The temple that sophia built. Sophia Paleologue. Biography. Historical role

1. Sofia Paleologue was the daughter of the despot of Morea (now the Peloponnese peninsula) Thomas Palaeologus and niece of the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire Constantine XI.

2. At birth, Sofia was named Zoe... She was born two years after the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453, and the Byzantine Empire ceased to exist. Five years later, Morea was captured. Zoe's family was forced to flee, taking refuge in Rome. To receive the support of Pope Thomas, Palaiologos converted to Catholicism with his family. With a change of faith, Zoya became Sophia.

3. The immediate guardian of Sofia Palaeologus was appointed Cardinal Bessarion of Nicea, supporter of union, that is, the union of Catholics and Orthodox Christians under the rule of the Pope. The fate of Sofia was supposed to be decided by a profitable marriage. In 1466 she was offered as a bride to a Cypriot King Jacques II de Lusignan, but he refused. In 1467 she was offered as a wife Prince Caracciolo, a noble Italian rich man. The prince agreed, after which a solemn betrothal took place.

4. Sophia's fate changed dramatically after it became known that Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III widowed and looking for a new wife. Vissarion of Nicaea decided that if Sophia Palaeologus became the wife of Ivan III, the Russian lands could be subordinated to the influence of the Pope.

Sofia Paleologue. Reconstruction on the skull of S. Nikitin. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

5. On June 1, 1472, in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, the correspondence betrothal of Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus took place. The deputy of the Grand Duke was a Russian Ambassador Ivan Fryazin... The wife of the ruler of Florence was present as guests. Lorenzo the Magnificent Clarice Orsini and Queen Katarina of Bosnia.

6. The Pope's representatives were silent about the conversion of Sophia Palaeologus to Catholicism during the negotiations on the conclusion of marriage. But they were also in for a surprise - immediately after crossing the Russian border, Sofia announced to Vissarion of Nicaea, who accompanied her, that she was returning to Orthodoxy and would not perform Catholic rituals. In fact, this was the end of the attempt to carry out the project of the union in Russia.

7. The wedding of Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus in Russia took place on November 12, 1472. Their marriage lasted 30 years, Sofia gave birth to her husband 12 children, but the first four were girls. Born in March 1479, a boy named Vasily later became the Grand Duke of Moscow Basil III.

8. At the end of the 15th century, a fierce struggle for the rights to the succession to the throne unfolded in Moscow. The official heir was considered the son of Ivan III from his first marriage Ivan Young, even had the status of a co-ruler. However, with the birth of his son Vasily, Sofia Paleologue joined the struggle for his right to the throne. The Moscow elite split into two warring parties. Both fell into disgrace, but in the end the victory remained with the supporters of Sofia Paleologus and her son.

The Grand Duchess Sofia (1455-1503) from the Greek dynasty of the Palaeologus was the wife of Ivan III. She came from a family of Byzantine emperors. By marriage with the Greek princess, Ivan Vasilyevich emphasized the connection of his own power with that of Constantinople. Once upon a time, Byzantium gave Russia Christianity. The marriage of Ivan and Sophia closed this historical circle. Their son Basil III and his successors considered themselves to be the successors of the Greek emperors. To transfer power to her own son, Sophia had to wage a dynastic struggle for many years.

Origin

Exact date birth of Sophia Palaeologus is unknown. She was born around 1455 in the Greek city of Mystra. The girl's father was Thomas Palaeologus - the brother of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI. He ruled the Moray despotate in the Peloponnese. Sophia's mother, Ekaterina Achaiskaya, was the daughter of the Frankish prince Achaea Centurione II (Italian by origin). The Catholic ruler was in conflict with Thomas and lost a decisive war to him, as a result of which he lost his own possessions. As a sign of victory, as well as the annexation of Achaea, the Greek despot married Catherine.

The fate of Sofia Palaeologus was determined by dramatic events that happened shortly before her birth. In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople. This event marked the end of the thousand-year history of the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople was at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Having occupied the city, the Turks opened their way to the Balkans and the Old World in general.

