ELENA VASILIEVNA GLINSKAYA (1510-1512 - † April 3, 1538 in Moscow), Princess of Moscow and the Grand Princess of Vladimir, since January 21, 1526 the second wife of Vasily III Ivanovich , Prince of Moscow and the Grand Prince of Vladimir
Father
- Vasily Lvovich Glinsky, Lithuanian duke
Mother
- According to one version, Anna Stephanovna Jakšić, daughter of the Serbian governor Stephan Jakšić
Biography
Elena Vasilievna Glinskaya was born in 1510-1512. She was the daughter of Vasily Lvovich, a Lithuanian duke who went over to the service of the Moscow sovereign. She was born in Rus, after her father's flight from Lithuania. During her childhood, the Glinsky family fell into decay, had no influence in Moscow, but remained one of the most noble Lithuanian families. This fact, according to the researchers, attracted the attention of Vasily III. After the scandalous divorce from his first wife, Solomonia Saburova, who was unable to give birth to an heir to the Grand Prince Vasily Ivanovich strove to conclude a second marriage as soon as possible, while preventing a new struggle among his own entourage for the right to intermarry with the sovereign and not wasting time on a difficult diplomatic procedure of matchmaking to foreign princesses [21, ch. 9]. The famous, but not politically influential, the family of the Glinsky fit perfectly. According to A.I. Filyushkin, having brought the Glinsky family closer through marriage, and also having released the head of the clan Mikhail Glinsky, who was in prison, Vasily III received in their person devotees and servants dependent on him [21, ch. 9]. However, the sources allow us to draw a conclusion about the sovereign's sympathy for the young bride. Herberstein reported that the Grand Prince was so eager to please his chosen one that he even shaved off his beard in a European manner, which caused horror among the conservative-minded boyars [II, p. 75; 2; 21; 25; 27].
The wedding took place on January 21, 1526. At the time of the wedding Elena was about 14-16 years old, and Vasily III was almost three times her age. Elena's youth was also her trump card: the Grand Prince urgently needed an heir. However, in the early years of marriage the problem was never resolved. The long-awaited firstborn, Ivan, appeared in the princely family only in 1530. Two years later Elena and Vasily had a second son, Yuri. It would seem that the question of who to transfer power in the state to has been resolved. However, coupled with the story of more than twenty years of barren first marriage, such a “late” (four years after the wedding) an appearance of children from a young and healthy princess gave rise to new rumors about the infertility of Vasily III himself. There was also gossip that the real father of the princes was prince Ivan Fedorovich Ovchina Telepnev Obolensky, close to Elena [I, p. 311-313; II, p. 87, V, p. 227; III, p. 218-220; 20, p. 84–94]. Today, most scientists admit that rumors about Elena's infidelity during the years of her marriage are nothing more than an invention of spiteful critics [2; 16]. On the basis of the restored portraits of Sophia Palaiologina and Ivan IV, researchers confirm their external similarity, possible only through Vasily III. But obviously this argumentation is clearly not enough to reject with absolute certainty the version of Ovchin-Obolensky as the real father of Ivan the Terrible. In particular, A.L. Nikitin points to mental deviations unknown either in the Kalitich family or in the Glinsky family, which first manifested themselves only in Ivan the Terrible and his younger brother and which, according to the scientist, can serve as indirect evidence of the absence of kinship between Vasily III and Ivan IV [11, p. 95]. There is no direct evidence of the connection between Elena and Ovchin-Telepnev-Obolensky before the death of Vasily III.
