Whose wife was Queen Sophia. Sofia Paleolog: truth and film fiction about the Grand Duchess

Sophia Paleolog: the Greek intriguer who changed Russia

November 12, 1472 Ivan III second once gets married. This time, the Greek princess Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, becomes his chosen one.

Belokamennaya

Three years after the wedding, Ivan III will begin the arrangement of his residence with the construction of the Assumption Cathedral, which was erected on the site of the dismantled Kalita temple. Will it be related to the new status - Grand Duke Moskovsky by that time will position himself as the "sovereign of all Russia", - or the idea will be "prompted" by his wife Sophia, dissatisfied with the "wretched situation", it is difficult to say for sure. By 1479, the construction of the new temple will be completed, and its properties will later be transferred to the whole of Moscow, which is still called "white stone". Large-scale construction will continue. The Annunciation Cathedral will be built on the foundations of the old palace church of the Annunciation. To store the treasury of the Moscow princes, a stone chamber will be built, which will later be called the Treasury Yard. Instead of the old wooden choirs for the reception of ambassadors, they will begin to build a new stone chamber, called the Embankment. The Palace of Facets will be built for official receptions. Will be rebuilt and built a large number of churches. As a result, Moscow will completely change its appearance, and the Kremlin will turn from a wooden fortress into a "Western European castle."

New title

With the appearance of Sophia, a number of researchers associate the new ceremonial and the new diplomatic language - complex and strict, prim and strained. Marriage to the noble heiress of the Byzantine emperors will allow Tsar John to position himself as the political and ecclesiastical successor of Byzantium, and the final overthrow of the Horde yoke will make it possible to transfer the status of the Moscow prince to inaccessible high level national ruler of the entire Russian land. “Ivan, Sovereign and Grand Duke” leaves the government acts and “John, by the grace of God, Sovereign of All Russia” appears. The significance of the new title is complemented by a long list of the limits of the Muscovite state: "The Sovereign of All Russia and the Grand Duke of Vladimir, and Moscow, and Novgorod, and Pskov, and Tver, and Perm, and Yugorsky, and Bulgarian, and others."

divine origin

In his new position, the source of which was partly his marriage to Sophia, Ivan III finds the former source of power insufficient - succession from his father and grandfather. The idea of ​​the divine origin of power was not alien to the ancestors of the sovereign, however, none of them expressed it so firmly and convincingly. To the proposal of the German Emperor Frederick III to reward Tsar Ivan with a royal title, the latter will answer: “... by the grace of God we are sovereigns on our land from the beginning, from our first ancestors, and we have the appointment from God”, indicating that in the worldly recognition of his power, the Moscow prince does not need.

double headed eagle

To visually illustrate the succession of the fallen house of the Byzantine emperors, a visual expression will also be found: from the end of the 15th century, the Byzantine emblem - a double-headed eagle - will appear on the royal seal. There are a large number of other versions where the two-headed bird “flew” from, but it is impossible to deny that the symbol appeared during the marriage of Ivan III and the Byzantine heiress.

The best minds

After Sophia's arrival in Moscow, a rather impressive group of immigrants from Italy and Greece will form at the Russian court. Subsequently, many foreigners will occupy influential public office, and more than once will carry out the most important diplomatic state assignments. The ambassadors visited Italy with enviable regularity, but often the list of tasks did not include the solution of political issues. They returned with another rich "catch": architects, jewelers, coiners and weapons craftsmen, whose activities were directed in one direction - to promote the prosperity of Moscow. Visiting miners will find silver and copper ore, and in Moscow they will start minting coins from Russian silver. There will also be a large number of professional doctors among the visitors.

Through the eyes of foreigners

During the reign of Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog, the first detailed notes of foreigners about Russia appear. Before some, Muscovy appeared as a wild land in which rude morals reign. For example, for the death of a patient, a doctor could be beheaded, stabbed, drowned, and when one of the best Italian architects, Aristotle Fioravanti, fearing for his life, requested to return to his homeland, he was deprived of his property and imprisoned. Other travelers saw Muscovy, those who did not stay long in the bear region. The Venetian merchant Josaphat Barbaro was amazed at the well-being of Russian cities, “abundant in bread, meat, honey and other useful things". The Italian Ambrogio Cantarini noted the beauty of Russians, both men and women. Another Italian traveler, Alberto Campenze, in a report for Pope Clement VII, writes about the excellent border guard service set up by the Muscovites, the ban on selling alcohol, except public holidays, but most of all he is conquered by the morality of Russians. “To deceive each other is revered by them as a terrible, heinous crime,” writes Campenze. - Adultery, violence and public debauchery are also very rare. Unnatural vices are completely unknown, and perjury and blasphemy are not heard at all.