If the Ottomans defeated the emperor, then the other princelings did not pose a threat to them at all. The Moray despotate was captured already in 1460. Thomas managed to take his family and escape from the Peloponnese. First, the Paleologians got to Corfu, then moved to Rome. The choice was logical. Italy became a new home for many thousands of Greeks who did not want to remain under Muslim citizenship.

The girl's parents died almost simultaneously in 1465. After their death, the story of Sophia Palaeologus turned out to be closely related to the story of her brothers Andrei and Manuel. Pope Sixtus IV gave shelter to the young Palaeologus. In order to enlist his support and ensure a peaceful future for his children, Thomas converted to Catholicism shortly before his death, abandoning the Greek Orthodox faith.

Life in rome

The Greek scientist and humanist Vissarion of Nicaea took up teaching Sophia. Most of all, he was famous for the fact that he became the author of the project of the union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, concluded in 1439. For a successful reunification (Byzantium went to this deal, being on the verge of death and hoping in vain for the help of the Europeans) Vissarion received the rank of cardinal. Now he has become the teacher of Sophia Palaeologus and her brothers.

Biography of the future Moscow grand duchess With early years bore the stamp of Greco-Roman duality, of which Bessarion of Nicea was an adherent. She always had a translator with her in Italy. Two professors taught her Greek and Latin languages... Sophia Palaeologus and her brothers were supported by the Holy See. In a year, the Pope gave them more than 3 thousand crowns. Money was spent on servants, clothes, a doctor, etc.

The fate of the Sofia brothers developed in a directly opposite way from each other. As the eldest son of Thomas, Andrei was considered the legal heir of the entire Paleologian dynasty. He tried to sell his status to several European kings, hoping that they would help him regain the throne. As expected, the crusade did not happen. Andrew died in poverty. Manuel returned to his historical homeland. In Constantinople, he began to serve the Turkish Sultan Bayezid II, and according to some sources, even converted to Islam.

As a representative of the extinct imperial dynasty, Sophia Palaeologus of Byzantium was one of the most enviable brides in Europe. However, none of the Catholic monarchs with whom they tried to negotiate in Rome, never agreed to marry the girl. Even the glory of the Palaeologus name could not overshadow the danger posed by the Ottomans. It is precisely known that the patrons of Sofia began to woo her with the Cypriot king Jacques II, but he answered with a firm refusal. Another time, the Roman pontiff Paul II himself offered the girl's hand to the influential Italian aristocrat Caracciolo, but this attempt to get married also failed.

Embassy to Ivan III

Moscow learned about Sofia in 1469, when the Greek diplomat Yuri Trakhaniot arrived in the Russian capital. He suggested to the recently widowed, but still completely young Ivan III project of marriage with a princess. The Roman Epistle, conveyed by a foreign visitor, was composed by Pope Paul II. The pontiff promised Ivan support if he wants to marry Sophia.

What made Roman diplomacy turn to the Moscow Grand Duke? In the 15th century, after a long period of political fragmentation and Mongol yoke Russia united again and became the largest European power. In the Old World, there were legends about the wealth and power of Ivan III. In Rome, many influential people hoped for the help of the Grand Duke in the struggle of Christians against Turkish expansion.

One way or another, but Ivan III agreed and decided to continue negotiations. His mother Maria Yaroslavna favored the "Roman-Byzantine" candidacy. Ivan III, despite his cool temper, was afraid of his parent and always listened to her opinion. At the same time, the figure of Sophia Palaeologus, whose biography was associated with the Latins, did not like the head of the Russian Orthodox Church- to Metropolitan Philip. Realizing his impotence, he did not oppose the Moscow sovereign and distanced himself from the upcoming wedding.

Wedding

The Moscow embassy arrived in Rome in May 1472. The delegation was headed by the Italian Gian Batista della Volpe, known in Russia as Ivan Fryazin. The ambassadors were met by Pope Sixtus IV, who had recently succeeded the deceased Paul II. As a token of gratitude for the hospitality, the pontiff received a gift a large number of sable fur.

