Was Ivan stalling for time because it was working for him? Clerk. Artist K

Although in the second half of the reign of Ivan III a profound social revolution took place, which was supposed to promote the class of the middle aristocracy (nobility), the government and central administration bodies were still in the hands of the boyars. However, serious changes took place among this social class. Along with the ancient families of the Moscow boyars, the throne was now surrounded by serving princes. Some were descendants of Rurik, others - Gediminas.

Soon, two aristocratic groups - serving princes and untitled boyars - merged, forming a single ruling group, generally called the boyars. The process of regulating relations between them did not always proceed smoothly, since some representatives of the ancient boyar families did not want to give in to the newcomers and continued to demand senior positions in the army and government bodies. In 1500, during the Lithuanian campaign, boyar Yuri Zakharyevich Koshkin refused to take command of the guard regiment when Prince Danila Shchenya (descendant of Gediminas) was appointed commander of the main regiment. Koshkin stated that it was not proper for him to obey Shcheni - “to protect Prince Danilo,” as he put it. Ivan III replied that Koshkin should not guard Prince Danilo, but the Grand Duke himself (in other words, that every military leader serves the state, and not his immediate superior). Koshkin in this case obeyed the order of the Grand Duke, but in general Ivan III failed to destroy aristocratic traditions in the army and government. Eventually it was developed a complex system ranks and the corresponding table of seniority of princely and boyar families. The system began to be called localism (literally “order of places”), and both the Grand Duke and the boyars were forced to recognize the legality of the system.

The boyars, together with the Grand Duke, ruled Russia through the State Council, known in modern historiography as the Boyar Duma. The members of this body were appointed by the Grand Duke from the leading princely and boyar families, and in his choice he was bound by tradition. As we know, in 1471, when preparing for the campaign against Novgorod, the Grand Duke consulted with both the boyars and the nobility. This collection can be seen as a prototype of the Zemsky Sobor, introduced by the grandson of Ivan III, Ivan IV the Terrible. During the reign of Ivan III, such an experiment, as far as we know, was not repeated. The boyars were still powerful, the nobility was not strong enough.

Unable to introduce a permanent noble council to counterbalance the influence of the boyar duma, Ivan III used other means to control the boyar administration. He relied more and more on dyaks (secretaries of state), usually chosen from people of humble origins. Some of them, such as Fyodor Kuritsyn, were learned men, many received a good education by Russian standards of the time. The Grand Duke could appoint and remove a clerk without consulting the boyar Duma; The success of the clerk in his service thus depended on his own abilities and loyalty to the Grand Duke. Most of the clerks were very gifted people, and some can truly be called outstanding statesmen. They served as secretaries of both the Grand Duke and the Boyar Duma, and under Ivan III, Duma clerks were recognized as full members of the Duma. They were usually entrusted with the management of the grand ducal treasury and the order of foreign affairs, and also, as can be seen from the Code of Laws of 1497 (Article 1), they participated in the activities of the supreme court.

The Boyar Duma was the highest government body of Great Russia. She served as a legislative council and oversaw both domestic and foreign affairs, as well as dealing with issues related to the leadership of the army. Grand Duke presided over meetings of the Duma when he considered it necessary, usually if important decisions were to be approved and promulgated. Ordinary meetings were led by one of the boyars, called the First Councilor. We can call him chairman and head of the Duma. For most of Ivan’s reign, until 1499, this post was held by Prince Ivan Yuryevich Patrikeev.

We would be mistaken if we believed that the boyars thought only about their class interests. The Moscow boyars were the most important factor in the construction of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Now they, together with the serving princes, turned it into the Great Russian State. The boyars wholeheartedly supported the Grand Duke in his policy of unification. They also proved willing to cooperate with the Grand Duke in increasing the noble militia and supplying the nobility with land as long as their rights to their own lands were not affected.

No matter how significant the land fund received from Novgorod may seem, it was not enough for the full implementation of the local plan. In addition, the entire Novgorod land fund was located in one region, Northern Rus'. It could serve as a base for protecting the Novgorod and Pskov regions from the Baltic Germans and Swedes. However, other potential theaters of war - Lithuanian in the west and Tatar in the south and southeast - also required attention. A more proportional distribution of manorial landholdings throughout Great Russia was necessary in order to ensure the readiness of the noble army, if necessary. Thus, more land was required for the nobility in the central part of Great Russia, as well as in its western and southeastern border regions.

The success of the secularization of church and monastic lands in the Novgorod region inspired Ivan and his advisers to consider the possibility of secularizing at least part of the church lands in the main territory of the Grand Duchy of Moscow itself.

It should be noted that during the reign of Ivan III, the Church of Muscovy, although it became independent from the Patriarch of Constantinople and became the national Russian Church, was unable to clearly define its relationship with the growing Russian state. The Grand Duke of Moscow was considered her protector. Moreover, in many cases, and especially when choosing a metropolitan, Ivan III behaved as the head of the church administration. The metropolitan was elected by the episcopal council, but with the approval of the Grand Duke. On one occasion (in the case of Metropolitan Simon, 1494) Ivan solemnly conducted the newly consecrated prelate to the metropolitan see in the Assumption Cathedral, thus emphasizing the prerogatives of the Grand Duke.

Taking into account the large role of Ivan III in the leadership of the Russian Church, the achievement of at least partial secularization of church lands in Muscovy seemed quite likely. Of great importance was also the fact that the right of monasteries to own land and other wealth was questioned on moral and religious grounds by a whole group of priests themselves. The most famous in this group were the so-called Trans-Volga elders, who represented the mystical current of thought in Russian Orthodoxy of that period. They were influenced by the teachings of the prominent 14th-century Byzantine theologian St. Gregory Palamas and his followers.

The problem of church lands was widely discussed by the laity and clergy. Many laymen, including some boyars, approved of the activities of the Trans-Volga elders, aimed at the spiritual revival and cleansing of the church. Ivan Patrikeev's son Vasily, tonsured a monk in 1499, became a famous elder under the name of Vassian. It is possible that the entire Patrikeev family sympathized with this trend.

The right of monasteries to own land was also called into question by another religious movement, which actually denied the entire institution of the Orthodox Church: the “heresy of the Judaizers.” It was started by the learned Jew (possibly Karaite) Zechariah, who appeared in Novgorod in 1470. There were several branches of this heresy, ranging from Karaism to the rationalistic denial of church dogmas and rituals. Several senior officials in Moscow, including clerk Fyodor Kuritsyn, secretly supported it movement.

It is unlikely that Ivan III personally sympathized with heresy for religious reasons. But he undoubtedly considered at least one of its principles useful for his policy - the denial of the church's right to own land. As a defender Orthodox Church Ivan III was not able to openly support the activities of this movement. Moreover, according to the generally accepted concepts of the time, he had to suppress it with cruel measures. In 1375, the Novgorod government did not hesitate to apply capital punishment to three leaders of an earlier heretical movement, the so-called Strigolniki. Ivan III, on the contrary, avoided taking drastic measures against heretics as long as possible.

Apparently, Archbishop Gennady of Novgorod learned about the existence of this heresy in the late 70s. XV century. However, it was only in 1487, having gathered more information, that he took two priests and two clerks into custody, accusing them of blasphemy. He sent all four to Moscow, asking the Grand Duke and Metropolitan to punish them. In Moscow, three defendants were found guilty of blasphemy of holy icons, and one was acquitted. In general, the question of heresy was not raised. In 1488, three (two priests and one clerk) were punished with a whip, and then all four were sent back to Novgorod. Gennady was ordered to conduct further investigation, but at the same time he was prohibited from torturing suspects or making false accusations. There was no order for an investigation into the spread of heresy in Moscow. On September 26, 1490, the monk Zosima, suspected of secret sympathy for heresy, was ordained to the rank of Metropolitan of Moscow. On the other hand, under pressure from Archbishop Gennady and other conservative priests who demanded harsh measures, a cathedral (church council) was convened in Moscow to discuss measures to stop the further spread of heresy.

The council interrogated several more Novgorod priests and clerks accused by Archbishop Gennady during the investigation. Ivan III himself did not participate in the meetings and sent three boyars (including Prince Patrikeev) and one clerk to represent the grand ducal power. All the accused were found guilty, and the priests were defrocked. All were sentenced to corporal punishment and sent back to Novgorod to carry out the sentence. In Moscow itself at this time, none of the adherents of this movement were either captured or interrogated.

Gennady and his followers were not satisfied with such half-hearted measures and organized the persecution of Metropolitan Zosima, accusing him not only of heretical views, but also of drunkenness. In 1494, Ivan III allowed Zosima to quietly leave his post, and then, as already mentioned, appointed him as Simon's successor. Simon was a convinced Orthodox Christian, but a timid man, ready to obey the orders of Ivan III. Everyone understood that the fundamentally tolerant attitude towards heresy would not change as long as Ivan III was in power.

October 27, 2005 marks 500 years since the death of the Grand Duke of Moscow and All Rus' John III, the sovereign who completed the unification of the Russian principalities into a single Russian state, reports Sedmitsa.Ru.

Consolidation of Russian lands under the political power of the Moscow sovereigns and the Russian Church

The dispute between two ascetic movements could benefit monasticism if both sides drew the correct conclusions from it and recognized that the issues of ascetic care of monks and the organization of monastic life in general are a purely church matter. Although during this dispute it turned out that ascetic views are closely connected with the state and political life of the country - we mean the question of monastic possessions - both the Josephites and the non-possessors could find a middle path and thereby eliminate monasticism from life Negative consequences dispute if they had shown moderation, which is precisely what monastic humility demanded of them. However, this did not happen - not because of the excessive zeal of the Josephites or because of the stubbornness of non-covetous people, but because both of these directions were involved in a powerful flow of state-political opinions, ideologies and ideas that literally flooded the Muscovite state in the 16th century. Apparently, it was no coincidence that a dispute about the foundations of asceticism broke out at a time when the Muscovite kingdom entered a decisive period in its history.

The entire history of monasticism, both in the East and in the West, speaks of how difficult it is to separate the monastery from the outside world and, if monks have to fulfill their obedience in the world, how difficult it is to protect monasticism from secularization. Great church and political events destroy the monastery fence and draw monasticism into the flow of worldly life. Iconoclasm in Byzantium, the Cluniac movement in the West, and the Crusades serve as good confirmation of this pattern.

The events that took place in the Moscow state were fateful and impressive both for contemporaries, Josephites and non-covetous people, and for the next generation. The religious and political views of people of that era, especially those from the circle of educated people - and this circle drew its spiritual strength exclusively from monasticism - were literally shocked by these events. Historians, and especially church historians, often schematize the way of thinking and actions of people of the past; later generations sometimes simply do not understand the ideas that people lived then, if they cannot mentally transport themselves to the situation of that era, to understand the religious views of the past. The worldview of the Russian people at that time was thoroughly religious; all events in church and state-political life were considered, weighed and assessed from a religious point of view. The way of thinking, the nature of reasoning was decisively different from the modern one. People were then for the most part similar to believing children, but with the passions of adults; these were Christians who knew how to see examples of true Christian perfection, but did not know how to find the path to it themselves. To understand the psychological background of the era, we need to remember once again character traits Russian people of the beginning of the 16th century: “Then they thought not in ideas, but in images, symbols, rituals, legends, that is, ideas developed not into logical combinations, but into symbolic actions or alleged facts, for which they sought justification in history. They turned to the past not to explain the phenomena of the present, but to justify current interests, and looked for examples for their own claims.”

Great national Russian and world political events unfolded before the eyes of the Russian people. Until recently, the Moscow Principality was just a piece of land between the endless forests of the Russian Plain. But this piece of land was constantly expanding at the expense of other appanage principalities; The Moscow principality grew territorially, politically and economically. The consolidation of the Russian principalities under the rule of the Moscow prince, the “gatherer of the Russian land,” was the result of skillful politics, on the one hand, and the growth of national self-awareness, on the other. “The completion of the territorial gathering of North-Eastern Rus' by Moscow turned the Moscow principality into a national Great Russian state,” says Klyuchevsky.

2. Church and political ideas in Moscow in the second half of the 15th and early 16th centuries

These events naturally left their mark on the lives of people of that era. We must not forget that in the process of gathering the Russian land, the church hierarchy played a very important role. Russian metropolitans, mainly Theognostus (1328-1353), Peter (1308-1325), Alexy (1354-1378), Gerontius (1473-1489), always very zealously supported the policy of “gatherers of the Russian land.” This policy of the church hierarchy already contained the prerequisites for the formation of such relations between the state and the Church, which corresponded to the ideas of Joseph Volotsky and his supporters. Monks had participated in similar policies before, before Joseph Volotsky. Strict ascetic, St. Sergius of Radonezh acted in the same spirit outside the monastery walls. He did not participate in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380), which ended in victory over the Tatars, but he blessed the Grand Duke for this battle.

The Church, however, not only supported and blessed the Grand Duke, but often she herself was forced to seek help from the state authorities. This was especially evident in 1439, when the Russian Church and Russian religious consciousness had to determine their attitude towards the Council of Florence. The actions of the Russian Metropolitan Isidore (1437-1441), who participated in the Council and recognized the union, encountered decisive resistance in Moscow from Grand Duke Vasily (1425-1462) and the Russian clergy. The distrust of the Greeks that already existed in Moscow intensified after the Union of Florence, and the firmness shown by the Grand Duke in defending Orthodox teaching was not only recognized and approved by church circles, but also showed them that state power was willing and able to serve Christian goals. This event was an extremely important manifestation of Russian religious consciousness, which subsequent generations were able to appreciate. “The significance of the Union of Florence for Russian history cannot be overestimated. It was a harbinger of the inclusion of Rus' in pan-European politics in the 2nd half of the 15th century. At the same time, the union and the assessment of its significance became the basis for religious journalism to discuss the growing power of Moscow.” The Union of Florence had great importance for the development of Russian religious journalism of the 15th-16th centuries, as well as to determine Moscow’s attitude towards Byzantium and the Greek Church. When, two decades after the union, Constantinople, the second Rome, fell under the onslaught of the “godless” Turks (1453), Christians in Moscow saw this event as punishment for an alliance with the “heretic Latins.” In the eyes of the Russians, the religious authority of Greek Orthodoxy fell completely.

Meanwhile, events took place in Moscow that fit well into this atmosphere of mental ferment and aggravation of religious sentiments, passions and opinions. The state-political development of Moscow, the transformation of small principalities into a single kingdom with a vast territory, as already said, made a strong impression on contemporaries. But “it was not the number of new spaces that was important,” notes Klyuchevsky. “In Moscow they felt that a great long-standing work was being completed, deeply concerning the internal structure of zemstvo life... Feeling themselves in a new position, but not yet clearly realizing the new meaning, Moscow state power gropingly searched at home and on the side for forms that would correspond to this situation, and, having already taken on these forms, tried to use them to understand its new meaning. From this side, certain diplomatic formalities and new court ceremonies that appeared during the reign of Ivan III are of no small historical interest.”

