Ivan I Danilovich Kalita the Good (in Baptism John, in schema - Ananias)
Years of life: 1283 - March 31, 1341
Reign: 1328-1340

From the family of Moscow Grand Dukes.

Son of Daniil Alexandrovich. Mother - Maria. Grandson Alexander Nevsky.

Grand Duke of Moscow in 1325 - 1341.
Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1328 - 1341.
Prince of Novgorod in 1328 - 1337.

Prince Ivan Danilovich most likely received his nickname Kalita from the habit of constantly carrying a wallet (“kalita”) with him to give alms to the poor, as well as for the enormous wealth that he used to expand his territory by purchasing foreign principalities.

Ivan Danilovich was first mentioned in the Novgorod chronicle in 1296 in connection with a trip to the city of Novgorod the Great. At the beginning of the 14th century, Ivan Kalita reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. In 1305, near Pereyaslavl, he defeated the army of the Tver boyar Akinf, who tried to capture the city.

In 1303-1325, Ivan I Danilovich often replaced his older brother Yuri Danilovich on the Moscow princely throne during his stay in Novgorod the Great and the Golden Horde. Moscow was left under the complete control of Ivan Danilovich.
After the death of his brother Yuri in 1325, Ivan I Danilovich Kalita took over the great reign in Moscow.

Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita

The times of his reign were an era of strengthening the power of Moscow and its rise above other Russian cities. Ivan Danilovich ensured the security of Moscow by earning the favor and trust of Uzbek. “The filthy ones stopped fighting the Russian land,” the chronicler wrote, “they stopped killing Christians; Christians rested and rested from great languor and much burden and from Tatar violence; and from that time on there was silence throughout the whole earth.”

It was under Ivan Kalita that the oak Kremlin was built, which protected the city center and the suburbs outside it. Villages sprang up at great speed. The boyars happily went to the Moscow prince and received lands from him. Ivan Danilovich Kalita took care of the safety of his principality, strictly pursued and executed robbers, so merchants could safely travel along Russian roads. Ivan also ensured that the metropolitan see was transferred from Vladimir to Moscow. Since then, Moscow has become the spiritual capital of Rus'. Ivan Kalita managed to win over Metropolitan Peter.

In 1327 Ivan Danilovich together with other princes, he went on a campaign to Tver along with the Golden Horde punitive detachments to suppress the popular uprising against the Mongol-Tatars. For this, Ivan Kalita was awarded in 1328 by Khan Uzbek and received the Principality of Kostroma and the right to control Novgorod the Great.

But soon Uzbek became very angry when he learned about the death of his ambassador Cholkan and his retinue, gave a label to the great reign of Kalita, troops and sent them to Tver. Arriving in the Tver volost, Kalita and the Tatars burned towns and villages and took people prisoner.

The reign of Ivan Kalita

Having received the title of Prince of Novgorod in 1328, Ivan Danilovich Kalita began to consolidate his power.

In 1332, Ivan Kalita went to the Horde with large gifts to receive a label for sole rule, but only managed to assert for himself the city of Vladimir and the Volga region. In 1333, having wasted enormous amounts of money in the Horde, Ivan Danilovich demanded an increased tribute from the Novgorodians, but was refused. The troops of Ivan Kalita occupied Torzhok and Bezhetsky Verkh.

Ivan, after these events, in 1336, with the help of Metropolitan Theognost, made peace with the city of Novgorod. The Novgorodians called him their prince and paid all the required money and the money due.

Ivan I Danilovich Kalita mercilessly dealt with his opponents, using the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Moskovsky, Peter, helped Ivan I Danilovich in pursuing the policy of Russian centralization. lands. Chroniclers wrote that Ivan Danilovich Kalita rid the Russian land of thieves and robbers, always administered “just justice,” helped the poor, and protected widows. For this he received his second nickname - Kind.

Under Ivan Kalita, construction was actively underway. The Archangel and Assumption Cathedrals and the Church of St. John the Climacus were built. In Moscow there is the Transfiguration Church, and with it a monastery. St. Daniel's Monastery was moved to a new location. The Goritsky (Uspensky) Monastery was founded in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.

On March 31, 1341, he died after accepting the schema. He was buried in Moscow in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral, built during his reign.

