“Friendly Relations” of Great Rulers Stefan III of Moldavia and Ivan III of Moscow

The author in their article focuses on the analysis of the causes and nature of the relations between Russia and Moldavia in the second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries, as well as their influence on the development of state ideology in Russia. This issue is usually not given much attention when historians consider the history of the unified Muscovite state during the reign of Ivan III. The issue of creating an alliance between the Muscovite and Moldavian monarchs remains a hotly debated subject of scholarly discussion, and the influence that the actions of Stephen III and his positioning toward Muscovy is often underestimated when analyzing the beginning of the creation of Russia’s new state ideology. The author analyzes the attempts of Moldavian ruler Stephen III the Great to create an antiOttoman alliance with the ruler of all Rus’ Ivan III. They conclude that the Moldavian monarch failed to achieve his goal, and at that time, based on the priorities of Russia’s interests, the Muscovite sovereign used interaction with Moldavia to his great advantage.