Temple built by Princess Sophia. Sofia Paleolog: truth and film fiction about the Grand Duchess
This woman was credited with many important state deeds. Why is Sophia Paleolog so distinguished? Interesting facts about her, as well as biographical information are collected in this article.
Cardinal's Proposal
In February 1469, the ambassador of Cardinal Vissarion arrived in Moscow. He handed over a letter to the Grand Duke with a proposal to marry Sophia, the daughter of Theodore I, Despot of Morea. By the way, this letter also said that Sophia Paleolog (real name - Zoya, they decided to replace it with an Orthodox one for diplomatic reasons) had already refused two crowned suitors who were wooing her. They were the Duke of Milan and the French king. The fact is that Sophia did not want to marry a Catholic.
Sophia Palaiologos (of course, her photo cannot be found, but the portraits are presented in the article), according to the ideas of that distant time, she was no longer young. However, she was still quite attractive. She had expressive, amazingly beautiful eyes, as well as matte delicate skin, which was considered in Russia a sign of excellent health. In addition, the bride was distinguished by her article and a sharp mind.
Who is Sofia Fominichna Paleolog?
Sofia Fominichna is the niece of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last emperor of Byzantium. Since 1472, she was the wife of Ivan III Vasilyevich. Her father was Thomas Palaiologos, who fled to Rome with his family after the Turks captured Constantinople. Sophia Paleolog lived after the death of her father in the care of the great pope. For a number of reasons, he wished to marry her to Ivan III, who was widowed in 1467. He answered yes.
Sofia Paleolog gave birth to a son in 1479, who later became Vasily III Ivanovich. In addition, she achieved the announcement of Vasily the Grand Duke, whose place was to be taken by Dmitry, the grandson of Ivan III, who was crowned king. Ivan III used his marriage to Sophia to strengthen Russia in the international arena.
Icon "Blessed Sky" and the image of Michael III
Sophia Paleolog, Grand Duchess of Moscow, brought several Orthodox icons. It is believed that among them was a rare image of the Mother of God. She was in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral. However, according to another legend, the relic was transported from Constantinople to Smolensk, and when the latter was captured by Lithuania, Sofya Vitovtovna, the princess, was blessed with this icon for marriage when she married Vasily I, the Moscow prince. The image, which is today in the cathedral, is a list from an ancient icon, made at the end of the 17th century by order (pictured below). Muscovites, according to tradition, brought lamp oil and water to this icon. It was believed that they were filled with healing properties, because the image had healing power. This icon today is one of the most revered in our country.
In the Archangel Cathedral, after the wedding of Ivan III, an image of Michael III, the Byzantine emperor, who was the ancestor of the Palaiologos dynasty, also appeared. Thus, it was argued that Moscow is the successor of the Byzantine Empire, and the sovereigns of Russia are the heirs of the Byzantine emperors.
The birth of the long-awaited heir
After Sophia Paleolog, the second wife of Ivan III, married him in the Assumption Cathedral and became his wife, she began to think about how to gain influence and become a real queen. Paleolog understood that for this it was necessary to present the prince with a gift that only she could do: to give birth to a son who would become the heir to the throne. To the chagrin of Sophia, the firstborn was a daughter who died almost immediately after birth. A year later, a girl was born again, who also died suddenly. Sophia Palaiologos cried, prayed to God to give her an heir, handed out handfuls of alms to the poor, donated to churches. After some time, the Mother of God heard her prayers - Sophia Paleolog became pregnant again.
Her biography was finally marked by a long-awaited event. It took place on March 25, 1479 at 8 pm, as stated in one of the Moscow chronicles. A son was born. He was named Vasily Pariysky. The boy was baptized by Vasiyan, Archbishop of Rostov, in the Sergius Monastery.
What did Sophia bring with her?
Sophia managed to inspire what was dear to her, and what was appreciated and understood in Moscow. She brought with her the customs and traditions of the Byzantine court, pride in her own lineage, and annoyance at having to marry a Mongol-Tatar tributary. It is unlikely that Sophia liked the simplicity of the situation in Moscow, as well as the unceremonious relations that prevailed at that time at court. Ivan III himself was forced to listen to reproachful speeches from obstinate boyars. However, in the capital, even without it, many had a desire to change the old order, which did not correspond to the position of the Moscow sovereign. And the wife of Ivan III with the Greeks brought by her, who saw both Roman and Byzantine life, could give the Russians valuable instructions on what models and how to implement the changes desired by everyone.