Only a week passed, and a solemn ceremony took place in the main Roman Cathedral of St. Peter, at which Sophia Paleologus and Ivan III became engaged in absentia. Volpe was in the role of the groom. Preparing for important event, the ambassador made a serious oversight. Catholic rite required the use of wedding rings but Volpe did not prepare them. The scandal was hushed up. All the influential organizers of the engagement wanted to end it safely and turned a blind eye to the formalities.

In the summer of 1472, Sophia Palaeologus, along with her own retinue, the papal legate and Moscow ambassadors, set off on a long journey. At parting, she met with the pontiff, who gave the bride his final blessing. Of several routes, the satellites of Sofia chose the path through Northern Europe and the Baltic. The Greek princess crossed the entire Old World, arriving from Rome to Lubeck. Sophia Palaeologus from Byzantium endured the hardships of a long journey with dignity - such travels were not the first time for her. At the insistence of the pope, all Catholic cities organized a warm welcome to the embassy. The girl reached Tallinn by sea. This was followed by Yuryev, Pskov, and after him Novgorod. Sofia Paleologue, whose exterior was reconstructed by specialists in the 20th century, amazed Russians with her foreign southern appearance and unfamiliar habits. Everywhere the future Grand Duchess was greeted with bread and salt.

On November 12, 1472, Princess Sophia Palaeologus arrived in the long-awaited Moscow. The wedding ceremony with Ivan III took place on the same day. The rush had an understandable reason. Sophia's arrival coincided with the celebration of the day of memory of John Chrysostom - the patron saint of the Grand Duke. So the Moscow sovereign gave his marriage to heaven.

For the Orthodox Church, the fact that Sophia is the second wife of Ivan III was reprehensible. A priest who would marry such a marriage had to risk his reputation. In addition, the attitude towards the bride as a foreign Latina has been entrenched in conservative circles since her very appearance in Moscow. That is why Metropolitan Philip avoided the obligation to hold the wedding. Instead, the ceremony was led by the archpriest of Kolomna Hosea.

Sophia Palaeologus, whose confession remained Orthodox even during her stay in Rome, nevertheless arrived with the papal legate. This envoy, traveling on Russian roads, demonstratively carried in front of him a large catholic crucifixion... Under pressure from Metropolitan Philip, Ivan Vasilyevich made it clear to the legate that he was not going to tolerate such behavior, which embarrassed his Orthodox subjects. The conflict was settled, but the "Roman glory" pursued Sofia until the end of her days.

Historical role

Together with Sofia, her Greek retinue arrived in Russia. Ivan III was very interested in the legacy of Byzantium. The marriage with Sophia was the signal for many other Greeks who wandered in Europe. A stream of co-religionists formed, striving to settle in the domain of the Grand Duke.

What did Sofia Paleologue do for Russia? She opened it up to Europeans. Not only Greeks, but also Italians went to Muscovy. Masters and learned people... Ivan III took care of Italian architects (for example, Aristotle Fioravanti), who built a large number of architectural masterpieces in Moscow. For Sofia itself, a separate courtyard and mansions were built. They burned down in 1493 during terrible fire... Together with them, the treasury of the Grand Duchess was lost.

During the days of standing on the Ugra

In 1480, Ivan III went to aggravate the conflict with the Tatar Khan Akhmat. The result of this conflict is known - after a bloodless standing on the Ugra, the Horde left Russia and never again demanded tribute from her. Ivan Vasilyevich managed to throw off the yoke of many years. However, before Akhmat left the possession of the Moscow prince in disgrace, the situation seemed uncertain. Fearing an attack on the capital, Ivan III organized the departure of Sophia with their children to the White Lake. Together with his wife, there was the grand ducal treasury. If Akhmat captured Moscow, she had to flee further north closer to the sea.

