Tver uprising. Punitive expedition against Tver

Alexander Mikhailovich (1301-39) - Grand Duke of Tver from 1326, in the same year he received the label for the great reign of Vladimir; second son of Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich. He fought against the strengthening of the power of Grand Duke Ivan Kalita. During the uprising of the Tver people in 1327 against the Tatar Baskak, Chol Khan (Shevkal, Shelkan) tried to restrain the rebels, but was accused by the khan of conniving with them and deprived of his great reign; Alexander Mikhailovich was forced to flee with his brother Konstantin to Pskov, where he was proclaimed prince. Ivan Kalita moved troops against Pskov. On his instructions, Metropolitan Theognost sent Alexander Mikhailovich and all Pskov residents a curse and “excommunication.” Alexander Mikhailovich fled to Lithuania (1329), and in 1331 returned to Pskov (with the help of Lithuania). In 1337, he regained his title to the reign of Tver in the Golden Horde. According to the chronicle, in 1339 he was summoned to the Horde and killed along with his son Fedor.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 1. AALTONEN – AYANY. 1961.

Alexander Mikhailovich (knee 13). From the family Tver great princes. Son Mikhail Yaroslavich and Rostov princess Anna Dmitrievna.

Born October 7, 1301 Grand Duke Tverskaya in 1325 - 1327, 1337 - 1339. Vel. book Vladimirsky in 1325 - 1327. Book Novgorod in 1325 - 1327 Prince of Pskov in 1328-1337.

After the death of his father, executed in Orde , Alexander traveled to Vladimir in the year and made peace according to the entire will of the Moscow prince Yuri Danilovich . In 1325, when his brother was killed in the Horde Dmitriy , Alexander received from Khan Uzbek a label for a great reign. But he did not manage to retain the royal favor for long. In 1327, the Khan’s ambassador, named Shevkal (Cholkhan), or Shchelkan, as our chronicles call him, came to Tver, cousin Uzbek, and as is the custom of all Tatar ambassadors, he allowed himself and his People all kinds of violence. Suddenly a rumor spread among the people that Shevkal himself wanted to reign in Tver, plant his Tatar princes in other Russian cities, and convert Christians to the Tatar faith. It is difficult to admit that this rumor was founded, but Alexander and the Tver residents wanted to warn him of his intentions and early in the morning, at sunrise, they entered into battle with the Tatars, fought all day and won by the evening. Shevkal rushed to the old courtyard of Prince Mikhail, but Alexander ordered his father’s courtyard to be set on fire, and the Tatars died in the flames; the old Horde merchants and the new ones who came with Shevkal were exterminated, despite the fact that they did not engage in battle with the Russians: some of them were killed, others were drowned, others were burned at the stake. The Uzbek was very angry when he learned about Shevkal’s fate. Moscow prince Ivan Kalita immediately went to the Horde and returned with a 50,000-strong Khan's army. The Tatars burned the cities and villages of the Tver principality, and took the people into captivity. Alexander, having heard about the approach of the Tatars, wanted to flee to Novgorod, but the Novgorodians did not want to expose themselves to danger and accepted the governors Kalita ; then Alexander fled to Pskov, and his brothers found refuge in Ladoga.

IN next year The Uzbek gave the label to Kalita for the great reign, and gave the Tver principality to Alexander's brother, Konstantin. Alexander was ordered to search throughout the Russian land. And so ambassadors from princes of Moscow, Tver, Suzdal and from the Novgorodians to persuade Alexander to go to the Horde to Uzbek. The ambassadors spoke on behalf of their princes: " Tsar Uzbek ordered us all to look for you and send you to him in the Horde; go to him, so that we all do not suffer from him because of you alone; It’s better for you to suffer for everyone than to devastate the whole earth because of you alone". Alexander answered: " Exactly, I should suffer with patience and love for everyone and not take revenge on the crafty seditionists for myself; but it wouldn’t be bad for you to stand for each other and brother for brother and not betray them to the Tatars and all together resist them, defend the Russian land and Orthodox Christianity". Alexander wanted to go to the Horde, but the Pskovites did not allow him, saying: " Do not go, sir, to the Horde; no matter what happens to you, we will die, sir, with you in the same place"Then Kalita came up with the idea of persuading Metropolitan Theognost to curse and excommunicate Prince Alexander and all of Pskov if they did not fulfill the demand of the princes. The remedy worked, Alexander said to the Pskovites: " My brothers and my friends, there will be no curse on you for my sake; I’m leaving your city and I’m taking off the kiss of the cross, just kiss the cross so that you won’t betray my princess"The Pskovites kissed the cross and released Alexander to Lithuania, although his farewell was very bitter for them: then, says the chronicler, there was torment and sadness in Pskov and much rumor about Prince Alexander, who with his kindness and love came to the hearts of the Pskovites.

