In 1425, the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich (son of Dmitry Donskoy) died. Power passed to his youngest son Vasily, who went down in history as Vasily the Dark (1415-1462). The deceased prince had 9 children. Of these, 5 are sons and 4 are daughters. However, the 4 eldest sons left this world before the death of their father. Only the youngest son survived, inheriting power at the age of 9.
The newly made Grand Duke had an uncle, Yuri Dmitrievich. He refused to swear allegiance to his young nephew and did not even attend his brother’s funeral. Instead, he went to Galich to gather an army and contest the right to power.
The actual head of the Moscow principality, Metropolitan Photius, went to him. He was an experienced diplomat and good psychologist. Looking at Yuri Dmitrievich’s militia, the bishop said that these people could not compete with the professional Moscow noble cavalry. He obtained from the rebellious prince a promise not to lay claim to the Grand Duke's throne, but to resolve such a sensitive issue with the Khan of the Golden Horde.
My uncle and nephew went to look for the truth in the Horde, and at that time the talented Moscow diplomat Ivan Dmitrievich Vsevolzhsky was there. He managed to turn the majority of the Horde against the supporters of Yuri Dmitrievich. In particular, he was supported by the influential Horde Murza Tegini. It was against him that Vsevolzhsky began to weave intrigues with great success.
When, at the khan's court, Yuri Dmitrievich began to justify his claims to the Moscow table, referring to ancient family law, Vsevolzhsky, with just one phrase, achieved the khan's decision in favor of Vasily the Dark. He, turning to the khan, said: “Prince Yuri demands a great reign according to the will of his father, and Prince Vasily according to your khan’s mercy.”
Such humility flattered the khan’s pride, and he issued a label for the reign of Vasily. But Yuri Dmitrievich harbored a grudge and did not moderate his claims to the Moscow table. However, everything was quiet until 1433, when Vasily II the Dark decided to get married. He chose Maria Yaroslavna Borovskaya as his betrothed, and the wedding took place on February 8 of that year.
2 sons of Yuri Dmitrievich - Vasily and Dmitry Shemyaka - came to the wedding feast. Vasily wore a golden belt strewn with precious stones. One of the old boyars told the groom’s mother, Sofya Vitovtovna, that this belt used to be the property of Dmitry Donskoy, and then it was stolen and ended up in the family of Yuri Dmitrievich. It turned out that his son showed up to the wedding wearing a stolen item. It was a real sacrilege, and Sofya Vitovtovna tore off the golden belt from Vasily in front of everyone.
Vasily the Dark's mother Sofya Vitovtovna tears off the gold belt from Prince Vasily Yuryevich
The scandal was terrible. Vasily and Shemyaka immediately left Moscow. And their father, Yuri Dmitrievich, immediately decided to take advantage of the favorable opportunity and came out with his squad against his nephew. On the Klyazma River a battle took place between the small squad of Vasily II and the militia of Yuri Dmitrievich. The uncle defeated his nephew. The latter was captured and sent to Kolomna. The winner entered Moscow on Holy Week 1434.
However, the boyars, townspeople, and warriors reacted extremely negatively to Yuri Dmitrievich. They called him a usurper and began to leave for Kolomna. Yuri found himself in an atmosphere of general rejection. He had no choice but to leave Moscow, and the legitimate Moscow prince returned to the capital.
But the military confrontation did not end. Yuri Dmitrievich again defeated Vasily and returned to the capital city. This time he captured the mother of the Grand Duke. However, Yuri Dmitrievich soon died, and Vasily II again ascended the throne. At the same time, he made peace with the sons of his rebellious uncle. But the peace turned out to be too fragile.
Vasily Yuryevich (from whom the gold belt was torn off at the wedding) went to Kostroma to gather a squad against the Grand Duke of Moscow. The squad was assembled, and the opponents met near the village of Skoretino. In this battle, the Moscow army won. Vasily Yuryevich was captured, taken to Moscow and blinded there.
