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129-479: Russian prince decided to go on a campaign after the Lithuanians attacked the border area and robbed many locals. Alexander Nevsky headed to Lithuania, where he freed all the prisoners and defeated the Lithuanians at Lake Zizicekoe. On the way back, the Lithuanians tried to take revenge, but were destroyed again. The Grand Duchy of Moscow and Lithuania had fought each other since the reign of Gediminas , who defeated

258-405: A coup d'état . He was cremated as a part of a pagan ceremony in 1342, which included a human sacrifice , with his favourite servant and several German slaves being burned on the pyre with the corpse. He was succeeded by one of his sons, Jaunutis , who was unable to control the unrest in the country, as a result of which he was deposed in 1345 by his brother Algirdas . He was a founder of

387-502: A 100,000-strong army Stefan Batory started the Siege of Pskov but failed to take the fortress. The prolonged and inconclusive siege led to negotiations, which with the aid of papal legate Antonio Possevino ended in the peace of Jam Zapolski in which the Tsar renounced his claims to Livonia and Polotsk but conceded no core Russian territories. The peace lasted for a quarter of a century, until

516-408: A barrier to the transformation to absolutism. As a result, he gradually reduced the boyars' economic and political powers. He granted estates called pomestie to a new noble class in exchange for military service and other conditions, allowing him to build up a centralized army and create a counterbalance to the boyars. The old patriarchal systems of government vanished. The boyars, who would meet in

645-755: A coalition of Ruthenian princes in the Battle on the Irpin River and seized Kiev, the former capital of Kievan Rus'. By the mid-14th century, an expanding Lithuania had absorbed Chernigov and Severia . Algirdas , the successor of Gediminas, allied with the Principality of Tver and undertook three expeditions against Moscow , attempting to take advantage of the youth of the Grand Prince of Moscow , Dmitry Ivanovich , who nevertheless succeeded in fending off these encroachments. The first intrusions of Lithuanian troops into

774-438: A council known as a boyar duma , were no longer consulted on state affairs. The sovereign became sacrosanct, while the boyars were reduced to dependency on the will of the sovereign. The boyars naturally resented this revolution and struggled against it. It was in the reign of Ivan III that the new sudebnik , or law code, was compiled by the scribe, Vladimir Gusev. The death penalty was mandated for rebellion or sedition, which

903-554: A description of the Gediminas' seal. On 18 July 1323 in Lübeck imperial scribe John of Bremen made a copy of three letters sent by Gediminas on 26 May to the recipients in Saxony, his transcripts contain also a detailed description of the oval waxy seal which was attached to the letter. According to the notary's transcript, the oval seal of Gediminas had a twelve corners edging, at the middle of

1032-524: A favourable reply from the Holy See, Gediminas issued circular letters, dated 25 January 1323, to the principal Hanseatic towns, offering a free access into his domains to men of every order and profession from nobles and knights to tillers of the soil. The immigrants were to choose their own settlements and be governed by their own laws. Priests and monks were also invited to come and build churches at Vilnius and Navahrudak. In October 1323, representatives of

1161-498: A major defeat at the Battle of Orsha . Despite their victory, his army was unable to move quickly enough to recapture Smolensk. In 1518, Russian forces were beaten during the siege of Polotsk , when according to legend the Lithuanian forces were inspired by the sight of their patron saint , Saint Casimir . The Russians invaded Lithuania again in 1519, raiding Orsha, Mogilev, Minsk, Vitebsk, and Polotsk. By 1521, Sigismund had defeated

1290-557: A matrimonial compact, wedding Helena , Ivan's daughter. But the clear determination of Ivan to appropriate as much of Lithuania as possible finally compelled Alexander to take up arms against his father-in-law in 1499. A full-scale war broke out in 1500. The Lithuanians were routed at the Battle of Vedrosha on 14 July 1500, and in 1503, Alexander was glad to purchase peace by ceding Chernigov , Starodub , Novgorod-Seversky , and sixteen other towns. However, Smolensk remained in Lithuanian hands, though Ivan's son Vasily III would take

1419-584: A new Lithuanian dynasty; the Gediminids , and laid the foundations of the state's expansion while sometimes referred as the "true" state founder. In 1862, the Millennium of Russia monument was unveiled in Veliky Novgorod with a sculpture for him on base. In modern historiography, he is also regarded as founder of Vilnius, the modern capital of Lithuania . According to a legend, possibly set in 1322 while he

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1548-459: A number of pro-Lithuanian boyars and confiscating their lands. In 1477, two Novgorodian envoys, claiming to have been sent by the archbishops and the entire city, addressed Ivan in public audience as gosudar (sovereign) instead of the usual gospodin (sir). Ivan at once seized upon this as a recognition of his sovereignty, and when the Novgorodians repudiated the envoys (indeed, one was killed at

1677-461: A pagan ruler's seal is explained as a diplomatic action because Gediminas did not accept baptism in his life and kept Lithuania pagan, despite several negotiations. In addition, Gediminas strictly distinguished Lithuania and Lithuanians from the region of Rus' ( Ruthenia ) and Rus' people ( Ruthenians ) in legal documents (e.g. in a 1338 Peace and Trade Agreement, concluded in Vilnius , between

1806-537: A poor strategy and had insufficient artillery. Peace negotiations began in mid-1502. Alexander asked Vladislaus II of Hungary to act as the mediator , and a six-year truce was concluded on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) in 1503. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost approximately 210,000 square kilometres (81,000 sq mi), or a third of its territory: Chernigov , Novgorod-Seversk , Starodub , and lands around

1935-498: A powerful counterattack and took Gomel and Starodub. In 1536, the fortress Sebezh defeated Nemirovich's Lithuanian forces when they tried to besiege it, and then the Muscovites attacked Liubech, razed Vitebsk , and built fortresses at Velizh and Zavoloche. Lithuania and Russia negotiated a five-year truce, without prisoner exchange , in which Homel stayed under the king's control, while Moscow kept Sebezh and Zavoloche. In 1547,

2064-788: A rebellion, murdered Zabrzeziński in February 1508, and declared himself the defender of the Orthodox faith (even though he was a Catholic of Mongol descent). His followers unsuccessfully attacked the Kaunas Castle in an attempt to liberate the prisoner Ahmad, Khan of the Great Horde . Glinski then established himself in Turov and contacted Vasili III. Glinski started retreating towards Moscow and attempted to capture Minsk , Slutsk , Mstsislaw , and Krychaw . He only managed to take Mazyr when his relative opened