Alexander spent a year and a half in Lithuania and, when the storm subsided, he returned to his wife in Pskov, whose residents received him with honor and installed him as their ruler. Alexander lived peacefully for ten years in Pskov, but he missed his native Tver. According to the chronicle, Alexander reasoned as follows: " If I die here, what will happen to my children? Everyone knows that I ran away from my principality and died in a foreign land: so my children will be deprived of their principality"In 1336, Alexander sent his son Fyodor to the Horde to find out if it was possible to somehow appease the Khan and, having learned that there was hope for success, in 1337 he himself went to Uzbek." “I have done a lot of harm to you,” he said to the khan, “but now I have come to accept death or life from you, being ready for everything that God will tell you.”". The Uzbek said to those around him: " Prince Alexander, with humble wisdom, saved himself from death" - and ordered him to take the Tver table. Prince Konstantin Mikhailovich, willy-nilly, ceded the principality to his elder brother.

But the return of Alexander served as a sign for the resumption of the struggle between Moscow and Tver: the news soon appears in the chronicles that the Tver prince could not get along with the Moscow prince, and they did not make peace with each other. Alexander also could not get along with his own boyars, and many of them were transferred Kalite . The dispute could only end with the death of one of the rivals, and Kalita decided to warn the enemy: in 1339 he went to Ordu , and after that Alexander received an order to appear there. Alexander already knew that someone had slandered him in front of the khan, who was again very angry with him, and therefore sent his son Fyodor ahead of him, and he himself went after him at a new call from the Horde. Fyodor Alexandrovich met his father and told him that things were going badly. After living in the Horde for a month, Alexander learned from the Tatars, his friends, that his fate was decided. The Uzbek determined his death and set the day of execution. On this day, October 29, Alexander got up early, prayed and, seeing that time was passing, sent to the Khansha for news, got on his horse and rode through his friends to find out about his fate, but everywhere there was one answer that it was decided, that he must wait on this very day of death; At home he was met by an ambassador from the khansha with the same news: Alexander began to say goodbye to his son and the boyars, made orders about his principality, confessed, took communion, his son Fedor and the boyars did the same, because none of them thought of staying alive. They didn’t wait long after that: the guards came in crying and announced the approach of the killers. Alexander himself came out to meet them - and was dismembered at the joints along with his son. Their remains were buried in Tver, in the Church of the Holy Savior.

All the monarchs of the world. Russia. 600 short biographies. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999.

Alexander Mikhailovich (7.10.1301-29.10.1339), Prince of Tver. In 1318, his father Mikhail Yaroslavich, going to the Horde, divided his estate between him and his older brother, Dmitry Groznye Ochi. The first years of Alexander Mikhailovich's reign were spent in the struggle with Yuri Danilovich; Alexander Mikhailovich was a loyal ally and assistant to his brother. In 1323, Dmitry and Yuri were in the Horde awaiting the khan's trial. Alexander also arrived there. Dmitry, without waiting for trial, killed Yuri in 1324. Although the khan was angry with Tver princes, “calling them seditious and contrary and military to themselves,” but did not immediately punish Dmitry (killed in 1325), and released Alexander from the Horde and gave him a label for the reign of Vladimir (1325). Alexander Mikhailovich stayed only two years Grand Duke, living in Tver, and not in Vladimir. In 1327, the Khan's ambassador, Chol-Khan, according to the chronicle Shevkal, came to Tver and settled in the grand-ducal palace. The Tatars “by violence, and plunder, and beating and desecration” brought the Tver people out of patience. The people rebelled, although the prince pacified the worried ones, burned Shevkal in the palace and killed the Tatars. Ivan Kalita with a 50,000-strong Tatar army was sent to punish the Tver people and Alexander Mikhailovich. The Tver principality was devastated, Kalita received the grand duchy, and Konstantin, the brother of Alexander Mikhailovich, was imprisoned in devastated Tver, the latter fled to Novgorod. The Novgorodians, fearing the Tatars, did not accept the fugitive; Alexander Mikhailovich finally found refuge in Pskov, which competed with Novgorod. Khan demanded that Alexander come to the Horde; he did not go, and the Pskovites stood by him like a mountain. However, excommunication from the Church imposed by the Metropolitan forced Alexander to retire to Lithuania, where he stayed for approx. a year and a half, and then returned to Pskov again, nevertheless deciding to appear in the Horde and take care of his affairs. For this purpose, Alexander Mikhailovich went to the Horde in 1337, humbly repented to the khan of the evil that he had inflicted on him, and placed himself in his hands. Khan liked such speeches, and Alexander Mikhailovich in the Horde appeased many with gifts. The following year, the prince returned to Tver and continued the fight against the people he hated. book Ivan Kalita. Strife was resolved, however, not by open struggle, but by intrigue in the Horde. Vel arrived to the khan. the prince with his sons, Semyon and Ivan, but Alexander Mikhailovich did not go, but “sent his son Avdul as ambassador to the Horde,” where “he did not finish with the Grand Duke Ivan Danilovich and did not make peace.” Kalita tried in every possible way to destroy Alexander Mikhailovich, because he was afraid that he would take away the grand-ducal table from him. The slander was heard by the khan, and he demanded that the Tver prince come to the Horde. In 1339 he went and in October. 1339, together with his son Fedor, he was killed, “taking them apart in trains.” The bodies of both princes were brought to Tver and buried in the Church of the Transfiguration.