The decision to evacuate, which was made by Ivan 3 and Sophia Palaeologus, caused indignation among the people. Muscovites began to recall with pleasure the "Roman" origin of the princess. Sarcastic descriptions of the Empress's flight to the north have been preserved in some chronicles, for example, in the Rostov vault. Nevertheless, all the reproaches of his contemporaries were immediately forgotten after the news came to Moscow that Akhmat and his army had decided to retreat from the Ugra and return to the steppe. Sofia from the Palaeologus family arrived in Moscow a month later.

Heir problem

Ivan and Sophia had 12 children. Half of them died in childhood or infancy. The rest of the grown children of Sofia Palaeologus also left offspring, but the Rurik branch, which began from the marriage of Ivan and the Greek princess, died out around the middle of the 17th century. The Grand Duke also had a son from his first marriage with the Tver princess. Named after his father, he is remembered as Ivan Mlada. According to the law of seniority, it was this prince who was to become the heir to the Moscow state. Of course, Sophia did not like this scenario, who wanted power to pass to her son Vasily. A loyal grouping of the court nobility formed around her, supporting the princess's claims. However, for the time being, she could not influence the dynastic issue in any way.

Since 1477, Ivan Mlada was considered a co-ruler of his father. He participated in the standing on the Ugra and gradually learned princely duties. Over the years, Ivan the Young's position as the legal heir has been undeniable. However, in 1490 he contracted gout. There was no cure for "leg aches". Then the Italian doctor Mister Leon was discharged from Venice. He undertook to heal the heir and vouched for the success with his own head. Leon used rather strange methods. He gave Ivan some kind of potion and burned his feet with red-hot glass vessels. From the treatment, the ailment only intensified. In 1490, Ivan the Young died in terrible agony at the age of 32. In anger, Sophia's husband Palaeologus imprisoned the Venetian in a dungeon, and a few weeks later executed him in public.

Conflict with Elena

The death of Ivan the Mladoi did not bring Sofia much closer to fulfilling her dreams. The deceased heir was married to the daughter of the Moldavian sovereign Elena Stefanovna and had a son, Dmitry. Now Ivan III faced a difficult choice. On the one hand, he had a grandson Dmitry, and on the other, a son from Sofia, Vasily.

For several years, the Grand Duke continued to hesitate. The boyars split again. Some supported Elena, others - Sofia. The first had much more supporters. Many influential Russian aristocrats and nobles did not like the story of Sophia Palaeologus. Some continued to reproach her for her Rome-related past. In addition, Sophia herself tried to surround herself with native Greeks, which did not benefit her popularity.

On the side of Elena and her son Dmitry was a good memory of Ivan Mlad. Basil's supporters resisted: on his mother's side he was a descendant of the Byzantine emperors! Elena and Sofia were worth each other. Both of them were distinguished by ambition and cunning. Although the women observed palace decency, their mutual hatred for each other was not a secret for the princely entourage.

Opal

In 1497, Ivan III became aware of a conspiracy that was being prepared behind his back. Young Vasily fell under the influence of several careless boyars. Fyodor Stromilov stood out among them. This clerk was able to assure Vasily that Ivan was about to officially declare Dmitry as his heir. The reckless boyars suggested getting rid of a competitor or seizing the sovereign's treasury in Vologda. The number of like-minded people involved in the venture continued to grow until Ivan III himself found out about the conspiracy.

As always, the grand duke, terrifying in anger, ordered the execution of the main noble conspirators, including the clerk Stromilov. Vasily escaped prison, but a guard was assigned to him. Sophia also fell into disgrace. Rumors reached her husband that she was taking imaginary sorcerers to her place and was trying to get a potion to poison Elena or Dmitry. These women were found and drowned in the river. The sovereign forbade his wife to catch his eye. To top it off, Ivan indeed announced his fifteen-year-old grandson as his official heir.

The fight continues

In February 1498, celebrations of the coronation of young Dmitry were held in Moscow. All the boyars and members of the grand ducal family, with the exception of Vasily and Sophia, were present at the ceremony in the Assumption Cathedral. The disgraced relatives of the Grand Duke were demonstratively not invited to the coronation. Dmitry was put on the Cap of Monomakh, and Ivan III arranged a grand feast in honor of his grandson.