Sophia's influence
The prince's wife cannot be denied influence on the behind-the-scenes life of the court and its decorative setting. She skillfully built personal relationships, she was excellent at court intrigues. However, Paleolog could only respond to political ones with suggestions that echoed the vague and secret thoughts of Ivan III. Especially clear was the idea that by her marriage the princess was making the Muscovite rulers the successors of the emperors of Byzantium, with the interests of the Orthodox East holding on to the latter. Therefore, Sophia Paleolog in the capital of the Russian state was valued mainly as a Byzantine princess, and not as a Grand Duchess of Moscow. She herself understood this. How she used the right to receive foreign embassies in Moscow. Therefore, her marriage to Ivan was a kind of political demonstration. It was announced to the whole world that the heiress of the Byzantine house, which had fallen shortly before, transferred its sovereign rights to Moscow, which became the new Constantinople. Here she shares these rights with her husband.
Reconstruction of the Kremlin, the overthrow of the Tatar yoke
Ivan, sensing his new position in the international arena, found the old Kremlin environment ugly and cramped. From Italy, following the princess, the masters were discharged. They built the Assumption Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral) on the site of the wooden choirs, as well as a new stone palace. In the Kremlin at that time, a strict and complex ceremonial began to start up at the court, imparting arrogance and stiffness to Moscow life. Just as in his own palace, Ivan III began to act in external relations with a more solemn step. Especially when the Tatar yoke without a fight, as if by itself, fell off the shoulders. And it weighed almost two centuries over the entire north-eastern Russia (from 1238 to 1480). A new language, more solemn, appears at this time in government papers, especially diplomatic ones. There is a lot of terminology.
The role of Sophia in overthrowing the Tatar yoke
Paleolog in Moscow was not loved for the influence it exerted on the Grand Duke, as well as for the changes in the life of Moscow - "great disturbances" (in the words of the boyar Bersen-Beklemishev). Sophia interfered not only in internal, but also in foreign affairs. She demanded that Ivan III refuse to pay tribute to the Horde Khan and finally free himself from his power. Skillful advice Paleolog, as evidenced by V.O. Klyuchevsky, always met the intentions of her husband. Therefore, he refused to pay tribute. Ivan III trampled on the khan's charter in Zamoskovreche, in the Horde courtyard. Later, the Transfiguration Church was built on this site. However, even then the people "spoke" of Paleologus. Before Ivan III went to the great in 1480, he sent his wife and children to Beloozero. For this, the subjects attributed to the sovereign the intention to quit power in the event that he takes Moscow and flees with his wife.
"Duma" and a change in the treatment of subordinates
Ivan III, freed from the yoke, finally felt like a sovereign sovereign. Palace etiquette through the efforts of Sophia began to resemble Byzantine. The prince gave his wife a "gift": Ivan III allowed Paleolog to gather his own "thought" from the members of the retinue and arrange "diplomatic receptions" in his half. The princess received foreign ambassadors and conversed politely with them. This was an unprecedented innovation for Russia. The treatment at the court of the sovereign also changed.
Sophia Palaiologos brought sovereign rights to her husband, as well as the right to the Byzantine throne, as noted by F. I. Uspensky, a historian who studied this period. The boyars had to reckon with this. Ivan III used to love disputes and objections, but under Sophia, he radically changed the treatment of his courtiers. Ivan began to hold himself impregnable, easily fell into anger, often imposed disgrace, demanded special respect for himself. Rumor also attributed all these misfortunes to the influence of Sophia Paleolog.
Fight for the throne
She was also accused of violating the throne. Enemies in 1497 told the prince that Sophia Paleologus planned to poison his grandson in order to put her own son on the throne, that fortune-tellers preparing a poisonous potion were secretly visiting her, that Vasily himself was participating in this conspiracy. Ivan III took the side of his grandson in this matter. He ordered the soothsayers to be drowned in the Moscow River, arrested Vasily, and removed his wife from him, defiantly executing several members of the Paleolog "thought". In 1498, Ivan III married Dmitry in the Assumption Cathedral as heir to the throne.
However, Sophia had in her blood the ability to court intrigues. She accused Elena Voloshanka of heresy and was able to bring about her downfall. The Grand Duke placed his grandson and daughter-in-law in disgrace and named Vasily in 1500 as the legitimate heir to the throne.
Sophia Paleolog: role in history
The marriage of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III, of course, strengthened the Muscovite state. He contributed to its transformation into the Third Rome. Sofia Paleolog lived for over 30 years in Russia, having given birth to 12 children to her husband. However, she never managed to fully understand a foreign country, its laws and traditions. Even in official chronicles there are records condemning her behavior in some situations that are difficult for the country.
Sofia attracted architects and other cultural figures, as well as doctors, to the Russian capital. The creations of Italian architects have made Moscow not inferior in majesty and beauty to the capitals of Europe. This helped to strengthen the prestige of the Moscow sovereign, emphasized the continuity of the Russian capital to the Second Rome.
