Grand Duchess Sophia (Zoya) Paleologus of Moscow played a huge role in the formation of the Muscovite kingdom. Many consider her the author of the concept “Moscow is the third Rome”. And together with Zoya Paleologina, a double-headed eagle appeared. At first it was the family coat of arms of her dynasty, and then migrated to the coat of arms of all the tsars and Russian emperors.

Childhood and youth

Zoe Paleologue was born (presumably) in 1455 in Mystras. The daughter of the despot of Morea, Thomas Palaiologos, was born at a tragic and turning point - the time of the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

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

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

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

Grand Duchess of Moscow

When Sophia came of age, the Venetian Signoria became concerned about her marriage. The king of Cyprus, Jacques II de Lusignan, was first offered to take the noble girl as his wife. But he refused this marriage, fearing a conflict with the Ottoman Empire. A year later, in 1467, Cardinal Vissarion, at the request of Pope Paul II, offered the hand of a noble Byzantine beauty to the prince and Italian nobleman Caracciolo. A solemn engagement took place, but for unknown reasons the marriage was called off.

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

In the turning point for the life of Sophia Paleologus in 1467, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Maria Borisovna, died. This marriage produced an only son. Pope Paul II, counting on the spread of Catholicism to Moscow, invited the widowed sovereign of All Rus' to take his ward as his wife.

After 3 years of negotiations, Ivan III, having asked for advice from his mother, Metropolitan Philip and the boyars, decided to get married. It is noteworthy that the negotiators from the pope prudently kept silent about Sophia Paleologue’s conversion to Catholicism. Moreover, they reported that the proposed wife of Paleologina is an Orthodox Christian. They didn't even realize that it was so.

In June 1472, in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, the betrothal of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus took place in absentia. After this, the bride's convoy left Rome for Moscow. The same Cardinal Vissarion accompanied the bride.

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

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

Meeting of Princess Sophia Paleolog on Lake Peipsi

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

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

Personal life

Apparently, Sophia Paleologue’s personal life with Grand Duke Ivan III was successful. This marriage produced a significant number of offspring - 5 sons and 4 daughters. But it’s difficult to call the existence of the new Grand Duchess Sophia in Moscow cloudless. The boyars saw the enormous influence that the wife had on her husband. Many people didn't like it.

Vasily III, son of Sophia Paleologus

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

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

Death

Sophia Paleologue, Grand Duchess of Moscow, died on April 7, 1503. The husband, Ivan III, survived his wife by only 2 years.

Destruction of the grave of Sophia Paleolog in 1929

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

This woman was credited with many important government deeds. What made Sofia Paleolog so different? Interesting facts about her, as well as biographical information, are collected in this article.


Sofia Fominichna Paleolog, aka Zoya Paleologina, was born in October 1455. Origins from the Byzantine imperial dynasty of the Palaiologos.
Grand Duchess of Moscow, second wife of Ivan III, mother of Vasily III, grandmother of Ivan the Terrible.

Cardinal's proposal

The ambassador of Cardinal Vissarion arrived in Moscow in February 1469. He handed over a letter to the Grand Duke with a proposal to marry Sophia, daughter of Theodore I, Despot of Morea. By the way, this letter also said that Sofia Paleologus (real name is Zoya, they decided to replace it with an Orthodox one for diplomatic reasons) had already refused two crowned suitors who had wooed her. These were the Duke of Milan and the French king. The fact is that Sofia did not want to marry a Catholic.

Sofia Paleolog (of course, you can’t find a photo of her, but portraits are presented in the article), according to the ideas of that distant time, was no longer young. However, she was still quite attractive. She had expressive, amazingly beautiful eyes, as well as matte, delicate skin, which in Rus' was considered a sign of excellent health. In addition, the bride was distinguished by her stature and sharp mind.

Who is Sofia Fominichna Paleolog?