2193-461: A result, while others pursued a pro-Moscow policy in the hopes that good relations could reduce disruption in east-west trade , while Novgorod was also dependent on the Russian lands to its southwest for important imports such as grain. Some Novgorodians were also attracted to Moscow due to it being the center of Russian Orthodoxy as opposed to Lithuania, where Catholicism was dominant and its culture

2322-430: A series of three offensives against Russia, trying to cut off Livonia from the main Russian territories. During his first offensive in 1579 with 22,000 men, he retook Polatsk , Polish–Lithuanian troops also devastated Smolensk region, and Severia up to Starodoub. During the second, in 1580, with 29,000-strong army Stefan Batory took Velizh, Usvyat, Velikiye Luki . In 1581 the Lithuanians burnt down Staraya Russa , with

2451-543: A war indemnity of 15,500 rubles . Novgorod also had to recognize Moscow's claims to territories to the east of the Northern Dvina which they had been struggling over. Ivan took a promise of allegiance from Novgorod, but left its system of government in place. For the next six years, pro-Moscow and anti-Moscow factions in Novgorod competed with one another. Ivan visited Novgorod several times during this period, persecuting

2580-625: A worthy successor to Constantinople, and with that object invited many foreign masters and artificers to settle in Moscow. Ivan's most notable construction was the rebuilding of the Kremlin in Moscow. The most noted of these architects was the Italian Ridolfo di Fioravante , nicknamed "Aristotle" because of his extraordinary knowledge, who built several cathedrals and palaces in the Kremlin, and also supervised

2709-524: Is also widely celebrated in Belarus as an important figure of national history. In September 2019, a monument to Gediminas was unveiled in Lida . Gediminas' normal Latin style is as follows: Which translates as: In his letters to the papacy in 1322 and 1323, he adds Princeps et Dux Semigalliae (Prince and Duke of Semigallia ). In contemporary Low German he is styled simply Koningh van Lettowen , mirroring

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2838-431: Is in a treaty with Ivan Vasilyevich of Suzdal dating from 1448 or 1449. The title of grand prince is not included in a treaty with Casimir IV of Poland dating from 13 August 1449, but appears again in treaties with Vasily Yaroslavich of Serpukhov in the early 1450s. Ivan had four brothers: Yury, Andrey Bolshoy ("the big"), Boris, and Andrey Menshoy ("the little"). In the same will that Vasily II had given Ivan III

2967-661: Is marked as the end of the "Tatar yoke" over Russia. In the following year, Ahmed Khan, while preparing a second expedition against Moscow, was suddenly attacked, routed and slain by Khan Ibak of the Nogai Horde , whereupon the Golden Horde suddenly fell to pieces. In 1487, Ivan reduced the Khanate of Kazan, one of the offshoots of the Horde, to the condition of a vassal state , though in his later years, it broke away from his suzerainty . With

3096-617: Is still unclear whether the letters sent to the Pope were an actual request for conversion or simply a diplomatic maneuver. Nevertheless, Gediminas began a new baptism campaign in 1340–41 to prevent the Teutonic Knights aggression. In addition from promoting paganism, the Jewish community of Lithuania prospered during his reign. "Gediminas, by the grace of God, the King of Lithuanians and Ruthenians ,

3225-557: Is unknown whether Andrey Menshoy signed a treaty. He died in 1481, leaving his lands to Ivan. In 1491, Andrey Bolshoy was arrested by Ivan for refusing to aid the Crimean Khanate against the Golden Horde . He died in prison in 1493, and Ivan seized his land. In 1494, Boris, the only brother able to pass his land to his sons, died. However, their land reverted to the tsar upon their deaths in 1503 and 1515 respectively. The character of

3354-470: The Black Sea . The Gediminids dynasty he founded and which is named after him came to rule over Poland , Hungary and Bohemia . Gediminas was born in about 1275. Because written sources of the era are scarce, Gediminas' ancestry, early life, and assumption of the title of Grand Duke in ca. 1316 are obscure and continue to be the subject of scholarly debate. Various theories have claimed that Gediminas

3483-457: The Golden Horde , a great regional power at the time, while expanding Lithuania's border almost towards the Black Sea . He also secured an alliance with the nascent Grand Duchy of Moscow by marrying his daughter, Anastasia , to the grand duke Simeon . However, Gediminas offsetted the influence of Muscovy in northern Russia, and assisted the republic of Pskov , which acknowledged his overlordship, to break away from Great Novgorod . Gediminas

3612-503: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and requested Casimir IV to send them a prince. This led to Mikhailo Olelkovich , Ivan's cousin, to be accepted as the new prince, though he would step down as prince shortly after. Ivan saw the actions of Novgorod as a cause for war, and he also called it an act of apostasy from Orthodoxy (in part, because Poland and its monarchs were Catholic ). Ivan led his troops to Novgorod where his army defeated

3741-737: The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order and was unwilling to acknowledge Poland's suzerainty as required by the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) . The tension eventually resulted in the Polish–Teutonic War (1519–1521) and allied Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor with Vasili III. In December 1512, Moscow invaded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania seeking to capture Smolensk , a major trading center. Their first six- and four-week sieges in 1513 failed, but

3870-614: The Habsburgs , Ivan was offered the title of king ( rex ) if he would join the alliance against Turkey, but he rejected such offers and continued his own policy, laying claim to the Kievan legacy and adopting the title of autocrat ( samoderzhets ), sovereign ( gosudar ) of the Russian land, and grand prince of Moscow and all Russia. Beginning in 1484, Ivan began to use the title of tsar in his foreign correspondence with secondary powers in Europe including

3999-689: The Holy Roman Empire in 1489, the Kingdom of Denmark in 1493, and the Ottoman Empire in 1496. The outline of Russian foreign policy for the next several generations was shaped during Ivan's reign, where his successors would continue to struggle with Poland and Lithuania over the territories of the East Slavs, while a more differentiated policy was pursued towards the Muslim khanates, with attempts at subjugating

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4128-477: The Holy See , Ivan III wedded Sophia Palaiologina (also known under her original name Zoe) in 1472, daughter of Thomas Palaeologus , despot of Morea , who claimed the throne of Constantinople as the brother of Constantine XI , the last Byzantine emperor. Frustrating the Pope's hopes of reuniting the two faiths, the princess endorsed Eastern Orthodoxy . Due to her family traditions, she encouraged imperial ideas in

