Causes and stages of the formation of a single state. Formation of a centralized state

Causes formation of a unified Russian state:

The need to unite the forces of Rus' for liberation from the Horde yoke was so obvious that by the beginning of the XIV century the question of the need for political unification was no longer raised.

The need to put an end to ruinous strife.

The cities reviving after the Mongol ruin needed protection from the arbitrariness of the feudal lords.

Gradual emergence and strengthening of economic ties between regions. Thus, the unification of Rus' took place mainly not as a result of the expansion of domestic economic ties, as in Europe, but for purely military and political reasons.

In Rus', the process of creating a unified state had a number of features:

1. The overcoming of feudal fragmentation was forced, under the influence of external factors (the need to fight the Mongol-Tatars, the Polish-Lithuanian onslaught, other dangerous neighbors), often had to rely on military force and military methods of government. Hence the despotic traits in the power of the first Moscow sovereigns.

2. The unification of the Russian lands took place without sufficient economic and social prerequisites - they only emerged as trends (the national market had not yet formed; the cities were weak;

there was complete domination and further progress of the feudal mode of production; the nationality has not yet consolidated into a nation, etc.). The lack of a unifying, fastening force, which the "third estate" played in the countries of the West, was taken over by the grand ducal power (and later - the Russian state).

3. The process of enslaving the peasants begins.

Stages :

I. The end of the XIII - the first half of the XIV centuries. Strengthening of the Moscow principality and the beginning of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow.

II. The second half of the XIV - the beginning of the XV centuries. Successful development of the process of unification of Russian lands, the emergence of elements of a single state.

III. Feudal war in the second quarter of the 15th century.

IV. Second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries The formation of a single state, the beginning of the process of centralization.

It was no accident that the unification process began in North-Eastern Rus'. Here, even before the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, the position of the princely power was the strongest, it was possible to break the resistance of the boyar opposition. It was here that a wave of uprisings against the Mongol-Tatars arose early (for example, in 1262 - in Rostov, Suzdal, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Ustyug).

The unification process in Rus' went in parallel with the liberation from the Tatar yoke. Moscow's historical role was to lead both processes - unification and liberation.

Reasons for the rise of Moscow:

The Tatar-Mongol invasion and the Golden Horde yoke led to the fact that the center of Russian economic and political life moved to the northeast of the former Kyiv state. Here, in Vladimir-Suzdal Rus, large political centers arose, among which Moscow took the leading place, leading the struggle to overthrow the Golden Horde yoke and unite the Russian lands.

The Moscow principality, compared with other Russian lands, occupied a more advantageous geographical position. It was located at the intersection of river and land routes, which could be used both for trade and for military purposes. In the most dangerous directions from which aggression could arise, Moscow was covered by other Russian lands, which also attracted residents here, allowing the Moscow princes to gather and accumulate forces.

The active policy of the Moscow princes also played a significant role in the fate of the Moscow principality. Being junior princes, the owners of Moscow could not hope to occupy the grand duke's table by seniority. Their position depended on their own actions, on the position and strength of their principality. They become the most "exemplary" princes, and turn their principality into the most powerful.

The process of formation of the Russian centralized state began in the second half of the 13th century and ended at the beginning of the 16th century.

Certain economic, social, political and spiritual prerequisites led to the process of formation of the Russian centralized state:

The main economic reason is the further development of feudal relations.

Features of the formation of the Russian centralized state:

1. The absence in Rus' of sufficient socio-economic prerequisites for the formation of a single state.

2. The leading role in the formation of the state of the foreign policy factor.

3. Eastern style of political activity.

Stages of political unification in Rus':

Stage 1- the end of the XIII-first half of the XIV century - strengthening Moscow principality and the beginning of the unification of Russian lands headed by Moscow.

Rise of Moscow

The first "senior prince" to receive a label from Batu, became Alexander Nevskiy. Alexander Nevsky skillfully pursued the policy of the Mongol-Tatars, especially in matters of collecting tribute, suppressing by force the speeches of other specific princes who were dissatisfied with his policy. Khan Batu also contributed in every possible way to strengthening the sole power of Alexander Nevsky as the only Grand Duke of Rus' and protege Golden Horde .

After the death of Alexander Nevsky in 1263. the process of centralization of Russian lands went through:

The transformation of the label for a great reign from elective to hereditary and its gradual assignment to the descendants of Alexander Nevsky

Elevations of Moscow, where the descendants of Alexander Nevsky reigned

Gradual expansion of Moscow, incorporation into the Moscow Principality, headed by the descendants of Alexander Nevsky, other specific principalities

The transformation of the specific Moscow principality into the Muscovite state, dominating all the principalities of northeastern Rus'.

The first mention of Moscow dates back to 1147. The prince of Kyiv is considered the founder of Moscow Yury Dolgoruky, who founded the city on the land of the boyar Kuchka.
In 1276 the son of Alexander Nevsky, the Moscow appanage prince Daniil Aleksanrovich received a label from the Mongol-Tatars for a great reign and Moscow became one of the political centers.

The rise of the Moscow principality

Moscow, which was before the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars a small point of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, at the beginning of the XIV century. turned into an important political center of that time.

Reasons for the rise of Moscow:

one). Moscow occupied a geographically advantageous central position among the Russian lands.

2). Moscow was a center of developed handicrafts, agricultural production and trade.

3). Moscow turned out to be an important junction of land and water routes, which served both for trade and for military operations.

4). The rise of Moscow is also explained by the purposeful, flexible policy of the Moscow princes, who managed to win over not only other Russian principalities, but also the church.

The positions of Moscow were further strengthened under the son of Daniil Alexandrovich and the grandson of Alexander Nevsky - Ivan Danilovich, nicknamed Kalita. (money bag), which received a label for a great reign in 1325.