Politics of Ivan Kalita historians assess it ambiguously. So, V.O. Klyuchevsky did not really single him out “in a series of gray personalities.” M.N. Tikhomirov believed that “Kalita laid the foundations of the power of Moscow”; he saw in him a brilliant politician and diplomat.

Ivan Danilovich had 2 wives:
1) Princess Elena;
2) Princess Ulyana,

Children from Elena:

• Simeon the Proud (1316-1353+)
• Daniel (1320-1328+)
• Ivan (1326-1359+)
• Andrey Serpukhovsky (1327-1353+)
• Vladimir the Brave (1353-1410)
• Feotinia
• Evdokia

From Ulyana:

• Maria
• Feodosia (1365+)
• Maria

Great politicians go down in history thanks to their deeds, and not their nicknames, but it is they, once aptly given, that allow descendants to assess the scale of the ruler’s personality. Ivan Danilovich received his nickname Kalita during his lifetime for

generosity shown to the poor. Kalita is a leather bag, purse. In the Moscow lands, a legend has been preserved about how the prince distributed silver money, which he took out from a leather wallet hanging on his belt. In addition, sparing no expense, he bought neighboring principalities, tirelessly adding new lands. A man of remarkable diplomatic talent, smart and generous, resourceful and tough, who united many Russian lands and founded the Moscow State - this is all the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Kalita, whose reign was from 1325 to 1340. Today we will talk about him.

Descendant of Alexander Nevsky

The chronicles do not preserve exact data about the time of birth of Ivan Danilovich: historians focus on the period from 1282 to 1283. He was the fourth son of Moscow Prince Daniil Alexandrovich and grandson of Alexander Nevsky. According to the laws of that time, the fourth son could not hope for the princely throne, but it turned out that it was Ivan I Danilovich Kalita who took it. often took government positions unexpectedly.

The path to the throne

The first mention of Ivan Danilovich dates back to 1296 in connection with his appearance in the city. At first he reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and successfully defended it in the battle with the Tver boyar Akinf in 1305.

In 1303, Ivan's father Daniil Alexandrovich died, and the princely throne passed to his elder brother Yuri, who ruled the Moscow lands from 1303 to 1325. All this time, Ivan provided Yuri with strong support.

Often participating in campaigns and leaving for the Golden Horde, he left the principality with a calm heart, which was successfully looked after by Ivan Kalita. The years of Yuri Danilovich's reign are from 1303 to 1325. During this time, for various reasons, the rest of Ivan Kalita's brothers die, and when Yuri Danilovich dies in the Horde at the hands of the Tver prince, the time comes for the reign of Ivan Kalita.

Beginning of reign

It was a difficult period. Horde power extended throughout Rus'. And the rule of each prince was established in the Horde. When Ivan Danilovich took the throne, he was forced to go to the Golden Horde. There his amazing diplomatic abilities were revealed in all their brilliance. He knew how to negotiate with the Tatars: he gave gifts of enormous value, thereby achieving a quiet existence and protecting them from Tatar raids, which brought countless troubles.

In those days, peace and quiet were almost impossible. After all, if it was possible to temporarily free oneself from Tatar attacks by paying a huge tribute, the neighbors - the princes - could launch a new campaign. The Moscow princes always competed with the Tver princes. And Tver was in a more advantageous position than Moscow. It stood on the Volga, grew rich in trade, and every year it subjugated more and more Russian lands.

Ivan Danilovich Kalita understood this. Years of rule taught him patience and taking advantage of opportunities, even the most tragic ones.

Participation in the punitive expedition to Tver and its consequences

What happened in August 1327 against the Tatars, who oppressed the Tver people, turned the course of history in the other direction. The result of the popular revolt was the complete extermination of the Tatar garrison, to which the Horde could not help but react. And in 1328, she equipped a punitive expedition to Tver, in which many princes participated, including Ivan Kalita, whose reign was just beginning. He could not disobey, and he saw the future power of the Moscow state in the suppression of Tver. After the defeat of Tver, its ruling prince, Alexander, fled to Pskov. Ivan Kalita received the Kostroma Principality from Khan Uzbek and the opportunity to control Novgorod the Great.

After the death of the Prince of Suzdal in 1331, the Moscow Prince obtained a label (permission) from the Uzbek Khan for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir and became the leader of the entire political system of Eastern Rus'.