4257-566: The Khanate of Kazan and neutralizing the Crimean Khanate . In 1476, Ivan refused to pay the customary tribute to Ahmed Khan , and in 1480, Ahmed Khan launched an invasion of Russia. Throughout the autumn, the Muscovite and Tatar hosts confronted each other on opposite sides of the Ugra River until 11 November 1480, when Ahmed retreated into the steppe . In traditional Russian historiography, it

4386-592: The Livonian Order . At times the title was translated as imperator , such as in a 1493 treaty with Denmark where Ivan was called "domino Johanne totius Rutzie imperator". Ivan also began insisting on the title to the Habsburgs in 1489, and he continued to portray himself to his subjects and foreign states as the Orthodox emperor. Whenever was possible in diplomatic situations, Ivan and his representatives would refer to him as tsar. According to Isabel de Madariaga , had

4515-582: The Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order , which desired to conquer them. Gediminas allied himself with the Tatars against the Teutonic Order in 1319. The systematic raiding of Lithuania by the knights under the pretext of converting it had long since united all the Lithuanian tribes . For this purpose, he entered into direct diplomatic negotiations with the Holy See . At the end of 1322, he sent letters to Pope John XXII soliciting his protection against

4644-715: The Tsardom of Russia was officially proclaimed when Ivan IV was crowned as tsar of all Russia . The tsar sought to gather the ethnically Ruthenian lands of the former Kievan Rus', engaging with other powers around the Baltic Sea in the Livonian War . During the reign of Sigismund II Augustus in Poland and Lithuania, Tsar Ivan IV invaded Livonia , first in 1558 when the Livonian Knights sought an alliance with Poland and Lithuania;

4773-775: The Union of Lublin , forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . In the next phase of the conflict, in 1577, Ivan IV took advantage of the Commonwealth's internal strife (called the war against Danzig in Polish historiography), and, during the reign of Stefan Batory in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, invaded Livonia, quickly taking almost the entire territory, except for Riga and Reval (now Tallinn ). That war would last from 1577 to 1582. Stefan Batory replied with

4902-609: The city fell in July 1514 . Prince Vasily Nemoy Shuysky was left as viceregent in Smolensk. This angered Glinski, who threatened to rejoin Sigismund I but was imprisoned by the Russians. Russia then suffered a series of defeats in the field. In 1512, Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Konstanty Ostrogski, ravaged Severia and defeated a 6,000-strong Russian force. On 8 September 1514, the Russians suffered

5031-515: The veche and several others of the pro-Moscow faction were killed with him) and swore openly in front of the Moscow ambassadors that they would turn to Lithuania again, he marched against them. Surrounded by Ivan's army, Novgorod ultimately recognized Ivan's direct rule over the city and its vast hinterland in a document signed and sealed by Archbishop Feofil of Novgorod (1470–1480) on 15 January 1478. Ivan dispossessed Novgorod of more than four-fifths of its land, keeping half for himself and giving

5160-656: The Baltic Sea by taking hold of Narva . The Lithuanians felt increasingly pressured by the Tsar; further, Lithuanian lesser nobility pressured the Grand Duke and magnates for gaining the same rights as Polish nobility ( szlachta ), i.e. the Golden Freedoms . Eventually, in 1569, after Sigismund II Augustus transferred significant territories of the Grand Duchy to Poland and after months of hard negotiations, Lithuanians partially accepted Polish demands and entered in alliance with

5289-417: The Commonwealth's forces invaded Russia in 1605. Gediminas Gediminas ( Latin : Gedeminne , Gedeminnus ; c.  1275 – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. He is considered the founder of Lithuania 's capital Vilnius (see: Iron Wolf legend ). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands from the Baltic Sea to

Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars - Misplaced Pages Continue

5418-428: The Golden Horde, a Lithuanian ally, when its capital New Sarai was conquered in 1502. In June 1501, John I Albert , King of Poland, died leaving his brother Alexander Jagiellon , Grand Duke of Lithuania, the strongest candidate for the Polish throne. Alexander became preoccupied with the succession. To counter religious accusations, Alexander attempted to establish a church union between Catholics and Orthodox as it

5547-692: The Grand Duke Gediminas and his sons and the Master of the Livonian Order Everhard von Monheim). In 1337, a Lithuanian banner is mentioned for the first time in Wigand of Marburg 's chronicles, who wrote that during the battle at Bayernburg Castle (near Veliuona , Lithuania) Tilman Zumpach, head of the Teutonic riflemen , burned the Lithuanian banner with a flaming lance and then mortally wounded

5676-579: The Grand Master and allied with the Kazan and Crimean Tatar hordes against Moscow. Khan of Crimea, Mehmed I Giray carried out a ruinous attack on the Moscow principality, resulting in a commitment from the grand prince to pay tribute. The Lithuanian troops led by Dashkovich participated in the attack and tried to take Ryazan . In 1522, a treaty was signed that called for a five-year truce, no prisoner exchange, and for Russia to retain control of Smolensk. The truce

5805-506: The Great . In 1394, Vytautas devastated the Principality of Ryazan , leaving many settlements in ashes. In 1402, he quarrelled with his son-in-law over control of the Principality of Smolensk . After Vytautas captured his capital, Yury of Smolensk fled to Vasily's court and tried to enlist his assistance in regaining Smolensk. Vasily hesitated until Vytautas advanced on Pskov . Alarmed by Lithuania's continuing expansion, Vasily sent an army to aid

5934-576: The Kievan metropolitans and clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church having been Greeks. The Russians had also long called the Byzantine emperor tsar , and had known of the South Slavic writers who gave the title to their most successful rulers. A Serbian monk who had arrived in Moscow in the early 1440s helped to provide the foundation for the title, having composed a "chronograph" which included

6063-453: The King of Trakai , however, he didn't describe its appearance. It is uncertain how many wives Gediminas had. The Bychowiec Chronicle mentions three wives: Vida from Courland ; Olga from Smolensk ; and Jaunė from Polotsk , who was Eastern Orthodox and died in 1344 or 1345. Most modern historians and reference works say Gediminas' wife was Jewna, dismissing Vida and Olga as fictitious, since no sources other than this chronicle mention

6192-590: The Latin Rex Lethowyae (both meaning "King of Lithuania"). Gediminas' right to use the Latin rex , which the papacy had been claiming the right to grant from the 13th century onwards, was not universally recognized in Catholic sources. Thus, he was called rex sive dux ("King or Duke") in one source; Pope John XXII , in a letter to the King of France, referred to Gediminas as "the one who calls himself rex ". However,

