Semyon Proud was the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Ivan Danilovich Kalita. The time of his reign was an important stage in the rise of the capital and the strengthening of the grand ducal power. At the same time, the ruler came into conflict with Novgorod and Lithuania, which complicated his relations with other specific rulers. However, most historians admit that he did a lot to subjugate his younger brothers and neighboring lands.
Early years
Semyon Gordy was born in 1317. Scientists argue about the exact date of his birth, some indicate September 7 - the day of the memory of St. Sosont. The prince took this name when he was tonsured a monk before his death. Little is known about his youth. It is known that his mother was the first wife of Ivan Kalita, Princess Elena. By nature, the future ruler was more like a campaign not for his father, but for his uncle, Yuri Danilovich, who was bold, courageous and often took risks. Semyon Proud for exactly the same qualities and received a well-known nickname. And if his parent was secretive, cunning, cautious, then his successor acted impulsively and even abruptly.
Injection
Ivan Danilovich died in 1340. In his will, he leftmost of the inheritance to the eldest son. But in order to receive a grand-princely label, it was necessary to obtain a label in the Horde from the Khan. However, it was not so easy, since many rulers of other specific principalities tried with all their might to get a letter for the Suzdal ruler Konstantin Vasilyevich. The fact is that Ivan Danilovich conquered many principalities with his power, bought up land, lured boyars and ordinary people to his side. Therefore, now many princes wanted to free themselves from Moscow power. However, Semyon the Proud nevertheless received the label, largely due to the fact that his father introduced his sons to the khan during his lifetime, having achieved his favor with them. In addition, the new ruler was rich and presented rich gifts to the Khan, which contributed to his success.
Treaty with brothers
Having achieved a label on the Vladimir principality, the ruler first of all took care of subordinating the younger rulers to his power. Semyon Proud, whose years of reign were 1340-1353, already at the very beginning of his reign, faced sedition in the capital, associated with the confrontation of boyar groups. Some scholars believe that one of his brothers was involved in this complex internal political struggle. In order to somehow calm the situation, the prince concluded an agreement with Andrei and Ivan Ivanovich, which has survived to this day in a defective form. In it, the parties pledged to maintain the integrity and indivisibility of their possessions and act together against common enemies. The sons of Ivan Kalita thus established a common political line of conduct. indicativethe fact that the younger brothers recognized the supremacy of the new ruler and gave him some of the princely household in recognition of his status.
Relations with northern neighbor
Moscow, Novgorod constantly opposed each other. The first sought to strengthen its position in this area, the second, on the contrary, to maintain its influence in the vast northern territories. Ivan Kalita during his reign often demanded money from this city to pay tribute to the Khan. There is a point of view that he asked his inhabitants more than was accepted, which constantly led to conflicts. The troops of the Moscow prince occupied a number of territories subordinate to the republic. For the upcoming struggle, the prince concluded an agreement with the Lithuanian ruler, marrying his son to his daughter. Semyon Ivanovich Proud continued his father's policy. While he was in the Horde, the Novgorodians had already partially regained their lost positions. However, the Moscow ruler occupied Torzhok and put his governor there. After some time, the confrontation flared up again, but with the help of the Metropolitan of Novgorod, an agreement was concluded. The ruler was recognized as the head of the city, and Moscow and Novgorod reconciled for a while.
Start of disagreement with Lithuania
Having barely established relations with the northern republic, Semyon faced a new problem, this time with a former Western ally. The Lithuanian prince Olgerd was very concerned about the growing power of the capital and took a number of measures to undermine its influence. At first heorganized a trip to Mozhaisk, but could not succeed. For him, this first failure was all the more annoying because his opponent became stronger after the capture of Torzhok, who paid him a tribute of 1000 rubles - a large amount for that time. The Grand Duke of Vladimir, having learned about the actions of the Lithuanian ruler, decided not to hesitate and sent an embassy to the khan with a complaint about the devastation of Russian lands by him. He sided with Moscow Semyon, which forced Olgerd to make peace with him.
Third marriage
Family ties were of great importance in the politics of Moscow princes. To strengthen his position, Semyon married the daughter of the Tver ruler. His wife's name was Maria Alexandrovna. She was his third wife. This marriage temporarily reconciled the two warring parties. The princess spent her childhood years in Pskov due to the fact that her father, after a suppressed uprising in the city, was forced to hide in the north. After the murder of the prince of Tver at the headquarters of the khan, the girl, along with her family, was at the court of her brother-in-law. After the death of the latter, Semyon made a bet on his nephew, who, with his assistance, received a label on the Tver principality and came under the influence of Moscow. The new union was sealed by marriage. Maria Alexandrovna married Semyon, and thus the enmity between the principalities was temporarily suspended. In this marriage, he had four sons who later died of the plague.
Dynastic politics
Semyon Ivanovich, like his father, paidgreat emphasis on marriage. In 1350, he allowed the Lithuanian prince Olgerd to marry his wife's sister, Ulyana. Thus, former opponents became brothers-in-law, which can also be considered a great foreign policy success. In addition, he married his daughter to the prince of Kashin, which strengthened his position and influence in the Tver principality. Such family ties subsequently predetermined the balance of power in the Moscow-Tver war in the second half of the 14th century.
Death and testament
In 1353, a plague epidemic broke out in Russian lands. She came to the center of the country from the north, through Pskov. From this terrible disease, the sons of the ruler died, and later he himself. Before his death, he took the tonsure with the name Sozont. The prince left a spiritual will, which differs sharply from the letters of his father and the letters of his followers.
In this will, he left all his inheritances to his wife, which has never happened before or since. However, such an order is explained by the difficult situation in the family. Since Semyon had no heirs, he had no other choice. However, there is evidence that at that time the Grand Duchess was expecting a child, and the testator assumed the transfer of grand ducal status and lands to him. Another important difference between the source and other letters is the order of the ruler to live in peace and obedience to the church fathers and boyars. He orders his brothers to fulfill his will, remembering the terms of his contract with them, and also entrusts the princess to the boyars. Three seals are attached to the document, one of which containsthe inscription "Grand Duke of All Russia". All historians pay attention to the latter circumstance as a fact reflecting the claims of the Moscow ruler to dominance over all Russian lands. After his death, his next in seniority brother Ivan Ivanovich, who was nicknamed Red, became the ruler. As Grand Duke, he took the main part of the principality's possessions from the princess, thereby again strengthening the status of the supreme ruler. This move also had important political implications. Maria Alexandrovna, being a Tver princess, could claim part of the land, which, in the conditions of constant confrontation between these two largest centers of Russia, was extremely dangerous for the unity of the Kalitovichi patrimony.
Meaning of board
The years of Semyon Ivanovich's reign were a time of further strengthening and elevation of Moscow. He continued his father's policies and succeeded in subduing the appanage rulers through military campaigns and dynastic marriages. Relations with the Horde at this stage remained the same: like his parent, the new ruler was at the headquarters of the Khan and, with the help of rich tribute and bribery, achieved his goals. However, it was under him that the Moscow principality was left without an heir. Fortunately, two of his brothers survived, one of whom became the new supreme ruler. Semyon Proud, whose brief biography is the subject of this review, was remembered by his contemporaries for his somewhat steep policy. Many specific rulers were dissatisfied with him, as he demanded complete submission to his power. He had grounds for this, since during his reign, the khan ordered all of hislisten. Interest in this prince is preserved in modern historical science. Scholars pay the most attention to the struggle of the boyars in the capital at the beginning of his reign, as well as Moscow-Lithuanian relations.