Site materials used Great encyclopedia Russian people - http://www.rusinst.ru

ALEXANDER MIKHAILOVICH (1301 - 1339) - leader. prince of Tver and Vladimir from 1325. In 1327, the Tatar ambassador Chol-khan (Shevkal, Shchelkan) “by violence, plunder, and beating” brought the people of Tver to an uprising and was killed. Ivan Kalita used the moment for internecine struggle and led the army to Tver. Alexander fled to Pskov. In 1329, the Tatar Khan demanded his extradition, but the townspeople promised Alexander that “we will lay down all our lives for you.” Metropolitan Theognost's threat to excommunicate the Pskovites forced Alexander to flee to Lithuania. In 1337 he returned to the Horde with humility and again received the principality (1338). The struggle for the great reign between Ivan Kalita and Alexander ended with the summoning of the Tver prince to the Horde, where he and his son Fedor were killed. Servants took their bodies to Tver, where they were buried.

Book materials used: Shikman A.P. Figures national history. Biographical reference book. Moscow, 1997

Death of the Prince

Two brutal - and almost identical in form - executions that took place with an interval of 70 years: in 1269. Ryazan prince Roman Olgovich, and in 1339 the Tver prince Alexander Mikhailovich and his son Fyodor Tatars “rozoimash in composition”.

On October 28, 1339, “I killed Prince Alexander Mikhailovich and his son Theodore in the Tatar Horde by order of the godless Tsar Ozbyak, and called upon him with flattery, saying: “This is how I want to reward you.” She listened to the filthy flattering words, and when she came, she was quickly killed and destroyed by their composition.” The Tver chronicles give a slightly different, more full version: Alexander “sees Cherkas [a], going straight to his tower, and with him the Tatars, and jump out against him. Ini, unkindness seized him and took him back and tore off his ports, and placed him in front of Tovluub, naked and tied up. To the lawless one, standing on a horse and with him many Tatars, let out a cursed voice: “Kill and.” They killed both Prince Alexander and his son Prince Theodore without mercy, and threw them to the ground, cutting off their heads.”

Notes

[i] Russian Chronicles; reprints carried out by the Ryazan publisher A.I. Tsepkov. T. 8. Moscow chronicle code of the end of the 15th century. Ryazan, 2000. P. 235.

It was correct - “eat”.

Complete collection Russian chronicles. T. 15. Issue 1. Stb. 50; Issue 2. Stb. 420.

Book materials used: Zhuravel A.V. . Books 1 and 2. M., "Russian Panorama", 2010. p. 257.

Literature:

Cherepnin L.V. Russian education centralized state in the XIV - XV centuries. M., 1960. S. 475 - 508.

Years of life: 1301-1339
Reign: 1326-1327
Grand Duke of Tver (1326-1327; 1338-1339)
Grand Duke of Vladimir (1326-1327)
Prince of Pskov (1327-1337, with interruptions).

Second son of Grand Duke Mikhail Yaroslavich Saint and Anna Kashinskaya, brother of Dmitry Groznye Ochi, Konstantin and Vasily Mikhailovich.

Born in 1301. He received Kholm and Mikulin as an inheritance from his father.
It is known primarily for the fact that under Alexander Mikhailovich the Tver uprising against Shchelkan Dudentievich took place (1327).

On November 22, 1318, after the terrible death of Saint Michael Yaroslavich in the Horde (due to the slanderous slander of Yuri of Moscow), his son Alexander first entered the political arena at the conclusion of peace with Yuri.

In 1322, Alexander Mikhailovich helped his older brother Dmitry the Terrible Eyes obtain a great reign. According to the peace of 1321, Yuri received 2000 rubles from Tver for the khan, but did not transfer them to him. Dmitry went to the Horde with a complaint; Yuri hurried after him to justify himself, but Alexander attacked Yuri on the way and took his money. Yuri fled to Pskov, and Dmitry, Alexander's brother, received a great reign.

In 1324, Yuri again went to the Horde with a complaint against his brothers - the Tver princes. Dmitry caught up with him and killed him on the eve of the death of his father Mikhail Yaroslavich, thus “taking revenge on my father’s blood.” Such an act did not go unpunished, especially since Yuri was the khan’s son-in-law. Alexander used all the skill of a diplomat to save his brother’s life and the Tver principality from destruction. However, Khan Uzbek, after a year of hesitation, still killed Dmitry on September 15, 1326, and gave the label for the reign of Vladimir to Alexander.

Such an act on the part of the khan was unexpected. The Khan considered the Tver princes to be seditious. And Alexander’s openness and directness did not give him a chance of receiving a princely label.

Alexander did not have to be the Grand Duke for long. According to the custom of that time, he began to live not in Vladimir, but in the city of Tver. The Tatars also came there with him. The Tver land had already suffered 2 Tatar devastation one after another (attack of Kavgadiy under Mikhail in 1317, Tayanchar under Dmitry in 1321). The people were burdened by the Tatars and could barely contain their anger.

At first everything went well, but at the end of the summer of 1327, Ambassador Shevkal (Cholkhan or Shchelkan), a cousin of Khan Uzbek, came to Tver from the Horde. He drove Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich out of his courtyard and occupied it with his retinue, beginning “to inflict a great persecution against Christians by violence, and plunder, and beating, and desecration.”

