Editing Vasily I of Moscow

{{Short description|Grand Prince of Moscow from 1389 to 1425}}
{{family name hatnote|Dmitriyevich||lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{More citations needed|date= May 2009}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Vasily I
| title        = 
| image        = Vasily I and Sofia Vitovtovna - sakkos of Metropolitan Photius.jpg
| image_size   = 
| caption      = Vasily I and [[Sophia of Lithuania]] on the [[Large Sakkos of Photius]], 1410s
| reign        = 19 May 1389{{snd}}27 February 1425
| succession   = [[Grand Prince of Vladimir and Moscow]]
| predecessor  = [[Dmitry Donskoy|Dmitry I]]
| successor    = [[Vasily II of Moscow|Vasily II]]
| spouse       = [[Sophia of Lithuania]]
| spouse-type  = [[List of Russian consorts|Consort]]
| issue        = [[Anna Vasilievna of Moscow|Anna, Byzantine Empress]] <br/>[[Vasily II of Moscow]]
| issue-link   = #Marriages and children
| issue-pipe   = more...
| house        = [[Rurikids|Rurik]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Dmitry Donskoy]]
| mother       = [[Eudoxia Dmitriyevna]]
| birth_date   = 30 December 1371
| birth_place  = [[Moscow]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1425|2|27|1371|12|30|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Moscow]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Archangel Cathedral]]
| religion     = [[Russian Orthodoxy|Russian Orthodox]]
}}

'''Vasily I Dmitriyevich''' ({{langx|ru|Василий I Дмитриевич}}; 30 December 1371{{snd}}27 February 1425) was [[Grand Prince of Vladimir and Moscow]] from 1389.<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Russian history |date=2004 |publisher=Thomson Gale |location=New York |isbn=9780028656939 |pages=127}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Fennell |first1=John |title=A history of the Russian church to 1448 |date=1995 |publisher=Longman |location=London |isbn=0582080673 |pages=264 |edition=1. publ}}</ref> He was the heir of [[Dmitry Donskoy]], who reigned from 1359 to 1389.

He entered an alliance with the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] in 1392 and married [[Sophia of Lithuania|Sophia]], the only daughter of [[Vytautas]], though the alliance turned out to be fragile, and they waged war against each other in 1406–1408.

The raid on the [[Volga region]] in 1395 by the [[Turco-Mongol]] [[emir]] [[Timur]] resulted in a state of anarchy for the [[Golden Horde]] and the independence of [[Moscow]]. In 1412, Vasily resumed submission to the Horde.

==Family and early life==

Vasily was the oldest son of [[Dmitry Donskoy]] and [[Eudoxia Dmitriyevna|Grand Princess Eudoxia]], daughter of Grand Prince [[Dmitry Konstantinovich]] of [[Nizhny Novgorod]].

==Reign==
[[Image:Vitovt.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Vasily I visiting his father-in-law, [[Vytautas the Great]].]]

While still a young man, Vasily, who was the eldest son of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy (ruled Moscow 1359–89), travelled to the Tatar khan Tokhtamysh (1383) to obtain the Khan's ''[[yarlik]]'' (patent) for his father for the title of grand prince of Vladimir. Diplomatically overcoming the challenge of the prince of Tver, who also sought the patent, Vasily succeeded in his mission. But he was subsequently kept at [[Tokhtamysh]]'s court as a hostage until 1386 when, taking advantage of Tokhtamysh's conflict with his suzerain Timur Lenk ([[Tamerlane]]), he escaped and returned to Moscow.<ref>Vasily I. (2017). Britannica Online Academic Edition, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc</ref>

With Tokhtamysh's permission, Vasily I took over [[Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal]] in 1393.{{sfn|Halperin|1987|p=75}} Nizhny Novgorod was given to Vasily by the Khan of the Golden Horde in exchange for the help Moscow had given against one of his rivals.<ref>Richard Pipes, Russia under the old regime, p. 80</ref> He also took [[Murom]].{{cn|date=May 2023}} In 1397–1398 [[Kaluga]], [[Vologda]], [[Veliki Ustyug]] and the lands of the [[Komi peoples]] were annexed.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

