Abstract
In 1498, an extraordinary event took place at the court of Muscovy: the Grand Prince Ivan III organized a majestic coronation of his grandson Dmitry Ivanovich. It was the very first coronation in Russian history.
Until then, no such ceremony occurred both during the time of Grand Princes in Kiev nor in Vladimir. Ivan III was to make a choice - pass the rule to his grandson Dmitry, the son of his late son Ivan the Young, or to give the right to rule to his second Vasily, born from Ivan's second marriage with Byzantine princess Sofia Palaiologina.
The definitive resolution was to crown Dmitry Ivanovich. Although he was not a direct descendant of the Byzantine Emperors as Vasily was, the ceremony was conducted according to the Byzantine tradition which was used according to the ceremonies described in the then available Byzantine literature.