Who ruled Muscovy in 1472. Grand Duke John III and the Greek Princess Sophia

The depths of Altai are rich in minerals.

The Zmeinogorskoye and Zolotushinskoye deposits are known polymetals that have ores complex composition and contain copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold. Tungsten-molybdenum deposits are found in crystalline rocks. Sometimes they are located in limestones cut by quartz veins with a variety of components consisting of tungsten, zinc, copper and rare metals.

Mercury deposits confined to the faults of the Alpine mountain building era. The main deposits of cinnabar (mercury ore) are located in the valley of the river. Chui - Aktash and Chagan-Uzun. In the northern part of the Cherginsky ridge, the Sarasinskaya mercury zone has been discovered.

There are several deposits in Altai iron ores. The main ones are located in the Kholzunsky ridge area - Inskoye and Beloretskoye with reserves of approximately 500 million tons magnetite ore with iron content from 30 to 50%. In the Kulundinskaya steppe, iron ores are located near Lake Kuchuk, st. Kulunda and s. Keys. Kulunda ores contain up to 20% iron. Iron ore deposits were found in the Sailyugem and Chuisky ridges, in the middle reaches of Charysh and Biya.

Deposits were discovered on the western slopes of the Salair Ridge bauxite And copper ore. Ores fly in at the junction of the Altai Mountains and Salair magnesium.

In lakes Kuchukskoye and Bolshoye Yarovoye there are healing mud. Radioactive sources have been found in the foothills of Altai, the Belokurikha ones are especially widely known. radon waters, on the basis of which the resort operates.

In the Kulundinskaya lowland at a depth of 1200-1400 m there are fresh and mineral The groundwater. Fresh waters suitable for household and technical purposes, which has important for arid Kulunda.

In the Kulundinskaya lowland there are more salt lakes than fresh ones, some of them are located on the Priobsky plateau. In Kuchuksky, Kulundknsky, Marmyshansky there is mirabilite- sodium sulfate). The brine of the Kuchuksky and Bolshoy Yarovoye lakes contains magnesium chloride, bromine salts. The reserves of table salt in Lake Kuchuk amount to 56.8 million tons; in Burlinsky - 30 million tons . In Mikhailovskoye, Tanatar 1, in Petukhovsky Lakes there is soda, salt, mirabilite. General reserves natural soda in the region - more than 6 million tons , which is approximately 96% of Russia's reserves (first place in the world). The region ranks first in Russia in terms of mirabilite reserves. Mirabilite is contained in the brine of Lake Kuchuk and lies in it in a layer up to three meters thick.

Construction material is available in almost all regions of the region. Reserves clay for brick production are unlimited. In the middle reaches of the Biya there is the Azhinskoe deposit of multi-colored coloring clays - red, blue, yellow, gray and other colors. Mineral paints are made from them. Cement refractory clays are located on the western slopes of Salair. Large Vrublevo-Agafonovskoye field in the area of ​​the station. Golukha has reserves of up to 35 million tons limestone and 11 million tons clay.

Widespread in the Altai Territory different kinds sand. Quartz sands used for the production of sand-lime bricks; glass is obtained from pure quartz sand. Place of Birth construction sands located near Barnaul, Kamen-on-Obi. Sand-gravel mixtures are found in the Biya and Katun valleys, in upper reaches of Alei.

Limestones- the most important building material. Their reserves in the region are practically inexhaustible. Large deposits limestone for firing are Tugainskoye (Gorno-Altaisk) and Manzherokskoye.

Marble- valuable decorative building material. Along the Chui Valley, ridges stretch for tens of kilometers, the main rock of which is white, purple and gray marble. In the Oroktoy deposit (the middle reaches of the Katun), marble is of several colors and shades: fawn and snow-white marbles give way to pink and golden ones. Lined with Oroktoy marble Taganskaya station Moscow Metro, and Pashtulim - the columns of the Park of Culture and Rest station. The Pushtulim deposit is located in Salair. Korgon marble is known from Charysh.

Jasper, quartzite, porphyry and other ornamental stones, multi-colored and high-quality, are found in the Kolyvan, Tigiretsky, Korgon and other ranges of northwestern Altai. Opals, chalcedony, and rock crystal are often found. There are vulture shales in the Altai Mountains, and graphite in Salair.

Gneisses And gypsum used as Construction Materials. The main deposit of gypsum is near Lake Dzhira in the Kulunda steppe.

Significant reserves granite, which is used in the construction of durable structures; it polishes well and is therefore used for cladding buildings and monuments.

Annexation of the Perm land to the Moscow Grand Duchy.

Ivan Vasilyevich’s first marriage was to Maria Borisovna Tverskaya, from whom he had a son, John, nicknamed Young; He named this son Vel. prince, trying to strengthen his throne. Marya Borisovna † in 1467, and in 1469 Pope Paul II offered Ivan the hand of Zoya, or, as she came to be called in Russia, Sophia Fominishna Paleolog, the latter’s niece Byzantine Emperor. The ambassador led. book - Ivan Fryazin, as Russian chronicles call him, or Jean-Battista della Volpe, as his name actually was, finally arranged this matter, and on November 12, 1472, Sophia entered Moscow and married Ivan. Along with this marriage, the customs of the Moscow court also changed greatly: Byzantine princess conveyed to her husband higher ideas about his power, which were outwardly expressed in an increase in pomp, in the introduction of complex court ceremonies, and in the distancing of the rulers. book from the boyars On November 25, 1472, Grand Duke Ivan III adopted the image of a double-headed eagle (looking to the West and East) as his coat of arms.
The popes' hopes for union were refreshed by the marriage of John III to Sophia Palaiologos (1472). Raised in Rome, under the care of the Latin clergy, who converted here to Catholicism, Sophia (Zoe) seemed to open the way for Latin propaganda at the court of the Moscow prince. Whether she made any promises to Rome is unknown; but, as soon as she entered Russian territory, she immediately established herself as an impeccable Orthodox Christian. The competition in faith between the papal legate Antonio Bonumbre, who came with her, and the Russian clergy did not lead to anything. From then on, diplomatic relations were established between Rome and Moscow. These are the embassies of Tolbuzin (1475), br. Ralevykh (1488), D. Palev and M. Karacharov (1500), Y. Trakhaniot. Although they pursued primarily cultural goals (challenging foreign masters), the popes willingly saw in them an expression of sympathy for the papacy. This was perhaps facilitated by della Volpe and other Moscow envoys, who, for one reason or another, were interested in securing Roman favor. government. However, Moscow itself at this time was not as intolerant of K. as, for example, two centuries later. At the wedding of Sofia, A. Bonumbre and his retinue are present; the very idea of ​​taking a wife, even an Orthodox one, from the hands of a Roman high priest did not yet seem dangerous; the same John III marries his daughter Helen to Alexander of Lithuania, a Catholic.