This is how the state-philosophical idea arose that the Moscow Grand Duke, through marriage with a princess from the Byzantine imperial house, became the heir of the Byzantine emperors. Yes, the great Christian Orthodox kingdom in the Bosporus was destroyed by the godless Mohammedans, but this conquest will not be long, much less eternal. “But you understand, wretched one,” the author of “The Tale of the Capture of Constantinople” exclaims pathetically, “... the Russian family with the first creators of all Ishmael will defeat, and Sedmokholmago (i.e. Constantinople. - I.S.) will be accepted with first his lawful ones, and they will reign in him.” This belief that the Moscow sovereign became the heir of the Byzantine kings was reflected in the new court ceremonial in the palace of Ivan III in the Moscow Kremlin, which henceforth repeated the Byzantine ceremony, and in the new state coat of arms with the Byzantine double-headed eagle. After the Tatar yoke was thrown off (1480), the Moscow Grand Duke felt and called himself not only an autocrat, but also “the sovereign of all Rus',” and even “the king of God’s grace.” Grand dukes were sometimes called “tsars” before, but this was only a pathetic phrase, but now this title, in the opinion of the Russian people, has become a reflection of the actual state of affairs. Russian political and church journalism will develop this topic for decades and as a result will create a grandiose worldview. These ideas were born not from political claims, but mainly from religious quests, from the Christian faith, they were born as a response to the spiritual upheaval that was caused by the mentioned historical events. For Russian society of that time these were not historical facts, but religious and historical events, which is why they were perceived with such excitement and were subjected to such intense discussion from a religious point of view.

Particular attention should be paid to the fact that religiously colored journalism speaks both about the rights and responsibilities of the Orthodox Tsar. This feature of the royal power was emphasized by representatives of the church hierarchy and monasticism at the time when they turned to the Grand Duke for help in the fight against the Novgorod heretics - the Judaizers. For the Josephites, the religious rights and duties of an Orthodox king flow from his godlike nature. “The king is similar in nature to all mankind,” says Joseph Volotsky, “but in power he is similar to the Most High God.”

The idea of ​​the religious duties of the tsar, which was deeply and for a long time rooted in the views of the Josephites, was also expressed by Archbishop Theodosius of Novgorod. He was the compiler of three messages to Ivan IV (1545-1547). These same views were shared, of course, by Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow (1542-1563), “one of the greatest personalities in the history of the Russian Church,” “the most famous of all our metropolitans of the 16th century.” His views were formed not only under the influence of the events of the era, but also - mainly - in consonance with his own life experience and with the ideas of Joseph and Josephiteness. Macarius' Josephite views were also reflected in his archpastoral service. In connection with measures to correct monastic life in the Novgorod diocese, in 1526 he turned not to the church authorities - the Moscow Metropolitan, but directly to the Grand Duke, from whom he asked permission to change the monastery charter and to introduce a hostel. His message to Grand Duke Vasily III is completely in the Josephite spirit and reflects the idea of ​​​​an Orthodox king: “For the sake of God, sir, and the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle workers, strive and provide for the Divine churches and honest monasteries, for the sake of God, sir, from the highest right hand of God You have been appointed autocrat and sovereign of all Russia, God has chosen you, sovereign, in Himself as a place on earth and placed you on His throne, entrusting you with mercy and the life of all great Orthodoxy.” This was an expression of the views of representatives of the church hierarchy on the religious duties of the king, on his attitude to the Church, and even on his place in the Church.

The political events mentioned above contributed to the development and written presentation of these views. For that era, this was not a fabricated ideology, but a logical conclusion from the church-political situation that had developed in the Moscow state. The long ecclesiastical relationship with Byzantium could and should have borne fruit, and when Byzantium suffered a terrible catastrophe, a new power was to take its place at the center of the Orthodox world. But for the Moscow autocrats, church-religious justification alone was not enough; they also tried to justify their power in political and legal language, to root it in tradition, in “old times.”

These state-political views developed in parallel with the activities of the “Moscow collectors” and the political flourishing of Moscow. Klyuchevsky gave brief description this ideological construct and its content: “Moscow politicians of the early 16th century. It was not enough to have a marriage relationship with Byzantium (that is, with Princess Sophia Paleologus - I.S.), I wanted to become related by blood, moreover, with the very root or world model of supreme power - with Rome itself. In the Moscow chronicle of that century, a new genealogy of Russian princes appears, leading their family directly from the Roman Emperor. Apparently, at the beginning of the 16th century. there was a legend that Augustus, Caesar of Rome, owner of the entire universe, when he began to grow weak, divided the universe between his brothers and relatives and planted his brother Prus on the banks of the Vistula River along the river called Neman, which to this day the Prussian land is called by his name, “and from Prus the fourteenth tribe is the great sovereign Rurik.” Moscow diplomacy made practical use of this legend: in 1563, the boyars of Tsar Ivan, justifying his royal title in negotiations with Polish ambassadors, cited this same genealogy of the Moscow Rurikovichs with the words of the chronicle... They wanted to illuminate the idea of ​​the Byzantine inheritance with history. Vladimir Monomakh was the son of the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh, who died more than 50 years before his grandson took office in Kiev. In the Moscow chronicle, compiled under Grozny, it is narrated that Vladimir Monomakh, having become a prince in Kiev, sent his governors to Constantinople to fight this same Greek king Constantine Monomakh, who, in order to stop the war, sent to Kiev with the Greek metropolitan the Cross from the Life-Giving Tree and the royal crown from his head, that is, Monomakh's cap, with a carnelian cup, from which Augustus, the king of Rome, rejoiced, and with a golden chain... Vladimir was crowned with this crown and began to be called Monomakh, the divinely crowned king of all Rus'. “From there,” the story ends, “all the great princes of Vladimir are crowned with that royal crown...” ...The main idea of ​​the legend: the significance of the Moscow sovereigns as church-political successors of the Byzantine kings is based on the joint rule of the Greek and Russian kings established under Vladimir Monomakh -autocrats over the entire Orthodox world."

Local cathedral of 1503 (cathedral of widow priests)

About the Cathedral

The Council of 1503, also known as the “Cathedral of the Widowed Priests,” is a council of the Russian Orthodox Church that was held in Moscow in August - September 1503. The task of the council was to resolve a number of disciplinary issues, in relation to which two decisions were made. However, it remained more in memory as a council at which the issue of monastic land ownership was decided.

Conciliar resolution on non-collection of bribes for ordination from clergy.

(Quoted from “Acts collected in the libraries and archives of the Russian Empire by the archaeographic expedition of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.” Volume I" St. Petersburg. 1836 Pages 484-485)

We are John, by the grace of God the Sovereign of All Russia and the Grand Duke, and my son Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich of all Russia, having spoken with Simon Metropolitan of All Russia, and with Archbishop Gennady of Veliky Novgorod and Pskov, and with Nifont with the Bishop of Suzdal and Toru, and with Protasius the Bishop Ryazan and Murom, and with Vasyan Bishop of Tfer, and with Nikon Bishop of Kolomensky, and with Trifon Bishop of Sarsky and Poddonsky, and with Nikon Bishop of Perm and Vologda, and with archimandrites, and with abbots, and with all the holy cathedral oh, and according to the Rule of Saints Apostle and holy Father, which is written in the Rule of Saints Apostle and holy Father, from being appointed a saint, from Archbishops and Bishops, and from archimandrites, and from abbots, and from priests, and from deacons, and from the entire priestly rank, do not have anything, and they laid it down and strengthened it: that from this time forward to us the saint, to me the Metropolitan and to us the Archbishop and Bishop, or whoever other Metropolitans and Archbishops and Bishops in all the Russian lands on those tables after us will be holy from the installation patron of the Archbishops and Episcopes, Archimandrites and abbots, and priests and deacons, and from the entire priestly rank, do not owe anything to anyone, nor should we receive anything from the ordination to anyone; Likewise, from the issued letters, the printer from the seal and the clerk from the signature, do not receive anything, and all our duty officers, my metropolitans and our archbishops and bishops, do not receive anything from the issuance of duties; Such a saint, the Metropolitan and to us with the Archicup and the ESCUPUP, among the Archimandrites and the Igumen, and Popov, and Diakonov, from the sacred land and the churches of the Imati, but the reign of the rank of priestly and without any gift and without him let go; and according to the Rule of the Saints, the Apostle and Saints, the Father ordained priests and deacons for us, a deacon for 25 years, and for priests for 30 years, and below those years neither a priest nor a deacon is appointed for certain affairs, but for clerks for 20 years, and below 2 0 years do not make clerks; and which saint from us and after us, Metropolitan, Archbishop, or Bishop, in all Russian lands, from this day forward, some with negligence dare to transgress the law and strengthening and take what from the installation or from the place of the priesthood whom, let him be deprived of his dignity, according to By the rule of the saints, the Apostle and the saints Father, let himself and those appointed from him be cast out, without any answer.

And for the further confirmation of this regulation and strengthening, we John, by the grace of God, the Sovereign of All Russia and the Grand Duke, and my son, the Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich of All Russia, have attached our seals to this document; and our father Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, put his hand to this document and attached his seal; and the Archbishop and Bishops put their hands to this document. And written in Moscow, summer 7011 August on the sixth day.

I am the humble Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, with the Archbishop and the Bishops, and with the Archimandrites, and with the Abbots, and with the entire sacred cathedral, having searched according to the Rule of the saints the Apostle and the saints the Father, dividing the fortresses, so that the matter ahead with us and after us will not it was destructible , he put his hand to this document and attached his seal.

The humble Archbishop of Veliky Novgorod and Pskov Gennady put his hand to this letter.

The humble Bishop Niphon of Suzdal and Torus put his hand to this document.

The humble Bishop Protasey of Rezan and Murom put his hand to this document.

The humble Bishop Vasyan of Tver put his hand to this document.

The humble Bishop Nikon of Kolomensky put his hand to this document.

The humble Bishop Tryphon of Sarsk and Poddonsk put his hand to this document.

The humble Bishop Nikon of Perm and Vologda put his hand to this document.

From a modern Manuscript belonging to G. Stroev.
This act is compared with two lists of the 17th century

Conciliar definition on widow priests and deacons and on the prohibition of monks and nuns living in the same monasteries

(Quoted from “Acts collected in the libraries and archives of the Russian Empire by the archaeographic expedition of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.” Volume I" St. Petersburg. 1836 Pages 485-487)

We are John, by God's grace the Sovereign of All Rus' and the Grand Duke, and my son Grand Prince Vasily Ivapovich of all Russia. What our father Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, spoke to us about Saint Dus with his children, with Gennady Archbishop of Veliky Novgorod and Pskov, and with Nifont Bishop of Suzdal and Torus, and with Protasius Bishop of Ryazan and Muromsky, and with Vasian the Bishop Tfersky, and with Nikon Bishop of Kolomna, and with Tryphon Bishop of Sarsky and Poddonsky, and with Nikon Yeniskop of Perm and Vologotsky, and with archimandrites, and with abbots, and with the entire sacred cathedral, they searched for what is in our Orthodox faith There are many Christian Greek laws priests, priests and deacons, widowers, strayed from the truth and, forgetting the fear of God, committed disorder, after

their wives were kept by their concubines, and all the priestly functioned, it was not worthy for them to do it, they were for the sake of lawlessness and nasty deeds: and they searched the council and, according to the Rule of the saints, the Apostle and the holy Father, and according to the teachings of the holy and great Wonderworker Peter, Metropolitan of all Russia, and according to the writing of Photios, Metropolitan of All Russia, laid down and strengthened the priests and deacons of widowers, that, for the sake of lawlessness, from now on we shall not serve as priests and deacons as widowers; and which priests and deacons were caught as concubines and who said to themselves that they had concubines, and brought their letters of commission to the saint, otherwise the priest and deacon would no longer keep concubines with them, but should live in peace other than the church, and on top of that, raise your hair, and wear worldly clothes, and give tribute to them with worldly people, and not act on or touch any priestly affairs; and those widowed priests and deacons, without giving up their appointed positions, let him go somewhere to distant places, taking himself a wife, and call himself a wife, and negligence begin to serve in metropolitan areas, in archbishops or in bishops ъ, and who will be convicted of this, Otherwise, they should be handed over to the city judges. And those priests and deacons are widowers, and there is no word on them about the fall of prodigal, and they themselves said that after their wives they live purely, and they told them that they should stand in churches on wings and receive communion from the priest in the altars in they were guardians, and in their own houses they were kept guards, and as a deacon they should receive communion in the altar, even in the surplices with a surplice, and not serve as either a priest or a widower deacon; and which priests or deacons learn to serve in those places and at those churches, and those priests and deacons who are widowers should not be sent away from the churches, but given priests to serve as widows

as a priest, and as a serving deacon, a widower, the fourth hour in all church income; and those who do not teach those widowed priests and deacons to stand on the wing in the church, but teach them to do worldly things, and therefore do not give the fourth part of the church any share in all church income; and those priests and deacons widowers who, after their wives, live cleanly, but want to dress themselves in monastic attire, and such, thanks to God's fate, go to monasteries and from the spiritual abbot, take tonsure from the abbot and renew themselves about everything with pure repentance to their father spiritually and according to dignity, if they are worthy, then such people, with the blessing of the saint, may serve as priests in monasteries, and not in secular ones. And that in the monasteries monks and monks lived in one place, and abbots served with them, and they laid down that from now on, monks and monks should not live in the same monastery; and in which monasteries teach monks to live, otherwise serve the abbot, and monks not to live in that monastery; and in which monasteries will teach monks to live, otherwise they will serve as priests, but not live as monks in that monastery. And whose priest and deacon will get drunk for days and will not be able to serve him mass the next day.

And for the greater confirmation of this constitution and strengthening, we John, by the grace of God, the Sovereign of All Russia and the Grand Duke, and my son, the Grand Prince Vasily Ivanovich of All Russia, have attached our seals to this document; and our father Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, put his hand to this document and attached his seal; and the Archbishop and Bishops put their hands to this document. And it was written in Moscow, about 7000, September 2nd.

Yaz Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, put his hand to this document and attached his seal.

Language of the humble Genady, Archi e piskop V e face O of Novgorod and Pskov, kb e th gra m I put my hand to it.

Yaz the humble Nifont, Bishop Suzh d Alsky and Torussky, put his hand to this document.

Yaz the humble Protasey, Bishop of Ryazan and Murom, to this letter the hand of St. O I attached.

