Birth of Ivan II, the Grand Prince of Moscow and Vladimir

March 30, 1326 in Moscow, Prince Ivan I Kalita and Princess Elena had a son, Ivan - the future Prince of Zvenigorod and Ruza (1340-1353), of Novgorod (1355-1359), Grand Prince of Moscow and Vladimir (1353-1359). In the history the Prince earned the nickname "Fair"; found in the annals are also other names given to Ivan Ivanovich - "Merciful" and "Gentle."

In 1340, after the death of his father Ivan Danilovich, Ivan Ivanovich, upon his father’s will, got into possession of 23 towns and villages, chief among whom were Ruza and Zvenigorod. In 1353, after the death due to plague of his older brother, the governor of Moscow, Simeon the Proud, Ivan II became the Prince of Moscow. In the struggle for the great reign of Vladimir, Ivan defeated the Prince of Nizhny Novgorod and Suzdal, Konstantin Vasilievich, and received the edict from Khan Janibek.

At first, neither Suzdal, nor Ryazan or Novgorod inhabitants recognized Ivan II as the Grand Prince. Taking advantage of his departure to the Horde, Ryazan inhabitants seized a Moscow town of Lopasna, captured the governor-general of Moscow, and held him in custody until they received a ransom. Only in 1354, Prince Constantine and Novgorod residents made peace with the Grand Prince.

During his reign, Ivan continued the policy of his father and older brother, increasing the power of Moscow princes and the unification of Russian lands. According to the chronicles, Ivan II was a "quiet, gentle, merciful and not aspiring ruler. He lived in every silence, and therefore had peace anywhere." However, he managed to defend everything that had been achieved by his predecessors.

Grand Prince Ivan Ivanovich had a strong support in the face of the Moscow boyars and metropolitan Alexis (from a noble boyar family of Pleshcheevs), former bishop of Vladimir. Alexis often traveled to the Golden Horde, where he enjoyed the favor of the khans. He contributed to the fact that it was Moscow princes who became Grand Dukes. The clergy, led by the metropolitan, supported Moscow princes in their quest to establish in Russia a strong government and a firm order.

Under Ivan II, the Moscow principality annexed Kostroma and Dmitrov lands, and the Grand Prince, supported by Alexis, managed not only to get an edit to a great reign, but also obtained the right of judicial power over the other Russian princes.

November 13, 1359, in the sixth year of his reign, Ivan II Fair died in Moscow, having taken the vows of schema before death. He was buried in the Kremlin's Archangel Cathedral. After his death, his two young sons, Dmitry (future Grand Prince of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy) and Ioann, were left in the care of Metropolitan Alexis, whom Ivan II instructed the management and protection of the principality.

Lit.: Духовная грамота великого князя Ивана Даниловича Калиты // Духовные и договорные грамоты великих и удельных князей XIV-XVI вв. М.; Л., 1950. С. 7—11; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/DG/ivan1.htm; Духовная грамота великого князя Ивана Ивановича // Духовные и договорные грамоты великих и удельных князей XIV-XVI вв. М.; Л., 1950. С. 15—19; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/DG/ivan2.htm; Кучкин В. А. Издание завещаний московских князей XIV в. (1359 г.) — первая душевная грамота великого князя Ивана Ивановича // Древняя Русь. Вопросы медиевистики. 2008. № 4 (34). С. 97—101; Кучкин В. А. Издание завещаний московских князей XIV в. (1359 г.) — вторая душевная грамота великого князя Ивана Ивановича // Древняя Русь. Вопросы медиевистики. 2009. № 1 (35). С. 93—100.