Little-known wars of the Russian state: Russian-Lithuanian "strange" war 1487 — 1494
At the first stages of his rule, Ivan III Vasilyevich tried to act very carefully in his relations with Lithuania, trying with persuasion and promises to win over the Russian Upper Princes who served the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, whose possessions were located in the headwaters of the Oka River. They retained a certain autonomy, fixed rights and privileges, which were constantly stipulated in agreements with Lithuania. Naturally, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russian and Zhemoitskoe, which at that time included the lands of modern Belarus and Lithuania, as well as part of Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Poland and Estonia, looked negatively at Moscow’s attempts to unite all Russian lands within its borders. Frontier skirmishes constantly occurred on the border, and the transitions of princes and boyars to the service of Moscow or Lithuania did not contribute to reconciliation. In fact, the Moscow Grand Duke claimed the return of the “Grand Duchy of Kiev,” although this was never announced openly.
Among the factors that influenced the final choice of the overlord by the Upper Princes, the main were their Russian origin (they were descendants of Prince Mikhail of Chernigov) and loyalty to Orthodoxy. The factor of proximity to the Wild Field also played a certain role. Detachments of the Crimean Khanate regularly raided the steppe, and relations between Moscow and the Crimea during the rule of Ivan III remained friendly. The first exchange of letters between the powers occurred back in 1462, and in 1472, a mutual friendship agreement was concluded. In 1474, between the Crimean Khan Mengli-Giray and Grand Duke Ivan III an agreement was reached on an alliance. In 1480, the union treaty of the Russian state and the Crimean Khanate was concluded again, while the agreement directly indicated the enemies against whom the parties had to act together - the Great Horde Khan Akhmat and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The joint struggle against the Great Horde and the Lithuanian principality made the two powers allies. Moscow could influence the Crimea so that it would not attack the lands of the upper princes.
It is necessary to take into account the factor of the increased power of Moscow. The Russian state annexed a number of important territories, successfully withstood the struggle against the Great Horde, gained a great foreign policy weight. A strong and powerful state attracted the weaker lands, people (including the nobility) were looking for stability and security.
Departures of the upper princes to the service of the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir began in the early 1470-s. One of the first to go to the service of Ivan the Great was Prince Semyon Y. Odoyevsky. He died in the autumn of 1474, during one of the border conflicts. His sons Ivan Sukhoi, Vasily Shvikh and Petr Semenovich Odoyevsky, who were the owners of half of the patrimonial city of Odoev, already faithfully served the Moscow state, participating in constant border clashes with supporters of the Lithuanian prince. But the remaining princes were in no hurry to move to the side of Moscow. Transfer to the side of Muscovy in 1481-1482 Fedor Ivanovich Belsky can hardly be regarded as an ordinary princely departure. He escaped from the principality of Lithuania, fleeing after an unsuccessful conspiracy against Casimir IV Jagiellon. Fyodor Belsky together with his relatives, Prince Mikhail Olelkovich and Ivan Golshansky, planned to tear away the entire eastern part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in favor of the Russian state up to the Berezina River. Ivan Golshansky and Mikhail Olelkovich were executed. In Moscow, Belskoy was received favorably, generously awarded. But his family possessions were confiscated.
Massive transitions of the Verkhov princes to the Moscow service were acquired only from the 1487 year. Apparently, this fact is not accidental - 9 July 1487, Kazan was captured. As a result, a Russian protectorate was established over the Kazan Khanate. Earlier in 1480, the issue was resolved with the Great Horde. As a result, Moscow liberated significant forces that were engaged in the east, and was able to increase the pressure on Lithuania. One of the first who went over to the side of Muscovy was Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Vorotynsky (Peremyshlsky). Before that, he plundered the city of Mtsensk. In early October 1487, the Lithuanian embassy arrived in Moscow with a complaint about the actions of Prince Ivan Vorotynsky and the princes Odoyevsky who were helping him. The participation of the princes Odoyevsky in the conflict suggests that the Grand Duke of Moscow was interested in straining relations with Lithuania, having received free hand in the east.