New orders

External paraphernalia played a significant role in the exaltation of the king in the eyes of the people. Sofya Fominichna knew about this on the example of the Byzantine emperors. Lush palace ceremonial, luxurious royal robes, the rich decoration of the courtyard - all this was not in Moscow. Ivan III, already a powerful sovereign, lived not much wider and richer than the boyars. Simplicity was heard in the speeches of the closest subjects - some of them came, like the Grand Duke, from Rurik. The husband heard a lot about the court life of the Byzantine autocrats from his wife and from the people who came with her. He probably wanted to become “real” here as well. Gradually, new customs began to appear: Ivan Vasilievich “began to behave majestically”, was titled “king” before the ambassadors, received foreign guests with special pomp and solemnity, and ordered to kiss the royal hand as a sign of special mercy. A little later, court ranks will appear - bed-keeper, nursery, equestrian, and the sovereign will begin to favor the boyars for merit.
After a while, Sophia Paleolog will be called an intriguer, she will be accused of the death of her stepson Ivan the Young and they will justify “disorders” in the state with her witchcraft. However, this marriage of convenience will last 30 years and become, perhaps, one of the most significant matrimonial unions in history.

Game of Thrones: Sophia Paleolog against Elena Voloshanka and the "Judaizers"

The "Heresy of the Judaizers", a religious and political movement that existed in Russia at the end of the 15th century, still harbors a lot of mysteries. In the history of our state, he was destined to become a landmark phenomenon.

origins

Opposition movements in Russia appeared a long time ago. At the end of the 14th century, in Pskov and Novgorod, the centers of freethinking, a movement of "strigolniks" arose, which protested against church bribery and money-grubbing. Pskov deacons Nikita and Karp questioned the sacraments conducted by official clergymen: “You are not worthy of the presbytery, we deliver according to bribes; it is not worthy to receive communion from them, nor to repent, nor to receive baptism from them.

It just so happened that Orthodox Church, which determines the way of life in Russia, has become a bone of contention for various worldview systems. A century after the activities of the shearers, the followers of Nil Sorsky, known for his ideas about “non-covetousness,” declare themselves in full voice. They advocated the rejection of the accumulated wealth by the Church and urged the clergy to lead a more modest and righteous life.

Hula on the Church

It all started with the fact that hegumen Gennady Gonzov, called to the archbishop's service in Novgorod, called by his contemporaries "a bloodthirsty intimidator of criminals against the church", suddenly discovered a ferment of minds in the flock. Many priests stopped taking communion, while others even desecrated icons with abusive words. Also addicted to Jewish rituals and Kabbalah were noticed.

Moreover, the local abbot Zacharias accused the archbishop of having been put in office for a bribe. Gonzov decided to punish the obstinate abbot and poisoned him into exile. However, the Grand Duke Ivan III intervened and defended Zakharia.
Archbishop Gennady, alarmed by the heretical revelry, turned to the hierarchs of the Russian Church for support, but did not receive real help. Here Ivan III played his role, who, for political reasons, clearly did not want to lose ties with the Novgorod and Moscow nobility, many of whom were classified as "sectarians".

However, the archbishop had a strong ally in the person of Joseph Sanin (Volotsky), a religious figure who defended the positions of strengthening church power. He was not afraid to blame Ivan III himself, allowing for the possibility of disobedience to the "unrighteous sovereign", for "such a king is not God's servant, but the devil, and is not a king, but a tormentor."

Oppositionist

One of the most important roles in the opposition to the Church and the movement of the “Judaizers” was played by the Duma clerk and diplomat Fyodor Kuritsyn, “the chief of heretics,” as the Archbishop of Novgorod called him.

It was Kuritsyn who was accused by the clergy of planting heretical teachings among Muscovites, which he allegedly brought from abroad. In particular, he was credited with criticizing the Holy Fathers and denying monasticism. But the diplomat did not confine himself to promoting anti-clerical ideas.

Heresy or conspiracy?

But there was another person around whom heretics and freethinkers gathered - the daughter-in-law of Ivan III and the mother of the heir to the throne Dmitry, Princess Elena Voloshanka of Tver. She had influence on the sovereign and, according to historians, she tried to use her advantage for political purposes.

She succeeded, although the victory was not long. In 1497, Kuritsyn sealed the charter of Ivan III for the great reign of Dmitry. It is interesting that for the first time a double-headed eagle appears on this seal - the future coat of arms of the Russian state.