Yaz the humble Vasian, Bishop of Tfer, put his hand to this document.

Yaz the humble Nikon, Bishop of Kolomna, put his hand to this document.

Yaz the humble Tryphon, Bishop of Sarskaya and Poddonskaya, put his hand to this document.

The humble Nikon, Bishop of Perm and Vologda, put his hand to this document.

This Council definition was copied from a modern manuscript belonging to G. Stroev, and verified with two copies of the century.

Certificate of Metropolitan Simon in Pskov

(Quoted from “Acts collected in the libraries and archives of the Russian Empire by the archaeographic expedition of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.” Volume I" St. Petersburg. 1836 Pages 487-488)

Blessing of Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, on the Holy Spirit of the lord and son of our humility, the noble and faithful Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia and his son, the noble and faithful Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich of All Russia to the Viceroy of Pskov son-in-law Dmitry Volodimerovich, and all the mayor of Pskov, and the Holy Cathedral Trinity, and to the Cathedral of St. Sophia, and to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, and to all the priests and all the people of the Lord named after Christ. I am writing to you, my sons, about these that I am here, speaking with my master and son with the Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia and with his son with the Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich of All Russia and about Saint Dus with his children, with Gennady ъ Archbishop of the Great Novgorod and Pskov and with all the Bishops of Russia of our metropolis, with archimandrites and abbots and with the entire holy cathedral, searched for the fact that in our Orthodox faith of the peasant Greek law, many priests, priests and deacons, widowers, have lost their way from the truth and , forgetting the fear of God , they did disorderly things, after their wives they kept concubines, and the whole priestly acted, it is not worthy for them to do this, they were for the sake of disorderliness and bad deeds; and we searched the cathedral about this and, according to the teachings of the great holy Wonderworker Peter Metropolitan of All Russia and according to the writings of Photius Metropolitan of All Russia, we laid it down and strengthened it about priests and about deacons, about widows, that of that outrage from this time forward. pom and Do not serve as a deacon to a widower for everyone; and which priests and deacons were convicted of having concubines and who said to themselves that they had concubines, and brought their letters of commission to the saint, but the priest and deacon before them did not keep concubines at all, but lived in the world other than the church , and above all, grow their hair, and wear worldly clothes, and give tribute to them with worldly people, and in no way do they act or touch priestly affairs; and which of those widowed priests and deacons, without giving up their appointed ones, but go somewhere to a distant place, taking with him a wife, and call her his wife, and negligence begin to serve, in the metropolis, in the archdioceses or in the bishops ъ, and which in some will be convicted, others will be brought before the city judges; and who are priests: and deacons, widowers, and there are no words on them about the fall of prodigal, and they themselves said that after that they live purely, and we laid down a council about them that they should stand in churches on the wings and receive communion with priests the altars wear a patrakhil and they also keep a patrakhil in their houses; and as a deacon to receive communion at the altar in the surplice with ularis, and not serve as either a priest, or a deacon, or a widower; and which priests and deacons in their place will learn to serve in those churches, and those priests and deacons should not send widowers away from the churches, but give the priest and deacon to the service widower a quarter of all church income; and whoever, in those priests and deacons in the church, will not stand on the krylos, but will take care of worldly affairs, and thus will not be given a quarter of the church income. And who is the Popov and Dіyakonov, the Vdovtsov, who live their wives by afterwards, but they will want to do the same to themselves, and such, thanks to the god of court, depart and from the abbot of the spiritual from the abbot, and, upholding about everything honestly, repentant spiritually, and according to dignity, if the essence is worthy, and then such a one, with the blessing of the saint, may serve as a priest in monasteries, and not in secular ones. And that in the monasteries, monks and monks lived in one place, and abbots served with them, and we laid down that from now on, monks and monks should not live in the same place in a monastery; and in which monastery monks will learn to live, otherwise they will serve as priests of Belts, but not live as monks in that monastery; and whose priest and deacon will get drunk for days, otherwise you won’t serve him the next day. And so that from this time forward in Pskov and throughout the entire Pskov land all priests, priests and deacons, widowers, do not serve; and it would be about everything, about priests and about deacons, and about widowers, and about monasteries, because as it is written in this letter of mine; and I bless you.

Written on July 7012 on the 15th day.

And this letter lay before the mayors of Pskov and the priests at the bench, Augustus on the 11th day.

From the Pskov Chronicle (іn F, l. 299-301), located,
Arkhangelsk Province, in the archives of the Kholmogorovsky Cathedral under No. 33.

"The Word Is Different"

(Quoted from Begunov Yu. K. “The Word is Different” - a newly discovered work of Russian journalism of the 16th century about the struggle of Ivan III against the land ownership of the church // Proceedings of the department of ancient Russian literature. - M., L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1964. - Volume XX. - pp. 351-364.)

This word is different, and not from the book.

At the same time, in the delight of the great prince Ivan Vasilyevich, the metropolitan and all the rulers and all the monasteries took the villages and united them all to their own. Please provide the Metropolitan and the rulers and all the monasteries with money from your treasury and with bread from your granaries.

He calls upon the Metropolitan and all the bishops and archimandrites and abbots, and the council reveals his thoughts to them and everyone obeys him, fearing that their power will fall away.

The Great Prince calls upon hegumen Serapion of the Trinity Sergius Monastery, and he will give the villages of the Sergius Monastery to that one. Serapion, abbot of the Trinity, comes to the cathedral and says to the Grand Duke: “I came to the life-giving Trinity in the Sergius monastery and sat down in the monastery without giving in, only having a staff and a mantle.”

Nil, a monk from Belaozero, with a lofty life of the second word, and Denis, a monk of Kamensky, come to the Grand Duke, and they say to the Grand Duke: “It is not worthy for a monk to have a village.” Vasily Borisov, the boyar of the Tfer lands, and the children of the Grand Duke were also attached to this: and the Great Prince Vasily, Prince Dmitry Ugletsky, was attached to the advice of his father. And the diyaks were introduced according to the Grand Duke’s verb: “It is not worthy for a monk to have a village.” Prince George is all-blessed about these verbs.

Serapion, abbot of the Trinity, comes to the Metropolitan Simon and says to him: “O sacred head! I am a beggar against the Grand Duke. You don’t say anything about these things.” The Metropolitan responded to Serapion, the abbot: “Send Denis the monk away from you, I am with you in one word.” Serapion said to the Metropolitan: “You are the head of us all, are you the one who fights this?”

The same metropolitan gathered with archbishops and bishops, and archimandrites, and abbots and came with everyone to say to the Grand Duke: “For I do not give up the villages of the most pure church, they were owned by the former metropolitans and miracle workers Peter and Alexei. Likewise, my brethren, archbishops and bishops, and archimandrites, and abbots, do not give up church villages.”

The same saying goes to Metropolitan Genady, Archbishop of Nougorodtsk: “Why don’t you say anything against the Grand Duke? You are so talkative with us. Nowadays you don’t say anything? Gennady answered: “You are saying, because I was robbed before this.”

Gennady began to speak against the Grand Duke about church lands. The great prince stopped his mouth with many barks, knowing his passion for money. The great prince, leaving everything behind, said: “All this is done by Serapion, abbot of the Trinity.”

After these there is a volost called Ilemna, and some of these people, for the sake of evil, living near that volost, spoke to the Grand Duke, saying: “Conan the monk has overthrown the earthly boundary and is yelling at your land, the Grand Duke.” The great prince soon ordered the rabble to be presented to his court. Testing the monk a little, he sent him to the market and led him to beat him with a whip. And Abbot Serapion ordered the week worker to take 30 rubles. And he calls on the cellarer Vasian and, with rebuke, orders all the villages of the monastery to bring their letters to him. Vasyan’s cellarer calls for the week’s workers and says to them: “Take, brothers, the money that the great prince commands.” And not a single one of them stretched out their hands for money, saying: “Don’t let us stretch out our hands for the silver of the Sergius Monastery, lest we accept the leprosy of Ogeze.” Serapion, the abbot, enters the Church of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ and sends cellarer Vasyan to the monastery and commands him to become an old elder with letters, which do not come from cells. Let the priests and remaining brethren not leave the church, as they await the race of Sergius the Wonderworker day and night. The old elders moved, some on horses, some on chariots, some on carriers. On the same night, the elders moved out of the monastery, and a visitation from God came to the Grand Duke Autocrat: it took away his arm and leg and eye. At midnight he sends abbot Serapion and the elders, asking for forgiveness, and sends alms to the brethren. Serapio And the abbot and his brothers returned to their monastery, like some warriors of the fortress, returning from the brigade, giving glory to God, who humbled the great prince of the autocrat.”

Council response 1503

The meeting was about the lands of the church, saints, and monasteries. Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, and with the entire sacred gathering, sent this first message to the Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia with the clerk and Levash.

Speak to Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia from Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia and from the entire consecrated cathedral to clerk Levash.

Your father, sir, Simon Metropolitan of All Russia and the archbishops and bishops and the entire consecrated council say that from the first pious and holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, and after him, under the pious kings reigning in the city of Constantine, saints and monasteries, cities and authorities and villages and lands trembled. And at all the councils of saints, the father is not forbidden by the saint and the monastery of the lands to tremble. And all the saints, the councils of saints, the father of the saint and the monastery, did not order the immovable acquisitions of the church either to be sold or given away, and this was confirmed by great oaths. It is the same in our Russian countries, under your ancestors of the great princes, under the Grand Duke Vladimer and under his son Grand Duke Yaroslav, even to this place the saints and monasteries held cities and authorities and villages and lands.

And after that, Metropolitan Simon himself with the entire consecrated cathedral was with the Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Rus'. And this list was in front of him.

From Being. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, so that the famine would end. And the whole earth became Pharaoh's and the people enslaved to him from the edge of Egypt to the edge, unless it was the land of the priests, for Joseph did not buy it. Pharaoh himself and the people gave tribute to the priests, and I collected the tribute from the priests and yadyahu, which Pharaoh gave to them. And Joseph gave a commandment to all the people until this day on the land of Egypt: a fifth for Pharaoh, except for the land of the priests, for that would not belong to Pharaoh.

From the Levgite book. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the sons of Israel thus: if a man sanctifies his temple, he is holy to the Lord, let the priest judge him between good and evil. And as the priest performs the act, so be it. If he should consecrate and redeem his temple, he should add five parts of the price of the silver, and so be it to him. If the Lord sanctifies his seed from the fields, let the price be according to his sowing, even as he sows that field, like fifty bushels of barley, thirty pounds of silver. And if he redeems his sanctified field to the Lord, let him add five parts of the price of his silver, and so be it to him. If he does not redeem the field, and gives the field to his friend, and does not redeem her, may the field be a holy praiseworthy field for the past abandonment of the Lord, like the land called by the priest, may their possession be for ever and ever.

[The same - on the field] Chapters of Levgitstia. And the authorities and villages of their cities, their possessions and lessons, and tributes, and duties, will forever be the Levvites, like the courtyard city of the Levvits. Their possession among the children of Israel, and the villages named in their cities, may they not be sold or given away, for their possession is eternal.

From the life of the pious and equal-to-the-apostles great Tsar Kostyantin and his Christ-loving and equal-to-the-apostles mother Elena. The holy and blessed Queen Helena, the mother of the blessed great King Constantine, diligently and kindly and piously arranged this, a multitude of acquisitions for cities and villages, churches, and many other countless acquisitions, and with gold and silver, and stone, and holy beads, decorated icons and sacred vessels. , there is a lot of gold and countless amounts distributed to the churches and the poor. The Holy Patriarch Macarius received many gifts in mail.

[The same] Speech of the blessed Tsar Constantine: Throughout the entire universal church, for the sake of maintenance and fortress, the lordships acquired land, villages and grapes, and lakes, taxes were reduced by the sum. And by divine and our command on the East and on the West, and on southern countries and throughout the entire universe, where Orthodoxy kings and princes and rulers rule under us, the saint rules. And let no lay rank touch church duties, we adjure God and by His divine command and our command we affirm that it will be immutable and observed even until the end of this age.

[The same] All this, even for the sake of the divine and many instructions and the sacred and our scriptures, was established and commanded, even until the end of this world, even throughout the entire universe the church duties given by the saint are not touched and are commanded to remain unshakable. The same before the living God, who commanded us to reign, and before His terrible judgment, for the sake of the Divine and ours, for the sake of this royal instruction, we testify to all our successor, who wants to be king for us, to all the thousand, all the centurion and all the nobles, and to the entire most extensive synclite of the Polata of our kingdom, and to all who have been kings, and princes, and rulers throughout the entire universe, and to all who have been throughout the entire universe, who are now existing and want to be for all eternity, not one of these should change or transform some for the sake of the image, which, by divine and our royal command, is given to the sacred saints of the Roman Church and to all who are under it by the saint throughout the entire universe, so that no one dares to destroy, or touch, or annoy in any way.

If you want to know about these in more detail, let him read the spiritual things of the pious Tsar Constantine and the great and praiseworthy words about him and others about him.

And if there were cities and authorities, and villages, and grapes, and lakes, and duties were not decent, and not beneficial to the Divine Churches, the holy fathers of the 318 first council would not have remained silent, but they would have forbidden Tsar Constantine in every possible way from such a thing. And not only is it not forbidden, but it is also holy to the Lord and praiseworthy and favorable.

And from the first pious king Kostyantin, and after him, during the pious kings reigning in the city of Constantine, the saints and monasteries held cities and villages, and lands and now hold them in those same Orthodox reigning countries. And in all the cathedrals of the holy fathers, the saint and the monastery have not forbidden the holding of villages and lands, and it has not been commanded by all the cathedrals of the holy fathers, the saints and the monastery, to sell or give away church lands. And it was confirmed by great and terrible oaths.

The rule of the Council of Carthage is 32, 33, the Fourth Council is Rule 34, the Fifth Council is the rule against those who offend the Holy Church of God, Justinian's Rule is 14, 15, the same in Sardakia is Rule 14, Justinian's Rule is 30, the Seventh Council is Rule 12, 18. And in Spiridonevo of Trimythia the life is written and in Grigoriev the Theologian’s life is written, and in Chrysostom’s life is written, and in the Besedovnitsa is written; that the villages were church villages is revealed in the life of Saint Savin, the bishop and miracle worker.

