The time of the rule of Grand Duke of Muscovy Ivan III was a period of great significance in the history of Russia. By the end of the 15th century, Russian princedoms managed to free themselves from the tax on the Tatar horde after endless centuries of servitude and were finally unified politically, which manifested in the appearance of new opportunities for the further development of the Muscovite state.
Muscovy renewed contacts with its western neighbours, including the Roman emperor, with whom it concluded a treaty of alliance.