Sofia Paleologus: the Greek intriguer who changed Russia
On November 12, 1472, Ivan III married for the second time. This time his chosen one is the Greek princess Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos.
White stone
Three years after the wedding, Ivan III will begin the arrangement of his residence with the construction of the Assumption Cathedral, which was erected on the site of the dismantled Kalita Church. Whether this will be connected with the new status - the Grand Duke of Moscow will by that time position himself as “the sovereign of all Rus'” - or whether the idea will be “suggested” by his wife Sophia, dissatisfied with the “wretched situation”, it is difficult to say for sure. By 1479, the construction of the new temple will be completed, and its properties will subsequently be transferred to the whole of Moscow, which is still called “white stone”. Large-scale construction will continue. The Annunciation Cathedral will be built on the foundation of the old palace church of the Annunciation. To store the treasury of the Moscow princes, a stone chamber will be built, which will later be called the “Treasury Yard”. Instead of the old wooden mansion, a new stone chamber will be built to receive ambassadors, called the “Embankment”. The Faceted Chamber will be built for official receptions. A large number of churches will be rebuilt and built. As a result, Moscow will completely change its appearance, and the Kremlin will turn from a wooden fortress into a “Western European castle.”
New title
With the appearance of Sophia, a number of researchers associate a new ceremony and a new diplomatic language - complex and strict, prim and strained. Marriage to a noble heiress of the Byzantine emperors will allow Tsar John to position himself as the political and church successor of Byzantium, and the final overthrow of the Horde yoke will make it possible to transfer the status of the Moscow prince to the unattainably high level of national ruler of the entire Russian land. From government acts “Ivan, Sovereign and Grand Duke” leaves and “John, by the grace of God, sovereign of all Rus'” appears. The significance of the new title is complemented by a long list of the boundaries of the Moscow state: “Sovereign of All Rus' and Grand Duke of Vladimir, and Moscow, and Novgorod, and Pskov, and Tver, and Perm, and Yugorsk, and Bulgarian, and others.”
Divine origin
In his new position, the source of which was partly his marriage with Sophia, Ivan III finds the previous source of power - succession from his father and grandfather - insufficient. The idea of the divine origin of power was not alien to the ancestors of the sovereign, however, none of them expressed it so firmly and convincingly. To the proposal of the German Emperor Frederick III to reward Tsar Ivan with a royal title, the latter will answer: “... by the grace of God we are sovereigns on our land from the beginning, from our first ancestors, and we have been appointed by God,” indicating that in the worldly recognition of his power the Moscow prince does not need.
Double headed eagle
To visually illustrate the succession of the fallen house of the Byzantine emperors, a visual expression will be found: from the end of the 15th century, the Byzantine coat of arms - a double-headed eagle - will appear on the royal seal. There are a large number of other versions where the two-headed bird “flew” from, but it is impossible to deny that the symbol appeared during the marriage of Ivan III and the Byzantine heiress.
The best minds
After Sophia’s arrival in Moscow, a fairly impressive group of immigrants from Italy and Greece will form at the Russian court. Subsequently, many foreigners will occupy influential government positions, and will more than once carry out the most important diplomatic government assignments. Ambassadors visited Italy with enviable regularity, but often the list of assigned tasks did not include resolving political issues. They returned with another rich “catch”: architects, jewelers, coiners and gunsmiths, whose activities were directed in one direction - to contribute to the prosperity of Moscow. Visiting miners will find silver and copper ore in the Pechora region, and coins will begin to be minted from Russian silver in Moscow. Among the visitors there will be a large number of professional doctors.
Through the eyes of foreigners
During the reign of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus, the first detailed notes by foreigners about Rus' appeared. To some, Muscovy appeared as a wild land in which rude morals reigned. For example, for the death of a patient, a doctor could be beheaded, stabbed, drowned, and when one of the best Italian architects, Aristotle Fioravanti, fearing for his life, asked to return to his homeland, he was deprived of his property and imprisoned. Muscovy was seen differently by travelers, those who did not stay long in the bear region. The Venetian merchant Josaphat Barbaro was amazed at the welfare of Russian cities, “abundant with bread, meat, honey and other useful things.” The Italian Ambrogio Cantarini noted the beauty of Russians, both men and women. Another Italian traveler Alberto Campenze, in a report for Pope Clement VII, writes about the excellent border service set up by the Muscovites, the ban on selling alcohol except on holidays, but most of all he is captivated by the morality of the Russians. “They consider it a terrible, vile crime to deceive each other,” writes Campenze. - Adultery, violence and public debauchery are also very rare. Unnatural vices are completely unknown, and perjury and blasphemy are completely unheard of.”
New orders
External attributes played a significant role in the rise of the king in the eyes of the people. Sofya Fominichna knew about this from the example of the Byzantine emperors. A magnificent palace ceremony, luxurious royal robes, rich decoration of the courtyard - all this was not present in Moscow. Ivan III, already a powerful sovereign, lived not much more widely and richly than the boyars. Simplicity was heard in the speeches of his closest subjects - some of them, like the Grand Duke, came from Rurik. The husband heard a lot about the court life of the Byzantine autocrats from his wife and from the people who came with her. He probably wanted to become “real” here too. Gradually, new customs began to appear: Ivan Vasilyevich “began to behave majestically”, before the ambassadors he was titled “Tsar”, he received foreign guests with special pomp and solemnity, and as a sign of special mercy he ordered to kiss the Tsar’s hand. A little later, court ranks will appear - bed keeper, nursery keeper, stable keeper, and the sovereign will begin to reward the boyars for their merits.
After a while, Sophia Paleologue will be called an intriguer, she will be accused of the death of Ivan the Young’s stepson and the “unrest” in the state will be justified by her witchcraft. However, this marriage of convenience would last 30 years and would become perhaps one of the most significant marital unions in history.
Game of Thrones: Sofia Paleologue against Elena Voloshanka and the “Judaizers”
“The heresy of the Judaizers,” a religious and political movement that existed in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, still conceals a lot of mysteries. In the history of our state it was destined to become a landmark phenomenon.
Origins
Opposition movements in Rus' have appeared for a long time. At the end of the 14th century, in Pskov and Novgorod, centers of freethinking, a movement of “Strigolniks” arose, which protested against church bribery and money-grubbing. Pskov deacons Nikita and Karp questioned the sacraments performed by official ministers of the cult: “they are unworthy presbyters, we supply them for a bribe; It is unworthy to receive communion from them, nor to repent, nor to receive baptism from them.”
It so happened that it was the Orthodox Church, which determines the way of life in Rus', that became a bone of contention for various ideological systems. A century after the activities of the Strigolniks, the followers of Nil Sorsky, known for his ideas about “non-covetousness,” loudly declared themselves. They advocated for the Church to abandon its accumulated wealth and called on the clergy to lead a more modest and righteous life.
Blasphemy against the Church
It all started with the fact that Abbot Gennady Gonzov, called to archbishop's service in Novgorod, called by his contemporaries “a bloodthirsty intimidator of criminals against the church,” suddenly discovered fermentation of minds in his flock. Many priests stopped receiving communion, while others even desecrated icons with abusive words. They were also seen to be interested in Jewish rituals and Kabbalah.
Moreover, the local abbot Zacharias accused the archbishop of being appointed to the position for a bribe. Gonzov decided to punish the obstinate abbot and sent him into exile. However, Grand Duke Ivan III intervened in the matter and defended Zacharias.
Archbishop Gennady, alarmed by the heretical revelry, turned to the hierarchs of the Russian Church for support, but never received real help. Here Ivan III played his role, who, for political reasons, clearly did not want to lose ties with the Novgorod and Moscow nobility, many of whom were classified as “sectarians.”
However, the archbishop had a strong ally in the person of Joseph Sanin (Volotsky), a religious figure who defended the position of strengthening church power. He was not afraid to accuse Ivan III himself, allowing for the possibility of disobedience to the “unrighteous sovereign,” for “such a king is not God’s servant, but the devil, and is not a king, but a tormentor.”
Oppositionist
One of the most important roles in the opposition to the Church and the “Judaizers” movement was played by the Duma clerk and diplomat Fyodor Kuritsyn, the “chief of heretics,” as the Archbishop of Novgorod called him.
It was Kuritsyn who was accused by the clergy of inculcating heretical teaching among Muscovites, which he allegedly brought from abroad. In particular, he was credited with criticizing the Holy Fathers and denying monasticism. But the diplomat did not limit himself to promoting anti-clerical ideas.
Heresy or conspiracy?
But there was one more person around whom heretics and freethinkers gathered - the daughter-in-law of Ivan III and the mother of the heir to the throne Dmitry, Princess Elena Voloshanka of Tver. She had influence on the sovereign and, according to historians, tried to use her advantage for political purposes.
She succeeded, although the victory did not last long. In 1497, Kuritsyn sealed the charter of Ivan III for the Grand Duchy of Dmitry. It is interesting that a double-headed eagle appears for the first time on this seal - the future coat of arms of the Russian state.
The coronation of Dmitry as co-ruler of Ivan III took place on February 4, 1498. Sofia Paleolog and her son Vasily were not invited to it. Shortly before the appointed event, the sovereign uncovered a conspiracy in which his wife tried to disrupt the legal succession to the throne. Some of the conspirators were executed, and Sofia and Vasily found themselves in disgrace. However, historians claim that some accusations, including an attempt to poison Dmitry, were far-fetched.