The villages also had monasteries in previous years after the Great Anthony. Our venerable and great father Gelasius the Wonderworker had villages, and Athanasius of Athos had villages, and Theodore of Studi had villages, and Saint Simion the New Theologian in his writing reveals that from villages and from vineyards monasteries and laurels are built. And in Rustei, the land of miracle workers Anthony the Great and Theodosius of Pechersk and Varlam of Novograd, and Dionysius and Demetrius of Vologda - all the villages had. So are the saints of Russia like those in Kyiv, and after them Saint Peter the miracle worker and Theognostus, and Alexei the miracle worker - all the cities and authorities and villages had. And Saint Alexei the Wonderworker, Metropolitan of All Russia, created many monasteries, and provided villages with lands and waters. And the blessed Grand Duke Vladimer and his son Grand Duke Yaroslav gave cities and villages to the holy churches with the saint and monastery, even to these places the great princes of Russia gave power and villages, lands, waters, and fisheries to these places of piety and love of Christ. And this is holy to the Lord and acceptable and praiseworthy. And we please and praise and hold this.

Reply of Macarius, Metropolitan of All Russia, from the divine rules of the holy apostles and holy fathers of the seventh council, and local, and the individual of the existing holy fathers, and from the commandments of the holy Orthodox kings, to the pious and Christ-loving and God-crowned Tsar Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich, self-dignified ruler of All Russia, about immovable things given by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings.

Hear and heed, O God-loving and wise one to the king, and having judged royally, choose what is beneficial for the soul and eternal, and the corruptible and fleeting things of this world are of no account, to the king, consider that the essence is beyond transitory, but one virtue and truth endures forever.

From the right pious and equal-to-the-apostles holy king Constantine of Greece and all the pious kings of Greece, and to the last pious king Constantine of Greece, not one of them dared to taunt or move, or take from the holy churches and monasteries given and entrusted to God and the Most Pure Mother of God in inheritance of the eternal blessings of the church estate of immovable things: curtains and loans, and books, and unsold things, villages, fields, lands, grapes, hayfields, forests, sides, waters, lakes, springs, pastures and other things given by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings , fearing condemnation from God and from the holy apostles and holy fathers of the seven assemblies and the local holy fathers and individual beings, terrible and formidable and great for the sake of the commandment. There, with the Holy Spirit, the holy fathers cried out: “If any king or prince, or any other person, in whatever rank, snatches or takes away from the holy churches or from the holy monasteries, entrusted by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings from immovable things, such according to the divine rule from Those who blaspheme are condemned by God, but the Father is under eternal oath from the saints.”

And for this reason, all the Orthodox kings, fearing God and the holy father’s commandments, did not dare to move from the holy churches and from the holy monasteries the immovable things given by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings. And not only did they collect, but the pious kings themselves donated villages and grapes and other immovable things to the holy churches and monasteries as an inheritance of eternal blessings, with the scriptures and with great devotion, and with the golden seals of their kingdom, fearing God and the commandments of the holy and rightful Equal-to-the-Apostles the pious great Tsar Constantine, because he was enlightened and instructed by the Holy Spirit, signing the spiritual commandment with his royal hand and confirming it with terrible and magnificent oaths, placing it in the shrine of the holy Apostle Peter. And there shouted to all that unshakable and immovable being from all the Orthodox kings and from all the princes and nobles throughout the entire universe and until the end of the world.

And only after the blessed Pope Selivester and according to him did he command that all the saints be venerated throughout the entire universe. Because the blessed pope made a sign on the crown of the main tonsure, for his honor for the sake of blessed Peter, he did not want to wear a golden crown. We inscribed the bright Resurrection of the Lord on his main veil, placing our hands on his most sacred head, tremblingly placing the reins of his horse in our hands, for the sake of the honor of Blessed Peter, we bestowed upon him the rank of horseman. We command the same rite and custom to all, like the saint, to always create in their own ways in the likeness of our kingdom, for the sake of this tonsured sign of the supreme hierarchal head. Let no one think that this tonsure is bad and dishonorable, but rather than the earthly kingdom it deserves to be adorned with rank and glory and power. But the Roman city and all of Italy and the Western authorities and places, and lands, and cities of the same, which were many times prophesied to our blessed father Selivester, are betrayed and surrendered to the national pope and to all who are like him as a saint and in the whole universe, where our Orthodox Faith will hold, possession and judgment will tremble for the sake of the divine and our created establishment, we command that the truth of this holy Roman Church, which is subject to abiding, will be established. In the same way, it is appropriate for the judges of our kingdom to order the eastern countries to place the city of the Byzantine wondrous and most beautiful place, to build a city in their name and establish their kingdom there, where the priestly principle and power, and the glory of Christian good faith was established quickly from the heavenly King, it is unrighteous to rule there to the earthly king.

For this reason, everything that was established and commanded by our sacred scriptures for the sake of many divine instructions was established even before the end of this world, even throughout the entire universe, and given by the saint to church lands and villages, and grapes, and lakes, and taxes that were calculated, by the way.

And by divine command and our royal decree we set orders on the eastern and western countries, and at midnight and on the southern countries, and in Judea, and in Asia, and in Thrace, in Elada, in Athrace and in Italia, and in our various islands We proclaim to them the command of liberation and throughout the entire universe, where the Orthodox princes and rulers under us have our liberation, and having established their will, with the will of the saint, and no secular rank to touch church lands and duties, we conjure by God and with our royal command we uphold immutably and observed We command you to remain unwavering and unshakable even until the end of this age.

In the same way, before the living God, who commanded us to reign and before His terrible judgment, for the sake of this royal order, let us testify to all our successors and those like us who want to be king, all the thousanders and all the centurions, and all the nobles of the Romans, and the entire most extensive synclite of our kingdom, and to all the same people in the entire universe, those who now exist and those who have existed throughout history, and those who are subject to our kingdom. And not a single thing from these should be changed or transformed for the sake of the image, which is given to us by royal command in the most holy of the Roman Church and to everyone under it by the saint throughout the entire universe, so that no one dares to destroy or touch, or annoy in any way.

If anyone from these, if he does not believe in this existence, is heavy and harsh, or a despiser, condemns these eternal things, he will be condemned and guilty of eternal torment. And may we then have as our opponent the holy Lords of God, the Apostolic Peter and Paul, in this time and in the future, we will be tormented in the underworld, so that we may disappear with the devil and with all the wicked.

Having confirmed our commandment of the royal scripture with our own hands, we placed the honorable body of the ruler of the Apostolic Peter in a shrine with our own hands, for we promised the Apostle of God indestructible to us, and for those who want to be for us, both here and in the whole universe. And the Orthodox king and prince, and nobles, and rulers are to remain for the sake of our commandments until the end of the world. And to our blessed father Selivester, the consecrated pope, and for his sake, his vicar and here and in the whole universe, the saint of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, having well-behavedly told, eternally and safely delivering these rewards, and also now to the four patriarchal thrones, to the utmost honest sake of the apostle and disciple of Christ: Byzantine, he was named after Andrew in his own name for the sake of the Apostle, as having worked hard to bring those to the understanding of God and to make friends of the Orthodox churches; likewise to the successor of Alexandria, Mark’s successor, and of Antioch, Luchinus, the patron of Jerusalem, Jacob, the brother of the Lord, to whom we give due honor to each in our territory, and our successors after us for centuries, likewise to all the churches of Christ and the most reverend metropolitan, and archbishops, and others like them We ourselves give the honor to the tablemaster. And our successors and great rulers, as the apostle of God and the successor of Christ, do this and take care, lest you fall under the foretold burden and be deprived of the glory of God. But tremble the tradition, as if you were a priest, fear God and His sacred church, and honor its abbots, so that you may receive the mercy of God in this world and in the future, and you will be sons of light.

The royal signature: May the Divine protect you for many years, holy and blessed fathers.

Given to Rome, on the third day of the April calendar, our lord Flavius ​​Constiantus Augustus, was given by Galican, a most honest and most glorious man.

And for this reason, all the Orthodox kings, fearing God and the holy father’s commandments, and the commandments of the great Tsar Constantine, did not dare to move from the holy churches and from the holy monasteries the immovable things given by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings. And not only did they collect, but the pious kings themselves gave the holy churches and monasteries, villages, grapes and other immovable things as an inheritance of eternal blessings, with the scriptures and with great devotion, and with the golden seals of their kingdom. And all those Orthodox kings until the end of their kingdom. And all those Orthodox kings, and until the end of the Greek kingdom, and with the most holy popes and with the most holy patriarchs, and with the most holy metropolitans, and with all the saints, and with the holy fathers of all seven, they themselves were and ruled divinely and established royal laws both terrible and magnificent With seven oaths the gathering was sealed with the royal signature. And tired of all that from no one to be motionless until the end of time. And against those who offend the holy churches and holy monasteries, and all the Orthodox kings and saints, stand firmly and fight royally and masculinely. And no one would allow those given to God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle worker to touch or shake immovable things from the sacred and inherited eternal blessings until the end of the world.

It is the same in your pious and Christ-loving Russian kingdom from your right-pious and equal-to-the-apostles holy great-grandfather, the Grand Duke Vladimir of Kiev and All Rus' and his son, the pious Grand Duke Yaroslav, and all your holy ancestors, and to your Christ-loving kingdom. Not a single one dared to seize or move from them, or take from the holy churches and monasteries, given and entrusted to God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the Great Wonderworker as an inheritance of the eternal blessings of the church estate of immovable things, in the same way as other Orthodox Greek kings, fearing from God's condemnation and from the saints, the apostles and the saints, the fathers of the seven local assemblies and the individuals of those who exist, the terrible and formidable and great foretold commandments and oaths, because they cried out to the holy fathers with the Holy Spirit: Whoever is a king or a prince, or another, in whatever rank you may be, will groan or it will be taken from holy churches or from holy monasteries, entrusted by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings from immovable things, such, according to the divine rule, from God are condemned as blasphemers, and from the saints the father is under an eternal oath.

And for the sake of all Orthodoxy, the kings of Greece and the Russian kings, your ancestors, fearing from God and from the saints the father’s commandments, did not dare to move from the holy churches and from the holy monasteries the immovable things given by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings and to this day not only from the holy churches I did not take the immovable things given to God, but they themselves gave immovable things to the holy churches and monasteries: villages and grapes and other immovable things, countlessly donated by their royal souls as an inheritance of eternal blessings. Like your great-grandfather, the holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir of Kiev and all Russia, he showed great diligence to God and to the holy churches: from his entire kingdom throughout the Russian land he gave the tenth kingdom to the holy churches and set aside the most holy metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia. Tamo Bo wrote in his royal will and statute:

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Behold, Prince Volodymer, named in holy baptism Vasily, son Svyatoslavl, grandson Igor, blessed princess Olga, I received holy baptism from the Greek king Constantine and from Photius, the patriarch of Tsar-Gorod. And the priest from him, Metropolitan Michael of Kyiv, baptized the entire Russian land with holy baptism.

After that summer, many years passed, I created a special church, the Holy Mother of God of Tithes, and gave it tithes from all my reign, as well as throughout the entire Russian land. And from the reign to the cathedral church from the entire prince of the court the tenth century, and the trade for the tenth week. And from every house every summer from every herd and from every belly to the wonderful Savior and the wonderful Mother of God.

Therefore, having looked at the Greek Nomocanon and found it written in it, it is not proper for these courts to judge the prince, neither his boyars, nor his tyun.

And Iaz, having spoken with his children and with all the princes, and with his boyars, gave those judgments to the churches of God and to his father, the metropolitan, and to all the bishops throughout the Russian land.

And for this reason, there is no need to intercede neither with my children, nor with my grandchildren, nor with my great-grandchildren, nor with my entire family forever, nor with the people of the church, nor with all their courts.

Then I gave everything to the churches of God throughout the city and in the churchyards, and in the settlements and throughout the whole earth, wherever there are Christians.

And I order my boyars and tiuns: do not judge church courts and do not judge our courts without metropolitan judges for tithes.

And these are the courts of the church: dissolution and merciful, detection, beating, tricks, between husband and wife about their bellies, in marriage or in matchmaking, witchcraft, indulgences, sorcery, sorcery, greenery, the three reproaches: whore and potion, and heresy, toothache or the son beats the father, or the mother beats the daughter-in-law, or the daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law, or whoever is accused of using nasty words and using the father and mother, or sisters, or children, or a tribe is suing their asses, church theft, scumming the dead, cutting a cross, or eating cod on the walls of the cross, cattle or dogs, or birds without great need to be brought into the church, and anything else that is not like the church to eat, or two friends are beaten, one is the wife and the other is by the womb and crushed, or someone is caught with four legs, or someone is praying under a barn, either in the rye, or under the bushes, or near the water, or the girl will spoil the child.

All those judgments given to the churches of God were given before us, according to the law and according to the rule of the holy fathers, Christian kings and princes in all Christian people.

And the tsar, and the prince, and the boyars, and the judges cannot intervene in those courts.

And in the same way, you gave everything according to the order of the first kings and according to the ecumenical saints, the father of the seventh ecumenical assemblies, the great saint.

The prince and the boyars and the judges are not forgiven by the law of God to intervene in those courts.

If anyone transgresses this statute, being so unforgiven by the law of God, he will inherit sin and grief.

And with my tiun I order the church courts not to offend and from the Gorodets courts to give nine parts to the prince, and a tenth to the saints of the church and our father, the metropolitan.

This, from time immemorial, has been entrusted by God to the saint and to their bishops - all sorts of city and commercial measures, measures, weights, and scales. It was ordained from God to eat this way from time immemorial. And it is fitting for the metropolitan to observe all this without dirty tricks, for for all this to give him a word on the day of the great judgment, as well as about the souls of men.

And all church people, hand over to the metropolitan according to the rule: abbot, abbess, priest, deacon, priest, deaconess and their children. And who is in the krylos: a monk, a monk, a marshmallow, a sexton, a healer, a forgiver, a woman widow, a suffocating man, a butt, a supporter, a blind man, a lame man, a monastery, a hospital, a hermitage, a stranger, and who will destroy the ports of the monk.

Those people, the church almshouses and the metropolitan, know between them the courts, or some offense, or ass.

If another person experiences a judgment or an offense against them, then there will be a wholesale judgment, and judgment and judgment to the floor.

If anyone transgresses these rules, just as I ruled according to the holy fathers and the first Orthodox kings, whoever transgresses these rules - either my children, or my grandchildren, or great-grandmothers, or princes, or boyars, or in which city the governor or judge, or tiun, but to offend or take away those church courts, may they be cursed in this age and in the next, and from the seven councils of the holy fathers of the ecumenical.

And this is about tithes. From the entire prince's judgment, a tenth week, and from the auction, a tenth week, and from tribute, from faith, and from all the collection and profit, and from the prince's catch, and from every herd, and from every life, a tenth to the cathedral church to the bishop. The king or prince is in nine parts, and the cathedral church is in a tenth part.

