Who is Anastasia Lisovsky? She was the only woman in the harem who had an official title - Haseki. She was a sultana. Being an insidious woman, she dealt with all her competitors in the Turkish sera. Now she shared absolute power with her husband, the Turkish ruler Suleiman. By the way, it was she who was able to make the harsh spouse forever forget about her harem. In Europe, she is known as Roksolana ... Photos of Anastasia Lisovsky (more precisely, portraits), as well as a biography are presented to your attention further.
"Holy war
In the first half of the sixteenth century, Turks and Tatars continuously ravaged the cities and villages that were in southeastern Europe. By and large, they waged their “holy war” for the faith, which justified any atrocities. Hundreds of Christians became its victims. They were enslaved by the invaders.
In 1512, this wave of violence and attacks reached the territory of today's Western Ukraine. At that time, she was under the rule of a strong state. It is about the Commonwealth. Many scientists believe that a large number of military units of twenty-five thousand people took part in this raid. The troops managed to get from the lower reaches of the Dnieper River to the Carpathian mountains.
Aggression brought terrible misfortunes and unthinkable ruin. In the end, in folklore, songs and tales about captivity and a merciless enemy still live. A string of slaves stretched across Ukrainian territory. They were taken to Kafa, in the Crimea. This city is currently called Theodosius. It was here that one of the largest slave markets was located. After that, the slaves were loaded onto sea vessels and transported them to Istanbul through the Black Sea. This route was also done by the daughter of the priest Anastasia Lisovskaya from the city of Rogatin. This city is now located in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Girl from Rogatin
Information about the origin of Lisovsky is rather scattered and contradictory. By and large, there is very little information about the early biography of Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya. Basically, historians mention its Russian roots.
So, the Lithuanian ambassador to the Crimean Khanate named Michalon Litvin wrote in the middle of the sixteenth century that Lisovskaya, who was then the wife of the Sultan, was at one time captured from the “Russian lands”.
Polish scientists claim that the real name of the girl from Rogatin was not Anastasia, but Alexander.
In the literature of Ukraine of the XIX century, Lisovsky was called exclusively Anastasia.
In Europe, it is known as Roxolana. In any case, the Hamburg ambassador to the Ottoman Empire wrote his literary work entitled “Turkish Notes”. And on the pages of this creation, he called Lisovskaya Roksolana. He also confirmed that she was born in the territory of today's Western Ukraine. And the envoy called it so because in those days in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth this land was called Roksolania.
To summarize the above, it can be argued that the biography of Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya (Roksolany, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska) began around 1505. Place of birth - city of Rogatin. Her father was a clergyman. Accordingly, all her childhood years, a priori, she was engaged in reading church books, and also was fond of secular literature.
Captivity
When Anastasia Lisovsky (biography confirms this) was fifteen, she became a victim of one of the Tatar raids. He was captivated. She had to go the usual way of all slaves and slaves. Initially, she was brought to the territory of the Crimean peninsula. Assessing her merits, the Tatars decided to send her to Istanbul. They intended to sell it profitably.
As a result, Nastya Lisovskaya (Roksolana) was presented to the heir of the Sultan Suleiman. He held an important public office in Manisa and, of course, had his own harem. He was then twenty-six. When the events described took place, there were already celebrations in honor of his coronation.
When Anastasia Lisovskaya, whose photo (or rather, portrait) you have the opportunity to see in the article, got into the harem, got her new name - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska.
In Istanbul, a slave had to exert a lot of effort, using her charm and cunning to win Suleiman's favor.
In the harem
According to diplomats, Roksolana was not at all beautiful. But she was young. In addition, she had a graceful and elegant figure. In any case, as one of the Venetian ambassadors wrote, which was then in the empire.
Anastasia Lisovskaya (Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska) began eagerly to absorb all that she had been taught in seraglio. Judging by the sources, pretty quickly she was able to learn languages such as Turkish, Persian and Arabic. In addition, she perfectly learned to dance and surprised concubines by quoting the works of famous contemporaries. She also easily converted to Islam.
To become interesting for the Sultan, she began to dedicate poetry to him and even took up writing her books. In those days it was unprecedented. And many instead of respect experienced fear. She was considered a witch.
Be that as it may, in a short time the new concubine attracted Suleiman's attention. He began to spend all nights only with her.
Note that the monarch was considered a harsh, silent and reserved person. Like Lisovskaya, he was fond of literature and tried to write. At the same time, he actively participated in Turkish military campaigns. He was indifferent to the fairer sex, since he was married. His chosen one is the daughter of the Circassian prince. Her name was Mahidevran. They had an heir - the son of Mustafa. Despite this, the sultan did not like his wife at all. Therefore, in Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska he found his only and beloved woman.