But the court intrigues between Sofia Paleolog and Elena Voloshanka did not end there. Gennady Gonzov and Joseph Volotsky again enter the political arena, not without Sophia’s participation, and force Ivan III to take up the cause of the “Judaizing heretics.” In 1503 and 1504, Councils against heresy were convened, at which the fate of Kuritsyn's party was decided.
Russian Inquisition
Archbishop Gennady was a zealous supporter of the methods of the Spanish inquisitor Torquemada; in the heat of controversy, he convinced Metropolitan Zosima to adapt strict measures in the conditions of the Orthodox heresy.
However, the metropolitan, suspected by historians of sympathizing with heretics, did not give progress to this process.
The principles of the “punishing sword of the Church” were no less consistently pursued by Joseph Volotsky. In his literary works, he repeatedly called for dissidents to be “handed over with cruel execution,” because the “holy spirit” himself punishes with the hands of executioners. Even those who “did not testify” against heretics fell under his charges.
In 1502, the Church’s struggle against the “Judaizers” finally found a response from the new Metropolitan Simon and Ivan III. The latter, after long hesitation, deprives Dmitry of his grand-ducal rank and sends him and his mother to prison. Sofia achieves her goal - Vasily becomes co-ruler of the sovereign.
The councils of 1503 and 1504, through the efforts of the militant defenders of Orthodoxy, turned into real processes. However, if the first Council is limited only to disciplinary measures, then the second sets in motion the punitive flywheel of the system. Heresy that undermines not only the authority of the Church, but also the foundations of statehood must be eradicated.
By decision of the Council, the main heretics - Ivan Maksimov, Mikhail Konoplev, Ivan Volk - are burned in Moscow, and Nekras Rukavov is executed in Novgorod, after having his tongue cut out. The spiritual inquisitors also insisted on the burning of Yuryev’s Archimandrite Cassian, but the fate of Fyodor Kuritsyn is not known to us for certain.
What did Sophia Paleolog do? Sophia Paleologus a short biography of the famous Greek princess will tell about her contribution to history.
Sophia Paleolog biography the most important thing
Sofia Paleolog is an outstanding woman in Russian history. Sophia Paleologue 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 Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III, who by this time had been a widower for two years, decided to marry again. But I couldn’t decide on the role of the bride. Pope Paul II invited him to marry Sophia. After much deliberation, he was seduced by her title as a Greek princess. The wedding of the crowned individuals took place in 1472. The ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral, and Metropolitan Philip married the couple.
Sofia was very happy in her marriage, which produced 9 children - four daughters and five sons. Separate mansions were built in Moscow for the Grand Duchess of Greek origin, which, unfortunately, were destroyed in a fire in 1493.
Sophia Paleolog what did she do? According to the testimony of contemporaries, Sophia Paleologus was an intelligent woman who skillfully guided her husband’s 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 appearance of Sophia and her children at the Moscow court, real dynastic strife began in the city. Ivan III had a son, Ivan the Young, from his first marriage, who was to inherit the throne. Sophia's son, Vasily, seemed not destined to be the heir to his father's power.
But fate decreed something completely different. Ivan the Young, who already had a family and a son, took possession of the Tver lands, but suddenly fell ill and died. After this, there were rumors for a long time that he was poisoned. The only heir of Ivan III was Sophia's son Vasily Ivanovich.
The attitude towards the wife of Ivan III in the princely circle was different. One nobility revered the Grand Duchess, respected her for her intelligence, the other considered her very proud, not taking into account anyone’s opinion, and the third party was convinced that with the appearance of the Greek princess in Moscow, Prince Ivan III “changed the old customs” because of her "
Sophia Palaeologus died two years before the death of her husband in 1503. Until the end of her life, she considered herself the princess of Tsaregorod, the Greek, and only then the Grand Duchess of Moscow.
S. NIKITIN, forensic expert and candidate of historical sciences T. PANOVA.
The past appears before us both in the form of a fragile archaeological find that has lain in the ground for several centuries, and as a description of an event that happened once upon a time and was recorded on the page of the chronicle in the silence of a monastery cell. We judge the life of people in the Middle Ages by the magnificent monuments of church architecture and by simple household items preserved in the cultural layer of the city. And behind all this there are people whose names were not always included in the chronicles and other written sources of the Russian Middle Ages. Studying Russian history, you involuntarily think about the fate of these people and try to imagine what the heroes of those distant events looked like. Due to the fact that secular art in Rus' arose late, only in the second half of the 17th century, we do not know the true appearance of the great and appanage Russian princes and princesses, church hierarchs and diplomats, merchants and monastic chroniclers, warriors and artisans.
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
But sometimes a fortunate combination of circumstances and the enthusiasm of researchers help our contemporary people to meet with their own eyes a person who lived many centuries ago. Thanks to the method of plastic reconstruction based on the skull, at the end of 1994, a sculptural portrait of Grand Duchess Sophia Paleolog, the second wife of the Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow and the grandmother of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, was restored. For the first time in the last almost five centuries, it became possible to peer into the face of a woman whose name is well known to us from chronicles about the events of the late 15th century.
And long-standing events involuntarily came to life, forcing us to mentally plunge into that era and look at the very fate of the Grand Duchess and the episodes associated with her. This woman's life journey began between 1443-1449 (the exact date of her birth is unknown). Zoe Palaeologus was the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI (in 1453, Byzantium fell to the Turks, and the emperor himself died defending the capital of his state) and, having been orphaned early, was brought up with her brothers at the court of the Pope. This circumstance decided the fate of the representative of the once powerful but fading dynasty, who lost both her high position and all material wealth. Pope Paul II, in search of a way to strengthen his influence in Rus', invited Ivan III, who was widowed in 1467, to marry Zoya Paleologus. Negotiations on this matter, which began in 1469, dragged on for three years - Metropolitan Philip sharply opposed this marriage, who was not inspired by the marriage of the Grand Duke to a Greek woman raised at the court of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
And yet, at the beginning of 1472, the ambassadors of Ivan III went to Rome to pick up a bride. In June of the same year, Zoya Paleolog, accompanied by a large retinue, set off on a long journey to Rus', to “Muscovy,” as foreigners then called the Muscovite state.
The train of the bride of Ivan III crossed the whole of Europe from south to north, heading to the German port of Lubeck. During the distinguished guest's stops in cities, lavish receptions and knightly tournaments were held in her honor. City authorities presented the pupil of the papal throne with gifts - silverware, wine, and the townspeople of Nuremberg presented her with as many as twenty boxes of chocolates. On September 10, 1472, the ship with travelers headed for Kolyvan - that’s what Russian sources called the modern city of Tallinn at that time, but arrived there only eleven days later: the weather was stormy in the Baltic in those days. Then, through Yuryev (now the city of Tartu), Pskov and Novgorod, the procession went to Moscow.
However, the final transition was somewhat marred. The fact is that the papal representative Antonio Bonumbre was carrying a large Catholic cross at the head of the convoy. The news of this reached Moscow, which caused an unprecedented scandal. Metropolitan Philip stated that if the cross was brought into the city, he would immediately leave it. The attempt to openly demonstrate the symbol of the Catholic faith could not but worry the Grand Duke. Russian chronicles, which were able to find streamlined formulations when describing sensitive situations, were unanimously frank this time. They noted that the envoy of Ivan III, boyar Fyodor Davydovich Khromoy, fulfilling the prince’s instructions, simply forcibly took the “kryzh” from the papal priest, having met the bride’s train 15 versts from Moscow. As we see, the tough position of the head of the Russian church in defending the purity of faith then turned out to be stronger than the traditions of diplomacy and the laws of hospitality.
Zoya Paleolog arrived in Moscow on November 12, 1472, and on the same day her wedding ceremony with Ivan III took place. This is how the Byzantine princess, Greek by origin, Zoya Palaeologus - the Grand Russian Princess Sophia Fominichna, as they began to call her in Rus', entered Russian history. But this dynastic marriage did not bring tangible results to Rome either in resolving religious issues or in attracting Muscovy into an alliance to combat the growing Turkish danger. Pursuing a completely independent policy, Ivan III saw in contacts with the Italian city-republics only a source of advanced ideas in various fields of culture and technology. All five embassies that the Grand Duke sent to Italy at the end of the 15th century returned to Moscow accompanied by architects and doctors, jewelers and moneymakers, specialists in the field of weapons and serfdom. The Greek and Italian nobility, whose representatives worked in the diplomatic service, flocked to Moscow; many of them settled in Rus'.
For some time, Sofya Paleolog maintained contact with her family. Twice her brother Andreas, or Andrey, as Russian chronicles call him, came to Moscow with embassies. What brought him here, first of all, was the desire to improve his financial situation. And in 1480, he even profitably married his daughter Maria to Prince Vasily Vereisky, nephew of Ivan III. However, Maria Andreevna’s life in Rus' was unsuccessful. And Sofya Paleolog was to blame for this. She gave her niece jewelry that once belonged to the first wife of Ivan III. The Grand Duke, who did not know about this, was planning to give them to Elena Voloshanka, the wife of his eldest son Ivan the Young (from his first marriage). And in 1483, a big family scandal erupted: “... the Grand Duke wanted to give the daughter-in-law of his first Grand Duchess a fathom, and asked that second Grand Duchess for the Grand Roman. She won’t give it, since she wasted a lot of the Grand Duke’s treasury; she gave it to her brother, but also to her niece. gave, and a lot..." - this is how many chronicles described this event, not without gloating.