No one can lay a foundation other than this one, and let everyone build on this foundation. If anyone scatters the temple of God, God will scatter him, for there are holy churches. And if anyone changes this holy statute of his fathers, he will inherit sin and grief.

If he offends the church courts, pay him with yourself. And before God, the answer to the same will be given at the Last Judgment before the darkness by an angel, where everyone’s deeds are revealed to reality, good or evil, where no one will help anyone, but only truth and good deeds, thereby getting rid of the second death, rather than eternal torment and baptism of the unsaved Geon fire, holding truth in untruth. About them the Lord says: Their fire will not be quenched, and their worm will not die. For those who create good things, eternal life and inexpressible joy. And those who have committed evil, who have judged unjustly and deceitfully, will inevitably receive judgment.

If anyone destroys my rule, either my sons, or my grandsons, or my great-grandsons, or from my family, or from a prince, or from the boyars, if anyone destroys my rule or stands up in the courts of the metropolitan, which I gave to the metropolitan, my father, and the bishop, according to the rule of the holy fathers and according to the first Orthodox kings, judged the administration, and executed him according to the law.

If anyone has to judge, having listened to us, the church courts that were betrayed to the Metropolitan, our father, he will stand with me before God at the Last Judgment, and may the oath of the holy fathers be upon him.

Likewise, your ancestor, the pious and Christ-loving prince great Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky, founded Volodymeri and erected the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos of one world. And in the hands of the Most Holy Theotokos and his father Constantine, Metropolitan of All Russia, and where he was Metropolitan for centuries, there were many estates and settlements, and buildings, and the best villages, and tribute, and tithes in everything. And in his flocks, and the tenth bargainer in his entire kingdom in the same way, like your great-grandfather, the holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimer of Kiev and all Russia. And by God's mercy and the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle workers with the prayers, and the holy Russian tsars, your ancestors and the royal parents of your saints with prayers and care and your royal salary and care, all the villages and settlements and lands with all the lands of old in the house of the Most Pure Mother of God and great miracle workers in the most holy metropolis of Russia and to this day remain unmoved and unharmed by anyone. Even for a while evil people are insulted, but by God’s mercy both the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle workers with prayers and your royal salary and intercession in the holy churches of those who have been martyred packs are filled and even depleted, even though all this is sanctified by God, and no one can insult or shake the churches of God, or immovable move the Church of God, because the Church of God is higher and firmer than the heavens, and wider than the earth, and the deepest sea, and the brightest sun, and no one can shake it, it is founded on stone, that is, on the faith of Christ’s law.

Even if many of the infidels attempted to sway them, they all perished and came to nothing. And many others, from the wicked kings in their kingdoms from the holy churches and holy monasteries, took nothing, and did not dare to move or shake immovable things, fearing God and the commandments of the holy fathers and the royal statutes of the ancient law-making, but also very much in the holy churches. not only in your own countries, but also in your Russian kingdom. Once upon a time there was, in the years of the great miracle workers Peter and Alexei, and in the years of Michael, and Ivan, Theognostus, Russian metropolitans, but those holy metropolitans gave their labels for the establishment of the holy churches and the holy monastery with a great prohibition, so that they would not be offended by anyone and They remained motionless until the end of their kingdom.

And to this day in the Russian Metropolis of those metropolitan saints seven labels have been written, and from them is the only one now written, the great wonderworker Peter, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, property owner:

Label of Tsar Azbek, tribute in the Horde to the great miracle worker Peter, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia.

The highest and immortal God with the power and majesty, and his many mercy, the ABC word to all our princes, great and middle, and low, and powerful commanders, and nobles, and our appanage princes, and glorious roads, and the lamentable princes high and low, and the scribe and the charter drazhalnik, and the teacher, and the human messenger, and the collector, and the baskak, and the traveling ambassador, and our lonets, and the falconer, and the pardusnik, and all the people high and low, small and great of our kingdom in all our countries, according to all our uluses, where our power trembles with the power of our immortal God, and our word rules. Yes, no one would offend the elected church in Rus' and Metropolitan Peter and his people, and his church people, they do not charge anything, no acquisitions, no estates, no people.

And Metropolitan Peter knows the truth and judges right, and governs his people with the truth in whatever they may do. And in robbery and in the act, and in theft, and in all sorts of matters, Peter the Metropolitan alone is in charge, or whomever he orders. Let everyone repent and obey the metropolitan, all his church clergy according to their first laws and according to the first charters of our first kings, great charters and decremes, and let no one interfere with the church and metropolitan, since they are all outside of God.

But whoever stands up and disobeys our label, our word, is guilty of God, and will receive wrath from him, and from us he will receive the death penalty. But the Metropolitan walks on the right path, and stays on the right path and amuses himself, and with a right heart and a right thought governs and judges, and knows, or whoever he commands to do and govern, but we will not interfere in anything, nor our children. , nor to all our princes of our entire kingdom and all our countries, all our uluses, let no one interfere with anything of the church, the metropolitan, nor in their cities, nor in their volosts, nor in their villages, nor in any of their catches, nor in the borders them, nor in their lands, nor in their meadows, nor in their forests, nor in their fences, nor in their salt fields, nor in their vineyards, nor in their mills, nor in their winterings, nor in their herds of horses, nor into all their herds of cattle. But all the acquisitions and church property, and the people, and all their clergy, and all their laws laid down old from their beginning, then the metropolitan knows everything, or whomever he orders.

Let nothing be altered or destroyed, or harmed by anyone. May the Metropolitan remain in a quiet and meek life without any goals, and with a right heart and a right thought pray to God for us and for our wives, and for our children, and for our tribe. We also instruct and favor, just as our former kings gave them labels and favored them. And we follow the same path, with the same labels, we favor them, may God have mercy on us, intercede.

But we neglect God, and do not take what is given to God. But whoever takes away what is divine will be guilty of God, and God’s wrath will be upon him. And from us he will be executed with the death penalty, but seeing this, others will be afraid.

And our Baskaks, customs officers, tribute officers, collectors, scribes will go according to these our charters, as our word has spoken and set, so that all the metropolitan churches will be intact, all his people and all his acquisitions will not be harmed by anyone, as the label has. And the archimandrites and the abbots, and the priests, and all his ecclesiastical clergy, let no one be harmed in any way. Should we be subject to tribute or anything else, tamga, plough, pit, washing, bridging, war, any kind of fishing, or whenever we order our service from our uluses, where we want to fight? , but from the elected church and from Metropolitan Peter we do not charge anything, and from their people, and from all his clergy: they pray to God for us and watch over us and strengthen our army.

Whoever doesn’t know even before us that everyone lives and fights by the power and will of the immortal God, then everyone knows. And we, praying to God according to our first kings’ letters and letters, gave them letters in nothing, as was the case before us.

So say, our word has set the first path, which will be our tribute, or our requests, or our trodden, or our ambassadors, or our stern and our horses, or carts, or the food of our ambassadors, or our queens, or our children, and whoever it is, and whoever it is, don’t take it and don’t ask for anything. And what they take up in thirds, give back in thirds. Even if they take it for a great need, they will not be meek from us, and our eye will not quietly look at them. And what if church people are craftsmen or scribes, or stone makers, or woodworkers, or other craftsmen of any kind, or falconers, or fishermen of whatever kind of fishing, but let no one of ours intervene in our cause and let them not eat . And let not our guards, and our fishers, and our falconers, and our guards, interfere with them, and let them not take them; let them not take away their useful tools, nor take them from them. And what is their law, and their law is that their churches, their monasteries, their chapels, do not harm them in any way, do not blaspheme them.

And whoever abuses and blasphemes the faith, that person will not apologize in any way, and will die an evil death. And that priests and deacons eat the same bread and live in the same house with anyone - brother or son, and thus our salary follows the same path. If someone does not come forward from them, but if someone comes out from them, but does not serve the Metropolitan, but lives for himself, then the name of the priest is not taken away, but he gives tribute.

And priests and deacons and church clergy were granted from us according to our first charter. And they stand praying to God for us with a right heart and a right thought.

And whoever teaches with an unjust heart to pray to God for us, that sin will be upon him.

And whoever is a priest, a deacon, a cleric, a church official, or other people, no matter where they come from, wants to serve the Metropolitan and pray to God for us, what will be in the Metropolitan’s thoughts about them, the Metropolitan knows.

So our word did, and we gave Peter the Metropolitan a letter of this fortress for him, and this letter, seeing and hearing, all people and all churches and all monasteries, and all church clergy, do not disobey him in anything, but obey him and be according to according to their law and according to old times, just as they have done from old times. May the Metropolitan remain with a right heart, without sorrow and without any sorrow, praying to God for us and for our kingdom. And whoever stands up for the church and metropolitan, and the wrath of God will be upon him. And according to our great torture, he will not apologize in any way and will die an evil execution.

So the label was given, so saying, our word was made, with such strength it confirmed the hare’s summer, Asenago of the first month 4, old, written and given on them.

How more befitting is it for you, pious and God-crowned king, to show your royal faith to God and your great diligence for the holy churches and holy monasteries, not only immovable, but also for you yourself to give, just as all your holy royal ancestors and parents gave to God into an inheritance of eternal blessings. It is fitting for Sitsa and you, the Tsar, to create kingdoms for the sake of heaven, the pious, Christ-loving and veleum Tsar, the Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia, the self-king, and more than all the kings in your Russian kingdom, you, the Tsar, are now exalted and venerable from God, the autocratic Tsar in everything great Russian kingdom, I am a self-confessor and ultimately knowledgeable of Christ’s law of the Gospel teaching and the holy apostle and holy father’s commandments, and I teach you all the divine scriptures and bring them to the tongue, not by human teaching, but by the wisdom given to you from God. And for this reason, O pious king, it is fitting for you, having judged, to look and do what is useful and pleasing to God, like other pious kings, guard and protect your royal soul and your Christ-loving kingdom from all enemies, visible and invisible.

And the mercy of God and the Most Pure Mother of God, and the great miracle workers, prayer and blessing, and may our humility be a blessing with your Christ-loving kingdom forever. Amen.

Likewise, all the most holy popes and most holy omnipotent patriarchs and holiness metropolitans, and the love of God archbishops and bishops, the apostles and co-thrones of the saints, the apostles and honorable archimarites and the fear of God abbots and humility are considered, and many from those great miracle workers were, and no one from them created and or allow those entrusted to God and given to the holy churches and holy monasteries as an inheritance of the blessings of eternal immovable things to be given away or sold. And on all the holy seventh councils and local and individual saints, the fathers of the Holy Spirit instructed the holy fathers, confirming and commanding, and with terrible and terrible, and great oaths, they vehemently proclaimed and sealed the seventh councils according to the grace given to us from the Holy Life-giving Spirit, and thunder like a chick screaming:

If anyone from the church estate of holy curtains or holy loans, or holy books, or other things, it is not proper for them to sell or give them away, entrusted to God as an inheritance of eternal blessings, immovable things, such as villages, fields, grapevines, hayfields, forests, forests, waters, lakes, springs, pastures and so on, given by God as an inheritance of eternal blessings.

If any bishop or abbot sells or gives away church immovable property to the prince of that land or to other nobles, he is not firm in the sale, but if sold or given to the holy church in a bishopric or monastery, let it be returned. The bishop or abbot who did this, let him be expelled from the bishopric, and the abbot from the monastery, as if he had squandered it in evil, and they will not be removed. If anyone is not of the priestly rank, they should create such a thing, and they will pervert. Mish or the worldly people exist, let them go away. If there is condemnation from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let there be a dispensation so that the worm does not die and the fire does not go out, because they resist the voice of the Lord, which says: Do not do (to my Father’s house) to my purchased house.

The same goes for all the honors of the Metropolitan of Russia, from the Right Reverend Metropolitan Leon of Kiev and All Russia, and to the great miracle workers Peter and Alexei and Jonah, and the other holy metropolitans of Russia, and to your Christ-loving kingdom, and to our humility, all God-loving archbishops and bishops, and honest archimarites and God-fearing abbots, great miracle workers: Sergius and Cyril, and Barlaam, and Paphnutius, and other saints of Russia, miracle workers and humility honoring the holy monasteries. And no one from those created or allowed those entrusted to God and given to the holy churches and holy monasteries as an inheritance of the blessings of eternal immovable things to give or sell, according to the same divine holy rule and according to the commandment of all saints, the father of the seven collections and local and individual holy fathers.

Since it is more unbecoming for me, humble, even though I am a sinner and not worthy of teaching the word, such is the priesthood, but according to the grace given to us from the Holy and life-giving Spirit, I am called Metropolitan, then the all-generous and philanthropic God has arranged for me, humble and unworthy, with his usual love for mankind, by their own destinies the message itself, gift and entrust the true word to rule over me for the sake of the Most Pure Mother, my Mother of God. And for this reason, I cannot think or think about such a terrible thing: from the immovable things entrusted to God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle worker as an inheritance of eternal blessings from the House of the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle workers, give it away or sell it, don’t wake it up. And until our last breath, Omnipotent God, deliver us all and save us from such crime and do not allow it to be not only with us, but also for us until the end of the age, for the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother, Our Lady, and the great miracle workers and all the saints. Amen.

And for this reason, do not be amazed at the fact that, O God-loving king, think below the caressing thing, as the Holy Fathers ordained and commanded with the Holy Spirit, and sealed the seventh collection for us to keep, here we philosophize and keep, and until our last breath. We are human beings, we swim in this many-loved sea. From now on, we have no idea what will happen to us. It does not want to be revealed to all man, but only to be afraid of the heavenly sickle, in the form of which Zechariah the prophet descends from heaven: twenty fathoms in length, and ten fathoms in breadth, judging those who offend and unrighteously and swearing in the name of God to lie.

And for this reason I am afraid, when I was ordained, that is, placed in the priesthood, and then in the midst of the sacred gathering in the holy assembly of the apostles of the church before God and before all the heavenly powers, and before all the saints, and before you, the pious king, and before the entire synclit, and before all the people I swore to preserve the destinies and laws and our justification, great is our strength. And before the kings we should not be ashamed of the truth, even if we were required by the king himself or by his nobles to command us to speak, except for the divine rules, we would not listen to them, but even if we were punished by death, then we would not listen to them. And for this reason, I fear, I say to you, O pious king, and I pray to your royal majesty: stay, sir, and do not create such an undertaking, which God did not command you, the Orthodox king, to create. But all His holy things were chosen by you, the Orthodox Tsar, to us, the bishops, who strictly forbade the sacred rules and sealed the seventh collections according to the grace given to them from the Holy and life-giving Spirit.

And for this sake, we pray to your royal majesty and with many tears, that you, Tsar and Sovereign, Great Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia, are self-driving, according to that divine rule of the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle workers from the house of those immovable things given to God as an inheritance eternal blessings, he did not order to be taken.

