Who is Dmitry Ivanovich. Donskoy Dmitry Ivanovich - One Hundred Great Generals of Russia

The Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy was born on October 12, 1350 in Moscow. He was the grandson of Prince Ivan I Danilovich Kalita. He was the eldest son of Grand Duke Ivan II Ivanovich from his second wife Alexandra.

After the death of Grand Duke Ivan II in 1359, the young Dmitry, his brother Ivan and cousin Vladimir Andreevich remained in the Moscow princely family, between whom the principality was divided.

In 1362, at the age of 12, Dmitry became the Grand Duke of Moscow. In 1364, Ivan died, and his allotment passed to Dmitry.

In the first years of his reign under the minor Dmitry, the government was headed by Metropolitan Alexy, who was later canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Alexy, relying on his authority, on the increased power of the Moscow principality, the support of the service boyars and townspeople, managed to overcome rivals in the struggle for the great reign - the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan and Tver princes. In 1363, the label for the great reign finally passed to the Moscow princes. On January 17, 1366, in Kolomna, the agreement of the Russian princes was sealed by the marriage of Dmitry Ivanovich to the Suzdal princess Evdokia Dmitrievna.

The government of Prince Dmitry carried out a number of measures aimed at centralizing state administration and military affairs.

Under the prince in 1367, the first stone Kremlin in North-Eastern Russia was built in Moscow.

In 1368 and 1370, his troops repelled attacks on Moscow by the Lithuanian prince Olgerd. During the war with Tver (1368-1375), Dmitry Donskoy organized a campaign of the Russian princes subject to him to Tver, forced the Tver prince Mikhail to recognize his seniority and alliance in the fight against the Golden Horde. In 1371, his army defeated Ryazan Prince Oleg at Skornishchev, in 1376 the Moscow principality established its influence in the Volga-Kama region in Bulgaria.

Dmitry Donskoy was the first of the Russian princes to lead the armed struggle against tatar-Mongol invasion... In 1378, the army of Murza Begich was defeated on the Vozha River.

In 1380, Dmitry Donskoy, at the head of the united Russian forces, set out to meet the hordes of the Temnik of the Golden Horde Mamai, who were moving to Russia.

Having accepted a blessing from Saint Sergius of Radonezh, who released two monks, Andrei Oslyabya and Alexander Peresvet, to battle, the prince met Mamai on the Kulikovo field, between the Nepryadva River and the Don (now in the Kurkinsky district of the Tula region).

Wishing to inspire the Russian soldiers before the mortal battle, the Moscow prince stood in the front ranks of his army, exchanging armor with the boyar Mikhail Brenk, who stood under the grand-princely banner in the rear of the large regiment and subsequently died. At first, Mamai's troops achieved success on the right flank, but received a blow to the flank from the Russian ambush regiment and fled. Prince Dmitry Ivanovich was found stunned on the battlefield. He showed an outstanding military leadership talent, for the victory on the Kulikovo field they began to call him Donskoy.

On the graves of the fallen soldiers, the prince created the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God, he established the Assumption Monastery on the Dubenka River.

In 1382, after the attack of the new khan of the Golden Horde Tokhtamysh on Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy organized work to restore the burnt city. He did not have time to gather troops to repulse and was forced to leave the city. The Moscow prince had to once again recognize his dependence on the Golden Horde and resume the payment of tribute. Nevertheless, Moscow retained its leading position in the Russian lands.

On May 19, 1389, Prince Dmitry Donskoy died in Moscow. Buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

In his spiritual testament, Prince Dmitry Donskoy for the first time handed over the great reign to his eldest son Vasily without the sanction of the Golden Horde as "his fatherland."

Despite the fact that even after the death of the Donskoy, the Golden Horde continued to raid Russia, it was his strategy of government and his military victories that became turning points in the centuries-old history of relations with the Horde.

After the death of the prince, "Life" and "Commendation" were written, the text of which was included in the Russian chronicles. The iconographic images of the Grand Duke have also been preserved - on the fresco of the Archangel Cathedral and in the Faceted Chamber in the Moscow Kremlin. The memory of Grand Duke Dmitry was especially strengthened during the years of wars and dangers. So, in the Great Patriotic War In the patriotic messages of the patriarchal locum tenens, Metropolitan Sergius, the name of the faithful prince Dimitri stood next to the name of the holy prince Alexander Nevsky: both prince-warriors were called to help the suffering Fatherland. At the same time, a tank column, created at the expense of believers, was named after Dmitry Donskoy.