The angry Ivan III demanded that Vasily Vereisky return the treasures and, after the latter refused to do so, wanted to imprison him. Prince Vasily Mikhailovich had no choice but to flee to Lithuania with his wife Maria; at the same time, they barely escaped the pursuit sent after them.
Sofia Paleolog made a very serious mistake. The Grand Duke's treasury was the subject of special concern for more than one generation of Moscow sovereigns, who tried to increase the family treasures. The chronicles continued to admit not very friendly comments towards Grand Duchess Sophia. Apparently, it was difficult for a foreigner to comprehend the laws of a new country for her, a country with a complex historical destiny, with its own traditions.
And yet, the arrival of this Western European woman in Moscow turned out to be unexpectedly interesting and useful for the capital of Rus'. Not without the influence of the Greek Grand Duchess and her Greek-Italian entourage, Ivan III decided on a grandiose reconstruction of his residence. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century, according to the designs of invited Italian architects, the Kremlin was rebuilt, the Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals, the Faceted Chamber and the State Courtyard in the Kremlin were erected, the first stone grand-ducal palace, monasteries and churches were built in Moscow. Today we see many of these buildings the same as they were during the life of Sophia Paleolog.
Interest in the personality of this woman is also explained by the fact that in the last decades of the 15th century she took part in the complex dynastic struggle that unfolded at the court of Ivan III. Back in the 1480s, two groups of Moscow nobility formed here, one of which supported the direct heir to the throne, Prince Ivan the Young. But he died in 1490, at the age of thirty-two, and Sophia wanted her son Vasily to become the heir (in total, she had twelve children in her marriage to Ivan III), and not Ivan III’s grandson Dmitry (the only child of Ivan the Young). The long struggle went on with varying success and ended in 1499 with the victory of the supporters of Princess Sophia, who experienced many difficulties along the way.
Sophia Paleologus 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 great duchesses and queens were transported to the basement chamber of the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin, where they remain today. This circumstance, as well as the good preservation of Sophia Paleologue’s skeleton, allowed specialists to recreate her appearance. The work was carried out at the Moscow Bureau of Forensic Medicine. Apparently, there is no need to describe the recovery process in detail. Let us only note that the portrait was reproduced using all scientific methods available today in the arsenal of the Russian school of anthropological reconstruction, founded by M. M. Gerasimov.
A study of the remains of Sophia Paleolog showed that she was short - about 160 cm. The skull and every bone were carefully studied, and as a result it was established that the death of the Grand Duchess occurred at the age of 55-60 years and that the Greek princess... I would like to stop here and remember about deontology - the science of medical ethics. It is probably necessary to introduce into this science such a section as posthumous deontology, when an anthropologist, forensic expert or pathologist does not have the right to tell the general public what he learned about the diseases of the deceased - even several centuries ago. So, 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.
Plastic reconstruction (author - S. A. Nikitin) was carried out using soft sculptural plasticine according to an original technique, tested on the results of many years of surgical work. The casting, which was then made in plaster, was tinted to resemble Carrara marble.
Looking at the restored facial features of Grand Duchess Sophia Paleologue, you involuntarily come to the conclusion that only such a woman could have been a participant in those complex events that we described above. The sculptural portrait of the princess testifies to her intelligence, decisive and strong character, tempered by her orphan childhood and the difficulties of adapting to the unusual conditions of Moscow Rus'.
When the appearance of this woman appeared before us, it once again became clear that nothing happens by chance in nature. We are talking about the striking similarity between Sophia Paleolog and her grandson, Tsar Ivan IV, 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.
Recently, researchers came up with an interesting idea - to compare not only the portraits recreated by human hands, but also what nature itself created - the skulls of these two people. And then a study was carried out of the skull of the Grand Duchess and an exact copy of the skull of Ivan IV using the method of shadow photo overlay, developed by the author of the sculptural reconstruction of the portrait of Sophia Paleolog. And the results exceeded all expectations, so many similarities were identified. They can be seen in the photographs (page 83).
Today, it is Moscow, Russia, that has a unique portrait-reconstruction of a princess from the Palaiologan dynasty. Attempts to discover lifetime paintings of Zoe in her youth in the Vatican Museum in Rome, where she once lived, were unsuccessful.
Thus, research by historians and forensic experts has given our contemporaries the opportunity to look into the 15th century and become more closely acquainted with the participants in those distant events.
"Your fate is sealed,
-That's what they say when in heaven
Known choice and soul
Inevitability accepts
Like the lot she created."
Marina Gussar
Grand Duchess Sophia Paleologue
“The main effect of this marriage... was that Russia became more famous in Europe, which honored the tribe of the ancient Byzantine emperors in Sofia and, so to speak, followed it with its eyes to the borders of our fatherland... Moreover, many Greeks who came to us with princess, they became useful in Russia with their knowledge of arts and languages, especially Latin, which was then necessary for external affairs of state; enriched Moscow church libraries with books saved from Turkish barbarism and contributed to the splendor of our court by imparting to it the magnificent rites of Byzantium, so that from now on the capital of Ioann could truly be called the new Constantinople, like ancient Kyiv.”
N. Karamzin
“Great Constantinople (Constantinopolis), this acropolis of the universe, the royal capital of the Romans, which by God’s permission was under the rule of the Latins,” fell on May 29, 1453.
Capture of Constantinople by Turkish troops
The great Christian city was dying, slowly, terribly and irrevocably turning into the great Muslim Istanbul.
The struggle was merciless and bloody, the resistance of the besieged was incredibly stubborn, the assault began in the morning, the Turks failed to take the city gates, and only in the evening, breaking through the wall with a gunpowder explosion, the besiegers burst into the city, where they immediately encountered unprecedented resistance - the defenders of the most ancient Christian stronghold stood to the death - of course! - how could one chicken out or retreat when among them, like a simple warrior, the wounded and bloodied great emperor fought until his last breath Constantine XI Palaiologos, and then he did not yet know that just a few seconds later, in the dazzling last moment of his life, rapidly collapsing into darkness, he would forever go down in history as the last Byzantine emperor. Padaya whispered: “Tell Thomas - let him save his head! Where the head is - there is Byzantium, there is our Rome!” Then he wheezed, blood gushed from his throat, and he lost consciousness.
Constantine XI, Sophia's uncle. 19th century drawing
The body of Emperor Constantine was recognized by small golden double-headed eagles on purple morocco boots.
The faithful servant understood perfectly what the words of the late emperor meant: his younger brother - Thomas Paleologus, the ruler, or, as they said here, the despot of Morea, must make every effort to preserve and protect from the Turks the greatest Christian shrine that he kept - the most revered relics of the intercessor and patron of the Byzantine, Greek church by the entire Orthodox world - the head Apostle Andrew.
Saint Andrew the First-Called. St. Andrew's flag is firmly established in the Russian navy, and its meaning is also well-established: it was accepted “for the sake of the fact that Russia received holy baptism from this apostle”
Yes, that same Andrew the First-Called, the brother of St. Peter, an equally great martyr and faithful disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ himself...
Thomas took the dying request of his brother, who heroically fell in battle, very close to his heart and thought for a long time about what he should do to fulfill it properly...
The great shrine, which was kept in Patros It was necessary not only to save it from being captured by the Turks, it had to be preserved in time, moved somewhere, hidden somewhere... Otherwise, how should we understand the words of Constantine “Where the head is, there is Byzantium, there is our Rome!”? The head of the apostle is now here, with Thomas, Rome is in Italy, the Byzantine Empire - alas! - fell along with the fall of Constantinople... What did the brother mean... What does “our Rome” mean? Soon, with all the inexorability of the cruel truth, it became clear that Morea would not withstand the onslaught of the Turks. The last fragments of Byzantium, the second great Roman Empire, crumbled to dust. Peninsula, southern part of Greece, in ancient times the Peloponnese; received the name Moray in the 13th century, from the Slavic “sea”. In the 15th century in the Peloponnese there were several despotates who were formally dependent on Byzantium, but in fact obeyed only their rulers - despots, two of whom, Thomas and Michael, were the younger brothers of Emperor Constantine.
Thomas Paleologus. 11 - Despot of Morea
And suddenly Thomas had an epiphany - he suddenly understood what his brother meant - Constantine undoubtedly believed in a new revival of the empire, he believed that it would certainly arise where our main Greek shrine would be located! But where? How? In the meantime, the safety of his wife and children had to be taken care of - the Turks were approaching. In 1460, Morea was captured by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, Thomas and his family left Morea. Despot Thomas Palaiologos had four children. The eldest daughter Elena had just left her father's house, having married the Serbian king, the boys Andreas and Manuel remained with her parents, as well as the youngest child, daughter Zoya, who was 3 years old at the time of the fall of Constantinople.
In 1460, despot Thomas Palaiologos with his family and the greatest shrines of the Christian world, including the head of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, sailed to the once Greek island Kerkyra, which since 1386 belonged to Venetian Republic and therefore was called in Italian - Corfu. The city-state of Venice, a maritime republic that was experiencing a period of greatest growth, remained the most prosperous and rich city in the entire Apennine Peninsula until the 16th century.