Ivan 1 Danilovich (Ivan Kalita) - the grandson of Alexander Nevsky, who ruled in 1325-1340:

He was the best tribute collector for the Golden Horde;

At the head of the Golden Horde army, he brutally suppressed the anti-Horde uprising in Tver, Moscow's main rival for primacy in Rus';

He earned the full confidence of the Mongol-Tatar khans, who in every possible way assisted him in subordinating other specific princes;

He achieved from the Mongol-Tatars the fixing of the label for a great reign on the hereditary principle - behind the branch of Alexander Nevsky of the Rurik dynasty (in fact, with the assistance of the Mongol-Tatars and under their rule, the formation of the ruling Russian dynasty began);

He went down in history as one of the first "collectors of Russian lands" (he bought neighboring lands for money and increased the territory of the Moscow principality by 5 times.);

Part of the land (Kostroma) received from the Mongol-Tatars for faithful service;

Convinced the Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church Peter in 1325. move from Tver to Moscow, as a result of which Moscow became the center of Russian Orthodoxy and the spiritual center of the Russian lands.

2nd stage- the second half of the XIV-beginning of the XV century - the successful development of the process of unification and the emergence of elements of a single state.

The policy of Ivan Kalita - winning the confidence of the Mongols, strengthening the power of the Moscow prince, expanding the Moscow principality, was continued by the sons of Ivan Kalita:

Simeon Ivanovich ( Simeon the Proud) - 1340-1353.

Ivan II Ivanovich ( Ivan Red) - 1353-1359

During the reign of Dmitry Donskoy (1359-1389), the balance of power in Rus' changed in favor of Moscow

The following contributed to this process:

In just two years, the impregnable white stone Kremlin of Moscow (1364) was built - the only stone fortress in the territory of northeastern Rus';

The claims to the all-Russian leadership of Nizhny Novgorod and Tver were repulsed, the campaigns of the Lithuanian prince Olgerd were repulsed;

For the first time, military clashes began between the Moscow principality and the Golden Horde - the battle on the river. Vozhe - 1378

A sharp change in relations between Russia and the Golden Horde had an external impetus:

In the 137s. hordes of nomads (including Tamerlane from Central Asia) began to attack the Golden Horde from the south, as a result of which the Golden Horde weakened several times;

Inside the Horde - a leapfrog of khans, strife among the top of the Mongol-Tatars led to the situation of the collapse of the Golden Horde and the beginning of the formation of Tatar specific principalities.

The grandson of Ivan Kalita, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy of Moscow, took advantage of the resulting political situation and became the first prince to attempt to overthrow the Mongol-Tatra yoke. In 1376 for the first time in history he refused to pay tribute to the Horde, and in 1377. forced the newly created Kazan Khanate to pay tribute to the Moscow principality. To pacify Rus' in 1378. an army was sent from the Golden Horde led by the commander Begich. During the battle on the Vozha River, the Russian army defeated Begich's army.

By 1380 the situation in the Horde stabilized warlord Mamai who established his dictatorship in the Horde. Wanting to curb the rebellious Rus', Mamai gathered an international army and together with him invaded the Russian lands. In response, Dmitry Ivanovich created an all-Russian army, which included both the army of the Moscow principality and the troops of other principalities. For the first time in several centuries, Russian troops acted as a united front. September 7-8, 1380 On the Kulikovo field in the upper reaches of the Don, a battle took place between the armies of Mamai and Dmitry.

Battle of Kulikovo showed the power and strength of Moscow as a political and economic center - the organizer of the struggle for the overthrow of the Golden Horde yoke and the unification of Russian lands. Thanks to the Kulikovo victory, the amount of tribute was reduced. Residents from various Russian lands and cities went to Kulikovo Field - they returned from the battle as the Russian people. Before his death, Dmitry Donskoy handed over the Grand Duchy of Vladimir to his son Vasily (1389-1425) by will as the “fatherland” of the Moscow princes, without asking the right to a label in the Horde. There was a merger of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir and Moscow.

As a result of the Battle of Kulikovo, Mamai's army was defeated, and Rus' overthrew the Mongol-Tatar yoke for 2 years 140 years after the invasion of Batu.
In 1382 the Mongol-Tatar yoke was restored. Khan Tokhtamysh, who overthrew Mamai and restored the unity of the Golden Horde, invaded Rus', burned Moscow and forced the Moscow principality after a 5-year break to pay tribute again.

Stage 3- second quarter of the 15th century: feudal war - 1431-1453. Internecine war in the second quarter of the 15th century.

The strife, called the feudal war of the second quarter of the 15th century, began after the death of Basil I. By the end of the XIV century. in the Moscow principality, several specific possessions were formed, belonging to the sons of Dmitry Donskoy. The largest of them were Galician and Zvenigorod, which were received by the youngest son of Dmitry Donskoy, Yuri. After the death of the Grand Duke, Yuri, as the eldest in the princely family, began the struggle for the Grand Duke's throne with his nephew, Vasily II (1425-1462).

The struggle after the death of Yuri was continued by his sons - Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka. The feudal war ended with the victory of the forces of centralization. By the end of the reign of Vasily II, the possessions of the Moscow principality had increased 30 times compared to the beginning of the 14th century. The Moscow Principality included Murom (1343), Nizhny Novgorod (1393) and a number of lands on the outskirts of Rus'.

Stage 4- the second half of the XV beginning of the XVI century: the formation of a single centralized state.

The Russian centralized state took shape in the northeastern and northwestern lands of Kievan Rus, its southern and southwestern lands were included in Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary. His education was accelerated by the need to fight against external danger, especially with the Golden Horde, and later with the Kazan, Crimean, Siberian, Astrakhan, Kazan khanates, Lithuania and Poland. The Mongol-Tatar invasion and the Golden Horde yoke slowed down the socio-economic development of the Russian lands. The formation of a single state in Russia took place under the complete dominance of the traditional way of the Russian economy - on a feudal basis. The completion of the process of unification of Russian lands around Moscow into a centralized state falls on the years of the reign of Ivan III (1462-1505) and Vasily III (1505-1533).
1. Ivan III (1462-1505)

Blind father Vasily II early made his son Ivan III co-ruler of the state. Ivan III was the first to take the title of "Sovereign of All Rus'". Under him, the double-headed eagle became the emblem of our state. Under him, the red brick Moscow Kremlin, which has survived to this day, was erected. Under him, the Golden Horde yoke was finally overthrown. With him in 1497. The first Sudebnik was created, national government bodies of the country began to form. Under him, in the newly rebuilt Chamber of Facets, they received ambassadors not from neighboring Russian principalities, but from the Pope, the German emperor, the Polish king. Under him, the term Russia began to be used in relation to our state.