In addition, Ivan Danilovich, showing extraordinary abilities, persuaded the khan to an unheard-of agreement: Uzbek entrusted Ivan with collecting taxes from the population in exchange for a promise not to organize raids and not to send Baskaks. Both sides kept their promises, the Tatars stopped plundering Russian lands, fearing the wrath of Uzbek, and Kalita paid the established taxes in full.

Internal Affairs

The chronicles of those times glorify the reign of Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita: by negotiating with the Horde, he achieved a significant period of peace and quiet, during which he implemented several grandiose projects that greatly contributed to the strengthening of Moscow's power.

Forty years of silence were given to the Russian land by Ivan Danilovich. Until 1368, not a single raid was made on the Moscow lands. How was this possible? The prince fulfilled all his obligations to the Horde: he regularly paid tribute, made countless gifts to the khan, periodically visiting him.

Ivan Kalita: years of reign

There is no clear answer to the question of how such huge funds were collected. Nevertheless, it is known that already at the beginning of his reign, the prince was able to clear the roads of robbers and robbers who committed outrages on them, for which he received a second nickname - Good, and attracted merchants and trade caravans to Moscow, increasing turnover and customs duties.

In addition, realizing that local rulers appropriated a considerable share of the collected tribute, Ivan Danilovich used cruel methods to fully collect it, punished the stealing governors and was merciless towards his opponents.

Ivan Danilovich undertakes several trips to the Russian north, during which he discovers another source of income - the fur trade. These methods probably allowed him not only to fully settle accounts with the Golden Horde, but also to carry out grandiose changes in the principality.

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Church

Ivan Danilovich was not just religious, he was confident in his own exclusivity thanks to God’s providence and counted on the Metropolitan’s help in implementing his plans to unite the Russian lands and strengthen the Moscow state. Caring for the security of the principality, Ivan Danilovich erects a new oak Kremlin, protecting the city center and the suburb. From 1326 to 1333, magnificent stone churches were built on the territory of the Kremlin: the Archangel, Spassky and Assumption Cathedrals, the Church of St. John the Climacus and the Church of the Transfiguration.

One of the important achievements of the struggle of the Moscow princes for primacy in the Russian lands of the Northeast is the alliance with the metropolitan see, which was started by Yuri Danilovich.

Perhaps it was this grandiose construction project that influenced the decision

Metropolitan Peter to establish his residence in Moscow. For several years he searched for suitable land for this. He died in 1326 and was buried in Moscow. Later, as Prince of Vladimir, Ivan Danilovich achieved the canonization of Peter.

Board and activities of Ivan Kalita

Relying on the active support of the Russian Orthodox Church and pursuing a competent policy of unifying Russian lands, Ivan 1 bought or conquered new principalities, leaving the reins of government in the hands of local princes, who passed into the status of viceroys of the Moscow prince. The spiritual letter of Dmitry Donskoy, the grandson of Ivan Danilovich, indicates the annexation of Uglich, Galich Mersky and Beloozero, purchased at different times, to the Moscow lands.

Relations with Tver have always been difficult for Ivan Danilovich. After the uprising from 1327 to 1337, it was ruled by the fairly loyal Konstantin Mikhailovich, but then the exiled prince, forgiven by Uzbek Khan, Alexander Mikhailovich, returned to Tver. Realizing that the confrontation is beginning again, Ivan Danilovich leaves for the Horde and, having presented the khan with gifts, convinces him that Alexander Mikhailovich is playing a double game while in the service of Lithuania. In turn, the Tver prince also weaves intrigues, but Kalita defeats him, and in 1339 in the Horde, Uzbek Khan executed him along with his son Fedor. Ivan 1 Kalita dealt cruelly with his enemies. The years of his reign coincided with merciless and difficult times, which is why he played by its rules.

Assessment of the ruler's affairs by contemporaries

This was Ivan Danilovich's last success. In the spring of 1340, he became seriously ill, retired and took monastic vows at the Spassky Monastery, which he built not far from his residence. There he spent his last months of life and died in March 1341.

An excellent literary monument written by one of the monks has been preserved. It is called “Praise to Ivan Kalita”, where the deeds and actions of the “gatherer of the Russian land”, who was Prince Ivan Kalita, are highly valued, the biography, rule of the politician and aspirations of which were subordinated to one noble goal - to create the Moscow state.