Thomas Palaiologos began to establish relations with Venice, a longtime rival of the Byzantines, almost simultaneously with the capture of Constantinople by the Turks. Thanks to the Venetians, Corfu remained the only part of Greece that did not fall under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. From there the exile is transported to Ancona, a port under the control of the Republic of St. Mark. There is no doubt that in 1463 Thomas Palaiologos, together with the Papal-Venetian flotilla, was going to go on a campaign against the Ottomans. His family at that time was under the guardianship of the Venetians in Corfu, they also transported Zoya and her brothers to Rome, having heard about their father’s illness, but, obviously, even after that the Venetian Senate did not interrupt ties with the high-born refugees.
Long before the siege of the Byzantine capital, the wise Konstantin secretly, under the guise of ordinary merchant cargo, he sent Thomas a collection of the most valuable books from the Constantinople library, accumulated over centuries. In the far corner of the large harbor of the island of Corfu there was already one ship of Thomas Palaiologos, sent here a few months earlier. In the holds of this ship were treasures of human wisdom that almost no one knew anything about.
There were a large number of volumes of rare publications in Greek, Latin and Jewish languages, ranging from unique and very ancient copies of the gospels, the main works of most ancient historians, philosophers and writers, works on mathematics, astronomy, the arts, and ending with secretly kept manuscripts of predictions of prophets and astrologers , as well as books that reveal the secrets of long-forgotten magic. Constantine once told him that the remains of the library burned by Herostratus, papyri of Egyptian priests, and sacred texts taken by Alexander the Great from Persia are kept there.
One day, Thomas brought ten-year-old Zoya to this ship, showed her the holds and said:
- “This is your dowry, Zoya. The knowledge of great people of the past is hidden here, and their books contain the key to the future. Some of them I will later give you to read. The rest will wait for you to come of age and marry.”
So they settled on the island Corfu, where they lived for almost five years.
However, Zoya hardly saw her father during these years.
Having hired the best mentors for the children, he left them in the care of their mother, his beloved wife Catherine, and, taking with him the sacred relic, he went to Rome in 1460 in order to solemnly present it to Pope Paul II, hoping in return to receive confirmation of his rights to the Constantinople throne and military support in the fight for his return - by this time Thomas Palaiologos remained the only legal heir fallen Emperor Constantine.
Dying Byzantium, hoping to receive military assistance from Europe in the fight against the Turks, signed a 1439 year Union of Florence for the unification of Churches, and now its rulers could seek refuge with the papal throne.
On March 7, 1461, in Rome, the Morean despot was greeted with worthy honors, the head Apostle Andrew during a magnificent and majestic service with a huge crowd of people placed in the cathedral St. Peter's, and Foma was assigned a very high salary for those times - 6,500 ducats per year. The Pope awarded him the Order of the Golden Rose. Thomas remained to live in Italy.
However, over time, he began to gradually understand that his hopes were unlikely to ever be realized and that, most likely, he would remain a respected but useless exile.
His only consolation was his friendship with the cardinal Vissarion, which began and strengthened in the process of his efforts to receive support from Rome.
Vissarion of Nicaea
This unusually talented man was known as the leader of the Byzantine Latinophiles. Literary gift, erudition, ambition and ability to flatter the powers that be, and, of course, commitment to the union contributed to his successful career. He studied in Constantinople, then took monastic vows in one of the monasteries of the Peloponnese, and in the capital of the Morea, Mystras, he asceticised at the philosophical school of Gemistos Pletho. In 1437, at the age of 35, he was elected Metropolitan of Nicaea. However, Nicaea had long been conquered by the Turks, and this magnificent title was needed to give additional weight to the supporters of the union at the meetings of the upcoming council. For the same reasons, another Latinophile, Isidore, was ordained metropolitan of Moscow by the Patriarch of Constantinople without the consent of the Russians.
Catholic Cardinal Bessarion of Nicea, a Greek and a favorite of the pope, advocated the unification of Christian churches in the face of the Turkish threat. Coming every few months to Corfu, Thomas would talk for a long time with the children, sitting in his black throne-chair, inlaid with gold and ivory, with a large double-headed Byzantine eagle above the head.
He prepared the young men Andreas and Manuel for the humiliating future of princes without a kingdom, poor petitioners, seekers of rich brides - he tried to teach them how to maintain dignity in this situation and arrange their lives tolerably, not forgetting belonging to their ancient, proud and once powerful family . But he also knew that without wealth and lands they had no chance of reviving the former glory of the Great Empire. And therefore he pinned his hopes on Zoya.
His beloved daughter Zoya grew up as a very smart girl, but from the age of four she knew how to read and write in Greek and Latin, was very capable of languages, and now, by the age of thirteen, she already knew ancient and modern history perfectly well, mastered the basics mathematics and astronomy, recited entire chapters from Homer from memory, and most importantly, she loved to study, a spark of thirst for knowledge of the secrets of the world that was opening up before her sparkled in her eyes, moreover, she already seemed to guess that her life in this world would be not at all simple, but this did not frighten her, did not stop her, on the contrary, she strove to learn as much as possible, as if she were preparing with passion and ecstasy for a long, dangerous, but unusually exciting game.
The twinkle in Zoya’s eyes instilled great hope in her father’s heart, and he began to gradually and gradually prepare his daughter for the great mission that he was going to entrust to her.
When Zoya was fifteen years old, a hurricane of misfortunes hit the girl. At the beginning of 1465, Catherine Zaccaria's mother suddenly died. Her death shocked everyone - children, relatives, servants, but she simply struck down Foma. He lost interest in everything, was sad, lost weight, seemed to be decreasing in size, and it soon became clear that he was fading away.
However, suddenly the day came when it seemed to everyone that Thomas seemed to come to life: he came to the children, asked Zoya to accompany him to the port, and there they climbed onto the deck of the very ship where Zoya’s dowry was kept, and sailed with their daughter and sons to Rome .
Rome. The eternal City
However, they did not live together in Rome for long; soon, on May 12, 1465, Thomas died at the age of 56. The sense of self-worth and beauty that Thomas managed to preserve into old age made a great impression on the Italians. He also pleased them by officially converting to Catholicism.
Took over the education of the royal orphans Vatican, entrusting them to the cardinal Vissarion of Nicea. A Greek from Trebizond, he was equally at home in both Greek and Latin cultural circles. He managed to combine the views of Plato and Aristotle, the Greek and Roman forms of Christianity.
However, when Zoya Palelog found herself in Vissarion’s care, his star had already set. Paul II, who donned the papal tiara in 1464, and his successor Sixtus IV did not like Vissarion, who supported the idea of limiting papal power. The cardinal went into the shadows, and once he even had to retire to the monastery of Grota Feratta.
Nevertheless, he raised Zoe Paleologue in European Catholic traditions and especially taught her to humbly follow the principles of Catholicism in everything, calling her “the beloved daughter of the Roman Church.” Only in this case, he inspired the pupil, will fate give you everything. “You will have everything if you imitate the Latins; otherwise you will get nothing.”
Zoya (Sofia) Paleolog
Zoya has grown over the years into an attractive girl with dark, sparkling eyes and soft white skin. She was distinguished by a subtle mind and prudence in behavior. According to the unanimous assessment of her contemporaries, Zoya was charming, and her intelligence, education and manners were impeccable. Bolognese chroniclers wrote enthusiastically about Zoe in 1472: “Truly she... is charming and beautiful... She was short, she seemed about 24 years old; the eastern flame sparkled in her eyes, the whiteness of her skin spoke of the nobility of her family.” The Italian princess Clarissa Orsini, who came from a noble Roman family closely associated with the papal throne, the wife of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who visited Zoe in Rome in 1472, found her beautiful, and this news has been preserved for centuries.
Pope Paul II allocated 3,600 ecus per year for the maintenance of orphans (200 ecus per month for children, their clothes, horses and servants; plus it was necessary to save for a rainy day, and spend 100 ecus on the maintenance of a modest courtyard). The court included a doctor, a professor of Latin, a professor of Greek, a translator and 1-2 priests.
It was then that Cardinal Vissarion very carefully and delicately hinted to the Byzantine princess about the possibility of marriage with one of the richest young men in Italy, Federico Gonzago, the eldest son of Louis Gonzago, ruler of the richest Italian city of Mantua.
Banner "Sermon of John the Baptist" from Oratorio San Giovanni, Urbino. Italian experts believe that Vissarion and Sofia Paleologus (3rd and 4th characters from the left) are depicted in the crowd of listeners. Gallery of the Province of Marche, Urbino
However, as soon as the cardinal began to take these actions, it suddenly turned out that the father of the possible groom had heard from nowhere about the extreme poverty of the bride and lost all interest in her as his son’s prospective bride.
A year later, the cardinal hinted at Prince Carracciolo, who also belonged to one of the richest families in Italy, but as soon as the matter began to move forward, some pitfalls were again revealed.
Cardinal Vissarion was a wise and experienced man - he knew very well that nothing happens on its own.