Ivan III, relying on the power of Moscow, managed to complete the unification of northeastern Rus' almost without bloodshed. In 1468, the Yaroslavl principality was finally annexed, whose princes became the service princes of Ivan III. In 1472, the annexation of Perm the Great began. Even Vasily II the Dark bought half of the Rostov Principality, and in 1474 Ivan III acquired the rest. Finally, Tver, surrounded by Moscow lands, passed to Moscow in 1485, after its boyars swore allegiance to Ivan III. In 1489, the Vyatka land, important in terms of trade, became part of the state. In Novgorod in 1410, a reform of the posadnik administration took place: the oligarchic power of the boyars increased.

Vasily the Dark in 1456. established that the prince is the highest court in Novgorod (Yazhelbitsky world). Fearing the loss of their privileges in the event of submission to Moscow, part of the Novgorod boyars, led by the posadnik Marfa Boretskaya, concluded an agreement on the vassal dependence of Novgorod from Lithuania. Having learned about the collusion of the boyars with Lithuania, Ivan III took drastic measures to subjugate Novgorod. Novgorod was finally annexed to Moscow seven years later, in 1478. The veche bell was taken from the city to Moscow. The accession to Moscow of the Novgorod, Vyatka and Perm lands with the non-Russian peoples of the north and northeast living here expanded the multinational composition of the Russian state.

The Muscovite state was gaining strength and international prestige. Ivan III married Sophia Paleolog, niece of the last emperor of Byzantium. Therefore, the young Moscow state was declared the political and spiritual successor of Byzantium.

This found its expression both in the slogan: "Moscow is the third Rome", and in the borrowing of Byzantine symbols and symbols of power:

Coat of arms of Byzantium - the double-headed eagle was taken as the coat of arms of the newly formed Russian (Moscow) state

Gradually, a new name for the country, Russia, was borrowed from Byzantium.

Russian Byzantine symbols of power like the scepter and Monomakh's cap.

Vasily III (1505-1533) annexed to Moscow:

Pskov 1510;

Grand Duchy of Ryazan 1517;

Principality of Starodubskoe and Novgorod - Severskoe 1517-1523;

Smolensk 1514

Vasily III actually completed the unification of Great Russia and turned the Moscow principality into a national state.

The Russian centralized state took shape in XIV-XVI centuries

Groups of prerequisites for the formation of a Russian centralized state.

1. Economic background: to the beginning of the XIV century. in Rus', after the Tatar-Mongol invasion, economic life gradually revived and developed, which was the economic basis for the struggle for unification and independence. Cities were also restored, residents returned to their native places, cultivated the land, were engaged in crafts, and trade relations were established. Novgorod contributed a lot to this.

2. Social background: by the end of the XIV century. the economic situation in Rus' has already completely stabilized. Against this background, later feudal features are developing, and the dependence of the peasants on large landowners is growing more and more. At the same time, the resistance of the peasants also increases, which reveals the need for a strong centralized government.

3. Political background, which in turn are subdivided into internal and external ones:

1) internal: in the XIV-XVI centuries. significantly increases and expands the power of the Moscow principality. His princes are building a state apparatus to strengthen their power;

2) foreign policy: the main foreign policy task of Rus' was the need to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke, which hampered the development of the Russian state. The restoration of the independence of Rus' required a general unification against a single enemy: the Mongols - from the south, Lithuania and the Swedes - from the west.

One of the political prerequisites for the formation of a unified Russian state was Union of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Western Church, signed by the Byzantine-Constantinople Patriarch. Russia became the only Orthodox state uniting all the principalities of Rus' at the same time.

The unification of Rus' took place around Moscow.

The reasons for the rise of Moscow are:

1) good geographical and economic position;

2) Moscow was independent in foreign policy, it did not gravitate towards either Lithuania or the Horde, therefore it became the center of the national liberation struggle;

3) Moscow's support from the largest Russian cities (Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, etc.);

4) Moscow - the center of Orthodoxy in Rus';

5) the absence of internal enmity among the princes of the Moscow house.

Merging Features:

1) the unification of Russian lands took place not in the conditions of late feudalism, as in Europe, but in the conditions of its heyday;

2) the basis for unification in Rus' was the union of Moscow princes, and in Europe - the urban bourgeoisie;

3) Rus' united initially for political reasons, and then for economic ones, while the European states - primarily for economic ones.

The unification of Russian lands took place under the leadership of the prince of Moscow. He was the first to become the king of all Rus'. AT 1478 after the unification of Novgorod and Moscow, Rus' finally freed itself from the yoke. In 1485, Tver, Ryazan, etc., joined the Muscovite state.

Now the specific princes were controlled by proteges from Moscow. The Moscow prince becomes the supreme judge, he considers especially important cases.

The Moscow principality creates a new class for the first time nobles(service people), they were soldiers of the Grand Duke, who were awarded land on the terms of service.

Overcoming feudal fragmentation and the creation of centralized states is a natural process of the development of feudalism, which was based primarily on socio-economic factors:

the growth of feudal landownership and the inclusion of the feudal economy in trade relations;

the emergence of new and strengthening of old cities - centers of trade and crafts;

expansion of economic ties and commodity-money relations.

Changes in the socio-economic order inevitably led to more intensive exploitation of the peasants and their enslavement. The aggravation of the class struggle demanded that the ruling classes carry out political reforms that could help consolidate their power.

The strengthening of economic ties, as well as the aggravation of the class struggle, required the organization of administration, courts, and the collection of taxes; and new ones: the creation of roads, postal services, etc. A politically important moment in the process of centralization could be the need for protection from external enemies.

The process of creating the Russian neutralized state is largely identical to the general laws of the historical development of the feudal state, but it also had its own characteristics.

The prerequisites for the elimination of feudal fragmentation in Rus' were outlined as early as the 13th century, especially in the northeast, in the Vladimir principality. However, the further development of the Russian lands was interrupted by the Mongol conquest, which caused great damage to the Russian people and significantly slowed down their progress. Only in the 14th century did the Russian principalities begin to gradually revive: agricultural production was restored, cities were rebuilt, new trade and craft centers arose, and economic ties were strengthened. Great importance was acquired by Moscow, the Moscow principality, the territory . which has been constantly (starting from the 111th century) expanded.