The pressure of the Muscovite state on the Lithuanian border lands was constantly growing. In the spring of 1489, the city of Vorotynsk was besieged by a Moscow army under the command of eleven governors headed by Prince Vasily Ivanovich Kosy Patrikeev. The position of the Verkhov's princes became hopeless, and many followed the example of Ivan Vorotynsky. At the end of 1489, Ivan the Great, with his “descendants,” transferred to the service: Ivan, Andrei, and Vasily Vasilyevich Belevskiy, Dmitry Fedorovich Vorotynsky and his nephew Ivan Mikhailovich Vorotynsky. They also captured the townships that belonged to the princes who remained loyal to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The protests, which were declared by the Polish king and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Casimir IV, were ignored by Moscow. Relations between the two powers continued to escalate, but in general the situation did not go beyond the border conflict and mutual reproaches regarding the violation of existing agreements.
The situation changed dramatically only after the death of King Casimir 7 June 1492. The sons of Casimir IV divided the state, significantly weakening its power. The eldest son of the king of Poland and Lithuania - Vladislav II (Uloslo II), even during his lifetime became king of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Jan I Olbracht took the throne of Poland. Alexander Jagiellon came to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The reaction of Ivan III Vasilyevich was very fast. Already in August, 1492, the Moscow army under the command of Prince Fyodor Vasilyevich Oblensky Telepene invaded the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The cities of Mtsensk and Lubutsk were captured. In September 1492, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, wrote a letter to Moscow: and the boyars of Mtsensk and Lubutsk zhons, children and other many people were led to a lot, and their bellies and statues were taken away ”. The capture of these two cities is not over. In August, 1492, the ratification of the princes I. M. Vorotynsky and Odoyevsky, quite easily captured the cities of Mosalsk and Serpeysk.
In August-September 1492, a detachment of grand dukes governors Vasily Lapin and Andrei Istoma invaded the possessions of the Vyazma princes and captured the cities of Hlepeni and Rogachev. As a result of these campaigns and the transition of a number of princes and boyars to the Moscow service, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost its reliable military cover for its eastern frontiers. The structure of the Moscow State included such frontier Lithuanian fortresses as Odoyev, Kozelsk, Peremyshl, Serensk. Naturally, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander and his government were not going to give up these territories without a fight. Alexander categorically refused to acknowledge the transfer of Russian princes to Moscow, this was reported in a letter to Ivan from February 20 of 1493 of the year. Troops were sent to cities captured by Moscow troops. Troops marched from Smolensk under the command of Governor Yury Glebovich, Prince Semyon Ivanovich Mozhaysky and Princes Drutskys. Lithuanian troops were able to seize Serpeisky and Mtsensk for some time. But it was a private success. January 21 A large Moscow army, which included the grand duke’s army under the command of Mikhail Ivanovich Kolyshki (of the Patrikeevs) and Alexander Vasilyevich Obolensky, the allied forces of the Moscow state of the Ryazan princes Ivan and Fyodor Vasilyevich, marched. Lithuanian troops retreated to Smolensk, leaving garrisons in the captured cities. The Moscow troops captured Mezetsky without a fight, and took Serpeysk by storm, which was desperately fighting off. The troops of Obolensky and the Pegs captured the city of Opakov, his garrison resisted, so the town was burned down (as was Serpeisk). A similar fate befell the city of Gorodechno taken from a spear.
The successes of Moscow and the failures of the Lithuanian troops led to the fact that several more Ukhov princes drove off to the Moscow service. These were Semen Fedorovich Vorotynsky, Mikhail Romanovich Mezetsky, Vasily and Andrey Vasilyevich Belevsky, one of the Vyazma princes - Andrey Yuryevich Vyazemsky. This further weakened the defense of the eastern borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the winter of 1492-1493, five Moscow regiments under the command of Daniel Vasilyevich Scheny and Vasily Ivanovich Krivoy Patrikeev took Vyazma and took the oath of people. Many notable people were taken to Moscow State.
The Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, tried to organize a repulse against the invasions of Moscow troops, the falling away from the Lithuanian rule of the border princes, to receive assistance in Poland and even hire troops there. But he received no real help from the outside and was forced to rely only on himself.