Having conducted a secret investigation, the cardinal definitely found out that with the help of complex and subtle intrigues, deftly woven by Zoya herself using her maids and chambermaids, in both cases she tried to upset the matter, but in such a way that the refusal in no case came from her, poor orphan, who should not neglect such suitors.
After thinking a little, the cardinal decided that it was a matter of religion and that Zoya must want a husband who belonged to the Orthodox Church.
To check this, he soon offered his pupil an Orthodox Greek - James Lusignian, the illegitimate son of the Cypriot king John II, who, having forcibly taken the crown from his sister, usurped his father's throne. And then the cardinal became convinced that he was right.
Zoya really liked this proposal, she carefully examined it from all sides, hesitated for some time, it even came to an engagement, but at the last minute Zoya changed her mind and refused the groom, but then the cardinal knew exactly why and began to understand something. Zoya correctly calculated that the throne under Jacob was shaking, that he did not have a confident future, and then in general - well, what kind of kingdom is this, after all - some kind of pitiful Cyprus island! Zoya made it clear to her teacher that she was a Byzantine princess, and not a simple prince’s daughter, and the cardinal temporarily stopped his attempts. And it was then that good old Pope Paul II unexpectedly fulfilled his promise to the orphan princess so dear to his heart. Not only did he find her a worthy groom, he also solved a number of political problems.
Destiny's sought-after gift awaits cutting
In those years, the Vatican was looking for allies to organize a new crusade against the Turks, intending to involve all European sovereigns in it. Then, on the advice of Cardinal Vissarion, the pope decided to marry Zoya to the Moscow sovereign Ivan III, knowing about his desire to become the heir of the Byzantine basileus.
The marriage of Princess Zoe, renamed Sophia in Russian Orthodox fashion, with the recently widowed young Grand Duke of the distant, mysterious, but, according to some reports, incredibly rich and powerful Moscow principality, was extremely desirable for the papal throne for several reasons.
Firstly, through a Catholic wife it would be possible to positively influence the Grand Duke, and through him the Orthodox Russian Church in implementing the decisions of the Union of Florence - and the Pope had no doubt that Sophia was a devoted Catholic, for she, one might say, had grown up on the steps of his throne.
Secondly, it would be a huge political victory to gain Moscow's support against the Turks.
And finally, Thirdly, in itself, strengthening ties with distant Russian principalities is of great importance for all European politics.
So, by the irony of history, this fateful marriage for Russia was inspired by the Vatican. All that remained was to obtain Moscow's consent.
In February 1469 In the same year, the ambassador of Cardinal Vissarion arrived in Moscow with a letter to the Grand Duke, in which he was invited to legally marry the daughter of the Despot of Morea.
According to the ideas of that time, Sophia was considered a middle-aged woman, but she was very attractive, with amazingly beautiful, expressive eyes and soft matte skin, which in Rus' was considered a sign of excellent health. And most importantly, she was distinguished by a sharp mind and an article worthy of a Byzantine princess.
The Moscow sovereign accepted the offer. He sent his ambassador, the Italian Gian Battista della Volpe (he was nicknamed Ivan Fryazin in Moscow), to Rome to make a match. This nobleman from Vicenza, a city ruled by Venice since 1404, originally lived in the Golden Horde, in 1459 he entered the service of Moscow as a coin master and became known as Ivan Fryazin. He ended up in both the Horde and Moscow, probably at the behest of his Venetian patrons.
The ambassador returned a few months later, in November, bringing with him a portrait of the bride. This portrait, which seemed to mark the beginning of the era of Sophia Paleologus in Moscow, is considered the first secular image in Rus'. At least, they were so amazed by it that the chronicler called the portrait an “icon,” without finding another word: “And bring the princess on the icon.” By the way, the word “icon” originally meant “drawing”, “image”, “image” in Greek.
V. Muizhel. “Ambassador Ivan Frezin presents Ivan III with a portrait of his bride Sophia Paleolog”
However, the matchmaking dragged on because Moscow Metropolitan Philip for a long time objected to the sovereign’s marriage to a Uniate woman, who was also a pupil of the papal throne, fearing the spread of Catholic influence in Rus'. Only in January 1472, having received the consent of the hierarch, Ivan III sent an embassy to Rome for the bride, since a compromise was found: in Moscow, secular and church authorities agreed that before the wedding Zoya would be baptized according to the Orthodox rite.
Pope Sixtus IV
On May 21, a ceremonial reception of Russian ambassadors took place at Pope Sixtus IV, which was attended by representatives of Venice, Milan, Florence, and the Duke of Ferrara.
Reception at Sixtus IV. Melozzo da Forli
Already on June 1, at the insistence of Cardinal Vissarion, a symbolic betrothal took place in Rome - the engagement of Princess Sophia and the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan, who was represented by the Russian ambassador Ivan Fryazin.
Pope Sixtus IV treated the orphan with paternal concern: he gave Zoe as a dowry, in addition to gifts, about 6,000 ducats and sent letters in advance to the cities in which, in the name of respect due to the apostolic see, he asked to accept Zoe with goodwill and kindness. Vissarion was also concerned about the same thing; he wrote to the Sienese in case the bride passed through their city: “We earnestly ask you to mark her arrival with some kind of celebration and take care of a dignified reception.” Not surprisingly, Zoe's journey was something of a triumph.
On June 24, having said goodbye to the pope in the Vatican gardens, Zoya headed to the far north. On the way to Moscow, the bride of the “white emperor,” as the Duke of Milan Francesco Sforza called Ivan III in his message, was accompanied by a retinue of Greeks, Italians and Russians, including Yuri Trachaniot, Prince Constantine, Dmitry - the ambassador of the Zoe brothers, and the Genoese Anton Bonumbre , Bishop of Accia (our chronicles mistakenly call him a cardinal), papal legate, whose mission should act in favor of the subordination of the Russian Church.
Many cities in Italy and Germany (according to surviving news: Sienna, Bologna, Vicenza (Volpe’s hometown), Nuremberg, Lubeck) met and saw off her with royal honor, and held festivities in honor of the princess.
Almost the Kremlin wall in Vicenza. Italy
So, in Bologna, Zoya was received in his palace by one of the main local lords. The princess repeatedly showed herself to the crowd and aroused general surprise with her beauty and richness of attire. The relics of St. were visited with extraordinary pomp. Dominica, she was accompanied by the most distinguished young people. Bolognese chroniclers talk about Zoya with delight.
Saint Domenic. Founder of the Dominican Order
On the 4th month of the journey, Zoya finally set foot on Russian soil. On October 1st she left Kolyvani(Tallinn), was soon in Dorpat, where the messengers of the Grand Duke came to meet their future empress, and then went to Pskov.
N.K. Roerich. Old Pskov. 1904
On October 1, a messenger galloped to Pskov and announced at the assembly: “The princess crossed the sea, the daughter of Thomas, the Tsar of Constantinople, is going to Moscow, her name is Sophia, she will be your empress, and the wife of Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich. And you would meet her and accept her honestly.” The messenger galloped further, to Novgorod, to Moscow, and the Pskovites, as the chronicle reports “... the mayors and boyars went to meet the princess in Izborsk, lived here for a whole week, when a messenger arrived from Dorpat (Tartu) with an order to go meet her on the German coast.”
The Pskovites began to feed the honey and collect food, and sent six large decorated ships, posadniks and boyars in advance to “honorably” meet the princess. On October 11, near the mouth of the Embakh, the mayors and boyars met the princess and beat her with cups and golden horns filled with honey and wine. On the 13th, the princess arrived in Pskov and stayed for exactly 5 days. The Pskov authorities and nobles presented her and her retinue with gifts and gave her 50 rubles. The affectionate reception touched the princess, and she promised the Pskovites her intercession before her future husband. The legate Accia, who accompanied her, had to obey: follow her to the church, and there venerate the holy icons and venerate the image of the Mother of God on the orders of the despina.
F. A. Bronnikov. Meeting the princess. 1883
Probably, the Pope would never have believed it if he had known that the future Grand Duchess of Moscow, as soon as she found herself on Russian soil, while still on her way to the wedding in Moscow, insidiously betrayed all his quiet hopes, immediately forgetting all her Catholic upbringing . Sophia, who apparently met in childhood with the Athonite elders, opponents of the Union of Florence, was deeply Orthodox at heart. She skillfully hid her faith from the powerful Roman “patrons”, who did not help her homeland, betraying it to the Gentiles for ruin and death.
She immediately openly, brightly and demonstratively showed her devotion to Orthodoxy, to the delight of the Russians, venerating all the icons in all the churches, behaving impeccably at the Orthodox service, crossing herself as an Orthodox woman.
But even before that, while on board the ship carrying Princess Sophia for eleven days from Lübeck to Revel, from where the cortege would head further to Moscow by land, she remembered her father.
Sophia sat thoughtfully on the deck, looking somewhere into the distance beyond the horizon, not paying attention to the persons accompanying her - Italians and Russians - standing respectfully at a distance, and it seemed to her as if she saw a light radiance that came from somewhere above, permeating everything the body is carried away into the heavenly heights, there, far, far away, where all souls are carried away and where the soul of her father is now...
Sophia peered into the distant invisible land and thought only about one thing - whether she did the right thing; Did you make a mistake in your choice? Will she be able to serve the birth of the Third Rome where her tight sails are now carrying her? And then it seemed to her that an invisible light warmed her, gave her strength and confidence that everything would succeed - and how could it be otherwise - after all, from now on, where she, Sophia, is, there is now Byzantium, there is the Third Rome, in her new homeland - Muscovy.
