Ivan Kalita ruled in which principality. Investments for Ivan I Danilovich Kalita
IVAN I DANILOVICH KALITA(c. 1283–1340) - Grand Duke of Moscow from 1325 and Grand Duke of Vladimir from 1328. The second son of the prince, who laid the foundations for the political and economic power of Moscow. He received the nickname Kalita (purse) for his generosity towards the poor (“let the beggars wash away a small piece”) and the enormous wealth that he used to increase his territory through “purchases” in foreign principalities.
In his youth, he was long in the shadow of his older brother, Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich. In 1304, in the absence of his brother in Moscow, Ivan with a small army managed to defend Pereyaslavl, which belonged to the principality, from the Tverites, who had gathered an army led by the boyar Akinf, thereby proving to his brother his ability to retain what he had conquered. In 1319, Ivan’s brother, Yuri, having received the title of Grand Duke in the Horde, left for Novgorod. Thus, even then, and from 1322 in full, Moscow was at Ivan’s disposal. From then on, he showed himself to be a powerful, cruel, cunning, intelligent and persistent ruler in achieving his goals. In 1325, Ivan inherited Moscow according to the will of the deceased Yuri. The years of his rule of the principality (about twenty) became an era of strengthening and elevation of Moscow over the rest of the Russian lands. It was based on Ivan’s special ability to get along with the Horde khan. He often traveled to the Horde, which is why he earned the favor and trust of Khan Uzbek. While other Russian lands suffered from invasions by Horde members and Baskaks, the possessions of the Prince of Moscow remained calm and were replenished numerically with immigrants from other principalities and lands. (“The filthy ones stopped fighting the Russian land,” the chronicle says, “they stopped killing Christians; the Christians rested and rested from the great languor and many burdens and from Tatar violence; and from then on there was silence throughout the entire land”).
Soon after Ivan began his sole administration of the Moscow land, the metropolitan see was transferred to Moscow from Vladimir (1325). This immediately made Moscow the spiritual capital of Rus'. The prince managed to gain the favor of Metropolitan Peter, so that in 1326 he moved to Moscow, where he died and was buried. The new Metropolitan Theognost also expressed a desire to stay in Moscow, which caused deep discontent among the appanage princes, who feared the strengthening of the Moscow principality.
Ivan deftly took advantage of the circumstances in order, on the one hand, to increase his possessions, and on the other, to influence the princes in other Russian lands. His main rival was the Tver prince Alexander Mikhailovich, who tried to defend his fellow countrymen, who in 1327 killed the Horde ambassador Cholkhan and his retinue because they “burned cities and villages and led people into captivity.” Having learned about these events in Tver, Ivan himself went to the Horde to see Uzbek, hastening to express his readiness to help the Horde in dealing with the rebellious. For such devotion, Khan Uzbek gave Kalita a label for a great reign, the right to independently collect tribute to send to the Horde and 50,000 troops. Having united it with his own, adding to it the army of Prince Alexander Vasilyevich of Suzdal, Kalita went to Tver and there “laid down all the land.” New detachments of Baskaks sent later from the Horde completed the defeat. The Tver ruler Alexander fled to Novgorod, from there to Pskov and, finally, in 1329 to Lithuania. The devastated Tver land was left to be ruled by his brother Konstantin, who began to slavishly please the Moscow ruler. The princes of the Rostov-Suzdal land found themselves in the same situation. This allowed Kalita (perhaps it was then that he received his nickname) after the death of the Suzdal prince Alexander in 1332 to retain Vladimir for Moscow.