Ivan I Danilovich Kalita Good (in Baptism John, in schema - Ananias)
Years of life: 1283 - March 31, 1341
Reign: 1328-1340
Grand Duke of Moscow in 1325 - 1341.
Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1328 - 1341.
Prince of Novgorod in 1328 - 1337.

From the family of Moscow Grand Dukes.

Son of Daniil Alexandrovich. Mother - Maria. Grandson of Alexander Nevsky.

Your nickname Kalita Ivan Danilovich most likely received it from the habit of constantly carrying a wallet (“kalita”) with him in order to give alms to the poor, as well as for the enormous wealth that he used to expand his territory by purchasing other people’s principalities.

First Ivan Danilovich mentioned in the Novgorod chronicle in 1296 in connection with a trip to the city of Novgorod the Great. At the beginning of the 14th century Ivan Kalita reigned in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. In 1305, near Pereyaslavl, he defeated the army of the Tver boyar Akinf, who tried to capture the city.

In 1303-1325 Ivan I Danilovich often replaced his elder brother Yuri Danilovich on the Moscow princely throne during his stay in Novgorod the Great and the Golden Horde. Moscow was left under the complete control of Ivan Danilovich.

After the death of his brother Yuri in 1325 Ivan I Danilovich Kalita took the great reign in Moscow.

The times of his reign were an era of strengthening the power of Moscow and its rise above other Russian cities. Ivan Danilovich ensured the security of Moscow by earning the favor and trust of Uzbek. “The filthy ones stopped fighting the Russian land,” the chronicler wrote, “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.”

Precisely when Ivan Kalita An oak Kremlin was built, which protected the city center and the suburbs outside it. Villages sprang up at great speed. The boyars happily went to the Moscow prince and received lands from him. Ivan Danilovich Kalita took care of the safety of his principality, strictly pursued and executed robbers, so merchants could safely travel along Russian roads. Ivan also ensured that the metropolitan see was transferred from Vladimir to Moscow. Since then, Moscow has become the spiritual capital of Rus'. Ivan Kalita managed to win over Metropolitan Peter.

In 1327, Ivan Danilovich, together with other princes, went on a campaign to Tver along with the Golden Horde punitive detachments to suppress the popular uprising against the Mongol-Tatars. For this, Ivan Kalita was awarded in 1328 by Khan Uzbek and received the Principality of Kostroma and the right to control Novgorod the Great.

But soon Uzbek became very angry when he learned about the death of his ambassador Cholkan and his retinue, gave a label to the great reign of Kalita, troops and sent them to Tver. Arriving in Tverskaya volost Kalita Together with the Tatars, they burned cities and villages and took people prisoner.

Having received the title of Prince of Novgorod in 1328, Ivan Danilovich Kalita began to consolidate his power.

In 1332 Ivan Kalita went to the Horde with large gifts to receive a label for sole rule, but managed to assert only the city of Vladimir and the Volga region. In 1333, having wasted enormous amounts of money in the Horde, Ivan Danilovich demanded an increased tribute from the Novgorodians, but was refused. The troops of Ivan Kalita occupied Torzhok and Bezhetsky Verkh.

Ivan, after these events, in 1336, with the help of Metropolitan Theognost, made peace with the city of Novgorod. The Novgorodians called him their prince and paid all the required money and the money due.

Ivan I Danilovich Kalita mercilessly dealt with his opponents, using the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Moskovsky, Peter, helped Ivan I Danilovich in carrying out the policy of centralization Rus. lands. Chroniclers wrote that Ivan Danilovich Kalita he saved the Russian land from thieves and robbers, always administered “just justice,” helped the poor, and protected widows. For this he received his second nickname - Kind.

Under Ivan Kalita construction was actively underway. The Archangel and Assumption Cathedrals and the Church of St. John the Climacus were built. In Moscow there is the Transfiguration Church, and with it a monastery. St. Daniel's Monastery was moved to a new location. The Goritsky (Uspensky) Monastery was founded in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.

March 31, 1341 Ivan I Danilovich Kalita died after accepting the schema. He was buried in Moscow in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral, built during his reign.

Activity Ivan Kalita historians assess it ambiguously. So, V.O. Klyuchevsky did not particularly single him out “in a series of gray personalities.” M. N. Tikhomirov believed that “Kalita laid the foundations of the power of Moscow,” and saw in him a brilliant politician and diplomat.