On September 21, 1533 Elena and her children accompanied Vasily III on a traditional pilgrimage trip to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. After the service, the king went hunting, but the trip was much longer and less pleasant than expected because of the illness that struck him. Several months suffering from purulent periostitis [15, p. 72], Vasily III died on the night of 3 to 4 December 1533, having taken monastic vows before his death under the name of Barlaam. The heir to the throne, Ivan Vasilyevich, was only three years old at that time. Vasily III's will has not been attested. The story of the illness and death of Vasily III does not say anything about the transfer of power to the sovereign's wife, the chronicles, in particular the Resurrection and Pskov First chronicals, contain opposite information on this score. The official Resurrection reports that Vasily III left the state and the young ruler in the care of his wife and metropolitan [VI, Part 2, p. 285]. The Pskov Chronicle speaks of the transfer of power to a narrow circle of people from the boyar circle [IV, p. 106]. Today, most historians are inclined to believe that Vasily III intended to transfer the regency over Ivan, and, accordingly, the power in the state to the Board of Trustees. Disputes continue about the personal composition of the Regency Council under the minor Ivan IV [4, p. 289-292; 21, ch. 9; 26, p. 21-28; 27, p. 395-409].
An extensive historiography is devoted to the struggle in court circles, the alternating ups and downs of various boyar groups led by the princes Shuisky, Belsky and Glinsky, clarifying their composition and political views [2; 3, p. 225-248; 4, p. 289-292; 7, p. 10-107; 8, p. 36-164; 9, 44–48; 10, p. 3-19; 17; 18, p. 19–74; 19, p. 278-288; 23; 24; 25; 27, p. 395-409; 29, p. 101-112; 30, p. 195-197] Without going into the details of this struggle, it should be noted that Elena tried with all her power to strengthen her position as the ruler of the state. The legitimacy of her position in the eyes of the people was given by the fact that she was the mother of the legitimate sovereign [8, 136-164; 9, p. 44–48]. For the same reason, Metropolitan Daniil could support her. But the fact that Elena was a foreigner without any extensive (at least at first) connections among the boyars certainly made her position vulnerable. She managed to achieve power only in August 1534 [8, p. 99-111; 17, p. 12; 18, p. 33–44; 29, p. 101-112]. It turned out to be much more difficult to stay on the throne. Relying on the support of her favorite prince Ivan Telepnev-Obolensky and people close to her, Elena consistently eliminated rivals and simply did not agree with her position. The first to be removed from the court was Elena's own uncle Mikhail Glinsky, who condemned his niece for a vicious relationship with Telepnev-Obolensky [II, p. 78]. The younger brothers of Vasily III, princes Yuri Dmitrovsky and Andrei Staritsky, were liquidated. Obolensky was introduced to the Boyar Duma (received the highest rank of boyar and equestrian) along with several other people close to Elena (about the influence of Obolensky, see: 1, p. 79–81; 3, p. 231–232; 8, p. 154 –161; 14, pp. 22–23; 18, pp. 44–45; 28, pp. 67–73; 29, pp. 109–111). The question of how independent Elena was in her reign is controversial. Nevertheless, one cannot fail to say about the state reforms carried out during the years of her reign. Relying on the support of the church in the person of Daniil, Elena significantly limited the rights of monasteries to acquire land [5, p. 303; 18, p. 45–46]. The ruinous and monetary reforms were aimed at strengthening the central government and the construction of new cities and fortifications (in particular, the Kitaygorodskaya wall in Moscow), contributed to the growth of the state's defense capability. The early childhood of Ivan IV, the vulnerable position of his mother and the endless struggle for power did not contribute to stability in the foreign policy situation. In 1534 another war broke out between Lithuania and Rus. Sigismund I refused to renew the treaty concluded under Vasily III, and demanded to return to the borders of 1508. The fighting lasted until 1537, when a peace was concluded that maintained the status quo of both states. Rus lost the Gomel region, but received a number of fortresses that had previously belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Despite the fact that Elena was in power for only about three and a half years, her reign turned out to be rich in political events. However, neither reforms to strengthen state power, nor Obolensky's outright terror [8, p. 220-221; 10, p. 7–8] helped Elena to gain a foothold on the throne for a long time. On April 4, 1538, the princess died unexpectedly at the age of 30. Rumors immediately spread about her being poisoned by the Shuisky boyars. Several centuries later, scientists confirmed the version of the violent death of Ivan the Terrible's mother. Chemical analysis of her bones and hair showed a multiple excess of mercury, zinc and arsenic salts [12, p. 148; 13, p. 26-31; 22, p. 23-25] *.