From two wives (Kalita married Elena for the first time in 1332; the second wife was a certain Ulyana), the Moscow prince had seven children, including daughters Maria, Evdokia, Theodosia and Fetinya. He managed to make them an “expensive commodity” and marry them off profitably: one to the Yaroslavl prince Vasily Davydovich, the other to the Rostov prince Konstantin Vasilyevich. At the same time, he set the condition for the autocratic disposal of his sons-in-law’s estates. Ryazan also obeyed Moscow: standing on the outskirts of Rus', for its obstinacy it could be the first to be subjected to the cruel punishment of the Horde. Uglich was annexed by Kalita through purchase. In addition, he bought and exchanged villages in different places: near Kostroma, Vladimir, Rostov, on the Meta River, Kirzhach. Kalita's acquisition of the cities of Galich, Uglich and Belozersk is doubtful, since he subsequently did not mention them in his spiritual letters (perhaps these were purchases with the right of temporary use). His attempts to seize the lands of Veliky Novgorod were especially persistent. Contrary to the Novgorod laws, which prohibited the princes of other lands from buying property there, he managed to establish several settlements in the Novgorod land and populate them with his people. In 1332, there was even a war with Novgorod, since the Novgorodians refused to pay the old tribute (the so-called “Zakamsky silver”), but soon they were forced to make peace. At the end of his reign, he made another attempt to subjugate this free city to his power and again demanded a large sum of money from the Novgorodians. After their refusal, he recalled his governors from the city, and this feud was destined to be completed after the death of his son Semyon Ivanovich Proud. The last act aimed at expanding the possessions of the principality was the sending of troops in 1340 (possibly on the orders of the khan) against the disobedient Horde of the Smolensk prince Ivan Alexandrovich and the devastation of the Smolensk land by Muscovites together with the Tatars.
In 1337, Prince Alexander of Tver decided to make peace with the Horde and try to get his principality back. But Kalita was ahead of the Tver man: in 1339 he himself was the first to go to the Horde with a denunciation against Alexander. Alexander received an order to report to the khan in the Horde. There both he and his son Fedor were executed. Kalita returned to Moscow “in great joy” and immediately sent to Tver for the main bell from the church of St. Spasa. The bell was removed and brought to Moscow as a symbol of victory over an opponent.
In the capital itself, both the city center and the suburb outside were rebuilt between 1325 and 1340. The number of villages around the Kremlin grew rapidly; the prince himself owned more than 50 of them. The boyars willingly moved to Kalita and received land from him with the obligation of service; they were followed by free men fit to bear arms. Even the Horde Murzas sought to be “under his hand,” including how Chet, according to legend, the ancestor of Boris Godunov, ended up in Moscow. Chronicles mention active church and secular stone and wood construction. Thus, in the princely court, the wooden Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was replaced by a stone one in 1330 and a monastery was founded (the archimandrite and monks from the Danilov Monastery were transferred here). In 1333, by order of Kalita, the Church of St. John the Climacus “under the Bells” was founded and rebuilt. In gratitude for delivering Moscow from famine, a stone temple was erected on the edge of Borovitsky Hill on the site of the wooden Church of the Archangel Michael (currently the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral). A little later, the Assumption Cathedral was founded nearby. In 1339, the construction of the oak Kremlin was completed in Moscow. At the same time, the prince was well versed in books. By his order, churches were not only built, but also replenished with valuable libraries (the Siya parchment Gospel, supplied by his order with a considerable number of cinnabar headpieces and sketches, is now kept in the Manuscript Department of the RAS Library).
Before his death, John took monastic vows and schema. He divided all his movable and immovable property between his three sons and his wife: He left Moscow in common possession to his heirs, and the eldest son Semyon Ivanovich (in the future - Proud) was appointed the main “sorrower” and first among equals. He gave him the cities of Mozhaisk, Kolomna and 16 volosts, Ivan Ivanovich (the future Red) - Zvenigorod, Kremichna, Ruza and 10 more volosts, Andrey - Lopasnya, Serpukhov and 9 more volosts, his wife Elena and her daughters - 14 volosts.
Kalita died on March 31, 1340 in Moscow and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral, rebuilt on his orders.
Historians highly appreciated Kalita’s activities on the Moscow throne (S.M. Solovyov, V.O. Klyuchevsky, M.N. Tikhomirov), also noting his enlightenment and contribution not only to the growth of the political power of the principality, but also to the transformation of the latter into a cultural and religious center .
Lev Pushkarev, Natalya Pushkareva
Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita, presumably born between 1283 and 1340, was a Moscow prince from 1325, and from 1328 the Prince of Vladimir was able to lay a solid foundation for the future economic and political power of Moscow with his activities. The prince received his nickname Kalita (that is, wallet) among the people for his generosity and wealth.