Until 1472 Andrei Vasilyevich Bolshoi good relations with his older brother Ivan Vasilievich III. In 1472, Yuri Vasilyevich, Prince Dmitrovsky, died childless, without mentioning his inheritance in his will, and the Grand Duke appropriated the deceased’s inheritance to himself, without giving anything to his brothers. Andrei Bolshoi, more than others, sought division. Then his mother, who loved Andrei very much, gave him her purchase - Romanov Gorodok on the Volga. Two years later, Boris was reconciled with his brother, also thanks to the intervention of his mother, who persuaded John to give him Vyshgorod and Sopkova Sloboda.

Troubles and constant struggle contenders for the throne led the Horde to decline and then to disintegration into the kingdoms of Crimea, Kazan and Kipchak; At the same time, the dependence of the Principality of M. on the Tatars actually ceased. Ivan III not only did not go to get the label and bow to the khan, but he did not even pay for his exit. Incited Polish king Casimir, Khan Akhmat undertook a campaign against Moscow in 1472, but, having burned some cities along the Oka, he returned - he could not cross the Oka, behind which the strong army of Ivan Vasilyevich had gathered.

This article should be considered by the reader as

annotation

In previous, this and next parts parallels between the activities of Ivan III and the legendary Rurik are considered. A hypothesis has been put forward that in reality there were two Ivans in history, Ivan of Pskov and Ivan of Moscow. Due to errors when rewriting the chronicles, instead of “Plskovsky” the text was read as “Mskovsky” - “Mskovsky” - “Moscow”, a merger of the two took place historical figures. Ivan Pskovsky was a native of Italy and entered Western chronicles under the name Ivan Fryazin. Italians in Rus' were called “fryazi”, “fryagi”. From the word "fryag" came the name "Faryag" - "Varangian" - "enemy". In 1459 in Pskov there was a whole street of “Enemies”. Ivan Fryazin came from an area where the Etruscan culture flourished and therefore he was associated as a native of the Rus people, the Rus. Ivan Fryazin was married to Sofia Paleolog, a princess of the former Byzantine Empire. He tried to forge an alliance between Venice, the Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray and the Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat in the fight against the Turks in the hope of returning the throne of the Byzantine Empire to his wife Sophia (the potential heir to this throne) . Ivan of Moscow interfered with this in every possible way, because... feared the strengthening of the Pskov-Novgorod Prince Ivan Fryazin. As a result of agreements between Ivan Fryazin (Ivan of Pskov) and the Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray, a war against Moscow began in 1480, which is now known as the “Standing on the Ugra”. Crimean Khan pinned down the Moscow troops on the Ugra, and Ivan of Pskovsky at that time took control of Moscow, probably either capturing or killing Ivan of Moscow. After this, Ivan Pskovsky, aka Rurik, aka Varangian, aka Ivan Fryazin, aka Ivan III started construction of Moscow with the help of their compatriots, the Italians.

Introduction

In this part I will continue to consider the historical oddities in the actions of Ivan III and Ivan Fryazin, which receive a completely rational explanation if we assume that Ivan Fryazin, and subsequently from 1480 Ivan III are one person, if we assume that at the end of the 15th century Rus' was ruled two Ivans, Ivan Moskovsky and Ivan Pskovsky.

Rationale

Let's see what he writes to us modern history about Ivan Fryazin...

"In 1470, the Senate heard a report from the adventurer Giovanni Battista della Volpa (Ivan Fryazin in Russian chronicles), who reported on the possibility of Akhmat fielding 200,000 soldiers. In 1471, the Senate sent Giovanni Battista Trevisano to Akhmat with proposals for an anti-Turkish alliance, but the ambassador was detained in Moscow for three years and arrived to Akhmat only in 1474. During this time, Della Volpe made another trip to the khan and in 1472 reported on the khan’s readiness to begin fighting against the Turks through Hungary, subject to an annual payment of 10,000 ducats and a lump sum payment of 6,000 ducats. The Senate was skeptical of this report. However, when Trevisano returned to Venice in 1476 with two ambassadors from Akhmat, the Senate accepted the proposal to start a war with Turkey across the Danube and again sent Trevisano with 2,000 ducats. At the same time, this event was strongly opposed by the King of Poland, Casimir IV, who, apparently, was against Akhmat’s actions through his territories in the Northern Black Sea region. In 1477, the Senate recalled Trevisano, who only managed to reach Poland." (via)

"Even earlier, through his nephew Antonio Gilardi, who was returning from Moscow, Volpe proposed to the Venetian government to raise the Golden Horde against the Turks in the amount of 200 thousand cavalry. The Senate accepted the proposal and sent its secretary Jean-Baptiste Trevisan to the Tatars (via Russia) in 1471. In Moscow, however, Volpe for some reason hid Trevisan’s real mission from the Grand Duke and passed him off as his nephew, a merchant by profession, hoping to sneak him into the Horde. With the arrival of Sophia Paleologus (according to Russian sources - even earlier), the deception was revealed. The angry Ivan III imprisoned Volpe in the city of Kolomna, ordered his property to be plundered, and his wife and children to be driven out of the house. Trevisan almost paid with his head. Only after communication with the Venetian government, when it became clear that the embassy to the Tatars was not of a hostile nature to Russia, Trevisan was released to Khan Akhmat. Further fate Volpe is unknown." (via)

So, in 1469, on behalf of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III, Ivan Fryazin went to Rome to woo Sophia Palaeologus. In Rome they asked that the boyars come for the bride. And after 3 years, Ivan Fryazin and the boyars came for the bride. Fryazin, the place of Ivan III, as his representative, was married to Sofia and then brought her to Moscow.