Sophia's death
Sophia died in Moscow on August 7, 1503. She was buried in the Ascension Convent of the Moscow Kremlin. In December 1994, in connection with the transfer of the remains of the royal and princely wives to the Archangel Cathedral, S. A. Nikitin restored her sculptural portrait based on the preserved skull of Sophia (pictured above). Now we can at least roughly imagine what Sophia Paleolog looked like. Interesting facts and biographical information about her are numerous. We tried to select the most important when compiling this article.
The sudden death of the first wife of Ivan III, Princess Maria Borisovna, on April 22, 1467, made the Grand Duke of Moscow think about a new marriage. The widowed grand duke opted for the Fechian princess Sophia Palaiologos, who lived in Rome and was known as a Catholic. Some historians believe that the idea of the "Roman-Byzantine" marriage union was born in Rome, others prefer Moscow, others - Vilna or Krakow.
Sophia (in Rome she was called Zoe) Palaiologos was the daughter of the Morean despot Thomas Palaiologos and was the niece of Emperors Constantine XI and John VIII. Despina Zoya spent her childhood in Morea and on the island of Corfu. She came to Rome with her brothers Andrei and Manuel after the death of her father in May 1465. The paleologists came under the auspices of Cardinal Bessarion, who retained sympathy for the Greeks. The Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinal Vissarion tried to renew the union with Russia with the help of marriage.
Arriving in Moscow from Italy on February 11, 1469, Yuri Grek brought Ivan III a certain “leaf”. In this message, the author of which, apparently, was Pope Paul II himself, and the co-author was Cardinal Bessarion, the Grand Duke was informed about the stay in Rome of a noble bride devoted to Orthodoxy, Sophia Palaiologos. Dad promised Ivan his support in case he wants to woo her.
In Moscow, they did not like to rush into important matters, and they pondered over the new news from Rome for four months. Finally, all reflections, doubts and preparations were left behind. January 16, 1472 Moscow ambassadors set off on a long journey.
In Rome, the Muscovites were honorably received by the new Pope Gikctom IV. As a gift from Ivan III, the ambassadors presented the pontiff with sixty selected sable skins. From now on, the case quickly went to completion. A week later, Sixtus IV in St. Peter's Cathedral performs a solemn ceremony of Sophia's absentee betrothal to the Moscow sovereign.
At the end of June 1472, the bride, accompanied by Moscow ambassadors, the papal legate and a large retinue, went to Moscow. At parting, the Pope gave her a long audience and his blessing. He ordered to arrange magnificent crowded meetings everywhere for Sofya and her retinue.
Sophia Paleolog arrived in Moscow on November 12, 1472, and her wedding with Ivan III took place right there. What is the reason for the rush? It turns out that the next day the memory of St. John Chrysostom, the heavenly patron of the Moscow sovereign, was celebrated. From now on, the family happiness of Prince Ivan was given under the patronage of the great saint.
Sophia became a full-fledged Grand Duchess of Moscow.
The very fact that Sophia agreed to go to seek her fortune from Rome to distant Moscow suggests that she was a brave, energetic and adventurous woman. In Moscow, she was expected not only by the honors rendered to the Grand Duchess, but also by the hostility of the local clergy and the heir to the throne. At every step she had to defend her rights.
Ivan, for all his love of luxury, was thrifty to the point of stinginess. He saved literally everything. Growing up in a completely different environment, Sophia Paleolog, on the contrary, strove to shine and show generosity. This was required by her ambition of a Byzantine princess, the niece of the last emperor. In addition, generosity made it possible to make friends among the Moscow nobility.
But the best way to assert yourself was, of course, childbearing. The Grand Duke wanted to have sons. Sophia herself wanted this. However, to the delight of ill-wishers, she gave birth to three daughters in a row - Elena (1474), Theodosia (1475) and again Elena (1476). Sophia prayed to God and all the saints for the gift of a son.
Finally, her request was granted. On the night of March 25-26, 1479, a boy was born, named after his grandfather Vasily. (For his mother, he always remained Gabriel - in honor of the Archangel Gabriel.) Happy parents connected the birth of their son with last year's pilgrimage and fervent prayer at the tomb of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the Trinity Monastery. Sophia said that when approaching the monastery, the great old man himself appeared to her, holding a boy in his arms.
Following Vasily, she had two more sons (Yuri and Dmitry), then two daughters (Elena and Feodosia), then three more sons (Semyon, Andrei and Boris) and the last, in 1492, a daughter, Evdokia.
But now the question inevitably arose about the future fate of Vasily and his brothers. The heir to the throne remained the son of Ivan III and Maria Borisovna, Ivan Molodoy, whose son Dmitry was born on October 10, 1483, in marriage with Elena Voloshanka. In the event of the death of the Sovereign, he would not hesitate in one way or another to get rid of Sophia and her family. The best they could hope for was exile or exile. At the thought of this, the Greek woman was seized with rage and impotent despair.