Elena Glinskaya was buried in the Ascension Monastery in the Moscow Kremlin.
* The theory about the poisoning of Elena Glinskaya is not supported by all researchers [see: 17; 23; 24].
Children
- Ivan IV the Terrible (1530-1584)
- Yuri Vasilievich, appanage prince of Uglich (1533-1563)
Court
Elena Vasilievna was supported by prince I.F. Ovchina-Telepnev-Obolensky, prince D.F. Belsky, I.G. Morozov, prince N.V. Khromoy-Obolensky, M.V. Shuisky and I. V. Shuisky, prince B. I. Gorbaty, M. S. Vorontsov, butler I. Yu. Shigona Podzhogin, prince I. D. Penkov, princes A. I. Strigin-Obolensky and N. V. Obolensky, prince I. I. Kubensky, and Metropolitan Daniil [VII, p. 102, 105; VIII, p. 75, 91-92; 4, p. 289-292; 7, p. 10-107].
The men's court of the Grand Princess included the butler prince P. I. Repnin-Obolensky [8, p. 431, 447].
The retinue or the women's court of Elena Glinskaya included boyarynyas who surrounded the Grand Princess at weddings, official ceremonies and ambassadorial receptions:
At the wedding of Vasily Ivanovich and Elena Vasilievna in Moscow on January 21, 1526, the following noble girls were present: princess Anna, the wife of prince Fyodor Ivanovich Belsky, princess Maria, the wife of Semyon Danilovich Kholmsky, Arina (Orina, Irina), the wife of Yuri Zakharyich, Anna, the wife of Peter Yakovlevich Zakharyin, Irina, the wife of Mikhail Yuryevich Zakharyin. The matchmakers of the Grand Prince were princess Martha, the wife of Prince Dmitry Fedorovich Belsky (he was the grand prince's best man at the wedding), and Irina, the wife of Mikhail Yuryevich Zakharyin (he was the second best man of the Grand Prince). The matchmakers of the Grand Princess were Ovdotya (Evdokia), the wife of Prince Ivan Vasilyevich Shuisky and Varvara, the wife of Yuri Maly Trakhaniot. The wedding was also attended by the wife of prince Mikhail Vasilyevich Gorbaty (the maid of honor of the Grand Princess) and the wife of Prince Boris Ivanovich Gorbaty (the second maid of honor of the Grand Duchess). At the bedside of the newlyweds were Marya, the wife of Grigory Fedorovich Davydov, Alena (Elena), the wife of Ivan Andreevich Chelyadnin, and Agrafena, the wife of Vasily Andreevich Chelyadnin. Among those invited to the wedding were Princess Nastasya (Anastasia), the daughter of Vasily III's sister Evdokia and the Kazan Prince Kudaykul (baptized Peter).
At the wedding of Vasily III's cousin Andrei Staritsky and Princess Euphrosynia Khovanskaya, played in Moscow on February 2, 1533, at which Elena Glinskaya was present, Elena (Alena), the wife of prince Ivan Danilovich Khomyak Penkov, and Agrafena, the wife of Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsovwere present. The matchmakers of Princess E. F. Khovanskaya were the wives of Vasily Petrovich Borisov and Timofey Vasilyevich Borisov Borozdin. One table from the Grand Princess set Boyar princess Martha, the wife of prince Dmitry Fedorovich Belsky, Irina (Orina), the wife of Yuri Zakharyich, Elena (Alena), the wife of Ivan Andreevich Chelyadnin, Agrafena, the wife of Vasily Andreevich Chelyadnin, the wife of Prince Ivan Fedorovich Paletsky (not named), and Ksenia, the wife of Prince Ivan Fedorovich Belsky.
