{short description of image}  
 

IVAN MIKHAILOVICH (ca 1357 - 1425)

 
   
 

He was a son of Mikhail Aleksandrovich, grand prince of Tver and Yevdokia. He became grand prince of Tver from 1399 to 1425. He married in 1375 with Maria, daughter of Keistut, prince of Lithuania, and then in 1408 with Evdokia, daughter of Dmitrii Eremei, prince of Dorogobuzh, a fourth cousin. His sons from the first marriage were Ivan, crown prince of Tver whose daughter's name was Anna; Aleksandr, grand prince of Tver; and Yuri, crown prince of Tver who died without heirs. The family is shown on this chart.

 
 

He continued the policy of attempting to keep Tver independent of Moscow, while curbing the internal separatist desires of the subordinate princes. Ivan Mikhailovich applied to the Golden Horde in 1407 and 1412 for assistance. In 1408 the Tatars under Idiqu besieged Moscow. Idiqu ordered Ivan Mikhailovich to bring Tverian troops and artillery. Ivan started out, but delayed and returned to Tver without fulfilling the order. He was lucky because Idiqu was defeated eventually and Tver would have had to face Moscow with the added burden of having supported the Tatars. Ivan then sought assistance from Vitovt of Lithuania. In 1422 he sent Tverian troops to support Vitovt against the Livonian Order.

 

Return to Xenophon. Return to Ruscity. Return to Rushistory. Return to Ukraine.