Elena's party could triumph - it was her long-awaited triumph. However, even supporters of Dmitry and his mother could not feel too confident. Ivan III has always been impulsive. Because of his tough temper, he could plunge anyone into disgrace, including his wife, but nothing guaranteed that the Grand Duke would not change his preferences.

A year has passed since Dmitry's coronation. Suddenly, the sovereign's mercy returned to Sophia and her eldest son. There is no evidence in the annals that speaks of the reasons that prompted Ivan to reconcile with his wife. One way or another, but the Grand Duke ordered to reconsider the case against his wife. During the re-investigation, new circumstances of the court struggle were revealed. Some denunciations of Sophia and Vasily turned out to be false.

The sovereign accused the most influential defenders of Elena and Dmitry - princes Ivan Patrikeev and Simeon Ryapolovsky of slander. The first of them was the main military adviser to the Moscow ruler for more than thirty years. Ryapolovsky's father defended Ivan Vasilyevich in childhood, when he was in danger from Dmitry Shemyaka during the last Russian internecine war. These great merits of the nobles and their families did not save them.

Six weeks after the boyar's disgrace, Ivan, who had already returned his favor to Sophia, declared their son Vasily a Novgorod and Pskov prince. Dmitry was still considered the heir, but the members of the court, sensing the change in the mood of the sovereign, began to leave Elena and her child. Fearing to repeat the fate of Patrikeev and Ryapolovsky, other aristocrats began to demonstrate loyalty to Sophia and Vasily.

Triumph and death

Three more years passed, and finally, in 1502, the struggle between Sofia and Elena ended with the fall of the latter. Ivan ordered to put a guard on Dmitry and his mother, then he sent them to prison and officially deprived his grandson of grand ducal dignity. Then the sovereign declared Vasily his heir. Sofia was triumphant. Not a single boyar dared to contradict the decision of the Grand Duke, although many continued to sympathize with the eighteen-year-old Dmitry. Ivan was not even stopped by a quarrel with his loyal and important ally - Elena's father and Moldavian ruler Stefan, who hated the master of the Kremlin for the suffering of his daughter and grandson.

Sofia Paleologue, whose biography was a series of ups and downs, managed to achieve the main goal of her life shortly before her own death. She died at the age of 48 on April 7, 1503. The Grand Duchess was buried in a white stone sarcophagus placed in the tomb of the Ascension Cathedral. The grave of Sophia was next to the grave of Ivan's first wife, Maria Borisovna. In 1929, the Bolsheviks destroyed the Ascension Cathedral, and the remains of the Grand Duchess were transferred to the Archangel Cathedral.

For Ivan, the death of his wife was a strong blow. He was already over 60. In mourning, the Grand Duke visited several Orthodox monasteries, where he diligently devoted himself to prayers. Last years living together darkened by the disgrace and mutual suspicion of the spouses. Nevertheless, Ivan III always appreciated Sophia's intelligence and her help in state affairs. After the loss of his wife, the Grand Duke, feeling the closeness of his own death, made a will. Basil's rights to power were confirmed. Ivan followed Sophia in 1505, dying at the age of 65.

Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus

Ivan III Vasilievich was the Grand Duke of Moscow from 1462 to 1505. During the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich, a significant part of the Russian lands around Moscow was unified and turned into the center of the all-Russian state. The final liberation of the country from the rule of the Horde khans was achieved. Ivan Vasilyevich created the state, which became the basis of Russia up to the present day.

The first wife of the Grand Duke Ivan was Maria Borisovna, the daughter of the Tver prince. On February 15, 1458, a son, Ivan, was born into the family of the Grand Duke. The Grand Duchess, who had a meek character, died on April 22, 1467, before reaching the age of thirty. The Grand Duchess was buried in the Kremlin, in the Ascension Convent. Ivan, who was at that time in Kolomna, did not come to his wife's funeral.