In the interval between these dates, somewhere around 1470, Fryazin, without the sanction of the Grand Duke, began negotiations with Akhmat, Khan of the Great Horde and the Venetian state to put together a coalition against the Turks. And by 1472, Akhmat was not averse to fighting the Turks for money. At the same time, the Venetians solved their problems - they slowed down or could completely stop the expansion of the Turks in Europe (as you know, the Turks took Constantinople in 1453 and subsequently continued their expansion to the west, into Europe). In 1471, Ivan III began to put a spoke in the wheels of this whole undertaking - he detained for 3 years in Moscow the envoy of Venice, who was traveling to the Horde with money and in order to conclude an agreement. In 1472, after Fryazin arrived in Moscow with the bride of Ivan III, the deception was allegedly revealed, Ivan III was beside himself with anger and brought it down on Fryazin and his family.

Now let's think a little. What did the Turks do? In 1453 they overthrew Constantine XI from the Byzantine throne. Constantine XI was killed, and 7 years later his brother Thomas, after the fall of Morea, where Thomas ruled, fled with his family to Rome. Sophia was the daughter of Thomas. Those. As a result of the expansion of the Turks, Sophia Palaiologos lost her potential rights to the Byzantine imperial throne. The Venetians hatched plans, if not to return Constantinople, then at least to stop or slow down Turkish expansion into Europe.

And suddenly, Ivan III begins to act contrary to the interests of his wife and his own interests! He begins to interfere with the formation of a coalition that could potentially drive the Turks out of Constantinople. If this had happened, then, quite possibly, his wife Sophia could have become an empress, and Ivan III could have become the Byzantine Emperor and Rus' could have grown into the entire Byzantine Empire... or vice versa! But Ivan III detains the Ambassador of Venice for 3 years and unleashes his anger on Fryazin... Where is the logic? Ivan III acts contrary to his interests.

This is on the one hand... But on the other hand, the actions of the Venetians are not clear. Some diplomat and adventurer proposes something like this, and the Venetian Senate is considering proposals from someone unknown... In order to propose something, you must have authority, have permits in your hands, but, as it turns out, there were none - Ivan III was not in the know. What about the Venetians? Did you take my word for it? Somehow it all doesn't look serious...

Regarding the end of the payment of tribute to the Great Horde, Khan Akhmat:

"In 1472, Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat began a campaign against Rus'. At Tarusa the Tatars met numerous Russian army. All attempts of the Horde to cross the Oka were repulsed. The Horde army managed to burn the city of Aleksin, but the campaign as a whole ended in failure. Soon (in the same 1472 or in 1475) Ivan III stopped paying tribute to the Khan of the Great Horde, which inevitably should have led to a new clash" (via)

"K.V. Bazilevich mentions 1476 as the end date for tribute payments. According to A. A. Gorsky, the payment of tribute ceased already in 1472. He puts forward the following arguments: evidence from the Vologda-Perm Chronicle about Akhmat’s words in 1480 that the “exit” (tribute) has not been given for the ninth year; changes in the form of treaty charters of Ivan III since 1473 (mention of not one Horde, but several Hordes); information from S. Herberstein, who connects the cessation of tribute payments with the arrival of Sophia Paleologus; text by the Polish chronicler Jan Dlugosz, who died in May 1480, that Ivan Vasilyevich “overthrew the yoke of slavery.” Also, A. A. Gorsky dates the “label” (Akhmat’s message to Ivan demanding submission) to 1472, not 1480 (Bazilevich K. V. Foreign policy Russian centralized state, page 118; Gorsky A. A. Moscow and the Horde. - M.: 2003, pp. 159-178) " (via)

In 1472, Khan Akhmat began a campaign against Rus' and a clash took place near the city of Tarusa. Probably, if we assume that Ivan III stopped paying tribute in 1472, this campaign was Khan Akhmat’s response to Moscow’s refusal to pay tribute. Where did this collision take place? Let's look at the map link. It can be seen that the city of Tarusa is located just south of Serpukhov. To make it easier to analyze, let’s look at this map:

Fig.1 Oka River basin
Author: SafronovAV - own work , CC BY-SA 3.0 , Link

Now let's see where it is located Great Horde:


Fig.2

The Great Horde was located in the area of ​​​​present-day Astrakhan, beyond the Volga, more precisely, between the Volga River and the Ural River. What is the easiest way for Akhmat to get to Moscow? Take boats, longships and go up the Volga. Reach Nizhny Novgorod, there turn into Oka, having reached Kolomna, swim along the Moscow River to the city of Moscow. It is obvious!

But Khan Akhmat is not simple! He probably walked (about 800 km in a straight line through the lands Crimean Khanate) with troops reaches the city of Tarusa (this is just south of Serpukhov. In Fig. 2 it is between Kaluga and Serpukhov, southwest of Moscow). And it is in this place that he decides to cross the Oka? For what? Where is he going? To the west? He needs to go to Moscow, but he has his sights set on Lithuania! One could understand Akhmat if he began to cross the Oka River between Serpukhov and Kolomna! Yes, there you can get to Moscow from south to north, but he passed by Moscow and crosses the river to the west - between Serpukhov and Kaluga! For what? Who is he fighting with? Moscow is further north!

From the point of view that civilization was then riverine, i.e. the main cargo flow of goods and troops moved along rivers (see the logistic theory of civilization by Igor the Greek apxiv ), the most logical meeting place between Akhmat and the Russian troops is somewhere east of Moscow, in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The situation is the same as in the case when - the battle should have taken place somewhere with east side Lake Ilmen, and it took place with west side, on the Shelon River.

Let Akhmat decide to cross at Tarusa... Sometimes a person doesn’t understand. It didn’t work out for Tarusa and Akhmat with his army retreats further south and takes the battle at Aleksin. Burns wooden fortress and goes home... Why doesn’t Akhmat cross the Oka even further south? Why is he taking the battle near the city of Aleksin? Take a little further south or north and cross the Oka! Since you came on foot from the Caspian Sea itself, and came not there, but southwest of Moscow, then who is stopping you from walking another ten kilometers and crossing the Oka where there is neither Tarusa nor Aleksin... And then turn northeast and move to Moscow...

But for some reason Akhmat is tied to the Oka and storms the cities standing on the banks of the Oka! So he finally sailed there, came along the river to the place of hostilities. But how he walked the entire Oka from east to west (Akhmat was at war with the Volga), then reached Tarusa, Aleksin and he were not stopped in Murom, nor in Kasimov, nor in Ryazan, nor in Kolomna, nor in Serpukhov. Very strange!