In the winter of 1490, Sophia's brother, Andrei Paleologus, came to Moscow from Rome. Together with him, the Moscow ambassadors who traveled to Italy returned. They brought to the Kremlin a lot of all kinds of craftsmen. One of them, a visiting doctor Leon, volunteered to heal Prince Ivan the Young of a leg disease. But when he put jars to the prince and gave his potions (from which he could hardly die), a certain malefactor added poison to these potions. On March 7, 1490, 32-year-old Ivan the Young died.
This whole story gave rise to many rumors in Moscow and throughout Russia. Hostile relations between Ivan the Young and Sophia Paleolog were well known. The Greek woman did not enjoy the love of Muscovites. It is quite clear that rumor attributed to her the murder of Ivan the Young. In The History of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Prince Kurbsky directly accused Ivan III of poisoning his own son, Ivan the Young. Yes, such a turn of events opened the way to the throne for the children of Sophia. Sovereign himself found himself in an extremely difficult position. Probably, in this intrigue, Ivan III, who ordered his son to use the services of a vain doctor, turned out to be only a blind tool in the hands of a cunning Greek woman.
After the death of Ivan the Young, the question of the heir to the throne escalated. There were two candidates: the son of Ivan the Young - Dmitry and the eldest son of Ivan III and Sophia
Paleolog - Vasily. The claims of Dmitry the grandson were reinforced by the fact that his father was the officially proclaimed Grand Duke - co-ruler of Ivan III and heir to the throne.
The sovereign was faced with a painful choice: to send either his wife and son to prison, or his daughter-in-law and grandson ... The murder of an opponent has always been the usual price of supreme power.
In the autumn of 1497, Ivan III leaned over to the side of Dmitry. He ordered to prepare for the grandson a solemn "marriage to the kingdom." Upon learning of this, the supporters of Sophia and Prince Vasily made a conspiracy that included the murder of Dmitry, as well as Vasily's flight to Beloozero (from where the road to Novgorod opened in front of him), the seizure of the grand ducal treasury stored in Vologda and Beloozero. However, already in December, Ivan arrested all the conspirators, including Vasily.
The investigation revealed the involvement in the conspiracy of Sophia Paleolog. It is possible that she was the organizer of the enterprise. Sophia got the poison and waited for the right opportunity to poison Dmitry.
On Sunday, February 4, 1498, 14-year-old Dmitry was solemnly declared heir to the throne in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Sophia Paleolog and her son Vasily were absent from this coronation. It seemed that their case was finally lost. The courtiers rushed to please Elena Stefanovna and her crowned son. However, the crowd of flatterers soon retreated in bewilderment. Sovereign did not give Dmitry real power, giving him control over only some northern counties.
Ivan III continued to painfully seek a way out of the dynastic impasse. Now his original plan did not seem successful. The Sovereign felt sorry for his young sons Vasily, Yuri, Dmitry Zhilka, Semyon, Andrey ... And he lived together with Princess Sophia for a quarter of a century ... Ivan III understood that sooner or later Sophia's sons would revolt. There were only two ways to prevent the performance: either destroy the second family, or bequeath the throne to Vasily and destroy the family of Ivan the Young.
Sovereign this time chose the second path. On March 21, 1499, he "granted ... the son of his prince Vasil Ivanovich, named him the sovereign of the Grand Duke, gave him Great Novgorod and Pskov to the Grand Duchy." As a result, three great princes appeared in Russia at once: father, son and grandson!
On Thursday, February 13, 1500, a magnificent wedding was played in Moscow. Ivan III gave his 14-year-old daughter Theodosius in marriage to Prince Vasily Danilovich Kholmsky, the son of the famous commander and leader of the Tver "fellowship" in Moscow. This marriage contributed to the rapprochement between the children of Sophia Paleolog and the top of the Moscow nobility. Unfortunately, exactly one year later Theodosius died.
The denouement of the family drama came only two years later. “The same spring (1502) the prince of great April And on Monday put the disgrace on the grandson of his Grand Duke Dmitry and on his mother on the Grand Duchess Elena, and from that day he did not order them to be remembered in litanies and litias, nor called the Grand Duke, and put them on the bailiffs." Three days later, Ivan III "granted his son Vasily, blessed and planted autocrat on the Grand Duchy of Volodimer and Moscow and All Russia, with the blessing of Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia."
Exactly one year after these events, on April 7, 1503, Sophia Paleolog died. The body of the Grand Duchess was buried in the cathedral of the Kremlin Ascension Monastery. She was buried next to the grave of the Tsar's first wife, Princess Maria Borisovna of Tver.
