Vasili II of Russia

Vasili II Vasiliyevich Tyomniy (Blind) (Василий II Васильевич Тёмный in Russian) (1415—1462), Grand Prince of Moscow (since 1425), son of Vasili I Dmitriyevich.

Vasili's reign was one plagued by civil war, but one in which Moscow's power continued to increase. Vasili was long in a contest with a reactionary coalition of appanage princes led by his uncle Yuri Dmitriyevich (Prince of Galich) and his two cousins Vasili Kosoy (Cross-eyed) and Dmitry Shemyaka for the throne of Moscow. Vasili’s war was complicated by his parallel struggle against Kazan and Grand Principality of Lithuania. While Vasili briefly lost control of the throne twice he regained it both times, even after being blinded and imprisoned by his cousin Dmitry in 1446 (hence, the nickname Tyomniy, which means “blind”; “seeing darkness” would be a more accurate translation). Vasili's victory in the 1450s finally put to rest the principle of collateral succession.

After the war, he eliminated almost all of the small appanages in the Principality of Moscow and strengthened his princely authority. As a result of Vasili military campaigns in 1441-1460, principalities of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Pskov and Vyatka became more dependent on Moscow.

The other important events of Vasili's reign were the rejection of the Council of Florence in which the Byzantine Patriarch had agreed to acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope. Vasili rejected this concession. By his order in 1448, bishop Jonah was appointed metropolitan of Russia, which marked the declaration of independence of the Russian Orthodox Church from the Patriarch of Constantinople and strengthened Russia’s position on the international arena.

Vasili's reign also saw the collapse of the Golden Horde and its break up into three smaller Khanates. While this did not end Mongol control of Russia, it did greatly weaken it.

Preceded by: Vasili I

Grand Prince of Moscow

Succeeded by: Ivan III