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Grandprince of Moscow | |
| Predecessor | Ivan III |
| Successor | Ivan IV |
| Born | 25 March 1479 Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow |
| Died | 3 December 1533 Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow |
| Grandprincess | Solomonia Saburova and Elena Glinskaya |
Vasili III of Moscow was born on 25 March 1479 to Ivan III and Sophia, niece of the last Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. Vasili spent most of his life consolidating his land of the Grandduchy of Moscow. He took control of many lands by the borders of Poland-Lithuania and the Crimean Khanate. During his reign the Golden Horde fell apart. Thus he could affect other successor states. He even put a pretender on the Kazan Throne. In 1533 Vasili went on a hunt from which he returned in pain (abscess) and doctors were unable to save him, thus his son Ivan became a new Grandprince.
Family[]
His family life was rather empty. He expelled many relatives and was among the few members of the family still in Russia. His wife Solomonia Saburova didn't produce an heir in 20 years, so he sent her to nunnery in 1526 and married Elena Glinskaya. For this, the patriarch was very angry and it is said he predicted that his son would become an awful ruler. He had only two sons:
- Tsar Ivan IV of Russia (1530 - 1592)
- Prince Yuri of Uglich (1532 - 1561)