Kremlin despina
Early in the morning of November 12, 1472, Sophia Paleologus arrived in Moscow, where her first meeting with Ivan and the throne city took place. Everything was ready for the wedding celebration, timed to coincide with the name day of the Grand Duke - the day of remembrance of St. John Chrysostom. The betrothal took place in the house of the Grand Duke's mother. On the same day, in the Kremlin, in a temporary wooden church, erected near the Assumption Cathedral under construction, so as not to stop the services, the sovereign married her. The Byzantine princess saw her husband for the first time. The Grand Duke was young - only 32 years old, handsome, tall and stately. His eyes were especially remarkable, “formidable eyes.”
Ivan III Vasilievich
And before, Ivan Vasilyevich was distinguished by a tough character, but now, having become related to the Byzantine monarchs, he turned into a formidable and powerful sovereign. This was largely due to his young wife.
The wedding of Ivan III with Sophia Paleologus in 1472. Engraving from the 19th century.
The wedding in a wooden church made a strong impression on Sophia Paleolog. One can imagine how shocked she was by the old Kremlin cathedrals dating back to the Kalitin era (the first half of the 14th century) and the dilapidated white stone walls and towers of the fortress built under Dmitry Donskoy. After Rome, with its St. Peter's Cathedral and the cities of continental Europe with their magnificent stone structures of different eras and styles, it was probably difficult for the Greek princess Sophia to reconcile with the fact that her wedding ceremony took place in a temporary wooden church that stood on the site of the dismantled Assumption Cathedral XIV century.
She brought a generous dowry to Rus'. After the wedding, Ivan III adopted the Byzantine double-headed eagle as a coat of arms - a symbol of royal power, placing it on his seal. The two heads of the eagle face the West and the East, Europe and Asia, symbolizing their unity, as well as the unity (“symphony”) of spiritual and temporal power. Actually, Sophia’s dowry was the legendary “Liberia” - a library (better known as the “library of Ivan the Terrible”). It included Greek parchments, Latin chronographs, ancient Eastern manuscripts, among which were unknown to us poems by Homer, works by Aristotle and Plato, and even surviving books from the famous Library of Alexandria. Seeing wooden Moscow, burned after the fire of 1470, Sophia was afraid for the fate of the treasure and for the first time hid the books in the basement of the stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on Senya - the home church of the Moscow Grand Duchesses, built by order of St. Eudoxia, the widow of Dmitry Donskoy. And, according to Moscow custom, she put her own treasury for preservation in the underground of the Kremlin Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist - the very first church in Moscow, which stood until 1847.
According to legend, she brought with her a “bone throne” as a gift to her husband: its wooden frame was entirely covered with plates of ivory and walrus bone with scenes on biblical themes carved on them, and an image of a unicorn was placed on the back of the throne. This throne is known to us as the throne of Ivan the Terrible: the king is depicted on it by the sculptor M. Antokolsky. (In 1896 the throne was installed in Assumption Cathedral for the coronation of Nicholas II. But the sovereign ordered it to be staged for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (according to other sources, for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna), and he himself wished to be crowned on the throne of the first Romanov). And now the throne of Ivan the Terrible is the oldest in the Kremlin collection.
Throne of Ivan the Terrible
Sophia also brought with her several Orthodox icons.
Our Lady "Hodegetria". The gold earrings with eagles attached to the necklace of the Virgin Mary were undoubtedly “attached” by the Grand Duchess
Our Lady on the throne. Cameo on lapis lazuli
And even after the wedding of Ivan III, an image of the Byzantine Emperor Michael III, the founder of the Palaeologus dynasty, with which the Moscow rulers became related, appeared in the Archangel Cathedral. Thus, the continuity of Moscow to the Byzantine Empire was established, and the Moscow sovereigns appeared as the heirs of the Byzantine emperors.
With the arrival in the capital of Russia of the Greek princess, the heir to the former greatness of the Palaiologans, in 1472, a fairly large group of immigrants from Greece and Italy formed at the Russian court. Over time, many of them occupied significant government positions and more than once carried out important diplomatic assignments for Ivan III. The Grand Duke sent embassies to Italy five times. But their task was not to establish connections in the field of politics or trade. They all returned to Moscow with large groups of specialists, among whom were architects, doctors, jewelers, coiners and gunsmiths. Twice Sophia's brother Andreas came to the Russian capital with Russian embassies (Russian sources called him Andrey). It so happened that the Grand Duchess for some time maintained contact with one of the members of her family, which had broken up due to difficult historical events.
It should be recalled that the traditions of the Russian Middle Ages, which strictly limited the role of women to household chores, extended to the family of the Grand Duke and representatives of noble families. That is why so little information has been preserved about the lives of the great Russian princesses. Against this background, the life story of Sophia Paleolog is reflected in written sources in much more detail. However, it is worth noting that Grand Duke Ivan III treated his wife, who received a European upbringing, with great love and understanding and even allowed her to give audiences to foreign ambassadors. In the memoirs of foreigners about Rus' in the second half of the 15th century, records of such meetings with the Grand Duchess were preserved. In 1476, the Venetian envoy Contarini was introduced to the Moscow empress. This is how he recalled it, describing his trip to Persia: “The Emperor also wished me to visit Despina. I did this with due bows and appropriate words; then a long conversation followed. Despina addressed me with such kind and courteous speeches as could be said; she urgently asked that her greetings be conveyed to the Serene Signoria; and I said goodbye to her.” Sophia, according to some researchers, even had her own thought, the composition of which was determined by the Greek and Italian aristocrats who came with her and settled in Rus', in particular, the prominent diplomats of the late 15th century Trachaniotes. In 1490, Sophia Paleologus met in her part of the Kremlin palace with the Tsar's ambassador Delator. Special mansions were built for the Grand Duchess in Moscow. Under Sophia, the Grand Duke's court was distinguished by its splendor. The kingship ceremony owes its appearance to the dynastic marriage of Ivan III with Sophia. Near 1490 In 1999, for the first time, an image of a crowned double-headed eagle appeared on the front portal of the Chamber of Facets.
Detail of the throne of Ivan the Terrible
The Byzantine concept of the sacredness of imperial power influenced Ivan III’s introduction of “theology” (“by God’s grace”) in the title and in the preamble of state charters.
Construction of the Kremlin
The “Great Greek” brought with her her ideas about the court and the power of government, and many of the Moscow orders did not suit her heart. She didn’t like that her sovereign husband remained a tributary of the Tatar Khan, that the boyars’ entourage behaved too freely with their sovereign, so the boyars were hostile to Sophia. That the Russian capital, built entirely of wood, stands with patched fortress walls and dilapidated stone churches. That even the sovereign's mansions in the Kremlin are made of wood and that Russian women look at the world from a small window. Sophia Paleolog not only made changes at court.
Some Moscow monuments owe their appearance to her. There is no doubt that the stories of Sophia and the representatives of the Greek and Italian nobility who came with her about the beautiful examples of church and civil architecture of Italian cities, about their impregnable fortifications, about the use of everything advanced in military affairs and other branches of science and technology to strengthen the position of the country, influenced the decision of Ivan III to “open a window to Europe”, to attract foreign craftsmen to rebuild the Kremlin, especially after the disaster of 1474, when the Assumption Cathedral, built by Pskov craftsmen, collapsed. Rumors immediately spread among the people that the trouble had happened because of the “Greek woman,” who had previously been in “Latinism.” However, the great husband of the Greeks wanted to see Moscow equal in beauty and majesty to the European capitals and to maintain his own prestige, as well as to emphasize the continuity of Moscow not only to the Second, but also to the First Rome. Such Italian masters as Aristotle Fiorovanti, Pietro Antonio Solari, Marco Fryazin, Anton Fryazin, Aleviz Fryazin, Aleviz Novy took part in the reconstruction of the residence of the Moscow sovereign. Italian craftsmen in Moscow were called by the common name “Fryazin” (from the word “fryag”, that is, “franc”). And the current towns of Fryazino and Fryazevo near Moscow are a kind of “Little Italy”: it was there at the end of the 15th century that Ivan III gave out estates to numerous Italian “fryags” who came to his service.
Much of what is now preserved in the Kremlin was built precisely under Grand Duchess Sophia. Several centuries passed, but she saw exactly the same as now the Assumption Cathedral and the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Faceted Chamber (named after its decoration in the Italian style - with edges), built under her. And the Kremlin itself - the fortress that guarded the ancient center of the capital of Rus' - grew and was created before her eyes.
Faceted Chamber. 1487-1491
Interior view in the Chamber of Facets
Scientists have noticed that the Italians traveled to the unknown Muscovy without fear, because despina could give them protection and help. Whether this is true or not, only the Russian ambassador Semyon Tolbuzin, sent by Ivan III to Italy, invited Fioravanti to Moscow, because he was famous in his homeland as “new Archimedes,” and he happily agreed.
A special, secret order awaited him in Moscow, after which at the beginning of July 1475 Fioravanti set off on a journey.
