had 8 children:

Yuri the Great (1437 – 1441)
Ivan III (January 22, 1440 - October 27, 1505) - Grand Duke of Moscow from 1462 to 1505.
Yuri Molodoy (1441 - 1472) - Prince of Dmitrov, Mozhaisk, Serpukhov.
Andrei Bolshoi (1444-1494) - Prince of Uglitsky, Zvenigorod, Mozhaisk.
Simeon (1447-1449).
Boris (1449-1494) - Prince of Volotsk and Ruza.
Anna (1451-1501).
Andrei Menshoi (1452-1481) - Prince of Vologda.

He was afraid of rivals, especially his brother, Prince Yuri Dmitrievich Galitsky. Indeed, this uncle of Vasily II, relying on the custom of seniority and the will of Dmitry Donskoy, was already gathering an army to fight for Moscow, but was forced to give in and promise not to seek the grand-ducal table personally, but only through the khan.

Later, Yuri had to refuse this and sign an agreement, recognizing himself as a younger brother to his nephew. But the enmity in the princely family did not subside. In 1431, taking advantage of the death of Vytautas, Yuri again presented his claims to the grand reign. The dispute had to be resolved in the Horde, where both princes had well-wishers. Vasily appeared with his smart boyar Ivan Dmitrievich Vsevolozhsky, and while Yuri Dmitrievich exhibited his rights, Vsevolozhsky pointed out to the khan that Vasily relied on everything the will of the khan and is looking for “the table of the great reign, and your ulus, according to your royal salary.” Such recognition of the unconditional will of the khan persuaded him to decide the matter in favor of Vasily, and in 1432 the latter returned from the Horde with Tsarevich Mansyr-Ulan, who placed him in Moscow for the great reign.

Soon Vsevolozhsky was offended by the preference given to Marya Yaroslavna, granddaughter Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky, in front of his daughter, when Sofya Vitovtovna arranged the marriage of her son. This boyar went to Yuri. At the wedding feast itself (1433), Sophia insulted the sons of Yuri, Dmitry Shemyaka (born 1420) and Vasily Kosoy(born 1421), tearing off from the latter a precious belt that once belonged to the family of the Grand Dukes of Moscow. The brothers fled from the feast and, returning to their father, together with him and his large army moved towards Moscow. Vasily II fled to Kostroma, was captured there, but spared by Yuri, who settled in Moscow as a grand prince; Vasily received Kolomna as an inheritance.

Sofya Vitovtovna at the wedding of Grand Duke Vasily II. Painting by K. Goon, 1861

However, feeling the precariousness of his position, Yuri soon returned the throne to his nephew, and he himself retired to Galich, which a short time later was burned out by the vengeful Vasily. The strife continued unabated; Yuri once again captured the Moscow table (1434), but soon died. His sons continued the fight. Vasily Kosoy and Vasily II either made peace, then violated it, and finally, in 1436, the first treacherously attacked the Moscow prince, but was defeated, captured and blinded. Vasily concluded a peace treaty with Dmitry Shemyaka and allowed him to live freely, but without leaving the country and under supervision, in Kolomna.

In 1438, Khan Ulu-Makhmet, expelled from the Horde by his brother, came with the Tatars to the city of Belev; the Grand Duke sent an army against him, which the Tatars defeated. Ulu-Makhmet, having retired to the Volga, the next year captured Kazan, devastated by the Russians, and settled there. This is how the terrible beginning began later Kazan kingdom. Ulu-Makhmet constantly harassed the Moscow regions, and in 1445 the Tatars managed not only to inflict a serious defeat on the Russians on the banks of the river. Kamenki, near Suzdal, but also to capture the Grand Duke. Vasily was released from captivity only for a huge ransom, which caused displeasure among Muscovites.

Vasily II the Dark

Dmitry Shemyaka, who had been in contact with the Tatars even during the captivity of the Grand Duke, now decided to take advantage of the circumstances; chance helped him. Vasily II went with a small number of close associates to the Trinity Monastery to thank God for deliverance from captivity and to venerate the relics of St. Sergius. In the Trinity Monastery, he was captured by Shemyaka's accomplices, brought to Moscow and blinded, the Grand Duke's throne was seized by Dmitry, and Vasily, who now received the nickname of the Dark One due to his blindness, remained in captivity (1446).

But Shemyaka also did not feel secure on the Moscow table, especially in view of the murmurs about the villainy of Vasily’s blinding. Convinced by the Ryazan bishop Jonah, he freed Vasily II, who vowed not to seek the grand-ducal table, and released him to his granted fatherland - Vologda (1447). But Vasily did not keep his word, and in the same year his followers, who were only waiting for the release of the prince, elevated Vasily again to the Moscow table. Shemyaka fled to Galich and was forced to give “damned letters”, according to which, under the threat of church damnation, he renounced his claims to the great reign and swore not to harbor any evil towards the Grand Duke and his family.

But Shemyaka did not let up; Several times the Moscow army had to oppose him, until Dmitry was defeated near Galich. He fled to Novgorod, which gave him shelter. The Galician volost was annexed to Moscow and grand-ducal governors were appointed there (1450). In this struggle, Vasily was especially helped by the clergy with their authority and admonitions addressed both to Shemyaka and to his followers and concealers. At the head of the clergy was Metropolitan Jonah, who replaced the one who fled for the adoption of the Union of Florence Isidora. Jonah excommunicated Shemyaka from the church. In 1452, Dmitry made another unsuccessful attempt to establish himself in Ustyug, again fled to Novgorod and soon died (1453), most likely poisoned. Shemyaka's allies fled to Lithuania or, having made all kinds of concessions, made peace with Vasily the Dark.

The Grand Duke, who had long been at odds with the Novgorodians, decided to turn his forces against them. First, he imposed a tribute of up to 8,000 rubles on Novgorod, then in 1456 he moved the army. Novgorodians near Rusa were defeated Prince Striga Obolensky and Fyodor Basenko. In Yazhelbitsy, where the prince himself stood, an agreement was concluded for harsh conditions; in addition to the promise not to accept the enemies of the Grand Duke, the payment of 10,000 rubles to him alone, they laid down: “there will be no veche letters” and “there will be no seal of the great princes.” After 1460, the liberties of Pskov were limited; governors were sent there from Moscow.

Vasily the Dark died on March 27, 1462 from wounds received during the treatment of “dry disease” by cauterization of the body. He had eight children from his wife, Marya Yaroslavna, of whom the second, Ivan, after the death of the eldest, was declared co-ruler from 1450, and then took his father’s table.