Who is Anastasia Lisovskaya? She was the only woman in the harem who had the official title - haseki. She was a sultana. Being an insidious woman, she de alt with all her competitors in the Turkish seraglio. Now she shared absolute power with her husband, the Turkish ruler Suleiman. By the way, it was she who was able to make the harsh spouse forget about her harem forever. In Europe, she is known as Roksolana … Photos of Anastasia Lisovskaya (more precisely, portraits), as well as a biography are presented to your attention below.
Holy War
In the first half of the sixteenth century, the Turks and Tatars continuously made devastating raids on the cities and villages that were in southeastern Europe. By and large, they waged their "holy war" for a faith that justified any atrocities. Hundreds of Christians became its victims. They were enslaved by the invaders.
In 1512, this wave of violence and attacks reachedterritory of today's Western Ukraine. At that time, it was under the rule of a strong state. We are talking about the Commonwe alth. Many scholars believe that a large number of combat detachments numbering twenty-five thousand people took part in this raid. The troops managed to pass from the lower reaches of the Dnieper River to the Carpathian mountains.
Aggression brought terrible misfortunes and unthinkable ruin. In the end, songs and tales about captivity and a merciless enemy still live in folklore. Strings of slaves stretched across Ukrainian territory. They were taken to Kafa, in the Crimea. This city is currently called Feodosia. It was here that one of the largest slave markets was located. After that, the slaves were loaded onto sea vessels and transported across the Black Sea to Istanbul. The priest's daughter Anastasia Lisovskaya from the city of Rohatyn also made such a route. This city is now located in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Girl from Rohatyn
Information about the origin of Lisovskaya is rather scattered and contradictory. By and large, there is very little information about the early biography of Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya. Mostly historians mention her Russian roots.
Thus, the Lithuanian ambassador to the Crimean Khanate named Mikhalon Litvin wrote in the middle of the sixteenth century that Lisovskaya, who was already the wife of the Sultan at that time, was once captured from the “Russian lands.”
Polish scientists claim that the real name of the girl from Rohatyn was not Anastasia, but Alexandra.
In the literature of Ukraine of the 19th centuryLisovskaya was called exclusively Anastasia.
In Europe, she is known as Roksolana. In any case, the Hamburg ambassador to the Ottoman Empire wrote his literary work called Turkish Notes. And on the pages of this creation, he called Lisovskaya Roksolana. He also confirmed that she was born on the territory of today's Western Ukraine. And the envoy called it that because in those days in the Commonwe alth this land was called Roksolania.
Summing up the above, it can be argued that the biography of Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya (Roksolana, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska) began around 1505. Place of birth - the city of Rohatyn. Her father was a clergyman. Accordingly, all her childhood years, a priori, she was engaged in reading church books, and was also fond of secular literature.
Capture
When Anastasia Lisovskaya (biography confirms this) was fifteen, she became a victim of one of the Tatar raids. He was captured. She had to go through the usual path of all slaves and slaves. At first, she was brought to the territory of the Crimean peninsula. Assessing her merits, the Tatars decided to send her to Istanbul. They were determined to sell it for a profit.
As a result, Nastya Lisovskaya (Roksolana) was presented to Sultan Suleiman's heir. He held an important government post in Manisa and, of course, had his own harem. He was then twenty-six. When the events described were taking place, the celebrations in honor of his coronation were already underway.
When Anastasia Lisovskaya, whose photo (or rather, portrait) youyou have the opportunity to see in the article, got into the harem, got her new name - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska.
In Istanbul, a slave girl had to work hard, using her charm and cunning to win Suleiman's favor.
In the harem
According to diplomats, Roksolana was not a beauty at all. But she was still young. In addition, she had a graceful and elegant figure. In any case, this is what one of the Venetian ambassadors, who was then in the empire, wrote.
Anastasia Lisovskaya (Hyurrem) began to eagerly absorb everything that she was taught in the seraglio. Judging by the sources, she was able to quickly master languages such as Turkish, Persian and Arabic. In addition, she perfectly learned to dance and surprised the concubines by quoting the works of famous contemporaries. She also converted to Islam with ease.
To become interesting for the Sultan, she began to dedicate poems to him and even undertook to write her own books. At the time, this was unheard of. And many felt fear instead of respect. She was considered a witch.
Be that as it may, in a short time, the new concubine attracted the attention of Suleiman. He began to spend all his nights only with her.
Note that the monarch was considered a stern, silent and withdrawn person. Like Lisovskaya, he was fond of literature and tried to write. At the same time, he actively participated in Turkish military campaigns. He was indifferent to the fairer sex, since he was married. Histhe chosen one is the daughter of a Circassian prince. Her name was Mahidevran. They had an heir - the son Mustafa. Despite this, the Sultan did not love his wife at all. Therefore, in Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska he found his only and beloved woman.