U Ivan Danilovich there were 2 wives:

1) Princess Elena;

2) Princess Ulyana.

Children from Elena:

Simeon the Proud (1316-1353)

Daniel (1320-1328)

Ivan (1326-1359)

Andrei Serpukhovsky (1327-1353)

Vladimir the Brave (1353-1410)

Feotinia

From Ulyana.

Prince of Moscow Ivan I Danilovich Kalita became famous in history as a diplomatic ruler who expanded the territory of the principality. He established relations with the Horde Khan. In 2001, Ivan Kalita was elevated to the rank of locally revered saints of Moscow.

The childhood of Ivan Kalita, who was born in Moscow, is not remarkable for historians. He was an ordinary youth who grew up in the family of Prince Danila Alexandrovich and the ruler’s wife. As a child, the boy constantly heard stories about the Tatars, who constantly raided Rus'. Many elders were afraid. Unpleasant sensations were transmitted to little Ivan, especially since in early childhood the boy witnessed the capture of Moscow.

From infancy, the boyars and father told the future ruler about what was happening in the state. At the age of 3, the child was put on a horse and began to learn horse riding. Immediately after this posag ceremony, the boy was handed over to male educators. The teachers paid more attention to the basics of government, since the prince wanted to see Ivan at the head, and not his eldest son Yuri.

Ivan Kalita was known as a cautious and prudent youth, unlike his brother, who was distinguished by a quarrelsome, harsh temperament. In 1303 Daniel dies. 21-year-old Yuri was elevated to the throne, and 15-year-old Ivan became the prince's assistant. While his elder brother was away, Ivan had to defend Pereslavl. Tough character and excellent training helped to survive, despite the small number of the army.

Diplomatic negotiations with the khans lead to dire consequences. During a trip to the Golden Horde, the newly created ruler is killed. The throne passes, as Daniil of Moscow planned, to his youngest son, Ivan Kalita.

Governing body

Ivan Kalita is an unusual ruler. From the first days, the prince did not conquer new territories, but began to promote Orthodoxy. On behalf of the ruler, the residence of the metropolitan was moved from Vladimir to Moscow. Thus, the city turned into the spiritual capital of Rus'. Moscow's authority has increased.

Problems with the division of lands began in 1327, when the people in Tver rebelled, and later the Horde ambassador was killed. Ivan Kalita went to the khan, who gave the ruler a label for the great reign. Together with the Suzdalians, the prince recaptured Tver, while Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy fled from possible punishment to Novgorod (he was later found in Pskov).

A year later, Khan Uzbek decided to divide the principalities between Ivan and Alexander Vasilyevich Suzdal. Novgorod and Kostroma went to Kalita, and Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets went to the second prince. In 1331, Alexander Vasilyevich dies, the throne is taken by Constantine. At this time, the territories subordinate to the Prince of Suzdal returned to the Grand Duchy.

In the period from 1328 to 1330, Ivan Kalita entered into two profitable marriages - his daughters married Vasily Yaroslavsky and Konstantin Rostovsky. Alliances are beneficial for the ruler, since the appanages are at the disposal of the prince. Tension between Moscow and Novgorod reached its peak in 1331.

The conflict began with the refusal of Metropolitan Theognost to install Arseny as Archbishop of Novgorod. The post was given to Vasily Kalika. At this time, Kalita makes demands for increased tribute. The refusal infuriates the ruler - the prince advances with an army to the Novgorod land. It did not come to hostilities, since Ivan planned to resolve the issue peacefully.

Map of Ivan Kalita's lands

Kalita's behavior, namely the marriage of Simeon's son with Aigusta, daughter of Gediminas, caused concern among the Novgorodians. The rulers decided to act: an invitation followed from Narimunt, who was given the fortress of Oreshek, the patrimony of Ladoga, Korelsk, and half of Koporye. Instead of the guest, Alexander Narimuntovich came to rule, while his father remained in Lithuania. The Novgorodians did not receive support from such an alliance. Narimunt did not arrive to fight against the Swedes and recalled his son from the lands.

Only in 1336, after Metropolitan Theognost intervened in the matter, peace came between Novgorod and Kalita. Prince Ivan receives the desired tribute and the title of Novgorod ruler. Gediminas tried to take revenge on the Novgorod land for the peace concluded with Moscow, but the war never began.

