Vasili III of Russia

Vasili III Ivanovich (Василий III Иванович in Russian) March 25, 1479 - December 3, 1533) was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. He was the son of Ivan III Vasiliyevich and Sophia Paleologue and was born with the name Gavriil (Гавриил).

Vasili III continued the policies of his father Ivan III and spent most of his reign consolidating Ivan's gains. Vasili annexed the last surviving autonomous provinces: Pskov in 1510, appanage of Volotsk in 1513, principalities of Ryazan in 1521 and Novgorod-Seversky in 1522. But he failed to take over the Belarusian lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania after losing 40,000 people in the Battle of Orsha.

In his internal policy, Vasili III enjoyed the support from the Church in his struggle with the feudal opposition. In 1521, metropolitan Varlaam was banished for refusing to participate in Vasili's fight against an appanage prince Vasili Ivanovich Shemyachich. Boyars Vasili Shuisky, Ivan Vorotynsky and others were sent into exile in the heat of the moment, as well. A diplomat and a statesman Ivan Bersen-Beklemishev was executed in 1525 for criticizing Vasili's policies; Maksim Grek (publicist), Vassian Patrikeyev (statesman) and others were sentenced for the same reason in 1525 and 1531.

During the reign of Vasili III, gentry's landownership increased; authorities were actively trying to limit immunities and privileges of boyars and nobility.

Vasili's foreign policy was concentrated on the unification of the Russian lands in the West and Southwest and struggle against khanates of Crimea and Kazan. As a result of the Russo-Lithuanian wars in 1507-1508 and 1512-1522, Russia annexed Smolensk (1514).

Vasili III was also a great builder and constructed a number of churches throughout Russia.

de:Wassili III. (Russland) pl:Wasyl III Iwanowicz zh-cn:瓦西里三世

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