Soon the health of Ivan III himself deteriorated. On Thursday, September 21, 1503, he, together with the heir to the throne, Vasily and his younger sons, went on a pilgrimage to the northern monasteries. However, the saints were no longer inclined to help the penitent sovereign. Upon returning from the pilgrimage, Ivan was stricken with paralysis: "... took away his arm and leg and eye." Ivan III died on October 27, 1505.
Sophia Fominichna Paleolog, she is Zoya Paleologina (born approximately 1455 - death April 7, 1503) - Grand Duchess of Moscow. Wife of Ivan III, mother of Vasily III, grandmother of Ivan IV the Terrible. Origin - the Byzantine imperial dynasty of the Palaiologos. Her father, Thomas Palaiologos, was the brother of the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI, and despot of Morea. Sophia's maternal grandfather was Centurione II Zaccaria, the last Frankish prince of Achaia.
Profitable marriage
According to legend, Sophia brought with her a “bone throne” (now known as the “throne of Ivan the Terrible”) as a gift to her husband: its wooden frame was covered with plates of ivory and walrus ivory with biblical scenes carved on them.
Sophia also brought several Orthodox icons, including, presumably, a rare icon of the Mother of God “Blessed Heaven”.
The meaning of the marriage of Ivan and Sophia
The marriage of the Grand Duke with the Greek princess had important consequences. There were cases before that Russian princes married Greek princesses, but these marriages were not as important as the marriage of Ivan and Sophia. Byzantium was now enslaved by the Turks. The Byzantine emperor used to be considered the main protector of all Eastern Christianity; now the Moscow sovereign became such a protector; with the hand of Sophia, he, as it were, inherited the rights of the Palaiologos, even assimilates the coat of arms of the Eastern Roman Empire - the double-headed eagle; on the seals that were hung on the letters, they began to depict a double-headed eagle on one side, and on the other, the former Moscow coat of arms, George the Victorious, slaying the dragon.
The Byzantine order began to have a stronger and stronger effect in Moscow. Although the last Byzantine emperors were not powerful at all, they held themselves very highly in the eyes of everyone around them. Access to them was very difficult; many different court ranks filled the magnificent palace. The splendor of palace customs, luxurious royal clothes, shining with gold and precious stones, the unusually rich decoration of the royal palace - all this in the eyes of the people greatly exalted the person of the sovereign. Everyone bowed before him, as before an earthly deity.
It was not the same in Moscow. The Grand Duke was already a powerful sovereign, but he lived a little wider and richer than the boyars. They treated him respectfully, but simply: some of them were from specific princes and, like the Grand Duke, also had their origin from. The unpretentious life of the tsar and the simple treatment of the boyars could not please Sophia, who knew about the royal greatness of the Byzantine autocrats and saw the court life of the popes in Rome. From his wife, and especially from the people who came with her, Ivan III could hear a lot about the court life of the Byzantine kings. He, who wanted to be a real autocrat, must have liked many Byzantine court orders very much.
And so, little by little, new customs began to appear in Moscow: Ivan Vasilievich began to behave majestically, in relations with foreigners he was titled "king", he began to receive ambassadors with magnificent solemnity, he established the rite of kissing the royal hand as a sign of special mercy. Then came the court ranks (jaselnichiy, equerry, bedding). The Grand Duke began to favor in the boyars for merit. In addition to the son of the boyar, at this time another lower rank appears - the roundabout.
The boyars, who were previously advisers, duma princes, with whom the sovereign, as usual, conferred on every important matter, as with comrades, now turned into his humble servants. The grace of the sovereign can exalt them, anger can destroy them.
At the end of his reign, Ivan III became a real autocrat. These changes were not to the liking of many boyars, but no one dared to express this: the Grand Duke was very severe and punished severely.
Innovations. Sophia's influence
Since the arrival of Sophia Palaiologos in Moscow, relations have been established with the West, especially with Italy.
An attentive observer of Moscow life, Baron Herberstein, who twice came to Moscow as the ambassador of the German emperor under Ivanov's successor, after hearing a lot of boyar talk, notices about Sophia in his notes that she was an unusually cunning woman, who had a great influence on the Grand Duke, who, at her suggestion, did a lot . Even the determination of Ivan III to throw off the Tatar yoke was attributed to her influence. In boyar tales and judgments about the princess, it is not easy to separate observation from suspicion or exaggeration, guided by hostility.
Moscow of that time was very unattractive. Wooden small buildings, placed at random, crooked, unpaved streets, dirty squares - all this made Moscow look like a large village, or rather, a collection of many village estates.
