Ivan I Danilovich Kalita. Born approx. 1283 or November 1, 1288 - died March 31, 1340 or 1341 in Moscow. Prince of Moscow from 1325 (actually from 1322), Grand Duke of Vladimir (1331-1340), Prince of Novgorod (1328-1337).
The second or fourth son of Moscow Prince Daniil Alexandrovich was born around 1283 or November 1, 1288.
Was baptized in honor of St. John the Baptist, whom he subsequently always depicted on seals as his heavenly patron.
In 1296-1297 he was the governor of his father Daniil Alexandrovich in Veliky Novgorod.
In 1304, in the absence of his older brother, Ivan went to Pereslavl to defend it from the Tver princes. Soon Tver regiments appeared near the city under the command of boyar Akinf. He kept Ivan under siege for three days, on the fourth day the boyar Rodion Nestorovich appeared from Moscow, went to the rear of the Tver people, and at the same time Ivan made a sortie out of the city, and the enemy suffered a complete defeat.
In 1320, Ivan Danilovich first went to the Horde to see Uzbek Khan for approval as the heir to the Moscow principality. Yuri Danilovich received a label from the khan for the great reign and left for Novgorod; Moscow was left under the complete control of Ivan.
In 1321, Dmitry Tverskoy recognized the power of Yuri Danilovich and gave him Horde tribute from the entire Tver principality. But Yuri, instead of taking the Tver tribute to the Horde, took it to Novgorod and put it into circulation through intermediary merchants, wanting to receive interest. Yuri's actions with the Horde tribute angered Uzbek Khan, and he handed over the label for the great reign to Dmitry. Ivan Danilovich, who was in Sarai-Berk at that time, did not interfere in his brother’s affairs.
While trying to return the label, Yuri was hacked to death by Dmitry in Sarai-Berk on November 21, 1325, on the eve of the death of Mikhail Tverskoy, and Ivan became the prince of Moscow. A year later (1326), Dmitry himself was killed in the Horde, and the label was transferred to his brother Alexander.
The reign of Ivan Kalita
In the very first years of his reign over the Moscow principality, Ivan achieved that from Vladimir The metropolitan see was transferred to Moscow. This immediately made Moscow the spiritual capital of Rus', increased her authority. The first metropolitan to move to Moscow was Peter.
Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy entered into an agreement with Novgorod in 1327, and in the same year a popular uprising took place in Tver, in which the Tver residents killed the Horde ambassador Chol Khan (Shevkal) and his entire retinue. Having learned about this, Uzbek sent for the Moscow prince, but, according to other sources, Kalita went to the Horde himself. Uzbek Khan gave him a label for a great reign and 50,000 troops.
Having united with the Suzdal people, Kalita went to the Tver Principality, where the Horde burned cities and villages, took people into captivity and, as the chronicle reports, “lay down the entire Russian land.”
Prince Alexander of Tver fled to Novgorod, then to Pskov. Novgorod paid off by giving the Horde 2000 hryvnias of silver and many gifts. Ivan and his allies demanded the extradition of Alexander; Metropolitan Theognost excommunicated Alexander and the Pskovites from the church. Averting the threat of invasion from Pskov, Alexander left for Lithuania in 1329 (for a year and a half).
In 1328, Khan Uzbek divided the great reign between Ivan, who received Veliky Novgorod and Kostroma, and Alexander Vasilyevich Suzdal, who received Vladimir and the Volga region (presumably Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets). At the same time, the actual functions of the Grand Duke were performed by Ivan.
After the death of Alexander in 1331, his brother Konstantin became the prince of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod, and Nizhny and Gorodets returned to the great reign for about a decade. Ivan made a trip to the Horde, where he again received a label for the entire great reign and half of Rostov.
In 1328-1330, Ivan gave his two daughters in marriage to Vasily Davydovich Yaroslavsky and Konstantin Vasilyevich Rostovsky in order to manage their estates.
In 1331, a conflict arose between Moscow and Novgorod. Metropolitan Theognost refused to appoint Arseny, elected by the council of Galician-Volyn bishops, as archbishop of Novgorod, but appointed his own candidate Vasily Kalika. And Ivan Kalita, having bought a label in the Horde and planning to build a new stone church in Moscow for the arrival of Metropolitan Theognost, demanded that the Novgorodians pay an increased amount of tribute (in particular, “Zakamsk silver”).