Sofia Fominichna is the niece of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last emperor of Byzantium. Since 1472, she was the wife of Ivan III Vasilyevich. Her father was Thomas Palaiologos, who fled to Rome with his family in 1453 after the Turks captured Constantinople. Sophia Paleologus lived after the death of her father in the care of the great Pope. For a number of reasons, he wished to marry her to Ivan III, who was widowed in 1467. He agreed.


Sofia Paleolog gave birth to a son in 1479, who later became Vasily III Ivanovich. In addition, she achieved the declaration of Vasily as the Grand Duke, whose place was to be taken by Dmitry, the grandson of Ivan III, crowned king. Ivan III used his marriage to Sophia to strengthen Rus' in the international arena.


Icon "Blessed Heaven" and the image of Michael III

Sofia Palaeologus, Grand Duchess of Moscow, brought several Orthodox icons. It is believed that among them was the “Blessed Heaven” icon, a rare image of the Mother of God. She was in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral. However, according to another legend, the relic was transported from Constantinople to Smolensk, and when the latter was captured by Lithuania, this icon was used to bless the marriage of Princess Sofya Vitovtovna when she married Vasily I, Prince of Moscow. The image that is in the cathedral today is a copy of an ancient icon, made at the end of the 17th century by order of Fyodor Alekseevich.

Muscovites traditionally brought lamp oil and water to this icon. It was believed that they were filled with healing properties, because the image had healing powers. This icon is one of the most revered in our country today.

In the Archangel Cathedral, after the wedding of Ivan III, an image of Michael III, the Byzantine emperor who was the founder of the Palaeologus dynasty, also appeared. Thus, it was argued that Moscow is the successor of the Byzantine Empire, and the sovereigns of Rus' are the heirs of the Byzantine emperors.

The birth of the long-awaited heir

After Sofia Palaeologus, the second wife of Ivan III, married him in the Assumption Cathedral and became his wife, she began to think about how to gain influence and become a real queen. Paleologue understood that for this she had to present the prince with a gift that only she could give: to give birth to him a son who would become the heir to the throne. To Sofia’s chagrin, the first-born was a daughter who died almost immediately after birth. A year later, a girl was born again, but she also died suddenly. Sofia Palaeologus cried, prayed to God to give her an heir, distributed handfuls of alms to the poor, and donated to churches. After some time, the Mother of God heard her prayers - Sofia Paleolog became pregnant again.

Her biography was finally marked by a long-awaited event. It took place on March 25, 1479 at 8 pm, as stated in one of the Moscow chronicles. A son was born. He was named Vasily of Paria. The boy was baptized by Vasiyan, the Rostov archbishop, in the Sergius Monastery.

What did Sofia bring with her?

Sofia managed to instill in her what was dear to her, and what was valued and understood in Moscow. She brought with her the customs and traditions of the Byzantine court, pride in her own origins, as well as annoyance at the fact that she had to marry a tributary of the Mongol-Tatars. It is unlikely that Sophia liked the simplicity of the situation in Moscow, as well as the unceremoniousness of the relations that reigned at that time at court. Ivan III himself was forced to listen to reproachful speeches from the obstinate boyars. However, in the capital, even without it, many had a desire to change the old order, which did not correspond to the position of the Moscow sovereign. And the wife of Ivan III with the Greeks she brought, who saw both Roman and Byzantine life, could give the Russians valuable instructions on what models and how they should implement the changes everyone desired.

The prince's wife cannot be denied influence on the behind-the-scenes life of the court and its decorative environment. She skillfully built personal relationships and was excellent at court intrigue. However, Paleologue could only respond to political ones with suggestions that echoed the vague and secret thoughts of Ivan III. The idea was especially clear that by her marriage the princess was making the Moscow rulers successors to the emperors of Byzantium, with the interests of the Orthodox East clinging to the latter. Therefore, Sophia Palaeologus in the capital of the Russian state was valued mainly as a Byzantine princess, and not as a Grand Duchess of Moscow. She herself understood this. As Princess Sofia, she enjoyed the right to receive foreign embassies in Moscow. Therefore, her marriage to Ivan was a kind of political demonstration. It was announced to the whole world that the heiress of the Byzantine house, which had fallen shortly before, transferred its sovereign rights to Moscow, which became the new Constantinople. Here she shares these rights with her husband.