And may the mercy of God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the great miracle workers, prayer and blessing, and the blessing of our humility always be with your Christ-loving kingdom for many generations and forever. Amen.

compiler: Anatoly Badanov
missionary administrator
project “I Breathe Orthodoxy”

Page 27

When was the unification of the northeastern and northwestern Russian lands around Moscow completed? What task faced the great princes after the completion of the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow?

Under Vasily III (by 1533), with the annexation of Pskov, Smolensk, and Ryazan, the unification of the lands of North-Eastern and North-Western Rus' around Moscow was completed. The main task of the sovereign was the transformation of independent lands into a single Russian state. The first national institutions were created, a unified army and a communications system appeared. The country was divided into districts, headed by Moscow governors.

Page 28

What is inheritance? Who was given the inheritance?

Udel is an appanage principality in Rus', that is, a territory formed after the division of large principalities in the period from the 12th to the 16th centuries. The estate was under the control of an appanage prince, and formally - in the possession of the Grand Duke. Often, appanages were formed as a result of inheritance, donation, land redistribution and even violent seizures. In connection with the formation of the Russian state, the formation of appanage principalities ceased in the 16th century: the last one, Uglich, was abolished in 1591. The share of a representative of the princely family in the family domain was also called appanage.

Page 33. questions and tasks for working with the text of the paragraph

1. Explain the economic and political meaning of assigning the exclusive right to mint coins to the Grand Duke.

Economic meaning: filling the treasury, forming a single internal market for the development of trade, crafts, and the economy as a whole

Political meaning: strengthening the state, autocratic power.

2. Was the unification of Rus' inevitable?

The unification of Rus' was inevitable as there was liberation from the Horde, strengthening of central power, and economic growth.

3. Describe the role of the sovereign’s court in governing the country.

The role of the sovereign's court in governing the country was great. This is the ruling elite of Moscow society, associates and like-minded people of the Grand Duke, who were appointed governors, governors, butlers, ambassadors, i.e. were the conductors of his policies.

4. What was the source of income for the sovereign's governors? Why was this form of receiving funds called “feeding”?

The source of income for the sovereign's governors was the support of the local population in money and products of this governor and his court.

This form of receiving funds was called “feeding” because the charter of the Grand Duke determined the amount of the governor’s salary - “feed”.

5. Who formed a single army in the first third of the 16th century? Explain the origin of the names of these classes.

In the first third of the 16th century, a single army was formed from local nobles. The origin of the name “local” is from the word “to place”; an estate is a plot of government land with peasants, given to a specific person on the condition of his military service. These persons were palace servants, and even serfs, junior members of noble families.

Page 33. Working with the map

Show on the map the territorial acquisitions of Vasily III listed in the paragraph.

Territorial acquisitions of Vasily III: Pskov land, Chernigov-Seversky lands, Smolensk, Ryazan principality, Belgorod.

Page 33. Studying documents

What character qualities of Vasily III can be judged from this fragment of the letter?

This fragment of the letter allows us to judge such qualities of the character of Vasily III as caring, loyalty, responsibility.

Page 34. Studying documents

2. Why was the veche bell removed from the city?

The Veche bell was removed from the city because it convened the residents of Pskov for the Veche and symbolized the independence of the Pskov people.

Page 34. We think, compare, reflect

2. Explain the meaning of the phrase: “At the church council, Ivan III proposed “to take villages from the metropolitan, and from all the rulers, and from all the monasteries,” and in return to provide them “from his treasury with money... and bread.”

The meaning of the phrase is that in this way the sovereign limited the influence and power of the church, subordinating it to his authority, while simultaneously replenishing the treasury.

4. Give examples showing the significance of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow.

Examples showing the importance of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow: strengthening the central government, economic development, ending internecine wars, the safety of the inhabitants of the state, the development of the lands that became part of the Russian state.

CHAPTER 7 Cathedral

If the subjects consider the ruler to be a God-fearing man and zealous in matters of worship, they will be less afraid of suffering anything unlawful from him and will be less likely to plot against him, since he has the gods as allies.

Aristotle

And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, and it was said to him, Behold, you are building a temple; If you will walk in My statutes, and do according to My statutes, and keep all My commandments, walking in them, then I will fulfill My word on you, which I spoke to David your father, and I will live among the children of Israel, and will not forsake you. My people Israel.

(ZKings 6:12)

In medieval Rus', politics was often colored by religion, and religion by politics. Any important event was clothed in the fabric of church ritual. Temples served as monuments to the deeds of rulers. Such an important, providential event as the creation of a unified Russian state could not remain without embodiment in stone. The main monument to him was the majestic Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The dramatic history of its construction reflected, like a drop of water, many of the contradictions of the era of Russia's awakening.

The cathedral was the heart of the ancient Russian city, a symbol of local patriotism. He embodied the unity of ruler and subjects, poor and rich in their common prayer to the Almighty. They were proud of him in front of foreigners. He was dressed up like a beloved child. The whole city gathered there on special occasions. Here were the graves of ancient princes and bishops. Important documents were kept at the cathedral and chronicles were kept. During the days of uprisings and unrest, a crowd seething with anger gathered in the square in front of the cathedral. It happened that the cathedral became the last refuge in the face of an enemy breaking into the city.

The heart of Moscow was the white-stone Assumption Cathedral, built in 1325–1327 by Ivan Kalita with the blessing of St. Metropolitan Peter. The turbulent history of Moscow - riots, invasions of Tatars and Lithuanians, and most importantly, countless fires - took a heavy toll on the once slender and snow-white handsome man. By the time of Ivan III, it had grown into the ground, turned black, covered with wrinkles of cracks, and acquired some ugly outbuildings and supports. Discussions about the need to update it have been going on for a long time. The first who decided to move from words to action was Metropolitan Philip (1464–1473). However, such an important matter could not have happened, of course, without the participation of Grand Duke Ivan. Moreover, it was he who later became the true creator of the cathedral.

Like a tree growing from the ground, the new cathedral grew out of its time, out of faith and reason, out of the joys and sorrows of all the people involved in its creation. And the first word here should be said about Metropolitan Philip.

The future builder of the cathedral ascended to the department in November 1464. Before that, he was the ruler of Suzdal for at least ten years. Nothing is known about his origin and views on the world. However, it is reported that Philip was recommended to the department by his predecessor Theodosia Byvaltsev (73, 532). This patronage clarifies something. An idealist and zealot for piety, Theodosius, of course, could only intercede for a person of similar views to him. Having burned himself with Theodosius, who with his uncompromising adherence to principles alienated both the clergy and the laity, the Grand Duke, however, did not object to his nominee. He needed a staunch defender of Orthodoxy at his pulpit, capable of vigorously resisting the machinations of the Lithuanian Uniate Metropolitan Gregory. It seems that Ivan did not yet fully understand the sad truth: as a ruler, he was more interested in a careless but accommodating archpastor than in a zealous but wayward one.

However, in those matters where the interests of the metropolitan see coincided with the interests of the Grand Duke, Philip was a loyal ally of Ivan III. First of all, this concerned Moscow-Novgorod relations. Here much depended on the position of the Novgorod ruler. Philip tried to maintain friendship with Archbishop Jonah. In April 1467, at his request, he sent a formidable message to Novgorod against those laymen who dared to encroach on church lands. In the mid-60s of the 15th century, Philip sided with Jonah in his dispute with the Pskovites. Later, the Metropolitan furiously denounced the Novgorodians for their interest in Lithuanian “Latinism,” the hidden reason for which was the increased political pressure on Novgorod from the Grand Duke of Moscow.

Philip also fully supported another direction of Ivan III’s activity - the attack on the Kazan Khanate. His message to the Grand Duke, written at the beginning of Ivan’s first great war with Kazan - in the fall of 1467, has been preserved. In it he promises the crown of martyrdom to all who will shed their blood “for the holy churches of God and for Orthodox Christians” (44, 180). At the same time, Philip sent a message to Bishop Gennady of Tver, calling on the bishop to convince Prince Mikhail of Tver to send troops to participate in the war with Kazan. Again the saint speaks of the special significance of this war and that all those who died in it “like the former great martyr of Christ will receive the crown of torment from Christ” (44, 184). Both of these messages are filled with genuine encouragement. The flame of spiritual achievement burned brightly in the soul of Saint Philip. People of this type have a strong influence on others. But they really don’t like compromises and deals with their conscience. That's why it's always difficult for them to find mutual language with the rulers.

The struggle with the Lithuanian Uniate metropolitan Gregory minted the character of the metropolitan. Having set himself and his circle up for an irreconcilable struggle against everything that even remotely resembled “Latinism,” Philip could no longer stop. Double-mindedness turned out to be beyond his strength. And when, at the end of the 60s, the widowed Grand Duke suddenly decided to marry the Greek princess Sophia Paleologus, who lived in Rome and was reputed to be a Catholic, Philip threw all his authority on the scales to prevent this criminal, from his point of view, marriage alliance. But a little historical excursion is needed here...

The sudden death of Ivan III's first wife, Princess Maria Borisovna, on April 22, 1467, made the 27-year-old Grand Duke of Moscow think about a new marriage. Some historians believe that the idea of ​​the “Roman-Byzantine” marriage union was born in Rome, others give preference to Moscow, and still others to Vilna or Krakow (161, 178). The active implementers of the project (and perhaps its inventors) were Italians who lived in Moscow (or were often here on business) - the brothers Gian Baggiste della Volpe (“Ivan Fryazin, the Moscow moneyman” of Russian chronicles) and Carlo della Volpe. The nephews of the Volpe brothers, Antonio and Nicolo Gislardi, were also involved in the negotiations (161, 180).

Sources know the first fruit of the matrimonial plan: on Saturday, February 11, 1469, when Moscow was drinking away the last days of the riotous Orthodox Maslenitsa, an ambassador from distant Rome, the Greek Yuri Trachaniot, entered the city. Two Italians also arrived with him, relatives of Ivan Fryazin - Carlo della Volpe and Antonio Gislardi. Thus, fresh forces are poured into the dark company of Italian vagabonds and adventurers - a cunning Byzantine who has lost his homeland, but has retained a taste for life.

After the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, many of the Greeks - mostly educated and wealthy people, familiar with the world and had wide connections - did not want to remain in their homeland. They dispersed throughout Europe. Natural enterprise, combined with a sophisticated and somewhat cynical mindset, predetermined the historical mission of these late Byzantine intellectuals. They became the seed for all sorts of bold projects. With their help, Rome hoped to fulfill a long-standing desire - to spread its influence over Orthodox Rus'. It seems that it was the Greeks who inspired Pope Paul II (1464–1471) with the fantastic idea that, having married a Byzantine princess, the Moscow Grand Duke would lay claim to the Byzantine throne overthrown by the Turks and would therefore start a war with the Ottoman Empire. The rulers of northern Italian cities (Milan, Venice), no less fascinated by the rantings of the Greeks than the pope, also believed in the possibility of using distant and mysterious Muscovy as a powerful ally in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. Much more familiar than the Italians with the situation in Eastern Europe in general and Muscovy in particular, the Greeks hardly believed in their own projects. But at the same time, of course, they did not forget to reap the abundant fruits grown in the field of their fantasies.

A small colony of Greeks has long existed in Moscow. It consisted mainly of merchants, diplomats and clergy. With the fall of Byzantium Greek colony increased due to refugees. Of course, the local living conditions were very far from Byzantine ones. The Greeks suffered from frosts, a lack of cultural communication and the hostility of the local population. Russians have long been accustomed to looking at them with a mixed feeling of envy and contempt. Unlike most Russians, the Greeks always had money. They knew how to manage their affairs and help each other. Making your way in an alien and sometimes hostile environment, the Greeks had to become resourceful and not too scrupulous in their choice of means. And therefore, not without reason, the Russians considered them flattering, treacherous, and prone to betrayal. At the same time, it was impossible not to recognize the cultural superiority of the “Romans,” attested to by the very history of the “baptism of Rus'.”

The Moscow princes appreciated the diverse abilities of the Greeks. Along with people from South Slavic countries, they constituted the highest stratum of the Moscow cultural elite. The need for their services increased with the growth of the Moscow Principality, the development of its internal structure and external relations. It is known that Vasily the Dark had in his service the Greek Ralevs, one of whom, Nicholas, was in Milan in the spring of 1461 as an ambassador from the “despot of Russia” (161, 176). However " finest hour“for the Greeks in Rus' came with the implementation of the “Roman-Byzantine” matrimonial project...

The biography of Sophia (in Rome they called her Zoe) Paleologus is quite bizarre. “The niece of the last and penultimate emperors Constantine XI and John VIII, the daughter of the Morean despot Thomas Palaiologos (Morea is a region in the central part of the Peloponnese peninsula. - N.B.) and the niece of another - Dmitry Palaeologus - Despina Zoya never lived in Constantinople. Thomas Palaiologos fled from Morea to the island of Corfu, where he brought a highly revered shrine in Morea - the head of St. Andrew the First-Called. Zoya (born either in 1449, or around 1443) spent her childhood in Morea, her real homeland (for her mother Catherine was the daughter of the Morea prince Zechariah III), and on the island of Corfu. 16- or 22-year-old Zoya Palaeologus arrived in Rome with her brothers Andrei and Manuil after the death of her father at the end of May 1465. Zoya was considered a Catholic in Rome. The Palaiologos came under the patronage of Cardinal Bessarion, who before the Council of Florence was the Metropolitan of Nicaea, but, having accepted the union, remained in Rome, and after the death of the last Patriarch of Constantinople, Isidore in 1462, received this title. (We are talking about the Uniate patriarchs of Constantinople who lived in Italy under the auspices of the papal curia. - N.B.) Vissarion, until his death in November 1472 in Ravenna, retained his sympathies for the Greeks. The Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinal Vissarion tried to renew the union with Russia through marriage. It is possible that Vissarion hoped for Rus'’s participation in crusade against the Ottomans, which he sought to organize in 1468–1471” (161, 177–178).

Yuri the Greek (Yuri Trakhaniot), who arrived in Moscow from Italy on February 11, 1469, brought Ivan III a certain “leaf”. In this message, the author of which, apparently, was Pope Paul II himself, and the co-author was Cardinal Vissarion, the Grand Duke was informed about the stay in Rome of a noble bride devoted to Orthodoxy, Sophia (Zoe) Palaeologus. Dad promised Ivan his support if he wanted to woo her.

