Ivan Kalita - politics outside morality
March 31 is the day of the death of Grand Duke Vladimirsky, a cunning, cruel and intelligent politician Ivan Kalita. The period of his rule is estimated ambiguously. Some researchers consider this prince a great collector of Russian lands, others a traitor to the people and a zealous servant of the Golden Horde Khan Uzbek. He was awarded epithets: "miser", "hypocrite", "treacherous Tatar man". Ivan apparently received his nickname from the habit of constantly carrying around a wallet (“kalita”) with money to distribute alms.
The exact date of birth and death of Ivan Kalita is not known either. Historians point out only the approximate year of his birth 1288, although many doubt this (other sources indicate 1283 year). There is a problem with determining the date of death of Kalita - 1340 or 1341 year. The future grand duke was born the fourth son of the Moscow ruler, Daniil Alexandrovich, and for a long time could not count on the throne of Moscow. For a long time, Ivan remained in the shadow of the elder brother of Moscow Prince Yury Danilovich. His great grandfather Alexander Nevsky is often compared to Ivan Danilovich, trying to find the origins of peaceful coexistence with the Golden Horde.
Officially, Ivan Kalita was married twice. His first wife, Princess Elena, who passed away in 1331, seems to have been his peer. There is no information about what kind the princess was, however, it is known that she gave birth to four sons and four daughters during the marriage, and before her death she took the monastic vows and was called Solomonis. Nothing is known about the date of marriage either, but it should be assumed that the prince was married, as was customary, as a youth. Helen was the mother of Simeon Gordomu, Ivan the Red and Andrei Serpukhovsky.
The second wife of Kalita is Princess Uliana, whose origin has not been established for certain. It is known that the princess was much younger than Ivan Danilovich, had a daughter, Maria, and outlived her husband by twenty years. Under the will of the prince she got a lot of wealth and land.
Researchers call the names of the eight children of Kalita:
• Simeon the Proud and Ivan the Red (heirs and grand dukes);
• Andrey Serpukhovsky;
• Daniil and Feotinia (there is practically no information about them);
• Maria (wife of Rostov-Borisoglebsky prince Konstantin);
• Evdokia (wife of Prince Vasily of Yaroslavl);
• Feodosia (princess of the Belozersky principality, wife of Prince Fyodor Romanovich).
The Moscow principality Ivan Danilovich received in 1320 year. For approval as a prince of Moscow, he went to the Golden Horde, where he first met with Khan Uzbek. Already at the first meeting, Khan showed his disposition to Ivan Danilovich, but he demanded that Alexander, the prince of Tver, be forced to come to the capital of the Horde.
The political activity of this amazing man began with an original and cunning move. Kalita enlisted the support of Metropolitan Peter, luring him with numerous promises from Vladimir to Moscow. By the demand of Peter the temple of the Mother of God was erected. Already in the early years of his reign, Kalita understood the full force of church influence on the minds of the Russian people. Capital investment, as shown storyjustified itself. 1326, on the square, was laid the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, it was the first stone building in Moscow of such magnitude. After the death of Peter the Orthodox department remained here, which immediately alerted other influential princes.
This tense period in the history of fragmented Russia was characterized by the strengthening of Tver and numerous demonstrations against the Horde yoke. Voknyazheniyu Ivan Danilovich was preceded by a bloody feud between his brother Yuri Danilovich and Dmitry Tversky, as a result of which Yuri was hacked. A little later, Dmitry of Tver was killed in the Horde, and the princely throne passed to the aforementioned Alexander. The young prince refused to go to the khan for a label and concluded an agreement with Novgorod. The rebellious Alexander was supported by Pskov and the inhabitants of Tver. During the uprising in Tver, the Tatar ambassador of Chol-khan and his entire court, including servants, were brutally murdered, which caused indignation of Khan Uzbek.
Ivan Danilovich took advantage of the current situation in order to eliminate his main political opponents and headed for the Horde. Khan handed him a label on the great reigning and supplied with fifty thousand troops. Kalita headed the punitive Tatar detachment against his own people. Under the command of Ivan Danilovich stood also Suzdal. As Karamzin describes the events, Kalita moved slowly in the hope that Alexander would come to his senses, but after finding out that Tver and Pskov were not going to concede, he was forced to approach Opoka. As a measure of intimidation, he persuaded the Metropolitan to impose a curse on the rebels, but even this did not make them obey.
The Tatars under the leadership of Kalita suppressed the uprising, burned the villages and completely destroyed the land of Tver, a huge number of the local population was driven into slavery. Prince Alexander, leaving his young wife, fled to Lithuania, but then returned and again settled in Tver. In 1339, Alexander was summoned to the Horde at the denunciation of Kalyta, where he and his son were executed in a painful way. Grand Duke Throne Ivan Danilovich received the blood of the Russian people, cunning and betrayal. However, from this point on, raids into the territory did not recur. The tribute was collected on time and regularly sent to Uzbek, although it was heavy. Kalita cruelly suppressed unrest, collecting surplus in his own treasury.