Military operations between the Moscow State and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania went almost the entire borderline, but no formal war was declared. Therefore, this war was called “The Strange War” (the term was introduced by the historian A. A. Zimin). Officially, both powers were in the world throughout the 1487 — 1494 conflict. The Moscow Grand Prince Ivan explained the events taking place by the free choice of the Western Russian princes, who had long served "both sides" and who had the right to choose a sovereign. Moscow waged a war according to a carefully thought-out plan: the seizure of the territories was, as a rule, carried out by local princes, who passed under the arm of the Grand Duke of Moscow. The Moscow governors entered the battle only when the rights of princes who had gone over to Moscow were violated. For example, such military intervention occurred during the march of the governor Daniil Scheni and Vasily Krivoi Patrikeev at Vyazma. Prince Andrey Vyazemsky moved to the side of Moscow. The eldest of the Vyazma princes, Mikhail Dmitrievich, who remained loyal to Lithuania, robbed his fatherland. The Moscow army stood up for its prince and restored justice (in the interests of Moscow). Ivan III was very pleased with this operation and all the captured Vyazma princes rewarded them with a patrimony - Vyazma and ordered to serve the Moscow State. Only Mikhail Dmitrievich was exiled to Dvina, where he died.
Researcher V. Volkov called such a war “a cunning war”. She brought great favor to the Grand Duke of Moscow, moreover, she allowed officially not to enter into a big war with Lithuania and Poland, which was in personal union with her. Although sooner or later the big war still began. The conflict was inevitable. Thus, Lithuanian diplomats were alarmed by the fact that Ivan III Vasilyevich began to be called in his diplomatic correspondence the “sovereign of all Russia”. They quite logically assumed that in the future the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir would seek the submission of all the lands to Moscow, which were part of the Russian state before the time of its collapse.
The unsuccessful actions of the Lithuanian troops on the border and the loss of the border fortresses forced the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander to begin negotiations on the conclusion of the "eternal peace" with the Moscow State. In addition, almost every year, the regions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Russian were devastated by the hordes of the ally of Moscow, Khan Mengli-Giray. One of these trips was in 1492. Poland did not rush to help Lithuania, she was busy with her own problems and demanded to renew the union agreement.
Peace Treaty 1494 of the Year
To conclude a new treaty in Moscow 17 January 1494, the "great embassy" arrived. It includes the Trotsky voivode and Marshals of the Zemstvo Petr Yanovich, the elder Zhmudsky Stanislav Yanovich Kezgailo, Voitko Yanovich Klochko and the clerk Fedko Grigorievich. Negotiations started on January 23 and took place on February 1. On the part of the Moscow State, negotiations were conducted first by Prince Vasiliy Ivanovich Kosoy Patrikeev, and then by Prince Ivan Yuryevich Patrikeev.
Lithuanian negotiators demanded a return to the boundaries of the 1449 agreement of the year, which takes into account the situation prevailing at Vitovt and Sigismund, instead of Lithuania refused to claims to Novgorod the Great, Pskov land and Tver and so on. "Rzhev tribute." According to the treaties of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania with the Lord Novgorod, they had the right to receive tribute from the border volosts: the Empty Rzhev, the Great Onions, the Kholmovsky pogost and several volosts to the east. The Moscow-Lithuanian Treaty of 1449 recognized this right. Ivan the Great, after the annexation of the Novgorod land to the Moscow state, refused to give “Rzhevskaya tribute”.
In response, representatives of Moscow demanded a return to the situation that had developed under the Grand Dukes Semyon Ivanovich, Ivan Ivanovich and under Olgerd (i.e. Smolensk and Bryansk retired to the Moscow State). In the course of the subsequent negotiations, the Moscow side achieved the assignment of some border volosts that were declared Bohr, Medyn and Mozhaisk. Lithuania gave way to the “fatherhood” of the Novosilsky (including the possessions of Fyodor Odoyevsky, who remained to serve Lithuania) and the Viazemsky princes, the cities of Peremyshl and Serensk with their volosts. In addition, the Lithuanian side has abandoned claims to Kozelsk and Hlepen. The Mezek princes were to serve the sovereign, whom they served during the negotiations (two captive princes were given the right to choose), and their fiefdoms were divided accordingly. The rest of the territories (the cities of Mosalsk, Serpeysk, Mtsensk, Lyubutsk, Gorodechna and others with their volosts) were to be returned to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The border between Novgorod and Lithuania should have passed along the old line. The Lithuanian side also refused to claim "Rzhev tribute". Moscow pledged not to claim Smolensk and its lands, and Bryansk. The document reflected the new status of Ivan the Great - “the sovereign of all Russia”.
As a result, the Moscow monarch was able to expand his possessions in two main areas - the Verkhovsk principalities and Vyazma. The Russian-Lithuanian border moved west to the headwaters of the Ugra River. Moscow received a convenient base for further movement to the west. Both parties considered the contract from February 5 1494 of the year not to be final. The government of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania did not recognize the status quo, the new frontier between the two powers, and was eager to regain lost positions (and with the success and expansion of the territory). The Moscow government, seeing the weakness of Lithuania, continued the previous policy of border conflicts and gradual seizures and led preparations for a new war. This created a tense situation, there were constant disputes and conflicts. As a result, there was a new war - 1500 — 1503's.
