Ivan Krasny (Meek), whose nickname is the more commonly found Red, analytically implies that the man was very handsome. The Moscow prince was also called the Gracious.

Ivan the Red was the first son born in March 1326. For the last six years of his life he was the Prince of Moscow. Biography. As an inheritance from his father Ivan Kalita, Krasny inherited the lands of Zvenigorod and settlements in Ruza. Kalita ruled the cities of Kolomna and Mozhaisk, which were inherited by his son Semyon, but Semyon died of the plague and his lands went to Ivan Ivanovich.

During the reign of Prince Krasny, the importance of Moscow weakened in comparison with strong enemy states. Konstantin Vasilyevich, Prince of Nizhny Novgorod and Suzdal, wanted to seize the principality of Vladimir from Krasny. The power of Red was disapproved of by the boyars, who staged coups and left Moscow en masse. Although in 1358 the prince finally reached an agreement.

The date of Krasny's death is subsidized as November 13, 1359. During his life, he ruled for only six years in the Moscow principality. The prince was buried in the lands. After his death, he bequeathed the lands belonging to him to his sons.

Family matters

The prince was married twice, first to the boyar daughter of Princess Feodosia Dmitrievna, who died in 1342 after a year of marriage. The second marriage was registered in 1345 with Princess Alexandra Ivanovna. Ivan the Red had four children, two daughters Anna and Olga and two sons Ivan Maly and.

Cognitive fact

  • The historian Borisov believes that the Red Prince received the nickname in honor of his birthday, which according to chronology dates back to the Red Hill holiday, the holiday falls on the first Sunday after the celebration of Great Easter.

Ivan the Red remained in the history of medieval Rus' as the prince of Moscow, Vladimir, Zvenigorod, Novgorod. His father was the famous Ivan Kalita, and fame did not pass by his son, Dmitry Donskoy.

Biography of Ivan the Red

On March 30, 1326, a boy was born to Princess Elena and Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita. The child became second in line to the throne. Unfortunately, there is no information about his childhood years left in the chronicles.

The Tver uprising in 1327 turned the course of history. For the first time, the Russians opposed the Tatar-Mongol yoke, Moscow began to dominate its enemies. Ivan Kalita received from the Uzbek prince a label for the reign of Vladimir. Under his leadership, Moscow began to actively deteriorate and take on the appearance of a capital. Kalita expanded his possessions and made friends with the Horde. Ivan I (Kalita) is the founder of the Rurik dynasty, which will rule until the 16th century.

For him, the question of who to transfer power to was very important, since he sought to ensure that the label remained in the hands of the Moscow house, and did not go to the Tver principality.

When Ivan Kalita felt that death was breathing down his neck, he collected a double tribute from the population, took his sons and went with gifts and a will to bow to the khan. The decision about the inheritance at that time could only be decided by the Horde. If we follow the will that he drew up, then the title of Grand Duke of Vladimir should have been given to his eldest son, Simeon. The younger sons automatically came under his subordination and became “young” princes.

How the negotiations ended is unknown, but after Kalita’s death in 1340, his title passed to Simeon the Proud. His brothers helped him rule.

Zvenigorod Prince Ivan

When his father died, Ivan was a teenager, 14 years old. Now he would be considered a child, but then he was considered a young man. According to his father's behest, he became the prince of Zvenigorod. Under his rule there were 23 cities and villages, the main ones being Zvenigorod and Ruza. The brothers ruled Moscow together, that is, Ivan was entitled to a third of it.

Prince Ivan was very young and quite infantile. He had no desire to rule as an independent politician. He was always in the shadow of his older brother. Are you planning a trip to the Khan in the Horde? On his way. The brother decided to go to war with Olgerd and is gathering an army. It is necessary to repel Swedish aggression - I gathered myself and repelled it. Ivan was not distinguished by his courage and military talents, but he did not seek glory either.

Where did the nickname come from?

The prince had several nicknames:

  • Red;
  • Gentle;
  • Gracious.

For modern people, these epithets sound like a compliment, but during the harsh Middle Ages they had a negative connotation. This is a period when strong men, real warriors, dominated. And not those who looked after the ladies and showed their nobility. The warrior, knight, hero of that era had to be fearless, unprincipled, without internal moral restrictions. Strong male strength, cunning, courage and ruthlessness were used. Otherwise there was no way to survive.

