Semyon Proud
700 years ago, 7 September 1316, the Grand Prince of Moscow and Vladimir Semen Ivanovich Proud was born (1316 — 1353). The eldest son of Grand Duke Ivan Kalita and his first wife Princess Helena, Grand Duke Semyon Proud was a prominent figure among the first Moscow princes-gatherers, skillfully and adequately continuing the work begun by his predecessors.Semyon, having received the label, successfully continued the policy of his father, maintaining peaceful relations with the Horde and strengthening his power over the Russian princes. Being a clever and decisive ruler, he provided the Moscow principality with a peaceful period without wars, horde raids, blood and violence. During the years of his reign, Semyon the Proud went to the Horde five times, which earned him the special favor of the Khan, and each time he returned from there with great honors. In internal affairs, Semyon was the real head of the feudal princes, although he could not prevent discord between them. However, they considered Semyon Ivanovich to resolve any disputes as a judge. The chronicles indicate that the prince dealt sternly with the other princes and rulers of the lands under his authority, for which he received the nickname Proud.
Also strengthened his power contributed to the campaign on the city of Torzhok in 1341, from which the prince took tribute and left his governors there. Even with Novgorod, with which Moscow was in a state of war at the time of Kalita's death, in 1346, through the mediation of Metropolitan Feognost and the Novgorod Archbishop Basil, peace was concluded, according to which Novgorod recognized Semyon as a prince and agreed to pay tribute to him. Since then, Semyon Proud has also become the title prince of Novgorod. During the years of his reign, Semyon also expanded the territory of the Moscow principality in the southeast at the expense of the Yuryevsky principality with fertile lands and salt springs and the Protva basin.
Semyon Ivanovich was the eldest son of the great Russian Prince Ivan Kalita, born of marriage with Princess Elena, his first wife. The future sovereign of all Russia was born on the day of Saint Sozonta, 7 September 1316 of the year, therefore in some official documents that have come down to our times, he calls himself by that name. From his father, Simon inherited a practical turn of mind, and from the famous great-grandfather, Alexander Nevsky, - hard character.
Right up to the death of his father, while still quite young, Semyon ruled in Nizhny Novgorod. According to the testament, Ivan Kalita divided his possessions among his three sons. Kolomna and Mozhaisk departed to Semyon (as well as about twenty-four smaller towns and villages), Ivan received Zvenigorod and Ruzu, and Andrei received Serpukhov. The second wife, Ulyana Kalita, also singled out separate volosts. Ivan Danilovich, with equal rights, transferred Moscow to all three sons, all of whom had their deputies there and received a third of the total share of the income, which the agreement between the brothers immediately after the funeral of the parent concluded. However, soon the most capable and talented of all the heirs, Semyon Ivanovich, managed to concentrate almost all power in the city in his own hands, continuing the policy of his father.
I must say that his father left the seeds in a difficult position. With his policy, he managed to offend almost all of the princes - he bought labels for Rostov, Uglitskoe, Dmitrovsky, Galitsky, Belozersky princedoms, ruined Tver and secured the execution of Tver princes, constantly demanded new payments from Novgorod, which led to war with Novgorod, tried to take away from Suzdal Prince Nizhny Novgorod, took prisoner of Yaroslavl Prince, etc. Also, Ivan constantly strengthened the Moscow influence on a number of lands of the North of Russia - Tver, Pskov, Novgorod, etc. In addition, he bought and bartered villages in different lands and places: near Ko Troma, Vladimir, Rostov, along rivers and MSTA Kirzhach and even in the Novgorod land, in spite of Novgorod law forbidding the princes to buy land there. He started in the Novgorod land of the settlement, inhabited them with his people, thus extending his power.
At the same time, with his flexible policy, Ivan Kalita brought peace to the common people - he deserved the favor and confidence of the Horde czar Uzbek. While other Russian lands suffered from the Horde invasions, the possessions of the Prince of Moscow remained calm, their population and well-being steadily grew: “The rotten lands stopped fighting the Russian land, they stopped killing Christians; Christians rested and restrained from great languor and a lot of Tatar violence; and from then on there was silence throughout the whole earth. "
However, the rise of Moscow did not suit the other princes. Therefore, the princes, not wanting the title of grand duke to be transferred to Semyon Ivanovich, who would continue his father’s policy, went to the Horde kingdom, hoping to convince the king Uzbek to give a label to the great reign of Constantine of Suzdal, the eldest of Rurik's most important right, not wanting to see the grand prince Kalita. Simultaneously, Semen Ivanovich went to the Uzbek. Khan accepted him affably. It should be noted that at this time the lords of the Horde preferred not to wage heavy wars in Russia, but to give the right to collect tribute to the most powerful prince. In fact, the main principalities were in the hands of Moscow, and it was difficult for anyone to compete with Prince Semyon. After some reflection, Uzbek granted him a label for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir, which certified that Semyon Proud was the “Grand Duke of All Russia” (later this inscription was stamped on his seal) and that “all the princes of Russia were given at the same time”. Moreover, Moscow was then so strong that the rest of the princes had nothing to do but to submit to the heir of Kalita.
Semyon, having received the label, successfully continued the policy of his father, although he no longer led such a restrained and flexible policy as Ivan Kalita. Semyon in relations with the Horde adhered to the policy of his father - Moscow still did not have the power to challenge the Golden Horde, so the world was paid for with gold. Twice Simon went to the Horde during the life of his father. And after his death five more times. And always came back from there, having achieved his. His will and diplomatic gift, as well as rich gifts brought the world of Russia. During the reign of Seeds Proud in Russia did not know the Horde raids. During the 40 peace years from 1328 to 1368, there were no Horde raids or wars within the boundaries of the Moscow principality. This made it possible to significantly enhance the military, economic and demographic potential of Moscow.