In 1988, Dmitry Donskoy was canonized at the Local Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. His memory day is celebrated on June 1 (May 19, old style).

Prince Dmitry Donskoy and Princess Evdokia had 12 children - eight sons and four daughters. The recipient (godfather) of Dmitry's two sons was the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, the rest of the heirs had another Russian saint, Dimitri Prilutsky.

The wife of Dmitry Donskoy, Princess Evdokia, shortly before her death, took monastic vows with the name Euphrosinia. In Moscow, in the Kremlin, she founded the Ascension Convent, which was destroyed in 1929. She was one of the first grand duchesses buried in the Ascension Church - the burial vault of the queens of the Russian state. The Grand Duchess Evdokia was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church with the name Saint Euphrosinia of Moscow.

Life of Saints Demetrius and Evdokia of conjugal fidelity and harmony.

In July 2015, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established the celebration of the common memory of the saints of the faithful Prince Dimitri Donskoy and Princess Evdokia on June 1 (May 19).

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Dmitry was born on October 12, 1350 in Moscow. In 1359, when his father died, a guardian and mentor, Metropolitan Alexy, appeared in the biography of Dmitry Donskoy. Dmitry consulted with him in political matters. In addition, Donskoy developed good relations with Sergius of Radonezh, the abbot of the monastery. It was to him that the prince came before the Kulikovo battle for a blessing.

Struggle for reign

From the age of 9, Prince Dmitry was forced to fight for his reign in Vladimir with other princes. After a feud with the Lithuanian prince Olgerd, peace was concluded with Lithuania. Donskoy gradually established relations with Novgorod and Tver. The power of Prince Donskoy grew more and more over time.

In 1363, Dmitry Donskoy began to reign in Vladimir. After a big fire in Moscow, the prince built a new white-stone Kremlin in 1367.

As a believer, the prince supported Orthodox churches, made donations, and also founded monasteries in the Moscow principality during his reign.

Great victories

The Horde began a conflict with Dmitry, defeating Nizhny Novgorod. But after the attack on Moscow in 1378, Mamai's army was defeated (Battle on the Vozha River).

And on September 8, 1380, the famous Battle of Kulikovo took place, during which Mamai was defeated, and the Tatar-Mongol troops were destroyed. After that, having collected the rest of his troops in the Crimea, Mamai again lost in a battle with his opponent, the khan of the Golden Horde - Tokhtamysh.

Payment of tribute to the Golden Horde was temporarily stopped. There was a merger of the Vladimir and Moscow principalities, and Moscow became the center of the unification of the Russian lands.

Considering short biography Donskoy, it should be noted that throughout his reign, Moscow was drowning in internecine wars.

When, after the invasion of Tokhtamysh in 1382, the capital again weakened, civil strife flared up with renewed vigor. After that, Donskoy promised to pay tribute to the Horde, albeit to a lesser extent than before.

Death and legacy

Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy died on May 19, 1389 at the age of 39. He was buried in Moscow in the Archangel Cathedral. After the death of Donskoy, the administration of the principalities was inherited by his son Vasily I.

Dmitry Donskoy was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Memorial Day is celebrated on the day of his death - May 19 (to the present day - June 1)

Streets and squares in cities of Russia and Ukraine are named after the Grand Duke, monuments in Moscow and Kolomna have been erected in his honor.

Dmitry Ivanovich was born on October 12, 1350. His parents were Ivan II Krasny and Princess Alexandra Ivanovna.

After the death of his father, 9-year-old Dmitry became the head of state. His guardian was Metropolitan Alexy, a man of strong character and great authority. Ivan Krasny bequeathed all possessions to his sons. After the death of his younger brother Semyon, all power passed to Dmitry.

Dmitry Donskoy's politics

The reign is characterized by the expansion of the borders of the principality. At the same time, the alliance with Veliky Novgorod was strengthened. In 1375, the confrontation between Moscow and Tver ended. After the seizure of Tver by storm, Dmitry was recognized as "the elder brother." Dmitry Ivanovich managed to form around himself a team of assistants and supporters, who later became the main support of the Grand Duke.