Ivan 2 the Red was born at a time when the ideal was a male warrior, but Kalita’s heir was not such. Educated, calm, intelligent, he could have become a scribe, like Nestor the chronicler, or a prayer book, like Sergei of Radonezh, but it was not appropriate for the prince to engage in such a matter. In addition, he was very handsome, which earned him the nickname “Red”. He had fine aristocratic features and the figure of a Greek athlete.

Translated into modern language, the prince’s nicknames would sound like:

  • Beautiful,
  • quiet,
  • not angry,
  • intelligent,
  • calm,
  • unambitious.

Ivan's personal life

In 1341 he married Theodosia, Princess of Bryansk, who later died of a pestilence.

In 1345 he married again. Little is known about his second wife Alexandra Ivanovna Velyaminova, a girl from a noble family. On October 12, 1350, she gives birth to Ivan the Red’s son, who was named Dmitry. In the future of the great commander Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. In the family of Ivan II in 1353, another boy was born - Ivan Ivanovich Maly, who lived only 10 years. The prince had 2 more daughters:

  • Anna - later the wife of the famous commander and participant in the Battle of Kulikovo Bobrok Volynsky.
  • Maria - later the wife of Dmitry Olgerdovich.

Reign of Ivan II

In 1353, a great disaster came to Moscow - a plague epidemic. The disease has claimed many lives. Unfortunately, she did not spare Simeon the Proud himself. Kalita's eldest son bequeathed power to his wife. She, considering that power is a man’s business, transferred the throne to Ivan. He did not expect this, and was not ready to rule. The Horde did not interfere - he had to rule.

Khan Uzbek died, and the Tatars began to experience internal turmoil. The appanage princes tried to prevent Ivan from taking the throne with their intrigues, but nothing worked out for them.

He reigned for 6 years. During the years of his reign, Ivan the Red did not stand out in history as anything special.

He himself understood that decisive action was expected of him, but he did not like to fight. The consequences of the prince's weakness will be disastrous:

  • Lopasnya, which was located between Moscow and Serpukhov, will be captured by the Ryazan prince.
  • After the campaign against Mozhaisk, the Lithuanians will install their own metropolitan in Kyiv.
  • The Novgorodians will intrigue in the Horde and want Konstantin of Suzdal to become Prince of Vladimir.

The only significant plus during the reign of Ivan the Red was that the Dmitrov and Kostroma lands were annexed to Moscow.

Metropolitan Alexy is a faithful friend and mentor

Ivan was lucky in one thing: he had a faithful comrade-in-arms, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Alexy. It had a lot of advantages:

  • lively mind;
  • strong will.

If not for his help, the heir of Ivan Kalita would have long ago lost the title of prince.

Main activities. Domestic policy

The internal policy of Ivan the Red was built on maintaining peace between the appanage princes and preventing civil strife. The Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal prince began to fight for the label with the prince, but the Horde chose to leave the Moscow ruler on the throne.

The Moscow boyars began to quarrel among themselves, this led to the fact that some of them began to serve the Ryazan prince. Ivan negotiated and allowed them to return to Moscow.

Foreign policy

The task of Ivan the Red's foreign policy was to maintain the status quo and not lose the lands that his father left him. He was afraid of new Tatar raids in the East, so he gave the khan expensive gifts and paid tribute on time.

He defended the western borders from the Principality of Lithuania. In 1356 he successfully repelled the attack of Lithuanian soldiers on Mozhaisk.

Ivan 2 the Red died in Moscow on November 13, 1359. Before his death, he became a monk and took the schema. His last refuge was the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral. He bequeathed the throne to his son Dmitry. His regent was a family friend and faithful comrade, Metropolitan Alexy. He will be noted in history for defeating the Tatar-Mongol army in the famous Battle of Kulikovo.

Reign: 1353-1359

Ivan II the Red, the Meek, Prince of Moscow, Vladimir, Novgorod. Son of Ivan I Kalita. He was kind, merciful, beautiful (it is no coincidence that he was called that way - Red, that is, handsome). He was in power for a short time - only 6 years. What are the main directions of its activities and their results?

There was a strengthening of the power of the Moscow princes. Here he continued the policies of his father and brothers. He managed to retain power, although there were other contenders for the grand-ducal throne, for example, Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal.

There was a further strengthening of the influence of the power of the Moscow prince, who not only received a label for the Great Reign (largely thanks to the smart policies of Alexy), but also the right of judicial power over other princes.