The process of formation of a unified Russian state was expressed, firstly, in unification of territories previously independent states-principalities into one - the Grand Duchy of Moscow; and secondly, in changing the very nature of statehood, in the transformation of the political organization of society.

The unification of the lands around Moscow and the Moscow principality begins at the end of the 13th century. and ends at the end of the 15th century. - the beginning of the XVI century. At this time, the Novgorod Republic and Pskov, the Ryazan Principality, Smolensk and others were annexed to Moscow. Ivan III and his son Vasily III - the Grand Dukes of Moscow - began to call themselves "sovereigns of all Russia."

As the unified state was formed, its character also changed. Determined in the second half of the XV century. - the beginning of the XVI century. the processes of changing the political system, however, were not completed simultaneously with the unification of the lands of the Russian state. The political apparatus of the centralized state was fully formed only in the second half of the 16th century. At the end of the XV century. The first Code of Laws was adopted in 1497.

Even in the XII century. in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, a tendency appeared to unite the lands under the rule of one prince. Over time, the population of Rus' began to look at the Vladimir princes as the defenders of the entire Russian land.
At the end of the thirteenth century The Horde entered into a protracted crisis. Then the activity of the Russian princes intensified. It manifested itself in the collection of Russian lands. The gathering of Russian lands ended with the creation of a new state. It received the name "Muscovy", "Russian state", the scientific name - "Russian centralized state".
The formation of the Russian centralized state took place in several stages:

• The rise of Moscow - the end of the 13th - the beginning of the 11th centuries;
• Moscow - the center of the struggle against the Mongols-Tatars (second half of the 11th-first half of the 10th centuries);
• The completion of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow under Ivan III and Vasily III - the end of the 15th - the beginning of the 16th centuries.

