Simeon of Moscow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Simeon the Proud
Grand Prince of Vladimir
Reign	31 March 1340 – 27 April 1353
Coronation	31 March 1340
Predecessor	Ivan I
Successor	Ivan II
Prince of Moscow
Reign	31 March 1340 – 27 April 1353
Coronation	31 March 1340
Predecessor	Ivan I
Successor	Ivan II
Born	7 September 1317 Moscow, Duchy of Moscow
Died	27 April 1353(1353-04-27) (aged 35) Moscow, Duchy of Moscow
Burial	Cathedral of the Archangel
Consort	Aigusta Anastasia of Lithuania Eupraxia of Smolensk Maria of Tver
Issue more...	8
Dynasty	Rurik
Father	Ivan I of Moscow
Mother	Helena
Religion	Eastern Orthodox

Simeon Ivanovich (Russian: Симеон Иванович; 7 September 1317 – 27 April 1353) was an important ruler in Russian history. He was also known as Semyon Ivanovich. People called him the Proud (Russian: Гордый, romanized: Gordy). Simeon was the Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1340 to 1353.

Simeon was the son of Ivan I. He continued his father's work to make his state stronger. During his rule, Simeon often faced challenges from the Novgorod Republic and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He tried to keep peace with other Russian princes. Simeon only went to war when he had no other choice. His time as ruler was mostly calm for Moscow. But then the terrible Black Death arrived. This plague sadly took the lives of Simeon and his sons in 1353.

Becoming Grand Prince

In 1340, Simeon was in Nizhny Novgorod. He was the oldest son of Ivan Kalita. When his father died, Simeon and his brothers, Andrey and Ivan, traveled to the Golden Horde. This was a powerful Mongol state. They went to get permission from Uzbeg Khan to become the Grand Prince.

Other princes, like Konstantin of Tver and Konstantin of Suzdal, also wanted the title. They argued they should be Grand Prince. But Simeon was smart. He gave gifts to the Khan's helpers. This helped him win the Khan's support. The princes of Tver and Suzdal had to accept Simeon as the most important ruler. The Khan also said Simeon's children would have rights to the title too.

Simeon also received a special title from the Byzantine Empire. It was called epi trapezes offikios. This title was like being a chief steward or a high-ranking official.

Challenges and Conflicts

In 1340, Simeon had his first big disagreement with Veliky Novgorod. Simeon believed he had the right to collect taxes in the Novgorodian town of Torzhok. But the local leaders, called boyars, locked up Simeon's tax collectors. They asked Novgorod for help.

Simeon and the church leader, Metropolitan Theognostus, quickly gathered other princes. They formed a group against Novgorod. They said Novgorod was acting too independently. They claimed Novgorod made its own decisions about war and peace. They also mentioned that Novgorod had attacked other towns.

As Simeon's forces got close to Novgorod's lands, the people of Torzhok rebelled against their own boyars. They decided to support Moscow's troops. The Novgorod Republic had to agree. They gave Simeon all the taxes from the Torzhok area. Simeon, in return, promised to respect Novgorod's existing rules.

Dealing with Lithuania

In 1341, soon after the conflict with Novgorod, Algirdas attacked Mozhaysk. Algirdas was a prince from Vitebsk and an ally of Smolensk. But news that Gediminas, a powerful Lithuanian ruler, had died made Algirdas stop his attack. This happened before Simeon could even gather his army.

Soon after, Uzbeg Khan, Simeon's ruler, also died. His son, Jani Beg, took control of the Golden Horde. He even killed his brothers to secure his power. Simeon and Theognostus had to travel to the Horde again. Jani Beg confirmed Simeon's rights as Grand Prince. He let Simeon go home. But he kept Theognostus as a hostage to get money from the church. Theognostus was eventually released after a payment.

Throughout the 1340s, the Novgorod Republic became weaker. This was due to wars with Lithuania and Sweden, and problems within its own government. Simeon, as Grand Prince, was supposed to protect Novgorod. But he was slow to help. It seemed he hoped the weakened republic would fall, which would benefit Moscow.

In 1347, Novgorod asked for help against the Swedes. Simeon sent his brother Ivan and Constantine of Rostov. But these envoys refused to fight for Novgorod. Simeon was busy trying to stop Lithuania's influence in the Golden Horde. He even gave shelter to two Lithuanian princes who had rebelled. He made Jani Beg believe that Lithuania was a big threat to the Horde. Jani Beg eventually agreed with Simeon's envoys. He handed over Lithuanian envoys to Simeon.

Simeon chose to make peace with Algirdas. He released the prisoners. He also arranged marriages between Lithuanian princes and Russian women. One important marriage was between the pagan Algirdas and the Orthodox Uliana of Tver. Even though it was unusual for the church, Metropolitan Theognostus approved it. This marriage later led to the birth of Jogaila, a very important ruler.

In 1351–1352, Simeon prepared for war against Algirdas. This was over control of some small towns in the Smolensk area. But this conflict also ended with talks instead of fighting. Even though the first round of talks failed, Simeon managed to get the disputed towns for Moscow. This was Simeon's last major action as ruler.

The Black Death

The terrible disease known as the Black Death reached southern Russia and Ukraine as early as 1346. It arrived in Scandinavia in 1349. By early 1352, it hit Pskov, and then Novgorod in August 1352. By the end of that year, two-thirds of the people in Pskov were reported dead. The same sad pattern happened in Lithuania and northeastern Russia.

In 1353, the plague reached Moscow. It killed Metropolitan Theognostus. It also took the lives of Simeon, his two sons, Simeon Simeonovich and Ivan Simeonovich. His brother Andrey also died from the plague, just six weeks after Simeon.

Before he died in 1353, Simeon became a monk and took the name Sozont. He chose Alexis to be the new Metropolitan of Moscow. Simeon also made sure his wife Maria received a good estate. Simeon's will is thought to be the first time paper was used in Russia. Before that, people used parchment.

Simeon is buried in the Archangel Cathedral inside the Moscow Kremlin.

Simeon's Family

Children with Aigusta of Lithuania

• Vasili Simeonovich (born 12 April 1337 – died 1338)
• Vasilisa Simeonova (died 20 April 1369), who married Prince Mikhail Vasilievich of Kashin
• Konstantin Simeonovich (born and died in 1341)
• A daughter who married Aleksandr of Lithuania, son of Karijotas of Poland

Children with Maria of Tver

• Daniil Simeonovich (born 15 December 1347 – died young)
• Mikhail Simeonovich (born 1348 – died young)
• Ivan Simeonovich (born 1351 – died March 1353), who died from the plague at the same time as his father
• Simeon Simeonovich (born 1352 – died March 1353), who also died from the plague at the same time as his father

See also

• Bibliography of Russian history (1223–1613)
• Rulers of Russia family tree