6321-645: The Lithuanian Chronicles, which also appeared long after Gediminas' death, proclaimed that Gediminas was Vytenis' son. However, the two men were almost the same age, making this relationship unlikely. Recent research indicates that Gediminias' ancestor may have been Skalmantas . In 1974 historian Jerzy Ochmański noted that Zadonshchina , a poem from the end of the 14th century, contains a line in which two sons of Algirdas name their ancestors: "We are two brothers – sons of Algirdas, and grandsons of Gediminas, and great-grandsons of Skalmantas." This discovery led to

6450-487: The Lithuanian interests. Around 1486–1487, territories along the ill-defined Lithuanian–Muscovite border in the upper reaches of the Oka River were under attack by Moscow and its ally Meñli I Giray , Khan of Crimea . Tensions continued to rise. In August 1492, without declaring war, Ivan III began large military actions: he captured and burned Mtsensk , Lyubutsk , Serpeysk , and Meshchovsk ; raided Mosalsk ; and attacked

6579-400: The Moscow principality occurred in 1363. In 1368, Algirdas carried out the first major expedition against Moscow. Having devastated the Muscovite borderland, the Lithuanian prince routed the troops of the Prince of Starodub  [ ru ] Simeon Dmitrievich Krapiva and Prince of Obolensk  [ ru ] Konstantin Yurievich  [ ru ] . On November 21, Algirdas routed

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6708-408: The Moscow sentry troops on the river Trosna. However, he could not seize the Moscow Kremlin. The troops of Algirdas ruined the area around the city and captured a significant portion of the Muscovite population. In 1370, Algirdas made another expedition against Moscow. He ruined the area around Volok Lamskiy. On December 6, he besieged Moscow and started to devastate the surrounding area. Having received

6837-543: The Muscovite territories of Novgorod , Pskov , and Ryazan . The war was intertwined with a rebellion by Michael Glinski , Court Marshal of Lithuania , a favorite of Alexander Jagiellon and a man of opportunity. When Sigismund I the Old succeeded Alexander in 1506, he did not show the same favors to Glinski. Jan Zabrzeziński , Voivode of Trakai and Glinki's old political opponent, accused Glinski of treason – he alleged that Glinski poisoned Grand Duke Alexander and had ambitions of becoming king himself. Glinski then organized

6966-434: The Novgorodians at the Battle of Shelon on 14 July 1471. Ivan then had the four leaders of the anti-Moscow faction in Novgorod executed, including the son of Marfa Boretskaya , an influential boyar woman who had played a leading role in the faction. In a peace treaty signed on 11 August 1471, Novgorod agreed to abandon its overtures to Lithuania and to cede a considerable portion of its northern territories, while paying

7095-451: The Poles and Lithuanians were able to defend only southern Livonia. Lithuania and Poland were initially allied with Denmark and fought against the Tsardom of Russia allied with Sweden ; after several years the coalitions changed and Poland–Lithuania allied themselves with Sweden against Russia and Denmark. Eventually, the 1570 ceasefire divided Livonia between the participants, with Lithuania controlling Riga and Russians expanding access to

7224-415: The Pskovians against his father-in-law. The Russian and Lithuanian armies met near the Ugra River , but neither commander ventured to commit his troops to battle. A peace ensued, whereby Vytautas kept Smolensk. Ivan III considered himself an heir to the fallen Byzantine Empire and defender of the Eastern Orthodox Church . He proclaimed himself sovereign of all Russia , and claimed patrimonial rights to

7353-442: The Russian Orthodox Church had earlier declared itself autocephalous in 1448, and a native metropolitan was installed in Moscow. The transformation to absolutism was supported by the Russian Orthodox Church, which benefitted from Moscow's increased international standing, with the doctrine of Moscow as the " third Rome " beginning to emerge. Ivan's son with Maria of Tver , Ivan Ivanovich , whom he had designated as his heir and

7482-460: The Russian lands ", Ivan brought the independent duchies of different Rurikid princes under the direct control of Moscow, leaving the princes and their posterity without royal titles or land inheritance. It was during Ivan's reign that the emergence of a centralized Russian state occurred following a period of feudal fragmentation , with Moscow at its center. Following a war with the Novgorod Republic in 1456, due to Novgorod's support of

7611-621: The Russian lands but also implied claims to other territories inhabited by the East Slavs which were under the control of the Lithuanian grand dukes, and would later lead to conflict with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Other principalities were eventually absorbed by conquest, purchase, or marriage contract: the Principality of Yaroslavl in 1463, Rostov in 1474, Tver in 1485, and Vyatka 1489. Ivan also increased Moscow's dominance over Pskov, with his son and successor Vasily III formally annexing it in 1510. Prince Mikhail Andreyevich of Vereya , who had been awarded an appanage by Vasily II,

7740-576: The Russian monarchs as their natural allies against the Muslim regional powers. The first attempt at forging an alliance was made by Alexander I , king of a small Georgian kingdom of Kakheti , who dispatched two embassies, in 1483 and 1491, to Moscow. However, as the Russians were still too far from the Caucasus, neither of these missions had any effect on the course of events in the region. In 1488, Ivan sought gun founders, master gunners for siege cannons, gold and silversmiths, and Italian master builders from King Matthias Corvinus . In his dealings with

7869-454: The Russian-Estonian border, opposite the fortress of Narva held by the Livonian Confederation . In the Russo-Swedish War , Ivan unsuccessfully attempted to conquer Vyborg from Sweden , but this attempt was checked by the Swedish garrison in Vyborg Castle led by Lord Knut Posse . Ivan deemed Moscow to be the legitimate heir to the territories that formerly belonged to Kievan Rus' , leading to wars with Lithuania, including skirmishes in

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7998-508: The Tatars devastated the area around Chernigov, Novgorod Seversk, Radogoshch, Starodub, and Briansk. In October 1534, a Muscovite army under the command of Prince Ovchina-Telepnev-Obolensky, Prince Nikita Obolensky, and Prince Vasily Shuisky invaded Lithuania, advancing as far as Vilnius and Naugardukas, and built a fortress on Lake Sebezh the following year, before being stopped. The Lithuanian army under Hetman Radziwill, Andrei Nemirovich, Polish Hetman Jan Tarnowski , and Semen Belsky launched

8127-497: The Teutonic Order by granting a favourable status to Catholics living within his realm and feigning a personal interest in the Christian religion. While he allowed Catholic clergy to enter his realm for the purpose of ministering to his Catholic subjects and to temporary residents, he savagely punished any attempt to convert pagan Lithuanians or to insult their native religion. Thus in about 1339–1340 he executed two Franciscan friars from Bohemia , Ulrich and Martin, who had gone beyond