Stage 1. Rise of Moscow (late 13th - early 14th centuries). By the end of the XIII century. the old cities of Rostov, Suzdal, Vladimir are losing their former importance. The new cities of Moscow and Tver are rising.
The rise of Tver began after the death of Alexander Nevsky (1263), when his brother, Prince Yaroslav of Tver, received a label from the Tatars for the Great Vladimir reign. During the last decades of the thirteenth century Tver acts as a political center and organizer of the struggle against Lithuania and the Tatars. In 1304, Mikhail Yaroslavovich became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, who was the first to take the title of Grand Duke of "All Rus'" and tried to subdue the most important political centers: Novgorod, Kostroma, Pereyaslavl, Nizhny Novgorod. But this desire ran into strong resistance from other principalities, and above all from Moscow.
The beginning of the rise of Moscow is associated with the name of the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky - Daniel (1276 - 1303) . Alexander Nevsky gave honorary inheritances to his eldest sons, and Daniil, as the youngest, got a small village of Moscow with a district on the far border of the Vladimir-Suzdal land. Daniil had no prospects for taking the grand prince's throne, so he took up farming - he rebuilt Moscow, started crafts, and developed agriculture. It so happened that in three years the territory of Daniel's possession increased three times: in 1300 he took away Kolomna from the Ryazan prince, in 1302 the childless Pereyaslav prince bequeathed his inheritance to him. Moscow became a principality. During the reign of Daniel, the Moscow principality became the strongest, and Daniel, thanks to his creative policy, the most authoritative prince in the entire Northeast. Daniel of Moscow also became the founder of the Moscow princely dynasty. In Moscow, Daniel built a monastery, named it in honor of his heavenly patron Danilovsky. According to the tradition prevailing in Rus', sensing the approach of the end, Daniel accepted monasticism and was buried in the Danilovsky Monastery. Currently, the St. Danilov Monastery plays a significant role in the life of the Orthodox and is the residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II.
After Daniel, his son began to rule in Moscow Yuri (1303 - 1325) . The Grand Duke of Vladimir at that time was Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tver. He owned the throne of Vladimir "in truth" - the ancient right of inheritance, established by Yaroslav the Wise in the 11th century. Mikhail of Tverskoy looked like an epic hero: strong, brave, true to his word, noble. He enjoyed the full disposition of the khan. The real power in Rus' left the hands of the descendants of A. Nevsky.
Yuri Danilovich - the grandson of Alexander Nevsky - had no rights to the first throne in Rus'. But he had one of the most powerful principalities in Rus' - Moscow. And Yuri Danilovich joined the Tver prince in the struggle for the throne of Vladimir.
A long and stubborn confrontation began for the title of Grand Duke in Rus' between the descendants of Alexander Nevsky - Danilovichi- and the descendants of the younger brother of Nevsky Yaroslav - Yaroslavichs, between Moscow princes and Tver. Ultimately, the Moscow princes became the winners in this struggle. Why did this become possible?
By this time, the Moscow princes had been vassals of the Mongol khans for half a century. The khans tightly controlled the activities of the Russian princes, using cunning, bribery, and betrayal. Over time, the Russian princes began to adopt stereotypes of behavior from the Mongol khans. And the Moscow princes turned out to be more "capable" students of the Mongols.
Yuri Moskovsky married the Khan's own sister. Not wanting to strengthen one prince, the khan gave a label to the Great reign to his relative Yuri. Not wanting clashes with Moscow, Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tverskoy renounced the great reign in favor of Yuri Danilovich. But the Moscow army constantly devastated the lands of the Tver principality. During one of these clashes, the Tverites captured Yuri's wife, Princess Agafya (Konchaka). She died in captivity.
Yuri Danilovich and Mikhail Yaroslavich were summoned to the Horde. In the Horde, the prince of Tver was accused of non-payment of tribute, the death of the Khan's sister, and was killed. The label for the Great reign was transferred to the Moscow prince.
In 1325, at the headquarters of the Khan, Yuri Danilovich was killed by the eldest son of Mikhail Yaroslavich Dmitry. Dmitry, by order of the Khan, was executed, but the label for the Great reign was transferred to the next son of Mikhail Yaroslavich - Alexander Mikhailovich. Together with Alexander Mikhailovich, the Tatar detachment of Cholkan was sent to Tver to collect tribute.
And in Moscow, after the death of Yuri, his brother began to rule Ivan Danilovich nicknamed Kalita, Ivan I (1325 - 1340). In 1327, an uprising against the Tatar detachment took place in Tver, during which Cholkan was killed. Ivan Kalita went to the Tverchi with an army and crushed the uprising. In gratitude, in 1327 the Tatars gave him a label for the Great reign.
More Moscow princes will not let go of the label for a great reign.
Kalita achieved the collection of tribute in Rus' instead of the Mongols. He had the opportunity to hide part of the tribute and use it to strengthen the Moscow principality. Collecting tribute, Kalita began to regularly travel around the Russian lands and gradually form an alliance of Russian princes. The cunning, wise, cautious Kalita tried to maintain the closest ties with the Horde: he regularly paid tribute, regularly traveled to the Horde with generous gifts to the khans, their wives, and children. With generous gifts, Kalita in the Horde endeared everyone to him. The khanshi were looking forward to his arrival: Kalita always brought silver. In the Horde. Kalita constantly asked for something: labels for individual cities, entire reigns, the heads of his opponents. And Kalita invariably got what he wanted in the Horde.
Thanks to the prudent policy of Ivan Kalita, the Moscow principality constantly expanded, grew stronger and for 40 years did not know the Tatar raids.
Ivan Kalita sought to ensure that Moscow, and not Vladimir, became a religious center. For the head of the Russian Church - the metropolitan - he built comfortable chambers. Metropolitan Peter liked to stay in Moscow for a long time: Kalita cordially received him, made generous gifts to the Church. Metropolitan Peter predicted that if Kalita builds a cathedral in Moscow to the glory of the Mother of God, as in Vladimir, and puts him to rest in it, then Moscow will become a true capital. Ivan Kalita built the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow (as in Vladimir) and laid to rest the head of the Russian Church in it. For the Russians, this was God's sign, a sign of Moscow's chosenness. The next metropolitan - Feognost - finally moved from Vladimir to Moscow. This was a great achievement for Ivan Kalita.
Moscow became the religious center of Russian lands.
But historians believe that the main merit of Ivan Kalita was the following. During the time of Ivan Kalita, due to religious persecution, crowds of refugees from the Horde and Lithuania poured into Moscow. Kalita began to take on the service of everyone. The selection of service people was carried out solely on the basis of business qualities, subject to the adoption of the Orthodox faith. All those who converted to Orthodoxy became Russians. A definition began to take shape - "Orthodox means Russian."
Under Ivan Kalita, the principle of ethnic tolerance was established, the foundations of which were laid by his grandfather, Alexander Nevsky. And this principle in the future became one of the most important on which the Russian Empire was built.
Stage 2. Moscow - the center of the struggle against the Mongols-Tatars (the second half of the 14th - the first half of the 15th centuries). The strengthening of Moscow continued under the children of Ivan Kalita - Simeone Gordom(1340-1353) and Ivan II the Red(1353-1359). This inevitably had to lead to a clash with the Tatars.
The collision took place during the reign of the grandson of Ivan Kalita Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy (1359-1389) . Dmitry Ivanovich received the throne at the age of 9 after the death of his father Ivan II the Red. Under the young prince, the position of Moscow, as the first principality in Rus', was shaken. But the young prince was supported by the powerful Moscow boyars and the head of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Alexei. The metropolitan understood that if Moscow loses the label for a great reign, then its many years of efforts to collect Russian lands would be nullified.
The metropolitan was able to achieve from the khans that the great reign would henceforth be transferred only to the princes of the Moscow princely house. This increased the prestige of the Moscow principality among other Russian principalities. The authority of Moscow increased even more after the 17-year-old Dmitry Ivanovich built the Kremlin in Moscow from white stone (stone was a rare building material in Moscow. The Kremlin wall made of stone so impressed the imagination of contemporaries that since that time the expression "Moscow white stone" has arisen ). The Moscow Kremlin became the only stone fortress in the entire Russian Northeast. He became unapproachable.
In the middle of the fourteenth century The Horde entered a period of feudal fragmentation. Independent hordes began to emerge from the Golden Horde. They waged a fierce struggle for power among themselves. All the khans demanded tribute and obedience from Rus'. Tension arose in relations between Russia and the Horde.
In 1380, the Horde ruler Mamai moved to Moscow with a huge army.
Moscow began to organize a rebuff to the Tatars. In a short time, regiments and squads from all Russian lands, except those hostile to Moscow, became under the banner of Dmitry Ivanovich.
And yet, it was not easy for Dmitry Ivanovich to decide on an open armed uprising against the Tatars.
Dmitry Ivanovich went for advice to the rector of the Trinity Monastery near Moscow, Father Sergius of Radonezh. Father Sergius was the most authoritative person both in the Church and in Rus'. Even during his lifetime, he was called a saint, it was believed that he had the gift of foresight. Sergius of Radonezh predicted victory for the Moscow prince. This instilled confidence in Dmitry Ivanovich, and in the entire Russian army.
September 8, 1380 at the confluence of the Nepryadva River in the Don took place Battle of Kulikovo. Dmitry Ivanovich and the governors showed military talent, the Russian army - unbending courage. The Tatar army was defeated.
The Mongol-Tatar yoke was not thrown off, but the significance of the Battle of Kulikovo in Russian history is enormous:

• on the Kulikovo field, the Horde suffered its first major defeat from the Russians;
• after the Battle of Kulikovo, the amount of tribute was significantly reduced;
• The Horde finally recognized the supremacy of Moscow among all Russian cities;
• the inhabitants of the Russian lands had a feeling of a common historical destiny; according to historian L.N. Gumilyov, "inhabitants of different lands went to the Kulikovo field - they returned from the battle as the Russian people."

