Ivan II of Moscow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ivan II the Fair |
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Portrait in the Tsarskiy titulyarnik (1672)
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| Prince of Moscow | |
| Reign | 27 April 1353 – 13 November 1359 |
| Predecessor | Simeon I |
| Successor | Dmitri I |
| Born | 30 March 1326 Moscow |
| Died | 13 November 1359 (aged 33) Moscow |
| Burial | Principality of Moscow |
| Spouse | Fedosia of Bryansk Alexandra Velyaminova |
| Issue more... |
Dmitri Donskoi |
| Dynasty | Rurik |
| Father | Ivan I of Moscow |
| Mother | Helena |
| Religion | Russian Orthodox |
Ivan II Ivanovich the Fair (Russian: Иван II Иванович Красный, romanized: Ivan II Ivanovich Krasnyy; born March 30, 1326 – died November 13, 1359) was a ruler of Moscow. He was the Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1353 to 1359. Before becoming Grand Prince, he ruled the towns of Ruza and Zvenigorod. Ivan II was the second son of Ivan Kalita. He took over after his brother, Simeon the Proud, passed away from the terrible disease known as the Black Death.
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Ivan II's Time as Grand Prince
When Ivan II became Grand Prince, there was a lot of trouble within the Golden Horde. The Golden Horde was a powerful group that controlled many lands, including Moscow. Because of this trouble, Ivan briefly thought about changing Moscow's loyalty. He considered teaming up with Lithuania, a growing power to the west.
However, Ivan quickly decided against this idea. He chose to stay loyal to the Golden Horde. People at the time described Ivan as a peaceful ruler. Some thought he was a bit too calm. For example, he didn't react strongly when Algirdas of Lithuania captured the capital city of his father-in-law, Bryansk. He also allowed Oleg of Riazan to burn villages in his own territory.
Despite these challenges, leaders of the Orthodox Church helped Ivan. They worked to make the Prince of Moscow's power stronger. Ivan received a lot of help from a very skilled church leader named Metropolitan Alexius.
Ivan II was not as successful as his father or grandfather at making his territory bigger. However, he did manage to add some areas southwest of Moscow. These included the regions of Borovsk and Vereya. Ivan II was buried in the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Moscow.
Ivan II's Family Life
Ivan II was married two times during his life.
First Marriage
In 1341, Ivan married his first wife, Fedosia Dmitrievna. She was from Bryansk and was the daughter of Dmitry Romanovich, the Prince of Bryansk. Sadly, Fedosia passed away in the autumn of 1342. They did not have any children together.
Second Marriage and Children
Ivan remained a widower for three years after Fedosia's death. In 1345, he married his second wife, Alexandra Vassilievna Velyaminova. Her father, Vasily Velyaminov, was a very important person in Moscow, serving as its mayor. Ivan and Alexandra had at least four children together:
- Dmitry Donskoy (born October 12, 1350 – died May 19, 1389). He became the next Prince of Moscow after his father.
- A daughter who married Prince Bobrok of Volhynia.
- Ivan Ivanovich, who became the Prince of Zvenigorod (born around 1356 – died October 1364).
- Maria Ivanovna.