After the wedding, Ivan Vasilyevich himself felt the need to rebuild the Kremlin into a powerful and impregnable citadel. It all started with the catastrophe of 1474, when the Assumption Cathedral, built by Pskov craftsmen, collapsed. Rumors immediately spread among the people that the trouble had befallen because of the “Greek”, who had previously been in “Latinism”. While the reasons for the collapse were being clarified, Sophia advised her husband to invite architects from Italy, who were then the best masters in Europe. Their creations could make Moscow equal in beauty and majesty to European capitals and maintain the prestige of the Moscow sovereign, as well as emphasize the continuity of Moscow not only to the Second, but also to the First Rome.
One of the best Italian builders of that time, Aristotle Fioravanti, agreed to go to Moscow for 10 rubles of salary per month (decent money at that time). In 4 years, he built a temple magnificent for that time - the Assumption Cathedral, consecrated in 1479. This building has survived to this day in the Moscow Kremlin.
Then other stone churches began to be built: in 1489 the Annunciation Cathedral was erected, which had the significance of the tsar's house church, and shortly before the death of Ivan III, the Archangel Cathedral was built again instead of the former dilapidated church. The sovereign planned to build a stone chamber for solemn meetings and receptions of foreign ambassadors.
This building, built by Italian architects, known as the Chamber of Facets, has survived to this day. The Kremlin was surrounded again by a stone wall and decorated with beautiful gates and towers. For himself, the Grand Duke ordered to build a new stone palace. Following the Grand Duke, the metropolitan also began to build brick chambers for himself. The three boyars also built stone houses for themselves in the Kremlin. Thus, Moscow began to gradually build up with stone buildings; but these buildings for a long time and after that were not part of the custom.
Birth of children. state affairs
Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog
1474, April 18 - Sophia gave birth to the first (quickly deceased) daughter Anna, then another daughter (who also died so quickly that they did not have time to christen her). Disappointments in family life were compensated by activity in public affairs. The Grand Duke consulted with her in making state decisions (in 1474 he bought out half of the Rostov principality, entered into a friendly alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray).
Sophia Paleolog took an active part in diplomatic receptions (the Venetian envoy Cantarini noted that the reception she organized was "very majestic and affectionate"). According to a legend cited not only by Russian chronicles, but also by the English poet John Milton, in 1477 Sophia was able to outwit the Tatar Khan, declaring that she had a sign from above about the construction of a church to St. and the actions of the Kremlin. This legend presents Sophia as a resolute nature (“she put them out of the Kremlin, demolished the house, although the temple was not built”).
1478 - Russia actually stopped paying tribute to the Horde; 2 years left before the complete overthrow of the yoke.
In 1480, again on the “advice” of his wife, Ivan Vasilievich left with the militia to the Ugra River (near Kaluga), where the army of the Tatar Khan Akhmat was stationed. "Standing on the Ugra" did not end with a battle. The onset of frost and lack of food forced the khan and his army to leave. These events put an end to the Horde yoke.
The main obstacle to strengthening the grand duke's power collapsed and, relying on his dynastic connection with "Orthodox Rome" (Constantinople) through his wife Sophia, the sovereign proclaimed himself the successor to the sovereign rights of the Byzantine emperors. The Moscow coat of arms with George the Victorious was combined with the double-headed eagle - the ancient coat of arms of Byzantium. This emphasized that Moscow is the heir of the Byzantine Empire, Ivan III is “the king of all Orthodoxy”, the Russian Church is the successor of the Greek one. Under the influence of Sophia, the ceremonial of the Grand Duke's court acquired hitherto unseen splendor, similar to the Byzantine-Roman.
Rights to the Moscow throne
Sophia began a stubborn struggle to justify the right to the Moscow throne for her son Vasily. When she was eight years old, she even tried to organize a conspiracy against her husband (1497), but he was uncovered, and Sophia herself was condemned on suspicion of magic and connection with the “sorceress woman” (1498) and, together with Tsarevich Vasily, was subjected to disgrace.
But fate was merciful to her (during the years of her 30-year marriage, Sophia gave birth to 5 sons and 4 daughters). The death of the eldest son of Ivan III, Ivan the Young, forced Sophia's husband to change his anger to mercy and return the exiles to Moscow.
Death of Sophia Paleolog
Sophia died on April 7, 1503. She was buried in the grand ducal tomb of the Ascension Convent in the Kremlin. The buildings of this monastery were dismantled in 1929, and the sarcophagi with the remains of the Grand Duchesses and Empresses were transported to the basement chamber of the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin, where they remain today.
After death
This circumstance, as well as the good preservation of the skeleton of Sophia Paleolog, made it possible for experts to recreate her appearance. The work was carried out at the Moscow Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination. Apparently, there is no need to describe in detail the recovery process. We only note that the portrait was reproduced using all scientific methods.