The coronation of Dmitry as co-ruler of Ivan III took place on February 4, 1498. Sophia Paleolog and her son Vasily were not invited to it. Shortly before the appointed event, the sovereign revealed a conspiracy in which his wife tried to disrupt the legitimate succession to the throne. Some of the conspirators were executed, and Sophia and Vasily fell into disgrace. However, historians argue that some of the accusations, including an attempt to poison Dmitry, were far-fetched.

But the court intrigues between Sophia Paleolog and Elena Voloshanka did not end there. Gennady Gonzov and Iosif Volotsky again enter the political arena, not without the participation of Sophia, who force Ivan III to take up the case of "Jewish heretics". In 1503 and 1504 Councils against heresy are convened, at which the fate of Kuritsyn's party is decided.

Russian inquisition

Archbishop Gennady was a zealous supporter of the methods of the Spanish inquisitor Torquemada, in the heat of controversy he urged Metropolitan Zosima to adapt strict measures in the face of Orthodox heresy.

However, the metropolitan, suspected by historians of sympathy for heretics, did not give a course to this process.
The principles of the “punishing sword of the Church” were no less consistently pursued by Joseph Volotsky. In his literary writings, he repeatedly called for the “fierce execution to betray” dissidents, because the “holy spirit” itself punishes with the hands of the executioners. Even those who “did not testify” against heretics fell under his accusations.

In 1502, the struggle of the Church against the "Jewish" finally found a response from the new Metropolitan Simon and Ivan III. The latter, after a long hesitation, deprives Dmitry of the grand ducal dignity and sends him to prison with his mother. Sophia achieves her goal - Vasily becomes co-ruler of the sovereign.

The councils of 1503 and 1504, through the efforts of the militant defenders of Orthodoxy, are turning into real trials. However, if the first Council is limited only to disciplinary measures, then the second sets in motion the punishing flywheel of the system. The heresy that undermines not only the authority of the Church, but also the foundations of statehood must be eradicated.

By decision of the Council of the main heretics - Ivan Maksimov, Mikhail Konoplev, Ivan Volk are burned in Moscow, and Nekras Rukavov is executed in Novgorod, having previously cut off his tongue. The spiritual inquisitors also insisted on the burning of Archimandrite Kassian of Yuryev, but the fate of Fyodor Kuritsyn is not known to us for certain.

In the middle of the 15th century, when Constantinople fell under the onslaught of the Turks, the 17-year-old Byzantine princess Sophia left Rome to transfer the spirit of the old empire to a new, still emerging state.
With her fabulous life and journey full of adventures - from the poorly lit passages of the papal church to the snowy Russian steppes, from the secret mission behind the betrothal to the Moscow prince, to the mysterious and still not found collection of books that she brought with her from Constantinople, - we were introduced by the journalist and writer Yorgos Leonardos, the author of the book "Sophia Palaiologos - from Byzantium to Russia", as well as many other historical novels.

In a conversation with an Athens-Macedonian Agency correspondent about the filming of a Russian film about the life of Sophia Palaiologos, Mr. Leonardos stressed that she was a versatile person, a practical and ambitious woman. The niece of the last Palaiologos inspired her husband, Prince Ivan III of Moscow, to create a strong state, earning the respect of Stalin almost five centuries after her death.
Russian researchers highly appreciate the contribution that Sophia left in the political and cultural history of medieval Russia.
Yorgos Leonardos describes Sophia's personality in this way: "Sofia was the niece last emperor Byzantium Constantine XI and the daughter of Thomas Palaiologos. She was baptized in Mistra, giving Christian name Zoya. In 1460, when the Peloponnese was captured by the Turks, the princess, along with her parents, brothers and sister, went to the island of Corfu. With the participation of Vissarion of Nicaea, who had already become a Catholic cardinal in Rome by that time, Zoya moved to Rome with her father, brothers and sister. After the premature death of her parents, Vissarion took over custody of three children who converted to the Catholic faith. However, Sophia's life changed when Paul II took the papacy, who wanted her to enter into a political marriage. The princess was betrothed to the Moscow prince Ivan III, hoping that Orthodox Russia will convert to Catholicism. Sophia, who came from the Byzantine imperial family, was sent by Paul to Moscow as the heiress of Constantinople. Her first stop after Rome was the city of Pskov, where the Russian people enthusiastically accepted the young girl.

© Sputnik. Valentin Cheredintsev

The author of the book thinks key point in the life of Sophia, a visit to one of the Pskov churches: “She was impressed, and although there was a papal legate next to her who followed her every step, she returned to Orthodoxy, neglecting the will of the pope. On November 12, 1472, Zoya became the second wife of the Moscow prince Ivan III under the Byzantine name Sophia.
From this moment, according to Leonardos, her brilliant path begins: “Under the influence of a deep religious feeling, Sophia convinced Ivan to throw off the burden of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, because at that time Russia paid tribute to the Horde. Indeed, Ivan liberated his state and united various independent principalities under his rule.

