Terrible's Father

Vasily III, born March 25, 1479

it was the fate of Grand Prince Vasily III to be squeezed into history between two more famous men.

Vasily’s father, Ivan III, preceded him on Moscow’s throne and went down in history as the 15th century’s gatherer of the Russian lands. He brought in foreigners to build the Kremlin’s main cathedrals, and refused to pay tribute to Khan Akhmed, thus casting off the Tatar Yoke. As a result, he was given the historical appellation “the Great.”