After receiving the refusal, Ivan entered with his troops into the Novgorod land and occupied Torzhok, then Bezhetsky Verkh. Novgorod Archbishop Vasily began the construction of a new stone Detinets in Novgorod, fearing the troops of Ivan and the Swedes. But the troops did not enter the battle.
Negotiations were held, which ended with Archbishop Vasily going to Pskov and making peace between Pskov and Novgorod.
After these events, Ivan concluded a separate peace with Gediminas with the help of Metropolitan Theognost, who had just arrived in Moscow. The world was sealed by the marriage of Ivan Kalita's heir, Simeon Ivanovich, with Gediminas' daughter Aigusta. Ivan Kalita ransomed Narimunt Gediminovich from captivity in the Horde, secured his favor, baptized him into Orthodoxy and sent him to Lithuania, to Father Gedimin.
The Novgorodians, fearing both Kalita (at that time only the titular Prince of Novgorod) with the Horde, and the Swedes, invited Narimunt (to the northern volosts), giving him Ladoga, the Oreshek fortress, Korelsk (Korela), Korelsky land and half of Koporye as his homeland, but he entrusted the management of them to his son Alexander (Orekhovsky prince Alexander Narimuntovich), and Narimunt lived more in Lithuania, and in 1338, he not only did not come to the call of Novgorod to defend it against the Swedes, but also recalled his son Alexander.
In 1336, through the mediation of Metropolitan Theognost, Ivan made peace with Novgorod, became the Novgorod prince and received the due tribute. Ivan also wanted to send troops to Pskov, but Novgorod opposed this. At this time, Gediminas raided the Novgorod land, it was revenge for peace with Moscow. Ivan responded by sending his troops to Lithuania, where they plundered the outlying lands near the border. Gediminas, busy with feuds with the Livonian Order, did not start a war.
In 1337, Alexander Tverskoy submitted to the khan, thereby regaining his Tver reign. In 1339, Ivan went to the Horde with a denunciation against Alexander, after which he received an order to appear before the khan. Alexander and his son Fedor, who came to the khan, were executed. Kalita returned to Moscow and ordered the bell to be removed from the Tver Church of St. Savior and brought to Moscow. Alexander Mikhailovich's brother, Konstantin, was again forced to submit.
In 1339, Ivan organized a campaign against Smolensk against Prince Ivan Alexandrovich, who entered into an alliance with Gediminas and refused to pay tribute to the Horde. In addition to the Horde, the princes of Ryazan with their army, as a rule, took part in Kalita’s campaigns. In the same year, a new conflict arose between Moscow and Novgorod, which was resolved during the reign of Ivan’s son, Semyon the Proud.
One of Ivan’s main character traits is flexibility in relationships with people and perseverance. He often went to see the khan in the Horde and soon earned the favor and trust of Uzbek Khan. While other Russian lands suffered from Horde invasions, the possessions of the Prince of Moscow remained calm, their population and prosperity grew steadily: “The filthy ones stopped fighting the Russian land, they stopped killing Christians; Christians rested and rested from great languor and much burden and from Tatar violence; and from that time on there was silence throughout the whole earth".
During the 40 years of peace from 1328 to 1368, there were no Horde raids or wars with other opponents within the Moscow Principality.
He played a major role in strengthening the economic and political union of the Moscow Principality and the Golden Horde, for which he collected tribute from the Russian lands. He mercilessly suppressed popular discontent, caused by heavy extortions, and dealt with political opponents - other Russian princes.
Ivan I strengthened Moscow's influence on a number of lands in the North of Rus' (Tver, Pskov, Novgorod, etc.). He accumulated great wealth (hence his nickname “Kalita” - “wallet”, “money bag”), which he used to buy lands in other people’s principalities and possessions, another version comes from the habit of constantly carrying a wallet (“kalita”) with money for distribution of mercy.
His grandson Dmitry Donskoy in his spiritual letter reported that Ivan Kalita bought (in fact, annexed through marriages of his daughters with the local princes, “purchase” does not mean “purchase”, but “marriage contract”) Uglich, Galich Mersky and Beloozero . In addition, he bought and exchanged villages in different places: near Kostroma, Vladimir, Rostov, along the Msta and Kirzhach rivers, and even in Novgorod land, contrary to Novgorod laws that prohibited princes from buying land there. He established settlements in the Novgorod land, populated them with his people, thus spreading his power.
Under Ivan Kalita, the white-stone Assumption Cathedral (founded in 1326, the original temple was not preserved), the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor (demolished in 1933), the Archangel Cathedral (the original temple was not preserved), the Church of St. John the Climacus (the original temple was not preserved) were built in the Moscow Kremlin preserved) and the new oak Moscow Kremlin (the original structure, naturally, did not survive).
