Ivan III of Russia

"Ivan III" redirects here. For other uses, see Ivan III (disambiguation).
In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Vasilyevich.

Ivan III
Sovereign of all Russia
Portrait in the Tsarsky titulyarnik, 1672
Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia
Reign28 March 1462 – 27 October 1505
PredecessorVasily II
SuccessorVasily III
Co-monarch
Born22 January 1440
Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow
Died27 October 1505(1505-10-27) (aged 65)
Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow
Burial
Cathedral of the Archangel, Moscow
Consort
Issue
more...
HouseRurik
FatherVasily II of Moscow
MotherMaria of Borovsk
ReligionRussian Orthodox

Ivan III Vasilyevich (Russian: Иван III Васильевич; 22 January 1440 – 27 October 1505), also known as Ivan the Great,[note 1][1][2][3] was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1462 until his death in 1505.[note 2][8][9][10][11][12][13] Ivan served as the co-ruler and regent for his blind father Vasily II before he officially ascended the throne.

He multiplied the territory of his state through conquest, purchase, inheritance and the seizure of lands from his dynastic relatives, and laid the foundations of the centralized Russian state.[14][15][16] He also renovated the Moscow Kremlin and introduced a new legal code.[17][18] Ivan is credited with ending the dominance of the Tatars over Russia;[19] his victory over the Great Horde in 1480 formally restored its independence.[20][21]

Ivan began using the title tsar,[22] and used the title tentatively until the Habsburgs recognized it.[23] While officially using "tsar" in his correspondence with other monarchs,[24][25] he was satisfied with the title of grand prince at home.[26] Through marriage to Sophia Palaiologina, Ivan made the double-headed eagle Russia's coat of arms, and adopted the idea of Moscow as the third Rome. His 43-year reign[27] was the second-longest in Russian history, after that of his grandson Ivan IV.


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  1. ^ Boguslavsky 2001, p. 455.
  2. ^ Polovtsov 1897, p. 193: "Iоаннъ III Васильевичъ, великiй князь всея Руси, называемый такъ же иногда Великимъ [Ioannes III Vasilyevich, Grand Prince of all Rus', sometimes also called the Great]".
  3. ^ Kort 2008, p. 24: "For his achievements as a whole, however ruthlessly he went about realizing them, with considerable justification he is called Ivan the Great".
  4. ^ Pape 2016, p. 72: "...под самый конец жизни великий князь стал пользоваться новым, расширенным титулом, а именно «царь и государь всея Руси» [...at the very end of his life the Grand Prince started to use the new extended title, i.e. “Tsar and Sovereign of all Rus'”]".
  5. ^ Letiche & Pashkov 1964, p. 97: "...Ivan III, “the Sovereign of all Rus”...".
  6. ^ Pape 2016, p. 71: "Иоанн, Божьею милостью царь и государь всеа Руси и великий князь Володимерский [Ioannes, by the Grace of God Tsar and Sovereign of all Rus' and Grand Prince of Vladimir]".
  7. ^ Filjushkin 2006, p. 173: "Литва признала титул Ивана III государь всея Руси, что и было зафиксировано в перемирной грамоте [Lithuania recognized the title of Ivan III, sovereign of all Rus', which was stated in the peace treaty]".
  8. ^ Auty & Obolensky 1976, p. 92, In the last quarter of the fifteenth century Ivan III added to his title of Grand Prince of Moscow just three words – 'and All Russia'.
  9. ^ Millar 2004, p. 688, grand prince of Moscow (1462–1505), sovereign of "all Russia" (from 1479).
  10. ^ Pape 2016, p. 66: "...cum illustrissimo et potenti domino, Johanne, tocius Rutzsie imperatore, magno duce Volodimerie, Muscouie, Nouogardie, Plescouie, Otpherie, Yngærie, Vetolsy, Permie, Bolgardie etc. [...with the most illustrious and powerful sovereign, Ivan, tsar of all Russia, Grand Prince of Vladimir, Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Yugra, Vyatka, Perm, Bolgar etc.]".
  11. ^ Kort 2008, p. 27-28: "In 1493 Ivan added the title “Sovereign of All Russia”".
  12. ^ Filjushkin 2008, p. 278: "1462–1505 Ivan III Vasilievich, Grand Prince, Sovereign of all Russia".
  13. ^ MacKenzie & Curran 2002, p. 115.
  14. ^ Letiche & Pashkov 1964, p. 97: "Under Ivan III, “the Sovereign of all Rus”, the lands around Moscow were united and the foundations of a centralized state in the form of a feudal monarchy were begun".
  15. ^ Kort 2008, p. 24-25.
  16. ^ Letiche & Pashkov 1964, p. 97: "the foundations of a uniform state legislation (The Sudebnik [Code] of 1497 were laid)".
  17. ^ Kort 2008, p. 28: "In 1497 Ivan issued a new law code called the Sudebnik".
  18. ^ Letiche & Pashkov 1964, p. 97: "During his reign Russia's dependence on the Tatar khans ended".
  19. ^ Kort 2008, p. 24: "...in 1480, Ivan officially declared Russia independent of the Golden Horde".
  20. ^ Kort 2008, p. 26: "...Ivan formally restored Russian independence by renouncing all allegiance to the remnant of the once-mighty Golden Horde".
  21. ^ Kort 2008, p. 27: "During the 1480s Ivan began referring to himself with the Russian word czar, which means Caesar".
  22. ^ Crummey 2013, p. 96: "Ivan, however, was the first prince of Moscow to apply the title to himself in official documents. As was his custom, he proceeded cautiously, at first using it only occasionally in dealings with obvious inferiors. The pretensions of the Habsburgs stimulated him to take a risky step; beginning in 1489, he insisted on calling himself tsar in negotiations with them".
  23. ^ Bushkovitch 2021, p. 53.
  24. ^ Pape 2016, p. 69: "Так, датский текст, как уже показано, называет Ивана III tocius Rutzsie imperator, т. е.«царь всея Руси» [In this way, the Danish text, as it has been already shown, calls Ivan III tocius Rutzsie imperator, i.e. “tsar of all Rus'”]".
  25. ^ The Foreign Quarterly Review 1829, p. 166: "Become independent autocrat, the humble title of grand-duke was no longer suited to his dignity: he assumed that of Tsar in his correspondence with other potentates, but at home he was satisfied with the ancient designation".
  26. ^ The Foreign Quarterly Review 1829, p. 166: "After a splendid reign of forty-tree years, this great monarch transmitted the sceptre to his son Vassilly, who perseveringly trod in the footsteps of his father, and died in 1534".