Sofia is her children. Sofia Paleologus: Byzantine blood in the Russian state

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 Nicea, who served as a cardinal under Pope Sixtus IV (it was he 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 to avoid marrying 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 in absentia of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus took place. 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.

Sofya Fominichna Paleolog, aka Zoya Paleologina (born approximately 1455 - death April 7, 1503) - Grand Duchess of Moscow. Wife of Ivan III, mother of Vasily III, grandmother of Ivan IV the Terrible. Origin: Byzantine imperial dynasty of the Palaiologos. Her father, Thomas Palaiologos, was the brother of the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI, and despot of the Morea. Sophia's maternal grandfather is Centurion II Zaccaria, the last Frankish prince of Achaia.

Advantageous marriage

According to legend, Sophia brought with her a “bone throne” (now known as the “throne of Ivan the Terrible”) as a gift to her husband: its wooden frame was covered with plates of ivory and walrus bone with biblical themes carved on them.

Sophia also brought several Orthodox icons, including, presumably, a rare icon of the Mother of God “Blessed Heaven”.

The meaning of the marriage of Ivan and Sophia

The marriage of the Grand Duke to the Greek princess had important consequences. There had been cases before that Russian princes married Greek princesses, but these marriages did not have the same significance as the marriage of Ivan and Sophia. Byzantium was now enslaved by the Turks. The Byzantine emperor was previously considered the main defender of all Eastern Christianity; now the Moscow sovereign became such a defender; with the hand of Sophia, he seemed to inherit the rights of the Palaiologos, even adopting the coat of arms of the Eastern Roman Empire - the double-headed eagle; on the seals that were attached to the letters, they began to depict a double-headed eagle on one side, and on the other, the former Moscow coat of arms, St. George the Victorious, slaying the dragon.

The Byzantine order began to have a stronger and stronger effect in Moscow. Although the last Byzantine emperors were not powerful at all, they held themselves very highly in the eyes of everyone around them. Access to them was very difficult; many different court ranks filled the magnificent palace. The splendor of palace customs, luxurious royal clothing, shining with gold and precious stones, the unusually rich decoration of the royal palace - all this greatly elevated the sovereign’s personality in the eyes of the people. Everything bowed before him as before an earthly deity.

It was not the same in Moscow. The Grand Duke was already a powerful sovereign, and lived a little wider and richer than the boyars. They treated him respectfully, but simply: some of them were from appanage princes and, like the Grand Duke, traced their origins back to. The simple life of the tsar and the simple treatment of the boyars could not please Sophia, who knew about the royal greatness of the Byzantine autocrats and had seen the court life of the popes in Rome. From his wife and especially from the people who came with her, Ivan III could hear a lot about the court life of the Byzantine kings. He, who wanted to be a real autocrat, must have really liked many of the Byzantine court practices.

And little by little, new customs began to appear in Moscow: Ivan Vasilyevich began to behave majestically, in relations with foreigners he was titled “tsar,” he began to receive ambassadors with magnificent solemnity, and established the ritual of kissing the royal hand as a sign of special favor. Then the court ranks appeared (nurser, stablemaster, bedkeeper). The Grand Duke began to reward the boyars for their merits. In addition to the boyar's son, at this time another lower rank appears - the okolnichy.

The boyars, who had previously been advisers, Duma princes, with whom the sovereign, according to custom, consulted on every important matter, as with comrades, now turned into his obedient servants. The mercy of the sovereign can exalt them, anger can destroy them.

At the end of his reign, Ivan III became a real autocrat. Many boyars did not like these changes, but no one dared to express this: the Grand Duke was very harsh and punished cruelly.

Innovations. Sophia's influence

Since the arrival of Sofia Paleologus in Moscow, relations have begun with the West, especially with Italy.

An attentive observer of Moscow life, Baron Herberstein, who came to Moscow twice as the ambassador of the German Emperor under Ivan's successor, having listened to enough boyar talk, notes about Sophia in his notes that she was an unusually cunning woman who had great influence on the Grand Duke, who, at her suggestion, did a lot . Even Ivan III’s determination to throw off the Tatar yoke was attributed to her influence. In the boyars' tales and judgments about the princess, it is not easy to separate observation from suspicion or exaggeration guided by ill will.