But all the strangeness disappears as soon as we assume that the enemy was coming not from the southeast (the Great Horde), but from the southwest, from the Crimean Khanate. And who on the other side could fight Rus'? Only the Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray. But here comes the problem...

"Diplomatic relations between the Moscow state and the Crimean Khanate during the reign of Ivan III remained friendly. The first exchange of letters between countries took place in 1462. and in 1472 an agreement of mutual friendship was concluded. In 1474, a treaty was concluded between Khan Mengli-Gerai and Ivan III alliance treaty, which, however, remained on paper, since the Crimean Khan soon had no time joint actions: during the war with the Ottoman Empire, Crimea lost its independence, and Mengli-Gerai himself was captured, and only in 1478 he ascended the throne again (now as a Turkish vassal)." (via)

The Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray could not attack Ivan III. But Akhmat, Khan of the Great Horde, could not possibly be near the cities of Tarusa and Aleksin. He had nothing to do there! If he walked by water, then they should have started stopping him at the mouth of the Oka, right next to the Volga! And if he walked, which is vanishingly unlikely, then even in this case he could not be southwest of Moscow. He had to begin to cross the Oka significantly downstream, somewhere between Serpukhov and Kolomna.

On the other side, " During the war with the Ottoman Empire, Crimea lost its independence, and Mengli-Gerai himself was captured, and only in 1478 he ascended the throne again (now as a Turkish vassal)."The actions of Ivan III to collapse the coalition against the Turks, which was put together by Ivan Fryazin (see above), contradicted the interests of his ally Mengli I Geray. If Ivan III had not interfered, then perhaps the Turks would have been defeated, and the Crimean Khanate would not have lost If there had been independence in 1478, and Ivan III himself, quite possibly, would have become the emperor of Byzantium.

It turns out that Ivan III acted both against his own interests and against the interests of his allies - against the Crimean Khanate and its khan Mengli I Geray!

What if there were two Ivans, Ivan of Pskov and Ivan of Moscow? If the agreement with Mengli I Giray was concluded by Ivan of Pskov (Ivan Fryazin)? Then everything falls into place! Oh, and by the way, Ivan Fryazin" Near 1455 went to the east of Europe; visited the Tatars ..." (via) Which Tatars did Ivan Fryazin visit? Wasn't he in Crimea and even in those years established connections with the Crimean Khanate?

Ivan Pskovsky (Ivan Fryazin) is negotiating with Venice, with Akhmad, trying to create a coalition that could resist the Turks and, perhaps, win back what was lost in previous years... Venice’s actions also receive their explanations. The Venetian Senate considered the proposals not of the “rogue”, but of the Grand Duke of Pskov, Novgorod, Boloozersky and so on... Ivan of Moscow, who is still sitting in Moscow, acts not against his interests, but in his own interests and, starting in 1471, puts " spokes in the wheels of the coalition against the Turks. This affects the vital interests of the Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray, who will soon fall under the control of the Turks, and he goes to war on Ivan of Moscow, who is interfering with the fight against the Turks. But the war in 1472 against Moscow did not work out for Mengli I Geray; he was only able to burn Aleksin. And he goes back to Crimea.

Then the conflict between Ivan III and the Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat receives its explanation:

Why did Ivan III interfere with the coalition? He was probably afraid of the strengthening of Ivan Pskovsky (Ivan Fryazin). If the coalition had taken place and defeated the Turks, then, quite possibly, Ivan Fryazin, as the husband of the possible Empress of Byzantium Sophia, would have become the Byzantine Emperor. And Ivan Moskovsky would find himself “between a rock and a hard place.” From the north are Pskov, Novgorod, Boloozero, etc., and from the south are the khans of the Great Horde, Crimea and, most importantly, the Byzantine emperor Ivan Fryazin. Most likely, this is exactly what Ivan of Moscow was afraid of, the Ivan who still reigned in Moscow. Byzantine Empire together with Pskov, Novgorod and their comrades, they would simply “swallow” Muscovy.

The war of 1480, the stand on the Ugra, also receives an explanation. It was started not by Akhmat, but by Ivan Fryazin in alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli I Garay.

According to history, this war is also extremely strange. Let's start with the fact that again Khan Akhmat is “breaking” into the Moscow principality from the southwest, instead of fighting Moscow from the southeast. The experience of the war of 1472 did not teach him anything (see considerations on the war of 1472 above)!

During this “standing” amazing events took place:

"On September 30, Ivan III left his troops and left for Moscow, giving the order to the troops under the formal command of the heir, Ivan the Young, under whom his uncle, appanage prince Andrei Vasilyevich Menshoi, was also a member, to move in the direction of the Ugra River. At the same time, the prince ordered Kashira to be burned. Sources mention the Grand Duke's hesitation; in one of the chronicles it is even noted that Ivan panicked: “he was terrified and wanted to run away from the shore, and sent his Grand Duchess Roman and the treasury with her to Beloozero.”

Subsequent events are interpreted ambiguously in the sources. The author of an independent Moscow code of the 1480s writes that the appearance of the Grand Duke in Moscow made a painful impression on the townspeople, among whom a murmur arose: “When you, the Great Prince, reign over us in meekness and quietness, then there are many of us in you sell foolishness (you demand a lot of what you shouldn’t). And now, having angered the Tsar yourself, without paying him a way out, you hand us over to the Tsar and the Tatars.” After this, the chronicle reports that the Rostov bishop Vassian, who met the prince together with the metropolitan, directly accused him of cowardice; After this, Ivan, fearing for his life, left for Krasnoe Seltso, north of the capital. Grand Duchess Sophia with her entourage and the sovereign's treasury was sent to safe place, to Beloozero, to the yard appanage prince Mikhail Vereisky. The Grand Duke's mother refused to leave Moscow.... Also, as one of the measures to prepare for the Tatar invasion, the Grand Duke ordered the Moscow settlement to be burned.

As R. G. Skrynnikov notes, the story of this chronicle is in clear contradiction with a number of other sources. Thus, in particular, the image of the Rostov Bishop Vassian as the worst accuser of the Grand Duke does not find confirmation; judging by the “Message” and biographical facts, Vassian was completely loyal to the Grand Duke. The researcher connects the creation of this vault with the environment of the heir to the throne Ivan the Young and dynastic struggle in the grand ducal family. This, in his opinion, explains both the condemnation of Sophia’s actions and the praise addressed to the heir - as opposed to the indecisive (which turned into cowardly under the pen of the chronicler) actions of the Grand Duke.