In 1366, Dmitry Ivanovich continued to strengthen Moscow. A new stone Kremlin was built, which saved the city a few years later. In 1368 and 1370, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd attempted to take the city by storm. The new walls withstood the onslaught of the enemy, and the invaders were defeated.

Dmitry Ivanovich achieved the final annexation of such lands as Galich Mersky, Uglich, Beloozero, as well as Kostroma, Dmitrovskoe, Chukhlomskoe, Starodubskoe princedoms. In 1376, the Volga Bulgars were defeated and no longer posed a real threat.

Relationship with the church

Prince Dmitry was brought up as a deeply religious person. He gave a lot of energy to support orthodox churches and holy abodes. He became the founder of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery. With his help and assistance, monasteries were opened in Moscow, Serpukhov, Kolomna and other places of the Moscow principality. A special role in the fate of Dmitry Donskoy was played by the rector of the Trinity Monastery, Sergius of Radonezh. It was he who blessed the Russian army and Dmitry Ivanovich for the battle with Mamai.

Relationship with the Golden Horde

The strengthening of the power of the Moscow prince took place at a time when the Golden Horde itself was tormented by internal civil strife. There was a constant struggle between the Tatar khans for supreme power.

Considering all these conditions, Dmitry Ivanovich took the first step against the Horde and refused to pay tribute. This could not pass in vain, and the Horde, despite all its internal problems, decides to punish Dmitry. She attacked Nizhny Novgorod and took it by storm. But the campaign against Moscow in 1378 was unsuccessful, the army of Mamai was defeated (Battle on the Vozha River).

But the main event in the biography of Dmitry Ivanovich took place on September 8, 1380. It was on this day that a battle took place on the Kulikovo field, on the banks of the Nepryadva and Don rivers, which went down in history as. The united Russian army defeated the army of Mamai. Dmitry Ivanovich took part in the battle. According to the chroniclers, he was wounded. For this victorious battle, the great Moscow prince was nicknamed Donskoy.

The payment of tribute to the Golden Horde stopped for a while. The final merger of the Vladimir and Moscow principalities took place, and Moscow rightfully became the unifying center of the Russian lands.

This time it was not possible to completely throw off the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Two years later, the united troops of the Golden Horde under the leadership of Khan Tokhtamysh took Moscow. The devastation was significant, the capital weakened again. The civil strife continued, and Dmitry Donskoy was again forced to pay tribute - albeit in a more truncated amount.

Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy died on May 19, 1389 at the age of 39. He was buried in Moscow, in the Archangel Cathedral. After the death of Donskoy, the administration of the principalities passed to his son Vasily I.

Dmitry Donskoy, the son of Ivan the Second the Red, was born on October 12, 1350, and it was his reign that brought many serious victories over the Golden Horde. In addition, the period of Dmitry's reign contributed to the strengthening and centralization of the lands of the Moscow principality.

Ivan Krasny died when his son was nine years old. The upbringing and formation of the personality of the young future prince was greatly influenced by his guardian, Metropolitan Alexy, who was famous for his sharp mind, strong character and authority. Continuing the policy of his father, Dmitry had to enter into a struggle with the Tver and Suzdal-Seversky princes for obtaining a reign from the Golden Horde. However, the khan decided to give the label to the Vladimir reign to Dmitry Konstantinovich (the Suzdal prince). This did not suit Moscow at all, which wanted to see the local ruler as a descendant of the local dynasty. That is why, being an eleven-year-old child, Dmitry went to the Horde.

Having received the label, Dmitry Donskoy sent all his forces to centralize power and strengthen the army. In 1367 (after the fire) the white-stone Kremlin was rebuilt. It was thanks to its walls that the city was able to hold back the invasion of Olgierd, with whom a truce was signed pretty soon.

In 1374, after a quarrel between Mamai and Dmitry, Tver again began to bother (as was the case more than once before) that the label for reign should be transferred to Mikhail, which happened the next year. After that, soldiers were sent to Uglich and Torzhok, and many princes rallied around Dmitry. Tver was under siege for about a month before Mikhail asked for peace. On September 3, a peace treaty was concluded, which obliged Mikhail to give up his rights to the Vladimir, Novgorod and Moscow reigns. In addition, he was supposed to provide assistance in military conflicts against the Tatars.

