Fyodor II of Ryazan

In 1402, Oleg Ivanovich abdicated and was tonsured by the bishop of Ryazan, Theognostos. He joined the monastery at Solotchinsky, died soon after, and Fyodor became the grand prince.^[3] He was quick to foster peace between the principality and its neighbours. Priority amongst them would be his wife's home country. However, the relationship with Moscow was not one of equals. When he rose to the throne in 1402, Fyodor agreed a peace treaty with Donskoy's heir Vasily. The charter included a clause limiting Moscow's interference in Ryazan. In exchange, Fyodor surrendered his right of independent relations with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Golden Horde and other entities with which Moscow had relationships.^[4]

Ivan Vladimirovich, the prince of Pronsk, heard of this agreement, which also stipulated that Fyodor was under the protection of the metropolitan and Vasily in his dealings with Pronsk.^[5] According to chroniclers of the time, this angered Ivan Vladimirovich. He raised an army and attacked Ryazan, the armies meeting in 1408 on the banks of the Osyotr. According to the chronicles of Tver, Fyodor called upon the support of Moscow and other Russian allies and fielded an overwhelming force of numbers.^[6] However, despite this, he suffered a major defeat, with Ivan Vladimirovich taking over the Principality of Ryazan. However, this Fyodor rallied and within the year, at the Battle on the Smyadva River [ru] (Russian: битва на Смядве), he defeated Ivan Vladimirovich and retook Ryazan.^[6] Soon after, the two princes reconciled and, through the mediation of Vasily, signed a peace treaty recognising each others' legitimacy.^[7]

Although this was the last recorded conflict between the principality its neighbours, it was not the only unrest that Fyodor had to address during his reign. Although less than during the period between 1388 and 1402, when the desolation brought by the raids had left a huge mark on the southern lands of the principality, attacks by the Golden Horde continued throughout the century.^[8] According to the Nikon Chronicle, they attacked in 1405, 1411 and 1426.^[9] He died the year after, in 1427, and was buried in the newly consecrated cathedral in Pereslavl, the first of the royal family of Ryazan to be interred there.^[10][11]

With his wife Sofia, Fyodor had three children. His eldest son, Vasili Fyodorovich, predeceased him, dying in 1407. His daughter Vasilisa Fyodorovna married Ivan Vladimirovich of Pronsk.^[12] His youngest son Ivan Fyodorovich succeeded him to the principality at his death.^[13]

• Denisova, I.V. (2014). "Рязанские битвы в летописной традиции древней руси" [The Ryazan Battles in the Chronicle Tradition of Old Russia]. Scientific Notes of Kazan University (in Russian). 156 (2 Humanities): 65–76.
• Geraskin, Yury Veniaminovich (2017). "Князь Олег Иванович рязанский и русская церковь" [Prince Oleg Ivanovich of Ryazan and the Russian Church]. Палеоросия. Древняя Русь во времени, в личностях, в идеях (in Russian) (8): 123–130.
• Ilovaysky, Dmitry Ivanovich (1884). История Рязанского княжества [History of the Ryazan Principality] (in Russian). Moscow: A.L. Vasilyev.
• Komarov, Oleg Vladimirovich (2021). "От великой тишины до Шемякиной смуты. Военная тактика Московской Руси" [From the Great Silence to the Shemyakino Troubles. Military tactics of Muscovite Rus']. Novogardia (in Russian). 2 (10): 18–63.
• Reshetova, Anna Anatolyevna; Topolova, Olga Sergeevna (2012). "О рязанских реалиях в «Хожении Игнатия Смольнянина»" [About Ryazan realities in the “Walking of Ignatius Smolnyanin"]. Vestnik Ryazanskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta (in Russian) (35): 76–93.
• Shaikhutdinov, Marat (2021). Between East and West: The Formation of the Moscow State. Boston: Academic Studies Press. ISBN 978-1-64469-713-9.