Two years after her death, the Grand Duke decided to marry again. After consulting with his mother, as well as with the boyars and the Metropolitan, he decided to give his consent to the proposal recently received from the Pope to marry the Byzantine princess Sophia (in Byzantium she was called Zoya). She was the daughter of the sea despot Thomas Palaeologus and was the niece of the emperors Constantine XI and John VIII.

The decisive factor in the fate of Zoe was the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Constantine XI died in 1453 during the capture of Constantinople. 7 years later, in 1460, Morea was captured by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, Thomas fled with his family to the island of Corfu, then to Rome, where he soon died. To get support, in Last year Thomas converted to Catholicism in his life. Zoya and her brothers - 7-year-old Andrey and 5-year-old Manuel - moved to Rome 5 years after their father. There she received the name Sophia. The Paleologians entered under the patronage of Cardinal Vissarion, who retained sympathy for the Greeks.

Zoya has evolved over the years into attractive girl with dark shiny eyes and pale white skin color. She was distinguished by a subtle mind and prudence in behavior. According to the unanimous assessment of her contemporaries, Zoya was charming, and her mind, education and manners were impeccable. Bologna chroniclers wrote enthusiastically about Zoya in 1472: “Truly she is charming and beautiful ... She was not tall, she seemed about 24 years old; the eastern flame sparkled in her eyes, the whiteness of her skin spoke of the nobility of her family. "

In those years, the Vatican was looking for allies to organize a new crusade against the Turks, intending to involve all European sovereigns in it. Then, on the advice of Cardinal Vissarion, the Pope decided to marry Zoya off to the Moscow Tsar Ivan III, knowing about his desire to become the heir of the Byzantine Basileus. The Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinal Vissarion tried to renew union with Russia by means of marriage. It was then that the Grand Duke was informed about the stay in Rome of a noble bride devoted to Orthodoxy - Sophia Palaeologus. Dad promised Ivan his support in case he wants to marry her. The motives for marrying Sophia with Ivan III, of course, were associated with status, the brilliance of her name and the glory of her ancestors played a role. Ivan III, who claimed the royal title, considered himself the successor of the Roman and Byzantine emperors.

On January 16, 1472, the Moscow ambassadors set off on a long journey. In Rome, Muscovites were honorably received by the new Pope Sixtus IV. As a gift from Ivan III, the ambassadors presented the pontiff with sixty selected sable skins. The case quickly went to completion. Pope Sixtus IV treated the bride with paternal solicitude: he gave Zoya as a dowry, in addition to gifts, about 6,000 ducats. Sixtus IV in St. Peter's Cathedral performed the solemn ceremony of the correspondence betrothal of Sophia to the Moscow sovereign, represented by the Russian ambassador Ivan Fryazin.

On June 24, 1472, having said goodbye to the pope in the Vatican gardens, Zoe headed to the far north. The future great Moscow princess, as soon as she found herself on Russian soil, while still on her way down the aisle to Moscow, insidiously betrayed all the pope's hopes, immediately forgetting all her Catholic upbringing. Sophia, apparently, met in childhood with the Athonite elders, opponents of the subordination of Orthodox to Catholics, at heart was deeply Orthodox. She immediately openly, brightly and demonstratively showed her devotion to Orthodoxy, kissing all the icons in all churches to the delight of the Russians, behaving impeccably in the Orthodox service, being baptized like an Orthodox. The Vatican's plans to make the princess a guide of Catholicism to Russia failed, as Sophia immediately demonstrated a return to the faith of her ancestors. The papal legate was deprived of the opportunity to enter Moscow, carrying a Latin cross in front of him.

In the early morning of November 21, 1472, Sophia Palaeologus arrived in Moscow. On the same day in the Kremlin, in a temporary wooden church, erected near the Assumption Cathedral under construction, so as not to stop divine services, the sovereign married her. The Byzantine princess saw her husband for the first time. Grand Duke he was young - only 32 years old, handsome, tall and stately. Especially remarkable were his eyes, "formidable eyes." And before Ivan Vasilyevich was distinguished by a tough character, and now, having become related to the Byzantine monarchs, he has turned into a formidable and imperious sovereign. This was not a small merit of his young wife.