Semyon Ivanovich during his reign was able to accomplish the most important thing - he put under control the richest Russian land - Novgorod the Great, which his father could not achieve. Novgorodians always felt like free people, in a special position, knowingly Novgorod was one of the centers that created the united Russian state. The Novgorod lands were not destroyed by the Horde, and they didn’t want to pay for the well-being and lives of their neighbors, let them like Russians themselves. Detachments of Novgorod dashing people - ushkuynikov, attacked not only Horde, but also the cities of the Grand Duke. It is clear that Simon Proud did not want to put up with this state of affairs. As a result, a military conflict occurred.
Moscow sent to the Novgorod suburb of Torzhok boyars-governors. They captured located Torzhok and began to collect in it a tribute from the local population. Novgorodians responded by sending troops to repel Torzhok and captured the grand dukes governors headed by Mikhail Molozhsky. Such arrogance angered the Grand Duke, and he raised the squad of junior princes and gathered a large army to put the rebels in place. Torzhok, not having received the expected assistance from Novgorod, capitulated. People Seeds Proud released, and the Novgorod garrison expelled. The winning point in the conflict was set in the 1346 year. Archbishop Vasily, who arrived with the Novgorod ambassadors in Torzhok, signed a peace, according to which the ancient city recognized the prince of Moscow as its lord and paid him and his governors the due tribute. In turn, the prince issued them a letter, according to which he pledged to honor and observe the ancient charters of the Novgorod lands. After the end of the conflict, Simon laid the Novgorod a universal, “black” collection — a heavy tribute. Simon remained the title prince of Novgorod until the 1353 year.
Simon, like his father, continued unifying policy. With the assistance of the Grand Duke, Pskov was disconnected from Novgorod. After that, Pskov recognized the Moscow prince as its head. The Pskovs began to choose posadniks themselves and took Semen’s wishes into consideration regarding the candidacies of elected persons. Moscow also annexed the lands of the Yuriev principality in the southeast, which had the most fertile lands and salt springs located on them.
The traditional conflict of Moscow with Lithuania continued, which created its state mainly at the expense of the Russian lands. In 1341, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd, concerned about the strengthening of Moscow, who took the throne after the struggle between the Gediminovich brothers, sent troops to Mozhaisk, but could not take it. Then Olgerd sent his brother Koriat to the Golden Horde to Khan Janibek asking to send troops to help him. Moscow, in response, told the Horde king that “Olgerd devastated your uluses and brought them into captivity; now it wants to do the same with us, with your faithful ulus, after which, having grown rich, it will also arm itself ”.
The Horde Khan, busy at this time with the war with the Khulag ulus, did not spoil relations with Moscow and betrayed Koriat to Semen, which forced Olgerd to ask for peace from the Moscow prince. Around the same time, Simon married the daughter of Alexander Mikhailovich Tversky. In 1349, Olgerd, in contrast to Semyon, married another daughter of Alexander Mikhailovich of Tver, Uliana Alexandrovna. Semen also gave his daughter for the son of Kashin Prince Vasily Mikhailovich. These dynastic ties predetermined the balance of power in the future Moscow-Lithuanian war 1368-1372. In 1351, Semyon Proud continued the struggle with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, undertaking a march on Smolensk and forcing the Smolensk principality to “secede” from Lithuania.
Thus, skillfully using somewhere flattery, cunning and gold, somewhere - the determination to fight, iron will and direct force, Semyon Proud secured Moscow state from the Horde, subjugated Novgorod and Pskov to its will (until complete subordination of the North of Russia was still far, but the first steps were taken), and repelled the onslaught of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Successful in public affairs, Simon Proud was unhappy in family life. In 1333, he married his first marriage to the daughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gedemin Aiguste (Augustus), in the Orthodox baptism Anastasia. She died in 1345 year. The second wife of the Grand Duke became the daughter of Dorogobuzh-Vyazma Prince Feodor Svyatoslavich - Eupraxia. In marriage, they were only about a year. Semyon sent her back to his father, actually divorced, for reasons that are not quite clear, in a year, possibly because of “infertility”. Eupraxia was married a second time to the specific prince Fyodor Konstantinovich Krasny Fominsky, from whom she had four sons who initiated the family of Fominsk princes.
It should be noted that in those times divorces (especially in the highest circles of power) were categorically condemned by the church and society. When the grand duke decided to marry for the third time, Metropolitan Feognost showed his disapproval. The new union of Semyon Proud with Tver Princess Maria Alexandrovna was consecrated by the patriarch from Constantinople.
However, the third marriage did not bring happiness either. All children Seeds of a male (including born from a third marriage, with Maria) died at an early age. Desperate, Semyon took the monastic vows and left his fortune in the spiritual testament to the third wife of Maria and her future son, leaving an empty space for his name: “I am writing this word to you so that the memory of our parents and our candle will not cease.” The "spiritual" (testament) of the Seeds of Proud has come down to our days, this is one of the first Russian testaments written on paper (parchment was used to it).
At the time of writing the will, in 1351-1353, an epidemic of plague raged in Russia ("plague," "black death", which, according to legend, was brought to Russia from Europe by "Germans", that is, by Livonians, through the trade cities ). She died in Moscow, Metropolitan Theognost, brother of Semen Andrei, the last two sons of Semen, and soon, on April 26, 1353, and the Grand Duke of Moscow himself. The grand duke was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. After the pestilence in Moscow, only Semyon's brother, Prince Ivan Ivanovich (Ivan the Red) survived, but Mary became a widow, who gave everything to her bequeathed to Ivan by her husband. Ivan Ivanovich became the ruler of the Moscow principality, continuing the genus of Moscow princes.
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