© Sputnik. Balabanov

Sophia's contribution to the development of the state is great, because, as the author explains, "she started the Byzantine order at the Russian court and helped create the Russian state."
“Since Sophia was the only heiress of Byzantium, Ivan believed that he had inherited the right to the imperial throne. He took over yellow Palaiologos and the Byzantine coat of arms - a double-headed eagle, which lasted until the revolution of 1917 and was returned after the collapse Soviet Union and also called Moscow the Third Rome. Since the sons of the Byzantine emperors took the name of Caesar, Ivan took this title for himself, which in Russian began to sound like "tsar". Ivan also elevated the Archbishopric of Moscow to a patriarchy, making it clear that the first patriarchy is not Constantinople captured by the Turks, but Moscow.”

© Sputnik. Alexey Filippov

According to Yorgos Leonardos, “Sofia was the first to create in Russia on the model of Constantinople a secret service, a prototype of the tsarist secret police and the Soviet KGB. This contribution of hers is recognized by the Russian authorities today. Yes, the former leader Federal Service On the Day of Military Counterintelligence on December 19, 2007, Alexei Patrushev stated that the country honors Sophia Palaiologos, as she defended Russia from internal and external enemies.
Also, Moscow “owes her a change in its appearance, since Sofia brought here Italian and Byzantine architects who built mainly stone buildings, for example, the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin, as well as the Kremlin walls that still exist. Also, according to the Byzantine model, secret passages were dug under the territory of the entire Kremlin.

© Sputnik. Sergei Pyatakov

“Since 1472, the history of the modern - tsarist - state begins in Russia. At that time, due to the climate, they did not engage in agriculture here, but only hunted. Sophia convinced the subjects of Ivan III to cultivate the fields and thus initiated the formation Agriculture in the country".
Sophia’s personality was also respected under the Soviet regime: according to Leonardos, “when the Ascension Monastery was destroyed in the Kremlin, in which the remains of the queen were stored, not only were they not disposed of, but by Stalin’s decree they were placed in a tomb, which was then transferred to Arkhangelsk the cathedral".
Yorgos Leonardos said that Sophia brought 60 carts from Constantinople with books and rare treasures that were kept in the underground treasuries of the Kremlin and have not been found so far.
“There are written sources,” says Mr. Leonardos, “indicating the existence of these books, which the West tried to buy from her grandson, Ivan the Terrible, to which he, of course, did not agree. Books continue to be searched to this day.

Sophia Palaiologos died on April 7, 1503 at the age of 48. Her husband, Ivan III, became the first ruler in the history of Russia, who was named the Great for his deeds, committed with the support of Sophia. Their grandson, Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, continued to strengthen the state and went down in history as one of the most influential rulers of Russia.

© Sputnik. Vladimir Fedorenko

“Sophia transferred the spirit of Byzantium to the newly emerging Russian empire. It was she who built the state in Russia, giving it Byzantine features, and on the whole enriched the structure of the country and its society. Even today in Russia there are surnames that go back to Byzantine names, as a rule, they end in -ov,” said Yorgos Leonardos.
As for the images of Sophia, Leonardos emphasized that “her portraits have not been preserved, but even under communism, with the help of special technologies scientists have recreated the appearance of the queen from her remains. This is how the bust appeared, which is placed near the entrance to the Historical Museum next to the Kremlin.”
“The legacy of Sophia Paleolog is Russia itself…” Yorgos Leonardos summed up.

The first wife of Ivan III, Princess Maria Borisovna of Tver, died on April 22, 1467. After her death, Ivan began to look for another wife, farther and more important. On February 11, 1469, ambassadors from Rome appeared in Moscow to offer the Grand Duke to marry Sophia Palaiologos, the niece of the last Byzantine Emperor Constantine II, who lived in exile after the fall of Constantinople. Ivan III, having overcome religious disgust in himself, ordered the princess from Italy and married her in 1472. So, in October of the same year, Moscow met her future empress. A wedding ceremony took place in the still unfinished Assumption Cathedral. Greek princess became Grand Duchess and Moscow, Vladimir and Novgorod.

This princess, then known in Europe for her rare fullness, brought to Moscow "a very subtle mind and received very important importance here." She was an "unusually cunning woman who had big influence on the Grand Duke, who, at her suggestion, did a lot. ”Thus, it is her influence that is attributed to the determination of Ivan III to throw off Tatar yoke. However, Sophia could only inspire what she herself valued and what was understood and appreciated in Moscow. She, with the Greeks she brought, who had seen both Byzantine and Roman views, could give valuable instructions on how and according to what models to introduce the desired changes, how to change the old order, which so did not correspond to the new position of the Moscow sovereign. Thus, after the sovereign's second marriage, many Italians and Greeks began to settle in Russia, and Greek-Italian art flourished along with Russian art itself.

