Vasily Kholmsky, a nobleman from Moscow, served as one of the commanders of the Big Regiment () during the
Novgorod campaigns of 1492 and 1495. Recognizing Kholmsky's bravery in battle, Ivan III admitted him to the royal court and welcomed him to his circle of friends. In 1500, Ivan arranged marriage between Vasily and Feodosiya Ivanovna, the second daughter of the Grand Duke (
Ivan the Great). However, she died on 19 February the following year. Shortly thereafter, Ivan gave Vasily the title of
Boyar. In 1502, Vasily Kholmsky and Dmitry Ivanovich, son of Ivan III, fought against the
Lithuanians in the
Smolensk region. In 1505-1506 Kholmsky resumed command of the Big Regiment and was ordered to defend
Murom and
Nizhny Novgorod. A year later, he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the
Tatars near
Kazan. He was soon sent there again with a large force to subdue the city's inhabitants. In September of that year, Kholmsky defeated the Lithuanian army at
Mstislavl,
Polotsk, and other places. In 1509, Lithuania launched another invasion of Muscovy and emerged victorious against the Moscow forces. Upon hearing the news, Kholmsky's troops, stationed in
Mozhaisk at the time, immediately mobilized and defeated the Lithuanian army at Vyazma. Kholmsky then marched on
Dorogobuzh, which was occupied by
Polish voivode Stanislaw Kiszka. Kholmsky defeated Kiszka's army and forced him to flee to Smolensk. In pursuit of the Polish voivode, Vasily Kholmsky captured Dorogobuzh and
Starodub before moving on to
Bryansk. Suddenly,
Vasili III summoned him to Moscow and exiled him to
Beloozero, where Vasily Kholmsky died in a
dungeon 15 years later. ==References==