Another direction in domestic policy Ivan II was strengthening the state. He saw the way to this, like his father, in expanding the territory and attracting people to the principality. For this purpose, he attracted peasants, artisans, boyars, and invited military men into the army. The resettlement policy in the Volga region, Uglichesky field, Ustyuzhye and other lands of Rus' yielded results. The population of the principality increased significantly, agriculture and crafts began to develop more efficiently. The Moscow Principality included the Kostroma and Dmitrov lands.

The result of this activity was the further strengthening of the principality, expansion of territory, and strengthening of economic power. Ivan II created a good economic basis for the principality for his son, Dmitry Donskoy.

Direction of foreign policy Ivan II's activities were to establish peaceful relations with neighbors. He tried to resolve all issues through diplomatic means. He maintained good relations with the khans of the Horde and tried not to conflict with Lithuania.

The result of the activity it became that under him there were no wars or raids by the Horde khans. There was silence in Rus'; a generation of people grew up who did not know the horrors of war.

Thus, Despite the short term of his reign, Ivan II managed to maintain peace in the lands of the principality, strengthen the grand-ducal power, and strengthen the economy. A peaceful foreign policy led to the absence of major military clashes and raids on Rus'. He handed over the strong principality to his son, Dmitry Donskoy.

Historical portrait of Dmitry Donskoy

Years of reign: 1359-1389

§ Dmitry Donskoy, son of Prince Ivan 2 the Red, grandson of Ivan Kalita. Dmitry received the throne at age 9

RESULTS OF ACTIVITY

§ Dmitry Donskoy was a recognized leader among the princes in Rus'.

§ Under him, the process of the rise of the Moscow principality became irreversible.

§ The territory of Rus' expanded significantly.

§ Dmitry became the head of the anti-Horde policy, won significant victories on Vozha and the Kulikovo field.

§ Conducted a thoughtful policy with the West. In clashes with Lithuania, he reliably defended Russian lands.

Chronology of the life and work of Dmitry Donskoy

Historical portrait of Vasily I.

Years of reign: 1389-1425

Vasily I is the son of Dmitry Donskoy. He reigned from 1389-1425. The label for the Great Reign was inherited by him, without the consent of the Golden Horde. Vasily I also inherited the strong Principality of Moscow. He was an intelligent, cautious prince, carefully considering all his actions, a far-sighted and wise politician.

One of the directions in domestic policy there was further strengthening of the principality.

The construction of cities, the development of culture, and the strengthening of the power of the state continued. During the reign of Vasily I, the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek worked in Moscow, who painted many icons and painted three churches in the Kremlin: the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (1395), the Archangel Cathedral (1399) and the Annunciation Cathedral (1405).

The result This activity was a significant expansion of the territory of Rus', strengthening of economic power, and further development of culture.

Direction of foreign policy activities Vasily I was establishing relations with the Horde. The victories of his father, Dmitry Donskoy, have not yet led to the end of the yoke. The raids of the khans continued. One of the largest was the raid of Khan Edigei in 1407-1408. Khan besieged Moscow, it all ended with reconciliation and ransom, although the Moscow principality was ruined.

One cannot help but recall the battle on the Vorsla River against the Horde Khan. The Principality of Lithuania under the command of Vytautas took part in the battle, and Rus' helped as an ally. However, the forces were too unequal. Khan Temir-Kutlug and Emir Edigei won the victory.

The result activity was that Vasily I was unable to achieve liberation from the yoke of the Horde, although he made military attempts to defeat the Horde. Therefore, he sought to establish calm, diplomatic relations with the Horde.

The Next Direction in Foreign Policy was the elimination of threats from external enemies. Here, the most significant events were related to the invasion of Rus' in 1395 by the Central Asian ruler Timur, who had previously ruined the Horde. According to legend, Rus' was saved by the Mother of God, since the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was brought to Moscow.

Relations with Lithuania were also difficult. Thus, Prince Vitovt captured the cities of Vyazma and Smolensk in 1404.

The most important event was the victory of the joint Russian-Polish-Lithuanian army over the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which led to the end of the aggression. In this battle, irreconcilable enemies formed an alliance, and this ensured victory.

Thus, The reign of Vasily I was successful. Under him, Rus' significantly expanded its territories and strengthened its position as the center of the state. Not all foreign policy goals were achieved; Rus' continued to be under the yoke of the Horde, but a number of victories showed that the Moscow Principality was a strong adversary with great international authority. Vasily I ruled for 36 years, and during this period there were no large-scale wars in Rus' was. He skillfully maintained peace in Russian lands.