Ivan Danilovich was nicknamed Kalita for his prudence and economy. Countless riches, which he amassed, collecting tribute to the khan, were directed to the expansion of the Moscow principality and the strengthening of its power. At the beginning of the rule, the territory of the principality was only 35 thousand square kilometers, and at the end Moscow was one of the strongest centers of Russia. Long before receiving the label for the Vladimir throne, Kalita was engaged in buying up small and medium-sized plots of land and devastated territories of his neighbors, thereby expanding the boundaries of his possessions. For example, three cities with districts - Uglich, Belozersk and Galich were bought at once. Kalita did not disdain even immoral means, therefore he did not deserve special love of the Russian population. Large territories were torn away from Tver during the period of the suppression of the rebellious Alexander and the rebels. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that it was thanks to his policy that Moscow gained influence throughout the territory of North-Eastern Russia. Kalita dictated his will to such freedom-loving cities as Pskov and Novgorod, and also sent tribute collectors to Pechora. More than once the people of Novgorod tried to buy off Ivan Danilovich, but the cunning prince always remained adamant.
In domestic politics, Ivan Danilovich proved himself no less successful. The economic and economical prince controlled expenses, trying to attract as many trade people as possible, developing craft and agriculture. In 1339, the Kremlin was surrounded by an oak wall, Moscow was replenished with new stone buildings. Despite the apparent adherence to the canons of Orthodoxy, Kalita adhered to the principle of religious tolerance in deciding on employment issues. Preference was given to people with outstanding business skills. Tatars, Orthodox Lithuanians, Russians fleeing from the wrath of the specific rulers flocked to Moscow. The pace of development of the principality were among the highest in the entire history of ancient Russia.
In Moscow, criminal offenses were severely punished, so the level of security in the principality has increased significantly. A great attention was paid to Kalita and legislation in the sphere of civil turnover, especially inheritance.
The merit of “unprincipled”, as some researchers call it, the policy of Ivan Danilovich became the forty-year-old calm of the Russian lands. The raids stopped, because the Horde Khan received the tribute set by him regularly and in full, while his friendly relations with Kalita allowed the Uzbek and his entourage to remain confident in their power.
Ivan Danilovich managed to take advantage of Moscow’s geographical advantages, making it not only a political but also a spiritual as well as an economic center. Kalita is deservedly considered one of the first rulers who began the reunification of fragmented Russia.
The “Russian land gatherer” 31 of March died either in 1340 or in 1341. The data on his death are confused, and today it is impossible to say what exactly caused his death. The sons of Kalita, who ascended the throne of Moscow, Simeon the Proud and Ivan Krasny, continued the policy of their father, which allowed the Moscow principality to acquire enormous political weight and finally gain a foothold in the role of the center of Russia.
The exact date of birth and death of Ivan Kalita is not known either. Historians point out only the approximate year of his birth 1288, although many doubt this (other sources indicate 1283 year). There is a problem with determining the date of death of Kalita - 1340 or 1341 year. The future grand duke was born the fourth son of the Moscow ruler, Daniil Alexandrovich, and for a long time could not count on the throne of Moscow. For a long time, Ivan remained in the shadow of the elder brother of Moscow Prince Yury Danilovich. His great grandfather Alexander Nevsky is often compared to Ivan Danilovich, trying to find the origins of peaceful coexistence with the Golden Horde.
Ivan Kalita, distributing alms.Koshelev R.
Officially, Ivan Kalita was married twice. His first wife, Princess Elena, who passed away in 1331, seems to have been his peer. There is no information about what kind the princess was, however, it is known that she gave birth to four sons and four daughters during the marriage, and before her death she took the monastic vows and was called Solomonis. Nothing is known about the date of marriage either, but it should be assumed that the prince was married, as was customary, as a youth. Helen was the mother of Simeon Gordomu, Ivan the Red and Andrei Serpukhovsky.
The second wife of Kalita is Princess Uliana, whose origin has not been established for certain. It is known that the princess was much younger than Ivan Danilovich, had a daughter, Maria, and outlived her husband by twenty years. Under the will of the prince she got a lot of wealth and land.
Researchers call the names of the eight children of Kalita:
• Simeon the Proud and Ivan the Red (heirs and grand dukes);
• Andrey Serpukhovsky;
• Daniil and Feotinia (there is practically no information about them);
• Maria (wife of Rostov-Borisoglebsky prince Konstantin);
• Evdokia (wife of Prince Vasily of Yaroslavl);
• Feodosia (princess of the Belozersky principality, wife of Prince Fyodor Romanovich).
The Moscow principality Ivan Danilovich received in 1320 year. For approval as a prince of Moscow, he went to the Golden Horde, where he first met with Khan Uzbek. Already at the first meeting, Khan showed his disposition to Ivan Danilovich, but he demanded that Alexander, the prince of Tver, be forced to come to the capital of the Horde.
