Ivan Viskovaty: brief biography and photos

Historians do not know exactly when Ivan Viskovaty was born. The first mention of it dates back to 1542, when this sublegy wrote a conciliatory letter with the Polish kingdom. The viscous was rather artful, he belonged to the little-known noble family. His career, he built thanks to his own diligence, natural talents and intercession patrons. Contemporaries described him as an extremely eloquent person. The ability of the speaker was very important for the diplomat, so it is not surprising that over time Ivan Viskovaty headed the Ambassador's order (the prototype of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Elevation

Until the middle of the sixteenth century the entire diplomatic system of the Russian state was built around the Grand Duke. He could delegate some powers individually, but no state institution existed.

The state of affairs in the Moscow diplomacy of that time can be judged from the records in the ambassadorial books. They say that, beginning in 1549, the newly crowned Ivan the Terrible ordered Viskovaty to accept official diplomas brought by foreign delegations. Then the first foreign trips of the official began. In the same year 1549 he went to the Nogai and the ruler of Astrakhan Derbysh.

At the head of the Posolsky order

In comparison with his colleagues, Ivan Viskovaty was also distinguished by a low rank. He was just a penniless. Ivan the Terrible, appreciating Viskovaty's ability, equated him with other more eminent diplomats - Fedor Mishurin and Menshik Putianin. So the nobleman became a deacon. In all the same 1549 Ivan Viskovaty was suddenly appointed head of the diplomatic department. He became the first official of this kind in Russian history.

From that moment Viskovaty began active work, which for the most part was limited to meetings with numerous foreign delegations. Ambassadors from the Nogai horde, Lithuania, Poland, Kazan, Denmark, Germany, etc. came to the clerk. The unique status of Viskovaty was emphasized by the fact that he received high-ranking guests in personal order. For such meetings there was a special clerk's cottage. Ivan the Terrible mentioned it in his letters.

Duties of the diplomat

In addition to meetings with ambassadors, Ivan Viskovaty was in charge of their correspondence with the tsar and Boyar Duma. Diac was present at all preliminary negotiations. In addition, he was engaged in the organization of Russian embassies abroad.

During the meetings of the tsar with the delegations Viskovaty Ivan Mikhailovich kept the records of the negotiations, and his notes were later included in the official annals. In addition, the sovereign instructed him to manage his own archive. This deposit contained unique documents: various decrees of Moscow and other specific princes, genealogies, foreign policy papers, investigative materials, government records management.

Keeper of the State Archive

The person who was following the royal archive had to have a huge responsibility. It was at Viskovatov that this repository was reorganized into a separate institution. The head of the Posolsky order had to work a lot with the securities from the archive, since without them it was impossible to make inquiries about the relations with other states and to organize meetings with foreign delegates.

In 1547, Moscow experienced a terrible fire, which contemporaries called "great." The fire also damaged the archive. Care for him and the restoration of valuable documents have become the primary goal of Viskovatoy from the very beginning of his tenure as head of the diplomatic department.

Under the protection of Zakharyin

The fortunate bureaucratic fate of Ivan Viskovaty was successful not only because of his own zeal. Behind him stood powerful patrons who patronized and helped their protégé. They were Zakharyiny - relatives of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible Anastasia. Their rapprochement was facilitated by the conflict that erupted in the Kremlin in 1553. The young king became seriously ill, and his entourage seriously feared for the life of the sovereign. The viscous Ivan Mikhailovich proposed to make a crowned man a spiritual testament. According to this document, the authority in the event of Ivan Vasilyevich's death was to pass to his half-year-old son Dmitry.

In the situation of uncertainty of the future, the relatives of Grozny Staritsky (including Vladimir Andreevich, his cousin claiming power), being afraid of excessive strengthening of the enemy boyar clan, began to intrigue against the Zakharins. As a result, half the yard did not swear allegiance to the young Dmitri. Until the last hesitated, even the closest adviser to the Tsar Alexei Adashev. But Viskovaty remained on the side of Dmitry (that is, Zakharyin), for which they were always grateful to him. After a while, the king recovered. On all boyars who did not want to support Dmitry's claim, there was a black mark.

Eye of the Tsar

In the middle of the 16th century, the main direction of Russia's foreign policy was the east. In 1552, Grozny annexed Kazan, and in 1556 - Astrakhan. At the court, the main proponent of the eastward movement was Alexei Adashev. Viscous, though he accompanied the tsar in his Kazan campaign, was much more zealous in his western affairs. It was he who was at the source of the origin of diplomatic contacts between Russia and England. Muscovy (as it was at that time called in Europe) had no access to the Baltic Sea, so the sea trade with the Old World was carried out through the winter-freezing Arkhangelsk. In 1553, the English seafarer Richard Chansler arrived there.

