Zinovy ​​Sidorovich

In March 1471 he traveled to Vilna at the head of the embassy to King Casimir IV to resolve disputed cases about lands and waters, regarding which the Pskov could not agree with the royal dignitaries at the congress. The embassy was graciously received by the king and on April 21 returned to Pskov with gifts and the answer of Casimir, who promised himself to come and inspect the disputed places. ^[2] But such a decision of the king, announced by the ambassadors at the veche, did not please the Pskovites:

Nicholas had never been worse from the princes of the greats, nor from the queens, how many hadn’t been in the Lithuanian land ... and all these sent to the congress of lords, but they themselves hadn’t been with the Pskov people about the border places and borders

- Zinovy ​​Sidorovich // Russian Biographical Dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. - M. , 1896-1918.

This position of the Pskov people was largely caused by the fear of new complications in the foreign policy of the Pskov Republic, which was already extremely difficult in view of the fact that, on the one hand, Moscow vigilantly followed all the actions of the Pskovites, and, on the other hand, the Germans constantly disturbed. To fight the latter, Pskov needed the help of Moscow, and John III, at the request of the Pskovites, sent a large auxiliary army to them, which the Pskov posadniks met with bread and honey, the Germans, learning about the formidable force gathered against them, hastened to make peace. ^[2]

In January 1474, Zinovy ​​Sidorovich entered into negotiations with the ambassadors who arrived in Pskov from the master of the Livonian Order and the bishop of Yuryev. With the former, the world was restored for 25 years, with the latter - for 30, provided that the Germans would not enter the lands of the Pskovites, would give their merchants free access and would not allow beer or honey to go to Pskov from Livonia. The Pskovites were satisfied with this agreement and sent messenger Grigory Umyl-Borodin to the Grand Duke to Moscow “ beat him with a brow on his salary and grievance ”. However, Ivan III was angry that the Pskovites instead of noble people sent a messenger to him and after the return of Umyl-Borodin in April, they hastened to send a new embassy with a wake, which included Zinovy ​​Sidorovich, a posadnik. But the great prince of ambassadors “ did not let him see , did not accept a gift ” ^[1] , “ just as soon as he could bring me with petition ”. For five days they stood in a tent in a field and on June 23 returned with nothing to Pskov. ^[2]

In January 1476, when Ivan III was on trial in Novgorod, Zinovy ​​Sidorovich with the Pskov prince Yaroslav Vasilievich and another posadnik Stefan Maksimovich went to beat him with his forehead so that he could grant his homeland Pskov. The Grand Duke answered them that he wanted to keep the Pskovites in antiquity, adding, “ but whoever I send to you about your affairs, you would naturally listen, and you would trust him, like me, the Grand Duke, and my letter ”. ^[2]

In the summer of 1477, Ivan III sent his ambassador John Zinoviev to Pskov, who announced to the Pskovites the order of Ivan III to assemble an army against Veliky Novgorod to help in the Moscow-Novgorod war . In November of the same year, the demand was repeated by another princely ambassador Vasily Dyatlov. At the head of the Pskov army were placed: Prince Vasily Shuisky and three posadniks, among whom was Zinovy ​​Sidorovich. The Pskov army, located around Lake Ilmen , stood near Novgorod for eight weeks and only after the Novgorodians asked for peace, was discharged to their homes. ^[2]

In December 1478, Zinovy ​​Sidorovich again took part in a large embassy sent with rich gifts to Ivan III in Veliky Novgorod. ^[2]

In 1480 he again traveled to Novgorod to welcome Ivan III who had arrived there. ^{[1] [note 1]}

In 1483, unrest began in Pskov : the Pskovs cut the yards of five posadniks, including that of Zinovy, and the next year, when the Smerds refused to perform their usual work for the city, ^[1] and pay tribute to the townspeople. ^[2] Three of the Smerds were imprisoned and written on them "dead letter". ^[one]

In 1485, he twice traveled with the other posadniks to the Grand Duke in Moscow. The first time with a complaint to the beasts who killed the Pskov messengers, and the second time about the rebellion of 1483. Veche referred to an old ("dead") letter imposing tribute to the Smerds, but Ivan III sided with the rural population and in a formidable response to the Pskov ambassadors said that they had come to him "idle", condemned the arbitrariness of the eternity, ordered the detained Smerds to be released and printed "Bellies." However, tempered by the complete obedience of the ambassadors, he promised to favor the Pskovites “as much as possible” if they finish off his brow. ^[one]

The last time ^[1] Zinovy ​​was mentioned in 1486 , when he arrived in Moscow, beat the Grand Duke with his brow that he kept Pskov “in the old days” ^[2] and complained about the Pskov governor Yaroslav Obolensky . ^[four]

• Complete collection of Russian chronicles, IV, 237, 239, 250, 252, 257, 259, 262, 266, 267; 192, 193.

• Zinovy ​​Sidorovich // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.