A rumor began to spread among the robbed people that Shevkal wanted to kill the prince, would take his place and introduce Mohammedanism. They said that this would happen on the Feast of the Assumption. It is unlikely that the rumors had any basis, since Shchelkan did not have such a large army, and such actions were not characteristic of the Horde. But the spark was enough to spark an uprising. On August 15, Deacon Dudko led the mare to water, and the Tatars began to take her from him. An angry crowd of Tver residents came to the aid of the deacon. They killed the Tatars along with Shevkal, not even sparing the Horde merchants.

These were taken advantage of by Ivan Kalita, from Moscow, brother of the murdered Yuri. He quickly went to the Horde before Alexander Mikhailovich had time to justify himself to the khan. The angry khan ordered to give Ivan 50,000 Tatar troops to punish the inhabitants of Tver.

Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy fled to Novgorod, but he was accepted out of fear of the Tatars, and he headed to Pskov. The Pskovites, who sought to separate themselves from Novgorod, gladly recognized Alexander as their prince.

Karamzin calls Alexander cowardly because he did not die in a glorious battle for the Russian people or did not surrender to the Tatars in order to save his loyal subjects from the Tatar pogrom. But many historians believe that the devastated Tver could not resist the Tatar force, which united with the Moscow and Suzdal militia. This army was also joined by the forces of Alexander Vasilyevich Suzdal.

Alexander could not surrender, as this would be an insult to popular sentiment. In the folk historical song "About Shchelkan Dudenchyevich", the people attribute to the princes actions that were in agreement with the actions of the people. Also in their song, the people hid the horrors of ruin, satisfying themselves with a feeling of revenge, attributing this feeling to the princes.

For a whole half century, the Tver region bore traces of the pogrom of Ivan Kalita.

After Alexander fled to Pskov, and his brothers Konstantin and Vasily fled to Ladoga, the Russian lands were left without protection. A terrible disaster has begun. The cities of Tver, Torzhok, Kashin were taken and devastated, many residents were killed and captured. Ivan Kalita became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, Konstantin Mikhailovich - the Prince of Tver.

For about 10 years, Alexander Mikhailovich lived in Pskov, whose residents loved him, but the Pskovites did not have enough strength to fight for the grand ducal table. In addition, in the event of an uprising, Novgorod could pacify the rebellious city and annex it again. Alexander Mikhailovich was patronized Lithuanian prince Gediminas, but he was also afraid to get involved with the khan.

Boris Artemyevich Chorikov. Prince Alexander Mikhailovich in Pskov
19th century

In 1329, Kalita came to Novgorod and, in fulfillment of the khan’s will, demanded Alexander to present him to the Horde. The Novgorod ruler Moses convinced Prince Alexander to go to the Horde voluntarily so as “not to let Christians perish to the filthy.” To which Alexander replied: “Exactly, I should suffer with patience and love for everyone and not take revenge on the crafty seditionists; but it would not be bad for you (princes) to stand up for each other and brother for brother, and not hand over to the Tatars and to everyone.” "to resist them together, to defend the Russian land and Orthodox Christianity. You do the opposite and lead the Tatars against Christians and betray your brothers to the Tatars." But, wanting to save the Russian lands from ruin, he agreed to go to the Horde, but the Pskovites did not let him in. Metropolitan Theognostus, on the instructions of Kalita, excommunicated them from the church and cursed them.

Alexander Mikhailovich, not wanting the residents of Pskov to suffer because of him, went to Lithuania. Pskov voluntarily submitted to all the demands of Moscow, and the Metropolitan lifted the curse and excommunication from him. Kalita sent a denunciation to the khan that the enemy had fled. After living for one and a half years in Lithuania, Alexander was again accepted by the Pskovites to reign, under the patronage of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. But Alexander constantly thought about his children, who could lose their princely power because of his behavior.

In 1335, Alexander sent his son Theodore to the Horde to find out if there was hope for forgiveness. In 1337, having received a favorable answer, Prince Alexander Mikhailovich, with the blessing of Metropolitan Theognost, went to bow to the khan with the boyars and told him: “I did a lot of harm to you, but now I have come to you to accept from you either life or death, which God will put it on your soul." The Uzbek, pleased with such humility, returned Tver to him.

Soon, Alexander Mikhailovich’s wife and children came from Pskov. They all hoped to return the former glory and power to the Tver principality.

The return of Alexander was a blow for Kalita, as it threatened a new struggle for the great reign. Most likely, that’s why Uzbek gave Tver to Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy, because he wanted to keep Kalita at bay: Tver, despite its decadent state, was then the only rival of Moscow. The Tver princes did not have cunning and resourcefulness, so they lost the fight for championship to Kalita.

Alexander Mikhailovich, having arrived in Tver after a ten-year exile, immediately did not get along with the Moscow prince Kalita, because he did not want to obey him. Kalita himself went to the Horde and ensured that the khan summoned Alexander to him and ordered him to be killed, along with his son, Theodore, on October 29, 1339. The bodies of the princes were brought to Tver and buried in the Spassky Cathedral. Tver remained with Konstantin Mikhailovich.