The proposal from Rome was discussed in the Kremlin at a family council, where the brothers of the Grand Duke, his close boyars and his mother, Princess Maria Yaroslavna, were invited. The decisive word undoubtedly belonged to his mother, whose tough temperament Ivan was afraid of until the end of her days. The widow of Vasily the Dark (remember, the son of the Litvinian Sophia Vitovtovna) and the granddaughter of the Litvinian Elena Olgerdovna (the wife of Vladimir Serpukhovsky), the old princess, apparently, favorably accepted the “Roman-Byzantine” dynastic project.

The official grand-ducal chronicles depict the matter as if in this entire story Ivan III acted in complete agreement with Metropolitan Philip. However, the chronicles originating from the metropolitan chancellery do not name Philip as a participant in that family council (“duma”), at which it was decided to respond to the invitation of the papal curia and the Uniate cardinal Vissarion. Obviously, this plan “did not meet with a favorable reception from the metropolitan, who was actually removed from resolving such an important issue” (161, 181).

As a result, the Kremlin decided to respond to the pope’s proposal and send Moscow Italian Ivan Fryazin - Gian Battista della Volpe - to Rome to continue negotiations. (“Fryags” or “Fryazs” were the name given to Italians in medieval Rus'.) In March 1469, together with Yuri the Greek, he set out on a long journey. In the summer of the same year, the Italian was received by Pope Paul P. The Pontiff again warmly supported the idea of ​​a dynastic marriage and gave his letter for the safe passage of Moscow ambassadors throughout Europe.

At the same time, Volpe had the opportunity to see the bride to tell the groom about her appearance. At the same time, a portrait of Sophia was made, which the ambassadors were supposed to take to Moscow.

In Venice, Volpe was received by Doge Niccolò Tron, who soon intended to start a war with the Ottoman Empire and therefore wanted to find out from the Moscow ambassador whether it was possible to somehow agree on joint actions against the Turks with the Muscovites or Tatars. It is unknown what Ivan Fryazin said to the Venetians. However, apparently, he reassured them.

Having listened to the moneyman, in April 1471 the Doge sent his own ambassador, Gian Battista Trevisan, to Moscow with a new papal embassy (headed by Antonio Gislardi). His mission was not directly related to the matrimonial plans of Rome. Through Moscow, Trevisan was supposed to go further, to the Khan of the Great Horde, Akhmat. He carried with him a significant amount of money and gifts for the khan, whom the Venetian Doge hoped to persuade to war against the Turks. Perhaps it was these treasures that became the fatal temptation for Volpe. Upon Trevisan’s arrival in Moscow (September 10, 1471), the moneyman persuaded him not to disclose the real purpose of his arrival, since in this case the Grand Duke would hardly have allowed him to see Akhmat, with whom he was just about to fight. Calling himself an ordinary merchant, Trevisan was supposed to live in Moscow until Volpe himself found an opportunity to secretly send him to the Tatars. The money man had already been to the Horde before and had some useful acquaintances there.

The Venetian obeyed his Moscow patron. However, it was not easy to fulfill the plan without the knowledge of the Grand Duke. Only shortly before leaving for a second trip to Rome in January 1472, Volpe sent Trevisan with an interpreter to Ryazan, from where both were supposed to go further to the Tatars (161,183).

Ivan III learned about the strange movement of the Venetian “merchant” and managed to intercept him before he reached the Tatars. Once in prison, Trevisan, of course, began to claim that his secret mission did not pose any political threat to Moscow. Moreover, if it were successful, the Volga Horde, to the delight of Ivan III, would be drawn into a difficult war with the Turks. However, the Grand Duke, it seems, feared that the Italian could represent in the Horde the interests of not only Venice, but also the Polish-Lithuanian king Casimir IV, who was then looking for ways of rapprochement with Khan Akhmat for a joint fight against Moscow.

The obvious fault of both Italians was that they tried to achieve their goal behind the back of the Grand Duke of Moscow. Of course, this in itself was already a crime. And yet, at another time, the punishment of the “fryags” could have been much more lenient. But now, when Ivan was reproached from all sides for being too friendly with the “Latins,” he needed to clearly show his toughness towards them. The trick of Volpe and Trevisan provided an excellent reason for this.

Upon returning from Italy in November 1472, Ivan Fryazin, the main organizer of the marriage of Ivan III with Sophia Paleologus, was arrested along with his entire family, and his property was confiscated. “The prince is great... he ordered to capture Fryazin and, having bound him, sent him to Kolomna, and ordered his house to be plundered and his wife and children to be taken away” (31, 299).

In essence, it was not difficult to guess the logic of the Grand Duke’s reasoning in advance. But Volpe was too carried away by dizzying dreams. In the Kolomna prison he had enough time to think about the vicissitudes of fate and the treachery of the powers that be.

(However, the wheel of Fortune had not yet stopped turning for him. After some time, the passions subsided, and the sovereign changed his anger to mercy. A person like Volpe could still be useful to him. In addition, fellow Italians probably interceded for the moneyman and Grand Duchess Sophia herself. Sources do not report the release of the Kolomna prisoner. However, it is known that seven or eight years later, Ivan Fryazin was not only free, but also again at the peak of prosperity. He is mentioned in his will, written no later than 1481 , younger brother of Ivan III, appanage prince Andrei of Vologda. “Among the lenders (Prince Andrei. - N.B.) turned out to be Ivan Fryazin. The prince owed him neither less nor more than “half a quarter of a hundred rubles” (350 rubles), therefore, a huge amount for that time, more than any other of his creditors. Ivan Fryazin's pawn contained the best princely jewelry: a gold chain, a small gold chain, two gold ladles, a gold cup. All these things were presented to Andrei Vasilyevich by his elder brother, the Grand Duke. In addition, Ivan Fryazin’s pawn included a large gold chain and 12 silver bowls, given to the prince by his mother. Here Ivan Fryazin appears to us at least as a major businessman handling large sums of money. We can rightfully identify this businessman with the previously named moneyman Ivan Fryazin” (149, 346).)

Volpe's friend, Gian Battista Trevisan, had to serve about two years in a Moscow prison. Having imprisoned Trevisan, Ivan III at the end of 1472 (under pressure from the Italians from Sophia’s retinue) sent his ambassador to the Venetian Doge Niccolo Tron for clarification (161, 183). The Doge confirmed that Trevisan was indeed his ambassador to the Tatars, and asked to be released from prison, help get to the Horde, and also provide him with money. The Doge promised to cover all expenses from his treasury (27, 299).

In the end, yielding to the requests of the Venetian Doge (supported by rich gifts), and also wanting to reassure the Moscow Italians frightened by the brutal reprisals against their compatriots, the Grand Duke released Trevisan to the Horde on July 19, 1474. There the ambassador met with Khan Akhmat, who, however, did not express any desire to fight the Turks for the benefit of Venice. In the end, Trevisan was sent by the Tatars to the Black Sea, from where he returned home by ship.

Remembering the Venetian Doge's promise to reimburse all expenses associated with Trevisan, Ivan could not resist a little trick: having handed the unlucky ambassador only 70 rubles for the journey, he wrote to the Doge that he had given 700. Already 5 days after Trevisan's departure, the Moscow ambassador Semyon Tolbuzin took this letter to Venice. The end of this whole story is covered in the darkness of oblivion. It is not known whether Ivan III was able to deceive the seasoned Venetian merchants. But, judging by the fact that this story ended up in the Moscow chronicles, the trick was a success.

Of course, this outright fraud does not make our hero look good. However, let's not judge him too harshly. At that time, people of other faiths in Rus' (and throughout Europe) were looked at not only as enemies, but also as beings of a different order, in relation to whom moral laws had no more meaning than in relation to domestic animals. It was not considered shameful to deceive them in one way or another. On the contrary, they even saw a certain valor and daring in this. A son of his time, Ivan was no stranger to its prejudices...

One can only guess what Trevisan said when he returned to Venice about his misadventures in Moscow. It is known, however, that after this story Venice lost interest in negotiations with Ivan III for a long time. Wanting to rectify the situation, Ivan very cordially received in Moscow in the fall of 1476 the Venetian diplomat Ambrogio Contarini, who, by force of circumstances, ended up in Rus' on his way back from Persia, where he had traveled as an ambassador. Ivan began his first conversation with Contarini by “with an agitated face... he began to complain about Zuana Battista Trevisan” (2, 226). Undoubtedly, he hoped that Contarini would convey this conversation to the Council of Ten and turn the rulers of Venice in his favor.

(The success of the financial “joke” with Trevisan seems to have inspired Ivan to carry out a similar trick with Contarini. The Grand Duke announced to the diplomat, who had become impoverished during the journey, that he would take upon himself all the significant debts that he was forced to incur in order to escape from the hands of the Tatars. Knowing Ivan’s habits, one can doubt that he actually paid for Contarini, but the fact that the noble Venetian, having returned to his homeland, in one way or another returned the corresponding amount to the Grand Duke, is hardly subject to doubt.)

But let’s return to the leisurely development of Ivan III’s matrimonial plans. Surprisingly, but true: neither in 1470 nor in 1471 Moscow was active in this issue, which seemed to hang in the air.

What explained this prolonged pause? Unknown. Perhaps Ivan was busy with complex calculations related to the beginning of the struggle for Novgorod. In this big game, where religious rhetoric played an important role, he needed “the purity of his vestments.” Dressed in the toga of a fighter against “apostates,” he did not want to give rise to such accusations against himself. Likewise, he did not want to come into conflict with the metropolitan, who was actively participating in the anti-Novgorod campaign. It is significant that the resumption of negotiations with Rome coincided with the end of the first campaign against Novgorod. On September 1, 1471, Ivan solemnly returned from Novgorod to Moscow, and on September 10, a new embassy from Italy arrived in the capital. Its head, Antonio Gislardi, on behalf of the pope, was to again invite the Moscow boyars to Rome for a bride.

Of course, Moscow learned about the approach of such unusual ambassadors in advance. There is no doubt that on September 1, the day of Ivan III’s return from the Novgorod campaign, Metropolitan Philip was already aware of this news. The chronicles noted the demonstrative coldness he showed when meeting the Grand Duke: while all the relatives and the entire Moscow court met the winner several miles from the capital, the saint met him only near the Assumption Cathedral, “just from the larger stone bridge to the square treasury, with everything consecrated cathedral" (31, 292). This phrase should be understood as follows: the Metropolitan, meeting the Grand Duke, went down the steps of the high southern porch of the Assumption Cathedral and, after walking a few steps, stopped at a well located on Cathedral Square (111,110). Considering the increased attention to the ceremony inherent in Ivan III and more than once shown by him in relations with the Novgorodians and Pskovians, there is no doubt: the prince understood the meaning of this demarche. However, now the old hierarch could be angry as much as he wanted: the game had already been played.

In Moscow they did not like to rush in important matters and they pondered over the new news from Rome for about four months. Finally, all thoughts, doubts and preparations were left behind. On January 16, 1472, Moscow ambassadors, the main one among whom was still the same Ivan Fryazin - Gian Battista della Volpe - set off on a long journey. It was truly a touching and majestic sight. Across endless snow-covered spaces, across many borders and states, the awakening Moscow state reached out to radiant Italy - the cradle of the Renaissance, the main supplier of ideas, talents and scoundrels for the entire Europe of that time.

On May 23, the embassy arrived in Rome. The Muscovites were received with honor by Pope Sixtus IV, who succeeded Paul P., who died on July 28, 1471. As a gift from Ivan III, the ambassadors presented the pontiff with sixty selected sable skins. From now on, the matter quickly came to an end. A week later, Sixtus IV in St. Peter's Cathedral performs a solemn ceremony of Sophia's betrothal in absentia to the Moscow sovereign. Volpe played the role of the groom. During the ceremony, it turned out that he had not prepared wedding rings, which were a necessary element of the Catholic rite. However, this incident was hushed up and the engagement was successfully completed.

At the end of June 1472, the bride, accompanied by Moscow ambassadors, the papal legate Antonio Bonumbre, the Greeks Dmitry and Yuri Trachaniot and a large retinue, went to Moscow. At parting, the pope gave her a long audience and his blessing. He ordered that magnificent crowded meetings be arranged everywhere for Sophia, her retinue, and at the same time for the Moscow ambassadors. Thus, Sixtus IV showed such a high level of reception towards the Moscow ambassadors, which, accordingly, the Moscow sovereign had to withstand in relation to the papal legate and those accompanying him. It was a subtle diplomatic move. Ivan’s forced cordiality towards the legate was also supposed to symbolize his respect for “Latinism”.

Of the three possible travel routes - through the Black Sea and the steppe; through Poland and Lithuania; through Northern Europe and the Baltic - the latter was elected. It seemed the safest. After a long journey through all of Europe from south to north: from Rome to Lubeck and then by sea to Kolyvan (Tallinn), and from there by land to Yuriev (Tartu), Sophia arrived in Pskov. This was the first Russian city on her way. Here, by order of Ivan III, the future Grand Duchess was given a solemn meeting with bread and salt and a ritual spell of wine. It was followed by a solemn service in the city cathedral. A few days later, Sophia was met by Novgorod, led by Bishop Theophilus.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, at the metropolitan court, news relating to Sophia’s arrival was collected with special attention. Already in Pskov, the papal legate who was with her attracted everyone's attention. He stood out from the retinue of the “princess” not only by his red vestments and imperious behavior, but also by the fact that the servants in front of him constantly wore a huge Catholic crucifix. It was a visual symbol of the Catholic invasion of Rus'.

Moscow did not want to overshadow the wedding with a scandal that could have been caused by either the papal legate or the metropolitan. The latter, having learned about the defiant behavior of the legate, presented the Grand Duke with a kind of ultimatum: “It is not powerful for him to be in this city, but not to come close to him; If you do such a thing, honor him at least, but he is at the gates of the city, and Yaz, your pilgrim, is another gate from the city; It’s not worthy for us to hear, let alone see, because (because... N.B.) Having loved and praised someone else’s faith, he scolded his own” (31, 299).

Ivan immediately responded to the Metropolitan's ultimatum. “Hearing this, the great prince from the saint sent an ambassador to that kick, so that no roof would go before him (the Polish name for the four-pointed Catholic cross. - N.B.), but ordered to hide it. He stood a little about this and then did the will of the Grand Duke, but our Fryazin John the moneyman stood more about this, in order to do honor to the pope and that ambassador of his and all their land, whatever they did to him ... "(31, 299) .

Some new details of this remarkable episode are reported by the Lvov Chronicle: “When Fryazin arrived with the princess, the Grand Duke sent his boyar Fyodor Davydovich (the hero of the Battle of Shelon to the governor Fyodor Davydovich the Lame. - N.B.) against, and ordered the roofs to be taken away from the legatos, and put in the sleigh, and to capture and rob Fryazin; Fyodor did the same thing, he met her fifteen miles away. Then legatos was afraid” (27, 299).