There was a temporary lull that lasted until 1445. Another son of Yuri Dmitrievich, Dmitry Shemyaka, was waiting for an opportunity. This was presented in the form of the situation that developed in the Horde. There were constant civil strifes, alternating with raids on Russian cities. The Horde khan Ulug-Muhammad strengthened himself in Nizhny Novgorod and in 1445 sent an army against the Moscow prince, at the head of which he put his sons Yakub and Makhmutek.
Shemyaka promised to help Vasily II with a military squad, but did not fulfill his promise. And the Grand Duke of Moscow found himself with small forces against the superior forces of the Tatars. They defeated the Muscovites, and Vasily the Dark was captured. Such a huge success stunned the khan's sons, and at first they did not even know what to do with such a high-ranking captive. Finally they decided to demand a huge ransom of 200 thousand rubles for him.
The captive prince himself, accompanied by Tatar warriors. In addition, he took many Tatars into his service. This caused discontent in the Russian land, and it began to spread. Tatar migration was unheard of, and it was accompanied by considerable financial burdens for ordinary Russian people.
Shemyaka decided to take advantage of this situation. When Vasily the Dark was on a pilgrimage in the Trinity Monastery in February 1446, he and his supporters captured Moscow, capturing the wife and mother of the Grand Duke. Then Shemyaka’s squad moved towards Trinity. Vasily II did not have time to escape and hid in the church. Then he went out to the enemies with the icon in his hands, begging for mercy and asking permission to become a monk.
The captive Grand Duke of Moscow was taken on a simple sleigh to Moscow and blinded on the night of February 16, 1446. This is where the prince's nickname came from - the Dark One. After this, he was exiled to Uglich along with his wife, and his mother Sofya Vitovtovna was sent into exile in Chukhloma. Thus, Shemyaka won, but did not take into account Vasily’s friendly relationship with the Tatars.
Here it should be said that the blinded prince had many more supporters than opponents. He was supported by the Tatar princes Kasim and Yakub, Bishop Jonah, who was named metropolitan, and many boyars. Thanks to the efforts of these people, the legitimate Moscow prince, having gone on pilgrimage to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, fled to Tver, where he enlisted the support of the Tver prince.
In 1447, with the help of the Tatars and Russian people, he returned to Moscow and took the throne that Shemyaka had taken from him. But it took several years of struggle to finally overthrow the rebellious prince. In 1450, Shemyaka was driven out of Galich, his rightful fiefdom. He fled to Novgorod, which was considered the center of opposition to the Moscow prince. In this city Dmitry Yuryevich Shemyaka died on July 17, 1453. It is assumed that he was poisoned on the orders of Vasily the Dark.
The end of the free Novgorod veche
The Novgorodians supported the rebellious prince, and this did not go in vain. In the winter of 1456, remembering old grievances, the Grand Duke of Moscow, at the head of an army consisting of a Russian squad and a Tatar detachment, moved towards Novgorod. A battle took place near the city of Staraya Rusa, and the Novgorod army was much more numerous than the Moscow one. But the Muscovites defeated the Novgorodians, and the Yazhelbitsky Treaty was concluded, which marked the beginning of the annexation of the veche republic to Moscow. However, the complete subjugation of Novgorod occurred only under the Great Moscow Prince Ivan III in 1478.
The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II the Dark in his activities sought to unite all Russian lands around Moscow. However, he did not have time to do this, since he died on March 27, 1462 at the age of 47. The Grand Duke had 8 children - 7 sons and 1 daughter. The complete unification of the country was carried out by the second son Ivan III (1440-1505), who became the Grand Duke after the death of his deceased parent.
Alexander Semashko
During the period of fragmentation in Rus', there were many principalities, among which were the Novgorod Republic, the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, the Galician-Volyn Principality and many others. IN different periods From the 12th to the 15th centuries, the number of appanage principalities reached from 50 to 250. In the history of Rus' it was a difficult, bloody period. By the 15th century, there was a tendency to unite lands around the Moscow Principality. At this time, Vasily II, nicknamed the Dark, ruled in Moscow.