Ivan, sensing his new position in the international arena, found the previous environment of the Kremlin ugly and cramped. Masters were sent from Italy, following the princess. They built the Faceted Chamber, the Assumption Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral), and a new stone palace on the site of the wooden mansion. In the Kremlin at this time, a strict and complex ceremony began to take place at the court, imparting arrogance and stiffness to Moscow life. Just as in his palace, Ivan III began to act in external relations with a more solemn gait. Especially when the Tatar yoke fell off the shoulders without a fight, as if by itself. And it weighed heavily over all of northeastern Russia for almost two centuries (from 1238 to 1480). A new language, more solemn, appeared at this time in government papers, especially diplomatic ones. A rich terminology is emerging.

Sofia Paleologue was not loved in Moscow for the influence she exerted on the Grand Duke, as well as for the changes in the life of Moscow - “great unrest” (in the words of the boyar Bersen-Beklemishev). Sofia interfered not only in domestic, but also in foreign policy affairs. She demanded that Ivan III refuse to pay tribute to the Horde khan and finally free himself from his power. The skilful advice of the Paleologist, as evidenced by V.O. Klyuchevsky, always responded to her husband’s intentions. Therefore he refused to pay tribute. Ivan III trampled on the Khan's charter in Zamoskovreche, in the Horde courtyard. Later, the Transfiguration Church was built on this site. However, even then the people “talked” about Paleologus. Before Ivan III left for the great stand on the Ugra in 1480, he sent his wife and children to Beloozero. For this, the subjects attributed to the sovereign the intention to give up power in the event that Khan Akhmat took Moscow, and to flee with his wife.

"Duma" and changes in treatment of subordinates

Ivan III, freed from the yoke, finally felt like a sovereign sovereign. Through the efforts of Sofia, palace etiquette began to resemble Byzantine. The prince gave his wife a “gift”: Ivan III allowed Sofia to assemble her own “duma” from the members of her retinue and organize “diplomatic receptions” in her half. The princess received foreign ambassadors and politely talked to them. This was an unprecedented innovation for Rus'. The treatment at the sovereign's court also changed.

Sophia Palaeologus brought her husband sovereign rights, as well as the right to the Byzantine throne. The boyars had to reckon with this. Ivan III used to love arguments and objections, but under Sophia he radically changed the way he treated his courtiers. Ivan began to act unapproachable, easily fell into anger, often brought disgrace, and demanded special respect for himself. Rumor also attributed all these misfortunes to the influence of Sophia Paleologus.

Fight for the throne

She was also accused of violating the succession to the throne. In 1497, enemies told the prince that Sophia Palaeologus was planning to poison his grandson in order to place her own son on the throne, that she was secretly visited by sorcerers preparing a poisonous potion, and that Vasily himself was participating in this conspiracy. Ivan III took the side of his grandson in this matter. He ordered the sorcerers to be drowned in the Moscow River, arrested Vasily, and removed his wife from him, demonstratively executing several members of the “Duma” Paleologus. In 1498, Ivan III crowned Dmitry in the Assumption Cathedral as heir to the throne.
However, Sophia had the ability for court intrigue in her blood. She accused Elena Voloshanka of adherence to heresy and was able to bring about her downfall. The Grand Duke put his grandson and daughter-in-law into disgrace and named Vasily the legal heir to the throne in 1500.

The marriage of Sofia Paleolog and Ivan III certainly strengthened the Moscow state. He contributed to its transformation into the Third Rome. Sofia Paleolog lived for more than 30 years in Russia, giving birth to 12 children to her husband. However, she never managed to fully understand the foreign country, its laws and traditions. Even in official chronicles there are entries condemning her behavior in some situations that are difficult for the country.

Sofia attracted architects and other cultural figures, as well as doctors, to the Russian capital. The creations of Italian architects made Moscow not inferior in majesty and beauty to the capitals of Europe. This contributed to strengthening the prestige of the Moscow sovereign and emphasized the continuity of the Russian capital to the Second Rome.