At the same time, the very fact of Ivan III’s departure to Moscow is recorded in almost all sources; the difference in the chronicle stories relates only to the duration of this trip. The grand ducal chroniclers reduced this trip to just three days (September 30 - October 3, 1480). The fact of fluctuations in the grand ducal circle is also obvious; The grand ducal code of the first half of the 1490s mentions the hostile Grigory Mamonv as an opponent of resistance to the Tatars Ivan III an independent code of the 1480s, in addition to Grigory Mamon, also mentions Ivan Oshchera, and Rostov Chronicle- groom Vasily Tuchko. Meanwhile, in Moscow, the Grand Duke held a meeting with his boyars and ordered the preparation of the capital for a possible siege. Through the mediation of the mother active negotiations were held with the rebellious brothers, ending in the restoration of relations. On October 3, the Grand Duke left Moscow for the troops, however, before reaching them, he settled in the town of Kremenets, 60 versts from the mouth of the Ugra, where he waited for the arrival of the detachments of the brothers who stopped the rebellion - Andrei Bolshoi and Boris Volotsky. Meanwhile, violent clashes began on the Ugra. Attempts by the Horde to cross the river were successfully repulsed by Russian troops. Soon, Ivan III sent ambassador Ivan Tovarkov to the khan with rich gifts, asking him to retreat away and not ruin the “ulus”. The Khan demanded the prince’s personal presence, but he refused to go to him; the prince also refused the khan’s offer to send to him his son, brother, or the ambassador Nikifor Basenkov, known for his generosity (who had previously often traveled to the Horde)." (via)

So, Ivan Moskovsky takes off and goes to Moscow, burns Kashira on the way, burns the posad (suburbs of Moscow) in Moscow - all supposedly so that they would not go to Akhmat. He sends his wife north. There is confusion and vacillation in Moscow. Some people support Ivan, others do not support him and condemn him. There are fluctuations in the grand ducal circle. Then Ivan returns to the troops and stands at some distance from them. At the same time, the fighting on the Ugra is intensifying. Then Ivan pays rich gifts to Akhmat and he leaves.

A lot of questions and absolutely illogical actions of Ivan. Why burn Kashira and Moskovsky Posad? The Khan will come, then he will burn it himself, but why in advance? Why were there hesitations in the princely entourage? Why did someone condemn Ivan, and someone supported him?

If we assume that the war was started by Mengli I Giray in alliance with Ivan Pskovsky (Ivan Fryazin), then everything falls into place. The Khan came from the southwest and met the troops of Ivan of Moscow on the Ugra. Without conducting active hostilities, he forced Ivan of Moscow to gather his troops in one place, probably forcing him to expose other directions. At this time, Ivan Fryazin, Prince of Pskov and Novgorod, etc., goes to war from the north against Ivan of Moscow. His troops from Novgorod along Msta and further to Tver, then to the Volga, along it they reach Nizhny Novgorod, enter the Oka and in the Kashira region into the Moscow River. By the way, in my reconstruction, Ivan Pskovsky already controlled Yaroslavl, so the path to Moscow was even shorter... Ivan Pskovsky’s troops burn the Moscow settlement and, having defeated a small squad (the main troops are on the Ugra and are holding back Mengli I Giray), take Moscow under their control. There is confusion and vacillation in the Moscow princely circle, some support Ivan of Pskov, some support Ivan of Moscow. The family of Ivan Moskovsky flees to the north. Metropolitan Vassian supports Ivan of Moscow and scolds Ivan of Pskov. As a result, Ivan Pskovsky takes control of the situation and rushes towards Ugra, where the main Moscow troops are concentrated. At this time, Ivan Moskovsky with part of his troops rushes to defend Moscow. In Kashira, two troops meet (Ivan Moskovsky goes from Ugra towards Moscow along the Oka, and Ivan Pskovsky from Moscow along the Moscow River went down to the Oka and approached Kashira moving towards Ivan Moskovsky), a battle takes place, Kashira is burning, Moscow troops are defeated, and Ivan Moskovsky is either killed or captured. Ivan Pskovsky with his army reaches Ugra and stands at some distance from the Moscow troops. At this time, Mengli I Giray intensifies the fighting and fierce clashes begin, perhaps the army of Ivan of Pskov strikes in the rear of the Moscow troops stationed on the Ugra. As a result, Ivan Pskovsky wins the war, Moscow troops swear allegiance to him. Ivan Pskovsky bestows rich gifts on his ally for his help. Mengli I Giray, having received what was due, leaves with his army upstream along the Oka, somewhere in the upper reaches there was a drag to the Desna, and from there to the Dnieper, and then the Crimea is just a stone's throw away... Ivan of Pskov, having overthrown Ivan of Moscow in In 1480, during the events now called "Standing on the Ugra", he became the Grand Duke of Moscow. Further, in subsequent years, he completed the unification of the Russian lands, taking control of the remaining Russian principalities, and in 1485 he subjugated Tver. ..

Everything is clear, clear and logical. Moreover, when after the “Standing on the Ugra” the Crimean Khan Mengli I Giray returned to Crimea, he sent his troops to Lithuania:

"Khan Akhmat, in retaliation for Casimir’s inaction, sent his troops to Lithuania, where he burned many settlements and plundered a lot of loot, but was soon killed while dividing the loot by envious people; After his death, civil strife broke out in the Horde." (via)

In fact, these were not the troops of Akhmat, but Mengli I Giray, who began to ravage Lithuania, probably in revenge on Casimir for not allowing the forces of Khan Akhmat to pass through the territory of Lithuania to fight the Turks (“ At the same time, this event was strongly opposed by the King of Poland, Casimir IV, who, apparently, was against Akhmat’s actions through his territories in the Northern Black Sea region."meaning against waging war with the Turks, see above). As a result, including in 1478, Crimea and Khan Mengli I Giray became dependent on the Turks.

Moreover! If you look at the chronology of the Crimean-Nagai raids on Rus', then, from 1480 to 1507, all the raids were exclusively on Lithuania and its allies! During the reign of Ivan III there was no no one raid from the Crimea on the Russian state and its allies! Ivan III died in 1505 and the first raid took place in 1507. Those. Russian state received 27 years (from 1480 to 1507) of peace with the Crimean Khanate.