Vasily II was born on March 10, 1415 in Moscow. He was the fifth child in the family of Vasily I Dmitrievich and Sophia, daughter of Prince Vitovt of Lithuania. The four eldest children died in infancy, leaving Vasily as the only heir. In 1425 his father died, and in 1430 his grandfather Vytautas died. Vasily is losing a serious time for his reign. His uncle Yuri Dmitrievich, who at that time was the ruler of the small Zvenigorod principality, claims his rights to Muscovy, being the eldest in the family. In 1431 Vasily, and after him Yuri, went to Golden Horde for the label to reign in Moscow. Despite Prince Yuri's arguments, Khan Ulu-Muhammad gives the label to Vasily. In 1433, Prince Vasily married Maria Yaroslavna, the daughter of one of the appanage rulers named Yaroslav Borovsky. There is a well-known incident that occurred at a wedding when Sofya Vitovtovna accused the son of Prince Yuri of Zvenigorod, Vasily, of stealing a belt that allegedly belonged to Dmitry Donskoy, but was stolen. In the same year, Prince Yuri captured Moscow, but most of the residents left the capital due to conflicts with the new ruler and moved to Kolomna, where Vasily II settled. Prince Yuri went to peace and ceded Moscow, but Vasily could not retain the throne. Yuri reoccupied Moscow. After his death in 1434, his son Vasily Kosoy became the prince of Moscow. Unexpectedly, his brother Dmitry Shemyaka teamed up with Vasily II. Together they drive Vasily Kosoy out of Moscow. The Grand Duke regained the throne, and in 1436 he punished the usurper by blinding him.
In foreign policy Vasily tried to hold a good relationship with all neighbors: Principality of Lithuania, Golden Horde. The last one was in the middle of the 15th century. split into several khanates. In 1445, Vasily's troops suffered a crushing defeat from the Kazan Khanate, as a result of which the Moscow prince was captured. Dmitry Shemyaka began to rule in Moscow. A large indemnity was paid for the return from captivity and several cities were given to the Tatars to feed. This caused discontent among the boyars and allowed Dmitry to seize the throne in 1446 with their help and the support of the rulers of several appanage principalities. Vasily was blinded, receiving the nickname Dark. He and his family were exiled to Uglich. It was here that the plan to return to Moscow matured, which was carried out in December 1446. The final defeat of Dmitry occurred in 1450 in the battle of Galich. Historians consider this the last internecine battle. Moscow becomes the center of Russian lands, and Vasily becomes the Sovereign and Grand Duke of All Rus'. Last years Vasily's reign was quite quiet. He died of tuberculosis in 1462. After him, the throne passed to his son Ivan III.
The results of the reign of Vasily II were the policy of “gathering Russian lands”, the conclusion of peace treaties with the Principality of Lithuania and Veliky Novgorod. With his participation, Jonah was elected Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus' in 1448 without the consent of Byzantium. This marked the beginning of the independence of the Russian Church. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Moscow became not only a political, but also an Orthodox center.
Interesting Facts and dates from life
Vasily II the Dark
Vasily II Vasilievich Dark, Grand Duke Moscow and Vladimir, son of Grand Duke Vasily I Dmitrievich. Born in 1415, reigned from 1425 to 1462.
Vasily Vasilyevich was 10 years old when his father died. His candidacy for the grand ducal throne could also be considered legally unstable: the will of Dmitry Donskoy, his grandfather, contained words that substantiated the claim of Vasily’s uncle, Yuri Dmitrievich, to the great reign.
The resolution of the dispute between uncle and nephew depended in fact on the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the guardian of the family of Vasily I. Relying on him, Metropolitan Photius persuaded Yuri to a peace treaty (1425), according to which he undertook not to achieve a great reign by force; only the khan's award was recognized as authoritative in case Yuri renewed his claims.