8256-405: The archbishop of Riga , the bishop of Dorpat , the king of Denmark, the Dominican and Franciscan orders, and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order assembled at Vilnius, when Gediminas confirmed his promises and undertook to be baptised as soon as the papal legates arrived. A compact was then signed at Vilnius, in the name of the whole Christian World, between Gediminas and the delegates, confirming

8385-527: The authority granted them and had publicly preached against the Lithuanian religion . Gediminas ordered them to renounce Christianity, and had them killed when they refused. Five more friars were executed in 1369 for the same offence. Despite Gediminas' chief goal to save Lithuania from German attacks, he still died as a pagan reigning over semi-pagan lands. Also, he was equally bound to his pagan kinsmen in Samogitia, to his Orthodox subjects in Belarus , and to his Catholic allies in Masovia . Therefore, it

8514-601: The belief that Skalmantas was the long-sought ancestor of the Gediminids. Ochmański posited that the poem skipped the generation represented by Butvydas, and jumped back to the unknown ancestor. Baranauskas disagrees, believing Skalmantas was Butvydas' brother rather than his father, and that Vytenis and Gediminas were therefore cousins. Gediminas became the Grand Duke in 1316 at the age of 40 and ruled for 25 years. Gediminas inherited land consisting of Lithuania proper , Samogitia , Navahrudak , Podlasie , Polotsk and Minsk . However, these possessions were all threatened by

8643-476: The censures of the church, the Order resumed the war with Gediminas by murdering one of his delegates sent to welcome the Grand Master for his arrival to Riga in 1325. He had in the meantime improved his position by an alliance with Wladislaus Lokietek , king of Poland, and had his daughter Aldona baptized for the sake of betrothing her to Władysław's son Casimir III . Baptizing himself would have implications for Gediminas domestically; it would have offended

8772-641: The city in 1514. Ivan conquered or brought under his control the lands of " Great Russia ", leading to Russian historians to call him the "gatherer of the Russian lands". Ivan therefore arguably became best known for his consolidation of Muscovite rule; his contemporaries and later historians saw Ivan as a skilled politician who was consistent and efficient in the construction of a unified and autocratic Russian state. His predecessors had increased Moscow's territory from less than 600 square miles (1,600 square kilometres) under Ivan II ( r.  1353–1359 ) to more than 15,000 square miles (39,000 square kilometres) at

8901-426: The construction of the walls of the Kremlin. These include the Dormition Cathedral and Palace of Facets . Construction of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower also started in 1505, which was completed after his death. Moscow played an increasingly visible role in international affairs as it established diplomatic relations with the Crimean Khanate and the Republic of Venice in 1474, the Kingdom of Hungary in 1482,

9030-436: The date of every salient event exceedingly doubtful. One of his most important territorial accretions, the principality of Halych-Volynia , was obtained by the marriage of his son Lubart with the daughter of the Galician prince. From about 23 km (14 mi) south west of Kiev, Gediminas defeated Stanislav of Kiev and his allies in the Battle on the Irpin River . He then besieged and conquered Kiev sending Stanislav,

9159-457: The east of Vyatka in the late 15th century, some of whom had fled eastward as far as the Ob River , but by 1500, they were all paying tribute. Whereas his father Vasily II followed the custom of dividing the realm between his sons, seeing this as a cause for weakness and instability, Ivan consolidated his exclusive control over Muscovy during his reign. Ivan's refusal to share his conquests with his brothers, and his subsequent interference with

9288-518: The edging was an image of a man with long hairs, who sat on a throne and held a crown (or a wreath ) in his right hand and a sceptre in his left hand, moreover, a cross was engraved around the man along with a Latin inscription: S DEI GRACIA GEDEMINNI LETHWINOR ET RUTKENOR REG (English: Gediminas', by the grace of God, the King of the Lithuanians and the Rus' people , seal ). The cross' usage in

9417-406: The end of Vasily II 's reign. It remained for Ivan III to absorb Moscow's old rivals, Novgorod and Tver, and establish virtually a single rule over what had been appanages . Although the circumstances surrounding the acquisitions varied, the results were basically the same: former sovereign or semi-autonomous principalities were reduced to the status of provinces of Moscow, while their princes joined

9546-461: The first-born son of Gediminas and a second wife. He is said to have left seven sons and six daughters including: Ivan III Ivan III Vasilyevich ( Russian : Иван III Васильевич ; 22 January 1440 – 27 October 1505), also known as Ivan the Great , was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1462 until his death in 1505. Ivan served as the co-ruler and regent for his blind father Vasily II before he officially ascended

9675-694: The former lands of Kievan Rus'. Such ambitions led to the steady growth of Muscovite territory and power. The supremacy of the Golden Horde , known as the "Mongol Yoke," ended in 1480 with the defeat of Ahmed Khan bin Küchük in the Great Stand on the Ugra River . Moscow extended its influence to the Principality of Ryazan in 1456, annexed the Novgorod Republic in 1477, and annexed the Principality of Tver in 1483. Further expansionist goals of Ivan III clashed with

9804-403: The gates. Near Orsha , he joined with Muscovite forces but was defeated by Grand Hetman of Lithuania Konstanty Ostrogski. This series of defeats demonstrated the rebellion, despite its claims to protect the rights of the Orthodox, was not supported by the general population and did not spread. The war eventually ended with the inconclusive 'eternal peace treaty' on October 8, 1508, which maintained

9933-593: The government of Moscow changed significantly under Ivan III, taking on a new autocratic form, as Moscow increased its hegemony , but also to new imperial pretensions. After the fall of Constantinople , Orthodox canonists were inclined to regard the grand princes of Moscow , where the Metropolitan of Kiev moved in 1325 after the Mongol invasions, as the successors of the Byzantine emperors . Ivan himself appeared to welcome

10062-411: The grand prince. The rival republic of Pskov owed the continuance of its own political existence to the readiness with which it assisted Ivan against its old enemy. The acquisition of Novgorod alone nearly doubled the size of his realm. Soon after the formal annexation of Novgorod, Ivan assumed the title of sovereign of all Russia ( gosudar vseya Rusi ); the title reflected his achievements in uniting

10191-414: The grand principality, his brothers were awarded appanages. Yury was given Dmitrov , Mozhaysk and Serpukhov , Andrey Bolshoy was given Uglich , Bezhetsk and Verkh and Zvenigorod , Boris was given Volokolamsk , Rzhev and Ruza , while Andrey Menshoy was given Vologda . Ivan's rule is marked by vastly expanding the territory and his control of Muscovy . As part of the successful " gathering of