Moscow at that time was very unsightly. Small wooden buildings, placed haphazardly, crooked, unpaved streets, dirty squares - all this made Moscow look like a large village, or, rather, a collection of many village estates.

After the wedding, Ivan Vasilyevich himself felt the need to rebuild the Kremlin into a powerful and impregnable citadel. It all started with the disaster of 1474, when the Assumption Cathedral, built by Pskov craftsmen, collapsed. Rumors immediately spread among the people that the trouble had happened because of the “Greek woman”, who had previously been in “Latinism”. While the reasons for the collapse were being clarified, Sophia advised her husband to invite architects from Italy, who were then the best craftsmen in Europe. Their creations could make Moscow equal in beauty and majesty to European capitals and support the prestige of the Moscow sovereign, as well as emphasize the continuity of Moscow not only with the Second, but also with the First Rome.

One of the best Italian builders of that time, Aristotle Fioravanti, agreed to go to Moscow for a salary of 10 rubles per month (a decent amount of money at that time). In 4 years he built a temple that was magnificent at that time - the Assumption Cathedral, consecrated in 1479. This building is still preserved in the Moscow Kremlin.

Then they began to build other stone churches: in 1489, the Annunciation Cathedral was erected, which had the significance of the tsar’s house church, and shortly before the death of Ivan III, the Archangel Cathedral was built again instead of the previous dilapidated church. The sovereign decided to build a stone chamber for ceremonial meetings and receptions of foreign ambassadors.

This building, built by Italian architects, known as the Chamber of Facets, has survived to this day. The Kremlin was again surrounded by a stone wall and decorated with beautiful gates and towers. The Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new stone palace for himself. Following the Grand Duke, the Metropolitan began to build brick chambers for himself. Three boyars also built themselves stone houses in the Kremlin. Thus, Moscow began to gradually be built with stone buildings; but these buildings did not become a custom for a long time after that.

Birth of children. State affairs

Ivan III and Sophia Paleologue

1474, April 18 - Sophia gave birth to her first daughter Anna (who died quickly), then another daughter (who also died so quickly that they did not have time to baptize her). Disappointments in family life were compensated by activity in government affairs. The Grand Duke consulted with her in making government decisions (in 1474 he bought half of the Rostov principality and entered into a friendly alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey).

Sofia Paleologue took an active part in diplomatic receptions (Venetian envoy Cantarini noted that the reception she organized was “very stately and affectionate”). According to the legend cited not only by Russian chronicles, but also by the English poet John Milton, in 1477 Sophia was able to outwit the Tatar khan by declaring that she had a sign from above about the construction of a temple to St. Nicholas on the spot in the Kremlin where the house of the khan’s governors stood, who controlled the yasak collections. and the actions of the Kremlin. This legend represents Sophia as a decisive person (“she kicked them out of the Kremlin, demolished the house, although she did not build a temple”).

1478 - Rus' actually stopped paying tribute to the Horde; There are 2 years left until the complete overthrow of the yoke.

In 1480, again on the “advice” of his wife, Ivan Vasilyevich went with the militia to the Ugra River (near Kaluga), where the army of the Tatar Khan Akhmat was stationed. The “stand on the Ugra” did not end with the battle. The onset of frost and lack of food forced the khan and his army to leave. These events put an end to the Horde yoke.

The main obstacle to strengthening the grand-ducal power collapsed and, relying on his dynastic connection with “Orthodox Rome” (Constantinople) through his wife Sophia, the sovereign proclaimed himself the successor to the sovereign rights of the Byzantine emperors. The Moscow coat of arms with St. George the Victorious was combined with a double-headed eagle - the ancient coat of arms of Byzantium. This emphasized that Moscow is the heir of the Byzantine Empire, Ivan III is “the king of all Orthodoxy,” and the Russian Church is the successor of the Greek Church. Under the influence of Sophia, the ceremony of the Grand Duke's court acquired unprecedented pomp, similar to the Byzantine-Roman one.

Rights to the Moscow throne

Sophia began a stubborn struggle to justify the right to the Moscow throne for her son Vasily. When he was eight years old, she even tried to organize a conspiracy against her husband (1497), but it was discovered, and Sophia herself was condemned on suspicion of magic and connection with a “witch woman” (1498) and, together with Tsarevich Vasily, was subjected to disgraced.