In 1339/40, the Siya Gospel was written in Moscow and is stored in the library of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
At the beginning of 1340, Ivan became a monk with the name Ananiy., then accepted the schema and died a few weeks later. He left two wills (1336, 1339) and appointed his eldest son, Semyon, as his successor. He was buried in Moscow - in the Archangel Cathedral.
Dating the death of Ivan Kalita is based on chronicles that reproduce the following sequence of events (their traditional dating in historiography is placed in brackets):
Murder of Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy and his son in the Horde (October 29, 1339);
March of the troops of Tovlubiy, Ivan Kalita and their allies to Smolensk (winter 1340);
Death of Ivan Kalita (March 31);
The trip of Semyon Ivanovich and other princes to the Horde, the attacks of the Novgorodians on Ustyug and Beloozero;
News of fires in Novgorod (June 7) and Smolensk (Spas, August);
The return of Semyon the Proud from the Horde and the occupation of Torzhok;
Murder of Prince Gleb Svyatoslavich in Bryansk (December 6, 1340);
The campaign of Semyon the Proud against Novgorod and the conclusion of peace (winter);
Death of Uzbek and Gediminas (winter 1341).
Ivan Kalita (documentary film)
Wives and children of Ivan Kalita
Wives:
Children:
Semyon Ivanovich Proud, (1318-1353);
Daniil Ivanovich (born December 11, 1319/1320);
Ivan II the Red (March 30, 1326 - November 13, 1359);
Andrei Ivanovich Serpukhov (July 4, 1327 - June 6, 1353);
Maria Ivanovna (d. 1365), married since 1328 to Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich of Rostov;
Evdokia Ivanovna (d. 1342), married to Prince of Yaroslavl Vasily Davydovich Terrible Eyes;
Feodosia Ivanovna, married to Prince Belozersky Fyodor Romanovich;
Feotinia Ivanovna.
Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita (about 1283-1340) - from 1325 the Grand Duke of Moscow, from 1328 the Grand Duke of Vladimir. With his activities, he laid a solid foundation for the future political and economic power of Moscow. The prince received the nickname Koshel (Kalita) for his incredible wealth and generosity.
The youth of Ivan Danilovich Kalita passed in the shadow of his older brother, Yuri Danilovich, the Moscow prince. Although after Yuri left for Novgorod, in 1319 receiving a label from the Horde for the great reign, Moscow was at the disposal of Kalita, but Ivan inherited Moscow only in 1325 according to the will left after the death of his brother.
Prince Ivan Kalita showed himself to be persistent in achieving his goals, a tough and cunning politician. The reign of Ivan Kalita led to control over the rest of the principalities of Rus'. The prince often traveled to the Horde, which brought him the trust and favor of the Uzbek Khan who was ruling at that time. If the other principalities suffered under the yoke of the Horde Baskaks, the lands of Moscow, which remained relatively calm, gradually began to be replenished with people moving there from other areas.
The transfer of the metropolitan see to Moscow in 1325 made it not only an important economic center, but also the spiritual capital of the Russian lands. Prince Ivan 1st perfectly knew how to take advantage of circumstances, which allowed him to influence other rulers of Russian lands and successfully expand his own possessions.
Kalita's rival was the Prince of Tver Alexander Mikhailovich. In 1327, the ambassador of the Horde ruler Cholkhan was killed in Tver. And Kalita, having learned about these events, immediately went to the Horde to express his readiness to help in the reprisal of those responsible. This expression of devotion led to the fact that Uzbek granted Ivan Kalita a label for a great reign, the right to independently collect tribute to send to the Horde and 50 thousand troops. Having united this army with the army of Alexander Vasilyevich, Prince of Suzdal, Kalita defeated Tver, and the detachments of the Horde Baskaks completed the job. The Tver prince was forced to flee first to Novgorod, and then to Pskov and further, in 1239, to Lithuania. The devastated city was given to his brother Constantine.
Prince Ivan Kalita was married twice. In 1332 he married Elena, and later Ulyana. From two wives he had seven children. He profitably married his daughters to the Yaroslavl and Rostov princes. Moreover, the condition of their marriage was the opportunity to autocratically dispose of their sons-in-law’s inheritance. He subjugated Ivan the 1st and Ryazan, as well as Uglich (by purchase). He tried to annex Novgorod by starting military operations against it. But this enterprise was not very successful for Kalita, and the prince had to make peace. In 1340 (possibly on the orders of the Horde khan) the army was sent to the lands of the rebellious Smolensk prince Ivan Alexandrovich. The lands of Smolensk were devastated by Moscow soldiers and Horde troops. Later, Alexander, who came to the Horde in the hope of reconciling with the khan, was executed along with his son Fedor.