10320-552: The groom was performed by Stanislovas Kęsgaila as Alexander was in Poland). Hostilities were renewed in May 1500, when Ivan III took advantage of a planned Polish–Hungarian campaign against the Ottoman Empire : While preoccupied with the Ottomans, Poland and Hungary would not assist Lithuania. The pretext was the alleged religious intolerance toward the Orthodox in the Lithuanian court. Helena

10449-626: The idea of Moscow as the true successor to Byzantium and, hence, to Rome. An impressive building program in Moscow took place under Ivan, directed primarily by Italian artists and craftsmen. New buildings were erected in the Kremlin in Moscow, and its walls were strengthened and furnished with towers and gates. In 1475, Ivan III established the first cannon foundry of Russia in Moscow, which started native cannon production. The British historian J. L. I. Fennell emphasizes Ivan's military and economic success, as well as his success in centralizing control over local rulers; however, he stated that his reign

10578-402: The idea, and he began to use the title of tsar in foreign correspondence, meaning caesar . The adoption of Byzantine symbolism and its ceremonial style in effect allowed for the Muscovite grand prince to claim the powers of that of a Byzantine emperor . Russian ruling circles were already well aware of Byzantine traditions, including the court, hierarchy, and symbolism, due in part to most of

10707-414: The internal politics of their inherited principalities, involved him in several wars with them, from which, though the princes were assisted by Lithuania, he emerged victorious. Finally, Ivan's new rule of government, formally set forth in his last will to the effect that the domains of all his kinsfolk, after their deaths, should pass directly to the reigning grand prince instead of reverting, as hitherto, to

10836-553: The land that was formerly of the Kievan Rus', most of which was now in the Lithuanian state. Furthermore, Moscow sought to expand its access to the Baltic Sea , an increasingly important trade route . Thus, the conflict between Lithuania and Moscow was only just beginning. Conflicts resumed during the reign of Dmitry's son Vasily I , who was married to Sophia , the sole daughter of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas

10965-708: The last descendant of the Rurik Dynasty to ever rule Kiev, into exile first in Bryansk and then in Ryazan . Theodor , brother of Gediminas, and Algimantas, son of Mindaugas from the Olshanski family , were installed in Kiev. After these conquests, Lithuania stretched very close to the Black Sea . While exploiting Ruthenian weakness in the wake of the Mongol invasion , Gediminas avoided war with

11094-401: The late 1480s and early 1490s. The further extension of his dominion was facilitated by the death of Casimir IV in 1492, when Poland and Lithuania once again parted company. The throne of Lithuania was now occupied by Casimir's son Alexander , a weak and lethargic prince so incapable of defending his possessions against the persistent attacks of the Muscovites that he attempted to save them by

11223-399: The marriage fitted well into the general trend of elevating the Muscovite ruler. Following his second marriage, Ivan developed a complicated court ceremonial on the Byzantine model and began to use the title of "tsar" and "autocrat". Also during the reign of Ivan and his son, Vasily III, Moscow came to be referred to by spokesmen as the third Rome . Philotheos , a monk from Pskov, developed

11352-545: The message that Prince Vladimir Andreevich was coming to help Moscow, Algirdas returned to Lithuania. In 1372 Algirdas attacked the Moscow principality again and reached Lyubutsk . However, the Grand Prince of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich routed the sentry troops of Algirdas, and the Lithuanians concluded an armistice with Moscow. In 1375, Algirdas devastated the Smolensk principality . Some Muscovite elements wished to take over all of

11481-471: The mind of her consort. It was through her influence that the ceremonious etiquette of Constantinople (along with the imperial double-headed eagle and all that it implied) was adopted by the court of Moscow. Ivan combined the double-headed eagle with his emblem of St. George slaying the dragon ; his family seal became and remained a symbol of the Russian tsars until the monarchy was abolished in 1917. Ivan's marriage would add to Moscow's prestige after

11610-527: The other Muslim powers, the khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sultans of the Ottoman Empire , Ivan's relations were peaceful and even amicable. The Crimean khan, Meñli I Giray , helped him against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , and facilitated the opening of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Constantinople , where the first embassy appeared in 1495. The Christian rulers in the Caucasus began to see

11739-418: The other half to his allies. Subsequent revolts (1479–1488) were punished by the removal en masse of the richest and most ancient families of Novgorod to Moscow, Vyatka , and other cities. Many merchants, landholders, and boyars were replaced with loyalists who came from Moscow. The Novgorod veche and its elected offices were also abolished. Archbishop Feofil was also removed to Moscow for plotting against

11868-520: The other two wives. Some arguments state that Gediminas had two wives, one pagan and another Orthodox. This case is supported only by the Jüngere Hochmeisterchronik , a late 15th-century chronicle, mentioning Narimantas as half-brother to Algirdas. Other historians support this claim by arguing this would explain Gediminas' otherwise mysterious designation of a middle son, Jaunutis, as his succession would be understandable if Jaunutis were

11997-592: The pagan Lithuanians accused him of abandoning the ancient gods. Gediminas disentangled himself from his difficulties by repudiating his former promises; by refusing to receive the papal legates who arrived at Riga in September 1323, and by dismissing the Franciscans from his territories. This led Gediminas to maintain paganism in Lithuania, even if more than twice as many Orthodox Christians lived in his realm than pagans. At

12126-664: The persecution of the knights, informing him of the privileges already granted to the Dominicans and Franciscans in Lithuania for preaching Christianity. Gediminas also asked that legates should be dispatched to him in order to be baptized. This action was supported by the Archbishop of Riga , Frederic Lobestat. Following these events, peace between the Duchy and the Livonian Order was eventually conducted on 2 October 1323. On receiving

12255-413: The pope did call Gediminas rex when addressing him ( regem sive ducem , "king or duke"). German sources also titled Gediminas as Rex de Owsteiten (English: King of Aukštaitija ). Grand Duke Gediminas's authentic symbols did not survive to this day. In 1323 Gediminas sent seven letters to various recipients in western Europe. Their contents are known only from later copies, some of which contain

12384-569: The princes' heirs, put an end once and for all to these semi-independent princelings. Ivan had four brothers. The eldest, Yury, died childless on 12 September 1472. He only had a draft of a will that said nothing about his land. Ivan seized the land, much to the fury of the surviving brothers, whom he placated with some land. Boris and Andrey Bolshoy signed treaties with Vasily in February and September 1473. They agreed to protect each other's land and not to have secret dealings with foreign states; they broke this clause in 1480, fleeing to Lithuania. It

