(1505 – 1533)
The son of Ioann III, Vasily III Ioannovich, carries in the history the name of “The Last Collector of the Russian Land”, since he completely destroyed the specific system and united all the regions under its own authority.
Vasily III did not confer with the boyars about the affairs and did not allow the slightest contradiction on their part. Several approached deacons, but the butler were his favorites, with whom he consulted and decided matters.
In Pskov there were troubles due to the feuds of the boyars with ordinary citizens, as well as disagreements with the governors. One of such strife he took advantage of and destroyed the Pskov Veche. The Veche Bell was removed and taken away from Pskov. Visiting Pskov, Vasily III ordered to take out of him many boyars, and their place was settled by the boyars of Moscow. Thus Pskov without any bloodshed was annexed to Moscow in 1510.
In 1520, Ryazan annexed itself. The Ryazan prince, wishing to destroy his dependence on Moscow, initiated relations with the Crimean khan. Vasily III summoned him to Moscow, where he imprisoned him, and turned his land into his domain. Also, the principality of the north was annexed in 1523.
As a result, the Moscow prince became the sole ruler of the entire Moscow principality.
The war with Poland ended with the annexation of Smolensk (1514) to Moscow, which for over a hundred years was under the rule of Lithuania.
Since the time of Vasily III, devastating raids on Russia of the Crimean Tatars have begun.
Vasily III was married to Solomonid Saburova, but had no children from her. With the permission of Metropolitan Daniel, he divorced her and married Elena Vasilyevna, the niece of Mikhail Glinsky. She had two sons, Ioann and Yuri. Before his death he blessed the great reign of the three-year-old Ioann.