The activity of Ivan 3 characterizes him as a prudent, visionary ruler. He showed outstanding abilities in military affairs and diplomacy. Having ascended the throne at twenty-two, he became the most prominent ruler in the history of Russia. What is known about the life and work of the prince?
Biography of the power-hungry king
Ivan Vasilievich was born in 1440. He became the eldest son of Vasily 2 the Dark (Grand Duke of Moscow) and Maria Yaroslavna (daughter of the Serpukhov prince).
At the age of twelve, Ivan married Maria Borisovna, who was a Tver princess. At the age of eighteen, he became a father. His son was named after his father. To avoid confusion, the son was nicknamed "Young."
The activities of Ivan 3 began in 1456. The father appointed the sixteen-year-old heir as his co-ruler. Before the start of the one-man rule, Ivan managed to take part in three campaigns against the Tatars.
He had a pleasant appearance, a thin physique, high growth. Because of the small stoop, he was called "Brokeback."
Ivan 3 ascended the throne with an established character. He had a sharp temper, but knew how to be reasonable. The prince was distinguished by lust for power, possessed an iron will, secrecy and caution.
With his first wife, Ivan 3 did not live long. She died early. His second wife was the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine 11. Her name was Zoe, in Russia she became Sophia. The wedding took place in 1472 in Moscow. The wife participated in the political life of the state. After marriage, Ivan 3 became sterner and tougher, he demanded complete obedience, and punished for disobedience. It is for this that he became the first king who received the nickname "Terrible".
In 1490, Ivan the Young died, who was the heir to the throne. The tsar had to decide who would be his successor - son Vasily from his second wife or grandson Dmitry Ivanovich. In 1498, he was crowned king of Dmitry. But a year later, Ivan cooled to his grandson. Which of the two applicants became king will become known at the end of the article. How did Ivan 3 prove to be a ruler?
Foreign policy
During the state activities of Ivan 3, the influence of the Golden Horde began to fade, until in 1502 the power of the conquerors completely ceased to exist. Nevertheless, the enemies of the owners of the Russian lands were more than enough.
Moscow had serious confrontations with Lithuania. This was due to the fact that with the strengthening of the Moscow state, Russian princes passed under his protection. So Lithuania lost the lands conquered from Russia.
The rulers tried to negotiate peacefully. The Lithuanian prince Alexander even married Elena, who was the daughter of Ivan 3. But this did not save the son-in-law and father-in-law from deteriorating relations. In 1500, the conflict resulted in a declaration of war.
Ivan 3 won. He seized some territories of Smolensk, Chernihiv, Novgorod-Seversky principalities. In 1503, Moscow and Lithuania signed a ceasefire for six years. The Moscow Tsar did not want to sign eternal peace, since Lithuania did not want to give Smolensk with Kiev.
The principalities that previously, from the beginning of the reign of Ivan 3, joined Moscow:
- Tverskoye;
- Belozerskoye;
- Ryazan
- Yaroslavl;
- Dmitrovskoye;
- Rostov.
Things were much more complicated with the accession of Novgorod. Historically, there was a strong power of merchant aristocrats. They did not want to recognize Moscow. Marfa Boretskaya became the head of the anti-Moscow movement . It took Ivan 3 eight years to take over Novgorod. It happened in 1478.
The Moscow Tsar made several attempts to subjugate the Kazan kingdom. Relations between states were unstable. In Kazan there were many opponents of the influence of the Moscow kingdom. In 1505, another war began, which had to continue the heir to Ivan 3.
The main goal of the sovereign in foreign policy was the unification of the north-eastern lands of Russia. In this direction, he achieved significant success. The prince was also able to expand international relations with states such as the Holy Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Crimean Khanate, Denmark, and Venice.
Domestic policy
In addition to expanding the territories of the Moscow state, the activities of Ivan 3 were aimed at strengthening the autocratic power. In this, the ruler was helped in every way by the wife Sophia.
During the reign of Ivan 3, the title “Grand Duke of All Russia” began to take shape. One of the most important achievements of the ruler was the development of the Code of Civil Laws. It happened in 1497. What was the document?
Judicial Code
The main activities of Ivan 3 concerned the strengthening of their own power. For this, it was required not only to unite the lands around them, but also to create political and legal unity. Therefore, by the end of the fifteenth century, a single legislative code appeared called the Code of Law.
The compiler of Sudebnik was not Ivan 3. Most often authorship is attributed to Vladimir Gusev. However, many modern researchers believe this opinion is erroneous.
In “Sudebnik” the following questions are reflected:
- uniform standards of legal proceedings;
- criminal law;
- land tenure issues;
- legal status of slaves.
The most important point was Article 57. According to it, peasants had the right to change the landowner only once a year. To do this, they were given two weeks on St. George's Day, which took place on November 26. That is, peasants could leave from one landowner to another from November 19 to December 3 of each year. A similar law became the prerequisite for the emergence of serfdom.
In general, the appearance of the Code of Law was an important measure to strengthen the political unity of the state.
Relations with the Church
The activities of Ivan 3 concerned church issues. At this time, two church-political movements appeared that looked at the practice of church life in different ways. Also during the reign of the king appeared, developed and was defeated "the heresy of the Judaizers."
The highlight of the conflicts with the clergy was property and financial matters. For example, fees for establishing a church position. The ruler has made it impossible to buy posts.
Cultural development
The lines of activity of Ivan 3 are associated not only with the political unification of the country. He paid much attention to the construction of fortresses and churches. During this period, the annals flourished.
The ruler invited the Italian masters. They introduced Russian architecture to the architectural techniques of the Renaissance.
Outstanding facilities:
- Assumption Cathedral;
- Blagoveshchensky cathedral;
- Faceted Chamber;
- rebuilt the Novgorod Kremlin;
- fortress Ivan-city.
For twenty years, intensive construction was carried out in the Kremlin. Wooden and stone structures were replaced by brick ones, and the palace premises expanded. Masters were able to complete the work only after the death of Ivan 3 Vasilyevich.
The appearance of the double-headed eagle
The transformative activities of Ivan 3 required the introduction of symbols of power. Since 1497, the Moscow state began to use the image of a double-headed eagle as a symbol of power. It began to be used on seals, coins.
Before that, he was the emblem of the Principality of Tver. Even earlier, the image of the double-headed eagle was used in the Chernigov Principality. The double-headed eagle has been used by many states and aristocratic courts since ancient times.
Board Results
The main activity of Ivan 3 was to expand the territory of the kingdom, turning Moscow into the center of the Russian state. He managed to increase his kingdom several times. All power was gathered in the hands of the Moscow ruler.
Ivan 3 continued to centralize the country, eliminating fragmentation. Under him, a fierce struggle was waged against the separatism of the remote principalities. Sometimes the form of his government took on a despotic nature with the excessive use of violence in resolving state issues.
However, the strengthening of autocratic power had a positive effect on the development of culture. About twenty-five churches were built, new ideas appeared, and the book of Walking Over Three Seas and The Legend of Dracula by Fedor Kuritsyn was published by Athanasius Nikitin.
Successor to Ivan 3
For many years, a struggle for succession between the grandson Dmitry and son Vasily took place inside the grand-ducal family. Everything was finally resolved a few years before the death of Ivan 3. Briefly: Vasily Ivanovich continued the activities of the tsar. Since 1502, he became co-ruler of his father, and in 1505 he acquired the princely throne.
Grandson Dmitry died in captivity several years after the death of his mother. The remaining four sons of the late prince received specific cities. But their power was not as full as that of an older brother.