In 1380, Mamai advanced his soldiers to Russia. This year, one of the most significant battles took place - the Battle of Kulikovo, in which the troops of Dmitry Donskoy and Mamai met on September 8 near the Nepryadva River. Dmitry's victory completely changed his fate. Due to the conflict with Tokhtamysh, Moscow's position weakened and Mikhail again began to petition the Horde for a label. Only thanks to the intervention of Sergei Radonezhsky did Russia escape the strife.

Dmitry Donskoy died on May 19, 1389, before that he transferred his power to his son Vasily. In 1988 he was canonized.

Name: Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich (Dmitry Donskoy)

State: Muscovy

Field of activity: Politics

Greatest achievement: Unification of Russia, victory in the Battle of Kulikovo over the army of Mamai

Dmitry Ivanovich was the Grand Duke of Moscow (1359-1389) and the Grand Duke of Vladimir (1362-1389). His father, Ivan II the Meek of Moscow (1326-1359), ruled from 1353 to 1359. Ivan II was a frivolous, good-natured person, six years of his reign did not increase the influence of Moscow. After his death, he left several underage children: the eldest was nine-year-old Dmitry. Under the skillful regency of Metropolitan Alexy (1353-1378), Dmitry inherited part of the Moscow principality, but could not retain the label to the Grand Duchy of Vladimir (ruled by the Moscow princes from 1328 to 1359).

At that time, the Golden Horde was greatly weakened by internal strife and dynastic rivalry. In 1360, Khan Navruz from Saray gave the Vladimir label to Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich from Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod. A year later, Navruz was overthrown in a coup d'état, ruled by rival Tatar-Mongol warlords. Khan Murut of the Genghisid clan in Sarai in the east declared Dmitry Donskoy the Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1362. In 1363, Dmitry accepted the second label from Khan Abdullah, who was supported by Mamai Murza, who did not belong to the Chingizids. Mamai took control of the western Horde, establishing himself in Sarai and demanding power over all Russian lands.

Dmitry Donskoy returns the label and retains power

The offended Khan Murut took the label from Dmitry Ivanovich and handed it to Dmitry Konstantinovich. But Metropolitan Alexy was loyal to the children of Ivan II and turned to the Khan on behalf of his young ward. Murut received him favorably, and in 1363 Muscovites quickly moved to Vladimir, dismissed Dmitry Konstantinovich, before plundering the Suzdal lands. During this campaign, Dmitry took Starodub and Galich, annexing these principalities to his possessions, and possibly Belozero and Uglich. By 1364, he forced Dmitry Konstantinovich to capitulate and sign an agreement recognizing Moscow's sovereignty over Vladimir. The contract was signed with signatures in 1366, and in the same year he married the daughter of Dmitry Konstantinovich Evdokia. The couple had at least 12 children.

To maintain his influence, Dmitry Ivanovich sends Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich from Rostov to Ustyug to the north and replaces him with his nephew Andrei Fedorovich, who supports Moscow. As a precedent, Dmitry gave his cousin, Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky, independent sovereignty over Galich and Dmitrov, thereby establishing the de facto right of the Moscow princes to preserve the hereditary lands and dispose of the conquered territory.

The first years of the reign of Dmitry Donskoy

An important event in the first years of Dmitry's reign was the construction of the first stone Moscow Kremlin, completed in 1367. The new fortress allowed the city to resist the two sieges of Olgerd in 1368 and 1370. The third siege attempt in 1372 ended with the Treaty of Lubut, signed in the summer of 1372 between Olgerd (Algirdas), the Grand Duke of Lithuania and Dmitry, which led to a seven-year peace.

The only principality that Dmitry did not subdue was Tver. The conflict was caused by the fact that in 1366 Mikhail Konstantinovich took the throne of the Tver principality with the help of his son-in-law Olgerd. The hostilities lasted eight years (1368-1375): Mikhail unsuccessfully tried to seize Moscow in 1368, and Dmitry captured the city of Mikulin in 1370. Dmitry defeated Mikhail four times. Four times Mikhail, who was helped by Olgerd, won the victory. Finally, Olgerd died, and in 1375 Michael ceded, recognizing himself as a vassal of Dmitry. Other princes of Northern Russia also assumed the seniority of Dmitry.