Kalita’s entire youth passed in the shadow of her older brother, Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich. Although after Yuri moved to Novgorod in 1319 and received a label for the Moscow reign in the Horde, Moscow was at Ivan’s disposal, but he inherited it only in 1325 after the death of his brother according to his will.
Prince Ivan, according to researchers, was a cunning, tough and calculating politician. He visited the Horde quite often, which brought him the favor and trust of the Uzbek Khan who ruled at that time. Unlike other principalities, the Moscow lands did not suffer from the Horde Baskaks.
The transfer of the metropolitan see in 1325 to Moscow made it not only an economically important center, but also made it the spiritual center of Rus'. Kalita made excellent use of the circumstances, which actually allowed him to exert great influence on the other rulers of the Russian territories, successfully expanding his own possessions.
Kalita's only worthy rival was the Prince of Tver Alexander Mikhailovich. In 1327, the Horde ambassador Cholkhan was killed in Tver and Prince Ivan immediately went to the Horde to offer his help in the reprisal of the Tver residents. This expression of devotion led to the fact that the khan granted Kalita a label for a great reign, as well as a special right of assembly for the Horde of fifty thousand troops. Having united with the Horde warriors, Kalita managed to defeat Tver.
Ivan Kalita was married twice. In 1332, he married Elena, and later Ulyana. From these two wives, Kalita had seven children. He married his daughters to the Rostov and Yaroslavl princes. At the same time, he was allowed to independently dispose of his sons-in-law’s estates.
Ivan, through the purchase method, was able to subjugate Uglich and Ryazan, and also tried to conquer Novgorod, but this enterprise was not successful for the prince, as a result of which he was forced to sign peace. Later this resulted in the ruin of Smolensk.
Prince Ivan Kalita died in 1340, and his eldest son Simeon Ivanovich Proud took his place on the throne.
Ivan I Danilovich Kalita
Ivan I Danilovich Kalita
Ivan Danilovich Kalita (c. 1283 - March 31, 1340 or 1341) - second son of Moscow Prince Daniil Alexandrovich.
He received the nickname “Kalita” for his wealth and generosity (kalita (from the Turkic word “kalta”) is the old Russian name for a small belt money bag).
In 1296 - 1297 deputy of his father Daniil Alexandrovich in Novgorod.
In 1304, in the absence of his older brother, Ivan went to Pereslavl to defend it from the Tver princes. Soon Tver regiments appeared near the city under the command of boyar Akinf. He kept Ivan under siege for three days, on the fourth day the boyar Rodion Nestorovich came from Moscow, went to the rear of the Tver people, and at the same time Ivan made a sortie out of the city, and the enemy suffered a complete defeat.
Prince of Moscow: 1322/1325 - 1340
In 1320, Ivan Danilovich first went to the Horde to see Uzbek Khan, to establish himself as the heir to the Moscow principality. Yuri Danilovich received a label from the khan for the great reign and left for Novgorod; Moscow was left under the complete control of Ivan.
In 1321, Dmitry Tverskoy recognized the power of Yuri Danilovich and gave him Horde tribute from all over. But Yuri, instead of taking the Tver tribute to the Horde, took it to Novgorod and put it into circulation through intermediary merchants, wanting to receive interest. Yuri's actions with the Horde tribute angered Uzbek Khan, and he handed over the label for the great reign to Dmitry. Ivan Danilovich, who was in Sarai-Berk at that time, demonstratively did not interfere in anything, completely withdrawing from his brother’s affairs. When Yuri tried to return the label, he was hacked to death by Dmitry in Sarai-Berk on November 21, 1325, on the eve of the death of Mikhail Tverskoy, and Ivan became the prince of Moscow. A year later (1326), Dmitry himself was killed in the Horde, and the label was transferred to his brother Alexander.
In the first year of Ivan's reign, the residence of the metropolitan was moved to Moscow from Vladimir (1325).