Although in general, on the western frontiers, a temporary peace pause came, which could be used to resolve disputed issues on the northern border with Sweden.
Among the factors that influenced the final choice of the overlord by the Upper Princes, the main were their Russian origin (they were descendants of Prince Mikhail of Chernigov) and loyalty to Orthodoxy. The factor of proximity to the Wild Field also played a certain role. Detachments of the Crimean Khanate regularly raided the steppe, and relations between Moscow and the Crimea during the rule of Ivan III remained friendly. The first exchange of letters between the powers occurred back in 1462, and in 1472, a mutual friendship agreement was concluded. In 1474, between the Crimean Khan Mengli-Giray and Grand Duke Ivan III an agreement was reached on an alliance. In 1480, the union treaty of the Russian state and the Crimean Khanate was concluded again, while the agreement directly indicated the enemies against whom the parties had to act together - the Great Horde Khan Akhmat and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The joint struggle against the Great Horde and the Lithuanian principality made the two powers allies. Moscow could influence the Crimea so that it would not attack the lands of the upper princes.
It is necessary to take into account the factor of the increased power of Moscow. The Russian state annexed a number of important territories, successfully withstood the struggle against the Great Horde, gained a great foreign policy weight. A strong and powerful state attracted the weaker lands, people (including the nobility) were looking for stability and security.
Departures of the upper princes to the service of the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir began in the early 1470-s. One of the first to go to the service of Ivan the Great was Prince Semyon Y. Odoyevsky. He died in the autumn of 1474, during one of the border conflicts. His sons Ivan Sukhoi, Vasily Shvikh and Petr Semenovich Odoyevsky, who were the owners of half of the patrimonial city of Odoev, already faithfully served the Moscow state, participating in constant border clashes with supporters of the Lithuanian prince. But the remaining princes were in no hurry to move to the side of Moscow. Transfer to the side of Muscovy in 1481-1482 Fedor Ivanovich Belsky can hardly be regarded as an ordinary princely departure. He escaped from the principality of Lithuania, fleeing after an unsuccessful conspiracy against Casimir IV Jagiellon. Fyodor Belsky together with his relatives, Prince Mikhail Olelkovich and Ivan Golshansky, planned to tear away the entire eastern part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in favor of the Russian state up to the Berezina River. Ivan Golshansky and Mikhail Olelkovich were executed. In Moscow, Belskoy was received favorably, generously awarded. But his family possessions were confiscated.
Massive transitions of the Verkhov princes to the Moscow service were acquired only from the 1487 year. Apparently, this fact is not accidental - 9 July 1487, Kazan was captured. As a result, a Russian protectorate was established over the Kazan Khanate. Earlier in 1480, the issue was resolved with the Great Horde. As a result, Moscow liberated significant forces that were engaged in the east, and was able to increase the pressure on Lithuania. One of the first who went over to the side of Muscovy was Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Vorotynsky (Peremyshlsky). Before that, he plundered the city of Mtsensk. In early October 1487, the Lithuanian embassy arrived in Moscow with a complaint about the actions of Prince Ivan Vorotynsky and the princes Odoyevsky who were helping him. The participation of the princes Odoyevsky in the conflict suggests that the Grand Duke of Moscow was interested in straining relations with Lithuania, having received free hand in the east.
The pressure of the Muscovite state on the Lithuanian border lands was constantly growing. In the spring of 1489, the city of Vorotynsk was besieged by a Moscow army under the command of eleven governors headed by Prince Vasily Ivanovich Kosy Patrikeev. The position of the Verkhov's princes became hopeless, and many followed the example of Ivan Vorotynsky. At the end of 1489, Ivan the Great, with his “descendants,” transferred to the service: Ivan, Andrei, and Vasily Vasilyevich Belevskiy, Dmitry Fedorovich Vorotynsky and his nephew Ivan Mikhailovich Vorotynsky. They also captured the townships that belonged to the princes who remained loyal to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The protests, which were declared by the Polish king and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Casimir IV, were ignored by Moscow. Relations between the two powers continued to escalate, but in general the situation did not go beyond the border conflict and mutual reproaches regarding the violation of existing agreements.