Ivan the 1st Kalita died in 1340, and his eldest son Simeon Ivanovich the Proud ascended the Moscow throne.
Historians do not know the exact date of birth of Ivan Kalita, but many researchers claim that he was born no later than 1283. From 1325 he reigned over Moscow, and from 1328 he was the Prince of Vladimir. It was his period of rule that is considered the foundation on which the political and economic power of Moscow was built. From ancient chronicles we know that although Ivan Danilovich owned great wealth, he was very generous. Perhaps that is why he received such a nickname among the people (“kalita” means “wallet”).
The youth of the future Prince Ivan Kalita passed in the shadow of his older brother Yuri. In 1319, Yuri left for Novgorod in connection with receiving the label for the Grand Duchy, effectively placing Moscow at the complete disposal of Ivan. But Kalita inherited this city only according to Yuri's will after his death in 1325.
Prince Ivan Kalita showed himself to be a prudent, cruel and cunning ruler. He went to the Horde more than once, thereby winning the favor and trust of Uzbek Khan, which allowed the Moscow principality to live a relatively prosperous and calm life. This and other positive factors led to an increase in the population that moved from other territories.
At the same time, Ivan Kalita could deal very cruelly with his enemies and rivals. As a chance to destroy Ivan Tverskoy, he used the Tver murder of Cholkhan (the Horde ruler). Kalita went to the Horde and expressed his regret and desire for help in dealing with the perpetrators. This is how he received the label to reign, as well as fifty thousand soldiers and the right to independently collect tribute. Two united armies (Kalita and Alexander Vasilyevich) were enough for the total defeat of Tver. The completely plundered city was handed over to Konstantin Mikhailovich, and Ivan Tverskoy had to flee to Lithuania through Novgorod and Pskov.
Ivan Kalita was married twice. His first wife was Elena, and his second was Ulyana. He profitably married off both of his daughters, receiving in return the right to dispose of his sons-in-law's land allotments.
The period of Ivan Kalita's reign was marked by the subjugation of Uglich and Ryazan. Moreover, the richest Prince Kalita simply bought Uglich. The enterprise, which had the goal of annexing Novgorod, was not successful and Ivan made peace with the Novgorodians (1340).
Ivan Kalita died in 1340, after which his princely place was taken by Simeon Ivanovich (eldest son), who was called Proud.
Great politicians go down in history thanks to their deeds, and not their nicknames, but it is they, once aptly given, that allow descendants to assess the scale of the ruler’s personality. Ivan Danilovich received his nickname Kalita during his lifetime for
generosity shown to the poor. Kalita is a leather bag, purse. In the Moscow lands, a legend has been preserved about how the prince distributed silver money, which he took out from a leather wallet hanging on his belt. In addition, sparing no expense, he bought neighboring principalities, tirelessly adding new lands. A man of remarkable diplomatic talent, smart and generous, resourceful and tough, who united many Russian lands and founded the Moscow State - this is all the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Kalita, whose reign was from 1325 to 1340. Today we will talk about him.
Descendant of Alexander Nevsky
The chronicles do not preserve exact data about the time of birth of Ivan Danilovich: historians focus on the period from 1282 to 1283. He was the fourth son of Moscow Prince Daniil Alexandrovich and grandson of Alexander Nevsky. According to the laws of that time, the fourth son could not hope for the princely throne, but it turned out that it was Ivan I Danilovich Kalita who took it. often took government positions unexpectedly.
The path to the throne
The first mention of Ivan Danilovich dates back to 1296 in connection with his appearance in the city. At first he reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and successfully defended it in the battle with the Tver boyar Akinf in 1305.
In 1303, Ivan's father Daniil Alexandrovich died, and the princely throne passed to his elder brother Yuri, who ruled the Moscow lands from 1303 to 1325. All this time, Ivan provided Yuri with strong support.
Often participating in campaigns and leaving for the Golden Horde, he left the principality with a calm heart, which was successfully looked after by Ivan Kalita. The years of Yuri Danilovich's reign are from 1303 to 1325. During this time, for various reasons, the rest of Ivan Kalita's brothers die, and when Yuri Danilovich dies in the Horde at the hands of the Tver prince, the time comes for the reign of Ivan Kalita.