Prince of Novgorod: 1328 - 1337
Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy entered into an agreement with Novgorod in 1327, and in the same year a popular uprising took place in Tver, in which the Tver residents killed the Horde ambassador Chol Khan (Shevkal) and his entire retinue. Having learned about this, Uzbek sent for the Moscow prince, but, according to other sources, Kalita went to the Horde himself. Uzbek Khan gave him a label for a great reign and 50,000 troops. Having united with the Suzdal people, Kalita went to, where the Horde burned cities and villages, took people into captivity and, as the chronicle reports, “lay the whole Russian land empty.” Prince Alexander of Tver fled to Novgorod, then to Pskov. Novgorod paid off by giving the Horde 2000 hryvnias of silver and many gifts. Ivan and his allies demanded the extradition of Alexander, the Metropolitan excommunicated Alexander and the Pskovites from the church. Averting the threat of invasion from Pskov, Alexander left for Lithuania in 1329 (for a year and a half).
In 1328, the khan divided the great reign between Ivan, who received Veliky Novgorod and Kostroma, and Vladimir himself and the Volga region (presumably Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets). After his death in 1331 or 1332, his brother became the Prince of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod, and Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets returned to the great reign for about a decade.
In 1328 - 1330 Ivan gave his two daughters in marriage to Vasily Davydovich Yaroslavsky and Konstantin Vasilyevich Rostovsky in order to manage their inheritance.
In 1331 the appearance (1331 - 1492), the capital of Zvenigorod.
Great Reign
Grand Duke of Vladimir: 1331 - 1340In 1331, a conflict arose between Moscow and Novgorod. refused to appoint Arseny, elected by the council of Galician-Volyn bishops, as archbishop of Novgorod, but appointed his own candidate Vasily Kalika. And Ivan Kalita, having bought a label in the Horde and planning to build a new stone church in Moscow before the Metropolitan’s arrival, demanded that the Novgorodians pay an increased amount of tribute (in particular, “Zakamsky silver”). After receiving the refusal, Ivan entered with his troops into the Novgorod land and occupied Torzhok, then Bezhetsky Verkh. Novgorod Archbishop Vasily began the construction of a new stone Detinets in Novgorod, fearing the troops of Ivan and the Swedes. But the troops did not enter the battle. Negotiations were held, which ended with Archbishop Vasily going to Pskov and making peace between Pskov and Novgorod.
Ivan, after these events, concluded a separate peace with Gediminas with the help of Metropolitan Theognost, who had just arrived in Moscow. The world was sealed by the marriage of Ivan Kalita's heir, Simeon Ivanovich, with Gediminas' daughter Aigusta. Ivan Kalita ransomed Narimunt Gediminovich from captivity in the Horde, secured his favor, baptized him into Orthodoxy and sent him to Lithuania, to Father Gedimin. The Novgorodians, fearing both Kalita (at that time only the titular Prince of Novgorod) with the Horde, and the Swedes, invited Narimunt (to the northern volosts), giving him Ladoga, the Oreshek fortress, Korelsk (Korela), Korelsky land and half of Koporye as his homeland, but he entrusted the management of them to his son Alexander (Orekhovsky prince Alexander Narimuntovich), and Narimunt lived more in Lithuania, and in 1338, when he not only did not come to the call of Novgorod to defend it against the Swedes, he also recalled his son Alexander.
In 1336, through the mediation of Metropolitan Theognost, Ivan made peace with Novgorod, became the Novgorod prince and received the due tribute. Ivan also wanted to send troops to Pskov, but Novgorod opposed this. At this time, Gediminas raided the Novgorod land, avenging the peace with Moscow. Ivan, in retaliation, sent his troops to Lithuania, where they plundered the outlying lands near the border. Gediminas, busy with feuds with the Livonian Order, did not start a war.
In 1337, Alexander Tverskoy submitted to the khan, thereby regaining his Tver reign. In 1339, Ivan went to the Horde with a denunciation against Alexander, after which he received an order to appear before the khan. Alexander and his son Fedor, who came to the khan, were executed. Kalita returned to Moscow and ordered the bell to be removed from the Tver Church of St. Savior and brought to Moscow. Alexander Mikhailovich's brother, Konstantin, was again forced to submit.
In 1340, Ivan organized a campaign against Smolensk against Prince Ivan Alexandrovich, who entered into an alliance with Gediminas and refused to pay tribute to the Horde. In addition to the Horde, the princes of Ryazan with their army, as a rule, took part in Kalita’s campaigns. In the same year, a new conflict arose between Moscow and Novgorod, which was resolved during the reign of Ivan’s son, Semyon the Proud.