Why? Probably thanks to the agreement between Ivan Fryazin and the Crimean Khanate. Moreover, Ivan Fryazin put in a lot of effort and spent more more money to put together a coalition against the Turks. He pursued his own interests, but managed to take into account the interests of the Crimean Khanate, which, if successful, would continue to be independent of the Turks. But due to opposition, including from Ivan of Moscow in the 70s of the 15th century and opposition from Casimir IV, the coalition did not take place - and both opponents of the coalition later paid. Thanks to the help of Khan Mengli I Giray, Ivan Fryazin won the war of 1480 against Ivan of Moscow, and he lost power and life. A Principality of Lithuania and its allies throughout the late 15th and early 16th centuries were subject to fierce raids by the Crimean Khanate, in contrast to the Russian state, which was saved from raids.

And by the way, about the rescue... "In 1492, an event occurred in Moscow that made such a great impression on the Russians that the chronicler even noted him exact date(May 17): " Ivan the Savior Fryazin , a chaplain tonsured by Augustin of the law of the white Chernets, renounced his law and left the Chernets, got married, accepted Alekseevskaya Serinov’s wife for himself, and the Great Prince granted him a village.”" (via) (emphasis added)

In 1492, a certain Ivan Savior Fryazin, was baptized into the Christian faith. Not only is Ivan Fryazin, but also Savior. Almost certainly this Ivan the Savior Fryazin was the same Ivan Fryazin who is being discussed here. It was thanks to his efforts that Rus' was saved for 27 years from Turkish-Tatar raids by the Crimean Khanate, which was a vassal Ottoman Empire.


Image Sources

Everyone knows about the invasion of the Horde Khan Akhmat in 1480, which ended with the famous stand on the Ugra River: this is how Rus' freed itself from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. But the fact that eight years earlier the same Akhmat invaded Rus' with a large army remained beyond the broad masses of readers.

Here is a brief summary of how those events happened on TV: in 1472, at the instigation of Lithuania, Akhmat, by the way, the nephew of Makhmet and the cousin of Kasim and Yagup, invades Russian borders with a large army. Ivan III, together with Tsarevich Daniyar, leaves for Kolomna, to join the army. With the brother of Ivan III, Prince Andrei, the Kazan prince Murtoza goes against the Horde.

Why they went to Kolomna, and not to Serpukhov, is unclear, since at that time the Tatars approached Aleksin, and Serpukhov lies in a straight line on the road from Aleksin to Moscow, and Kolomna is located a HUNDRED KILOMETERS TO THE EAST. Arriving in Kolomna, Ivan III did not approach the Tatars, but, on the contrary, practically opened a free path for them to Moscow.

Despite the fact that the Tatars were still very far away, and the Grand Duke had gathered a huge army - 180 thousand people, the mother of Ivan III and his son fled from Moscow to Rostov.

Meanwhile, Russian troops led by Prince Yuri’s brother are finally approaching Aleksin. Akhmat's army suddenly turns back and runs in panic. The Lithuanians never came to their Tatar allies. Here is the whole story in brief, AMAZINGLY similar to the events of 1480, so there is no doubt that one of these two campaigns of Akhmat is a DUPLICATE of the other.

All this is very, very strange, but now a lot will become clearer: soon after Akhmat’s escape, according to TV, Ivan’s brother dies III Prince Yuri. At this time, Ivan III himself younger brothers is located in Rostov. Until the return of the Grand Duke, they do not dare to bury the body of Yuri, “which, CONTRARY TO USUAL, stood in the Church of the Archangel Michael for four days.”

Yuri died suddenly and unmarried at the age of 32. So says traditional history. However, there seems to be nothing strange in this, we all walk under God, but Yuri left a will.

The will, at first glance, is ordinary and rather boring. But it was here that those who edited the chronicles fundamentally miscalculated and, instead of proving with the text of this testament the supposedly ordinary truthfulness of the history they had composed, they did the opposite.

The fact is that in this will, Yuri instructs his brothers to redeem various things pledged by him, since he had debts. But this is why they pawn things so that they can buy them back later, otherwise they would be sold immediately and more profitably, and they don’t write about this in wills. So you yourself, having pawned something in a pawnshop, will run to write about it in your will? Of course, if you are seriously and seriously ill, then this is possible, and even then only theoretically. BUT YURI DIED SUDDENLY, YOUNG AND HEALTHY.

What really happened? Here's the reconstruction alternative history. Tsarevich Daniyar, son of Kasim, aka Daniil Vasilyevich Yaroslavsky, aka Andrei Menshoi, flees to the Horde to Khan Akhmat (in another transcription, Akhmet, this is the same thing), who gives him an army. The forces of Yuri=Yagup are defeated, and he himself is killed. Moscow and the entire south are captured by Daniyar = Andrei the Lesser. But the north and north-west with the cities of Yaroslavl and Pereslavl still remain under the control of Yuri’s brothers - Andrei Bolshoi, Boris and their nephew Fyodor Yuryevich, the son of the deceased Yuri.

By the way, if you ask, where is Ivan III from TV? I will answer: until 1472 he corresponded to Yuri = Yagup, and then to Daniyar = Andrey the Lesser, that is, another Tatar on the grand-ducal table.

And here on historical scene Princess Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, appears. According to traditional history, in 1469, the Pope decided to give Sophia to Grand Duke Ivan III for the purpose of dynastic marriage to put pressure on the Turks. The Ambassador of the Grand Duke Ivan Fryazin, together with Sophia, left Rome on June 24, 1472, and on September 21 they were already in Reval (now Tallinn). On November 12, Sophia entered Moscow and on the same day got married to Ivan III.

At the same time, the princely ambassador Ivan Fryazin was arrested. Turns out, Venetian Doge(the ruler of Venice) sent an ambassador with him to Moscow, who was then supposed to go to Khan Akhmat in order to persuade the latter to war with Turkey. Fryazin passes off Ambassador Trevisan as his nephew, but this lie is revealed. Fryazin was arrested, and Trevisan was sentenced to death penalty, but at the last moment it is canceled.