A study of the remains of Sophia Paleolog showed that she was short - about 160 cm. The skull and each bone were carefully studied, and as a result it was found that the death of the Grand Duchess occurred at the age of 55-60 years. As a result of studies of the remains, it was established that Sophia was a plump woman, with strong-willed facial features and had a mustache that did not spoil her at all.
When the appearance of this woman appeared before the researchers, it became clear once again that nothing happens by chance in nature. We are talking about the amazing similarity of Sophia Paleolog and her grandson, Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, whose true appearance is well known to us from the work of the famous Soviet anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov. The scientist, working on the portrait of Ivan Vasilyevich, noted the features of the Mediterranean type in his appearance, linking this precisely with the influence of the blood of his grandmother, Sophia Paleolog.
What did Sophia Paleolog do? Sophia Paleolog a brief biography of the famous Greek princess will tell about her contribution to history.
Sophia Paleolog biography the most important thing
Sophia Paleolog is an outstanding woman in Russian history. Sophia Paleolog is the second wife of Grand Duke Ivan III, as well as the mother of Vasily III and the grandmother of Ivan IV the Terrible. Her exact date of birth is unknown, but scholars suggest that she was born around 1455.
In 1469, the Great Moscow Prince Ivan III, who by this time had been a widower for two years, decided to marry again. But he could not decide on the role of the bride. Pope Paul II invited him to marry Sophia. After much deliberation, he was seduced by her title of Greek princess. The wedding of crowned individuals took place in 1472. The ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral, the couple was married by Metropolitan Philip.
Sophia was very happy in a marriage in which 9 children were born - four daughters and five sons. For the Grand Duchess of Greek origin, separate mansions were built in Moscow, which, unfortunately, perished during a fire in 1493.
Sophia Paleolog what did she do? According to contemporaries, Sophia Paleolog was a smart woman who skillfully directed her husband to actions. There is an opinion that it was Sophia who pushed Ivan III to the decision not to pay tribute to the Tatars.
With the advent of Sophia and her children at the Moscow court, real dynastic strife began in the city. Ivan III had a son, Ivan Young from his first marriage, who was supposed to inherit the throne. Sophia's son, Vasily, it seemed, was not destined to be the heir to his father's power.
But fate decreed otherwise. Ivan Young, who already had a family and a son, received the Tver lands, but suddenly fell ill and died. After that, rumors circulated for a long time that he had been poisoned. Sophia's son Vasily Ivanovich remained the only heir of Ivan III.
The attitude towards the wife of Ivan III in the princely environment was different. One nobility revered the Grand Duchess, respected her for her mind, while the other considered her very proud, not taking into account anyone's opinion, and the third side was convinced that with the advent of the Greek princess in Moscow, Prince Ivan III because of her "changed the old customs ".
Sophia Palaiologos died two years before the death of her husband in 1503. Until the end of her life, she considered herself a princess of Tsaregorod, a Greek, and only then the Grand Duchess of Moscow.
Sophia Palaiologos, who was also called Zoya Paleologne, was born in 1455 in the city of Mistra, Greece.
Childhood princess
The future grandmother of Ivan the Terrible was born in the family of the despot of Morea named Thomas Paleologus at a not very prosperous time - in decadent times for Byzantium. When Constantinople fell to Turkey and was taken by Sultan Mehmed II, the girl's father Thomas Palaiologos and his family fled to Kofra.
Later in Rome, the family changed their faith to Catholicism, and when Sophia was 10 years old, her father died. Unfortunately for the girl, her mother, Ekaterina Akhaiskaya, had died a year earlier, which crippled her father.
The children of Palaiologos - Zoya, Manuel and Andrei, aged 10, 5 and 7 - settled in Rome under the tutelage of the Greek scientist Bessarion of Nicaea, who at that time served as a cardinal under the Pope. The Byzantine princess Sophia and her brother princes were raised in the Catholic tradition. With the permission of the pope, Bessarion of Nicaea paid for the servants of the Palaiologos, doctors, language professors, as well as a whole staff of foreign translators and clergy. The orphans received an excellent education.
Marriage
As soon as Sophia grew up, the Venetian subjects began to look for her noble spouse.
- She was prophesied as a wife to the Cypriot king Jacques II de Lusignan. The marriage did not take place in order to avoid quarrels with the Ottoman Empire.
- A few months later, Cardinal Vissarion invited Prince Caracciolo of Italy to marry the Byzantine princess. The young people got engaged. However, Sophia threw all her efforts into not getting engaged to a non-Christian (she continued to adhere to Orthodoxy).
- By coincidence, in 1467, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Ivan the Third, died in Moscow. One son remained from the marriage. And Pope Paul II, in order to plant the Catholic faith in Russia, suggested that the widower should put a Greek Catholic princess on the throne of the princess of all Russia.