In 1337, Alexander Tverskoy and his son were executed. Khan made this decision after Ivan Kalita’s denunciation. Soon the prince returns to Moscow. By order of the ruler, the bell is removed from the Church of St. Savior and transported to the capital. Kalita subdues her brother Alexander Mikhailovich.

Kalita's biography contains many campaigns of conquest against unwanted princes. In 1339, the Moscow army was sent to Smolensk due to reluctance to pay tribute to the Horde. The conflict between Novgorod and Moscow is reviving again. Ivan was unable to resolve the dispute until the end of his life.

Ivan Kalita's policies are called controversial. The prince erects several churches on the territory of the Moscow state: the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor, the Assumption Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral, and the Church of St. John the Climacus. During his reign (from 1328 to 1340), Kalita built the new Moscow Kremlin from oak. The ruler is distinguished by a craving for faith. Shortly before his death, Ivan writes the Siya Gospel. Now the scripture is in the library of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Kalita's contemporaries characterized the ruler as a flexible and persistent prince. Khan of the Horde respected and trusted the Muscovite. This helped save Moscow from the raids of the Horde. The welfare of his subjects grew, discontent disappeared. Ivan Danilovich saved the principality from plunder and war for 40 years. Kalita mercilessly dealt with his opponents and suppressed popular unrest over tribute.

Ivan I achieved unprecedented influence over some lands, including Novgorod, Tver and Pskov. During the years of his reign, the prince accumulated wealth, which was inherited by his children and grandchildren, among whom was. From the confessions of the heir it followed that Kalita acquired lands in foreign principalities.

Personal life

Ivan Kalita was married twice. In 1319, Elena became the ruler's wife. Historical data about the origin of the girl has not been preserved. They had four sons - Simeon, Daniel, Ivan and Andrey. An unknown illness ruined the health of the princely wife.

In 1332, Elena died, and a year later Ivan married again. The chosen one was Ulyana. The marriage produced four daughters - Maria, Evdokia, Feodosia, Feotinia. Kalita married off the girls for personal gain. The prince set the only condition for his sons-in-law - the ruler himself would manage the estates.

Death

A few months before his death, Ivan Kalita took monastic vows. Preventing strife between his sons, the ruler distributed property during his lifetime. Simeon the Proud became the owner of two-thirds of the inheritance. His father left him in the role of patron of the younger children. Kalita, on his deathbed, took care of the state. This division made it possible to avoid fragmentation of the Moscow principality. The prince's death came in March 1340. The funeral took place in the Archangel Cathedral, built by order of Ivan I.

History does not know another such ruler who is equally advocating for Moscow. The city was transformed during the reign of Ivan Kalita. The prince did not commit brutal murders of his opponents during the years of his reign, unlike his brother. The tradition of giving nicknames to rulers began with Ivan I. Kalita means a purse or a leather bag for storing coins.

Legend

There is a legend according to which the prince was known as a generous man.

“In the summer of 6837 (i.e. in 1329 - approx.) the great prince Ivan Danilovich went to peace in Veliky Novgorod and stood in Torzhok. And 12 men came to him pretending to be the Holy Savior with a cup for a feast. And 12 men exclaimed, pretending to be the Holy Savior: “God grant many years to the Grand Duke Ivan Danilovich of All Rus'. Give water and feed your poor." And the great prince asked the boyars and old people of Novotorzh: “What kind of people came to me?”

And the men of the new market told him: “This, sir, is not a pretender of the Holy Savior, and that cup was given to them by 40 Kaliks who came from Jerusalem.” And the great prince looked at the cup from them, put it on his crown and said: “What, brothers, will you take from me as a contribution to this cup?” The Pritrivreans answered: “Whatever you give us, we’ll take it.” And the great prince gave them a new hryvnia deposit: “Come to me every week and take from me two cups of beer, the third - honey. Also, go to my governors and mayors and to weddings, and take yourself three cups of beer.”

Memory

In those days, rulers were depicted in paintings, so one can only imagine what Ivan Kalita would have looked like in a photo. The prince's contemporaries did not focus on appearance, but rather described his character and behavior. For example, Kalita is a calculating man who was distinguished by his intelligence. The ruler was called merciful. Kalita often gave to the poor during his trips around Rus'. I tried to fulfill the requests of the people. Ivan I served to the same person several times.

