BASIL I., DMITREVICH (1371-1425), son of Dmitri (Demetrius) Donskoi, whom he succeeded in 1389, married Sophia, the daugh ter of Vitovt, grand-duke of Lithuania. Basil annexed the prin cipality of Suzdal, with the city of Nijni Novgorod, to Muscovy, together with Murom, Kozelsk, Przemysl, and other places; re duced the grand-duchy of Rostov to a state of vassalage; and acquired territory from the republic of Great Novgorod by treaty. In his reign occurred the invasion of Timur (1395 ), who ruined the Volgan regions, but did not penetrate so far as Moscow. Indeed Timur's raid was of service to the Russian prince as it all but wiped out the Golden Horde (q.v.) ; which for the next 12 years was in a state of anarchy. During the whole of this time no tribute was paid to the khan, though vast sums of money were collected in the Moscow treasury for military purposes. In 1408 the Mirza Edigei ravaged Muscovite territory, but retired on receiving a sum of money. In 1412, however, Basil found it necessary to pay the long-deferred visit of submission to the Horde. During this reign the Bulgarian, Gregory Tsamblak was appointed to the metro politan see of Kiev (1425), by the grand duke of Lithuania ; an event blamed by some for the weakening of Muscovy's hold on the south-western Russian states. During Basil's reign a terrible visitation of the "Black Death" decimated the population.
See T. Schiemann Russland bis ins 17. Jahrhundert (Gotha, 1885-87) .