Sophia became a full-fledged Grand Duchess of Moscow. The very fact that she agreed to go to seek her fortune from Rome to distant Moscow suggests that she was a brave, energetic woman.

She brought a generous dowry to Russia. After the wedding, Ivan III adopted the coat of arms of the Byzantine double-headed eagle - a symbol of royal power, placing it on his seal. The two heads of the eagle are turned to the West and East, Europe and Asia, symbolizing their unity, as well as the unity ("symphony") of spiritual and secular power. Sophia's dowry was the legendary "Liberia" - the library (better known as "the library of Ivan the Terrible"). It included Greek parchments, Latin chronographs, ancient Eastern manuscripts, among which were the poems of Homer, unknown to us, the works of Aristotle and Plato, and even surviving books from the famous Alexandrian library.

According to legend, she brought with her as a gift to her husband a “bone throne”: its wooden frame was covered with plates of ivory and walrus with biblical subjects carved on them. Sophia brought with her several Orthodox icons.

With the arrival in the capital of Russia in 1472 of the Greek princess, heiress of the former greatness of the Palaeologus, a rather large group of immigrants from Greece and Italy was formed at the Russian court. Many of them took over time significant government posts and more than once carried out important diplomatic assignments of Ivan III. All of them returned to Moscow with large groups of specialists, among whom were architects, doctors, jewelers, coin makers and gunsmiths.

The great Greek woman brought with her her ideas about the court and the power of power. Sophia Paleologue not only made changes at the court - some Moscow monuments owe their appearance to her. Much of what is now preserved in the Kremlin was built during the reign of Grand Duchess Sophia.

In 1474, the Assumption Cathedral, erected by Pskov craftsmen, collapsed. Italians were involved in its restoration under the leadership of the architect Aristotle Fioravanti. During her reign, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe was built, the Faceted Chamber, named after its decoration in italian style- faces. The Kremlin itself - a fortress that guarded the ancient center of the capital of Russia - grew and was created in front of her eyes. Twenty years later, foreign travelers began to call the Moscow Kremlin in the European way "castle", due to the abundance of stone buildings in it.

So through the efforts of Ivan III and Sophia Palaeologus, the Renaissance flourished on Russian soil.

However, Sophia's arrival in Moscow did not like some of Ivan's courtiers. By nature, Sophia was a reformer, participation in state affairs was the meaning of the life of a Moscow princess, she was a decisive and intelligent person, and the nobility of that time did not like this very much. In Moscow, she was accompanied not only by the honors shown to the Grand Duchess, but also by the hostility of the local clergy and the heir to the throne. At every step she had to defend her rights.

The best way to establish yourself was, of course, childbirth. The Grand Duke wanted to have sons. Sophia herself wanted this. However, to the delight of ill-wishers, she gave birth to three daughters in a row - Elena (1474), Elena (1475) and Theodosia (1475). Unfortunately, the girls died shortly after birth. Then another girl was born, Elena (1476). Sophia prayed to God and all the saints for the gift of a son. There is a legend connected with the birth of Sophia's son Vasily, the future heir to the throne: as if during one of the pious campaigns to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in Klement'ev, Grand Duchess Sophia Paleologue had a vision of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who “plunged into the bowels of her child a young floor ". On the night of March 25-26, 1479, a boy was born, named in honor of his grandfather Vasily. For his mother, he always remained Gabriel - in honor of the archangel Gabriel. Following Vasily, she had two more sons (Yuri and Dmitry), then two daughters (Elena and Feodosia), then three more sons (Semyon, Andrey and Boris) and the last, in 1492, daughter Evdokia.

Ivan III loved his wife and took care of the family. Before the invasion of Khan Akhmat in 1480, for the sake of safety, with the children, the court, the boyars and the princely treasury, Sophia was sent first to Dmitrov, and then to Beloozero. Vladyka Vissarion warned the Grand Duke against constant thoughts and excessive attachment to his wife and children. In one of the chronicles it is noted that Ivan panicked: "Terror is on the way, and flee from the coast, and his Grand Duchess Roman and the treasury with her, the ambassador to Beloozero."