Dependent on Lithuania, the Moscow government did not protest against the appointment of a special Western Russian metropolitan in 1425. It was not difficult for Lithuania to obtain the abdication (in 1428) of the Moscow Grand Duke from independent politics in Veliky Novgorod and Pskov. Yuri had to formally limit his possessions to Galich and Vyatka, renounce his claims to the great reign, undertake not to accept Moscow emigrants into his service, etc. In 1430, Vitovt died; Svidrigailo settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and Yuri, who was related to him, was not slow in abandoning the treaty of 1428. At the beginning of 1431
Yuri and Vasily II were already in the Horde; the litigation dragged on there for more than a year and ended in favor of Vasily II. According to the chronicle story, Yuri stood on the basis of Donskoy’s will; Moscow boyar Ivan Dmitrievich Vsevolozhsky opposed the sovereign will of the khan to the will, denying the legal value of “dead” letters. Vasily II was seated on the table by the Horde ambassador - for the first time in Moscow. Yuri Khan was given the city of Dmitrov, which was soon (1432) taken from him by Vasily. At a critical moment, Vsevolozhsky’s promise to marry his daughter was broken, and in 1433 Vasily II married the daughter of the appanage prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. In addition, at the wedding of the Grand Duke, his mother, Sofya Vitovtovna, treated Yuri’s son, Vasily Kosy, rudely.
The offended Vsevolozhsky went over to Yuri's side; Vasily Kosoy and his brothers Dmitry Shemyaka and Dmitry Krasny went to their father. In April 1433, 20 versts from Moscow, Vasily II was defeated and took refuge in Kostroma, where he was captured. Of all his possessions, only Kolomna remained behind him. But disagreements among the victors forced Yuri to cede the great reign to Vasily II.
Yuri's sons did not lay down their arms; Yuri soon reconciled with them. Vasily II suffered defeat after defeat. In 1434 he had to take refuge in Novgorod; Moscow was occupied by Yuri. The sudden death of Yuri split the opponents of Vasily II for the second time; the younger brothers did not pester the eldest, Vasily Kosoy, who declared himself the Grand Duke; with their help, Vasily II regained his great reign. In 1435 Kosoy was defeated on the Kotorosl River and bound by a treaty. Vasily II's position, however, was not strong. The strife, which for several years in a row violated economic life Moscow center, shook the loyalty of Moscow commercial and industrial circles, who were looking for peace. In Tver, Shemyaka began to lean towards Kosoy (and was imprisoned on suspicion of this). Kosoy himself violated the agreement in 1436 and opposed Vasily II. In open battle he was defeated; in captivity he was blinded, Shemyaka was freed and granted patrimony. Until now there has been a purely dynastic dispute; the second attack of strife occurred on both sides under the banner of national principle. Two factors contributed to this. The Florentine Union of 1439 created a line between Uniate (at first) and Catholic Lithuania - and Eastern Russia, which did not change Orthodoxy; at the same time, the aggressive policy of the Eastern Tatar hordes intensified, and the Tatar element began to penetrate the ruling elite of Moscow society.
Vasily II eliminated almost all small fiefs within the Moscow principality and strengthened the grand-ducal power. As a result of a series of campaigns in 1441-1460, the dependence on Moscow of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod principality, the Novgorod land, Pskov and the Vyatka land increased.
By order of Vasily II, the Russian bishop Jonah was elected metropolitan (1448), which marked the declaration of independence of the Russian church from the Patriarch of Constantinople and strengthened the international position of Rus'.
The results of the reign of Vasily II can be characterized as a series of major successes: an increase in the territory of the Moscow Grand Reign, independence and a new formulation of the tasks of the Russian Church, a renewed idea of Moscow autocracy and the internally strengthened power of the Grand Duke.
He was afraid of rivals, especially his brother, Prince Yuri Dmitrievich Galitsky. Indeed, this uncle of Vasily II, relying on the custom of seniority and the will of Dmitry Donskoy, was already gathering an army to fight for Moscow, but was forced to give in and promise not to seek the grand-ducal table personally, but only through the khan.
Later, Yuri had to refuse this and sign an agreement, recognizing himself as a younger brother to his nephew. But the enmity in the princely family did not subside. In 1431, taking advantage of the death of Vytautas, Yuri again presented his claims to the grand reign. The dispute had to be resolved in the Horde, where both princes had well-wishers. Vasily appeared with his smart boyar Ivan Dmitrievich Vsevolozhsky, and while Yuri Dmitrievich exhibited his rights, Vsevolozhsky pointed out to the khan that Vasily relied on everything the will of the khan and is looking for “the table of the great reign, and your ulus, according to your royal salary.” Such recognition of the khan’s unconditional will persuaded him to decide the matter in favor of Vasily, and in 1432 the latter returned from the Horde with Tsarevich Mansyr-Ulan, who installed him in Moscow for the great reign.