Feeling himself in a new position next to such a noble wife,

heiress of the Byzantine emperors, Ivan replaced the former ugly Kremlin setting. Craftsmen sent from Italy built a new Assumption Cathedral, the Palace of Facets and a new stone palace in place of the former wooden choirs. Moreover, many Greeks who came to Russia with the princess became useful with their knowledge of languages, especially Latin, which was then necessary in external state affairs. They enriched the Moscow church libraries with books saved from Turkish barbarism and "contributed to the splendor of our court by communicating to it magnificent Byzantine rites."

But the main significance of this marriage was that the marriage to Sophia Paleolog contributed to the establishment of Russia as the successor of Byzantium and

proclamation of Moscow as the Third Rome, a stronghold of the Orthodox

Christianity. Already under the son of Ivan III, the idea of ​​​​the Third Rome was firmly

rooted in Moscow. After his marriage to Sophia, Ivan III ventured for the first time

show European political world new title of sovereign of all Russia

and made me acknowledge it. If earlier the appeal to "lord" expressed

attitude of feudal equality (or, in extreme cases, vassalage),

then "sovereign" or "sovereign" - citizenship. This term meant the concept

about a ruler who does not depend on any external force, who does not pay anyone

tribute. Thus, Ivan could take this title, only ceasing to be

tributary of the Horde Khan. The overthrow of the yoke removed the obstacle to this,

and marriage to Sophia gave a historical justification for that. So, feeling

themselves both in political power and in Orthodox Christianity,

finally, and by marriage relationship the successor of the fallen house of the Byzantine

emperors, the Moscow sovereign also found a visual expression of his

dynastic connection with them: from the end of the 15th century. appears on his seals

The Byzantine coat of arms is a double-headed eagle.

Thus, the marriage of Ivan and Sophia had a highly political significance, which declared to the whole world that "the princess, as the heiress of the fallen Byzantine house, transferred his sovereign rights to Moscow as to the new Constantinople, where she shares them with her husband."

According to one version, they were hereditary traders of the old book - Ancient Words, according to another - Ancient Ones, who are related to the imperial dynasties of Komnenos and Angels. The ancient Egyptians revered the Thracians as the oldest people on earth, so the Ancient Ones could have a reference to the First Man.

Sofia's biography

1449, born in Mistra, near Sparta (like Helen of Troy), from the despot of the Morea (Peloponnese) - Thomas Palaiologos, brother of the childless emperor Constantine XI to whom she was a niece. Birth name - Zoya

1453, fall of Constantinople, Emperor Constantine XI killed. George of Trebizond "the history of the World has come to an end", the Byzantine historian Duka "We have reached the end of time, we saw a terrible, monstrous thunderstorm that broke out over our heads." Zoya is four years old, the birth of her brother Andrei

1455, birth of Manuel, brother of Zoya

1460, Morea is captured by the Turks and Zoya, together with her father Thomas, the titular emperor of Byzantium, moves to Corfu (Kerkyra). Thomas sends his envoy, George Ralis, to the Pope. In the main temple of Kirkyra, at the relics of St. Spyridon, the girl Zoya prays for the revival of Byzantium. And today the clergy of the temple often change Spiridon's shoes, which miraculously wear out, as Spiridon visits all those in need and prays for the Byzantine miracle. During the plague, the Palaiologos family moves to the mountain village of Chlomos

November 1460, Thomas leaves for Rome, he carries the head of the Apostle Andrew and his cross to the Pope. The head of the apostle is placed in St. Peter's Basilica of the Vatican

1462, death of mother in Corfu, arrival of Thomas in Rome. Zoya's mother is buried in Corfu in the monastery of the Holy Apostles Jason and Sosipater

1464, Thomas, together with Pope Pius II, blesses the Venetian war galleys against the Turks. The campaign was unsuccessful, but brought to Rimini the remains of the Byzantine philosopher Plethon, following the example of whose academy the Florentine Academy of Ficino was created

1465 Thomas summons his sons to Rome and dies in the arms of Cardinal Bessarion. The body of Thomas was buried in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica; during the rebuilding of the cathedral in the 16th century, the tomb of Thomas was lost. Arrival of Zoe with brothers in Ancona. Andrey Paleolog becomes the heir of Byzantium