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin 
Cathedral of the Savior on Bor. Reconstruction. 
Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin 
Bell tower "Ivan the Great" (Church of St. John Climacus).
Under Ivan Kalita, white stone buildings were built in the Moscow Kremlin Assumption Cathedral Cathedral of the Savior on Bor(demolished 1933), Cathedral of the Archangel(the original temple has not survived), Church of St. John the Climacus(the original temple has not survived). A new one was built oak Moscow Kremlin, which protected not only the center of the former city, but also the suburb outside it. Villages sprang up one after another around the Kremlin. The boyars willingly went over to the Moscow prince and received land from him with the obligation of service; The boyars were followed by free people fit to bear arms. Ivan took care of internal security, strictly persecuted and executed robbers and thieves, and thereby gave trading people the opportunity to travel on the roads.
In 1339/1340, the Siya Gospel was written in Moscow and is stored in the library of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
A. Vasnetsov Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita
The problem of dating death
The chronicles reproduce the following sequence of events (their traditional dating in historiography is placed in brackets):
Murder in the Horde with his son (October 29, 1339);
The campaign of the troops of Tovlubiy, Ivan Kalita and their allies to Smolensk (winter 1340);
Death of Ivan Kalita (March 31);
The trip of Semyon Ivanovich and other princes to the Horde, the attacks of the Novgorodians on Ustyug and Beloozero;
News of fires in Novgorod (June 7) and Smolensk (Spas, August);
The return of Semyon the Proud from the Horde and the occupation of Torzhok;
Murder of Prince Gleb Svyatoslavich in Bryansk (December 6, 1340);
The campaign of Semyon the Proud against Novgorod and the conclusion of peace (winter);
Death of Uzbek and Gediminas (winter 1341).
Results of the board
One of Ivan’s main character traits is flexibility in relationships with people and perseverance. He often went to see the khan in the Horde and soon earned the favor and trust of Uzbek Khan. While other Russian lands suffered from Horde invasions, the possessions of the Prince of Moscow remained calm, their population and prosperity grew steadily: The filthy people stopped fighting the Russian land - they stopped killing Christians; Christians rested and rested from great languor and much burden and from Tatar violence; and from then on there was silence throughout the whole earth
He played a major role in strengthening the economic and political union of the Moscow Principality and the Golden Horde, for which he collected tribute from the Russian lands. He mercilessly suppressed popular discontent, caused by heavy extortions, and dealt with political opponents - other Russian princes.
Ivan I strengthened the Muscovite-Horde influence on a number of lands in the North of Rus' (Tver, Pskov, Novgorod, etc.). He accumulated great wealth (hence his nickname “Kalita” - “wallet”, “money bag”), which he used to buy lands in other people’s principalities and possessions, another version comes from the habit of constantly carrying a wallet (“kalita”) with money for distribution of mercy. His grandson in his spiritual letter reported that Ivan Kalita bought Uglich and Beloozero. In addition, he bought and exchanged villages in different places: near Kostroma, Vladimir, Rostov, along the Msta and Kirzhach rivers, and even in Novgorod land, contrary to Novgorod laws that prohibited princes from buying land there. He established settlements in the Novgorod land, populated them with his people, thus spreading his power.
Ivan I Kalita died on March 31, 1340, and was buried in Moscow - in the Archangel Cathedral. His eldest son Simeon Ivanovich Proud ascended the Moscow throne.
Children
Semyon the Proud (1318-1353).
Daniel, born 1320
Ivan II the Red (March 30, 1326 - November 13, 1359).
Andrew, (July 1327 - April 27, 1353).
Maria (d. 1365), married since 1328 to Konstantin Vasilyevich (Prince of Rostov-Borisoglebsky).
Evdokia (d. 1342), married to Prince of Yaroslavl Vasily Davydovich Terrible Eyes.
Feodosia, married to the Belozersky prince - Fyodor Romanovich.
Holy spring of the Archangel Michael in the city of Protasovo, Moscow region. 
Holy Spring of the Archangel Michael Monument to Ivan Kalita
KOLOMENSKOYE
High above the steep banks of the Moscow River is the ancient Kolomenskoye unique place, where cultural monuments were created over the course of many centuries.