Of course, Mahidevran began to be jealous of Suleiman for the Slavic slave. One day she not only insulted her severely, but also tore her dress, face and hair. And when they once again called her to the Sultan's bedchamber, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska said that in this state she had no right to go to her beloved ruler. However, the Sultan summoned Anastasia and listened to her words. After that, he ordered to call Makhidevran. She reminded that she was the main woman of the ruler and that all other slaves should obey only her. At the same time, she added that, apparently, she had beaten this insidious woman a little.
After all, Suleiman was angry. And after a short time, he made Lisovskaya his favorite concubine.
Favorite concubine
Suleiman preferred smart, educated, sensual and strong-willed women. And Lisovskaya became for him the embodiment of everything that the Sultan himself loved in women. She appreciated art and understood it, she understood politics very well. She was a great dancer and a polyglot. Perhaps this explains that Lisovskaya actually managed to charm the young monarch. He was really in love.
Becoming a beloved concubine, she began to understand people at court even better. She studied them. Considering that intrigue was constantly woven in the seraglio, she knew howbehave correctly and how to act. In a word, the future Sultana of the Ottoman Empire was always on her guard.
Moreover, in 1521, sixteen-year-old Lisovskaya learned that two of the three sons of the Sultan had died. Six-year-old Mustafa was the only heir to the Sultan's throne. But the continuation of the family was a priori under great threat to the Ottoman dynasty due to the high mortality in those days.
As a result, some time later, Roksolana gave birth to a son to the Sultan. Thus, the birth of an heir gave her the support she needed in the seraglio.
Lisovskaya named her child Selim - in honor of Suleiman's father. The predecessor, by the way, was called "Terrible" because of his tough character. But still, Mustafa remained officially the heir to the throne.
Anastasia Lisovskaya, whose biography many years later is interesting to contemporaries, was well aware that until her offspring becomes a real heir to the throne, her unenviable position would be a priori under serious threat. Therefore, the girl from Rohatyn began to carefully prepare for the implementation of her insidious plan. Note that it began to operate only fifteen years later.
Wedding
Lisovskaya managed to achieve the impossible. The concubine officially became the wife of the Sultan. The ruler even introduced a special title for her - haseki. It was indeed a unique situation. Although in the Ottoman state there were no laws that would prohibit marrying slaves. But the Turkish court has always been opposed to this.
Be that as it may, the magnificent wedding of Roksolana and Suleiman took place in 1530. On this occasion, a number of festive events were held in the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
Musicians were playing in the streets. Tightrope walkers and magicians took part in the performances. Especially for the celebrations, wild animals, giraffes, were brought. All government buildings and residential buildings were decorated. Competitions were organized with the participation of Muslim and Christian knights. And at night, all city blocks were illuminated. The townspeople were overjoyed.
Sultan's wife
Lisovskaya, being a decisive, strong-willed and adventurous girl, quickly managed to learn how to manipulate not only her husband and his relatives, but also the courtiers and high dignitaries of the Ottoman Empire.
The crowned couple could talk incessantly about art, love, politics. Repeatedly they communicated with each other in verses.
Roksolana, as a wise woman, knew perfectly well when she should remain silent, when she should laugh or, conversely, feel sad. It is probably not surprising that when she came to power, the dull and boring seraglio began to turn into a center of education and beauty. It was now recognized by the monarchs of other countries.
Sometimes she was even seen with an open face. And despite this, she was highly respected by iconic religious figures. She was considered an exemplary devout Muslim.
The Guard also began to idolize their smiling sultana. The fact,that the warriors saw her only with a beautiful smile on their face. Well, Lisovskaya herself paid the same. She managed to build barracks for them, which looked like real palaces. In addition, he increased the salaries of the Janissaries and gave them many privileges.
…After some time, the Sultan went to another war. This time he went to pacify the recalcitrant peoples of Persia. For the sake of military needs, the state treasury was practically devastated.
True, this fact did not embarrass the economic wife of the Sultan at all. She began to act in her own way, ruling the entire state. In Istanbul ports and the European quarter, she decided to open a number of wine shops. As a result, real money entered the treasury. However, she considered that the opening of drinking shops is a profitable business, but this will not save the situation. As a result, Roksolana began to engage in another project. By her order, the Golden Horn Bay began to be deepened. She also ordered that the piers in Gatala urgently begin to be reconstructed. As a result, after some time, large-tonnage ships with goods from all over the world began to approach the bay. In a word, Istanbul's trading rows began to grow like mushrooms after the rain, and the treasury, thereby, replenished.