Dmitry Donskoy's relationship with the Golden Horde

When Dmitry was summoned to the khan in Sarai in 1371, he became convinced that the Tatar-Mongols were no longer able to defend their power. He did not hesitate to fight Ryazan, although it was supported by the Tatar-Mongol army, and when the orders of the khan were conveyed to him, Dmitry ignored them. In 1376 he dispatched a large army to Kazan on the Volga and forced two Tatar leaders to pay tribute. The growing internecine conflicts in Lithuania, caused by the death of Olgerd in 1377, also played into the hands of Moscow. Moscow began to reduce the tribute and finally stopped paying it altogether. The Tatar-Mongols could not come to terms with the fact that the Moscow prince actually proclaimed independence from the Horde. Mamai tried to punish Dmitry by sending an army in 1378, but was defeated by Dmitry's forces in a battle near the Vozha River near Ryazan, which made Dmitry exclaim: "Their time has come, and God is with us!" A year later, the khan sent an army to ravage Ryazan and began preparations to restore power over Moscow. Urgently needing funds to stop Tokhtamysh, who made himself the khan of Saray, and wanting to avenge his defeat in Vozha, at the end of the summer of 1380.

As soon as Dmitry learned of the plans of his enemy, he went to the Holy Trinity Monastery near Moscow to get advice from the abbot of the Russian land, Saint Sergius of Radonezh (circa 1314-1392), an astute politician known for his fervent prayers for the Russian land. He gave his blessing for the struggle of Prince Dmitry with the enemy for life and death:

“You should, sir, take care of the glorious Christian flock entrusted to you by God. Go against the ungodly, and if God helps you, you will win and return to your homeland unharmed with great honor ”.

Saint Sergius spoke of the impending victory as if it were obvious to everyone. He allowed two monks Alexander-Peresvet and Andrey-Oslyaba, known for his bravery, to join Dmitry Ivanovich's army in order to set an example. Having inscribed crosses on their schemas, he said:

"Here is a weapon that never disappears!"

Battle of Kulikovo

Faced with great danger, many Russian princes gathered in Moscow - they all came to the rescue. There were not only the princes of Tver and Ryazan, who did not recognize the power of Moscow. At the head of a large army, Dmitry Ivanovich passed through Ryazan to the upper Don, where the Tatar-Mongols stood, waiting for the reinforcements of his ally Jagailo, the new Grand Duke of Lithuania. Dmitry decided to start the battle before the enemies could connect. He crossed the Don and approached the Tatar-Mongols on the Kulikovo field between the Don River and a small tributary called the Nepryadva.

“There are enemies behind Don,” Dmitry told his companions. "Are we going to wait for them here or cross the Don and go to meet them?" It was unanimously accepted to cross the river.

An order was immediately given, and the troops crossed the river, not far from the place where Mamai stood. As soon as everyone stepped ashore, Dmitry ordered the boats to go with the current. Now either victory or death: either let the enemy win and drown, or die in battle by the sword. The latter seemed preferable for Russian soldiers, and Dmitry Ivanovich knew perfectly well that men would fight with doubled valor in such a choice.

On September 8, 1380, the united armies of Mamai approached the troops of Dmitry Donskoy so that a narrow strip of land remained between them. Suddenly, the strongest hero of the Horde Chelubey jumped out of the Tatar army. He brandished his spear threateningly and challenged the Russian soldiers to grapple one on one. Peresvet left without a helmet and armor, remaining only in his schema with a cross to show that he was a soldier of Christ. The monk threw himself at the enemy with lightning. The opponents gathered and struck each other with their heavy spears with such force that they immediately fell down dead. This was the beginning of the battle.

The Tatar-Mongols were unable to launch a swift attack, which often brought them victory. The Russians defended themselves with such fury and the battle was so fierce that many soldiers were trampled to death by horses. Finally, however, the death toll became too high. The Russians were tired, and the generous governor of the Tatar-Mongols allowed them to replace the warriors exhausted in battle with fresh ones.