According to the genealogy of the Glinsky princes, compiled in 1532-1534, the nobles Maria, the wife of Grigory Fedorovich Davydov, were sitting at the table of the Grand Princess's. If Maria was not there, then Orina, the wife of Yuri Zakharyich, was sitting in her place. And from them in one table were Olena, the wife of Ivan Andreevich Chelyadnin, and Agrafena, the wife of Vasily Andreevich Chelyadnin. In the crooked table sat Princess Anna, wife of Vasily the Blind Lvovich Glinsky, and Princess Nastasya, wife of Ivan Mamai Lvovich Glinsky. Agrafena of Volyn did not sit with them. There also were Ovdotya, the wife of Ivan Ivanovich Tretyakov, or «Нехожево книини Огрофена» (possibly the wife of prince Ivan Paletsky), sitting in a crooked table.
On the day of the funeral of Grand Prince Vasily III in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, which most likely took place the day after his death, December 5, 1533, Elena Glinskaya was carried out of the chambers by Princess Anastasia, the wife of F.M. Mstislavsky, princess Maria, the wife of I.D. Penkov, Alena, the wife of I.A.Chelyadnin, Agrafena, the wife of V.A.Chelyadnin, Feodosia, the wife of M. Y. Zakharyin, Agrafena, the wife of V.I. .L. Glinsky.
At the receptions of the Kazan khan Shikh-Ali (Shigalei) and his wife Fatma-saltan in Moscow, held on January 9 and, probably, on January 10, 1536, on the first day of Shigalei's reception in the chamber near the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus (the Church of the Resurrection of the Mother of God in Seny) in the Moscow Kremlin were present the following the Grand Princess's noble girls: princess Anastasia, the wife of F. M. Mstislavsky, Elena, the wife of I. A. Chelyadnin, Agrafena, the wife of V. A. Chelyadnin «и иные многие боярыни». Another time, when the wife of Shigaley, Fatma-saltan, arrived at the palace, she was met at the sleigh by Agrafena, the wife of V.I. Volynsky with young boyarynyas and at the stairs by Agrafena, the wife of V.A.Chelyadnin with young boyarynyas. During the audience of the princess, the boyarynyas princess Anastasia, the wife of F.M.Mstislavsky, Elena, the wife of I.A.Chelyadnin, Agrafena, the wife of V.A.Chelyadnin, Agrafena, the wife of V.I. Volynsky «и ины многие боярыни» set at Elena Glinskaya table. After the completion of the negotiations, during the feast at Elena Glinskaya's table sat the tsarina «с правои руки в угле», the Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich's cousin Anastasia, the daughter of tsarevich Peter and the wife of prince F.M. Mstislavsky, and under her sat Elena, the wife of I. A. Chelyadnin, Agrafena, the wife of V.A. Volynsky «и иные боярыни, а иные боярыни въ скамиѣ седѣли» [VII, p. 419; VIII, p. 9-10, 13-14; 6].
Sources
I. Biblioteka literatury Drevnei Rusi. T. 11. SPb., 2001. S. 311–313
II. Gerbershtein S. Zapiski o Moskovii. M., 1988.
III. Kurbskii Andrei. Istoriia o delakh velikogo kniazia moskovskogo // Russkaia istoricheskaia biblioteka. T. 31. SPb., 1914. S. 161–354.
IV. Pskovskie letopisi. Vyp. 1. M.; L., 1941.
V. PSRL. T. V. Vyp. 2. Pskovskie letopisi. M., 2000.
VI. PSRL. T. VIII. Prodolzhenie letopisi po Voskresenskomu spisku. M., 2001.
VII. PSRL. T. XIII. Letopisnyi sbornik, imenuemyi Patriarsheiu ili Nikonovskoiu letopis'iu. M., 2000.
VIII. Razriadnaia kniga 1475–1598 gg. M., 1966.
Bibliography
1. Abramovich G.V. Kniaz'ia Shuiskie i Rossiiskii tron. L., 1991.
2. Volodikhin D.M. Ivan IV Groznyi. M., 2010.
3. Zimin A.A. Reformy Ivana Groznogo (Ocherki sotsial'no-ekonomicheskoi i politicheskoi istorii Rossii XVI v.). M., 1960.
