Aristocrat Martha Boretskaya became the last posadnik of Novgorod. She led the struggle of the townspeople against the Moscow prince Ivan III, who nevertheless subjugated the ancient republic and made it part of the unified Russian state.
Martha's personality
Posadnitsa Martha Boretskaya was from a boyar family. Her date of birth is not exactly known, and information about her childhood and adolescence is also not preserved. She got into the annals as the wife of the Novgorod posadnik Isaac Boretsky, from whom she received her surname. The husband died in the second half of the 50s of the XV century (the latest information about him dates back to 1456). He left his wife a lot of money and land. All these resources allowed Marfa to become one of the most influential figures in the public life of Novgorod.
In history, this woman is known as the "posadnitsa", but Boretskaya never formally had such a title. It was only a derisive nickname given to her by the Muscovites, who hated her as a principled enemy. Nevertheless, it can be said for sure that Martha was the de facto ruler of Veliky Novgorod from 1471 to 1478. These were the last days of the republic's independence, when it fought againstMoscow for sovereignty.
Fame in Novgorod
For the first time, Martha Boretskaya declared herself as an important political figure, when in 1470 the local archbishop was elected. She supported Pimen (and tried to defend his candidacy with the help of gold), but in the end, a protege of Moscow, Theophilus, was chosen. In addition, the new archbishop was to be consecrated in the capital of Ivan III, and not in Kyiv, as was always the case before.
Martha could not forgive such an insult, and from that moment she began to establish contacts with the Lithuanian party in Novgorod. This political movement advocated a rapprochement of the city with the Grand Duke from Vilnius, and not with the ruler of Moscow. Such a position contradicted the conditions that were agreed upon during the signing of the Yazhelbitsky peace.
This paper was signed in 1456 (even under the father of Ivan III - Vasily the Dark). The treaty established the dependence of Novgorod on Moscow while formally preserving the old institutions and practices (veche, the title of posadnik, etc.). The conditions were more or less fulfilled for many years. It was a compromise between the powerful influence of Moscow on all Russian lands and the old republican system of Novgorod.
Polish Supporter
Martha Boretskaya decided to go against the established order. It was she who led the boyar opposition against Ivan III and sought support from the Polish king Casimir IV (Poland and Lithuania existed within the framework of the union concluded between them). Martha on ownthe embassy sent the money to the foreign monarch, asking him to accept Novgorod as an autonomy in his possession. The conditions were agreed upon, and the governor, Mikhail Olelkovich, arrived in the city. These events infuriated Ivan III. In 1471 he declared war on Novgorod.
Preparing for war
Before sending troops north, Ivan tried to resolve the conflict through diplomacy. He turned to the help of an authoritative mediator in the person of the Church. The Moscow metropolitan went to Novgorod, where he reproached its inhabitants and Martha for betraying Moscow. He also urged to abandon the union with the Catholic state. Such an act could be regarded as a departure from Orthodoxy.
What is Marfa Boretskaya famous for? With its intransigence. She refused to make concessions to the enemy. Upon learning of this, Ivan III announced a crusade against Catholic dominance in Orthodox Novgorod. Such a slogan allowed him to gather many supporters, including Pskovites, Ustyuzhans and Vyatichi, who in a different situation could refuse to help Moscow. The army went on a campaign even despite the fact that the Polish governor Mikhail Olelkovich left the banks of the Volkhov and went to Kyiv.
The characteristic of Marfa Boretskaya was also that she did not give up in moments of terrible danger. An army was also gathered in Novgorod. His organization did not take place without the participation of Martha. In addition, her son Dmitry, who was then a formal posadnik, ended up in the army himself.
Battle of Shelon
The Moscow army, led by the famous voivode Daniil Kholmsky and Fyodor Motley, captured and burned the important fortress of Rusu. After this success, the squad stopped to wait for reinforcements from Pskov. At the same time, additional Moscow regiments connected with the Tver detachment and also headed north.
The Novgorod army included 40 thousand people. It headed towards Pskov to prevent its army from uniting with Kholmsky. The Moscow governor guessed the plans of the enemy and moved to intercept him. On July 14, 1471, Kholmsky attacked the Novgorod army that was not expecting him with a surprise attack. This battle is known in historiography as the Battle of Shelon (by the name of the river). Kholmsky had under his command half as many people as the Novgorodians, but his stunning blow determined the outcome of the confrontation.
Thousands of Novgorodians died. Marfa's son, Dmitry Boretsky, was captured and soon executed for treason. The defeat made the fate of Novgorod inevitable.
Korostyn peace
The peace of Korostyn was soon concluded (August 11, 1471). According to its terms, Novgorod fell into even greater dependence on Moscow. So, his government was to obey the Grand Duke in matters of foreign policy. This was an important innovation, as it deprived the Novgorodians of the opportunity to have any diplomatic contacts with Poland and Lithuania. Also, the city court was now subordinate to the Grand Duke of Moscow. In addition, the church of Novgorod becamean integral part of a single metropolis. The main body of local self-government - Veche - could no longer make decisions on its own. All his letters were certified by the Grand Duke, and Moscow seals were affixed to the papers.
Nevertheless, decorative signs of the old order were preserved in Novgorod, when the republic still dominated here. The Grand Duke did not touch Martha, she remained at home. Huge concessions from Moscow did not change its plans. She still dreamed of getting rid of dependence on Ivan III. But for a while, a fragile peace reigned between the parties.
Abolition of Novgorod independence
In Moscow, they knew that the Novgorod boyar elite and personally Martha Boretskaya were plotting against Ivan. The posadnitsa continued to try to establish contacts with Kazimir, despite the execution of her own son and the defeat in the war. Ivan Vasilyevich turned a blind eye to what was happening in the north for a while, as he had many other concerns - for example, difficult relations with the Tatars.
However, in 1478, the prince finally freed himself from other worries and decided to put an end to the Novgorod freemen. Moscow troops came to the city. At the same time, no organized serious resistance did not arise. According to the order of Ivan III, the noblewoman Martha Boretskaya was deprived of all her lands and had to go to Nizhny Novgorod and become a nun in the monastery there. The main symbols of Novgorod's freedom were destroyed: the veche was canceled, the veche bell was taken away. In addition, Ivan expelled from the cityall the boyars who were suspected of rejecting his power. Most of them were settled in Moscow - closer to the Kremlin, where their influence was reduced to nothing. People loyal to Ivan Vasilyevich went to Novgorod, who took the main posts and were able to peacefully make it part of the united Russian state.
Martha's Fate
Martha Boretskaya, whose biography ended as politics, really ended up in a monastery. In the tonsure, she took the name of Mary. The former aristocrat died in 1503 in the Zachatievsky monastery, which from the 19th century became known as the Ex altation of the Cross. The image of Martha Boretskaya immediately became an integral part of Russian folklore. The chroniclers often compared this woman with other important political figures of the weaker sex - Elia Eudoxia and Herodiara.
