Moscow wife of the Polish king. My father wanted her to spy for the Kremlin

In December in Vilnius Architect missing individual found grave regalia Our rulers. Our most crucial coronation insignia, at least according to the authoritative version, has been destroyed, so uncovering the treasure is all the more enjoyable.

Especially that among objects hidden after assault Germany in 1939, is the king's ornamental tomb crown Alexander Jagiellończyk. Although the ruler sat on the Krakow throne for a short, just 5 years, the communicative of his exceptionally beautiful wife, from Rusi, passed to the legend.

But the communicative has to start with Kazimierz Jagiellończyk. The king died in 1492. He had 3 sons who sat on the Polish throne: John, Alexander and Sigismund.

The King knew that the power of his dynasty in Poland was not certain. The Jagillons from LithuaniaAnd over the Vistula was essential the consent of the nobility. Therefore, even before his death, Kazimierz gave Lithuania on the board to Alexander. Jana proposed to be the next ruler in Krakow. Theoretically, specified a solution threatened to break Polish-Lithuanian Personnel unionthe basis of which was 1 ruler of both countries.

However, the nobles trusted Kazimierz and agreed on a solution that was based on the cooperation and common assistance of both brothers. King Jan Olbracht took the title of the highest prince of Lithuania, but it was only a facade of power. Alexander ruled Vilnius.

Unfortunately, they besides knew about this in Moscow. Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III The Sorrow immediately after the death of Kazimierz, he declared himself “the lawful master of all Rusi”. The message was clear. Moscow intended to take distant Lithuania's east lands, threatening her then Smolensk.

The war broke out immediately. John instructed his brother to search agreement and peace with the Kremlin. In Olbracht's politics, the main threats were at that time elsewhere and afraid the struggles with the Turks.

The peace was achieved in 1494. Lithuania received BrianskMoscow took over Hanging, lying present in Smolensk circuit. The agreement was to be guaranteed by the matrimony of Alexander to Ivan III's daughter.

That's erstwhile our communicative came up. Helena Russian Ruricovich dynasty.

As Paweł Jasienica in “The Jagiellonian Poland”, each organization understood the agreement and the marriage. Alexander wanted lasting peace in the east, but for Ivan III it was only a temporary truce, and sending his daughter to Vilnius understood as another step into power over all of Russia.

However, that does not change the fact that Helena became the wife of the future king. Legendary became stories of her beauty. According to sources from the era, the envoys of Alexander who received it from Cream, they could not cool off from their impressions for a long time, and “they enjoyed her krasota,” Jasienica quotes.

Helena met her husband for the first time in the area around Vilnius and the spouses immediately became fond of each other. Unfortunately, the communicative of this love has more politics in it than romance. Ivan and Helena sent a large court of his daughter to Lithuania. His men had listen, spy and send reports to Moscow Alexander's actions.

Helena's father continued to request his daughter's obedience and loyalty. He threatened a parental curse. Helena became an intermediary in negotiations between Moscow and Vilnius. As Jasienica points out, politics has made it “a completely tragic figure”.

This happened due to the fact that Helena, at least officially, was 1 of the reasons for the fresh war. Ivan accused the Lithuanians of not allowing his daughter to practice Orthodoxy. He argued that the church was not built for her in Vilnius Castle. Helena herself answered him in letters that there was no problem due to the fact that she could usage the close Orthodox council on the Wilejka River.

It didn't help. In May 1500, Moscow troops moved to Lithuania. In fact, it was not about religion, of course, but about the desire to take over the lands under Alexander’s control.

Helena was aware of her function in history. There was a letter that she wrote to her father at the time.

For Lithuania, the situation became even more complicated erstwhile Jan Olbracht died in 1501, leaving no heir behind. His natural successor was Alexander.

The coronation of the Polish king took place in December, but the fresh ruler sat on the Krakow throne alone, without his wife. Helena hasn't changed her confession, and The bishops refused to accept the Orthodox queen.

She officially utilized the title “wife of King Alexander, Grand Duchess of Lithuania”. On the another hand, in practice, she was considered queen And so they called her subjects. Helena first came to Krakow in February 1502, and the event was ceremonial and state-owned.

Jagielloński Kraków At that time he witnessed different events in our history. During the coronation union, the nobles approved higher taxes and forced the clergy to give tribute to the state. Undoubtedly, those decisions allowed Alexander to act and to defend the kingdom’s borders in an armed manner.

Above all, it was a tough policy in which there is never anything for free. In the face of a threat on the east border, Alexander agreed to greater legislature powers, Strengthening the Polish-Lithuanian Union and renounced his hereditary rights in Lithuania. The fresh law gave nobility the chance to express obedience to the king if any of the arrangements had been broken.

In 1503 Alexander succeeded in concluding a six-year truce with Moscow, based on the rule uti possidetis. The fresh border line was set according to the current state of ownership on the front, which meant Lithuania serious territorial defects, from part of Kiev, to Briansk. For Poland at the time, the weakening of Lithuania resulted in an even greater dependence on decisions not in Vilnius, but in Krakow.

Alexander died in 1506, aged 45, besides without a descendant. The 3rd of the brothers, Sigismund, was placed on the throne. Helena, on the another hand, was active in brokering negotiations with the Kremlin, where her brother took over in 1505 Vassyl III.

Helena's actions at this time are inactive unclear and have left many questions. On the 1 hand, the widow of Alexander tried to repair the strained relations with the Grand Duchy of Moscow. On the another hand, it is known that respective years after her husband died She tried to go to Moscow. King Sigismund blocked the escape.

Part of Lithuania's political environment, with the Radziwill household at the head, suspected Helena of plotting for her brother. She took most of Helena's secrets to her grave. She died in 1513, aged 37. 2 years after trying to escape.

She was buried in Vilnius. Its crypt is located in the Council of the Pure Godmother.