In the modern world, the Moscow ruler is not forgotten. For example, specialists developed a unique car at the Moskvich plant. The vehicle is named “Moskvich “Ivan Kalita”. In 2006, the Order of Ivan Kalita, the medal of the Order of Ivan Kalita, was awarded for the first time in the Moscow region.

A complete course of Russian history: in one book [in modern presentation] Soloviev Sergei Mikhailovich

Ivan Danilovich Kalita (1328–1340)

The Horde's revenge was terrible.

But, according to Solovyov, the Moscow prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita undertook to defend the Horde:

“Kalita himself went to the Horde immediately after the Tver incidents and returned from there with 50,000 Tatar troops. Having also attached the Prince of Suzdal to himself, Kalita entered the Tver volost on the Khan's order; the Tatars burned cities and villages, took people captive and, simply put, laid waste the entire Russian land, as the chronicler put it; but Moscow, Kalita’s fatherland, and Novgorod, which gave the Tatar governors 2000 silver and many gifts, were saved. Alexander, having heard about the approach of the Tatars, wanted to flee to Novgorod, but the Novgorodians did not want to expose themselves to danger because of the son of Mikhailov and accepted the governors of Kalita; then Alexander fled to Pskov, and his brothers found refuge in Ladoga. The next year, 1328, Kalita and the Tver prince Konstantin Mikhailovich went to the Horde; the Novgorodians also sent their ambassador there; The Uzbek gave the great reign to Kalita, gave Tver to Konstantin Mikhailovich and released them with the order to look for Prince Alexander.”

Prince Alexander, seeing no way out, fled to distant Pskov, and the townspeople accepted him. This caused equal rage in the Horde and Moscow; Prince Ivan Danilovich went to Pskov. First, he sent ambassadors to the city, persuading Alexander to go to the Horde and confess. The Pskovites did not let the prince in, they understood that they would kill him there. They promised to stand for the prince to the death, and Kalita understood that these would, and might also call the Germans for help. So he took a miraculous pacifying measure: he promised the townspeople that if the prince was not handed over, he would excommunicate the city and anathematize it. Anathema, coupled with the Moscow army, was an extremely powerful means. Realizing that the city could not survive, the Pskovites did not oppose the fact that the prince decided to flee to Lithuania; they kissed his cross that they would not hand over his princess to the enemy. When ambassadors came to the city once again, the Pskovites honestly said that -

“...Prince Alexander rode away from Pskov; and all Pskov bows to you, its great prince, from young to old: priests, monks, monks, and orphans, and widows, and wives, and little children.”

Further standing against the “empty” city was pointless. Kalita made peace, and Metropolitan Theognost blessed the city and its governors. A year and a half later, when the storm subsided, the prince returned to Pskov to his wife, the townspeople received him with joy, and he reigned for ten years. But according to the law of that time, Tver could not pass to his children - the prince was considered an exile, so, in the end, he went to the Horde for forgiveness.

“I have done a lot of harm to you,” he said to the khan, “but now I have come to accept death or life from you, being ready for everything that God will tell you.”

The Uzbek had long forgotten about the Tver uprising, so he forgave the prince and returned Tver to him. But Kalita did not forgive Alexander. With gifts and faithful service, he earned respect from the khan. So, when Alexander regained his reign, Kalita went to the Horde with his two sons and won the khan over to his side. Khan summoned Alexander to the Horde.

His fate was decided.