Contemporaries called the Battle of Kulikovo the "Mamaev Battle", and Dmitry Ivanovich during the time of Ivan the Terrible received the honorary nickname "Donskoy".
Stage 3. Completion of the formation of the Russian centralized state (end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries). The unification of Russian lands was completed under the great-grandson of Dmitry Donskoy Ivan III (1462 - 1505) and Basil III (1505 - 1533). Ivan III annexed the entire North-East of Rus' to Moscow: in 1463 - the Yaroslavl principality, in 1474 - Rostov. After several campaigns in 1478, the independence of Novgorod was finally abolished.
Under Ivan III, one of the most important events in Russian history took place - the Mongol-Tatar yoke was thrown off. In 1476 Rus' refused to pay tribute. Then Khan Akhmat decided to punish Rus'. He made an alliance with the Polish-Lithuanian king Casimir and set out on a campaign against Moscow with a large army.
In 1480, the troops of Ivan III and Khan Akhmat met along the banks of the Ugra River (a tributary of the Oka). Akhmat did not dare to cross to the other side. Ivan III took a wait-and-see position. Help for the Tatars did not come from Casimir. Both sides understood that the battle was pointless. The power of the Tatars dried up, and Rus' was already different. And Khan Akhmat led his troops back to the steppe.
The Mongol-Tatar yoke ended.
After the overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the unification of the Russian lands continued at an accelerated pace. In 1485, the independence of the Tver principality was abolished. During the reign of Vasily III, Pskov (1510) and the Ryazan principality (1521) were annexed. The unification of the Russian lands was basically completed.
Features of the formation of the Russian centralized state:

• the state was formed in the northeastern and northwestern lands of the former Kievan Rus; its southern and southwestern lands were part of Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary. Ivan III immediately put forward the task of returning all Russian lands that were previously part of Kievan Rus;
• the formation of the state took place in a very short time, which was associated with the presence of an external danger in the face of the Golden Horde; the internal structure of the state was "raw"; the state at any moment could break up into separate principalities;
• the creation of the state took place on a feudal basis; in Russia, a feudal society began to form: serfdom, estates, etc.; in Western Europe, the formation of states took place on a capitalist basis, and bourgeois society began to take shape there.

The victories of Ivan III strengthened the Russian state and contributed to the growth of its international prestige. Western European countries and, first of all, the Roman curia and the German emperor are trying to conclude an alliance with the new state. The relations of the Russian state with Venice, Naples, Genoa are expanding, relations with Denmark are becoming more active. Rus''s ties with the countries of the East are also growing. All this indicates that the Russian state is becoming the strongest and plays a significant role in international affairs.
The specifics of the formation of a unified Russian state in the XV - early. 16th century The unification of the Russian lands and the final liberation from the Tatar yoke and the general socio-economic changes taking place in the country led to the establishment of autocracy and created the preconditions for the transformation of the great Moscow reign into a class-representative monarchy.
The Moscow prince was the supreme ruler in the state. He was the supreme owner of the land, had full judicial and executive power. Under the prince there was Boyar Duma, which included the most noble feudal lords, clerics. A significant role in the state began to play the Metropolitan and Consecrated Cathedral - assembly of the higher clergy. Public bodies emerged Castle and Coffers . Butlers were in charge of the personal lands of the Grand Duke, sorted out land disputes, judged the population. The treasury was in charge of public finances. The formation of the central authorities began - orders. The palace order was in charge of the Grand Duke's own possessions, the embassy order was in charge of external relations, the bit order was in charge of military affairs, etc. Office work was carried out by clerks and clerks.
Under Ivan III, local government remained conservative. As before, it was based on the system of feeding - one of the sources of enrichment of the upper classes at the expense of the population. "Feeders", i.e. governors and volostels (volost governors) were kept by the local population - they were fed in the literal sense. Their powers were varied: rulers, judges, collectors of princely taxes. The princes, boyars, former "free servants" of the Grand Duke had the right to receive feedings.
Institute was important localism, according to the system of which all boyar surnames were distributed along the steps of the hierarchical ladder, and all their appointments (military and civilian) had to correspond to generosity.
For the first time after Yaroslav the Wise, Ivan III began to streamline legislation. In 1497 a new collection of laws was published - Sudebnik. The new collection of laws established a unified procedure for judicial and administrative activities. An important place in Sudebnik was occupied by laws on land use, especially the law on St. George's Day. In Rus', there was an old custom: in the fall, after harvesting, the peasants could move from one owner to another. By the beginning of the XVI century. this custom took on the character of a disaster: the peasants left their master before the harvest, and often the fields remained unharvested. The Sudebnik of Ivan III limited the right of peasants to move from one owner to another two weeks a year - before and after St. George's Day (November 26).
In Rus', the folding of serfdom began. Serfdom- this is the dependence of the peasant on the feudal lord in personal, land, property, legal relations, based on attaching them to the land.
It was still the period when they ruled in the old way, having gathered all together in agreement, - catholic: all authoritative forces were involved in solving the most important issues of the country - the Grand Duke himself, the Boyar Duma, the clergy. The Grand Duke was a strong and respected figure, but the attitude towards him was "simple", in the eyes of the Russians he was only the eldest among equals.
Under Ivan III, important changes took place in the system of state administration: the process of folding an unlimited monarchy began.
The reasons for the folding of an unlimited monarchy are the Mongol and Byzantine influence.
Mongolian influence - by this time, the Mongol-Tatar yoke lasted more than 200 years in Rus'. Russian princes began to adopt the style of behavior of the Mongol khans, the model of the political structure of the Horde. In the Horde, the khan was an unlimited ruler.
Byzantine influence - the second marriage of Ivan III was married to the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Sophia Paleolog. In 1453, the Byzantine Empire fell under the blows of the Ottoman Turks. The emperor died on the streets of Constantinople, defending the city. His niece Sophia took refuge with the Pope, who later had the idea of ​​marrying her off to a widowed Russian ruler. The Byzantine princess brought the idea of ​​absolute monarchy to distant Rus'.
The first of the Russian princes, Ivan III began to pursue a policy of elevating the power of the Grand Duke. Prior to this, the specific princes and boyars were free servants. At their request, they could serve the Grand Duke of Moscow, leave for service in Lithuania, Poland. Now they began to swear allegiance to the Moscow prince and sign special oaths. From now on, the transfer of a boyar or prince to the service of another sovereign began to be regarded as treason, a crime against the state. Ivan III was the first to take the title "Sovereign of All Rus'". AT 1497 Ivan III for the first time adopted the unofficial coat of arms of Byzantium as the coat of arms of the Moscow State - the double-headed eagle - a sacred religious symbol (By this time, the double-headed eagle in Byzantium symbolized the unity of spiritual and secular power). Under him, signs of grand ducal dignity were adopted: the "cap of Monomakh", which became a symbol of autocracy, precious mantles - barmas and a scepter. Under the influence of Sophia, at the court of Ivan III, a magnificent court ceremonial was introduced according to the Byzantine model.
The ideology of the times of Ivan III and Vasily III. At the end of the XNUMXth century. A number of important events took place in Russian statehood:

• the unification of the Russian lands was basically completed;
• in 1480 the Russian lands were liberated from the Mongol-Tatar yoke;
• Ivan III in the Byzantine manner began to call himself the title "king".

