Mammootty: 2010–present: …decade include the family drama Varsham (2014; “Rain”); the critically acclaimed Tamil film Peranbu (2018; Resurrection), in which he portrayed a single father raising a daughter with cerebral palsy; and the political thriller Unda (2019; “Bullet”).

Duchy of Warsaw, independent Polish state created by Napoleon. It became a focal point of efforts to restore the Polish nation, which had been destroyed by the Partitions of Poland made by Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772, 1793, and 1795. Established by the Treaties of Tilsit (July 7 and 9,

Duchy of Warsaw, independent Polish state created by Napoleon. It became a focal point of efforts to restore the Polish nation, which had been destroyed by the Partitions of Poland made by Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772, 1793, and 1795. Established by the Treaties of Tilsit (July 7 and 9,

Duchy of Warsaw, independent Polish state created by Napoleon. It became a focal point of efforts to restore the Polish nation, which had been destroyed by the Partitions of Poland made by Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772, 1793, and 1795. Established by the Treaties of Tilsit (July 7 and 9,

mazurka: The varsovienne (Italian varsoviana) is a 19th-century French couple dance that evolved from a simple mazurka step. Also closely related to the mazurka are the smooth, somewhat slower kujawiak and the energetic oberek.

Lodovico de Varthema was an intrepid Italian traveler and adventurer whose account of his Middle Eastern and Asiatic wanderings was widely circulated throughout Europe and earned him high fame in his own lifetime. He made significant discoveries (especially in Arabia) and made many valuable

Lodovico de Varthema was an intrepid Italian traveler and adventurer whose account of his Middle Eastern and Asiatic wanderings was widely circulated throughout Europe and earned him high fame in his own lifetime. He made significant discoveries (especially in Arabia) and made many valuable

Indian philosophy: The old school: Uddyotakara’s Varttika ( c. 635) was written after a period during which major Buddhist works, but no major Hindu work, on logic were written. Uddyotakara undertook to refute Nagarjuna and Dignaga. He criticized and refuted Dignaga’s theory of perception, the Buddhist denial of soul, and the…

ancient Iranian religion: Cosmography: …on the cosmic sea called Varu-Karta. In the centre of the earth was the cosmic mountain Harā, down which flowed the river Ardvī. The earth was divided into six continents surrounding the central continent, Khvaniratha, the locus of Aryāna Vaijah, the Aryan land (i.e., Iran).

Varuna, in the Vedic phase of Hindu mythology, the god-sovereign, the personification of divine authority. He is the ruler of the sky realm and the upholder of cosmic and moral law (rita), a duty shared with the group of gods known as the Adityas (see Aditi), of whom he was the chief. He is often

Hinduism: Vernacular literatures: Varunan, a sea god who had adopted the name of an old Vedic god but otherwise had few Vedic features, and Mayon, a black god who was a rural divinity with many of the characteristics of Krishna in his pastoral aspect, also are depicted in…

turf toe: Injury mechanism: Varus (bending inside) and valgus (bending outside) are two other described mechanisms. Valgus is most commonly seen in a football lineman who is pushing off from a stance. Varus is rarely seen but can occur when an outward force is applied to a fixed forefoot.

Publius Quinctilius Varus was a Roman general whose loss of three legions to Germanic tribes in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest caused great shock in Rome and stemmed Roman expansion beyond the Rhine River. Varus came of an old patrician family, which had been without political influence for

Publius Quinctilius Varus: His father, Sextus Quinctilius Varus, was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar and committed suicide after the Battle of Philippi (42 bc). Varus arranged a good marriage for himself with a daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the primary adviser to the emperor Augustus. In 13 bc…

varved deposit, any form of repetitive sedimentary rock stratification, either bed or lamination, that was deposited within a one-year time period. This annual deposit may comprise paired contrasting laminations of alternately finer and coarser silt or clay, reflecting seasonal sedimentation

Gerhard, Baron De Geer: …Swedish geologist, originator of the varve-counting method used in geochronology.

Gerhard, Baron De Geer: …Swedish geologist, originator of the varve-counting method used in geochronology.

varved deposit, any form of repetitive sedimentary rock stratification, either bed or lamination, that was deposited within a one-year time period. This annual deposit may comprise paired contrasting laminations of alternately finer and coarser silt or clay, reflecting seasonal sedimentation

varved deposit: …where they are often termed varvite, frequently display disruption of the fine lamination and couplets by outsize clasts. These clasts are called dropstones and were introduced vertically through the water column into the lake area, where only fine-grained sediments normally accumulate, by ice rafting and melting. This phenomenon of disrupted…

snowshoe hare, (Lepus americanus), northern North American species of hare that undergoes an annual colour change from brownish or grayish in summer to pure white in winter. The hind feet are heavily furred, and all four feet are large in proportion to body size, a snowshoe-like adaptation that