The situation changed dramatically only after the death of King Casimir 7 June 1492. The sons of Casimir IV divided the state, significantly weakening its power. The eldest son of the king of Poland and Lithuania - Vladislav II (Uloslo II), even during his lifetime became king of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Jan I Olbracht took the throne of Poland. Alexander Jagiellon came to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The reaction of Ivan III Vasilyevich was very fast. Already in August, 1492, the Moscow army under the command of Prince Fyodor Vasilyevich Oblensky Telepene invaded the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The cities of Mtsensk and Lubutsk were captured. In September 1492, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, wrote a letter to Moscow: and the boyars of Mtsensk and Lubutsk zhons, children and other many people were led to a lot, and their bellies and statues were taken away ”. The capture of these two cities is not over. In August, 1492, the ratification of the princes I. M. Vorotynsky and Odoyevsky, quite easily captured the cities of Mosalsk and Serpeysk.
In August-September 1492, a detachment of grand dukes governors Vasily Lapin and Andrei Istoma invaded the possessions of the Vyazma princes and captured the cities of Hlepeni and Rogachev. As a result of these campaigns and the transition of a number of princes and boyars to the Moscow service, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost its reliable military cover for its eastern frontiers. The structure of the Moscow State included such frontier Lithuanian fortresses as Odoyev, Kozelsk, Peremyshl, Serensk. Naturally, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander and his government were not going to give up these territories without a fight. Alexander categorically refused to acknowledge the transfer of Russian princes to Moscow, this was reported in a letter to Ivan from February 20 of 1493 of the year. Troops were sent to cities captured by Moscow troops. Troops marched from Smolensk under the command of Governor Yury Glebovich, Prince Semyon Ivanovich Mozhaysky and Princes Drutskys. Lithuanian troops were able to seize Serpeisky and Mtsensk for some time. But it was a private success. January 21 A large Moscow army, which included the grand duke’s army under the command of Mikhail Ivanovich Kolyshki (of the Patrikeevs) and Alexander Vasilyevich Obolensky, the allied forces of the Moscow state of the Ryazan princes Ivan and Fyodor Vasilyevich, marched. Lithuanian troops retreated to Smolensk, leaving garrisons in the captured cities. The Moscow troops captured Mezetsky without a fight, and took Serpeysk by storm, which was desperately fighting off. The troops of Obolensky and the Pegs captured the city of Opakov, his garrison resisted, so the town was burned down (as was Serpeisk). A similar fate befell the city of Gorodechno taken from a spear.
The successes of Moscow and the failures of the Lithuanian troops led to the fact that several more Ukhov princes drove off to the Moscow service. These were Semen Fedorovich Vorotynsky, Mikhail Romanovich Mezetsky, Vasily and Andrey Vasilyevich Belevsky, one of the Vyazma princes - Andrey Yuryevich Vyazemsky. This further weakened the defense of the eastern borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the winter of 1492-1493, five Moscow regiments under the command of Daniel Vasilyevich Scheny and Vasily Ivanovich Krivoy Patrikeev took Vyazma and took the oath of people. Many notable people were taken to Moscow State.
The Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander, tried to organize a repulse against the invasions of Moscow troops, the falling away from the Lithuanian rule of the border princes, to receive assistance in Poland and even hire troops there. But he received no real help from the outside and was forced to rely only on himself.
Military operations between the Moscow State and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania went almost the entire borderline, but no formal war was declared. Therefore, this war was called “The Strange War” (the term was introduced by the historian A. A. Zimin). Officially, both powers were in the world throughout the 1487 — 1494 conflict. The Moscow Grand Prince Ivan explained the events taking place by the free choice of the Western Russian princes, who had long served "both sides" and who had the right to choose a sovereign. Moscow waged a war according to a carefully thought-out plan: the seizure of the territories was, as a rule, carried out by local princes, who passed under the arm of the Grand Duke of Moscow. The Moscow governors entered the battle only when the rights of princes who had gone over to Moscow were violated. For example, such military intervention occurred during the march of the governor Daniil Scheni and Vasily Krivoi Patrikeev at Vyazma. Prince Andrey Vyazemsky moved to the side of Moscow. The eldest of the Vyazma princes, Mikhail Dmitrievich, who remained loyal to Lithuania, robbed his fatherland. The Moscow army stood up for its prince and restored justice (in the interests of Moscow). Ivan III was very pleased with this operation and all the captured Vyazma princes rewarded them with a patrimony - Vyazma and ordered to serve the Moscow State. Only Mikhail Dmitrievich was exiled to Dvina, where he died.