Soon Vsevolozhsky was offended by the preference given to Marya Yaroslavna, granddaughter Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky, in front of his daughter, when Sofya Vitovtovna arranged the marriage of her son. This boyar went to Yuri. At the wedding feast itself (1433), Sophia insulted the sons of Yuri, Dmitry Shemyaka (born 1420) and Vasily Kosoy(born 1421), tearing off from the latter a precious belt that once belonged to the family of the Grand Dukes of Moscow. The brothers fled from the feast and, returning to their father, together with him and his large army moved towards Moscow. Vasily II fled to Kostroma, was captured there, but spared by Yuri, who settled in Moscow as a grand prince; Vasily received Kolomna as an inheritance.
Sofya Vitovtovna at the wedding of Grand Duke Vasily II. Painting by K. Goon, 1861
However, feeling the precariousness of his position, Yuri soon returned the throne to his nephew, and he himself retired to Galich, which a short time later was burned out by the vengeful Vasily. The strife continued unabated; Yuri once again captured the Moscow table (1434), but soon died. His sons continued the fight. Vasily Kosoy and Vasily II either made peace, then violated it, and finally, in 1436, the first treacherously attacked the Moscow prince, but was defeated, captured and blinded. Vasily concluded a peace treaty with Dmitry Shemyaka and allowed him to live freely, but without leaving the country and under supervision, in Kolomna.
In 1438, Khan Ulu-Makhmet, expelled from the Horde by his brother, came with the Tatars to the city of Belev; the Grand Duke sent an army against him, which the Tatars defeated. Ulu-Makhmet, having retired to the Volga, next year captured Kazan, devastated by the Russians, and settled there. This is how the terrible beginning began later Kazan kingdom. Ulu-Makhmet constantly harassed the Moscow regions, and in 1445 the Tatars managed not only to inflict a serious defeat on the Russians on the banks of the river. Kamenki, near Suzdal, but also to capture the Grand Duke. Vasily was released from captivity only for a huge ransom, which caused displeasure among Muscovites.
Vasily II the Dark
Dmitry Shemyaka, who had been in contact with the Tatars even during the captivity of the Grand Duke, now decided to take advantage of the circumstances; chance helped him. Vasily II went with a small number of close associates to the Trinity Monastery to thank God for deliverance from captivity and to venerate the relics of St. Sergius. In the Trinity Monastery, he was captured by Shemyaka's accomplices, brought to Moscow and blinded, the Grand Duke's throne was seized by Dmitry, and Vasily, who now received the nickname of the Dark One due to his blindness, remained in captivity (1446).
But Shemyaka also did not feel secure on the Moscow table, especially in view of the murmurs about the villainy of Vasily’s blinding. Convinced by the Ryazan bishop Jonah, he freed Vasily II, who vowed not to seek the grand-ducal table, and released him to his granted fatherland - Vologda (1447). But Vasily did not keep his word, and in the same year his followers, who were only waiting for the release of the prince, elevated Vasily again to the Moscow table. Shemyaka fled to Galich and was forced to give “damned letters”, according to which, under the threat of church damnation, he renounced his claims to the great reign and swore not to harbor any evil towards the Grand Duke and his family.
But Shemyaka did not let up; Several times the Moscow army had to oppose him, until Dmitry was defeated near Galich. He fled to Novgorod, which gave him shelter. The Galician volost was annexed to Moscow and grand-ducal governors were appointed there (1450). In this struggle, Vasily was especially helped by the clergy with their authority and admonitions addressed both to Shemyaka and to his followers and concealers. At the head of the clergy was Metropolitan Jonah, who replaced the one who fled for the adoption of the Union of Florence Isidora. Jonah excommunicated Shemyaka from the church. In 1452, Dmitry made another unsuccessful attempt to establish himself in Ustyug, again fled to Novgorod and soon died (1453), most likely poisoned. Shemyaka's allies fled to Lithuania or, having made all kinds of concessions, made peace with Vasily the Dark.