The first mentions of Kolomenskoye are contained in the spiritual letters of Ivan Kalita in 1336 and 1339.
Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Kolomenskoye
In 1341 - appearance Serpukhov Principality
(1341 - 1472). - 1246 - 1248 - Prince of Moscow.
Prince Boris Mikhailovich. 1248 - 1263 - Prince of Moscow.
Muscovy
. 1263/1276 - 1303 - Prince of Moscow.
. 1303 - 1325 - Prince of Moscow.
Moscow State
Ivan I Kalita. 1322/1325 - 1340 - Prince of Moscow.
1340 - 1353
1353-1359
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An outstanding political figure of his time was Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita. The estimated years of his life are 1283 – 1340. Moscow Prince Daniil Alexandrovich is his father, and Alexander Nevsky is his grandfather. His activities became the basis for a strong economic future for Moscow. The prince received his nickname for his habit of constantly carrying a wallet with him to distribute alms to the needy.
Many events of that time differ in sources. Some may have been completely missed. Historians agree that Ivan Kalita, whose short biography is presented in many publications, was a talented politician and reached unprecedented heights in his field.
According to the surviving chronicles, at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries, Ivan Kalita was the governor of Novgorod, he reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, and in Moscow he replaced his brother Yuri during his stay in the Golden Horde.
Yuri died in 1325, Ivan inherited from him the right to reign in the entire Moscow volost. One of his first acts in power was to call Metropolitan Peter from Vladimir to Moscow to make the city the spiritual center of the state. In this way he planned to provide the church with its own support.
Kalita repeatedly traveled to the Horde and was able to resolve conflicts with the Tatar-Mongol khan. At this time, other Russian lands suffered from Tatar raids, but the Moscow lands remained calm, the number of inhabitants in them increased. The prince perfectly knew how to use the prevailing circumstances to his advantage, and this helped him increase his own possessions and influence the rulers of neighboring lands.
Prince of Tver Alexander Mikhailovich was Kalita's rival. An envoy of the Horde ruler died in this principality. Kalita wished to help the Turkish Khan deal with those responsible for the death of his assistant. After this, Ivan took part in the campaign of the Golden Horde troops against Tver, and already in 1327, Khan Uzbek gave him the Principality of Kostomore and the title of Prince of Novgorod.
To maintain peaceful relations with the Golden Horde, the population of Rus' paid a huge tribute. All riots by residents on this issue were brutally suppressed. In 1332, Prince Ivan received recognition as the Prince of All Rus', and Khan Uzbek gave him the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. The Tatars helped Prince Ivan Kalita deal with other princes - political rivals. Kalita was a fairly smart ruler, and definitely tough in achieving his goals. After these events, the Tatars stopped raiding Rus'. Life in North-Eastern Rus' was calm. The Uzbek no longer sent his people to Russian lands; Ivan himself collected tribute.
Ivan pursued the goal of gathering more Russian lands around Moscow and expanding the territory of his rule. He used all the funds to purchase neighboring territories. So the prince spread his influence over the lands of North-Eastern Rus', these were Pskov, Beloozero, Galich, Uglich, Novgorod land, Tver, Rostov. All local princes eventually became governors of the Prince of Moscow, although they were official rulers.
The prince always kept order in Moscow; the safety of residents was one of the important areas of his activity. All robbers were subjected to a “just trial.” And this made it possible for traders to travel freely through these lands. The poor and beggars had help from the prince. So the prince received another nickname - Kind. He introduced the agricultural law and established the order of inheritance. After his death, Ivan's throne was constantly assumed by his more or less direct heirs.
We can say with firm confidence that during the reign of Ivan Kalita, Moscow, compared to all other cities, became much stronger and richer. The city center was protected by the newly built oak Kremlin. New villages appeared behind it. The boyars received land from Ivan Kalita with the obligation of service; free people also came for the boyars. The Church of the Transfiguration was erected in Moscow, at which a monastery was opened. In addition, the Church of St. John the Climacus, the Archangel and Assumption Cathedrals were built. The Assumption Monastery was founded in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.
The prince had seven children from two wives. He married his daughters to the Rostov and Yaroslavl princes. The condition of these marriages was the autocratic disposal of the sons-in-law's inheritance.
