Maria Yaroslavna of Borovsk
Wedding of Maria and Vasily II, miniature from the Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible
Grand Princess consort of Moscow
Tenure1433 – 24 March 1462
PredecessorSophia of Lithuania
SuccessorMaria of Tver
Bornc. 1420
Died1485 (aged 64–65)
Burial
Ascension Convent, Kolomenskoye
Archangel Cathedral, Kremlin (1929)
SpouseVasily II of Moscow
Issue
more...
FatherYaroslav of Maloyaroslavets
ReligionRussian Orthodox

Maria Yaroslavna of Borovsk (Russian: Мария Ярославна; c. 1420 – 4 July 1485),[1] also known by her monastic name Marfa,[2] was the grand princess of Moscow during her marriage to Vasily II of Moscow.[3] She was a granddaughter of Feodor Koshka,[4] and the mother of Ivan III of Russia.[4]

Biography

Maria Yaroslavna was the daughter of Yaroslav Vladimirovich, the prince of Maloyaroslavets, Borovsk and Serpukhov, and a son of Vladimir the Bold.[5][6] She was also a granddaughter of Feodor Koshka.[4]

Maria became the grand princess of Moscow in 1433 after her marriage to Vasily II of Moscow. Two years later the sons of Yury of Zvenigorod, Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka, usurped the throne and she was exiled to Galich. With great difficulty, she managed to return to Moscow.

On 12 February 1446, Dmitry Shemyaka with Ioann of Mozhaysk and Boris of Tver attacked Moscow. Maria was captured and put into prison. On 16 February 1446, she was sent into exile to Uglich, together with her husband.

In later years, together with her mother-in-law Sophia of Lithuania, Maria played a significant role in the principality. In order to ingratiate herself with the church, in 1450 she exempt the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius from taxes, and the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery in 1471.

After her husband's death she inherited Rostov and Poshekhonye, and some other lands. In 1480, she blessed her son Ivan III of Russia to fight against Khan Ahmed. The fasti mention her as a wise, reasonable woman, and that even as adults, her children sought her advice.

Maria took the veil under the name Marfa in 1482, and died in 1485.[1] At first, she was buried in Starodevichy Convent of the Moscow Kremlin. In 1929, her remains were moved to the Cathedral of the Archangel.

Children

Maria Yaroslavna had 10 children:[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Fennell, John Lister Illingworth (1962). Ivan the Great of Moscow. Macmillan. p. 64.
  2. ^ Historical Genealogy (in Russian). Zerkalo. 1993. p. 65.
  3. ^ Мария Ярославна / Назаров В. Д. // Маниковский — Меотида. — М. : Большая российская энциклопедия, 2012. — С. 144—145. — (Большая российская энциклопедия : [в 35 т.] / гл. ред. Ю. С. Осипов ; 2004—2017, т. 19). — ISBN 978-5-85270-353-8.
  4. ^ a b c d Payne, Robert; Romanoff, Nikita (1 October 2002). Ivan the Terrible. Cooper Square Press. pp. 433–434. ISBN 978-1-4616-6108-5.
  5. ^ Historical Genealogy (in Russian). Zerkalo. 1993. p. 55.
  6. ^ KG, Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. Künker Auktion 130 - The De Wit Collection of Medieval Coins, 1000 Years of European Coinage, Part II: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary, Silesia, Poland, Baltic States, Russia and the golden Horde. Numismatischer Verlag Künker. p. 488.
Maria of Borovsk Born: c. 1420 – 1485 Russian royalty VacantTitle last held bySophia of Lithuania Grand Princess of Moscow 1433–1462 VacantTitle next held byMaria of Tver
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