So please note:

1. The ambassador from Venice goes to Khan Akhmat through Moscow (or maybe after all final goal his trips - Moscow?).

2. Traveling incognito. So, is he afraid of someone?

3. Ivan Fryazin and Ivan Trevisan - aren’t they the same person? Moreover, the letters “f” and “t” often transform into each other. Trevisan = Frevisan, and this is almost Fryazin. By the way, this story ended with Trevisan being released and deported (to Italy), and Fryazin... leaving for Italy. But if this is the same person, then the whole story described above with Fryazin and Trevisan is already an obvious fabrication. Further, shortly after this, Metropolitan Philip dies. Moreover, it was during this period, according to contemporaries, that dramatic changes occurred in the character of Ivan III.

But if traditional history has proven itself untenable, how will an alternative version explain these events? Very simple.

The Pope decides to give Princess Sophia for his son Yuri (i.e. Yagup, but for the Pope he appears with Christian name Yuri) Prince Fyodor Yuryevich (and not for Ivan III on TV), heir to the throne. Let me remind you once again that alternative version there is no place for Ivan III; under this name another Tatar is brought out who seized power in Rus'.

Sofia reaches the Baltic coast on September 21. Yuri = Yagup was killed around August 23, but news of this had not yet reached Revel. Therefore, the unsuspecting Sophia goes to Moscow. On October 11, she arrives in Pskov, where the papal legate who was with her learns about the defeat and death of Grand Duke Yuri (Yagup), the father of Sophia's fiancé Fyodor. Fyodor Yuryevich is now not the heir to the throne, but simply a nephew under the rulers - uncles Andrei Bolshoi and Boris, and not the rulers of all Muscovy, but only its northwestern part. This papal legate decides to postpone the marriage issue, for which Fyodor Yuryevich orders the delegation to be seized, and the legate Trevisan (or Frevisan), or in Russian - Fryazin, to be executed.

Meanwhile, having strengthened himself in Moscow and neighboring cities, Andrei the Lesser in 1473 executed Metropolitan Philip, Yuri’s faithful servant, and continued to seize new lands. goes over to his side major military leader the late Yuri is Prince Kholmsky, who for all his previous actions has earned the wrath of Andrei = Daniyar, but the latter forgives him, taking an oath of allegiance from him in return. Helped him with this new metropolitan Gerontius. Following the example of Kholmsky, a number of other governors - princes - go over to Andrei.

Despite obvious successes, not all is well with Andrei Menshiy (Daniyar). As payment for Horde assistance, Akhmat’s son, Prince Murtaza, established himself in the Ryazan principality.

Finally, the time has come for Andrei Menshoy to deal with Yaroslavl, which is in opposition to him.

In 1477, the Grand Duke leads troops to the rebellious North. Ambassadors are coming to him from Yaroslavl - the archbishop, the sons of Boris - Vasily and Ivan and the second son of the late Yuri - Ivan (Patrikeev) with the aim of concluding peace (TV: “The next day the Novgorod ambassadors were with gifts from Ioannov’s brother, Andrei the Lesser, demanding him intercession").

But the Grand Duke refuses negotiations, continuing the campaign (TV: “On the same day John ordered Kholmsky, boyar Fyodor Davidovich, Prince Obolensky-Striga and other governors under the main command of his brother, Andrei the Lesser, to go from Bronnitsy to the Settlement and occupy the monasteries, so that the Novgorodians would not burn them out. The governors crossed Lake Ilmen on the ice and in one night occupied all the outskirts of Novgorod."

Andrei Bolshoi and Boris are already offering to become his tributaries (TV: “We offer the sovereign an annual tribute from all Novgorod volosts, from two hundred hryvnia”).

But Andrei Menshoi is unshakable: he wants to be not a suzerain, but the absolute owner of all North-Eastern Rus', especially since Yaroslavl was already in his power several years ago (TV: The boyars reported this to the Grand Duke and left him with the following answer: “You, our pilgrim, and all of Novgorod recognized me as sovereign; and now you want to tell me how to rule you?”)

Boris and Andrei Bolshoi flee to the Lithuanian border in Velikiye Luki. Yaroslavl was encircled and surrendered in 1478. A massacre began in the city, and an epidemic broke out due to the many corpses. When the few surviving Yaroslavl residents began to return to the ashes, Andrei Menshoi continued the massacre. Those who survived were sent into slavery. THE LARGEST Russian city was devastated. However, not for long; Soon residents of Muscovy and Tatars began to move there. Nose historical memory Yaroslavl as an ancient Russian capital was practically finished.

What ELSE do you think should have been done to put an end to Yaroslavl - Veliky Novgorod and the memory of it? Residents were killed and scattered, documents were burned, walls and largest cathedrals destroyed. But there are still graves, not silent evidence of the city’s former greatness. Graves of the GREAT DUKES. They are also destroyed, but not all. The father of the new Grand Duke, Kasim, was buried in Yaroslavl. His son transported his tomb to Moscow, where he was reburied. The tomb has been preserved in the Archangel Cathedral of Moscow - the tomb of the great princes and kings, and is located separately from the others. Under what name is he buried? Under the name of a certain VASILY YAROSLAVICH. How does traditional history explain this? According to her version, we're talking about about Prince Vasily Yaroslavich Borovsky, who died in 1483 in captivity, in which he spent almost thirty years. Why should a prisoner, an enemy, not a member ruling dynasty(on TV he was not even a descendant of Dmitry Donskoy) was given the honor of being buried among the great princes? And for some reason the date of death at his burial is 1462 (and not 1483)! But according to an alternative version, this is the year of the death of Kasim, who was Vasily, that is, the ruler, basileus, and his capital was Yaroslavl. Hence the name: Vasily Yaroslavich.

Probably, much earlier than the capture of Yaroslavl, Andrei the Less also received Princess Sophia, whom he took as his wife. The Tatars practiced taking as wives the widows of their brothers, including those killed by them. And Sophia was his wife cousin Fedor Yurievich.

I don't think she was too worried. In principle, she had been mentally prepared for this for a long time. Sophia was the daughter of Thomas, brother of the last Byzantine emperor. Another brother of the emperor, Dmitry, voluntarily gave his daughter to the seraglio of the Turkish Sultan, going into his service.

According to the traditional version, by 1478 Sophia, the wife of Ivan III, gave birth to three daughters: Elena, Theodosia and... the second Elena. Aren't there too many Elenas? A few years later she gives birth... to a second Theodosia.

In reality, everything is simpler: the first Elena and Feodosia were from her marriage to Fyodor Yuryevich, and she gave birth to the rest of her children from other husbands, because her new husband was destined to not live long. The year 1480 arrived.