The historical process in Rus' was headed by Moscow princes. Moscow princes rose rapidly. According to the ancient right of inheritance, they did not have the right to the first throne in Rus'. "In truth" the princes of Tver were to hold the first throne. The Moscow princes, using a whole range of political means, "wrested" the right to all-Russian primacy from the princes of Tver.
And now the moment has come when the Moscow princes had to prove to everyone by what right they own the Russian land.
In addition, Ivan III needed to establish himself among the Western European monarchs. The Russian state appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. suddenly for Western Europe. The large Western European states had already taken shape, the system of relations between them had also already taken shape, the most important trade routes were already occupied.
To survive in these conditions, the huge Muscovite state needed ideas, ideology, which would reflect the dominant position in Rus' of the Moscow princes, the antiquity of the state, the truth of the Orthodox faith, the importance, the need for the existence of Muscovy among other states. Such ideas appeared at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries.
Three ideas became the most important.
1. The idea of ​​the succession of the power of the Moscow princes from the princes of Vladimir and Kyiv. Chronicles appeared in which it was stated that the Moscow princes received power over the Russian land from their forefathers - the princes of Vladimir and Kyiv. After all, the head of the Russian Church lived - the metropolitan - first in Kyiv, then in Vladimir (1299 - 1328) and Moscow (since 1328). Therefore, the Kievan, Vladimir, and then Moscow princes also owned the Russian land. This idea also emphasized the idea that the source of grand ducal power is the will of the Lord himself. The Grand Duke is the vicar of the Lord - God on earth. The Lord - God handed over to the Grand Duke the Russian land in control. Therefore, the Russian sovereign was personally responsible before the Lord - God for how he ruled the Russian land. Since it was handed over by the Lord Himself - God, the Orthodox sovereign should not share his power (responsibility) with anyone. Any renunciation of power is sacrilege.
2. The idea of ​​the relationship of Russian princes with the Roman emperors. At this time, the "Legend of the princes of Vladimir" appears. The Tale is based on two legends. One contained the assertion that the family of Russian princes was connected with the king of the "universe" Augustus. In Rome from 27 BC. e. Octavian ruled. He managed to unite under his rule all the territories of the inhabited world. After that, the Roman state began to be called an empire, and Octavian was given the title "Augusta", i.e. "divine". The Tale says that Augustus had a younger brother named Prus. Prus Augustus sent the ruler to the banks of the Vistula and the Neman (this is how Prussia arose). And Prus had a descendant of Rurik. It was this Rurik that the Novgorodians called to reign in Novgorod (It should be noted that almost all Western European monarchs tried to connect their ancestry with the Roman emperors). Another legend told that in the XII century. Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh, the heir to the Roman emperors, handed over to his grandson, the Kyiv prince Vladimir Monomakh, the symbols of imperial power: a cross, a crown (in Rus' they began to call the Monomakh's cap), a bowl of Emperor Augustus and other items. From this it followed that the Russian rulers (Monomashichi) had a legal right to the title "caesar" (in Rus', the king).
3. The idea of ​​Moscow as the guardian of the true Christian faith. This idea is better known under the name "Moscow - the third Rome". This idea was formulated by the monk of the Pskov Eleazarov Monastery Philotheus in his letters to Vasily III in 1510-1511. Monk Philotheus was sure that Moscow was called upon to play a special role in history. After all, it is the capital of the last state, where the true, Christian faith has been preserved in its original, unspoiled form. In the beginning, the purity of the Christian faith was kept by Rome. But the apostates muddied the pure source, and as a punishment for this, in 476 Rome fell under the blows of the barbarians. Rome was replaced by Constantinople, but even there they abandoned the true faith, agreeing to a union (unification) with the Catholic Church. By the middle of the XNUMXth century. The Byzantine Empire perished under the blows of the Ottoman Turks. Hoping for help from the Western European powers, the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1439 in Florence signed a union with the Pope. Under the terms of the union, the Orthodox recognized the supremacy of the Pope of Rome, and not the Orthodox Patriarch, switched to Catholic dogmas during worship, but Orthodox rites were preserved. Prior to this, the power of the Patriarch of Constantinople was of ecumenical significance. It spread to Byzantium, Rus', Serbia, Georgia, Bulgaria. The conclusion of a union with the pope meant the Greeks' refusal from the universal mission of the guardians of the Orthodox tradition, which they had taken upon themselves. The Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize the union and broke off relations with the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Philotheus wrote that for the retreat from Orthodoxy - the true Christian faith - ancient Constantinople was captured by the Turks. Since then, the center of world Orthodoxy, the "third Rome" has become Moscow - the capital of the largest Orthodox state. "Observe and listen, as if two Romes have fallen, and the third (Moscow) is standing, and the fourth will not be," wrote Filofey. Therefore, the role of Rus' in world history is to be the patroness of all Orthodox peoples.

TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TOPIC

Control questions

1. What stages can be identified in the formation of the Russian centralized state?
2. What Russian principalities fought among themselves for the all-Russian superiority in the first half of the 14th century?
3. Indicate what are the results of Ivan Kalita's activities for the Moscow Principality?
4. When did the Battle of Kulikovo take place and what is its significance?
5. Specify the features of the formation of the Russian centralized state.
6. What were the organs of power and administration in the Muscovite state at the beginning of the 16th century?

additional literature

1. Borisov N.S. Ivan III. - M.: Mol. guard, 2000.
2. Sinitsyna N.V. third Rome. Origins and evolution of the Russian medieval concept. / XV - XVI centuries / - M .: Publishing house "Indrik", 1998.
3. Cherepnin L.V. Formation of the Russian centralized state in the XIV - XV centuries. essays on the socio-economic and political history of Rus'. - M., 1960.

Historians identify three main stages in the unification of lands around the Moscow principality. (See appendix 2.)