Alexander Mikhailovich was married to Anastasia (d. 1364).

They had eight children:

Leo (died in childhood);
Fedor (executed in 1339 in the Horde along with his father). He is also known for the fact that he cursed the son of Ivan Kalita, Simeon the Proud (the curse came true - Simeon had no heirs);
Mikhail (1333-1399), Grand Duke of Tver in 1368-1399;
Vsevolod (d. 1364), Prince of Kholmsky, Grand Duke of Tver in 1346-1349;
Vladimir (d. 1364);
Andrey (d. 1364), Prince Zubtsovsky;
Maria, 3rd wife of Simeon the Proud (married in secret, since Metropolitan Theognostus did not consent to this marriage);
Ulyana (d. 1392), wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd.
Princess Anastasia, Vladimir, Vsevolod and Andrey died in 1364 from the plague, which destroyed most Tver princely house.

***

History of Russian Goverment

Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy

Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy

Alexander Mikhailovich (1301 - 1339) - son of Saint Mikhail Yaroslavich and Anna Kashinskaya, brother of Dmitry the Terrible Eyes, Konstantin and Vasily Mikhailovich.

Before his accession to the Vladimir throne

In 1318, the Grand Duke of Tver Mikhail Yaroslavich, going to the Horde, divided his estate between Alexander and his older brother, Dmitry the Terrible Eyes. After the death of his father, who was executed in the Horde, Alexander traveled to Vladimir in 1320 and made peace according to the will of Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich. The first years of Alexander Mikhailovich's reign were spent in the struggle with Yuri Danilovich; Alexander Mikhailovich was a loyal ally and assistant to his brother. In 1323, Dmitry and Yuri were in the Horde awaiting the khan's trial. Alexander also arrived there. Here, on November 21, 1325, Dmitry Tverskoy in anger killed Yuri of Moscow during a meeting.
On September 15, 1326, Alexander Mikhailovich’s elder brother, Dmitry Groznye Ochi, was executed in the Horde. Uzbek Khan, despite this, gave the label for grand-ducal rule to Tver. The eldest in the family of Tver princes was Alexander Mikhailovich.

Grand Duke of Tver: 1326 - 1327
Grand Duke of Vladimir: 1326 - 1327

Tver uprising 1327

At first everything went well, but at the end of the summer of 1327, the Khan’s ambassador Shevkal (Cholkhan or Shchelkan), Uzbek’s cousin, arrived in Tver with a large retinue. He settled in the princely palace, expelling Alexander from there, after which he “created a great persecution of Christians - violence, robbery, beating and desecration.” There was even a rumor (in itself fantastic, but characteristic of the state of mind) that Shchelkan was going to kill the princes and sit on the Tver throne himself, and convert the Russian people to Islam; supposedly this was supposed to happen on the Feast of the Assumption. According to the chronicle story, the people of Tver turned to Alexander, offering to deal with the Tatars, but he persuaded them to “endure.”
However, on August 15, an uprising broke out spontaneously, which began with an attempt by the Tatars from Cholkhan’s retinue to take away the mare from a certain deacon Dudko; The indignant people stood up for the deacon, after which they rushed to smash the Tatars throughout the city. Cholkhan and his retinue tried to defend themselves in his residence, the princely palace, and were burned alive along with the palace; All the Tatars who were in Tver were killed, including the “besermen” - Horde merchants. Some chronicles (outside Tver) show Alexander as the initiator of the uprising, however, according to some historians, Alexander could not have been the initiator of the clearly suicidal uprising. Nevertheless, he, probably sympathizing with the sentiments of the people, did not take measures to calm the rebels.

Punitive expedition against Tver

Khan Uzbek immediately organized a punitive expedition against Tver. He summoned Ivan Kalita, the Moscow prince - Tver's longtime rival in the struggle for the Vladimir grand-ducal table. The Uzbek promised to make Ivan the Grand Duke, gave him 50,000 soldiers under the command of five temniks and ordered him to go against Alexander Mikhailovich. This army was also joined by the forces of Alexander Vasilyevich Suzdal. In Rus', this campaign became known as “Fedorchuk’s army”, named after the Tatar commander Fedorchuk (a Christian).
Alexander Mikhailovich wanted to flee from Tver to Novgorod, but Moscow governors were already heading there. Seeing that he was approaching Tver, Alexander Mikhailovich left for Pskov, and his brothers Konstantin and Vasily went to Ladoga. Russian land was left without protection:
The disaster has begun. Tver, Kashin, Torzhok were taken and devastated with all their suburbs; the inhabitants were exterminated by fire and sword, others were taken into captivity. The Novogorodians themselves barely escaped from the rapacity of the Mughals, giving their ambassadors 1000 rubles and generously gifting all the Uzbek Governors...
Alexander Vasilievich became Prince of Vladimir, Ivan Danilovich - Novgorod, Konstantin Mikhailovich - Tver. Alexander was ordered to search throughout the Russian land.