Finally we reached the most famous of our ancient sovereigns - Grand Duke John III. He freed us from the power of the Tatars, he returned our fatherland to its former glory, and finally he embodied the great idea of ​​uniting all specific regions under the rule of one sovereign. Having become the Grand Duke in the twenty-second year, the heir of his father Vasily the Dark, John, upon his very accession to the throne, already showed extraordinary firmness, intelligence, and caution in state affairs. In 1464, his first famous deed was: he pacified the proud king of Kazan Ibrahim and, surrounding Kazan with troops, forced him to make peace.

In 1470, a war with Novgorod began and lasted for two years, whose restless inhabitants were still looking for an opportunity to free themselves from the power of the grand dukes. Here you, dear readers, will see a phenomenon hitherto unprecedented in Rus'. The woman decided to be the defender of her homeland - Novgorod - and arrange its fate! This was the ardent, proud, ambitious Martha, the wife of the former mayor Isaac Boretsky and the mother of two adult sons. Her house was the richest in Novgorod; everyone respected her as the widow of the famous mayor; the Grand Duke, as a sign of special favor, granted her eldest son the rank of boyar of Moscow - but all this was not enough for her: she wanted to rule all of Novgorod and, since this was impossible under the rule of the sovereign of Moscow, she began to assure all Novgorodians that they were in vain to consider themselves subjects princes of Moscow, that Novgorod is its own master, that its inhabitants are free people, that they only need a patron, and that this patron should choose not John, but Casimir, King of Poland and Prince of Lithuania. At this time, Martha wanted to marry some Lithuanian nobleman and together with him, on behalf of Casimir, rule her fatherland. However, the intentions of this ambitious woman were not fulfilled, and, although her ambassadors had already gone to Casimir, the Grand Duke came with an army to Novgorod in time and pacified Martha and all her friends who had betrayed Russia. The main traitors, including Martha's eldest son, were executed. John acted leniently with her: he left her as weak woman, without punishment. Other Novgorodians paid 15,500 rubles, or about 80 pounds of silver, for their guilt, and, thanks to the mercy of John, they remained with their former laws, with their rights, with some freedom: the Grand Duke, defending his possessions either from Khan Akhmat, or from the Polish and the Lithuanian king Casimir, could not yet have so many forces and troops to completely destroy the freedom of Novgorod, and prudently postponed this difficult task.

In 1472, an incident happened in Russia that forced everything European states look with curiosity at a distant country unknown to them.

It was the wedding of the Grand Duke, and the truth must be told - it was not so much the groom as the bride that made this wedding remarkable for Europe. This is not surprising. Then Russia was not what it is now. Then its king was still a subject of the Tatars. This alienated foreign princes from kinship with Russian princes and forced our sovereigns to marry princesses from appanage principalities, and then - on their subjects: this custom continued until the time of Peter the Great.

But for John III, in whose fate some extraordinary greatness was noticeable from a very young age, something special was assigned in this case too. Soon after the death of his first wife, Princess Maria Borisovna of Tver, Pope Paul II offered him, through his ambassador, some Greek, the hand of the Greek princess Sophia, daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, brother last emperor, under which Greece was conquered Turkish Sultan Mohammed II. After the ruin of their fatherland, the unfortunate family of Greek kings lived in Rome, where they enjoyed universal respect and patronage of the Pope.

The Pope had a special reason for beneficence to this famous family: fearing that the cruelty and terrible power of Mohammed II would ruin his possessions, he believed that future spouse Princess Sophia, having received along with her hand the right to the throne of Constantinople, will want to free Greece from the power of the Turks and thereby save Italy from its terrible neighbors.

This reason forced the Pope to look for a groom for the princess among famous European sovereigns, and he chose John, who was closest to the Greeks in law. Probably, the Polish and Lithuanian ambassadors and the Greek clergy, who lived in Rome after the ruin of the empire, told the Pope about the glory that the great merits of her young sovereign promised Russia.

John was delighted at the honor offered to him and, together with his mother, the clergy, the boyars and all the people, thought that the famous bride - the last branch of the Greek emperors who had the same faith with the Russians - had been sent to him from God himself. The beautiful portrait, which depicted the intelligent and attractive face of the young princess, further increased John’s joy and gratitude to the Pope.

On January 17, 1472, ambassadors were sent to fetch the bride. They were received with great honors in Rome, and on June 1, the princess in the Church of St. Peter was betrothed to the sovereign of White Russia, whom he represented chief ambassador his. The Pope gave a rich dowry for the princess and sent a legate with her to Russia, i.e. Ambassador, who was entrusted with guarding her during the journey, on June 24, she left Rome with her entire court, arrived in Lübeck on September 1, and then went by ship to Revel. Here she was richly treated Livonian knights, and in Dorpat he was met by the Moscow ambassador with congratulations on behalf of the sovereign and all of Russia.

The first Russian region into which the princess needed to enter was Pskov. If you only knew what turmoil was going on in this area at that time! Everyone was just thinking about how to show their zeal. City rulers prepared gifts, food supplies, honey and wine for the future empress. You know that our ancestors were very hospitable and loved to treat, and therefore do not be surprised that they first of all took care of delicious foods and drinks for the princess. Then they decorated all their ships and boats with multi-colored flags and ribbons: after all, they needed to meet Sophia and then take her on ships along Lake Peipsi, because the borders of Russian possessions began here. They finally waited with admiration for this meeting and showed so much zeal and love that the princess was moved to tears. She spent five days in Pskov with pleasure and, leaving, affectionately said to the residents: “I hasten to my and your sovereign, I thank the boyars and all of Great Pskov for the treat and I am glad, in any case, to ask for you in Moscow.” The Pskovites, bidding farewell to Sophia, gave her fifty rubles as a gift, and ten rubles in money to Ambassador Ioannov.

The princess was greeted with the same joy in all other regions. Finally, on November 12, early in the morning, she entered Moscow. The Metropolitan was waiting for her in the church. Having received his blessing, she went to John’s mother and there she saw her groom for the first time. The wedding was celebrated on the same day.

This is how the alliance of our sovereigns with the Greek emperors took place for the second time. From that time on, John adopted their coat of arms - a double-headed eagle and combined it on his seal with the coat of arms of Moscow.

Notes:

John III was the first to call his state White Russia. The word “white”, in the meaning of eastern languages, means “great”.

That’s right, my readers remember Princess Anna, the wife of St. Vladimir.