Death of Sofia

Sofia died in Moscow on August 7, 1503. She was buried in the Ascension Convent of the Moscow Kremlin. In December 1994, in connection with the transfer of the remains of the royal and princely wives to the Archangel Cathedral, S. A. Nikitin, using the preserved skull of Sophia, restored her sculptural portrait (pictured above). Now we can at least approximately imagine what Sophia Paleolog looked like.

Sophia Palaeologus, also called Zoe Palaeologina, was born in 1455 in the city of Mystras, Greece.

Princess's childhood

The future grandmother of Ivan the Terrible was born into the family of the despot of Morea named Thomas Paleologus in a not very prosperous time - in decadent times for Byzantium. When Constantinople fell to Turkey and was taken by Sultan Mehmed II, the girl's father, Thomas Palaiologos, fled with his family to Cofra.

Later in Rome, the family changed their faith to Catholicism, and when Sophia was 10 years old, her father died. Unfortunately for the girl, her mother Ekaterina Akhaiskaya died a year earlier, which brought down her father.

The Palaiologos children - Zoya, Manuel and Andrey, 10, 5 and 7 years old - settled in Rome under the tutelage of the Greek scientist Bessarion of Nicea, who at that time served as a cardinal under the Pope. The Byzantine princess Sophia and her prince brothers were raised in Catholic traditions. With the permission of the Pope, Vissarion of Nicaea paid for the Palaeologians' servants, doctors, language professors, as well as a whole staff of foreign language translators and clergy. The orphans received an excellent education.

Marriage

As soon as Sophia grew up, Venetian subjects began to look for a noble spouse for her.

• She was predicted to be the wife of the Cypriot king Jacques II de Lusignan. The marriage did not take place to avoid quarrels with the Ottoman Empire.
• A few months later, Cardinal Vissarion invited Prince Caracciolo from Italy to woo the Byzantine princess. The newlyweds got engaged. However, Sophia gave up all her efforts not to get engaged to a man of other faiths (she continued to adhere to Orthodoxy).
• By coincidence, in 1467, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan the Third died in Moscow. There was one son left from the marriage. And Pope Paul II, with the goal of planting the Catholic faith in Rus', suggested that the widower place a Greek Catholic princess on the throne of the Princess of All Rus'.

Negotiations with the Russian prince lasted three years. Ivan the Third, having received the approval of his mother, churchmen and his boyars, decided to get married. By the way, during the negotiations about the princess’s conversion to Catholicism in Rome, the envoys from the Pope did not elaborate much. On the contrary, they slyly reported that the sovereign’s bride was a true Orthodox Christian. It's amazing that they couldn't even imagine that this was true.

In June 1472, the newlyweds in Rome became engaged in absentia. Then, accompanied by Cardinal Vissarion, the Princess of Moscow left Rome for Moscow.

Portrait of a princess

Bologna chroniclers eloquently described Sophia Paleologue as an attractive girl. When she got married, she looked to be about 24 years old.

• Her skin is white as snow.
• The eyes are huge and very expressive, which corresponded to the then canons of beauty.
• The princess's height is 160 cm.
• Body type - compact, dense.

Paleologus's dowry included not only jewelry, but also a large number of valuable books, including treatises by Plato, Aristotle, and unknown works of Homer. These books became the main attraction of the famous library of Ivan the Terrible, which later disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

In addition, Zoya was very purposeful. She made every effort not to convert to another faith when she became engaged to a Christian man. At the end of her route from Rome to Moscow, when there was no turning back, she announced to her escorts that in marriage she would renounce Catholicism and embrace Orthodoxy. So the desire of the Pope to spread Catholicism to Rus' through the marriage of Ivan the Third and Paleologus failed.

Life in Moscow

The influence of Sophia Paleologue on her married husband was very great, and this also became a great blessing for Russia, because the wife was very educated and incredibly devoted to her new homeland.