Lisovskaya had enough financial resources to build hospitals, nursing homes, minarets, new mosques. And when Suleiman returned to Istanbul, he did not recognize his palace either. While the sultan was at war, Lisovskaya rebuilt his mansions with money that was obtained by an enterprising wife.
Lisovskaya constantly patronized creative people. Heconducted a lively correspondence with the kings of Poland, Persia, Venice. Repeatedly she received foreign ambassadors. In a word, she was truly the most educated woman of that era. But also insidious.
Haseki victims
In 1536, a vizier named Ibrahim was accused of sympathizing with France and working in the interests of this state. By order of Suleiman, the sovereign figure of the empire was strangled. In fact, Ibrahim became the first victim of Lisovskaya.
Since the place of the vizier was immediately taken by another nobleman. His name was Rustem Pasha. The wife of the Sultan felt a disposition towards him. He was considered a favorite in the court. He was thirty-nine.
Roksolana decided to marry him her seventeen-year-old daughter. At the same time, Rustem was the godfather of Mustafa - the son of the Sultan, heir, offspring from Suleiman's first wife.
Despite everything, after a while this nobleman was also beheaded. As it turned out, Lisovskaya used her daughter. She was forced to constantly tell her about what her son-in-law said. As a result, Rustem was convicted of betraying Suleiman.
But before that, he served his purpose. Actually, for the sake of this, Lisovskaya undertook her insidious plan. The Sultan's wife and the vizier were able to convince him that the heir, Mustafa, began to negotiate closely with the Serbs. According to Lisovskaya, he was plotting against his own father. Roksolana knew perfectly well where and how best to strike. In general, the "conspiracy" seemed more than plausible. Especially in the eastern countries bloody palacecoups were commonplace back then.
The heir and many of his blood relatives were strangled. And Mustafa's mother, Suleiman's first wife, went mad with grief. She died shortly after.
Relations between Anastasia Lisovskaya and the mother of the Sultan could not be called friendly. The mother-in-law, who had influence over her son, said everything she thought about the conspiracy and Suleiman's new wife. After these words, she lived only four weeks. They say she was poisoned…
Thus, Nastya Lisovskaya (Roksolana) managed to do the almost impossible. She was proclaimed not only as the first wife of the great Sultan, but also as the mother of the heir to the throne, Selim. True, after that the victims did not stop at all.
Alas, Nastya Lisovskaya (the woman's biography is presented to your attention in the article) was not destined to see her dream come true. She was gone before her beloved offspring Selim ascended the throne.
Death
Anastasia Lisovskaya (Roksolana), whose photo (portraits) are posted in the article, died far from being young, she was already 53 years old. In 1558 she was returning from a trip to Edirne. In mid-April, she fell ill. Doctors diagnosed her with a cold. But they couldn't help her. The disease killed her in a matter of hours. They buried her with all due honors.
A year later, her body was transferred to a domed 8-sided mausoleum. In fact, it is one of the largest architectural monuments of the empire. Under the dome, the unfortunate husband of Roksolana carved alabaster rosettes. Everyof which he adorned with an emerald. After all, the deceased loved this stone most of all.
After the death of his wife, the Sultan did not even think about other women until the last days. Lisovskaya remained his only lover. After all, he once disbanded his harem for her sake.
Suleiman died in 1566. His tomb was also decorated with emeralds. However, ruby was still his favorite stone.
Both tombs are nearby. Note that in the 1000-year history of the Ottoman state, only one woman, Roksolana, was awarded this honor.
Procreation
Married to Suleiman, Anastasia Lisovskaya (Roksolana) had 6 children - 5 sons and a daughter, Miriam. They say that the Sultan adored his daughter and sincerely loved. He was always ready to fulfill her favorite whims. In honor of Miriam, a happy father built a magnificent mosque.
Daughter managed to get an excellent education. She lived, of course, in the most luxurious conditions. In 1539, she became the wife of the vizier Rustem Pasha, as mentioned above.
All the sons of the Sultan and Lisovskaya died in the process of fighting for the throne. Only Selim, the beloved son of Roksolana, remained. He became the 11th sultan of the Ottoman Empire and ruled the state for eight years. He never took part in military campaigns, unlike his father. Although the conquests of the Ottomans during the reign of Selim still continued. He preferred to spend his time in the harem. The palace guards literally hated him and called him a "drunkard" behind his back. In general, the reign of the beloved son of Lisovskaya did not go at allfor the benefit of the empire. By and large, it was with Selim that the decline of this great state began …