1466, the king of Cyprus - Jacques refused marriage to Zoya II de Lusignan

1467, betrothed to Prince Caracciolo, but the marriage did not take place

1469 Ivan Fryazin (Jean Baptiste del Volpe) goes to Rome to woo Zoya for Ivan III

1470, return of Ivan Fryazin to Moscow with a painting of Zoya

June 1, 1472 Sophia's betrothal in absentia to Ivan III and departure to Moscow. According to the testimony of the Bolognese, Sophia was then around 24h years, according to our version 23. Sofia moved along the route Rome - Viterbo - Siena - Florence - Bologna - Nuremberg - Lübeck - Tallinn (11 days on the ship) - Derp (Tartu) - Pskov - Veliky Novgorod - Moscow

November 12, 1472, the wedding of Sophia with Ivan III in the Kremlin, in a temporary church on the site of the Assumption Cathedral. The girl returns to Orthodoxy and from now on she is Sofia. Only Moscow sources refer to her by this name.

1474, birth of daughter Anna. Died in infancy

1479, birth of Basil III

Autumn 1480, flight of Sophia, with children, treasury and archives, from the Mongol horde to Beloozero. Sophia is responsible for the safety of money, books, documents, shrines.

March 7, 1490, John's heir III , one of the leaders of the Western Party, Ivan Young - died. Prince Andrey Kurbsky named the poisoning of the prince by the Greeks (Eurasians) of Sophia Paleologus as the cause of death. False slander.

1492 (7000), the expected end of the world according to the Byzantine calendar

1497, the conspiracy of Vladimir Gusev is revealed. Allegedly, the Greek party wanted to kill Dmitry Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Young. Basil III and Sofia fall into disgrace. False slander.

1500, resignation of Fyodor Kuritsyn, head of intelligence and leader of the Westerners, who intrigued against Sofia

1502, disgrace of Dmitry Ivanovich and his mother Elena Voloshanka. The victory of the Eurasians over the Slavophiles and Westernizers. Basil III - co-ruler of father

April 7, 1503, death of Sophia Palaiologos. She was buried in the grand ducal tomb of the Ascension Convent in the Kremlin. The buildings of this monastery were dismantled in 1929, and the sarcophagi with the remains of the Grand Duchesses and Empresses were transferred to the basement chamber of the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin, where they remain today. This circumstance, as well as the good preservation of the skeleton of Sophia Paleolog, allowed specialists to recreate her appearance.

1594, Ivan Volk, brother of Fyodor Kuritsyn, was executed

1892, the first book about Sophia Paleolog (Pavel Pirling 1840 - 1922)

1929, the transfer of the remains of Sophia Paleolog to the Archangel Cathedral

1994 , the study of the remains of Sophia Palaiologos began. Her age was determined at 50-60 years, and her appearance, Sergei Nikitin (1950 -) worked on it."The idea of ​​the project, which will be discussed- recalls Tatyana Panova, head of the Kremlin's archaeological department, - arose several years ago when I participated in the examination of human remains found in the basement of an old Moscow house. In the 1990s, such finds were quickly overgrown with rumors about executions allegedly taking place here by the NKVD in Stalin's time. But the burials turned out to be part of the destroyed cemetery of the 17th-18th centuries. The investigator was glad to close the case, and Sergei Nikitin, who worked with me from the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, suddenly discovered that he and the archaeologist had a common object for research - the remains of historical figures. So, in 1994, work began in the necropolis of the Russian Grand Duchesses and Empresses of the 15th - early 18th centuries, which has been preserved since the 1930s in an underground chamber next to the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin.".“I,” continues Tatyana Panova, “was lucky to see the stages of recreating the appearance of Sophia, not yet knowing all the circumstances of her difficult fate. As the features of this woman’s face appeared, it became clear how life situations and illness hardened the character of the Grand Duchess. Yes, it could not be otherwise - the struggle for their own survival and the fate of their son could not but leave traces. Sophia ensured that her eldest son became Grand Duke Vasily III. The death of the legitimate heir, Ivan the Young, at the age of 32 from gout still raises doubts about its naturalness. By the way, the Italian Leon, invited by Sophia, took care of the prince's health. Vasily inherited from his mother not only the appearance that was captured on one of the icons of the 16th century - a unique case (the icon can be seen in the exposition of the State Historical Museum), but also a tough character. Greek blood also affected Ivan IV the Terrible - he is very similar to his royal grandmother with a Mediterranean type of face. This is clearly seen when you look at the sculptural portrait of his mother, Grand Duchess Elena Glinskaya."

2005, a book by Tatyana Panova (1949 -), who participated in the work with the remains of Despina, about Sophia Paleolog

Environment

I. Family

Father - Thomas Palaiologos

Mother - Ekaterina Tsakkariya Akhaiskaya

Sister - Elena Paleolog

Brother - Andrei Paleolog

Brother - Manuel Paleolog

Husband - Ivan III

Daughter - Anna (1474) died in infancy

Daughter - Elena (1475) died in infancy

Daughter - Theodosius (1475 - ?)