12513-451: The promised privileges. On his raid upon Dobrzyń , the latest acquisition of the knights on Polish soil, gave them a ready weapon against him. The Prussian bishops, who were devoted to the knights, questioned the authority of Gediminas' letters and denounced him as an enemy of the faith at a synod in Elbing ; his Orthodox subjects reproached him with leaning towards the Latin heresy, while

12642-523: The prophecy of a "Russian" clan coming to rule in Constantinople. He also referred to the Muscovite grand prince as the "Orthodox tsar and autocrat" following the Council of Florence . This movement coincided with a change in the family circumstances of Ivan III. After the death of his first consort in 1467, Maria of Tver , and at the suggestion of Pope Paul II in 1469, who hoped thereby to bind Moscow to

12771-490: The ranks of the Muscovite service nobility. After the death of his first wife in 1467, Ivan married Sophia (Zoë) Palaiologina in 1472, a Byzantine princess and niece of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI , who was killed in battle in 1453. The Vatican sponsored the marriage in hope of bringing Moscow under the sway of the Pope and of establishing a broad front against the Turks, a goal that failed. From Ivan's point of view,

12900-436: The rebellious Dmitry Shemyaka against Vasily II in his civil war, Moscow began to gradually seize land in the northern territories that were formerly under Novgorodian control for the next decade and half due to a desire for luxury furs in the area. This led to a struggle with Novgorod for the Russian fur trade , and thus, an economic rivalry for fur, land and trade ports. Some Novgorodian boyars were opposed to Moscow as

13029-526: The region, the Muscovite forces had to move slowly. Additionally, the Livonian Order , led by Wolter von Plettenberg , joined the war as a Lithuanian ally. The Livonian troops won the Battle of the Siritsa River in August 1501, besieged Pskov , and won the Battle of Lake Smolino in September 1502. In 1502, Ivan III organized a campaign to capture Smolensk , but the city withstood the siege as Muscovites chose

13158-466: The ruler and duke of Semigallia ." While on his guard against his northern foes, Gediminas from 1316 to 1340 was aggrandizing himself at the expense of the numerous Ruthenian principalities in the south and east. Gediminas conquered a long series of cities across Belarus and northern Ukraine as well, but the various stages of these battles are impossible to follow. Especially from 1325 to 1340, sources about Eastern campaigns being few and conflicting, and

13287-429: The same time Gediminas privately informed the papal legates at Riga through his ambassadors that his difficult position compelled him to postpone his steadfast resolve of being baptised, and the legates showed their confidence in him by forbidding the neighbouring states to war against Lithuania for the next four years, besides ratifying the treaty made between Gediminas and the archbishop of Riga. Nevertheless, disregarding

13416-501: The second-longest in Russian history , after that of his grandson Ivan IV . Ivan Vasilyevich was born on 22 January 1440 into the family of Vasily II , the grand prince of Moscow , and Maria of Borovsk , the daughter of an appanage prince and a granddaughter of Vladimir the Bold . The first time Ivan is called heir and grand prince in treaties between his father and other Russian princes

13545-520: The southeast into Kiev Voivodeship , Volhynia , and Podolia . On July 14, 1500, the Lithuanians suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Vedrosha , and the Lithuanian Grand Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski was captured. The defeat was one of the reasons for the proposed Union of Mielnik between Poland and Lithuania. In November 1501, the Lithuanians were defeated again in the Battle of Mstislavl . The Crimean Tatars destroyed

13674-546: The sovereign of all Russia, put forward by Ivan III, did not leave room for the existence of the Lithuanian state". During the Muscovite–Lithuanian War of 1503, the Crimean Tatar armies pillaged the Lithuania's southern towns of Slutsk , Kletsk , and Nyasvizh and even threatened the capital city of Vilnius . Alexander Jagiellon then ordered the construction of a defensive wall around his capital , which

13803-465: The staunchly pagan inhabitants of the major Lithuanian regions of Žemaitija and Aukštaitija . In addition, these heartland pagans together with the Orthodox Rus' threatened Gediminas with death if he decided to convert; a similar scenario also happened to Mindaugas , which he desperately wanted to avoid. His strategy was to gain the support of the Pope and other Catholic powers in his conflict with

13932-418: The territorial accords of the 1503 truce. Despite the peace treaty, the relationship between the two countries remained tense. Sigismund I demanded Michael Glinski's extradition for trial, while Vasili III demanded better treatment of his widowed sister Helena. Vasili also discovered that Sigismund was paying Khan Meñli I Giray to attack the Grand Duchy of Moscow. At the same time, Albert of Prussia became

14061-454: The territory of the Dukes of Vyazma . Orthodox nobles began switching sides to Moscow as it promised better protection from military raids and an end to religious discrimination by Catholic Lithuanians. Ivan III officially declared war in 1493, but the conflict soon ended. Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Jagiellon sent a delegation to Moscow to negotiate a peace treaty. An "eternal" peace treaty

14190-517: The throne. He multiplied the territory of his state through conquest, purchase, inheritance and the seizure of lands from his dynastic relatives, and laid the foundations of the centralized Russian state. He also renovated the Moscow Kremlin and introduced a new legal code . Ivan is credited with ending the dominance of the Tatars over Russia; his victory over the Great Horde in 1480 formally restored its independence. Ivan began using

14319-399: The title tsar , and used the title tentatively until the Habsburgs recognized it. While officially using "tsar" in his correspondence with other monarchs, he was satisfied with the title of grand prince at home. Through marriage to Sophia Palaiologina , Ivan made the double-headed eagle Russia's coat of arms , and adopted the idea of Moscow as the third Rome . His 43-year reign was

14448-469: The title of Russian monarchs continued to be translated as rex , Russia's assimilation into the ranking order of states in Europe would have been much easier. In Nordic affairs, Ivan concluded an offensive alliance with John of Denmark and maintained regular correspondence with Emperor Maximilian I , who called him a "brother". He built a strong citadel in Ingria , named Ivangorod after himself, situated on

14577-481: The upper Oka River . Russian historian Matvei Kuzmich Liubavskii counted Lithuanian losses at 70 volosts , 22 towns, and 13 villages. The Lithuanians also acknowledged Ivan's title, sovereign of all Russia . Historian Edvardas Gudavičius said: "The war of 1492–1494 was a kind of reconnaissance mission conducted by the united Russia. [The terms of] the ceasefire of 1503 showed the planned political aggression of Russia, its undoubted military superiority. The concept of