Amazon River: …river and its tributaries, called várzeas (“floodplains”), are subject to annual flooding, with consequent soil enrichment; however, most of the vast basin consists of upland, well above the inundations and known as terra firme. More than two-thirds of the basin is covered by an immense rainforest, which grades into dry…

Vas, megye (county), western Hungary. It borders the counties of Györ-Moson-Sopron to the north, Veszprém to the east, and Zala to the south, along with the countries of Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. Its name derives from the town of Vasvár, which lies on the bank of the Dráva

ductus deferens, thick-walled tube in the male reproductive system that transports sperm cells from the epididymis, where the sperm are stored prior to ejaculation. Each ductus deferens ends in an enlarged portion, an ampulla, which acts as a reservoir. There are two ductus deferentes, identical in

animal reproductive system: Sponges, coelenterates, flatworms, and aschelminths: …which extend numerous tubules (vasa efferentia) that unite to form a sperm duct (vas deferens); the latter becomes an ejaculatory duct through which sperm are released to the outside. The sperm duct may exhibit expanded areas that store sperm (seminal vesicles), and it may be surrounded by prostatic cells…

Vasa, 17th-century Swedish vessel, the mightiest warship of its day, that sank on its maiden voyage on August 10, 1628, with about 30 of 150 persons aboard drowning. It was raised to the surface in 1961 and is now one of Stockholm’s most famous attractions. While the Thirty Years’ War was raging in

Vaasa, city, western Finland, on the Gulf of Bothnia. Founded in 1606 by the Swedish king Charles IX, it was chartered in 1611 and named for the reigning house of Vasa. Finland’s second Court of Appeal was instituted there in 1776. Devastated by fire in 1852, the town was soon rebuilt in a more

ductus deferens, thick-walled tube in the male reproductive system that transports sperm cells from the epididymis, where the sperm are stored prior to ejaculation. Each ductus deferens ends in an enlarged portion, an ampulla, which acts as a reservoir. There are two ductus deferentes, identical in

animal reproductive system: Sponges, coelenterates, flatworms, and aschelminths: …which extend numerous tubules (vasa efferentia) that unite to form a sperm duct (vas deferens); the latter becomes an ejaculatory duct through which sperm are released to the outside. The sperm duct may exhibit expanded areas that store sperm (seminal vesicles), and it may be surrounded by prostatic cells…

Stockholm: The contemporary city: …has several museums, including the Vasa Museum, which houses a salvaged Swedish warship dating from 1628.

renal system: Arteries and arterioles: Known as vasa recta, these vessels run toward the apexes of the pyramids in close contact with the loops of Henle. Like the tubules they make hairpin bends, retrace their path, and empty into arcuate veins that parallel the arcuate arteries.

human cardiovascular system: The blood vessels: …small blood vessels called the vasa vasorum that supply the walls of larger arteries and veins. In contrast, the inner and middle layers are nourished by diffusion from the blood as it is transported. The thicker, more elastic wall of arteries enables them to expand with the pulse and to…

Gustav I Vasa was the king of Sweden (1523–60), founder of the Vasa ruling line, who established Swedish sovereignty independent of Denmark. Gustav was the son of a Swedish senator and of a noble family whose members had played a prominent part in the factious aristocratic politics of 15th-century

House of Vasa, Swedish (and Polish) dynasty descended from an old family of Uppland, related both to the Sture family and to the Bonde family of Sweden’s King Charles VIII (d. 1470). Its founder was Gustav Eriksson Vasa, who became regent of Sweden in 1521 and King Gustav I Vasa in 1523. His

Sri Lanka: The advent and impact of irrigation: … during the reign of King Vasabha, large perennial rivers were blocked with massive earthen dams to create colossal reservoirs. With increasingly sophisticated irrigation technology, water from these reservoirs was delivered through canals to distant fields and through underground channels to the capital city.

Vasai-Virar, city (municipal corporation), western Maharashtra state, western India. It lies on the Arabian Sea coast north of Mumbai (Bombay). Bassein (Vasai) town was part of the territory of the Hindu Devagiri Yadavas until 1317, and it later became a seaport for the Gujarat Muslim kings. In

Vasai-Virar, city (municipal corporation), western Maharashtra state, western India. It lies on the Arabian Sea coast north of Mumbai (Bombay). Bassein (Vasai) town was part of the territory of the Hindu Devagiri Yadavas until 1317, and it later became a seaport for the Gujarat Muslim kings. In

human rights: The content of human rights: three generations of rights: …advanced by the French jurist Karel Vasak. Inspired by the three themes of the French Revolution, they are: the first generation, composed of civil and political rights (liberté); the second generation of economic, social, and cultural rights (égalité); and the third generation of solidarity or group rights (fraternité). Vasak’s model…