But fate was merciful to her (over the years of her 30-year marriage, Sophia gave birth to 5 sons and 4 daughters). The death of Ivan III's eldest son, Ivan the Young, forced Sophia's husband to change his anger to mercy and return those exiled to Moscow.

Death of Sophia Paleolog

Sophia died on April 7, 1503. She was buried in the grand-ducal tomb of the Ascension Convent in the Kremlin. The buildings of this monastery were dismantled in 1929, and the sarcophagi with the remains of the great duchesses and queens were transported to the basement chamber of the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin, where they remain today.

After death

This circumstance, as well as the good preservation of Sophia Paleologue’s skeleton, made it possible for experts to recreate her appearance. The work was carried out at the Moscow Bureau of Forensic Medicine. Apparently, there is no need to describe the recovery process in detail. We only note that the portrait was reproduced using all scientific techniques.

A study of the remains of Sophia Paleolog showed that she was short - about 160 cm. The skull and every bone were carefully studied, and as a result it was established that the death of the Grand Duchess occurred at the age of 55-60 years. As a result of studies of the remains, it was established that Sophia was a plump woman, with strong-willed facial features and had a mustache that did not spoil her at all.

When the appearance of this woman appeared before the researchers, it once again became clear that nothing happens by chance in nature. We are talking about the amazing similarity between Sophia Paleolog and her grandson, Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, whose true appearance is well known to us from the work of the famous Soviet anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov. The scientist, working on the portrait of Ivan Vasilyevich, noted the features of the Mediterranean type in his appearance, linking this precisely with the influence of the blood of his grandmother, Sophia Paleolog.

S. NIKITIN, forensic expert and candidate of historical sciences T. PANOVA.

The past appears before us both in the form of a fragile archaeological find that has lain in the ground for several centuries, and as a description of an event that happened once upon a time and was recorded on the page of the chronicle in the silence of a monastery cell. We judge the life of people in the Middle Ages by the magnificent monuments of church architecture and by simple household items preserved in the cultural layer of the city. And behind all this there are people whose names were not always included in the chronicles and other written sources of the Russian Middle Ages. Studying Russian history, you involuntarily think about the fate of these people and try to imagine what the heroes of those distant events looked like. Due to the fact that secular art in Rus' arose late, only in the second half of the 17th century, we do not know the true appearance of the great and appanage Russian princes and princesses, church hierarchs and diplomats, merchants and monastic chroniclers, warriors and artisans.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

But sometimes a fortunate combination of circumstances and the enthusiasm of researchers help our contemporary people to meet with their own eyes a person who lived many centuries ago. Thanks to the method of plastic reconstruction based on the skull, at the end of 1994, a sculptural portrait of Grand Duchess Sophia Paleolog, the second wife of the Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow and the grandmother of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, was restored. For the first time in the last almost five centuries, it became possible to peer into the face of a woman whose name is well known to us from chronicles about the events of the late 15th century.

And long-standing events involuntarily came to life, forcing us to mentally plunge into that era and look at the very fate of the Grand Duchess and the episodes associated with her. This woman's life journey began between 1443-1449 (the exact date of her birth is unknown). Zoe Palaeologus was the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI (in 1453, Byzantium fell to the Turks, and the emperor himself died defending the capital of his state) and, having been orphaned early, was brought up with her brothers at the court of the Pope. This circumstance decided the fate of the representative of the once powerful but fading dynasty, who lost both her high position and all material wealth. Pope Paul II, in search of a way to strengthen his influence in Rus', invited Ivan III, who was widowed in 1467, to marry Zoya Paleologus. Negotiations on this matter, which began in 1469, dragged on for three years - Metropolitan Philip sharply opposed this marriage, who was not inspired by the marriage of the Grand Duke to a Greek woman raised at the court of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

And yet, at the beginning of 1472, the ambassadors of Ivan III went to Rome to pick up a bride. In June of the same year, Zoya Paleolog, accompanied by a large retinue, set off on a long journey to Rus', to “Muscovy,” as foreigners then called the Muscovite state.

