Vasili III of Russia
Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 to 1533
Vasili III Ivanovich (Russian: Василий III Иванович; Christian name: Gavriil; monastic name: Varlaam; 25 March 1479 – 3 December 1533) was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 until his death in 1533.
He was the second son of Ivan III by his second wife Sophia Paleologue. Following on the ambitions of his father, Vasili annexed Pskov and Ryazan – the last remaining autonomous Russian territories – and captured the city of Smolensk from Lithuania. He also strengthened Russian influence in Kazan and the Volga region. Several nobles were exiled, sentenced, or executed for criticizing his policies.
Early life
Vasili was the second son of Ivan III of Russia. Following the death of Ivan's eldest son, Ivan Molodoy, the young Ivan's son, Dmitry Ivanovich, became heir presumptive in 1490 and was later made grand prince and co-ruler in 1498 after a conspiracy against Dmitry by Vasili's supporters was uncovered and foiled. However, on 21 March 1499, Vasili was forgiven by his father and he was bestowed the title of grand prince of Novgorod and Pskov. In March 1501, Vasili was given the Beloozero principality, and the following year, Dmitry and his supporters fell out of favor with Ivan. On 11 April 1502, Dmitry and his mother Elena of Moldavia were arrested and placed under house arrest.
The public source identifies “Vasili III of Russia” as grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 to 1533. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Vasili, Russia and Grand.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Vasili III of Russia”, the useful work is to connect “grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 to 1533” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q49686. VIAF identifies the subject as 121961806. The Library of Congress control number is n2005016814. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1479, 1533, 1505 and 1490.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Vasili III of Russia”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Vasili III of Russia primary sources, Vasili III of Russia archive and Vasili research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Vasili III of Russia”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Vasili III of Russia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.