IVAN II IVANOVICH RED(1326–1359) - Grand Duke of Zvenigorod and Ruz 1340–1353, Vladimir and Moscow (from 1353), son of Ivan I Ivanovich Kalita from Princess Elena. Born on March 30, 1326 in Moscow. Apparently, he received the nickname “Red” due to his exceptional appearance (red means beautiful). In the chronicles there are also other nicknames for this prince - “Merciful”, “Meek”.

In 1341 he was “married” by Princess Feodosia of Bryansk. In connection with her death during the years of the pestilence (plague), in 1345 he remarried a certain Alexandra Ivanovna (?–1364), who bore him a son, Dmitry (the future Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy), on October 12, 1350, and later another son, Ivan Ivanovich Maly (who lived only 10 years, 1354–1364), and two daughters - Lyubov (according to other sources - Anna, who became the wife of the famous commander, participant in the Battle of Kulikovo, Prince D.M. Bobrok Volynsky) and Maria (married Prince . Dmitry Olgerdovich).

According to his spiritual father, Ivan Kalita, Ivan inherited 23 cities and villages, the main ones being Zvenigorod and Ruza. He stayed in them until the outbreak of the pestilence, which claimed the lives of his first wife, many relatives, including his brother, the ruler of Moscow, Semyon the Proud and second older brother Andrei Ivanovich . The widow of Semyon the Proud, Maria, gave Ivan II everything bequeathed by her husband, and he accepted the reign of Moscow in 1353. He continued the policy of his father and brother to unite Russian lands. However, in the struggle for the right to receive a label for the great reign of Vladimir, Ivan quickly had a rival - the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal prince Konstantin Vasilyevich, who was supported by the Novgorodians. Despite this help, Ivan II managed to win and receive a label from the Horde Khan Janibek.

According to the chronicle, Ivan was a “quiet, meek, merciful and unambitious” ruler. He lived in complete silence, and therefore had peace everywhere.” But despite all the quietness, Ivan II had obvious support in the person of the Moscow boyars and Alexy, who had previously been the bishop of Vladimir, received the rank of metropolitan in 1354. It was Metropolitan Alexy who visited the Horde several times during these years, maintained peaceful relations with it and, according to legend, healed the khan’s wife Taidula from blindness, which allowed the metropolitan to dissuade the khan from another raid on Rus'. Ivan II at this time - according to the same legend - remained in his Moscow reign, where he ordered “not to allow” the Tatar prince Mamat-Khoja, who came from the already devastated lands of Ryazan. The prince allegedly obeyed, left with nothing, and the Moscow prince received the nickname “Meek.” As proof of his “meekness,” Ivan II did not offer military resistance to the offensive of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgierd. When he captured Bryansk and went to Mozhaisk, Ivan II, according to the chronicler, did not interfere with him and gave the Mozhaisks the opportunity to defend themselves. At the same time, under Ivan II, the Dmitrov and Kostroma lands became part of the Moscow principality, and the prince himself managed, through Metropolitan Alexei, to achieve not only a label for the great reign, but also the right of judicial power over other Russian princes.

Ivan II Ivanovich died in Moscow on November 13, 1359, having adopted the schema before his death. He was buried in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral. After his death, young Dmitry was left in the care of Metropolitan Alexy, to whom Ivan II also entrusted the administration and protection of the principality.

Natalia Pushkareva

- (Handsome) (30.3.1326 13.11.1359), Russian prince, second son of Ivan I Danilovich Kalita (See Ivan I Danilovich Kalita), father of Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy, prince of Zvenigorod and Ruz in 1340 53. After the death of his brother, Semyon the Proud , great... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (Beautiful) (1326 59) rus. Prince, second son of Ivan Kalita, Prince. Zvenigorod and Ruza in 1340 53. After the death of his brother, Semyon the Proud, he led. book Moscow and Vladimir in 1353 59; defended the right to grand dukes. throne in the fight against Suzdal... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

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- (John Ioannovich) Ivan Ivanovich the Red (1326 1359) Prince of Moscow and Grand Duke of Vladimir. Ivan Ivanovich Korotopol (d. 1343) Grand Duke of Ryazan. Ivan Ivanovich (1496 1533/1534) Grand Duke of Ryazan. Ivan... ... Wikipedia

Ivanovich Miniature from the Tsar's titular book 5th Prince of Moscow ... Wikipedia

IVAN II Ivanovich the Red (March 30, 1326 November 13, 1359), Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow (from 1353), second son of Ivan Kalita (see IVAN I Kalita), father of Dmitry Donskoy. In 1340-1353 he was an appanage prince of Zvenigorod and Ruza. After… … encyclopedic Dictionary

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