Daughter - Elena Ivanovna (1476 - 1513)

Son - Vasily III (1479 - 1533)

Son - Yuri Ivanovich (1480 - 1536)

Son - Dmitry Zhilka (1481 - 1521)

Daughter - Evdokia (1483 - 1513)

Daughter - Elena (1484) died in infancy

Daughter - Theodosia (1485 - 1501)

Son - Simeon Ivanovich (1487 - 1518)

Son - Andrei Staritsky (1490 - 1537)

II. Greeks who arrived in Russia

Sophia was accompanied by at least 50 Greeks from different families

paleologists

trachaniots

George (Yuri)

Dmitry

Ralises (Ralevs, Larevs)

Dmitry Grek

Manuel

Laskaris (Laskerivs)

Fedor

Lazaris (Lazarevs)

Constantine, Prince Theodoro (Mangups). Saint Cassian from the Uchem Hermitage

Kerbushi (Kashkins)

carpubus

Atalik

Armamet

Cicero (Chicherina)

Athanasius Cicero

Manuil (Manuilov)

Angels (Angels)

III. Philhellenes (Grecophiles, friends of the Greeks, Eurasians)

IV. Westerners

Fyodor Kuritsyn (- 1504) head of intelligence

Elena Voloshanka (- 1505) wife of Ivan the Young

Ivan the Young (1458 - 1490) son Ivan III

Dmitry (1483 - 1509) grandson Ivan III

Semyon Ryapolovsky, governor

Ivan Volk (- 1504) Kuritsyn's brother

Ivan Patrikeyev (1419 - 1499) palace

V. Slavophiles

VI. Metropolitans of Moscow and All Russia

Gerontius (1473 - 1489)

Zosima (1490 - 1495)

Simon (1495 - 1511)

Results of activities

1. Crown and titles Byzantine Empire traded by Andrei Palaiologos (brother of Sophia), as well as Orthodox relics in the hands of Manuel Palaiologos, the second son of Thomas, turned out to be of little significance. The library of Sophia, around which the Greek party rallied, on the contrary, allowed the fragile woman to outplay the Westerners and Slavophiles, put Vasily III on the throne and launch Russia along the Eurasian path. Moscow - Third Rome.

2. John III divided the state into the Palace, the Treasury and the Church. On the side of the Palace were Westernizers and Kuritsyn intelligence, on the side of the Church - Slavophiles and counterintelligence. Sophia, her Byzantines (Eurasians), managed to create around the Treasury (Libraries, archives ..) a group of keepers of the State Secret and subjugate opposites, grabbing them like the Double-Headed Eagle, two birds with one stone, on the emblem of the Paleologs.

Books about Sophia Paleolog

1892, Pirling P. Russia and the East. Royal marriage, Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog

1998, Sofia Paleolog. Women of Russia (miniature edition)

2003, Irina Chizhova. Sofia Paleolog

2004, Arsenyeva E.A. Necklace of Discord. Sophia Paleolog and Grand Duke Ivan III

2005 , Panova T.D. Grand Duchess Sophia Paleolog

2008, Leonardos Georgis. Sophia Palaiologos, from Byzantium to Russia

2014, Gordeeva L.I. Sofia Paleolog. Chronicle of life

2016 , Matasova T.A. Sofia Paleolog. ZhZL 1791

2016, Pavlishcheva N. Sofia Paleolog. The first film novel about the first Russian queen

2017 , Sorotokina N.M. Sofia Paleolog. Crown of Omnipotence

2017, Pirling P. Sofia. Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog. Wisdom and Faithfulness (1892 book reprint)

Movie

2016, series "Sofia" ( the main role- Maria Andreeva)

Most historians agree that the grandmother, Grand Duchess of Moscow Sophia (Zoya) Paleolog played a huge role in the formation of the Moscow kingdom. Many consider her the author of the concept "Moscow - the third Rome". And together with Zoya Palaiolognea, a double-headed eagle appeared. At first, it was the family coat of arms of her dynasty, and then migrated to the coat of arms of all the tsars and Russian emperors.

Childhood and youth

Zoya Palaiologos was born (presumably) in 1455 in Mistra. The daughter of the Despot of Morea, Thomas Palaiologos, was born in a tragic and critical time - the time of the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

After the capture of Constantinople by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II and the death of Emperor Constantine, Thomas Palaiologos fled to Corfu with his wife Catherine of Achaia and their children. From there he moved to Rome, where he was forced to convert to Catholicism. Thomas died in May 1465. His death happened shortly after the death of his wife in the same year. Children, Zoya and her brothers - 5-year-old Manuel and 7-year-old Andrei, moved to Rome after the death of their parents.