“And having come to the Horde,” reports Tver Chronicle , - Grand Duke Alexander, as usual, consoled the Tsar and his entourage, finding his son, Prince Fyodor, in good health. And after spending a month in the Horde, I heard a lot of deceit from the lawless Tatars. Some said: “The king will give you a great reign,” while others said: “You will be killed.” He, strengthened by the power from above, at all times called on the Lord with a pure heart and every hour said: “Lord Jesus Christ, grant me worthy to accept this bitter death for the Christian race.” And when the day of remembrance of the great and glorious martyr Dmitry arrived, a messenger came about his murder, saying: “In the next three days you will lose your life by an evil death.” The great prince Alexander, having heard these words, hid them in his heart and did not tell anyone, he only sighed from the depths of his heart. The day after the feast of the Martyr of Christ, Dmitry ordered vespers to be sung and, having thus given praise to God, he went to bed. His dream was one of great melancholy and sadness. When the night passed and the day of remembrance of the holy martyrs Terentius and Neonila and the holy martyr Paraskeva arrived, he ordered the singing of matins and diligently listened to David’s psalms: “Lord, those who oppress me have multiplied, many speak about my soul.”... Hearing this, he shed tears from his eyes and said: “David, while reigning, suffered so much torment, how come I don’t want to suffer? “At the end of Matins, he mounted his horse and began to ride to receive the news of his death, and sent one of the servants to the queen. And having received the news, the great prince Alexander came to the camp. And his servant came from the queen with a message that we, brothers, should leave our master Prince Alexander and his son, Prince Fedor. Prince Alexander, lifting up his eyes, ordered dying prayers to be sung. When they finished singing, he looked and saw a Circassian walking straight towards his champion, and with him a Tatar, and jumped out in front of him. They, merciless, grabbed him, dropped him to the ground and, tearing off his clothes, placed him naked and bound in front of Tovlubiy. The same lawless one, standing on horseback surrounded by many Tatars, let out a cursed cry: “Kill!” They seized Prince Alexander and his son Prince Fyodor, without mercy they wounded them and, throwing them to the ground, cut off their heads. And so they died, mistaking such a death for the Christian race. The boyars and his servants fled, and others, taking the bodies of the slain, took them to Rus'. When they were brought to Vladimir, Metropolitan Theognost met them with the abbots and priests, and they sang funeral hymns and saw him off. His brothers Prince Konstantin and Prince Vasily, Bishop Fyodor of Tver and Gabriel, Bishop of Rostov, gathered and sang funeral hymns over them in the Church of the Holy Savior in Pereyaslavl, and saw him off. And they brought them to Tver, and the townspeople met them at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, and carried them in their arms to the city to the Cathedral of the Holy Savior. His mother, and his brothers, and his princess with their children, and all the townspeople wept bitterly. The bishop and the abbots and priests sang over the murdered and handed them over to the grave...”

Kalita returned to Moscow much as before and in complete rejoicing, throughout the Moscow principality, chronicles write, there was great joy. However, Alexander’s persecutor Ivan Danilovich Kalita outlived his enemy by only four years. Before his death, he accepted the schema and died with full awareness of his duty. The reign of Kalita, according to Solovyov, became the beginning of violence for other principalities, where the Moscow owner ruled arbitrarily. During his reign, the enemies of Moscow were neutralized, the Moscow lands grew somewhat, Rostov and Vladimir lost their importance, the pressure on Novgorod increased, which became increasingly dependent on the “Nizovsky land” and its princes. Kalita managed to weaken the Ryazan princes and the most important enemy - Tver. Since his time, the importance of little Moscow began to grow rapidly, and soon this city took a central place among the entire northeast. In pro-Moscow-oriented chronicles, the time of Kalita is called a time of great silence, when the Mongols stopped ruining Rus'. But here you need to understand what is meant by “Rus” - this is the Moscow principality. Kalita traveled remarkably well to other regions of Rus' together with the Mongols of Tevlubey. According to Solovyov, -

“... our ancestors imagined Kalita as the establisher of silence, security, internal order, which until then had been constantly violated, first by tribal strife among the princes, then by the strife of princes or, better said, individual principalities to strengthen themselves at the expense of all others, which led to autocracy... Kalita knew how to take advantage of the circumstances, end the struggle with complete triumph for his principality and let his contemporaries feel the first good consequences of this triumph, gave them a foretaste of the benefits of autocracy, which is why he passed on to posterity with the name of the first collector of the Russian land.”

He divided among his heirs -

“movable and immovable estate: the eldest, Semyon, was given 26 cities and villages, including the estates of Yuri Danilovich - Mozhaisk and Kolomna; the second son, Ivan, 23 cities and villages, the main ones being Zvenigorod and Ruza; the third, Andrey, has 21 cities and villages, of which Serpukhov is the most famous; The princess with the smaller children is 26 again.”

Semyon Ivanovich became the master of Moscow after Kalita. During the reign of his father, another pleasant change happened for Moscow - the metropolitan throne moved from Vladimir to Moscow. Moscow thus became the ecclesiastical center of Rus'.

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