14706-400: Was a more severe penalty compared to that of the earlier Russkaya Pravda . It restricted the mobility of peasants, also requiring an exit fee to be paid to the landlords, which were in the interests of the new noble class. Ivan therefore laid the groundwork for serfdom , which would negatively impact Russia's development in the following centuries. Ivan did his utmost to make his capital

14835-448: Was also marked by cultural depression, lack of freedom, and isolation from the West. During Ivan's reign, "the Russian state was consolidated, Russian territory tripled in size, trade expanded, and Western contacts shaped society". Tatar rule formally ended and Ivan elevated the principality to a sovereign nation, leading to him to be called "Ivan the Great". Ivan died on 27 October 1505, and

14964-471: Was being increasingly polonized , though some Novgorodian clergy adopted a pro-Lithuanian policy for political reasons due to fears that embracing the grand prince of Moscow would eventually lead to the end of Novgorod's independence. By 1470, with the pro-Lithuanian faction being dominant, the Novgorodian boyars questioned Ivan's sovereignty over the city-state as their prince . Novgorod negotiated with

15093-569: Was completed in 1522. In 1506, Alexander died. Vasili III , who succeeded his father Ivan III in 1505, advanced his bid for the Polish throne, but Polish nobles chose Sigismund I the Old , who was crowned both as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1507, Sigismund I sent envoys to Moscow to request the return of the territories acquired by the 1503 truce. At the same time, Khan Meñli I Giray broke off his alliance with Moscow due to its campaign against Kazan . Sigismund I received an yarlıq for

15222-519: Was concluded on February 5, 1494. The agreement marked the first Lithuanian territorial losses to Moscow: the Principality of Vyazma and a sizable region in the upper reaches of the Oka River. The lost area was estimated to be approximately 87,000 km (34,000 sq mi). A day before the treaty's official confirmation, Alexander Jagiellon was betrothed to Helena , daughter of Ivan III (the role of

15351-551: Was dictated by the crisis connected with the Sect of Skhariya the Jew , as well as by the imperial prestige of Sophia's descendants. Dmitry was put into prison, where he died, unmarried and childless, in 1509, already under the rule of his uncle. His successor Vasily was made co-ruler in 1502, and during Vasily's reign, he would expand the usage of the title of tsar in all matters. The grand prince increasingly held aloof from his boyars , who were

15480-438: Was either his predecessor Grand Duke Vytenis ' son, his brother, his cousin, or his hostler . For several centuries only two versions of his origins circulated. Chronicles — written long after Gediminas' death by the Teutonic Knights, a long-standing enemy of Lithuania — claimed that Gediminas was a hostler to Vytenis; according to these chronicles, Gediminas killed his master and assumed the throne. Another version introduced in

15609-465: Was envisioned at the Council of Florence – the Orthodox would retain their traditions but would accept the pope as their spiritual sovereign. The Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' agreed to such an arrangement, but Helena protested. Polish nobles, including Bishop Erazm Ciołek and Cardinal Frederick Jagiellon , discussed the issue of royal divorce. In the meantime, the war continued, just not as successfully for Moscow. As Lithuanian forces arrived in

15738-491: Was forbidden by her father Ivan III to convert to Catholicism, which provided numerous opportunities for Ivan III, as the defender of all Orthodox, to interfere in Lithuanian affairs and rally Orthodox believers. The Muscovites promptly overran Lithuanian fortresses in Bryansk , Vyazma , Dorogobuzh , Toropets , and Putivl . Local nobles, particularly the Vorotynskys , often joined the Muscovite cause. Another attack came from

15867-502: Was known for protecting Catholics and Orthodox people in addition to pagans, and he is known for improving the efficiency of the Lithuanian Army. Also, he is known for building a chain of fortresses as well as numerous castles in towns including Vilnius . At first he moved the capital to the newly built town of Trakai , but in c. 1320 re-established a permanent capital in Vilnius . Gediminas died in 1341, presumably killed during

15996-427: Was made co-ruler in 1471, died in 1490, leaving from his marriage with Elena of Moldavia an only child, Dmitry Ivanovich . Ivan attempted to secure his title for his successor, and the latter was crowned as successor by his grandfather on 15 February 1498, but later Ivan reverted his decision in favor of Sophia's elder son Vasily , who was ultimately crowned co-regent with his father on 14 April 1502. The decision

16125-400: Was on a hunting trip, he dreamt of an iron clad wolf , who stood on a hill, howling in an odd manner as if thousand of wolves would be howling at once. He consulted his vision with his priest Lizdeika who told him the dream spoke of a city that must be built at the exact place and decided to build a fortification on the confluence of rivers Vilnia and Neris , where the place of his vision

16254-449: Was pointed out. This event inspired the Romantic movement , particularly Adam Mickiewicz , who gave the story a poetic form. Gediminas is depicted on a silver Litas commemorative coin, issued in 1996. The Lithuanian folk music group Kūlgrinda released an album in 2009 titled Giesmės Valdovui Gediminui , meaning "Hymns to Ruler Gediminas". Gediminas (as Hiedymin or Gedymin )

16383-505: Was pressured in 1478 into giving Belozersk to Ivan, who received all of Mikhail's land on his death in 1486. Some princes from the Upper Oka region , who had been under Lithuanian rule, left Lithuanian service and joined the Muscovite court in the 1480s, including the Vorotynskys , Odoyevskys , Gorchakovs , and others. A peace treaty signed on 5 February 1494 legalized the acquisitions. Moscow also subjugated several Finno-Ugric tribes to

16512-430: Was subsequently extended to 1534. Upon Vasily's death in 1533, his son and heir, Ivan IV , was only three years old. His mother, Elena Glinskaya , acted as the regent and engaged in power struggles with other relatives and boyars. The Polish–Lithuanian monarch decided to take advantage of the situation and demanded the return of territories conquered by Vasily III. In the summer of 1534, Grand Hetman Jerzy Radziwiłł and

16641-522: Was succeeded by his son, Vasily III. In the 1480s, during his consolidation of territories, Ivan III had the following title: "By the Grace of God, the Great Sovereign of the Russian land, Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich, Tsar of all Russia, Vladimir, and Moscow, and Novgorod, and Pskov, and Yugorsk, and Vyatka, and Perm, and others". At the beginning of the 1490s, he also had the following title: "Ivan, by

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