Daniil Alexandrovich - the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky . It entered history thanks not only to reigning, but also to the creation of the Holy Danilov Monastery. In addition, Daniel Alexandrovich is considered one of the revered Moscow saints. Today we will get acquainted with his biography and merits.
Childhood
Prince Alexander Nevsky and his sons made a rather significant contribution to the well-being of Russia. Daniel was born in 1261. When the great Alexander Nevsky, the son of Russian land, died, Danil was only 2 years old. The first years the boy lived in Tver, with his uncle Yaroslav Yaroslavich. The latter was first a Tver prince, and then Vladimir. Moscow was then part of the grand duchy and was under the leadership of the "tyuns" - the governors of the Tver prince.
The Principality
At what time and from whom the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky received Moscow in his lot is not known exactly. Historians believe that this happened in the 70s of the XIII century. In the annals, Daniel first appears in 1282. At this time, he was already a full-fledged prince of Moscow. It is worth noting that this was the first mention of Moscow in the annals after the terrible Batu ruin, which occurred in 1238. Such a long silence was very significant. The fact is that in the annals of that time, mention was made of cities only if there were any disasters, civil strife, major fires, invasions of the Tatars, etc.
Thus, there is reason to believe that in Moscow at that time things were more or less calm. According to many historians, it was this silence, which lasted more than forty years, that predetermined the future greatness of Moscow. In calm times, the city and its districts gained strength. Many refugees from the devastated regions of Russia, mainly the southern ones, moved here here: Ryazan, Kiev and Chernigov lands. Among the settlers there were artisans, farmers, and warriors.
According to the Tale of the Conception of the Great City of Moscow, Prince Danilo loved life in Moscow and therefore tried to populate the city and expand its borders. It is also said that he was virtuous and tried to help the poor. Speaking about Daniil Alexandrovich, one cannot ignore the fact that he was always a deeply religious person.
Internecine wars
Russian land was often shocked by internecine wars. Despite the peacefulness that the Moscow prince was famous for , the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, he was forced to take part in them. Most of the conflicts in which he participated ended in peace and did not come to bloodshed.
In 1281, a war broke out between the elder brothers Danil - Dmitry and Andrei. Both princes wanted support in the Horde. Andrei asked for help from Tuda-Mengu, the legal khan, and Dmitry tried to enlist the support of Nogai, Tuda-Mengu's main rival. At different times, Daniel supported one brother or another. His only interest in this conflict was the maximum security of Moscow and the prevention of another rout.
In 1282, the Prince of Moscow stepped on the side of Andrew. According to the annals, he, along with the Novgorodians, Muscovites and Tverichs, went to war against Prince Dmitry to Pereyaslavl. Learning about this, Dmitry went to meet them. He stopped at Dmitrov, and the opponents did not reach the city five miles. There, the troops of both sides stood for five days, communicating through messengers. In the end, they decided to make peace. Soon, the eldest sons of Alexander Nevsky also made peace . The biography of Daniel of Moscow will later be closely associated with one of them - Dmitry.
Friendship with Tver
In 1287, three brothers of Aleksandrovich together went to war against Mikhail Alexandrovich, the newly made Tver prince. Approaching Kashin, they stayed in it for nine days. The army of princes devastated the city, burned neighboring Ksnyatin and from there decided to advance to Tver. Prince Mikhailo of Tver sent their messengers to meet them, the brothers answered. After brief negotiations, the parties decided that they did not need a war. In the future, the son of Alexander Nevsky, Daniel will be friends with Tver, then again compete. With whom his relationship will grow stronger, it’s with his older brother, Prince Dmitry Alexandrovich. It is worth noting that thanks to the friendship with Dmitry, and later his son Ivan, Danil Moskovsky will receive serious political benefits.
The end of the truce
In 1293, the shaky truce between Princes Andrei and Dmitri was violated. Once again, Andrei went to the Horde to the newly minted Khan Tokt to ask him for help. As a result, a huge army of Tatars went to Russia, led by the khan's brother, Tudan. Accompanied by the Tatars there were many Russian princes. Upon learning of the invasion of the Tatars, Dmitry decided to flee. Residents of Pereyaslavl also fled. At that time, the Tatars conquered and defeated Vladimir, Suzdal, Yuryev-Polsky and some other cities. Trouble also did not pass Moscow. Having deceived Daniel, the Tatars entered the city and inflicted irreparable harm on him. As a result, they took Moscow completely, along with villages and volosts.
The death of Dmitry
In 1294, Prince Dmitry passed away. Pereyaslavl passed to his son Ivan, with whom Daniel Mikhail Tverskoy maintained good relations. In 1296, during the congress of princes, which took place in Vladimir, another conflict arose between the brothers. The fact is that Andrei Gorodetsky, who was now the Grand Duke, decided, along with some other princes, to capture Pereyaslavl. Daniel and Michael prevented him.
Acting either by conviction or by force and vehemently believing in their cause, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky was able to strengthen his principality and expand its borders. For a short period, he even managed to establish himself in Veliky Novgorod. There, the prince became his young son, Ivan, who in the future will be called Ivan Kalita.
Change of priorities
In 1300, at the next congress of princes in Dmitrov, Daniel of Moscow confirmed the agreement with the princes Andrei Ivan. However, at the same time, his alliance with Mikhail Tversky had to be broken. In subsequent years, there will be fierce hostility between the sons of Daniel and the Tver prince. In the same year, Daniel fought with Prince Konstantin Ryazansky. Then the army of the Moscow prince defeated many Tatars, who defended Ryazan, and even managed to capture Konstantin. According to the widespread assumption of historians, it was precisely as a result of the campaign to Ryazan that Kolomna, located near the confluence of the Moscow River and the Oka, was annexed to the Moscow Principality.