So, it was she who prompted her husband to stop paying tribute to the Golden Horde that was burdening them. Thanks to his wife, the Grand Duke decided to cast aside the Tatar-Mongol burden that had weighed on Russia for many centuries. At the same time, his advisers and princes insisted on paying the quitrent, as usual, so as not to start a new bloodshed. In 1480, Ivan the Third announced his decision to the Tatar Khan Akhmat. Then there was a historical bloodless stand on the Ugra, and the Horde left Russia forever, never again demanding tribute from it.

In general, Sophia Paleolog played a very important role in further historical events of Rus'. Her broad outlook and bold innovative decisions subsequently allowed the country to make a noticeable breakthrough in the development of culture and architecture. Sofia Paleolog opened Moscow for Europeans. Now Greeks, Italians, learned minds and talented craftsmen flocked to Muscovy. For example, Ivan the Third gladly took under the tutelage of Italian architects (such as Aristotle Fioravanti), who erected many historical masterpieces of architecture in Moscow. At the behest of Sophia, a separate courtyard and luxurious mansions were built for her. They were lost in a fire in 1493 (along with the Palaiologos treasury).

Zoya’s personal relationship with her husband Ivan III was also successful. They had 12 children. But some died in infancy or from disease. So, in their family, five sons and four daughters lived to adulthood.

But it’s quite difficult to call the life of a Byzantine princess in Moscow rosy. The local elite saw the great influence that the wife had on her husband, and was very dissatisfied with this.

Sophia’s relationship with her adopted son from her deceased first wife, Ivan Molodoy, also did not work out. The princess really wanted her first-born Vasily to become the heir. And there is a historical version that she was involved in the death of the heir, having prescribed him an Italian doctor with poisonous potions, supposedly to treat the sudden onset of gout (he was later executed for this).

Sophia had a hand in removing his wife Elena Voloshanka and their son Dmitry from the throne. First, Ivan the Third sent Sofia herself into disgrace because she invited witches to her place to create poison for Elena and Dmitry. He forbade his wife to appear in the palace. However, later Ivan the Third ordered to send his grandson Dmitry, already proclaimed heir to the throne, and his mother to prison for court intrigues, successfully and in a favorable light revealed by his wife Sophia. The grandson was officially deprived of his grand-ducal dignity, and his son Vasily was declared heir to the throne.

Thus, the Princess of Moscow became the mother of the heir to the Russian throne, Vasily III, and the grandmother of the famous Tsar Ivan the Terrible. There is evidence that the famous grandson had many similarities in both appearance and character with his domineering grandmother from Byzantium.

Death

As they said then, “from old age” - at the age of 48, Sophia Paleologus died on April 7, 1503. The woman was laid to rest in a sarcophagus in the Ascension Cathedral. She was buried next to Ivan's first wife.

By coincidence, in 1929 the Bolsheviks demolished the cathedral, but the sarcophagus of Palaeologina was preserved and was moved to the Archangel Cathedral.

Ivan the Third had a hard time with the death of the princess. At the age of 60, this greatly undermined his health, and recently he and his wife were in constant suspicion and quarrels. However, he continued to appreciate Sofia's intelligence and her love for Russia. Feeling the approach of his end, he made a will, appointing their common son Vasily as heir to power.

This woman was credited with many important government deeds. What made Sophia Paleolog so different? Interesting facts about her, as well as biographical information, are collected in this article.

Cardinal's proposal

The ambassador of Cardinal Vissarion arrived in Moscow in February 1469. He handed over a letter to the Grand Duke with a proposal to marry Sophia, daughter of Theodore I, Despot of Morea. By the way, this letter also said that Sofia Paleologus (real name is Zoya, they decided to replace it with an Orthodox one for diplomatic reasons) had already refused two crowned suitors who had wooed her. These were the Duke of Milan and the French king. The fact is that Sophia did not want to marry a Catholic.