1. The first stage of unification (the first half of the 14th century) is associated with the activities of the Moscow princes Daniil Alexandrovich (1276-1303) and Ivan Danilovich Kalita (1325-1340). Daniil Alexandrovich expanded the territory of his inheritance, achieved control over the Moscow River. In 1301 he occupied Kolomna. In 1302, he received Pereyaslavsky inheritance by will. In 1303 he annexed Mozhaisk to Moscow. Under Yuri Danilovich (1303-1325), the Moscow principality became one of the strongest in North-Eastern Rus', he was able to receive a label for a great reign. In 1325, Yuri was killed by the Tver prince Dmitry. The claims of the princes of Tver become the main obstacle to the gathering of Russian lands around Moscow. Ivan Kalita managed to withdraw Tver from the political struggle. In 1328, he received a label for the Great reign, achieved the abolition of the Basque system and took over the collection of the Horde tribute from Rus'. As a result, Tatars did not appear in Rus' for 40 years, economic growth was ensured and economic conditions were created for unification and transition in the second half of the 14th century. to the armed struggle against the Tatars. Ivan Danilovich acquired and annexed the Galician, Belozersk and Uglich principalities to Moscow.

2. The second stage of the unification (the second half of the 14th - the first half of the 15th centuries) is associated with the activities of the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy (1359-1389), his son Vasily I (1389-1425) and grandson Vasily II the Dark (1425-1462). At this time, there is an awareness of the need for unification, the creation of a strong unified state and the overthrow of the power of the Mongol-Tatar khans. The main success in the reign of Dmitry Ivanovich was the first major victory over the Tatars on the Kulikovo field on September 8, 1380, which marked the beginning of the process of overthrowing the Tatar yoke. For this victory, Dmitry was named Donskoy. After the battle, Moscow was recognized as the center of the emerging unified state. The son of Dmitry Donskoy, Vasily I, managed to strengthen the position of Moscow as the center of Russian lands. He annexed the Nizhny Novgorod, Murom, Tarusa principalities, some possessions of Veliky Novgorod. Further unification and liberation of the Russian lands was slowed down by the cruel princely civil strife of the second quarter of the 15th century, which was called the feudal war. The reason for it was the dynastic conflict between the princes of the Moscow house. After the death of the son of Dmitry Donskoy Vasily I, his 9-year-old son Vasily and brother Yuri Dmitrievich became contenders for the throne. According to Donskoy's will, after the death of Vasily I, the throne was to pass to Yuri Dmitrievich, but it was not agreed what to do if Vasily had a son. The forces in the struggle that began were not equal: Yuri was known as a brave warrior, builder of fortresses and temples, and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt was the guardian of the 9-year-old boy. The death of Vitovt in 1430 untied Yuri's hands.

In 1433, he expelled Vasily from Moscow and took the grand throne. However, the Moscow boyars supported the young prince, and Yuri was forced to leave Moscow, the fight was continued by his sons Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka. The princes did not disdain the most barbaric means: first Vasily Kosoy was blinded, and then Vasily Vasilyevich (after that he received the nickname "Dark" - blind). The church and the Moscow boyars supported the Moscow prince. In 1447, Vasily the Dark entered Moscow. The feudal war continued until 1453 and cost the country dearly: burned villages, hundreds of killed supporters of Shemyaka and Vasily the Dark, increased dependence of the Moscow principality on the Horde. The feudal war confirmed the need to unite the Russian lands, showing the danger of new princely strife. In the future, Vasily II significantly strengthened the grand ducal power. Moscow's influence in Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Ryazan and other lands increased. Vasily II subjugated the Russian Church, and after the fall of Constantinople under the blows of the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the Grand Duke began to play a decisive role in choosing a metropolitan. In subsequent years, Dmitrov, Kostroma, Starodub, the Nizhny Novgorod principality and other lands were annexed to Moscow. In fact, the foundations of a unified Russian state were laid.

3. The third stage of unification (the second half of the 15th - the first quarter of the 16th centuries), associated with the activities of the Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505) and his son Vasily III (1505-1533), completed the process of creating a unified Russian state. Ivan III annexed the Yaroslavl and Rostov principalities. The struggle with Novgorod was more difficult for him. In July 1471, a battle took place on the Shelon River between the troops of the Moscow prince and the Novgorodians, ending in the complete defeat of the latter. Novgorod was finally included in the Moscow principality in January 1478. After the fall of Novgorod, the struggle for the annexation of the Tver principality began.

Since 1476, Ivan III did not send tribute to the Horde, as a result of which Khan Akhmat decided to punish Moscow and in 1480 went on a campaign against it. At the beginning of October 1480, Moscow and Tatar troops converged on the banks of the Ugra River (a tributary of the Oka River). An ally of Khan Akhmat, the Lithuanian prince Casimir, did not appear, after the appearance of snow, the cavalry became impossible to use and the Tatars left. Khan Akhmat died in the Horde, and "standing on the Ugra" ended with the victory of the Russian troops.

In September 1485, Moscow troops approached Tver, Prince Mikhail of Tver fled, and the Tver lands became part of the Muscovite state. From that moment on, Ivan III began to call himself the sovereign of all Rus'. In the new state, specific vestiges coexisted with state institutions. The Grand Duke was forced to put up with the fact that the princes retained their power on the ground. But gradually the power of the sovereign became autocratic. The Boyar Duma was an advisory body. The Moscow boyars included the princes of the earlier independent principalities.

The central state apparatus had not yet taken shape, but its two highest bodies, the Palace and the Treasury, already existed. Administratively, the country was divided into counties, camps, and volosts, headed by governors and volosts. In 1497 Sudebnik - the first code of laws of a single state.

In 1472, Ivan III married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine I. The fall of Byzantium and the intermarriage with the ancient dynasty of the Palaiologos gave grounds to the Moscow sovereigns to proclaim themselves the successors of the Byzantine Empire. At the end of the XV - beginning of the XVI centuries. there is a well-known theory about Moscow as the successor of Constantinople - the "second Rome". Moscow is proclaimed the "third Rome" - the capital of the Orthodox world. Ivan III assumes the title of "God's Grace Sovereign of All Rus'" with the addition of a long list of his princely possessions. For the first time, the concepts of "king" and "autocrat" appear. The coat of arms was borrowed from Byzantium - a double-headed eagle.

Vasily III continued the work of his father. He completed the unification of the country. In 1510, he annexed Pskov to Moscow, in 1514 Smolensk, in 1517 the Ryazan principality, in 1523 the Chernigov-Seversk land.