Beginning of reign
It was a difficult period. Horde power extended throughout Rus'. And the rule of each prince was established in the Horde. When Ivan Danilovich took the throne, he was forced to go to the Golden Horde. There his amazing diplomatic abilities were revealed in all their brilliance. He knew how to negotiate with the Tatars: he gave gifts of enormous value, thereby achieving a quiet existence and protecting them from Tatar raids, which brought countless troubles.
In those days, peace and quiet were almost impossible. After all, if it was possible to temporarily free oneself from Tatar attacks by paying a huge tribute, the neighbors - the princes - could launch a new campaign. The Moscow princes always competed with the Tver princes. And Tver was in a more advantageous position than Moscow. It stood on the Volga, grew rich in trade, and every year it subjugated more and more Russian lands.
Ivan Danilovich Kalita understood this. Years of rule taught him patience and taking advantage of opportunities, even the most tragic ones.
Participation in the punitive expedition to Tver and its consequences
The uprising that took place in Tver in August 1327 against the Tatars, who were oppressing the people of Tver, turned the course of history in the other direction. The result of the popular revolt was the complete extermination of the Tatar garrison, to which the Horde could not help but react. And in 1328, she equipped a punitive expedition to Tver, in which many princes participated, including Ivan Kalita, whose reign was just beginning. He could not disobey, and he saw the future power of the Moscow state in the suppression of Tver. After the defeat of Tver, its ruling prince, Alexander, fled to Pskov. Ivan Kalita received the Kostroma Principality from Khan Uzbek and the opportunity to control Novgorod the Great.
After the death of the Prince of Suzdal in 1331, the Moscow Prince obtained a label (permission) from the Uzbek Khan for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir and became the leader of the entire political system of Eastern Rus'.
In addition, Ivan Danilovich, showing extraordinary abilities, persuaded the khan to an unheard-of agreement: Uzbek entrusted Ivan with collecting taxes from the population in exchange for a promise not to organize raids and not to send Baskaks. Both sides kept their promises, the Tatars stopped plundering Russian lands, fearing the wrath of Uzbek, and Kalita paid the established taxes in full.
Internal affairs
The chronicles of those times glorify the reign of Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita: by negotiating with the Horde, he achieved a significant period of peace and quiet, during which he implemented several grandiose projects that greatly contributed to the strengthening of Moscow's power.
Forty years of silence were given to the Russian land by Ivan Danilovich. Until 1368, not a single raid was made on the Moscow lands. How was this possible? The prince fulfilled all his obligations to the Horde: he regularly paid tribute, made countless gifts to the khan, periodically visiting him.
Ivan Kalita: years of reign
There is no clear answer to the question of how such huge funds were collected. Nevertheless, it is known that already at the beginning of his reign, the prince was able to clear the roads of robbers and robbers who committed outrages on them, for which he received a second nickname - Good, and attracted merchants and trade caravans to Moscow, increasing turnover and customs duties.
In addition, realizing that local rulers appropriated a considerable share of the collected tribute, Ivan Danilovich used cruel methods to fully collect it, punished the stealing governors and was merciless towards his opponents.
Ivan Danilovich undertakes several trips to the Russian north, during which he discovers another source of income - the fur trade. These methods probably allowed him not only to fully settle accounts with the Golden Horde, but also to carry out grandiose changes in the principality.
Moscow is the capital of the Russian Church
Ivan Danilovich was not just religious, he was confident in his own exclusivity thanks to God’s providence and counted on the Metropolitan’s help in implementing his plans to unite the Russian lands and strengthen the Moscow state. Caring for the security of the principality, Ivan Danilovich erects a new oak Kremlin, protecting the city center and the suburb. From 1326 to 1333, magnificent stone churches were built on the territory of the Kremlin: the Archangel, Spassky and Assumption Cathedrals, the Church of St. John the Climacus and the Church of the Transfiguration.
One of the important achievements of the struggle of the Moscow princes for primacy in the Russian lands of the Northeast is the alliance with the metropolitan see, which was started by Yuri Danilovich.
Perhaps it was this grandiose construction project that influenced the decision
Metropolitan Peter to establish his residence in Moscow. For several years he searched for suitable land for this. He died in 1326 and was buried in Moscow. Later, as Prince of Vladimir, Ivan Danilovich achieved the canonization of Peter.