Of course, Mahidevran began to be jealous of Suleiman for the Slavic slave. Once she not only greatly insulted her, but also tore her dress, face and hair. And when she was once again called to the sultan’s bedchamber, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska said that in this state she did not have the right to go to her beloved overlord. However, the Sultan called Anastasia and listened to her words. After that, he ordered Makhidevran to be called. She recalled that she is the main woman of the overlord and that all other slaves should be subordinate only to her. She added that, apparently, she had beaten this insidious woman a little.
In the end, Suleiman was angry. And after a short time he made Lisovskaya his beloved concubine.
Favorite Concubine
Suleiman preferred smart, educated, sensual and strong-willed women. And Lisovsky became for him the embodiment of all that the sultan himself loved in women. She appreciated art and understood it, perfectly understood politics. She was a great dancer and polyglot. Perhaps this explains that Lisovsky actually managed to charm the young monarch. He was actually in love.
Having become a beloved concubine, she began to better understand people at court. She studied them. Considering that intrigues constantly laced in the seraglio, she knew how to behave correctly and how to act. In a word, the future sultana of the Ottoman Empire was always on guard.
Moreover, in 1521, the sixteen-year-old Lisovskaya learned that two of the three sons of the Sultan had died. Six-year-old Mustafa was the only heir to the Sultan throne. But procreation a priori was under great threat to the Ottoman dynasty due to the high mortality in those days.
As a result, after some time, Roksolana gave birth to a son to the Sultan. Thus, the birth of the heir gave her the necessary support in the seraglio.
Lisovskaya named her child Selim - in honor of Father Suleiman. The predecessor, by the way, was called "Grozny" because of its tough character. But still, Mustafa officially remained the heir to the throne.
Anastasia Lisovskaya, whose biography was interesting to contemporaries many years later, was well aware that until her offspring became the real heir to the throne, her unenviable position would be a priori seriously threatened. Therefore, the girl from Rogatin began to carefully prepare for the implementation of her insidious plan. Note, it began to act only after fifteen years.
Wedding
Lisovsky managed to achieve the impossible. The concubine officially became the wife of the Sultan. The lord even introduced a special title for her - Haseki. It was really a unique situation. Although in the Ottoman state there were no laws that would prohibit marrying slaves. But the Turkish court has always been opposed to this.
Be that as it may, the magnificent wedding of Roksolana and Suleiman took place in 1530. On this occasion, a series of celebrations took place in the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
Musicians played in the streets. Tightrope walkers and magicians took part in the performances. Wild animals and giraffes were brought especially for the celebrations. All government buildings and residential buildings were decorated. Organized competitions with the participation of Muslim and Christian knights. And at night, all city blocks were illuminated. The townspeople were in complete delight.
Spouse of the sultan
Lisovskaya, being a determined, strong-willed and adventurous girl, quickly managed to learn how to manipulate not only her husband and his relatives, but also the courtiers and dignitaries of the Ottoman Empire.
The crowned couple could continuously talk about art, love, politics. Repeatedly they communicated with each other in verses.
Roksolana, as a wise woman, knew very well when she should be silent, when to laugh or, on the contrary, to be sad. It is probably not surprising that when she came to power, a dull and boring seraglie began to turn into a center of education and beauty. It is now recognized and the monarchs of other countries.
Sometimes she was even seen with an open face. And despite this, she was highly respected by iconic religious figures. She was considered an exemplary orthodox Muslim.
The Guard also began to idolize its smiling sultana. The fact is that the soldiers saw her exclusively with a beautiful smile on her face. Well, Lisovskaya herself paid the same. She managed to erect barracks for them, which looked like real palaces. In addition, he increased the salaries of the Janissaries and gave them many privileges.
... After some time, the sultan went to the next war. This time he went to pacify the rebellious peoples of Persia. For the sake of military needs, the state treasury was practically devastated.
True, this fact did not confuse the economic wife of the Sultan. She began to act in her own way, managing the entire state. In Istanbul ports and the European quarter, she decided to open a number of wine shops. As a result, real money came to the treasury. However, she considered that the opening of drinking shops is a profitable business, but this will not save the situation. As a result, Roksolana began to engage in another project. By her order, the Golden Horn Bay began to deepen. She also ordered that the piers in Gatala urgently begin to reconstruct. As a result, after some time, large ships with goods from all over the world began to approach the bay. In a word, the trade rows of Istanbul began to grow like mushrooms after the rain, and the treasury, thereby, replenished.