The main significance of this marriage was that the marriage to Sophia Palaeologus contributed to the establishment of Russia as the successor of Byzantium and the proclamation of Moscow as the Third Rome, a stronghold Orthodox Christianity... After his marriage to Sophia, Ivan III for the first time dared to show the European political world the new title of the sovereign of all Russia and forced to recognize it. Ivan was called "the sovereign of all Russia".

Inevitably, the question arose about the future fate of the offspring of Ivan III and Sophia. The heir to the throne was the son of Ivan III and Maria Borisovna, Ivan Young, whose son Dmitry was born on October 10, 1483, in marriage with Elena Voloshanka. In the event of the death of his father, he would not have hesitated in one way or another to get rid of Sophia and her family. The best they could hope for was exile or exile. At the thought of this, the Greek woman was seized by rage and impotent despair.

Throughout the 1480s, Ivan Ivanovich's position as the legal heir was quite strong. However, by 1490, the heir to the throne, Ivan Ivanovich, fell ill with "kamchuga in the legs" (gout). Sophia discharged a doctor from Venice - "Mistro Leon", who arrogantly promised Ivan III to cure the heir to the throne. Nevertheless, all the efforts of the doctor were fruitless, and on March 7, 1490, Ivan Molodoy died. The doctor was executed, and rumors spread throughout Moscow about the poisoning of the heir. Modern historians regard the hypothesis of the poisoning of Ivan Molodoy as unverifiable due to a lack of sources.

On February 4, 1498, the coronation of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich took place in the Assumption Cathedral in an atmosphere of great splendor. Sophia and her son Vasily were not invited.

Ivan III continued to painfully seek a way out of the dynastic impasse. How much pain, tears and misunderstanding his wife had to experience, this strong, wise woman who was so eager to help her husband build new Russia, Third Rome. But time passes, and the wall of bitterness, which with such zeal was erected around the Grand Duke by his son and daughter-in-law, collapsed. Ivan Vasilyevich wiped away his wife's tears and cried with her himself. As never before, he felt that white light was not pleasant to him without this woman. Now the plan to give the throne to Dmitry did not seem successful to him. Ivan Vasilyevich knew how overwhelmingly Sophia loved her son Vasily. Sometimes he was even jealous of this mother's love, realizing that the son completely reigns in the mother's heart. The Grand Duke felt sorry for his young sons Vasily, Yuri, Dmitry Zhilka, Semyon, Andrey ... And he lived together with Princess Sophia for a quarter of a century. Ivan III understood that sooner or later Sophia's sons would revolt. There were only two ways to prevent the demonstration: either to destroy the second family, or to bequeath the throne to Vasily and destroy the family of Ivan the Young.

On April 11, 1502, the dynastic battle came to its logical conclusion. According to the chronicle, Ivan III "laid disgrace on the grandson of his Grand Duke Dmitry and his mother on the Grand Duchess Elena." Three days later, Ivan III "bestowed his son Vasily, blessed and put on the Grand Duchess Volodimerskoe and Moscow and All Russia as an autocrat."

On the advice of his wife, Ivan Vasilyevich released Elena from captivity and sent her to her father in Wallachia (good relations with Moldova were needed), but in 1509 Dmitry died “in need, in prison”.

A year after these events, on April 7, 1503, Sophia Palaeologus died. The body of the Grand Duchess was buried in the cathedral of the Kremlin Ascension Monastery. Ivan Vasilievich, following her death, lost heart, became seriously ill. Apparently, the great Greek woman Sophia gave him the necessary energy to build a new state, her mind helped in state affairs, her sensitivity warned of dangers, her all-conquering love gave him strength and courage. Leaving all business, he went on a trip to the monasteries, but he could not atone for his sins. He was struck by paralysis: "... it took away an arm and a leg and an eye." On October 27, 1505, he died, "being in the reign of 43 and 7 months, and all the years of his belly 65 and 9 months."