Board and activities of Ivan Kalita
Relying on the active support of the Russian Orthodox Church and pursuing a competent policy of unifying Russian lands, Ivan 1 bought or conquered new principalities, leaving the reins of government in the hands of local princes, who passed into the status of viceroys of the Moscow prince. The spiritual letter of Dmitry Donskoy, the grandson of Ivan Danilovich, indicates the annexation of Uglich, Galich Mersky and Beloozero, purchased at different times, to the Moscow lands.
Relations with Tver have always been difficult for Ivan Danilovich. After the uprising from 1327 to 1337, it was ruled by the fairly loyal Konstantin Mikhailovich, but then the exiled prince, forgiven by Uzbek Khan, Alexander Mikhailovich, returned to Tver. Realizing that the confrontation is beginning again, Ivan Danilovich leaves for the Horde and, having presented the khan with gifts, convinces him that Alexander Mikhailovich is playing a double game while in the service of Lithuania. In turn, the Tver prince also weaves intrigues, but Kalita defeats him, and in 1339 in the Horde, Uzbek Khan executed him along with his son Fedor. Ivan 1 Kalita dealt cruelly with his enemies. The years of his reign coincided with merciless and difficult times, which is why he played by its rules.
Assessment of the ruler's affairs by contemporaries
This was Ivan Danilovich's last success. In the spring of 1340, he became seriously ill, retired and took monastic vows at the Spassky Monastery, which he built not far from his residence. There he spent his last months of life and died in March 1341.
An excellent literary monument written by one of the monks has been preserved. It is called “Praise to Ivan Kalita”, where the deeds and actions of the “gatherer of the Russian land”, who was Prince Ivan Kalita, are highly valued, the biography, rule of the politician and aspirations of which were subordinated to one noble goal - to create the Moscow state.
Ivan Danilovich "Kalita" is a Moscow prince, famous for his wealth and diplomatic skills. The exact date of birth and death of the prince is unknown. He was born into the family of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich, and was the grandson of Alexander Nevsky. During the years of his reign, the Moscow principality expanded and gained weight in the country. Ivan is considered one of the first rulers of Rus' who began to unite the country.
Childhood and youth
There are many “blank spots” in the biography of Ivan Kalita. Historians believe that he was born around 1823. At that time, the name Ivan was exotic for Rus', and there had to be good reasons to name your son that name. There is no evidence in the documents revealing the reason for such actions of his father.
He was the fourth child in the family and, in principle, should not have received the throne. Ivan grew up as an ordinary youth and did not stand out from the general background. From an early age he began to learn horse riding. Already at the age of 3, he tried to ride a horse for the first time. From childhood, Ivan Kalita was distinguished by his prudent mind and caution, which later came in handy during the struggle for the throne, as well as during his reign.
Reign
At that time, rulers in Rus' became rulers with the approval of the khan of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. After the death of his older brother Yuri, thanks to his good relationship with Khan Uzbek, Ivan was given the label for a great reign.
Having become the Grand Duke, Ivan Kalita began to strengthen the Moscow Principality. Having agreed with the Uzbek Khan, he began to independently collect tribute and pay it to the Horde. In return, the Tatars stopped raiding and plundering Russian lands. Due to the fact that a certain part of the collected wealth remained with the Moscow Principality, the prerequisites were created for its development.
Gradually, Ivan Kalita became one of the richest princes in the history of Rus'. His unusual nickname “Kalita” is precisely connected with money. According to one version, he received his nickname because of the large amount of wealth, since the word Kalita meant wallet in Ancient Rus'. According to another version, this nickname “stuck” to him due to the fact that he constantly carried a bag of money with him to distribute to the poor and needy. There is also a version that he received his nickname due to the fact that he profitably gave away his daughters, of whom he had four, in marriage, thereby obtaining profitable connections.
Thanks to his cunning actions, he was able to transfer the metropolitan see from Vladimir to Moscow, making it the spiritual center of Russia. This also helped strengthen his power. During his reign, he brutally fought the robbers operating at the entrances to Moscow, as a result of which robberies and assaults on merchants' convoys decreased. Over time, more and more trade caravans from all over the country and from abroad reached Moscow.
Personal life and death
During his life, Ivan Kalita was married twice. His first wife's name was Elena, she was approximately the same age as the Grand Duke, however, she died before him in 1331. She bore him 8 children: four boys and four girls. After this, the prince married a girl, Ulyana, who was much younger than him. She outlived Ivan by almost 20 years. After the death of the prince, many lands and wealth went to her. From their marriage they had a daughter, Maria.