In 1340, the army of the Prince of Moscow was sent to the Smolensk lands, where Prince Ivan Alexandrovich ruled. The Smolensk lands were plundered by Horde troops and Moscow soldiers. Alexander went to the Horde to make peace with the khan, but there he was executed.
Prince of All Rus' Ivan Danilovich Kalita died in Moscow on March 31, 1340. His body is buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. Ivan's eldest son, Simeon Ivanovich Proud, ascended the Moscow throne.
The article talks about a brief biography of Ivan Kalita, a Russian prince who played a big role in the process of unifying Russian lands around Moscow.
Biography of Kalita: the beginning of the “gathering” of Moscow
Ivan Daniilovich Kalita was born around 1283. For a long time, the Moscow principality was ruled by Ivan’s older brother, Yuri Daniilovich. However, Ivan replaced his brother during his campaigns and distinguished himself in the defense of Pereyaslavl from the Tver princes.
In 1319, Yuri left to reign in Novgorod. Ivan becomes the full-fledged ruler in Moscow. The time of his reign is associated with a significant strengthening of Moscow’s position. Ivan’s relationship with the Golden Horde played a big role in this. He showed the khans various signs of attention and veneration, and repeatedly made trips to the Horde. Thus, Ivan was able to gain the favor of the rulers of the Golden Horde, who relied entirely on him in matters of taxation. This made it possible to get rid of ruinous raids for a while. The lands that were part of the Moscow Principality were under special protection and were able to achieve normal economic development.
Ivan Kalita built the oak Kremlin, including the territory of the settlement. New villages were actively springing up around the new Kremlin. Ivan, with generous gifts and rewards, attracted boyars from other principalities to his service, who brought people with them. He attached great importance to the safety of trade routes, severely punishing the numerous robbers at that time.
The transfer of the metropolitan see from Vladimir to Moscow was of great importance. This made Moscow the religious center of the Russian lands.
Ivan Kalita directed all his efforts towards the rise of the Moscow principality. At the same time, he tried to exert maximum pressure on the rest of the Russian princes.
Biography of Kalita: subjugation of Tver
Kalita took advantage of the conflict between the Tver Principality and the Golden Horde. In 1327, an uprising was raised in Tver, during which the Khan's ambassador, Cholkan, was killed. Ivan Kalita supported Uzbek Khan and was appointed at the head of the punitive campaign, receiving the label for the great reign. A large Tatar-Mongol detachment was sent to support Ivan. The Horde troops caused great devastation in Rus'. Only Moscow and Novgorod escaped plunder, having paid a large ransom. The Tver prince fled to Lithuania. His brother, who remained to reign in Tver, was completely subordinate to Ivan Kalita and did not dare to pursue an independent policy.
After the ruinous campaign, the rest of the Russian princes also recognized the dominant position of Ivan Kalita. In 1332, after the death of Prince Alexander Vasilyevich, Ivan annexed Vladimir to the Moscow principality without any resistance.
It is believed that the nickname was given to Ivan for his habit of constantly wearing a wallet attached to his belt, called a “kalita”. Indeed, money was of great importance in all the activities of the prince. Good relations with the Golden Horde led to significant growth in the economy of the Moscow Principality. Funds from all over Rus' flowed into Moscow. This allowed Ivan to use significant sums in his politics. He generously rewarded his supporters. A special article was the purchase of lands and their annexation to Moscow. For example, Uglich became part of the principality through purchase. In Novgorod, the sale of land to princes was prohibited, but Ivan acquired territories there too by deception.
In 1337, the former Tver prince Alexander made peace with the khan and returned to reign in Tver. But Ivan Kalita sent a denunciation, as a result of which Alexander and his son were executed. Ivan ordered the bell to be removed from the main Tver church and transported to Moscow.
Ivan Kalita died in 1341. His activities were entirely aimed at strengthening the Moscow principality. Ivan's policy was full of treachery, deceit and betrayal towards the Russian princes. However, we should not forget about the cruel morals inherent in that time. Ivan’s actions were not something extraordinary; he was quite consistent with the concepts of the era. In addition, ultimately, his policy became another major step towards liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the emergence of the Russian state