On Thursday, November 12, 1472, Sophia finally arrived in Moscow. On the same day, her wedding to Ivan III took place. Obviously, this day was not chosen by chance. The next day, the memory of St. John Chrysostom, the heavenly patron of the Moscow sovereign, was celebrated. Services in his honor began on November 12 (139, 353). From now on, the family happiness of Prince Ivan was given under the protection of the great saint.

The official grand-ducal chronicles claim that Ivan and Sophia were married by Metropolitan Philip himself in a wooden church built inside the new Assumption Cathedral, which was then under construction (31, 299). However, unofficial chroniclers, who should be trusted in this case, report otherwise. The wedding ceremony was performed by “the Kolomna archpriest Osei” (Hosea), “he did not command the local archpriest and his confessor, who were widowers” ​​(27, 299).

The strange situation that has developed around the grand-ducal wedding is partly explained by church canons. Ivan III entered into a second marriage, which was condemned by the Church. Penance was imposed on those entering into a second marriage: excommunication from communion for a year (45, 325). The priest who celebrated the second marriage was forbidden to attend the wedding feast, “since the bigamist needs repentance” (canon seventh of the Neocaesarea Local Council). It was inappropriate for the metropolitan to solemnize a second marriage. Both for canonical reasons and for the very attitude towards the “Roman-Byzantine” marriage, Philip avoided performing the sacrament.

The archpriest of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral and the confessor of the Grand Duke himself turned out to be unsuitable figures for performing such an important action for the reason that both were widowed priests. According to the rule of St. Metropolitan Peter, widowed priests were obliged to take monasticism. At the same time, they could remain in the world, which is what they usually did. But, firstly, such a widowed priest was considered as if inferior, and secondly, according to the charter, hieromonks were not allowed to perform a wedding. As a result, the archpriest (the head of the white clergy) of the second most important city of the Moscow principality, Kolomna, was invited to marry Ivan III with Sophia.

Finally, the wedding took place. Sophia became full-fledged Grand Duchess Moscow. But the passions caused by this story did not subside for quite some time. Legate Antonio Bonumbre spent more than two months in Moscow. Burning with hatred for the “Latins,” the Metropolitan decided to shame the “Lagatos” in a public debate about faith. He carefully prepared for the dispute and even called upon the “scribe Nikita Popovich,” famous throughout Moscow for his learning, for help. On the appointed day, Antonio Bonumbre was called to the metropolitan, who began to ask him his questions. However, the legate had already understood something about Russian life. A dispute with the saint could cost him dearly. And therefore he chose to remain silent, citing the lack of sacred books necessary for the dispute. “He won’t give a single word of answer, but he will say: ‘I have no books with me’” (27, 299).

On Monday, January 11, 1473, the papal legate, along with his retinue and other participants in the Roman-Byzantine embassy, ​​left Moscow. At parting, Prince Ivan gave him gifts to give to his dad.

Against the backdrop of all these events, the construction of the new Assumption Cathedral unfolded. It became a kind of response of the Metropolitan and the Moscow zealots of piety, who shared his indignation, to the machinations of the Uniates and “Latins.” According to Philip's plan, the Moscow cathedral was supposed to repeat the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir in its forms, but at the same time be one and a half fathoms wider and longer. A certain edification was clearly read here: Moscow preserves and enhances the tradition of ancient Vladimir piety. At the same time, the cathedral was intended to become a symbol of the political continuity of Moscow from Vladimir and Kyiv. The idea of ​​succession of power was the core of the entire Moscow concept of the Russian land as the “patrimony” of the Moscow Grand Duke, first clearly formulated during the preparation of Ivan III’s first campaign against Novgorod.

Preparatory work began in the fall of 1471. “The same autumn, Metropolitan Philip commanded to prepare the stone for the building (to build. - N.B.) Church of the Holy Mother of God" (31, 292). Huge blocks of white limestone were cut down in the Myachkovo quarries on the Moscow River, and then carried on sleighs along the ice of the river all the way to the Kremlin. The same method was used to deliver logs for scaffolding and other needs. It was simply impossible to carry all this weight on carts.

At the same time, the Metropolitan began to find craftsmen capable of building this unprecedentedly large structure. Over two centuries of the Mongol yoke, Russian architects lost the habit of building large cathedrals. All their meager practice of “stone work” was reduced mainly to small pillarless or four-pillar single-domed churches, an example of which can serve as some ancient cathedrals of the Moscow region monasteries that have survived to this day (Trinity-Sergius, Savvino-Storozhevsky, Blagoveshchensky on Kirzhach), as well as numerous Novgorod churches of the 14th century. –XV centuries.

And yet craftsmen were found. The chronicles are silent about their origin and previous works. Only their decisive conversation with the metropolitan is reported, who “called masters Ivashka Krivtsov and Myshkin and began to tell them what they can do? I wanted to create a great and lofty church, like the Holy Mother of God of Vladimir. The masters were taken away (undertook. - N.B.) to build such a church for him” (27, 297). After this, they went to Vladimir, where they made precise measurements of the ancient Assumption Cathedral (31, 293).

From the very beginning, the construction of the Metropolitan Cathedral was surrounded by all kinds of conflicts, grievances and scandals. One of them is especially noteworthy: it reflected the behind-the-scenes life of the then Moscow “elite,” full of intrigue, injustice and noble rudeness. The essence of the matter was as follows. In addition to the craftsmen themselves, the Metropolitan also needed a contractor (“representative”) - a pious and fair man, who would have experience in construction and would take upon himself all the hassle associated with organizing the work. At first, two people were invited to this difficult, but honorable (and perhaps very profitable) position - a famous Moscow builder and contractor, a representative of a noble merchant family, Vasily Dmitrievich Ermolin, and Ivan Vladimirovich Golova, a young scion of another noble merchant family - the Khovrins. It is clear that disputes soon began between them. Having a dozen complex and responsible construction works under his belt, Ermolin, apparently, was already quite an elderly man in 1472. His partner Ivan Golova was in his early twenties. It is known that his godfather was Ivan III himself (82, 271–272). The appointment of the young man to such a responsible position was explained by his powerful family connections: Golova’s father, Vladimir Grigorievich Khovrin, was the richest Moscow merchant and at the same time a grand-ducal boyar. Not only boyars and merchants, but also some representatives of the Moscow princely house were in debt to the Khovrins. The sister of Ivan Golova was married to the boyar Ivan Yuryevich Patrikeev. Ivan Golova himself was married to the daughter of the famous commander Danila Dmitrievich Kholmsky.

Young Khovrin failed to find the right tone in his relationship with his more experienced but less noble partner. As a result, Ermolin was forced to refuse all participation in the construction of the cathedral. “...And Vasileya gave up all the clothes, and Ivan started dressing up again” (29, 160). The insulted and humiliated old master retires forever. His name is no longer mentioned in the chronicles.

Construction required a lot of money. The main burden of payments fell on the metropolitan see. The Assumption Cathedral was originally the cathedral of the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus'. Accordingly, the metropolitan himself had to take care of him, first of all. There is reason to believe that the first Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin was built by Saint Peter at his own expense, and his successor, Metropolitan Theognostus, was decorated (64, 199–204; 25, 94). The Moscow princes had their own common shrine on the same Cathedral Square - the Archangel Cathedral. It happened that a temple in the Moscow Kremlin was erected at his own expense by one of the members of the grand ducal family. In the end, it was a matter of personal piety and the welfare of everyone.

Of course, during the construction, the Metropolitan gratefully accepted any help from the secular authorities. However, this was voluntary. Ivan III probably never missed an opportunity to show his piety and respect for the metropolitan through generous donations “for the temple.” And yet he did not want to take on other people's worries. The time has not yet come for his cathedral and his masters...

The lack of funds made itself felt already in the first months of construction of the cathedral. And although after the death of Saint Jonah and the departure of Theodosius Byvaltsev from the department. The metropolitan treasury did not have time to be plundered in the way that usually happened when Byzantine metropolitans were replaced, Philip felt such need that he was forced to resort to extreme measures. “Metropolitan create a burden (burden. - N.B.) great, to collect silver from all priests and monasteries for church building; since he had collected a lot of silver, then the boyars and guests, by their own will, gave part of their estate to the metropolitan for the creation of a church” (27, 297). Forced contributions from the black and white clergy, voluntary donations from boyars and merchants replenished the metropolitan treasury. Now we could get down to business.

In the spring of 1472, many workers surrounded the mighty body of the doomed old cathedral like ants. The builders had to overcome several serious difficulties. The new cathedral was supposed to stand on the site of the old one, which was supposed to be dismantled piece by piece, since during the entire period of construction, worship in the cathedral was not supposed to stop. It was necessary to highest degree take care of the tombs of the Moscow saints Peter, Theognostus, Cyprian, Photius and Jonah, which were located inside the building. Particular awe was caused by the shrine with the relics of St. Peter - the main shrine of Moscow, the slightest neglect of which could lead to innumerable disasters for the city and the whole country.

The history of the construction of the cathedral, very controversially set out in the chronicles, was convincingly recreated by E. E. Golubinsky.

“The construction of the cathedral began in the spring of 1472. Around the old cathedral they dug ditches for the foundation of the new cathedral and, when the foundation was done, they dismantled the altar of the old cathedral and the smaller porches to it, but left its walls untouched for the time being, since next to them were the shrines of the metropolitans buried in it, which were supposed to remain on in their places until places are prepared for them at the walls of the new cathedral; over the shrine with the relics of St. Peter, located at the northern altar wall, after it was dismantled, a temporary wooden church was erected. After this, on the 30th of April, the ceremonial laying of the new cathedral took place. When its walls were raised to the height of a man, the old cathedral was dismantled to the ground and the metropolitan shrines were transferred to new places prepared for them at the new walls... The shrine with the relics of St. Peter had to stay in the new cathedral in the same place where she was in the old one. But since the floor of the new cathedral was made higher compared to the floor of the old cathedral for the height of a person, and the shrine with relics was supposed to be on the floor in it, as it was in the old cathedral, then a new shrine was made on the new floor, into which the relics were transferred after destruction former cancer" (73, 541).

The date of foundation of the new cathedral is noteworthy - Thursday, April 30, 1472 (31, 294). The entire Moscow nobility, led by the grand ducal family, was present at the celebration. Metropolitan Philip under the continuous ringing of bells with my own hands laid the first stone in the foundation of the future temple. The day for this type of ceremony was usually chosen very carefully and had symbolic significance. However, the secret meaning of the foundation date of the cathedral remains largely unsolved. From point of view church calendar, it was the most ordinary day, marked only by the memory of “the holy Apostle James, brother of John the Theologian” (31, 294). Perhaps the hidden meaning of the chosen day was connected with some important dates already unknown to us in the history of early Moscow.

As one would expect, such a complex and delicate matter as the construction of a new cathedral around the old one and the transfer of the relics of metropolitans from previous tombs to new ones was not without gossip, misunderstandings and accusations of the metropolitan of insufficient reverence for the shrines. Moscow chroniclers (both metropolitan and grand ducal) closely followed the development of events. They described the history of the construction of the cathedral in as much detail as the history of the second marriage of Ivan III.

At the end of May 1472, the transfer of the remains of former Moscow metropolitans to new shrines began. This action had enormous religious significance: the incorruptibility of the relics, according to popular beliefs, was considered a prerequisite for holiness. This opinion was shared by many representatives of the church leadership. The transfer of the relics of several metropolitans, which took place on Friday, May 29, brought results that pleased both Philip and the Grand Duke. The relics of the first Moscow autocephalous Metropolitan Jonah, ally of Vasily the Dark and Ivan III, turned out to be incorrupt. “Then Jonah’s whole being was found... Photea’s whole being was found, not all of its being, only the legs in the body were one, but Cypriana’s whole being was decayed, one’s relics (bones. - N.B.)" (27, 298).

The incorruptibility of the relics was considered a clear sign of holiness. At the tomb of Jonah, to which the pilgrimage immediately began, healings began to occur. The worshipers brought as a gift to the new miracle worker such an amount of silver and other valuables that one chronicler prone to irony compares it with the biblical Gasophilakia - the treasury in the Jerusalem Temple (27, 298). However, to the great chagrin of the cathedral clergy, all offerings were immediately confiscated by the metropolitan and invested in the cathedral construction fund.

The attitude towards the remains of Jonah was so respectful that the same ironic and independent chronicler could not resist remarking to those in power that they treated the remains of Jonah more carefully than the remains of the holy Metropolitan Peter himself. However, the courage of this unknown freethinker extended to the point that he allowed himself to doubt the very postulate about the fundamental importance of incorruptibility as a condition of holiness. He reproaches the superstitious rulers, for whom the saint who “does not lie in the body is not a saint among them” (27, 298).

The most important tomb of the Assumption Cathedral - Metropolitan Peter - was opened at night. This made it possible to avoid crowds, as well as to get rid of unnecessary conversations regarding the degree of preservation of the remains, which, apparently, turned out to be far from the best. The relics of Peter were placed in a closed casket and in this form were placed in a special place in the Assumption Cathedral under construction. This caused a lot of gossip. Some said that it was inappropriate to keep such a shrine among construction debris. Others assured that the casket displayed for veneration was empty, and that the Metropolitan hid the original relics in his chamber and did not allow anyone near them. Eventually the time came to transfer the relics to a new tomb. The celebrations began on the evening of June 30. All night, the princes of the Moscow house, led by Ivan III himself, replacing each other in order of seniority, prayed, kneeling, before the holy relics.

On Wednesday, July 1, 1472 (the eve of the feast of the Placing of the Robe of the Holy Mother of God in Blachernae), with a huge crowd of people, the relics of St. Peter were solemnly placed in a permanent place - in their new shrine. On this occasion, Metropolitan Philip celebrated the liturgy in his ward Church of the Deposition of the Robe; Another solemn service with the participation of several bishops and Kremlin clergy took place in the Archangel Cathedral. The famous hagiographer Pachomius the Serb was ordered to write special canons in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Peter, as well as the new wonderworker, Metropolitan Jonah. At the end of the actual church part of the holiday, all the Moscow nobility were invited to a feast with the Grand Duke. Special tables were set for the Moscow clergy. Even for the last beggar, this day turned out to be joyful: in the Kremlin, alms were given to all those asking and free food was offered.

The celebrations in Moscow on July 1, 1472 also had a certain political overtones. They testified to the piety of the Moscow dynasty, which was under the special protection of the Mother of God and St. Peter. Ivan wanted to spread this idea, expressed in the form of appropriate church services and chants, as widely as possible. “And the prince commanded the great throughout the whole earth to celebrate the offering of the relics of the miracle worker (Metropolitan Peter. - N.B.) month of July 1 day" (27, 298).