Vasily Ivanovich of Ryazan

Who was Vasily Ivanovich of Ryazan?

Vasily Ivanovich was the Grand Prince of Ryazan, son of Grand Prince Ivan Fyodorovich.

Upon their father’s death in 1456, eight-year-old Vasily Ivanovich and his sister Feodosiya were transferred under the care of the Grand Prince Vasily II of Moscow, who would place his namestniks in Ryazan to rule over the principality in the absence of the rightful heirs. Vasily II conducted all of Ryazan’s internal and external affairs on behalf of the underage Vasily Ivanovich. In 1463, Ivan III of Russia and his mother Maria Yaroslavna let Vasily Ivanovich return to Ryazan. In the winter of that same year, the young prince came back to Moscow and married the youngest sister of Ivan III – Anna Vasilyevna – on January 28, 1464.

As far as Vasily Ivanovich’s lasting reign is concerned, Ryazan’s relations with its neighbors were quite peaceful, especially with Moscow. During one of such visits, Anna of Ryazan gave birth to Ivan Vasilyevich on April 14, 1467. It is plausible that the inclusion of the Pronsk udel into the Principality of Ryazan was possible due to Anna’s mediation between her husband and Ivan III.