In exile

Alexander Mikhailovich in Pskov

Alexander Mikhailovich lived in Pskov for about ten years. They loved him there, but the Pskovites did not have enough strength to fight for the throne. Moreover, in the event of an uprising, Novgorod could pacify the rebellious city and annex it back to itself. Alexander was patronized by the Lithuanian prince Gediminas, but he was also wary of getting involved with the khan. And so ambassadors from the princes of Moscow, Tver, Suzdal and the Novgorodians came to Pskov to persuade Alexander to go to the Horde to Uzbek. The ambassadors spoke on behalf of their princes:
“Tsar Uzbek ordered us all to look for you and send you to him in the Horde; go to him, so that we all do not suffer from him because of you alone; It’s better for you to suffer for everyone than for everyone to devastate the whole earth because of you alone.”
Alexander answered:
“Exactly, I should suffer with patience and love for everyone and not take revenge on the crafty seditionists for myself; but it wouldn’t be bad for you to stand for each other and brother for brother and not betray the Tatars and all together resist them, defend the Russian land and Orthodox Christianity.”
Alexander wanted to go to the Horde, but the Pskovites did not allow him, saying:
“Do not go, sir, to the Horde; no matter what happens to you, we will die, sir, with you in the same place.”
Then he came up with the idea of persuading Prince Alexander and all of Pskov to be cursed and excommunicated if they did not comply with the demands of the princes. The remedy worked, Alexander said to the Pskovites:
“My brothers and my friends, there will be no curse on you for my sake; I’m leaving your city and I’m taking off the kiss of the cross, just kiss the cross so that you won’t betray my princess.”
The Pskovites kissed the cross and released Alexander to Lithuania, although his farewell was very bitter for them: then, says the chronicler, “there was torment and sadness in Pskov and much rumor about Prince Alexander, who with his kindness and love came to the hearts of the Pskovites.”
Alexander spent a year and a half in Lithuania and, when the storm subsided, he returned to his wife in Pskov, whose residents received him with honor and installed him as their ruler. Alexander lived peacefully for ten years in Pskov, but he missed his native Tver. According to the chronicle, Alexander reasoned like this: “If I die here, what will happen to my children? Everyone knows that I ran away from my principality and died in a foreign land: so my children will be deprived of their principality.”

Grand Duke of Tver: 1338 - 1339
In 1336, Alexander sent his son Fyodor to the Horde to find out if it was possible to somehow appease the khan. Fedor returned from the Horde with Tatar ambassador to Rus'. Khan forgave Alexander, and he decided to personally go to Uzbek. He went there with the boyars.
“Supreme King! - he said to Khan with an air of humility, but without timidity and cowardice: - I deserve your anger and I entrust my fate to you. Act according to the inspiration of Heaven and your own heart. Have mercy or execution: in the first case, I will glorify God and your mercy. Do you want my head? She is before you”… “I have done a lot of harm to you,” he told the khan, “but now I have come to accept death or life from you, being ready for everything that God will tell you.” The Uzbek said to those around him: “Prince Alexander, with humble wisdom, saved himself from death” - and ordered him to take the Tver table. Prince Konstantin Mikhailovich, willy-nilly, ceded the principality to his elder brother.
The Uzbek pardoned him and returned the Tver reign to Alexander. Konstantin Mikhailovich did not resist the will of the khan: it corresponded to the “ladder” principle of inheritance and was welcomed by the residents of Tver. Soon, Alexander’s wife and children came from Pskov. They all hoped to exalt again.
At the same time, Vasily Yaroslavsky, seeing the new rise of Tver, turned to Alexander for protection from Ivan Kalita, who was autocratic in many territories that did not belong to Moscow. At the same time, the Tver boyars, dissatisfied with the new ruler, moved to Ivan.
The Moscow prince decided to act not by force, but by conviction. Together with his two sons Simeon and Ivan, he went to Uzbek and completely gained his trust. Ivan Kalita denigrated the Tver prince in front of the khan, describing him as a staunch opponent of the Tatars. The Uzbek immediately called Alexander Mikhailovich, Vasily Yaroslavsky and others appanage princes, promising them great favors. Kalita hastily left for Moscow.
Alexander was suspicious of the khan’s call and decided to send his son Fedor to the Horde in advance, but he soon received a second invitation and was forced to go there himself. Roman Mikhailovich Belozersky and Vasily Davydovich Yaroslavsky went with him. Knowing that the latter would complain about him, Ivan Kalita sent a detachment of 500 soldiers to intercept Vasily on the way, but Yaroslavl prince reflected them.
In the Horde, Alexander met his son Fyodor, who dissuaded him from going to the khan, but nevertheless, despite these persuasion, he went to Uzbek. They were accepted. Passed whole month expectations. Some Tatars close to Uzbek, including his wife, stood up for Alexander. Finally, the sons of Ivan Kalita arrived in the Horde, which resolved the khan’s doubts: Uzbek announced that Alexander must die. He was executed along with Fedor:
...having learned that his execution was inevitable, Alexander Mikhailovich returned home, together with his son he received the Holy Mysteries, hugged his faithful servants and cheerfully went out to meet the murderers, who, having cut off the heads of him and young Theodore, separated them by composition...