The Russian ranks wavered. Maybe they would have retreated, but there is nowhere - behind the river, and not a single boat. At this critical moment, when Dmitry's troops were balancing between panic and courage, ready to throw down their swords, deadly tired, the cavalry suddenly leaping out filled their troubled souls with joy. One detachment that did not take part in the battle, the Grand Duke left in reserve - it was commanded by Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovskoy. And now, full of strength and rage, they attacked with all their might the rear of the Tatar-Mongols, who, with horror, thought that this new army had come to the aid of the enemy. Soon they were broken and retreated from the battlefield, pursued by the Russian army. Mamai's camp, his chariots and camels were captured.

The Russian armies paid dearly for the victory. The earth was strewn with thousands of bodies. Dmitry was found unconscious from blood loss. The survivors buried the dead for eight days. According to legend, “the Grand Duke stood on human bones for three days and three nights, trying to extract all the dead bodies, and then he buried them with honors. To bury them, he ordered to dig deep holes in the nearby hills, and it took 300 thousand of them. "

The victory at the Kulikovo field was of paramount importance for the unification of the separate Russian principalities into a single centralized state around Moscow. In fact, it became the source of Russian statehood, and therefore for every Russian Kulikovo field is a sacred place. In honor of this great victory Dmitry Ivanovich was nicknamed "Donskoy".

At first glance, the successes achieved in the battle contributed to the fall of the Tatar-Mongol power over Moscow, but it soon became clear that this was not the case. Tokhtamysh seized the opportunity to overthrow Mamai in 1381, becoming the last khan of the White Horde. He united the White Horde and the Blue Horde into a single state - the Golden Horde and confirmed his title of ruler of the Russian lands. In 1382 she laid siege to Moscow, and Dmitry went to Kostroma to gather an army. Meanwhile, Moscow was deceived and taken over by fire and sword. It is said that 24,000 residents were killed. Vladimir and other cities suffered the same fate. They say that Dmitry wept when he saw the charred remains of his capital. However, there was nothing left but to make peace with Tokhtamysh. Dmitry swore allegiance to the Khan and became the Grand Duke of Vladimir again, agreeing to pay a much higher tribute to Tokhtamysh for the label on Vladimir than he had originally paid to Mamai.

But his soul was restless: the princes of Tver and Ryazan incited Novgorod and Mamai to use the plight of Moscow in order to plunder other cities of the Moscow principality. After the country had recovered enough, he forced the prince of Ryazan to conclude "eternal peace", and Novgorod in 1386 was forced to pay compensation in addition to agreeing to an annual tribute.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Donskoy skillfully used the church to serve his political and commercial interests. He dispatched a 1379 mission, led by the monk Stephen, to baptize Ustyug and establish a new bishopric in Perm, which secured Moscow control over the main areas of the highly lucrative fur trade. After the death of Metropolitan Alexy in 1378, Dmitry did not allow Cyprian, who was the Metropolitan of Lithuania and demanded power over the Moscow Church, to be placed in the Moscow Metropolitanate. Instead, Dmitry supported Mikhail, who died under mysterious circumstances before he could become a patriarch. Dmitry's second choice, Pimen, was imprisoned in the Moscow Metropolis in 1380 and with a short break (Cyprian was met by Dmitry after the Battle of Kulikovo before the siege of Tokhtamysh in 1382) until his death he served as Metropolitan of Moscow.

In May 1389, Dmitry Donskoy died, leaving Moscow the most powerful of all Russian principalities. He argued in his will that his son Vasily should be the sole heir of all the wealth, including the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. Thus, Dmitry was the first Grand Duke to leave his titles to his son without consulting the khan. As some historians note, the latter, having accepted the conditions, recognized the Grand Duchy as an integral part of the inheritance of the Moscow prince.

Unlike other Moscow princes, Dmitry Donskoy did not become a monk on his deathbed. Despite this, the chroniclers praised him as a saint. The 1563 Book of Degrees, written in the scriptorium of the Moscow Metropolitan, depicts Dmitry and his wife Evdokia as chaste ascetics with miraculous powers of intercession for their descendants and their land, thereby laying the ground for their canonization. Unofficially revered since the late 15th century, Dmitry was canonized Orthodox Church almost 600 years after his death, in 1988.