Memory. Vasily I

On December 30, 1371, Vasily I, Grand Duke of Moscow, collector of Russian lands, was born.

Personal business

Vasily I Dmitrievich (1371-1425) was the eldest son of Dmitry Donskoy and Suzdal Princess Evdokia. After Khan Tokhtamysh ruined Moscow in 1382, his father sent a ten -year (according to other sources - thirteen -year -old) Vasily to the Golden Horde to represent in a dispute with the Tver Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich (about fifty) for the Vladimir Principality and Novgorod. Mikhail Tokhtamysh did not give a label for a great reign, and Vasily detained himself, demanding 8,000 rubles for him. Having been captured in captivity for about two years, in 1385 the prince was able to flee from the Horde to Moldova, from where, through Lithuania and Poland, accompanied by the Polish-Lithuanian retinue, he returned to Moscow in January 1387.

In Lithuania, during the escape, he was detained by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt. With the condition that Vasily marries his daughter Sofya, Vitovt freed Vasily. The wedding took place only in January 1391.

In May 1389, Dmitry Donskoy died, Vasily, in addition to Moscow, received by will Vladimir, Kolomna, Kostroma and Pereyaslavl.

In 1392, he bought a label in the Horde to the Nizhny Novgorod Principality, as well as to a number of other cities. Nizhny Novgorod was taken by Moscow boyars, the governors of Vasily began to lead the principality. In the same year he entered into an alliance with Lithuania, fearing the attack of the Golden Horde.

In 1395, Tamerlan defeated the troops of the Golden Horde. Using the strife in the Horde, Vasily stopped paying tribute to the Tatars.

In 1403-1404, Vitovt captured Vyazma and Smolensk, which led to cooling between relatives. When in 1405 Vitovt went on a camping on Pskov and captured Kologa, Vasily gathered an army against him. In the spring of 1406, the troops of Vasily and Vitovt met near Tula, but there was no battle, the son -in -law and father -in -law declared a truce until next year.

In 1408, Vitovt captured Odoev, and Vasily in response - the Lithuanian fortress of Dmitrovets, located along the road to Vyazma, near the Ugra River. Once again, the Russian and Lithuanian troops came together, having stood on Ugra for almost half a month, after which they concluded an “eternal world”.

In the same 1408, Edigere - the protege of Tamerlan in the Horde - tried to capture Moscow, he failed to take the capital, but the Horde ruined many cities of the Moscow principality. Vasily was forced to pay tribute again.

In 1412 he went to the Horde to bow to the new khan Jelaledin, the son of Tokhtamysh. Vasily presented rich gifts, Khan approved his reign in Vladimir.

At the end of the reign, Vasily made up with the Novgorodians, abandoning the Bezhetsky top and Volotsky land. In 1419, he appointed the successor to the young son of Vasily. In 1425, dying, he instructed Vitovt to defend the rights of the heir.

Vasily II Dark Strengthened on the Moscow throne for the next eight years.

What is famous

Over the 36 years of the reign of Vasily I, the Principality of Moscow was growing and strengthened. Only in 1408 the Horde forces attacked Moscow, but Edigers could not capture the city. Vasily I attached to Moscow Nizhny Novgorod, Vologda, Bezhetsky Verkh, Murom, Ustyug, laid the cities of Rzhev and Ples.

Complex and contradictory relations associated Vasily with Vitovt. Three times he converged with his father -in -law on the battlefield, and each time the business ended in the world: 1406 near Nakepivna, in 1407 by Vyazma and in 1408 on the banks of Ugra.

What you need to know about

In 1395, Tamerlan, having beaten Tokhtamysh, advanced to Rus' and took possession of Yelets, located 400 km from Moscow. Moscow boyars gathered regiments, Vasily stood at the head of the militia. However, Tamerlan after two weeks unexpectedly retreated, devastating the Ryazan land before that. The retreat was started on August 26 and possibly associated with the approach of autumn. However, according to legend, Tamerlan retreated on the day when the icon of the Mother of God from Vladimir was brought to Moscow.

Direct speech

N. M. Karamzin about the reaction of Vasily to the capture of Vitovt Vyazma and Smolensk: “There is no doubt that Vasily Dimitrievich with a regret saw this new abduction of the Russian treasure and could not be blinded by the caresses of the father -in -law; But it seemed to him prudent to observe the affection of it and the integrity of although the Moscow principality, rather than to expose the death of this only hope of the Fatherland by war with the sovereign of strong, courageous, greedy, glory and to acquisitions. Vasily, cautious, considered, had courage, but only if necessary, when weakness and indecision lead to a clear disaster; He would have fought with Tamerlang, a crusher of empires: but it was still possible to trick with Vitovt, and the Grand Duke himself went to him in Smolensk, where, among the cheerful feasts of external friendliness, they approved the boundaries of his possessions. ”

On the purchase of the Nizhny Novgorod principality (Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron): “Vasily Dmitrievich, knowing the mood of the Nizhny Novgorod boyars, bought a lalyk in Nizhny Novgorod and Suzdal in the Horde. Boris, Prince of Nizhny Novgorod, calling his boyars, said to them: "My gentlemen and brethren, dear squad! Remember the whole kiss, do not give me to my enemies." The boyars swore and the Boyar Rumyan, who, meanwhile, had long started negotiations with Moscow. When the Moscow boyars with the Tatar ambassadors appeared in Nizhny Novgorod, the same boyar blush told Boris: "Mr. Prince! Do not hope for us (for the boyars), we are no longer yours and not with you, but on you." Boris was captured, with his wife and children; Its few good -natures were sent to different cities. Vasily thus acquired, except for Nizhny Novgorod, Gorodets, Meshchera, Mur, Tarus, and after a few years and Suzdal. ”

5 facts about Vasily I:

• The light appeared on us the day before the celebration of the memory of St. Basily of Caesarea, was named in his honor, portrayed the saint in his seals.
• Under Vasily I, the Russians began to be called instead of nicknames by last name, ancient Slavic names began to go out of use. In that era, unsurpassed icon painters appeared in Rus': Semyon Black, Elder Prokhor, Andrey Rublev.
• Under Vasily, Nizhny Novgorod was forever annexed to Moscow possessions.
• In 1408, having devastated significant territories of Rus' during the campaign, the Horde forced Vasily to pay tribute to her again, but did not achieve their main goal - restoring power over the country.
• Under Vasily I, the Annunciation Cathedral was built in the Moscow Kremlin.

Materials about Vasily I:

Prince biography on Wikipedia

Biographies collected at the "chronos"

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