Their torn bodies were brought to Vladimir, where Metropolitan Theognost performed a funeral service for them, and then buried in Tver. The bodies of the princes were brought to Tver, where they were buried in the Spassky Cathedral. Tver remained with Konstantin Mikhailovich.
Subsequently, Alexander Mikhailovich and his son Fedor were canonized Orthodox Church in the face of the Holy Martyrs.

Ivan Kalita extended his influence to

In the 14th century, Moscow disputed its dominance over northeastern Russia with Tver. Political intrigue and military alliances became an integral part of the struggle between the two cities. And Moscow's superiority was not obvious.

Political situation

In the 14th century, Rus' began to gradually recover from the Tatar pogrom, while at the same time demonstrating a desire for centralization appanage principalities. The most significant fact at this time was the growth of the economic and political power of the northeastern cities. But if the old centers - Suzdal, Vladimir, Rostov, destroyed by the hordes of Batu, lost their former significance, then Pereslavl-Zalessky, thanks to its favorable location and natural resources, on the contrary, has entered its heyday. Also in mid-XIII century, Moscow and Tver moved out of the vast Pereslavl region into independent possessions, and in early XIV centuries, these cities have already acted as the main political and economic force northeastern Rus'. It should also be noted the role of the Horde, which, on the one hand, sought to infringe on the rights of the Moscow and Tver princes, and on the other, to promote the centralization of grand-ducal power, which would ensure a reliable and uninterrupted flow of income into the Horde treasury and would keep them in check Russian population. The struggle for power The stubborn and protracted struggle between Moscow and Tver began in 1304 with the death of Grand Duke Andrei Alexandrovich.

There were two contenders for the vacant grand-ducal throne: Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tver and Prince Yuri Danilovich of Moscow. The dispute over the reign was resolved in the Horde in favor of Mikhail Yaroslavich, who received lands into his patrimony Principality of Vladimir. However, the confrontation with a determined Moscow promised to be difficult. The fight broke out in 1313. Having secured the support of Novgorod, Suzdal, Kostroma, Pereslavl and won the trust of the Horde Khan Uzbek, Yuri Danilovich launched a campaign against the Tver Principality. Together with the Suzdalians and the detachments of Kavgady, he began to devastate the left-bank part of the Tver principality, while, according to the chronicler, “he did a lot of evil to Christians.” However, the invasion by coalition forces was ultimately unsuccessful. Tver held out, Yuri was defeated in the decisive Battle of Bortenev, and his wife Konchaka, as well as his brothers Boris and Afanasy, were captured. Death of Mikhail Having failed to subjugate Tver in a fair fight, the Moscow prince resorted to cunning. “Instructed by the devil” Yuri tried to discredit Mikhail in front of Uzbek Khan, accusing him of collecting a lot of tribute from the cities and wanting to go “to Nemtsi”, but not going to the Horde. On December 6, 1317, Mikhail Yaroslavich nevertheless arrived in the Horde, and Uzbek ordered his “radians” to judge him. According to the chronicler, they, “having slandered him to the lawless Tsar Ozbyak,” declared that Mikhail was worthy of death. After a month of torment and torture, the Tver prince was killed. In the Nikon Chronicle you can read some details of the Horde trial of Michael. In particular, it lists such accusations as disobedience to the khan, insulting his ambassadors, an attempt to poison “Princess Yuryeva,” and even the prince’s intention to leave for Rome with the treasury. Turning point The next round of confrontation between Tver and Moscow occurred in 1326, when the Tver prince Alexander Mikhailovich received a label from the Uzbek Khan for the great reign of Vladimir. In 1327, Uzbek’s nephew Chol Khan (popularly Shchelkan) arrived in Tver with an impressive army, apparently intending to seriously and permanently settle in Rus'.

Historians suggest that, having established order within his possessions, Uzbek did not want to put up with the willfulness of the Russian princes and decided through confidant take the center of Russian lands under your direct control. However, relations between the Tatars and the Russian population of Tver did not work out: conflicts on everyday grounds arose over and over again. One of them ended with a spontaneous uprising breaking out on August 15, 1327, during which the indignant people began to smash foreigners throughout the city. Chol Khan and his retinue hid in the princely palace, but this did not help: the khan was burned alive along with the palace, and all the Tatars in Tver, including the Horde merchants, were killed. Some sources, in particular Nikon Chronicle, as well as modern historians point to Prince Alexander as the instigator of the uprising. It is difficult to establish this for certain. One thing is clear: the prince did not take any measures to calm the crowd. However, was this suicidal rebellion in the prince’s interests? The response to the uprising was a punitive expedition led by five Horde temniks, in which the Moscow prince Ivan Kalita, a longtime rival of Tver in the struggle for the Vladimir grand-ducal table, also took part. The situation could not have been better suited for Moscow to assert its dominance in Rus'. It was then, according to some researchers, that the new Grand Duke Ivan Kalita received the famous Monomakh cap from the hands of Uzbek, as a symbol of the union of Moscow and the Horde. last fight The uprising significantly undermined the power of Tver and changed the political balance in northeast Rus' in favor of Moscow. For many decades, the Moscow-Tver confrontation entered a hidden phase. WITH new strength political struggle between Moscow and Tver flared up in the late 1360s. This time Lithuania intervened in the confrontation.