Lisovskaya had enough financial means to build hospitals, nursing homes, minarets, and new mosques. And when Suleiman returned to Istanbul, he did not recognize his palace either. While the sultan was at war, Lisovskaya rebuilt his mansions with the money obtained by the entrepreneurial wife.
Lisovskaya constantly patronized creative personalities. He conducted lively correspondence with the kings of Poland, Persia, and Venice. Repeatedly she herself received foreign ambassadors. In a word, she was truly the most educated woman of that era. But also insidious.
Haseki victims
In 1536, a vizier named Ibrahim was accused of sympathizing with France and working in the interests of this state. By order of Suleiman, the sovereign figure of the empire was strangled. In fact, Ibrahim became the first victim of Lisovsky.
Since the place of the vizier was immediately taken by another nobleman. His name was Rustem Pasha. The wife of the Sultan felt affection for him. He was considered a favorite in the yard. He was thirty-nine.
Roksolana decided to marry her seventeen-year-old daughter. At the same time, Rustem was the godfather of Mustafa - the son of the Sultan, the heir, the offspring of Suleiman's first wife.
Despite everything, after a while this nobleman was beheaded. As it turned out, Lisovsky used her daughter. She was forced to constantly tell her what the son-in-law was saying. As a result, Rustem was exposed in the betrayal of Suleiman.
But before that, he had fulfilled his destiny. Actually, for the sake of this, Lisovskaya undertook her insidious plan. The spouse of the sultan and the vizier were able to convince him that the heir to Mustafa began to conduct close negotiations with the Serbs. According to Lisovskaya, he was plotting against his own father. Roxolana knew perfectly well where and how best to hit. In general, the "conspiracy" seemed more than believable. Especially in the eastern countries, bloody palace coups were then ordinary and ordinary.
The heir and many of his consanguineous relatives were strangled. And the mother of Mustafa, the first wife of Suleiman, went crazy with grief. After a short time, she died.
Relations Anastasia Lisovsky with the mother of the Sultan could not be called friendly. The mother-in-law, who had an influence on her son, said everything she thinks about the conspiracy and about Suleiman's new wife. After these words, she lived only four weeks. They say she was poisoned ...
Thus, Nastya Lisovskaya (Roksolana) managed to do the almost impossible. She was proclaimed not only the first wife of the great Sultan, but also the mother of the heir to the throne of Selim. True, after this the victims did not stop at all.
Alas, Nastya Lisovskaya (the biography of the woman is presented to your attention in the article) was not destined to see the embodiment of her dreams. She died before her beloved offspring Selim ascended the throne.
Death
Anastasia Lisovskaya (Roksolana), whose photo (portraits) are placed in the article, died far from young, she was already 53 years old. In 1558, she was returning from a trip to Edirne. In mid-April, she fell ill. Doctors diagnosed her with a cold. But they could not help her. An illness killed her in a matter of hours. They buried her with all due honors.
A year later, her body was transferred to a domed 8-sided mausoleum. In fact, it is one of the largest architectural monuments of the empire. Under the dome, the unfortunate spouse of Roxolana carved alabaster rosettes. He decorated each of them with an emerald. After all, the deceased loved this stone most of all.
After the death of his wife, the Sultan did not even think about other women until the last days. Lisovsky remained his only lover. After all, he once dismissed his harem for her sake.
Suleiman died in 1566. His tomb was also decorated with emeralds. True, his favorite stone was still a ruby.
Both tombs are nearby. Note that over the 1000-year history of the Ottoman state, only one woman was awarded this honor - Roksolana.
Procreation
Married to Suleiman, Anastasia Lisovskaya (Roksolana) had 6 children - 5 sons and a daughter Miriam. They say that the sultan adored his daughter and sincerely loved. He was always ready to fulfill her favorite whims. In honor of Miriam, the happy father erected a magnificent mosque.
Daughters managed to get an excellent education. She lived, of course, in the most luxurious conditions. In 1539, she became the wife of the vizier Rustem Pasha, as mentioned above.
All the sons of the Sultan and Lisovsky died in the struggle for the throne. There was only Selim left - Roksolana's beloved son. He became the 11th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and ruled the state for eight years. He never took part in military campaigns, unlike his father. Although the Ottomans' conquest campaigns in the reign of Selim still continued. He preferred to spend his time in a harem. The Palace Guard literally hated him and called him “a drunkard” for his eyes. In general, the reign of the beloved son of Lisovsky did not at all benefit the empire. By and large, it was with Selim that the decline of this great state began ...