Researcher V. Volkov called such a war “a cunning war”. She brought great favor to the Grand Duke of Moscow, moreover, she allowed officially not to enter into a big war with Lithuania and Poland, which was in personal union with her. Although sooner or later the big war still began. The conflict was inevitable. Thus, Lithuanian diplomats were alarmed by the fact that Ivan III Vasilyevich began to be called in his diplomatic correspondence the “sovereign of all Russia”. They quite logically assumed that in the future the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir would seek the submission of all the lands to Moscow, which were part of the Russian state before the time of its collapse.
The unsuccessful actions of the Lithuanian troops on the border and the loss of the border fortresses forced the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander to begin negotiations on the conclusion of the "eternal peace" with the Moscow State. In addition, almost every year, the regions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Russian were devastated by the hordes of the ally of Moscow, Khan Mengli-Giray. One of these trips was in 1492. Poland did not rush to help Lithuania, she was busy with her own problems and demanded to renew the union agreement.
Peace Treaty 1494 of the Year
To conclude a new treaty in Moscow 17 January 1494, the "great embassy" arrived. It includes the Trotsky voivode and Marshals of the Zemstvo Petr Yanovich, the elder Zhmudsky Stanislav Yanovich Kezgailo, Voitko Yanovich Klochko and the clerk Fedko Grigorievich. Negotiations started on January 23 and took place on February 1. On the part of the Moscow State, negotiations were conducted first by Prince Vasiliy Ivanovich Kosoy Patrikeev, and then by Prince Ivan Yuryevich Patrikeev.
Lithuanian negotiators demanded a return to the boundaries of the 1449 agreement of the year, which takes into account the situation prevailing at Vitovt and Sigismund, instead of Lithuania refused to claims to Novgorod the Great, Pskov land and Tver and so on. "Rzhev tribute." According to the treaties of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania with the Lord Novgorod, they had the right to receive tribute from the border volosts: the Empty Rzhev, the Great Onions, the Kholmovsky pogost and several volosts to the east. The Moscow-Lithuanian Treaty of 1449 recognized this right. Ivan the Great, after the annexation of the Novgorod land to the Moscow state, refused to give “Rzhevskaya tribute”.
In response, representatives of Moscow demanded a return to the situation that had developed under the Grand Dukes Semyon Ivanovich, Ivan Ivanovich and under Olgerd (i.e. Smolensk and Bryansk retired to the Moscow State). In the course of the subsequent negotiations, the Moscow side achieved the assignment of some border volosts that were declared Bohr, Medyn and Mozhaisk. Lithuania gave way to the “fatherhood” of the Novosilsky (including the possessions of Fyodor Odoyevsky, who remained to serve Lithuania) and the Viazemsky princes, the cities of Peremyshl and Serensk with their volosts. In addition, the Lithuanian side has abandoned claims to Kozelsk and Hlepen. The Mezek princes were to serve the sovereign, whom they served during the negotiations (two captive princes were given the right to choose), and their fiefdoms were divided accordingly. The rest of the territories (the cities of Mosalsk, Serpeysk, Mtsensk, Lyubutsk, Gorodechna and others with their volosts) were to be returned to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The border between Novgorod and Lithuania should have passed along the old line. The Lithuanian side also refused to claim "Rzhev tribute". Moscow pledged not to claim Smolensk and its lands, and Bryansk. The document reflected the new status of Ivan the Great - “the sovereign of all Russia”.
As a result, the Moscow monarch was able to expand his possessions in two main areas - the Verkhovsk principalities and Vyazma. The Russian-Lithuanian border moved west to the headwaters of the Ugra River. Moscow received a convenient base for further movement to the west. Both parties considered the contract from February 5 1494 of the year not to be final. The government of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania did not recognize the status quo, the new frontier between the two powers, and was eager to regain lost positions (and with the success and expansion of the territory). The Moscow government, seeing the weakness of Lithuania, continued the previous policy of border conflicts and gradual seizures and led preparations for a new war. This created a tense situation, there were constant disputes and conflicts. As a result, there was a new war - 1500 — 1503's.
Although in general, on the western frontiers, a temporary peace pause came, which could be used to resolve disputed issues on the northern border with Sweden.
Information