V.P. Vereshchagin. Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan Kalita
The political activity of this amazing man began with an original and cunning move. Kalita enlisted the support of Metropolitan Peter, luring him with numerous promises from Vladimir to Moscow. By the demand of Peter the temple of the Mother of God was erected. Already in the early years of his reign, Kalita understood the full force of church influence on the minds of the Russian people. Capital investment, as shown storyjustified itself. 1326, on the square, was laid the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, it was the first stone building in Moscow of such magnitude. After the death of Peter the Orthodox department remained here, which immediately alerted other influential princes.
This tense period in the history of fragmented Russia was characterized by the strengthening of Tver and numerous demonstrations against the Horde yoke. Voknyazheniyu Ivan Danilovich was preceded by a bloody feud between his brother Yuri Danilovich and Dmitry Tversky, as a result of which Yuri was hacked. A little later, Dmitry of Tver was killed in the Horde, and the princely throne passed to the aforementioned Alexander. The young prince refused to go to the khan for a label and concluded an agreement with Novgorod. The rebellious Alexander was supported by Pskov and the inhabitants of Tver. During the uprising in Tver, the Tatar ambassador of Chol-khan and his entire court, including servants, were brutally murdered, which caused indignation of Khan Uzbek.
Ivan Danilovich took advantage of the current situation in order to eliminate his main political opponents and headed for the Horde. Khan handed him a label on the great reigning and supplied with fifty thousand troops. Kalita headed the punitive Tatar detachment against his own people. Under the command of Ivan Danilovich stood also Suzdal. As Karamzin describes the events, Kalita moved slowly in the hope that Alexander would come to his senses, but after finding out that Tver and Pskov were not going to concede, he was forced to approach Opoka. As a measure of intimidation, he persuaded the Metropolitan to impose a curse on the rebels, but even this did not make them obey.
The Tatars under the leadership of Kalita suppressed the uprising, burned the villages and completely destroyed the land of Tver, a huge number of the local population was driven into slavery. Prince Alexander, leaving his young wife, fled to Lithuania, but then returned and again settled in Tver. In 1339, Alexander was summoned to the Horde at the denunciation of Kalyta, where he and his son were executed in a painful way. Grand Duke Throne Ivan Danilovich received the blood of the Russian people, cunning and betrayal. However, from this point on, raids into the territory did not recur. The tribute was collected on time and regularly sent to Uzbek, although it was heavy. Kalita cruelly suppressed unrest, collecting surplus in his own treasury.
Ivan Danilovich was nicknamed Kalita for his prudence and economy. Countless riches, which he amassed, collecting tribute to the khan, were directed to the expansion of the Moscow principality and the strengthening of its power. At the beginning of the rule, the territory of the principality was only 35 thousand square kilometers, and at the end Moscow was one of the strongest centers of Russia. Long before receiving the label for the Vladimir throne, Kalita was engaged in buying up small and medium-sized plots of land and devastated territories of his neighbors, thereby expanding the boundaries of his possessions. For example, three cities with districts - Uglich, Belozersk and Galich were bought at once. Kalita did not disdain even immoral means, therefore he did not deserve special love of the Russian population. Large territories were torn away from Tver during the period of the suppression of the rebellious Alexander and the rebels. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that it was thanks to his policy that Moscow gained influence throughout the territory of North-Eastern Russia. Kalita dictated his will to such freedom-loving cities as Pskov and Novgorod, and also sent tribute collectors to Pechora. More than once the people of Novgorod tried to buy off Ivan Danilovich, but the cunning prince always remained adamant.
Sergey Efoshkin. blog Prince John Kalita
In domestic politics, Ivan Danilovich proved himself no less successful. The economic and economical prince controlled expenses, trying to attract as many trade people as possible, developing craft and agriculture. In 1339, the Kremlin was surrounded by an oak wall, Moscow was replenished with new stone buildings. Despite the apparent adherence to the canons of Orthodoxy, Kalita adhered to the principle of religious tolerance in deciding on employment issues. Preference was given to people with outstanding business skills. Tatars, Orthodox Lithuanians, Russians fleeing from the wrath of the specific rulers flocked to Moscow. The pace of development of the principality were among the highest in the entire history of ancient Russia.
In Moscow, criminal offenses were severely punished, so the level of security in the principality has increased significantly. A great attention was paid to Kalita and legislation in the sphere of civil turnover, especially inheritance.
The merit of “unprincipled”, as some researchers call it, the policy of Ivan Danilovich became the forty-year-old calm of the Russian lands. The raids stopped, because the Horde Khan received the tribute set by him regularly and in full, while his friendly relations with Kalita allowed the Uzbek and his entourage to remain confident in their power.
Ivan Danilovich managed to take advantage of Moscow’s geographical advantages, making it not only a political but also a spiritual as well as an economic center. Kalita is deservedly considered one of the first rulers who began the reunification of fragmented Russia.
The “Russian land gatherer” 31 of March died either in 1340 or in 1341. The data on his death are confused, and today it is impossible to say what exactly caused his death. The sons of Kalita, who ascended the throne of Moscow, Simeon the Proud and Ivan Krasny, continued the policy of their father, which allowed the Moscow principality to acquire enormous political weight and finally gain a foothold in the role of the center of Russia.
A.Vasnetsov.Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita
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