Semen Proud was the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Ivan Danilovich Kalita. The time of his reign was an important stage in the rise of the capital and the strengthening of the great princely power. However, the ruler came into conflict with Novgorod and Lithuania, which complicated his relations with other specific owners. However, most historians admit that he did a lot to subjugate his younger brothers and neighboring lands.
early years
Semen Proud was born in 1317. Scientists argue about the exact date of his birth, some indicate September 7 - Memorial Day of St. Sozont. The prince accepted this name when he was tonsured a monk before his death. Very little information has been preserved about his youth. It is known that the first wife of Ivan Kalita, Princess Elena, was his mother. By nature, the future ruler was more likely a campaign not against his father, but against his uncle, Yuri Danilovich, who was brave, courageous, and often took risks. Semyon Proud for exactly the same qualities and received a well-known nickname. And if his parent was secretive, cunning, careful, then his successor acted impulsively and even sharply.
Conquest
Ivan Danilovich died in 1340. According to his will, he left most of the inheritance to his eldest son. But in order to receive the grand-ducal label, it was necessary to obtain a label in the Horde from the khan. However, this was not so simple, since many rulers of other specific principalities tried with all their might to get a letter for the Suzdal ruler Konstantin Vasilyevich. The fact is that Ivan Danilovich conquered many principalities with his power, bought land, lured boyars and ordinary people to his side. Therefore, now many princes wanted to free themselves from Moscow power. However, Semyon the Proud nevertheless received a shortcut largely due to the fact that his father introduced his sons to the khan during his lifetime, having obtained his favor with them. In addition, the new ruler was rich and presented the khan with rich gifts, which contributed to his success.
Contract with brothers
Having achieved a label for the Principality of Vladimir, the ruler first of all took care of the subordination of the younger rulers of his power. Semyon the Proud, whose reign was 1340–1353, at the very beginning of his vernacular, he ran into sedition in the capital, associated with the confrontation of boyar groups. Some scholars believe that one of his brothers was associated with this complex domestic political struggle. In order to somehow calm the situation, the prince concluded an agreement with Andrei and Ivan Ivanovich, which has survived to this day in a defective form. In it, the parties pledged to maintain the integrity and indivisibility of their possessions and act together against common enemies. The sons of Ivan Kalita thus established a common political line of conduct. It is significant that the younger brothers recognized the supremacy of the new ruler and gave him some of the princely economy in recognition of his status.
Relations with the Northern Neighbor
Moscow, Novgorod constantly opposed each other. The first sought to strengthen its position in the area, the second - on the contrary, to maintain its influence in the vast northern territories. During his reign, Ivan Kalita often demanded money from this city to pay khan tribute. There is a point of view that he asked his residents more than was accepted, which constantly led to conflicts. The troops of the Moscow prince occupied a number of territories subordinate to the republic. For the upcoming struggle, the prince entered into an agreement with the Lithuanian ruler, marrying his son to his daughter. Semen Ivanovich Proud continued the policy of his father. While he was in the Horde, the Novgorodians had already managed to partially regain lost ground. However, the Moscow ruler occupied Torzhok and put his governor there. After a while, the confrontation flared up again, but with the help of the Novgorod Metropolitan, an agreement was concluded. The ruler was recognized as the head of the city, and Moscow and Novgorod were reconciled for a while.
Disagreement begins with Lithuania
Having hardly established relations with the northern republic, Semyon faced a new problem, this time with a former western ally. The Lithuanian prince Olgerd was very concerned about the growing power of the capital and took a number of measures to undermine its influence. Initially, he organized a trip to Mozhaisk, but could not succeed. For him, this first failure was all the more annoying because his opponent intensified after taking Torzhok, who paid him a tribute of 1,000 rubles - a large sum for that time. The Grand Duke of Vladimir, having learned about the actions of the Lithuanian ruler, decided not to hesitate and sent an embassy to the khan complaining of the ruin of the Russian lands. He sided with the Moscow Semyon, which forced Olgerd to make peace with him.
Third marriage
Of great importance in the politics of Moscow princes were family ties. To strengthen his position, Semyon married the daughter of the Tver ruler. His wife's name was Maria Alexandrovna. She was his third wife. This marriage temporarily reconciled the two warring parties. The princess spent her childhood in Pskov due to the fact that her father, after a suppressed uprising in the city, was forced to hide in the north. After the murder of the Tver prince at the headquarters of the khan, the girl and her family were at the court of the brother-in-law. After the death of the latter, Semyon relied on his nephew, who, with his assistance, received a label on the Tver Principality and came under the influence of Moscow. The new union was sealed by marriage. Maria Alexandrovna married Semyon, and thus the enmity between the principalities was temporarily suspended. In this marriage, he had four sons, who later died from the plague.
Dynastic politics
Semen Ivanovich, like his father, paid great attention to marriages. In 1350, he allowed the Lithuanian prince Olgerd to marry his wife's sister Ulyana. Thus, former opponents became father-in-law, which can also be considered a great foreign policy success. In addition, he passed off his daughter for the Kashin prince, which strengthened his position and influence in the Tver principality. Similar family ties subsequently predetermined the balance of power in the Moscow-Tver war in the second half of the 14th century.
Death and testament
In 1353, an epidemic of plague began in Russian lands. She came to the center of the country from the north, through Pskov. From this terrible disease the sons of the ruler, and later he himself, died. Before his death, he took tonsure with the name Sozont. The prince left a spiritual testament, which is very different from the letters of his father and the letters of his followers.
In this will, he left all his inheritances to his wife, which never happened either before or after. However, such an order is explained by the difficult situation in the family. Since Semyon had no heirs, he had no other choice. However, there is evidence that at that time the Grand Duchess was expecting a child, and the testator assumed the transfer to him of grand ducal status and lands. Another important difference between the source and other letters is the ruler’s mandate to live in peace and obedience to the church fathers and boyars. He orders his brothers to fulfill his will, recalling the terms of his contract with them, and also entrusts the princess to the boyars. Three seals are attached to the document, one of which contains the inscription "Grand Duke of All Russia." All historians pay attention to the latter circumstance as a fact reflecting the claims of the Moscow ruler for domination over all Russian lands. After his death, the ruler was his next oldest brother, Ivan Ivanovich, who was nicknamed Red. As the Grand Duke, he took from the Princess the bulk of the domain of the Principality, thereby reinforcing the status of the supreme ruler. This step was also of great political importance. Maria Alexandrovna, being a Tver princess, could lay claim to part of the land, which, in the conditions of constant confrontation between these two largest centers of Russia, was extremely dangerous for the unity of the Kalitovichi patrimony.
The meaning of government
The years of the reign of Semyon Ivanovich were a time of further strengthening and exaltation of Moscow. He continued the policy of his father and succeeded in subjugating the specific rulers through military campaigns and dynastic marriages. Relations with the Horde at this stage remained the same: like his parent, the new ruler was at the headquarters of the khan and with the help of rich tribute and bribery he achieved his goals. However, it was under him that the Principality of Moscow was left without an heir. Fortunately, two of his brothers survived, one of whom became the new supreme ruler. Semyon Proud, whose brief biography is the subject of this review, was remembered by contemporaries for his somewhat cool policy. Many specific rulers were unhappy with him, since he demanded the complete submission of his power. He had grounds for this, since at his oath, the khan ordered everyone to obey him. Interest in this prince is preserved in modern historical science. Scientists pay most attention to the struggle of the boyars in the capital at the beginning of his reign, as well as to Moscow-Lithuanian relations.