Having examined the buildings of Vladimir, Bogolyubov and Suzdal, he went further north: on behalf of the Duke of Milan, he needed to get him white gyrfalcons, which were very highly valued in Europe. Fioravanti reached the shore of the White Sea, visiting along the way Rostov, Yaroslavl, Vologda and Veliky Ustyug. In total, he walked and drove about three thousand kilometers (!) and reached the mysterious city of “Xalauoco” (as Fioravanti called it in one of his letters to Milan), which is nothing more than a distorted name Solovkov. Thus, Aristotle Fioravanti turned out to be the first European who, more than a hundred years before the Englishman Jenkinson, walked the path from Moscow to Solovki.
Arriving in Moscow, Fioravanti drew up a master plan for the new Kremlin, being built by his compatriots. Construction of the walls of the new cathedral began already in 1475. On August 15, 1479, the solemn consecration of the cathedral took place. The following year, Rus' was freed from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. This era was partly reflected in the architecture of the Assumption Cathedral, which became the symbol of the Third Rome.
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
Its five powerful chapters, symbolizing Christ surrounded by the four evangelist apostles, are notable for their helmet-like shape. The poppy, that is, the top of the temple dome, symbolizes the flame - a burning candle and fiery heavenly forces. During the period of the Tatar yoke, the crown becomes like a military helmet. This is only a slightly different image of fire, since Russian warriors considered the heavenly army as their patrons - angelic forces led by Archangel Michael. The warrior’s helmet, on which the image of the Archangel Michael was often placed, and the poppy helmet of the Russian temple merged into a single image. Externally, the Assumption Cathedral is very close to the cathedral of the same name in Vladimir, which was taken as a model. The luxurious painting was mostly completed during the architect’s lifetime. In 1482, the great architect, as the chief of artillery, took part in Ivan III’s campaign against Novgorod, and during this campaign he built a very strong pontoon bridge across the Volkhov. After this campaign, the master wanted to return to Italy, but Ivan III did not let him go, but, on the contrary, arrested him and put him in prison after trying to leave secretly. But he could not afford to keep Fioravanti in prison for a long time, since in 1485 a campaign against Tver was planned, where “Aristotle with guns” was necessary. After this campaign, the name of Aristotle Fioravanti no longer appears in the chronicles; there is no evidence of his return to his homeland. He probably died soon after.
There is a version that in the Assumption Cathedral the architect made a deep underground crypt, where they placed a priceless library. This cache was accidentally discovered by Grand Duke Vasily III many years after the death of his parents. At his invitation, Maxim the Greek came to Moscow in 1518 to translate these books, and allegedly managed to tell Ivan the Terrible, son of Vasily III, about them before his death. Where this library ended up during the time of Ivan the Terrible is still unknown. They looked for her in the Kremlin, and in Kolomenskoye, and in Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, and at the site of the Oprichnina Palace on Mokhovaya. And now there is an assumption that Liberia rests under the bottom of the Moscow River, in dungeons dug from the chambers of Malyuta Skuratov.
The construction of some Kremlin churches is also associated with the name of Sophia Paleologus. The first of them was the cathedral in the name of St. Nikolai Gostunsky, built near the bell tower of Ivan the Great. Previously, there was a Horde courtyard where the khan's governors lived, and such a neighborhood depressed the Kremlin despina. According to legend, the saint himself appeared to Sophia in a dream Nicholas the Wonderworker and ordered to build in that place Orthodox church. Sophia showed herself to be a subtle diplomat: she sent an embassy with rich gifts to the khan’s wife and, telling about the wonderful vision that had appeared to her, asked to give her land in exchange for another - outside the Kremlin. Consent was received, and in 1477 a wooden St. Nicholas Cathedral, later replaced by a stone one and stood until 1817. (Remember that the deacon of this church was the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov). However, historian Ivan Zabelin believed that, on the orders of Sophia Paleologus, another church was built in the Kremlin, consecrated in the name of Saints Cosmas and Damian, which did not survive to this day.
A. Vasnetsov. In the Moscow Kremlin. Watercolor
Legends call Sophia Paleologus the founder Spassky Cathedral, which, however, was rebuilt during the construction of the Terem Palace in the 17th century and began to be called Verkhospassky at the same time - because of its location. Another legend says that Sophia Paleologus brought the temple image of the Savior Not Made by Hands of this cathedral to Moscow. In the 19th century, the artist Sorokin painted an image of the Lord from it for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This image has miraculously survived to this day and is now located in the lower (stylobate) Transfiguration Church as its main shrine. It is known that this is the image Savior Not Made by Hands, which her father blessed her with. In the Kremlin Cathedral Spasa na Bor the frame of this image was kept, and on the analogue lay the icon of the All-Merciful Savior, also brought by Sophia. Then all the royal and imperial brides were blessed with this icon. The miraculous icon “Praise of the Mother of God” remained in the temple. Let us remember that the Savior Not Made by Hands is considered the very first icon revealed during the earthly life of the Lord, and the most accurate image of the Savior. It was placed on princely banners, under which Russian soldiers went to battle: the image of the Savior signified the vision of Christ in the sky and foreshadowed victory.
Another story is connected with the Church of the Savior on Bor, which was then the cathedral church of the Kremlin Spassky monastery, with the despina, thanks to which the Novospassky Monastery.
Novospassky Monastery in Moscow
After the wedding, the Grand Duke still lived in wooden mansions, which constantly burned in the frequent Moscow fires. One day, Sophia herself had to escape the fire, and she finally asked her husband to build a stone palace. The Emperor decided to please his wife and fulfilled her request. So the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor, together with the monastery, was cramped by new palace buildings. And in 1490, Ivan III moved the monastery to the bank of the Moscow River, five miles from the Kremlin. Since then the monastery began to be called Novospassky, and the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor remained an ordinary parish church. Due to the construction of the palace, the Kremlin Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on Senya, which was also damaged by the fire, was not restored for a long time. Only when the palace was finally ready (and this happened only under Vasily III) did it have a second floor, and in 1514 the architect Aleviz Fryazin raised the Church of the Nativity to a new level, which is why it is still visible from Mokhovaya Street. Under Sophia, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe and the State Courtyard were built, the Annunciation Cathedral was rebuilt, and the Arkhangelsk Cathedral was completed. The dilapidated walls of the Kremlin were strengthened and eight Kremlin towers were erected, the fortress was surrounded by a system of dams and a huge moat on Red Square. The defensive structures built by Italian architects withstood the siege of time and enemies. The Kremlin ensemble was completed under the descendants of Ivan and Sofia.
N.K. Roerich. The city is being built
In the 19th century, during excavations in the Kremlin, a bowl with ancient coins minted under the Roman Emperor Tiberius was discovered. According to scientists, these coins were brought by someone from the numerous retinue of Sophia Paleologus, which included natives of both Rome and Constantinople. Many of them took government positions, becoming treasurers, ambassadors, and translators.
Under Sophia, diplomatic ties began to be established with European countries, where the Greeks and Italians who had initially arrived with her were appointed envoys. The candidates were most likely selected not without the participation of the princess. And the first Russian diplomats were strictly punished in their service letters not to drink alcohol while abroad, not to fight among themselves and thereby not disgrace their country. The first ambassador to Venice was followed by appointments to a number of European courts. In addition to diplomatic missions, they also carried out other missions. Clerk Fyodor Kuritsyn, ambassador to the Hungarian court, is credited with the authorship of “The Tale of Dracula,” which was very popular in Rus'.
In Despina's retinue, A. Chicheri, the ancestor of Pushkin's grandmother, Olga Vasilievna Chicherina, and the famous Soviet diplomat, arrived in Rus'.
Twenty years later, foreign travelers began to call the Moscow Kremlin a “castle” in European style, due to the abundance of stone buildings in it. In the seventies and nineties of the fifteenth century, master money makers, jewelers, doctors, architects, minters, gunsmiths, and various other skilled people, whose knowledge and experience helped the country become a powerful and advanced power, came to Moscow from Italy and then from other countries.
Thus, through the efforts of Ivan III and Sophia, the Paleologus Renaissance flourished on Russian soil.
(To be continued)
Ivan III Vasilyevich was widowed in 1467. Two years later, an embassy from Rome arrived in Moscow. Cardinal Vissarion, a champion of the Florentine unity of churches, in a letter offered Ivan Vasilyevich the hand of Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, the daughter of his brother Thomas, Prince of Morea, who after the fall of Constantinople found refuge with his family in Rome. Pope Paul II, through his cardinal, decided to arrange the marriage of Sophia with the Grand Duke in order to establish relations with Moscow and try to assert his power over the Russian Church.
Such a proposal pleased the proud Ivan; but, due to his cautious disposition, he did not immediately agree. He consulted with his mother, and with the metropolitan, and with the closest boyars. Everyone, like the tsar himself, found this marriage desirable. Ivan Vasilyevich sent Ivan Fryazin, his moneyman (who minted the coin), to Rome as ambassador. He returned from there with letters from the pope and a portrait of Sophia and was again sent to Rome to represent the groom at the betrothal. The pope thought about restoring the Florentine connection and hoped to find a strong ally against the Turks in the Russian sovereign. Fryazin, although he converted to Orthodoxy in Moscow, did not particularly value it and therefore was ready to promise the pope everything he wanted, just to settle the matter as quickly as possible.