The Grand Duke, who had long been at odds with the Novgorodians, decided to turn his forces against them. First, he imposed a tribute of up to 8,000 rubles on Novgorod, then in 1456 he moved the army. Novgorodians near Rusa were defeated Prince Striga Obolensky and Fyodor Basenko. In Yazhelbitsy, where the prince himself stood, an agreement was concluded on difficult terms; in addition to the promise not to accept the enemies of the Grand Duke, the payment of 10,000 rubles to him alone, they laid down: “there will be no veche letters” and “there will be no seal of the great princes.” After 1460, the liberties of Pskov were limited; governors were sent there from Moscow.
Vasily the Dark died on March 27, 1462 from wounds received during the treatment of “dry disease” by cauterization of the body. He had eight children from his wife, Marya Yaroslavna, of whom the second, Ivan, after the death of the eldest, was declared co-ruler from 1450, and then took his father’s table.
Prince Vasily 2 Vasilyevich (Dark) ruled from 1425 to 1462 and the time of his reign can be called a period of weakening of Rus', when internecine wars came to the fore - the children and grandchildren of Dmitry Donskoy shared the throne among themselves. The civil strife lasted from 1425 to 1453, and during this time the Moscow throne changed hands several times.
Vasily 2 received the nickname dark, because in 1446 in prison he was blinded by order of Shemyaka, who punished his enemy as he punished his brother (previously, by order of Vasily 2, Vasily Kosoy was blinded).
New feudal war in Rus'
To understand why the civil strife began, one should study family tree Dmitry Donskoy, where all the participants in the events are presented.
The struggle for power can be divided into 2 stages:
- The struggle of Vasily the Dark and Yuri Dmitrievich.
- The fight between Vasily the Dark and Yuri's children - Vasily Kosy and Dmitry Shemyak.
Confrontation between Vasily 2 and Yuri
In 1425, Prince Vasily 1 died and bequeathed the grand-ducal throne to his son Vasily 2. Younger brother The deceased prince, Yuri, disputes his brother's will, citing the will of Dmitry Donskoy, according to which, in the event of the death of Vasily 1, Yuri should become Grand Duke.
Yuri was supported by Galich and Zvenigorod (these were his destinies), Vyatka, Ustyug Novgorod. Novgorod relied on Yuri Dmitrievich not because they shared his claims to power, but because of their own interests - under the new prince they hoped to ease their city’s dependence on Moscow.
Vasily the Dark, who was 9 years old at the time of gaining power, could count on the noble boyars of Moscow. Their support was also entirely self-serving. They understood that all their lands and titles rested on the Grand Duke, and if he was replaced, Yuri would begin to redistribute lands and titles towards his supporters. Yaroslavl, Kolomna, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities also took his side. What was more important was that the young prince was supported by the church and the entire house of Kalita.
To resolve the contradictions, both applicants go to the Horde for a princely charter. Support was received by Vasily the Dark, who received a label and promised to pay tribute regularly. As a result, Vasily the Dark returned to Moscow, where he began to rule (in reality, this was done by his mother Sofya Vitovtovna and the boyars), and Yuri headed to Galich and began to gather an army, which included everyone dissatisfied with the power of Moscow. For some time the situation stabilized, but very soon blood was shed.
Wedding of Vasily 2 - a pretext for war
In 1433 Vasily the Dark got married. The wedding was large-scale and one of the guests at it were Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka. Vasily Kosom was wearing a rich belt, in which one of the Moscow boyars recognized an item that belonged to Dmitry Donskoy, and which was stolen from Moscow. Sofya Vitovtovna tears off the belt from her nephew. In response, Yuri's sons leave the wedding and go to their father in Galich, where active preparations for war begin.
The story of the belt breaking is described in all textbooks, but the real meaning is difficult to understand, since there is no real evidence. But if we assume that on Kosom there really was an item stolen from Moscow, then even in this case, Vasily 2’s mother Sophia acted extremely unreasonably, tearing this item off and causing an insult. After all, before this the strife was hidden, but after the insult it became open and a war began, the reason for which was given by Sophia.