The train of the bride of Ivan III crossed the whole of Europe from south to north, heading to the German port of Lubeck. During the distinguished guest's stops in cities, lavish receptions and knightly tournaments were held in her honor. City authorities presented the pupil of the papal throne with gifts - silverware, wine, and the townspeople of Nuremberg presented her with as many as twenty boxes of chocolates. On September 10, 1472, the ship with travelers headed for Kolyvan - that’s what Russian sources called the modern city of Tallinn at that time, but arrived there only eleven days later: the weather was stormy in the Baltic in those days. Then, through Yuryev (now the city of Tartu), Pskov and Novgorod, the procession went to Moscow.

However, the final transition was somewhat marred. The fact is that the papal representative Antonio Bonumbre was carrying a large Catholic cross at the head of the convoy. The news of this reached Moscow, which caused an unprecedented scandal. Metropolitan Philip stated that if the cross was brought into the city, he would immediately leave it. The attempt to openly demonstrate the symbol of the Catholic faith could not but worry the Grand Duke. Russian chronicles, which were able to find streamlined formulations when describing sensitive situations, were unanimously frank this time. They noted that the envoy of Ivan III, boyar Fyodor Davydovich Khromoy, fulfilling the prince’s instructions, simply forcibly took the “kryzh” from the papal priest, having met the bride’s train 15 versts from Moscow. As we see, the tough position of the head of the Russian church in defending the purity of faith then turned out to be stronger than the traditions of diplomacy and the laws of hospitality.

Zoya Paleolog arrived in Moscow on November 12, 1472, and on the same day her wedding ceremony with Ivan III took place. This is how the Byzantine princess, Greek by origin, Zoya Palaeologus - the Grand Russian Princess Sophia Fominichna, as they began to call her in Rus', entered Russian history. But this dynastic marriage did not bring tangible results to Rome either in resolving religious issues or in attracting Muscovy into an alliance to combat the growing Turkish danger. Pursuing a completely independent policy, Ivan III saw in contacts with the Italian city-republics only a source of advanced ideas in various fields of culture and technology. All five embassies that the Grand Duke sent to Italy at the end of the 15th century returned to Moscow accompanied by architects and doctors, jewelers and moneymakers, specialists in the field of weapons and serfdom. The Greek and Italian nobility, whose representatives worked in the diplomatic service, flocked to Moscow; many of them settled in Rus'.

For some time, Sofya Paleolog maintained contact with her family. Twice her brother Andreas, or Andrey, as Russian chronicles call him, came to Moscow with embassies. What brought him here, first of all, was the desire to improve his financial situation. And in 1480, he even profitably married his daughter Maria to Prince Vasily Vereisky, nephew of Ivan III. However, Maria Andreevna’s life in Rus' was unsuccessful. And Sofya Paleolog was to blame for this. She gave her niece jewelry that once belonged to the first wife of Ivan III. The Grand Duke, who did not know about this, was planning to give them to Elena Voloshanka, the wife of his eldest son Ivan the Young (from his first marriage). And in 1483, a big family scandal erupted: “... the Grand Duke wanted to give the daughter-in-law of his first Grand Duchess a fathom, and asked that second Grand Duchess for the Grand Roman. She won’t give it, since she wasted a lot of the Grand Duke’s treasury; she gave it to her brother, but also to her niece. gave, and a lot..." - this is how many chronicles described this event, not without gloating.

The angry Ivan III demanded that Vasily Vereisky return the treasures and, after the latter refused to do so, wanted to imprison him. Prince Vasily Mikhailovich had no choice but to flee to Lithuania with his wife Maria; at the same time, they barely escaped the pursuit sent after them.

Sofia Paleolog made a very serious mistake. The Grand Duke's treasury was the subject of special concern for more than one generation of Moscow sovereigns, who tried to increase the family treasures. The chronicles continued to admit not very friendly comments towards Grand Duchess Sophia. Apparently, it was difficult for a foreigner to comprehend the laws of a new country for her, a country with a complex historical destiny, with its own traditions.

And yet, the arrival of this Western European woman in Moscow turned out to be unexpectedly interesting and useful for the capital of Rus'. Not without the influence of the Greek Grand Duchess and her Greek-Italian entourage, Ivan III decided on a grandiose reconstruction of his residence. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century, according to the designs of invited Italian architects, the Kremlin was rebuilt, the Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals, the Faceted Chamber and the State Courtyard in the Kremlin were erected, the first stone grand-ducal palace, monasteries and churches were built in Moscow. Today we see many of these buildings the same as they were during the life of Sophia Paleolog.