1472, summer - Sofia Paleolog was already on her way to Moscow. She was accompanied by Cardinal Anthony; besides this, there were many Greeks with her. Along the way, ceremonial meetings were arranged for her. When she approached Pskov, mayors and clergy came out to meet her with crosses and banners. Sofia went to the Trinity Cathedral, there she prayed fervently and venerated the images. People liked it; but the Roman cardinal who was with her confused the Orthodox.
He was dressed, according to the chronicler, not according to our custom - all in red, he had gloves on his hands, which he never took off and blessed in them. Before him they carried a silver cast crucifix on a long shaft (Latin kryzh). He was not baptized and did not venerate images; He venerated only the icon of the Mother of God, and then at the request of the princess. The Orthodox really didn’t like all this.
From the church Sofia went to the princely court. There the mayors and boyars treated her and her entourage to various dishes, honey and wine; Finally, they brought her gifts. Boyars and merchants gave it as best they could. From all of Pskov they gave her a gift of 50 rubles. She was also solemnly received in Novgorod.
When Sofia was already approaching Moscow, the Grand Duke consulted with his mother, brothers and boyars on what to do: he learned that wherever Sofia entered, the papal cardinal walked ahead, and a Latin roof was carried before him. Some advised not to prohibit this, so as not to offend the pope; others said that it had never happened in Rus' before that such honor was given to the Latin faith; Isidore tried to do this, but for that he died.
The Grand Duke sent to ask the Metropolitan what he thought about this, and received the following answer:
“Not only is it not proper for a papal ambassador to enter the city with a cross, but even to even come close.” If you honor him, he will go through one gate into the city, and I, your father, will go through the other gate out of the city! It is indecent for us not only to see, but also to hear about it. He who honors someone else's faith mocks his own!
Such intolerance of the Metropolitan already showed in advance that the papal ambassador would not be able to achieve anything. The Grand Duke ordered the boyar to take the cross from him and hide it in the sleigh. At first the legate did not want to give in; Ivan Fryazin was especially opposed, because he wanted the papal ambassador to be received in Moscow with the same honor as he, Fryazin, was received in Rome; but the boyar insisted, and the order of the Grand Duke was carried out.
Sophia's arrival in Moscow
1472, November 12 - Sofia entered Moscow. On the same day the marriage took place; and the next day the papal ambassador was received. He presented the Grand Duke with gifts from the pope.
For three months there was a Roman embassy in Moscow. Here he was treated and held in great honor; Ivan III generously presented gifts to the cardinal. He tried to talk about uniting the churches, but, as one would expect, nothing came of it. Ivan Vasilyevich gave this church matter to the metropolitan to decide, and he found some scribe Nikita Popovich to compete with the legate. This Nikita, according to the chronicler, out-argued the cardinal, so that he did not know what to answer - he only made the excuse that he did not have the books necessary for the argument with him. The pope's attempt to unite the churches ended in complete failure this time.
Dowry of Sophia Paleolog
Sofia brought with her a generous dowry. This was the legendary “Liberia” - a library allegedly brought on 70 carts (better known as the “library of Ivan the Terrible”). It included Greek parchments, Latin chronographs, ancient Eastern manuscripts, among which were unknown poems by Homer, works by Aristotle and Plato, and even surviving books from the legendary Library of Alexandria.
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 bone with biblical themes 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 to the Greek princess had important consequences. There had been cases before that Russian princes married Greek princesses, but these marriages did not have the same significance as the marriage of Ivan and Sophia. Byzantium was now enslaved by the Turks. The Byzantine emperor was previously considered the main defender of all Eastern Christianity; now the Moscow sovereign became such a defender; with the hand of Sophia, he seemed to inherit the rights of the Palaiologos, even adopting the coat of arms of the Eastern Roman Empire - the double-headed eagle; on the seals that were attached to the letters, they began to depict a double-headed eagle on one side, and on the other, the former Moscow coat of arms, St. 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 clothing, shining with gold and precious stones, the unusually rich decoration of the royal palace - all this greatly elevated the sovereign’s personality in the eyes of the people. Everything bowed before him as before an earthly deity.
It was not the same in Moscow. The Grand Duke was already a powerful sovereign, and lived a little wider and richer than the boyars. They treated him respectfully, but simply: some of them were from appanage princes and, like the Grand Duke, traced their origins, too, to Rurik. The simple 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 had seen 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 really liked many of the Byzantine court practices.
And little by little, new customs began to appear in Moscow: Ivan Vasilyevich began to behave majestically, in relations with foreigners he was titled “tsar,” he began to receive ambassadors with magnificent solemnity, and established the ritual of kissing the royal hand as a sign of special favor. Then the court ranks appeared (nurser, stablemaster, bedkeeper). The Grand Duke began to reward the boyars for their merits. In addition to the boyar's son, at this time another lower rank appears - the okolnichy.
The boyars, who had previously been advisers, Duma princes, with whom the sovereign, according to custom, consulted on every important matter, as with comrades, now turned into his obedient servants. The mercy of the sovereign can exalt them, anger can destroy them.
At the end of his reign, Ivan III became a real autocrat. Many boyars did not like these changes, but no one dared to express this: the Grand Duke was very harsh and punished cruelly.
Innovations. Sophia's influence
Since the arrival of Sofia Paleologus in Moscow, relations have begun with the West, especially with Italy.
An attentive observer of Moscow life, Baron Herberstein, who came to Moscow twice as the ambassador of the German Emperor under Ivan's successor, having listened to enough boyar talk, notes about Sophia in his notes that she was an unusually cunning woman who had great influence on the Grand Duke, who, at her suggestion, did a lot . Even Ivan III’s determination to throw off the Tatar yoke was attributed to her influence. In the boyars' tales and judgments about the princess, it is not easy to separate observation from suspicion or exaggeration guided by ill will.
Moscow at that time was very unsightly. Small wooden buildings, placed haphazardly, 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 disaster of 1474, when the Assumption Cathedral, built by Pskov craftsmen, collapsed. Rumors immediately spread among the people that the trouble had happened because of the “Greek woman”, 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 craftsmen in Europe. Their creations could make Moscow equal in beauty and majesty to European capitals and support the prestige of the Moscow sovereign, as well as emphasize the continuity of Moscow not only with the Second, but also with the First Rome.
One of the best Italian builders of that time, Aristotle Fioravanti, agreed to go to Moscow for a salary of 10 rubles per month (a decent amount of money at that time). In 4 years he built a temple that was magnificent at that time - the Assumption Cathedral, consecrated in 1479. This building is still preserved in the Moscow Kremlin.
Then they began to build other stone churches: 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 previous dilapidated church. The sovereign decided to build a stone chamber for ceremonial 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 again surrounded by a stone wall and decorated with beautiful gates and towers. The Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new stone palace for himself. Following the Grand Duke, the Metropolitan began to build brick chambers for himself. Three boyars also built themselves stone houses in the Kremlin. Thus, Moscow began to gradually be built with stone buildings; but these buildings did not become a custom for a long time after that.
Birth of children. State affairs
1474, April 18 - Sophia gave birth to her first daughter Anna (who died quickly), 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 government affairs. The Grand Duke consulted with her in making government decisions (in 1474 he bought half of the Rostov principality and entered into a friendly alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey).
Sofia Paleologue took an active part in diplomatic receptions (Venetian envoy Cantarini noted that the reception she organized was “very stately and affectionate”). According to the 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 by declaring that she had a sign from above about the construction of a temple to St. Nicholas on the spot in the Kremlin where the house of the khan’s governors stood, who controlled the yasak collections. and the actions of the Kremlin. This legend represents Sophia as a decisive person (“she kicked them out of the Kremlin, demolished the house, although she did not build a temple”).
1478 - Rus' actually stopped paying tribute to the Horde; There are 2 years left until the complete overthrow of the yoke.
In 1480, again on the “advice” of his wife, Ivan Vasilyevich went with the militia to the Ugra River (near Kaluga), where the army of the Tatar Khan Akhmat was stationed. The “stand on the Ugra” did not end with the 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-ducal 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 St. George the Victorious was combined with a 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,” and the Russian Church is the successor of the Greek Church. Under the influence of Sophia, the ceremony of the Grand Duke's court acquired unprecedented pomp, similar to the Byzantine-Roman one.
Rights to the Moscow throne
Sophia began a stubborn struggle to justify the right to the Moscow throne for her son Vasily. When he was eight years old, she even tried to organize a conspiracy against her husband (1497), but it was discovered, and Sophia herself was condemned on suspicion of magic and connection with a “witch woman” (1498) and, together with Tsarevich Vasily, was subjected to disgraced.
But fate was merciful to her (over the years of her 30-year marriage, Sophia gave birth to 5 sons and 4 daughters). The death of Ivan III's eldest son, Ivan the Young, forced Sophia's husband to change his anger to mercy and return those exiled 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 great duchesses and queens 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 Sophia Paleologue’s skeleton, made it possible for experts to recreate her appearance. The work was carried out at the Moscow Bureau of Forensic Medicine. Apparently, there is no need to describe the recovery process in detail. We only note that the portrait was reproduced using all scientific techniques.
A study of the remains of Sophia Paleolog showed that she was short - about 160 cm. The skull and every bone were carefully studied, and as a result it was established 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 once again became clear that nothing happens by chance in nature. We are talking about the amazing similarity between 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.
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