To prevent Muscovy from being attacked by the [[Golden Horde]], Vasily I entered into an [[military alliance|alliance]] with the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] in 1392 and married [[Sophia of Lithuania]], the only daughter of [[Vytautas the Great]]. The alliance turned out to be fragile, and they waged war against each other in 1406–1408. Vytautas had positioned himself as an unifier of all Rus’ lands, the Polish historian [[Feliks Koneczny|Koneczny]] spoke of the potentiality "that could have been realised had the program of the subjugation of all of Rus’ been implemented". Furthermore, he saw the potentiality of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] becoming an empire by virtue of all of Rus’ being under Lithuanian domination.<ref>An Unproclaimed Empire: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania by Norkus, Zenonas pg. 50</ref> Vytautas, thus attacked Novgorod and Pskov, clashing with his son-in-law Vasily but later making peace. This peace allowed Vytautas to strike against the Teutonic order at the [[Battle of Grunwald]]. However, the terms of the [[Union of Horodlo]] negotiated by Polish King [[Jogaila]], which discriminated against Orthodox Christians, caused Lithuania to lose its influence over the Russian states.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Marat Shaikhutdinov |title=Between East and West: The Formation of the Moscow State |date=2021 |publisher=Academic Studies Press |isbn=9781644697139 |pages=114–117}}</ref>

Mongol emir [[Timur]] raided the Slavic lands in 1395; he ruined the [[Volga region]] but did not penetrate as far as [[Moscow]]. Timur's raid was of service to the Muscovite prince as it damaged the [[Golden Horde]], which for the next twelve years was in a state of anarchy. During the whole of this time no tribute was paid to the [[Khan (title)|khan]], [[Olug Moxammat]], though vast sums of money were collected in the Moscow treasury for military purposes.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Basil (Muscovy)|display=Basil s.v. Basil I. Dmitrevich |volume=3|page=468|first=Robert Nisbet|last=Bain|author-link=Robert Nisbet Bain}}</ref>

In 1408 [[Edigu]] burnt [[Nizhny Novgorod]], [[Gorodets, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast|Gorodets]], [[Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast|Rostov]], and many other towns but failed to take [[Moscow]], though he had still burnt it. In 1412, however, Vasily found it necessary to pay the long-deferred visit of submission to the Horde.<ref name="EB1911"/>

The growing influence of Moscow abroad was underlined by the fact that Vasily married his daughter Anna to Emperor [[John VIII Palaeologus]] of [[Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynasty|Byzantium]].{{cn|date=May 2023}}

==Domestic policy==
[[File:Facial Chronicle - b.12, p.038 - Lazar the Serb showing Vasily I the clock.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Lazar the Serb]] showing Vasily the clock.]]

During his reign, [[feudal]] [[landownership]] kept growing. With the growth of princely authority in Moscow, the [[judicial]] powers of landowners were partially diminished and transferred to Vasily's deputies and heads of [[volost]]s.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

Chronicles speak of a monk called [[Lazar the Serb]] who arrived from Serbia, inventing and building a clock on a tower in the Grand Prince's [[Terem Palace]] in Moscow behind the [[Cathedral of the Annunciation, Moscow|Cathedral of the Annunciation]] at the request of Vasily I, in 1404. It was the first ever [[mechanical clock]] in Moscow and the first in any Russian city.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Edward V. |title=The Bells of Russia History and Technology |date=2014 |publisher=Princeton University Press |pages=70-71}}</ref> It was among the first ten such advanced clocks in Europe, and was regarded as a technical miracle at the time.<ref>{{cite news | title= Šest vekova Lazarevog sata | last= Radetić | first=M. | url= http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/aktuelno.290.html:164425-Sest-vekova--Lazarevog-sata | date= December 4, 2004| publisher= Novosti }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title= Hilandarski monah Lazar, prvi srpski časovničar | last1= Tošić | first1= Gordana | last2= Tadić | first2= Milutin | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=f932AAAACAAJ | year= 2004 | isbn= 9788684183066 | publisher= Kalenić}}</ref>

The most important ecclesiastical event of the reign was the elevation of the Bulgarian, [[Gregory Tsamblak]], to the metropolitan see of Kiev by [[Vytautas]], grand-duke of Lithuania; the immediate political consequence of which was the weakening of the hold of Moscow on southwestern Rus'.<ref name="EB1911"/>