Interest in the personality of this woman is also explained by the fact that in the last decades of the 15th century she took part in the complex dynastic struggle that unfolded at the court of Ivan III. Back in the 1480s, two groups of Moscow nobility formed here, one of which supported the direct heir to the throne, Prince Ivan the Young. But he died in 1490, at the age of thirty-two, and Sophia wanted her son Vasily to become the heir (in total, she had twelve children in her marriage to Ivan III), and not Ivan III’s grandson Dmitry (the only child of Ivan the Young). The long struggle went on with varying success and ended in 1499 with the victory of the supporters of Princess Sophia, who experienced many difficulties along the way.

Sophia Paleologus died on April 7, 1503. She was buried in the grand-ducal tomb of the Ascension Convent in the Kremlin. The buildings of this monastery were dismantled in 1929, and the sarcophagi with the remains of the great duchesses and queens were transported to the basement chamber of the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin, where they remain today. This circumstance, as well as the good preservation of Sophia Paleologue’s skeleton, allowed specialists to recreate her appearance. The work was carried out at the Moscow Bureau of Forensic Medicine. Apparently, there is no need to describe the recovery process in detail. Let us only note that the portrait was reproduced using all scientific methods available today in the arsenal of the Russian school of anthropological reconstruction, founded by M. M. Gerasimov.

A study of the remains of Sophia Paleolog showed that she was short - about 160 cm. The skull and every bone were carefully studied, and as a result it was established that the death of the Grand Duchess occurred at the age of 55-60 years and that the Greek princess... I would like to stop here and remember about deontology - the science of medical ethics. It is probably necessary to introduce into this science such a section as posthumous deontology, when an anthropologist, forensic expert or pathologist does not have the right to tell the general public what he learned about the diseases of the deceased - even several centuries ago. So, as a result of studies of the remains, it was established that Sophia was a plump woman, with strong-willed facial features and had a mustache that did not spoil her at all.

Plastic reconstruction (author - S. A. Nikitin) was carried out using soft sculptural plasticine according to an original technique, tested on the results of many years of surgical work. The casting, which was then made in plaster, was tinted to resemble Carrara marble.

Looking at the restored facial features of Grand Duchess Sophia Paleologue, you involuntarily come to the conclusion that only such a woman could have been a participant in those complex events that we described above. The sculptural portrait of the princess testifies to her intelligence, decisive and strong character, tempered by her orphan childhood and the difficulties of adapting to the unusual conditions of Moscow Rus'.

When the appearance of this woman appeared before us, it once again became clear that nothing happens by chance in nature. We are talking about the striking similarity between Sophia Paleolog and her grandson, Tsar Ivan IV, whose true appearance is well known to us from the work of the famous Soviet anthropologist M. M. Gerasimov. The scientist, working on the portrait of Ivan Vasilyevich, noted the features of the Mediterranean type in his appearance, linking this precisely with the influence of the blood of his grandmother, Sophia Paleolog.

Recently, researchers came up with an interesting idea - to compare not only the portraits recreated by human hands, but also what nature itself created - the skulls of these two people. And then a study was carried out of the skull of the Grand Duchess and an exact copy of the skull of Ivan IV using the method of shadow photo overlay, developed by the author of the sculptural reconstruction of the portrait of Sophia Paleolog. And the results exceeded all expectations, so many similarities were identified. They can be seen in the photographs (page 83).

Today, it is Moscow, Russia, that has a unique portrait-reconstruction of a princess from the Palaiologan dynasty. Attempts to discover lifetime paintings of Zoe in her youth in the Vatican Museum in Rome, where she once lived, were unsuccessful.

Thus, research by historians and forensic experts has given our contemporaries the opportunity to look into the 15th century and become more closely acquainted with the participants in those distant events.

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.

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 desired by everyone.

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 Paleologus 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 with them. This was an unprecedented innovation for Rus'. The treatment at the sovereign's court also changed.

Sophia Paleologus 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 planned 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.