Yuri Dmitrievich seizes power
In 1433, Yuri sent an army from Galich to Moscow and won. Shemyaka and Kosoy demanded that their father execute Vasily 2, but he did not do this, sending the young man to Kolomna. Since Kolomna is a city in the Moscow principality, the boyars and other noble people of the capital went to the city with the prince. In fact, Yuri was left alone in the city. As a result, he made a decision that no historian has been able to explain to this day - he voluntarily returned Moscow to Vasily the Dark. He returned the city for which he shed blood just a couple of months ago.
Returning to Moscow, Vasily 2 gathers an army to fight the children of Yuri, the man who voluntarily returned the throne to him! This resulted in a battle on the Klyazma River, where Vasily 2 was defeated. He gathered a new army and in 1434 sent it to Galich. The Moscow prince lost. The general battle took place in Rostov region and again Vasily the Dark lost to his uncle Yuri. Yuri occupied Moscow and seized the city's treasury. Vasily fled to Novgorod.
This could have been a turning point in Russian history, but literally 2 months after these events, Prince Yuri Dmitrievich dies. His eldest son Vasily Kosoy proclaims himself Grand Duke.
Confrontation between Vasily the Dark and Vasily Kosoy
The new stage of the internecine war lasted from 1434 to 1436. All the northeastern lands of Rus' were engulfed in fire. Cities were taken, villages were destroyed, people died.
The initiative was taken by Vasily the Dark, who was supported by the majority of noble people. The decisive battle took place in 1436. Vasily Kosoy lost the battle and was captured. He was sent to Moscow, where he was blinded in prison by order of the prince. No more Scythe important events never committed anything in Russian history, and died 12 years later.
Conspiracy of Dmitry Shemyak
In 1444, the Horde invaded Russian lands. She was aware of the internal war and decided to rob the Russian lands, which again there was no one to defend. Vasily the Dark gathered an army and sent it to fight the invaders. In the battle of Suzdal, the forces of the Moscow prince, who outnumbered their opponent several times, were defeated, and Vasily 2 himself was captured. The whole country collected a ransom for him and ultimately returned the prince home.
Dmitry Shemyaka took advantage of this situation and stated that:
- The Moscow prince cannot protect Rus' from raids, because... he is a bad warrior. In fact, it’s hard to argue with this, since Vasily the Dark lost all his battles, and lost even those battles in which he had all the cards.
- The Moscow prince is a weak man. This is also beyond doubt, since the strife and each new round of it is his fault.
- The prince's weaknesses cost the whole country a huge amount of money in the form of a ransom for him. Also the pure truth.
The conspiracy of Dmitry Shemyak was carried out on February 12, 1446. In the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where the service took place, Vasily 2 the Dark was arrested and sent to prison. There he was blinded. That is why he received the popular nickname - Dark.
After this, Dmitry Shemyaka sends his brother with his wife and son Ivan to Uglich. A new opposition is being formed in Uglich, which Shemyaka decided to destroy in the following way. He sends Vasily the Dark to Vologda and takes a sacred oath from him that he will not lay claim to the Moscow throne and will not challenge him. The oath was taken.
But after this, Vologda became a place where people dissatisfied with Shemyak began to flock, and the local abbot of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery freed Vasily 2 from the oath given to him. An army gathers in Vologda and heads to Moscow. Shemyaka flees from the battle to Uglich. So Vasily the Dark regained his throne, but the strife continued until 1453, when Dmitry Shemyaka died in Novgorod.
Results of the board
The reign of Vasily the Dark cannot be called successful for Rus', since out of the 37 years while he was in power, there was peace for only 9 years, and the rest of the time there were internecine wars. Rus' continued to pay tribute to the Horde, and Vasily 2, receiving the label to rule, confirmed this.
In 1462, Vasily II died, leaving the throne to his son, Ivan. The positive features of the reign of this prince include the fact that he began the process of unifying the Russian lands around Moscow.