Sofia Paleolog (of course, you can’t find a photo of her, but portraits are presented in the article), according to the ideas of that distant time, was no longer young. However, she was still quite attractive. She had expressive, amazingly beautiful eyes, as well as matte, delicate skin, which in Rus' was considered a sign of excellent health. In addition, the bride was distinguished by her stature and sharp mind.

Who is Sofia Fominichna Paleolog?

Sofya Fominichna is the niece of Konstantin XI Paleologus, the latter. Since 1472, she has been the wife of Ivan III Vasilyevich. Her father was Thomas Palaiologos, who fled to Rome with his family after the Turks captured Constantinople. Sophia Paleologue lived after the death of her father in the care of the great Pope. For a number of reasons, he wished to marry her to Ivan III, who was widowed in 1467. He agreed.

Sofia Paleolog gave birth to a son in 1479, who later became Vasily III Ivanovich. In addition, she achieved the declaration of Vasily as the Grand Duke, whose place was to be taken by Dmitry, the grandson of Ivan III, crowned king. Ivan III used his marriage to Sophia to strengthen Rus' in the international arena.

Icon "Blessed Heaven" and the image of Michael III

Sofia Palaeologus, Grand Duchess of Moscow, brought several Orthodox icons. It is believed that among them was a rare image of the Mother of God. She was in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral. However, according to another legend, the relic was transported from Constantinople to Smolensk, and when the latter was captured by Lithuania, this icon was used to bless the marriage of Princess Sofya Vitovtovna when she married Vasily I, Prince of Moscow. The image that is in the cathedral today is a copy of an ancient icon, commissioned at the end of the 17th century (pictured below). Muscovites traditionally brought lamp oil and water to this icon. It was believed that they were filled with healing properties, because the image had healing powers. This icon is one of the most revered in our country today.

In the Archangel Cathedral, after the wedding of Ivan III, an image of Michael III, the Byzantine emperor who was the founder of the Palaeologus dynasty, also appeared. Thus, it was argued that Moscow is the successor of the Byzantine Empire, and the sovereigns of Rus' are the heirs of the Byzantine emperors.

The birth of the long-awaited heir

After Sofia Palaeologus, the second wife of Ivan III, married him in the Assumption Cathedral and became his wife, she began to think about how to gain influence and become a real queen. Paleologue understood that for this she had to present the prince with a gift that only she could give: to give birth to him a son who would become the heir to the throne. To Sophia’s chagrin, the first-born was a daughter who died almost immediately after birth. A year later, a girl was born again, but she also died suddenly. Sofia Palaeologus cried, prayed to God to give her an heir, distributed handfuls of alms to the poor, and donated to churches. After some time, the Mother of God heard her prayers - Sofia Paleolog became pregnant again.

Her biography was finally marked by a long-awaited event. It took place on March 25, 1479 at 8 pm, as stated in one of the Moscow chronicles. A son was born. He was named Vasily of Paria. The boy was baptized by Vasiyan, the Rostov archbishop, in the Sergius Monastery.

What did Sophia bring with her?

Sophia managed to instill in her what was dear to her, and what was valued and understood in Moscow. She brought with her the customs and traditions of the Byzantine court, pride in her own origins, as well as annoyance at the fact that she had to marry a tributary of the Mongol-Tatars. It is unlikely that Sophia liked the simplicity of the situation in Moscow, as well as the unceremoniousness of the relations that reigned at the court at that time. Ivan III himself was forced to listen to reproachful speeches from the obstinate boyars. However, in the capital, even without it, many had a desire to change the old order, which did not correspond to the position of the Moscow sovereign. And the wife of Ivan III with the Greeks she brought, who saw both Roman and Byzantine life, could give the Russians valuable instructions on what models and how they should implement the changes everyone desired.

