Unit 9 Ivan the 3rd

In the early years of the Russian empire, before the Russians could even be considered a legitimate force, they were an up in coming group of people in Eastern Europe called the Keven Ruse. They were starting to expand and even had a rather large capital, Moscow. However in 1237 a Mongolian clan called the Tatars invaded and took Russia over. Their rule remained firm until the uprising of Ivan the 3rd.

In 4162 Ivan declares himself Grand Prince of Russia and Marries into the Byzantine Family. He adopts their crest of the double-headed for Russia and calls Russia the third Rome. In 1472, before going to war with the oppressive Tatars, Ivan decides to give a new face to Russia. That face come in the form of the Cathedral of the Assumption.

Ivan's first attempt to construct this cathedral ended in disaster when a tremor struck Moscow in 1474 and knocked down what his men had been working on for months. Realizing that he needed professional help, Ivan called in a skilled Italian architect who was able to integrate Russian design with modern building technology to revolutionize Russian architecture.

Upon completing the Cathedral of the Assumption, Ivan decided it was time to take on the Tatars. The Tatars responded with great force but after months of fighting the Russians were able to liberate themselves from a regime that had occupied them for nearly three centuries. Ivan's victory opened the door for an age of vast Russian expansion and domination.