The education of orphans was taken up by the Greek scientist, Uniate Vissarion of Nicaea, who served as a cardinal under Pope Sixtus IV (it was he who became the customer of the famous Sistine Chapel). In Rome, the Greek princess Zoe Palaiologos and her brothers were brought up in the Catholic faith. The cardinal took care of the maintenance of the children and their education.

It is known that Bessarion of Nicaea, with the permission of the pope, paid for the modest court of the young Palaiologos, which included servants, a doctor, two professors of Latin and Greek, translators and priests. Sophia Paleolog received a fairly solid education for those times.

Grand Duchess of Moscow

When Sophia came of age, the Venetian Signoria took care of her marriage. To take a noble girl as a wife was first offered to the King of Cyprus, Jacques II de Lusignan. But he refused this marriage, fearing a conflict with ottoman empire. A year later, in 1467, Cardinal Vissarion, at the request of Pope Paul II, offered the hand of a noble Byzantine beauty to the prince and Italian nobleman Caracciolo. A solemn betrothal took place, but for unknown reasons, the marriage was canceled.

There is a version that Sophia secretly communicated with the Athonite elders and adhered to Orthodox faith. She herself made efforts not to marry a non-Christian, frustrating all marriages offered to her.

In the turning point for the life of Sophia Paleolog in 1467, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Maria Borisovna, died. In this marriage, the only son was born. Pope Paul II, counting on the spread of Catholicism to Moscow, offered the widowed sovereign of all Russia to marry his ward.

After 3 years of negotiations, Ivan III, having asked for advice from his mother, Metropolitan Philip and the boyars, decided to marry. It is noteworthy that the papal negotiators prudently kept silent about the transition of Sophia Paleolog to Catholicism. Moreover, they reported that the proposed wife of Paleologne is an Orthodox Christian. They didn't even know it was true.

In June 1472, in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, Ivan III and Sophia Palaiologos were betrothed in absentia. After that, the convoy of the bride left Rome for Moscow. The bride was accompanied by the same Cardinal Wisssarion.

Bologna chroniclers described Sophia as a rather attractive person. She looked 24 years old, she had snow-white skin and incredibly beautiful and expressive eyes. Her height was no higher than 160 cm. The future wife of the Russian sovereign had a dense physique.

There is a version that in the dowry of Sophia Paleolog, in addition to clothes and jewelry, there were many valuable books that later formed the basis of the mysteriously disappeared library of Ivan the Terrible. Among them were treatises and unknown poems.

At the end of a long route that ran through Germany and Poland, the Roman escorts of Sophia Palaiologos realized that their desire, through the marriage of Ivan III to Palaiologos, to spread (or at least bring closer) Catholicism to Orthodoxy was defeated. Zoya, who had barely left Rome, showed her firm intention to return to the faith of her ancestors - Christianity. The wedding took place in Moscow on November 12, 1472. The ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral.

The main achievement of Sophia Paleolog, which turned into a huge boon for Russia, is considered to be her influence on her husband's decision to refuse to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. Thanks to his wife, Ivan the Third finally dared to throw off the centuries-old Tatar-Mongol yoke, although the local princes and the elite offered to continue paying dues in order to avoid bloodshed.

Personal life

Apparently, the personal life of Sophia Paleolog with Grand Duke Ivan III was successful. In this marriage, considerable offspring were born - 5 sons and 4 daughters. But it is difficult to call the existence of the new Grand Duchess Sophia in Moscow cloudless. The boyars saw the enormous influence that the wife had on her husband. Many people didn't like it.

Rumor has it that the princess had a bad relationship with the heir, born in the previous marriage of Ivan III, Ivan the Young. Moreover, there is a version that Sophia was involved in the poisoning of Ivan Molodoy and the further removal of his wife Elena Voloshanka and son Dmitry from power.

Be that as it may, Sophia Paleolog had a huge impact on the entire subsequent history of Russia, on its culture and architecture. She was the mother of the heir to the throne and grandmother of Ivan the Terrible. According to some reports, the grandson had a considerable resemblance to his wise Byzantine grandmother.

Death

Sophia Paleolog, Grand Duchess of Moscow, died on April 7, 1503. Husband, Ivan III, survived his wife only 2 years.

Sophia was buried next to the previous wife of Ivan III in the sarcophagus of the tomb of the Ascension Cathedral. The cathedral was destroyed in 1929. But the remains of the women of the royal house survived - they were transferred to the underground chamber of the Archangel Cathedral.