Negotiations with the Russian prince lasted three years. Ivan the Third, having received the approval of his mother, churchmen and his boyars, decided to marry. By the way, during the negotiations about the transition of the princess to Catholicism that happened in Rome, the envoys from the Pope did not particularly spread. On the contrary, they reported slyly that the sovereign's bride is a true Orthodox Christian. Surprisingly, they could not even imagine that this is the true truth.
In June 1472, the newlyweds in Rome became engaged in absentia. Then, accompanied by Cardinal Vissarion, the Princess of Moscow left Rome for Moscow.
Princess portrait
The Bologna chroniclers eloquently described Sophia Paleolog as an attractive girl in appearance. When she got married, she appeared to be about 24 years old.
- Her skin is white as snow.
- The eyes are huge and very expressive, which corresponded to the then canons of beauty.
- The height of the princess is 160 cm.
- Build - knocked down, dense.
The dowry of Palaiologos included not only jewelry, but also a large number of valuable books, among which were the treatises of Plato, Aristotle, and the unknown works of Homer. These books became the main attraction of the famous library of Ivan the Terrible, which later disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
In addition, Zoya was very purposeful. She threw every effort not to convert to another faith, betrothed to a Christian man. At the end of her route from Rome to Moscow, when there was no turning back, she announced to her guides that she would renounce Catholicism in marriage and accept Orthodoxy. So the desire of the Pope to spread Catholicism to Russia through the marriage of Ivan the Third and Palaiologos failed.
Life in Moscow
The influence of Sophia Paleolog on the married spouse was very great, it also became a great boon for Russia, because the wife was very educated and incredibly devoted to her new homeland.
So, it was she who prompted her husband to stop paying tribute to the Golden Horde that burdened them. Thanks to his wife, the Grand Duke decided to cast off the Tatar-Mongolian burden that had weighed on Russia for many centuries. At the same time, his advisers and princes insisted on paying dues, as usual, so as not to start a new bloodshed. In 1480, Ivan the Third announced his decision to the Tatar Khan Akhmat. Then there was a historical bloodless stand on the Ugra, and the Horde left Russia forever, never again demanding tribute from it.
In general, Sophia Palaiologos played a very important role in the further historical events of Russia. Her broad outlook and bold innovative decisions later allowed the country to make a noticeable breakthrough in the development of culture and architecture. Sofia Paleolog opened Moscow for Europeans. Now Greeks, Italians, learned minds and talented craftsmen rushed to Muscovy. For example, Ivan the Third gladly took under the wing of Italian architects (such as Aristotle Fioravanti), who built many historical masterpieces of architecture in Moscow. At the behest of Sophia, a separate courtyard and luxurious mansions were built for her. They were lost in a fire in 1493 (together with the Palaiologos treasury).
Zoya's personal relationship with her husband Ivan the Third was also prosperous. They had 12 children. But some died in infancy or from disease. So, in their family, five sons and four daughters survived to adulthood.
But the life of a Byzantine princess in Moscow can hardly be called rosy. The local elite saw the great influence that the spouse had on her husband, and was very unhappy with this.
Sophia's relationship with the adopted son from the deceased first wife, Ivan Molody, did not work out either. The princess really wanted her first-born Vasily to become the heir. And there is a historical version that she was involved in the death of the heir, writing him an Italian doctor with poisonous potions, supposedly to treat sudden onset gout (later he was executed for this).
Sophia had a hand in the removal from the throne of his wife Elena Voloshanka and their son Dmitry. First, Ivan the Third sent Sophia herself into disgrace for inviting witches to her place to create poison for Elena and Dmitry. He forbade his wife to appear in the palace. However, later Ivan the Third ordered to send the grandson of Dmitry, already proclaimed heir to the throne, and his mother to prison for court intrigues, successfully and in a favorable light revealed by his wife Sophia. The grandson was officially deprived of the grand ducal dignity, and the son Vasily was declared the heir to the throne.
So, the Princess of Moscow became the mother of the heir to the Russian throne, Vasily III, and the grandmother of the famous Tsar Ivan the Terrible. There is evidence that the famous grandson had many similarities in both appearance and character with his domineering grandmother from Byzantium.
Death
As they said then, “from old age” - at the age of 48, Sophia Paleolog died on April 7, 1503. The woman was buried in a sarcophagus in the Ascension Cathedral. She was buried next to Ivan's first wife.
By coincidence, in 1929, the Bolsheviks demolished the cathedral, but the Palaiologini sarcophagus survived and was moved to the Archangel Cathedral.
Ivan the Third took the death of the princess hard. At the age of 60, this greatly crippled his health, moreover, recently he and his wife were in constant suspicion and quarrels. However, he continued to appreciate Sophia's mind and her love for Russia. Feeling the approach of his end, he made a will, appointing their common son Vasily as the heir to power.