4. Zimin A.A. Formirovanie boiarskoi aristokratii v Rossii vo vtoroi polovine XV – pervoi treti XVI v. M., 1988.
5. Kashtanov S.M. Sotsial'no-politicheskaia istoriia Rossii kontsa XV– pervoi poloviny XVI v. M.. 1967.
6. Korzinin A.L. Zhenskii dvor Eleny Glinskoi (v pechati).
7. Korzinin A.L. Regentskii sovet pri maloletnem Ivane Groznom // Klio. 1999. № 3. S. 10–107.
8. Krom M.M. "Vdovstvuiushchee tsarstvo': Politicheskii krizis v Rossii 30–40-kh godov XVI veka. M., 2010.
9. Krom M.M. "Mne sirotstvuiushchemu, a tsarstvu vdovstvuiushchemu': krizis vlasti i mekhanizm priniatiia reshenii v period "boiarskogo pravleniia' (30–40-e gody XVI v.) // Rossiiskaia monarkhiia: voprosy istorii i teorii. Voronezh, 1998. S. 44–48.
10. Krom M.M. Politicheskii krizis 30–40-kh godov XVI veka (Postanovka problemy) // Otechestvennaia istoriia. № 5. 1998. S. 3–19.
11. Nikitin A.L. Solomoniia Saburova i vtoroi brak Vasiliia III // Grigor'ev G. L. Kogo boialsia Ivan Groznyi? M., 1998. S. 91–93.
12. Panova T.D. Kremlevskie usypal'nitsy. Istoriia, sud'ba, taina. M., 2003.
13. Panova T.D., Pezhemskii D. Otravili! Zhizn' i smert' Eleny Glinskoi: istoriko-antropologicheskoe issledovanie // Rodina. 2004. № 12. S. 26–31.
14. Platonov S.F. Sochineniia po russkoi istorii. SPb., 1994.
15. Presniakov A.E. Zaveshchanie Vasiliia III // Sb. statei po russkoi istorii, posviashchennykh S. F. Platonovu. Pg., 1922.
16. Pushkareva N.L. Chastnaia zhizn' zhenshchiny v doindustrial'noi Rossii. X – nachalo XIX v. Nevesta, zhena, liubovnitsa. M., 1997.
17. Skrynnikov R.G. Ivan Groznyi. M., 2001.
18. Smirnov I. I. Ocherki politicheskoi istorii Russkogo gosudarstva 30–50-kh godov XVI veka. M.; L., 1958.
19. Tikhomirov M.N. Zapiski o regentstve Eleny Glinskoi i boiarskom pravlenii 1533–1547 gg. // Istoricheskie zapiski. Kn. 46. 1954. S. 278–288.
20. Tikhomirov M.N. Maloizvestnye letopisnye pamiatniki XVI v. // Istoricheskie zapiski. Kn. 10. 1941. S. 84–94.
21. Filiushkin A.I. Vasilii III. M., 2010.
22. Filiushkin A.I. Mat' Ivana Groznogo // Nauka i religiia. № 4. 2011. S. 23–25.
23. Floria B.M. Ivan Groznyi. M., 1999.
24. Froianov I.Ia. Drama russkoi istorii. Na puti k oprichnine. M., 2007
25. Shaposhnik V.V. Ivan Groznyi. Pervyi russkii tsar'. M., 2006.
26. Shaposhnik V.V. K voprosu o zaveshchanii Vasiliia III // Vestnik SPbGU. Seriia 2. Vyp. 2. 2009. S. 21–28.
27. Shaposhnik V.V. Pravitel'nitsa Elena Glinskaia i moskovskaia elita // Drevniaia Rus': vo vremeni, v lichnostiakh, v ideiakh. Vyp. 5. 2016. S. 395–409.
28. Shatagin N.I. Russkoe gosudarstvo v pervoi polovine XVI veka. Sverdlovsk, 1940.
29. Iurganov A.L. Politicheskaia bor'ba v 30-e gody XVI veka // Istoriia SSSR. № 2. 1988. S. 101–112.
30. Iurganov A.L. Praviashchaia elita Russkogo gosudarstva IX – nachala XVIII vv. (Ocherki istorii). SPb., 2006.
Internet Resources
1. Volodikhin D.M. Ivan IV Groznyi. M., 2010