Sofia's influence

The prince's wife cannot be denied influence on the behind-the-scenes life of the court and its decorative environment. She skillfully built personal relationships and was excellent at court intrigue. However, Paleologue could only respond to political ones with suggestions that echoed the vague and secret thoughts of Ivan III. The idea was especially clear that by her marriage the princess was making the Moscow rulers successors to the emperors of Byzantium, with the interests of the Orthodox East clinging to the latter. Therefore, Sophia Paleologue in the capital of the Russian state was valued mainly as a Byzantine princess, and not as a Grand Duchess of Moscow. She herself understood this. How did she use the right to receive foreign embassies in Moscow? Therefore, her marriage to Ivan was a kind of political demonstration. It was announced to the whole world that the heiress of the Byzantine house, which had fallen shortly before, transferred its sovereign rights to Moscow, which became the new Constantinople. Here she shares these rights with her husband.

Reconstruction of the Kremlin, overthrow of the Tatar yoke

Ivan, sensing his new position in the international arena, found the previous environment of the Kremlin ugly and cramped. Masters were sent from Italy, following the princess. They built the Assumption Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral) on the site of the wooden mansion, as well as a new stone palace. In the Kremlin at this time, a strict and complex ceremony began to take place at the court, imparting arrogance and stiffness to Moscow life. Just as in his palace, Ivan III began to act in external relations with a more solemn gait. Especially when the Tatar yoke fell off the shoulders without a fight, as if by itself. And it weighed heavily over all of northeastern Russia for almost two centuries (from 1238 to 1480). A new language, more solemn, appeared at this time in government papers, especially diplomatic ones. A rich terminology is emerging.

Sophia's role in overthrowing the Tatar yoke

Paleologus was not liked in Moscow for the influence she exerted on the Grand Duke, as well as for the changes in the life of Moscow - “great unrest” (in the words of boyar Bersen-Beklemishev). Sophia interfered not only in domestic but also in foreign policy affairs. She demanded that Ivan III refuse to pay tribute to the Horde khan and finally free himself from his power. The skilful advice of the Paleologist, as evidenced by V.O. Klyuchevsky, always responded to her husband’s intentions. Therefore he refused to pay tribute. Ivan III trampled on the Khan's charter in Zamoskovreche, in the Horde courtyard. Later, the Transfiguration Church was built on this site. However, even then the people “talked” about Paleologus. Before Ivan III came out to the great one in 1480, he sent his wife and children to Beloozero. For this, the subjects attributed to the sovereign the intention to give up power if he took Moscow and fled with his wife.

"Duma" and changes in treatment of subordinates

Ivan III, freed from the yoke, finally felt like a sovereign sovereign. Through the efforts of Sophia, palace etiquette began to resemble Byzantine. The prince gave his wife a “gift”: Ivan III allowed Palaeologus to assemble his own “duma” from the members of his retinue and organize “diplomatic receptions” in his half. The princess received foreign ambassadors and politely talked to them. This was an unprecedented innovation for Rus'. The treatment at the sovereign's court also changed.

Sophia Palaeologus brought her spouse sovereign rights, as well as the right to the Byzantine throne, as noted by F.I. Uspensky, a historian who studied this period. The boyars had to reckon with this. Ivan III used to love arguments and objections, but under Sophia he radically changed the way he treated his courtiers. Ivan began to act unapproachable, easily fell into anger, often brought disgrace, and demanded special respect for himself. Rumor also attributed all these misfortunes to the influence of Sophia Paleologus.

Fight for the throne

She was also accused of violating the succession to the throne. In 1497, enemies told the prince that Sophia Palaeologus was planning to poison his grandson in order to place her own son on the throne, that she was secretly visited by sorcerers preparing a poisonous potion, and that Vasily himself was participating in this conspiracy. Ivan III took the side of his grandson in this matter. He ordered the sorcerers to be drowned in the Moscow River, arrested Vasily, and removed his wife from him, demonstratively executing several members of the “Duma” Paleologus. In 1498, Ivan III crowned Dmitry in the Assumption Cathedral as heir to the throne.

However, Sophia had the ability for court intrigue in her blood. She accused Elena Voloshanka of adherence to heresy and was able to bring about her downfall. The Grand Duke put his grandson and daughter-in-law into disgrace and named Vasily the legal heir to the throne in 1500.