Territory expansion
In 1302, Pereyaslavl Prince Ivan, who was Danilo the Moscow nephew, died. The loving, gentle and quiet Ivan Dmitrievich did not have time to have children, so he bequeathed his principality to Daniil Alexandrovich, whom he loved most of all. At that time, Pereyaslavl was considered one of the main cities in the north-east of Russia. His accession immediately strengthened Moscow several times. The annals and "Life" of Prince Danil emphasize with special attention that Pereyaslavl was annexed to Moscow by absolutely legal means.
Prince Andrey tried to encroach on the reign of Pereyaslavl. Upon learning of Ivan’s decision regarding succession to the throne, Daniel, the son of Alexander Nevsky , did not hesitate and immediately sent his son Yuri to Pereyaslavl. When he arrived in the city, he saw that the governors of Prince Andrew had already begun to manage there. Apparently, they appeared in the city immediately after the death of Ivan Dmitrievich. Yuri drove off the intruders. Fortunately, everything was decided peacefully. In the fall of 1302, Prince Andrei again went to the Horde in the hope of gaining support in a campaign against his brother. But the next war was not destined to take place.
The death of Prince Daniel
March 5, 1303 the Moscow Prince Daniel, son of Alexander Nevsky, died. Before his death, he took tonsure as a monk. Regarding the burial place of the Grand Duke, sources diverge. According to some reports, the prince was buried in the church of the Archangel Michael, on the site of which now stands the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. And according to others - in the Danilov Monastery, which the prince himself founded.
Monastery
Even during the reign, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky founded a monastery in the south of Moscow in honor of the Monk Daniel Stolpnik, his heavenly patron. This monastery was the first of the famous history of Moscow monasteries. In the "Life" of the saint it is said that well-lovingly dominating in the Moscow region, Prince Daniel erected a monastery beyond the Moscow River and named it in honor of his angel Daniel Stolpnik.
The fate of the monastery was amazing: 27 years after the death of the prince, his son Ivan Kalita transferred the monastery with his archimandrite to his princely court in the Kremlin and set up a church with him in the name of the Transfiguration of the Savior. So the Spassky Monastery was founded. According to the Life of Daniel of Moscow, many years later, due to the negligence of the Spassky archimandrites, the Danilovsky Monastery became so impoverished that the trace from it was smoothed out. There is only one church left - the church of Daniel Stolpnik. And the place where she stood was nicknamed the village of Danilovskoye. Everyone soon forgot about the monastery. During the reign of Grand Duke Ivan the Third, the Spassky Monastery was again transferred outside the Kremlin, across the Moskva River, to Mount Krutitsy. This monastery still stands there and is called Novospassky.
Wonders
On the site of the ancient Danilov Monastery, miracles happened more than once, confirming the holiness of its founder. Let's get acquainted with the description of some of them.
Once, Prince Ivan Vasilievich (aka Ivan the Third), while in the ancient Danilov Monastery, drove past the place where the relics of Prince Daniel lay. At that moment a horse stumbled over a noble young man from a princely regiment. The young man lagged behind the rest and remained in that place alone. Suddenly a stranger appeared to him. So that the prince’s companion would not be afraid, the stranger told him: “Do not be afraid of me, I am a Christian, the lord of this place, my name is Daniel of Moscow. By God's will, I am laid here. ” Then Danil asked the young man to pass on a message from him to the prince with these words: “You are comforting yourself in every way, but why did you put me into oblivion?” After that, the appearance of the prince disappeared. The young man immediately caught up with the Grand Duke and told him everything to the smallest detail. Since then, Ivan Vasilyevich ordered to sing requiems and conduct divine services, and also gave alms to the departed souls of his relatives.
Many years later, the son of Ivan the Third, Prince Vasily Ivanovich, drove past the same place with many close associates, among whom was Prince Ivan Shuisky. When the latter stepped on a stone, under which the relics of Daniel of Moscow were buried in order to mount his horse, the peasant who happened here prevented him. He asked him not to defile the stone under which Prince Daniel lies. Prince Ivan dismissively replied: “Are there few princes here?” And he finished his plan. Suddenly the horse stood on its hind legs, fell to the ground and died. The prince with great difficulty pulled out from under the horse. He repented and commanded a prayer service for his sin. Soon, Ivan recovered.
During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, a merchant from Kolomna sailed to Moscow in the same boat with his young son and Tatars. On the road, the young man became very ill, so his father no longer believed in his recovery. When the boat approached the church in which the relics of Prince Daniel rested, the merchant and his son approached the tomb of the saint. Having ordered the priest to sing a prayer service, the merchant began to pray with great faith to God, urging Prince Daniel to help. Suddenly, his son, as if awakened from a dream, recovered and gained strength. Since then, the merchant wholeheartedly believed in St. Daniel and annually came to his tomb to perform prayers there.
Alexander Nevsky - named son of Batu
Another interesting fact, which, of course, affected the lives of children of Alexander Nevsky, is his named brotherhood with Tsarevich Sartak. Information that Alexander Nevsky is the son of Batu is perceived by historians contradictory. One thing is certain for sure - the decision to serve the Golden Horde and the named brotherhood with Tsarevich Sartak, Alexander Nevsky made purely in the interests of the state. At that time, consanguinity was not much appreciated: the princes competed with each other for their inheritance and did not disdain betrayal. But the named kinship was firmly revered as a shrine. Therefore, taking such a step, Alexander Nevsky, the son of Batu Khan Sartak and the khan himself acted purely in the political interest.