After the great Moscow fire, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich (the future Donskoy) laid the foundation for the stone Kremlin and demanded that “the Russian princes begin to be brought to their will, and whoever began to disobey their will, they began to encroach on you with malice.” Tver in Once again did not submit to Moscow, and the Tver prince Mikhail Alexandrovich went to Lithuania for support from his son-in-law, the Lithuanian prince Olgerd, to “force and teach” him to go to Moscow. In the Tver Chronicle, the actions of the prince, who more than once “led” the Lithuanians to Rus', were explained solely by the need to defend against the Moscow onslaught. Olgerd willingly responded to the proposal of the Tver prince and, having rather quickly defeated the Moscow border troops, found himself at the walls of the city. The siege of Moscow lasted for eight days, but the stone Kremlin successfully withstood the onslaught of the Lithuanians. Having plundered the Moscow borders, Olgerd left for Lithuania with nothing. However, fearing the response of the united Russian forces, the Lithuanian prince hastened to make peace with Dmitry. Mikhail was also obliged to make peace with Moscow, but instead, in 1371, he went to the Horde, from where he returned with a label for the great reign. However, the Tatars could no longer influence the internal affairs of the Russian principalities: the new political force- residents of the Vladimir lands - opposed to seeing Mikhail as the Grand Duke. In 1375, Dmitry Ivanovich, calling on the Novgorodians for help, surrounded Tver and took the city. Thus ended the dispute between Moscow and Tver for dominance in Rus' that had lasted for several generations.

However, then not just the conflict between two principalities was resolved, but the prerequisites for the creation of a single centralized state with the capital in Moscow were formed, which took on real shape almost 100 years later - with the accession to the throne of Ivan III. Plague The work of destroying the family of Tver princes, begun by the Tatars and Moscow princes, was continued by the plague. In 1364-65, a pestilence raged in Rus', killing off representatives of many princely families: Moscow, Rostov, Suzdal. But it was the Tver rulers who suffered the most losses. Within a few months, Semyon Konstantinovich, Vsevolod, Andrei and Vladimir Alexandrovich died. Another wave of plague Tver Principality swept through half a century. In one year, 1425, three generations of rulers changed here: princes Ivan Mikhailovich, Alexander Ivanovich and Yuri Alexandrovich, grandfather, father and son, died in turn.

1301 - 1339

Grand Duke of Tver (1326-1327; 1338-1339) and Grand Duke of Vladimir (1326-1327). Son of Mikhail Yaroslavich Saint and Anna Kashinskaya, brother of Dmitry Groznye Ochi, Konstantin and Vasily Mikhailovich. He is known primarily for the fact that during his time the Tver uprising against Shchelkan took place (1327). Executed in the Horde along with his son Fedor.

Before his accession to the Vladimir throne

In 1318, the Grand Duke of Tver Mikhail Yaroslavich, going to the Horde, divided his estate between Alexander and his older brother, Dmitry Groznye Ochi. After the death of his father, who was executed in the Horde, Alexander traveled to Vladimir in 1320 and made peace according to the will of Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich. The first years of Alexander Mikhailovich's reign were spent in the struggle with Yuri Danilovich; Alexander Mikhailovich was a loyal ally and assistant to his brother. In 1323, Dmitry and Yuri were in the Horde awaiting the khan's trial. Alexander also arrived there. Here, on November 21, 1325, Dmitry Tverskoy in anger killed Yuri of Moscow during a meeting.

First reign of Tver (1326-1327)

On September 15, 1326, Alexander Mikhailovich’s elder brother, Dmitry Groznye Ochi, was executed in the Horde. Khan Uzbek, despite this, gave the label to the grand ducal rule in Tver. The eldest in the family of Tver princes was Alexander Mikhailovich.

Tver uprising of 1327

However, on August 15, an uprising broke out spontaneously, which began with an attempt by the Tatars from Cholkhan’s retinue to take away the mare from a certain deacon Dudko; The indignant people stood up for the deacon, after which they rushed to smash the Tatars throughout the city. Cholkhan and his retinue tried to defend themselves in his residence, the princely palace, and were burned alive along with the palace; All the Tatars who were in Tver were killed, including the “besermen” - Horde merchants. Some chronicles (outside Tver) show Alexander as the initiator of the uprising; but according to modern historians, Alexander could not possibly have been the initiator of an obviously suicidal uprising; however, he took no measures to calm the crowd.

Punitive expedition against Tver

Alexander Mikhailovich wanted to flee from Tver to Novgorod, but Moscow governors were already heading there. Seeing that, Alexander Mikhailovich left for Pskov, and his brothers Konstantin and Vasily went to Ladoga. Russian land was left without protection:

The disaster has begun. Tver, Kashin, Torzhok were taken and devastated with all their suburbs; the inhabitants were exterminated by fire and sword, others were taken into captivity. The Novogorodians themselves barely escaped from the rapacity of the Mughals, giving their ambassadors 1000 rubles and generously gifting all the Uzbek Governors...

Alexander Vasilyevich became the prince of Vladimir, Ivan Danilovich - the prince of Novgorod, Konstantin Mikhailovich - the prince of Tver. Alexander was ordered to search throughout the Russian land.