Sofia Paleolog: role in history

The marriage of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III certainly strengthened the Moscow state. He contributed to its transformation into the Third Rome. Sofia Paleolog lived for more than 30 years in Russia, giving birth to 12 children to her husband. However, she never managed to fully understand the foreign country, its laws and traditions. Even in official chronicles there are entries condemning her behavior in some situations that are difficult for the country.

Sofia attracted architects and other cultural figures, as well as doctors, to the Russian capital. The creations of Italian architects made Moscow not inferior in majesty and beauty to the capitals of Europe. This contributed to strengthening the prestige of the Moscow sovereign and emphasized the continuity of the Russian capital to the Second Rome.

Death of Sofia

Sophia died in Moscow on August 7, 1503. She was buried in the Ascension Convent of the Moscow Kremlin. In December 1994, in connection with the transfer of the remains of the royal and princely wives to the Archangel Cathedral, S. A. Nikitin, using the preserved skull of Sophia, restored her sculptural portrait (pictured above). Now we can at least approximately imagine what Sophia Paleolog looked like. Interesting facts and biographical information about her are numerous. We tried to select the most important things when compiling this article.

Sofia Paleolog went from the last Byzantine princess to the Grand Duchess of Moscow. Thanks to her intelligence and cunning, she could influence the policies of Ivan III and won palace intrigues. Sophia also managed to place her son Vasily III on the throne.

Zoe Paleologue was born around 1440-1449. She was the daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, who was the brother of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine. The fate of the entire family after the death of the ruler turned out to be unenviable. Thomas Palaiologos fled to Corfu and then to Rome. After some time, the children followed him. The paleologists were patronized by Pope Paul II himself. The girl had to convert to Catholicism and change her name from Zoe to Sophia. She received an education appropriate to her status, without basking in luxury, but without poverty either.

Sophia became a pawn in the political game of the Pope. At first he wanted to give her as a wife to King James II of Cyprus, but he refused. The next contender for the girl's hand was Prince Caracciolo, but he did not live to see the wedding. When the wife of Prince Ivan III died in 1467, Sophia Paleologue was offered to him as his wife. The Pope kept silent about the fact that she was a Catholic, thereby wanting to expand the influence of the Vatican in Rus'. Negotiations for marriage continued for three years. Ivan III was seduced by the opportunity to have such an eminent person as his wife.

The betrothal in absentia took place on June 1, 1472, after which Sophia Paleologus went to Muscovy. Everywhere she was given all kinds of honors and celebrations were held. At the head of her cortege was a man who carried a Catholic cross. Having learned about this, Metropolitan Philip threatened to leave Moscow if the cross was brought into the city. Ivan III ordered to take away the Catholic symbol 15 versts from Moscow. Dad's plans failed, and Sophia returned to her faith again. The wedding took place on November 12, 1472 in the Assumption Cathedral.

At court, the newly-made Byzantine wife of the Grand Duke was not liked. Despite this, Sophia had a huge influence on her husband. The chronicles describe in detail how Paleologue persuaded Ivan III to free himself from the Mongol yoke.

Following the Byzantine model, Ivan III developed a complex judicial system. It was then for the first time that the Grand Duke began to call himself “the Tsar and Autocrat of All Rus'.” It is believed that the image of the double-headed eagle, which subsequently appeared on the coat of arms of Muscovy, was brought by Sophia Paleologus with her.

Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III had eleven children (five sons and six daughters). From his first marriage, the tsar had a son, Ivan the Young, the first contender for the throne. But he fell ill with gout and died. Another “obstacle” for Sophia’s children on the path to the throne was Ivan the Young’s son Dmitry. But he and his mother fell out of favor with the king and died in captivity. Some historians suggest that Paleologus was involved in the deaths of the direct heirs, but there is no direct evidence. Ivan III's successor was Sophia's son Vasily III.

The Byzantine princess and princess of Muscovy died on April 7, 1503. She was buried in a stone sarcophagus in the Ascension Monastery.

The marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologue turned out to be successful politically and culturally. were able to leave a mark not only in the history of their country, but also to become beloved queens in a foreign land.