known as Ivan the Great
born Jan. 22, 1440, Moscow
died Oct. 27, 1505, Moscow
Grand prince of Moscow (1462–1505).
Determined to enlarge the territory he inherited from his father, Ivan led successful military campaigns against the Golden Horde (1480) and won a final victory over the khan's sons in 1502. Stripping the boyars of much of their authority, he laid the administrative foundations of a centralized Russian state. {{link=Ivan">Ivan IV the Terrible was his grandson.