The Itineraries of Solomonia Saburova and Elena Glinskaya

摘要

This article is focused on the pilgrimage travels and the journeys to towns and settlements by So-lomonia Saburova and Elena Glinskaya. The participation of the Grand Princesses of Moscow in different celebrations, formal receptions, weddings, and consecration of churches has been considered. The chrono-logy of the princesses' departures from Moscow has been considerably clarified. The material sources (pictorial embroidery ("needle painting") items from gold embroidery shops of the princesses, icons), which had not been previously taken for the study of the princesses' itineraries, for the first time provided data on the pilgrimage travels of Solomonia Saburova to the monasteries of Suzdal and to the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Monastery, and of Elena Glinskaya to the St. Paphnutius Borovsk Monastery. As a result of studying the itineraries, the author has come to the conclusion that S. Saburova did not take active part in the affairs of state. The first wife of Vasilii III mainly went on pilgrimages, praying for childbearing to the Lord, to the Most Holy Mother of God, and to Russian saints. The itinerary of Elena Glinskaya is characterized by a higher richness and intensity of travels and a frequent change of location compared to the itinerary of her predecessor. Frequent pilgrimages by Elena Vasilyevna and Vasilii III were dictated by praying to God and Russian miracle workers for an heir and by expectations of conception. After the birth of Ivan IV, the schedule of travels to cloisters and the attendance of official celebrations by the Grand Princess did not become less frequent but, on the contrary, even more busy, being evidence of her increased social status and role in the court life. On the death of her husband and in view of her son's infancy, Elena Glinskaya actually became a regent for Ivan IV from the end of August 1534. From that time she hardly ever departed from Moscow and rarely visited holy places even in the vicinity of the capital so as not to lose control over the internal affairs. The key role of Elena Vasilyevna in politics is demonstrated by her participation with her son Ivan in the negotiations with the Nogai and Kazan ambassadors in 1534-1536, as well as by her guidance, together with the boyars, of suppression of the insurrection of Andrey Staritskii in 1537. One of the additional subjects considered in this publication concerns the debatable issue of Christian double names, the regularities of choosing baptismal (simultaneously dynastic) and secular (with respect to the date of birth) names in representatives of the Moscow Rurik dynasty: Ivan III, Vasilii III, and his sons Ivan IV and Yuri.