==Marriage and children==
Vasily married [[Sophia of Lithuania]], the only child of [[Vytautas the Great]] and his wife, [[Anna, Grand Duchess of Lithuania|Anna]]. They had nine known children, five boys (of which only one survived to mature adulthood) and four girls:
*[[Anna of Moscow]] (1393 – August 1417), wife of [[John VIII Palaiologos]], died of [[bubonic plague]]
*Yury Vasilievich (30 March 1395 – 30 November 1400)
*Ivan Vasilievich (15 January 1397 – 20 July 1417), died on the way from [[Kolomna]] to [[Moscow]] as a result of "[[bubonic plague|pestilence]]", just six months after marrying the daughter of Prince Ivan Vladimirovich of [[Pronsk]] and receiving the inheritance of [[Nizhny Novgorod]]
*Anastasia Vasilievna (d. 1470), wife of Vladymir Alexander, Prince of [[Kiev]]. Her husband was a son of Vladymir, Prince of Kiev. His paternal grandparents were [[Algirdas]] and [[Maria of Vitebsk]].
*Daniil Vasilievich (6 December 1400 – May 1402), died of pestilence
*Vasilisa Vasilievna, wife of Alexander Ivanovich "Brukhaty", Prince of [[Suzdal]], and Alexander Daniilovich "Vzmetenj", Prince of Suzdal.
*Simeon Vasilievich (13 January – 7 April 1405), died of pestilence
*Maria Vasilievna, wife of Yuri Patrikievich. Her husband was a son of [[Patrikas]], Prince of [[Starodub]], and his wife, Helena. His paternal grandfather was [[Narimantas]].
*[[Vasily II of Moscow]] (10 March 1415 – 27 March 1462)

Sophia also suffered many miscarriages: {{Need citation|date=June 2023}}
* A miscarriage of a daughter in the 4th month of pregnancy (19 December 1391).
* A miscarriage of a daughter in the 6th month of pregnancy (16 August 1392).
* A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (22 January 1394).
* A miscarriage of a son in the 4th and a half-month of pregnancy (17 January 1396).
* A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (4 December 1398).
* A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (30 January 1399).
* A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (30 March 1401).
* A miscarriage of a son in the 5th and a half-month of pregnancy (11 January 1403).
* A miscarriage of a son in the 4th and a half-month of pregnancy (20 March 1406).
* A miscarriage in 1410.
* A miscarriage in 1412.
* A miscarriage in 1414.
* A miscarriage in 1416.
* A miscarriage in 1418.
* A miscarriage in 1420.

==Ancestry==

{{ahnentafel
|align=center
|collapsed=yes
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1.'''Vasily I of Moscow'''
|2= 2. [[Dmitry Donskoy]]
|3= 3. [[Eudoxia of Moscow]]
|4= 4. [[Ivan II of Moscow]]
|5= 5. [[Alexandra Velyaminova]]
|6= 6. [[Dmitry of Suzdal]]
|7= 7. Vasilisa of Rostov
|8= 8. [[Ivan I of Moscow]] (=30)
|9= 9. Yelena of Smolensk (=31)
|10= 10. Vasily Velyaminov
|12= 12. Konstantin Vasilievich, Grand Duke of Suzdal
|13= 13. Helena
|14= 14. Konstantin Vasilievich, Prince of Rostov
|15= 15. Maria of Moscow
|16= 16. [[Daniel of Moscow]]
|17 = 17. Maria
|18= 18. Alexander Glebovich, Prince of Smolensk
|24= 24. Vasiliy Andreyeev Prince of Suzdal (son of [[Andrey II of Vladimir]])
|25= 25. Helen
|28= 28. Vasili Konstantinovich, Prince of Rostov
|30= 30. [[Ivan I of Moscow]] (=8)
|31= 31. Yelena of Smolensk (=9)
}}

==See also==
* [[Bibliography of Russian history (1223–1613)]]
*[[Family tree of Russian monarchs]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book |last=Halperin|first=Charles J.|year=1987| title=Russia and the Golden Horde: The Mongol Impact on Medieval Russian History |pages=222 |isbn=9781850430575}} (e-book).

==External links==


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{{Succession box|title=[[Grand Prince of Moscow]]|before=[[Dmitry Donskoy]]|after=[[Vasily II of Moscow|Vasily II]]|years=1389–1425}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasily 01 of Moscow}}
[[Category:1371 births]]
[[Category:1425 deaths]]
[[Category:14th-century grand princes of Moscow]]
[[Category:15th-century grand princes of Moscow]]
[[Category:Daniilovichi family]]