Later, the trader visited Russia several times. Each visit was accompanied by a traditional meeting with Ivan Viskovaty. The head of the Posolsky order saw Chancellor in the company of the most influential and wealthy Russian merchants. Of course, it was about trade. The British sought to become monopolists in the Russian market, full of unique products for Europeans. Important negotiations, where these issues were discussed, was carried out by Ivan Viskovaty. In the history of relations between the two countries, their first trade agreement played a fundamentally important and long-term role.

Viscous and England

Merchants from the Foggy Albion received preferential letters, full of all sorts of privileges. They opened their own representative offices in several Russian cities. Moscow merchants also received a unique right to trade in Britain without any fees.

Free entry to Russia was open to British masters, artisans, artists and doctors. Great contribution to the birth of such beneficial relations between the two powers was made by Ivan Viskovaty. The fate of his agreements with the British was extremely fortunate: they lasted until the second half of the XVII century.

A supporter of the Livonian War

The lack of own Baltic ports and the desire to enter Western European markets pushed Ivan the Terrible to the outbreak of war against the Livonian Order, located on the territory of modern Estonia and Latvia. By that time, the best era of the knights was left behind. Their military organization experienced a serious decline, and the Russian Tsar thought that it would be relatively easy for him to conquer important Baltic cities: Riga, Dorpat, Revel, Yuryev, Pernav. In addition, the knights themselves provoked the conflict, not letting European merchants, masters and goods into Russia. A regular war began in 1558 and dragged on for as long as 25 years.

The Livonian question split the approximate tsar into two parties. The first circle was headed by Adashev. His supporters believed that it was necessary first of all to increase their pressure on the southern Tatar khanates and the Ottoman Empire. Ivan Viskovaty and other boyars followed the reverse point of view. They advocated the continuation of the war in the Baltics to the victorious end.

The Fiasco in the Baltics

At the first stage of the conflict with the knights, everything developed exactly as Ivan Viskovaty wanted. The biography of this diplomat is an example of a politician who made correct decisions every time. Here and now the head of the Posolsky order has guessed. The Livonian Order was quickly defeated. Castles of knights surrendered one after another. It seemed that the Baltic States were already in their pocket.

However, the successes of Russian arms were alarmed by neighboring Western states. Poland, Lithuania, Denmark and Sweden also claimed the Livonian heritage and did not intend to give the whole of the Baltics to Grozny. First, the European powers tried to stop a war that was unfavorable to them through diplomatic means. The embassies were drawn to Moscow. I met them, as it should, Ivan Viskovaty. The photo of this diplomat did not survive, but even without knowing his appearance and habits, one can safely assume that he skillfully defended the interests of his sovereign. The head of the Posolsky's order consistently refused Western mediocre mediation in the conflict with the Livonian Order. Further victories of the Russian army in the Baltic led to the fact that the frightened Poland and Lithuania united in one state - Rzeczpospolita. A new player in the international arena openly opposed Russia. Soon, Sweden declared war on Grozny. The Livonian War dragged on, and all the successes of Russian weapons were brought to naught. True, the second half of the conflict has already passed without Viskovaty. By this time, he had already been the victim of the repression of his own king.

Opal

The conflict between Ivan the Terrible and the boyars began in 1560, when his first wife Anastasia suddenly died. Evil tongues spread rumors about her poisoning. Gradually the king became suspicious, he was seized with paranoia and fear of betrayal. These phobias intensified when the closest adviser to the monarch, Andrei Kurbsky, fled abroad. The first heads flew in Moscow.

Boyars were imprisoned or executed for the most dubious denunciations and slander. In the queue, there was also the envy of many competitors Ivan Viskovaty. A brief biography of the diplomat, however, suggests that he has been able to avoid the wrath of his sovereign for a relatively long time.

Death

In 1570, amid defeats in Livonia, Grozny and his oprichniks decided to go on a campaign to Novgorod, whose inhabitants they suspected of treason and sympathy for foreign enemies. After that bloodshed, the sad fate of Ivan Viskovaty was also resolved. Briefly, the repressive machine could not stop by itself. Beginning terror against his own boyars, Grozny needed all the new traitors and traitors. Although up to now there are no documents that would explain how the decision was taken about Viskovat, it can be assumed that the new favorites of the Tsar were slandered by him: the oprichniks Malyuta Skuratov and Vasily Gryaznoi.

Shortly before that grandee was removed from the leadership of the Posolsky order. In addition, once Ivan Viskovaty openly tried to intercede for the terrorized boyars. In response to the exhortations of the diplomat, Grozny erupted into an angry tirade. The viscous was executed on July 25, 1570. He was accused of treacherous ties with the Crimean khan and the Polish king.