Vasant Panchami, Hindu festival that celebrates the onset of spring in India. The term vasant means “spring” in Hindi, and since the festival is observed on the fifth day (panchami) of the season, it is named Vasant Panchami. The day is usually marked by people dressing in yellow and worshipping

Vasant Panchami, Hindu festival that celebrates the onset of spring in India. The term vasant means “spring” in Hindi, and since the festival is observed on the fifth day (panchami) of the season, it is named Vasant Panchami. The day is usually marked by people dressing in yellow and worshipping

Vasant Panchami, Hindu festival that celebrates the onset of spring in India. The term vasant means “spring” in Hindi, and since the festival is observed on the fifth day (panchami) of the season, it is named Vasant Panchami. The day is usually marked by people dressing in yellow and worshipping

India: Literature and the arts: The Deccani style, vasara, tended to be an intermixture of the northern and the southern, with early examples at Vatapi, Aihole, and Pattadakal and, later, at Halebid, Belur, and Somnathpur in the vicinity of Mysore. The wealth of the temples made them the focus of attack…

India: Literature and the arts: The Deccani style, vasara, tended to be an intermixture of the northern and the southern, with early examples at Vatapi, Aihole, and Pattadakal and, later, at Halebid, Belur, and Somnathpur in the vicinity of Mysore. The wealth of the temples made them the focus of attack…

Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian-born French painter of geometric abstractions who became one of the leading figures of the Op art movement. Vasarely was trained as an artist in Budapest in the Bauhaus tradition. In 1930 he left Hungary and settled in Paris, where he initially supported himself as a

Youssou N’Dour: In 2008 filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi premiered the highly acclaimed documentary I Bring What I Love, which chronicles a musically and spiritually turbulent period in N’Dour’s life and ultimately calls for a more tolerant practice of Islam. The film and soundtrack were released publicly in 2010. Also that…

Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian-born French painter of geometric abstractions who became one of the leading figures of the Op art movement. Vasarely was trained as an artist in Budapest in the Bauhaus tradition. In 1930 he left Hungary and settled in Paris, where he initially supported himself as a

Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian-born French painter of geometric abstractions who became one of the leading figures of the Op art movement. Vasarely was trained as an artist in Budapest in the Bauhaus tradition. In 1930 he left Hungary and settled in Paris, where he initially supported himself as a

Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter, architect, and writer who is best known for his important biographies of Italian Renaissance artists. When still a child, Vasari was the pupil of Guglielmo de Marcillat, but his decisive training was in Florence, where he enjoyed the friendship and patronage

Basque, member of a people who live in both Spain and France in areas bordering the Bay of Biscay and encompassing the western foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. In the late 20th century probably about 850,000 true Basques lived in Spain and 130,000 in France; as many as 170,000 Basques may live

Vasco da Gama Bridge, cable-stayed bridge with approach viaducts that crosses over the Tagus River estuary in Lisbon, Portugal. Spanning 17.2 km (10.7 miles), the structure was the longest bridge in Europe at the time of its inauguration. It was surpassed by the controversial Crimean Bridge (also

Vasco da Gama Bridge, cable-stayed bridge with approach viaducts that crosses over the Tagus River estuary in Lisbon, Portugal. Spanning 17.2 km (10.7 miles), the structure was the longest bridge in Europe at the time of its inauguration. It was surpassed by the controversial Crimean Bridge (also

Basque Country, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historic region of northern Spain encompassing the provincias (provinces) of Álava, Guipúzcoa, and Vizcaya (Biscay). The Basque Country is bounded by the Bay of Biscay to the north and the autonomous communities of Navarra to the east,

Ted Hughes: Later life and works: …and dramatist Georges Schehadé’s play The Story of Vasco from the original French and shaped it into a libretto. The resulting opera, from which significant portions of his text were cut, premiered in 1974. A play based on Hughes’s original libretto was staged in 2009.

Luiz de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3o count de Castelo Melhor was a Portuguese royal favourite who, as effective governor of Portugal from 1662 to 1667 during the reign of Afonso VI, was responsible for the successful prosecution of the war against Spain, which led, in 1668, to Spanish recognition of

José Vasconcelos was a Mexican educator, politician, essayist, and philosopher, whose five-volume autobiography, Ulises Criollo (1935; “A Creole Ulysses”), La tormenta (1936; “The Torment”), El desastre (1938; “The Disaster”), El proconsulado (1939; “The Proconsulship”), and La flama (1959; “The

East Timor: History: In 2018 Taur Matan Ruak became prime minister.

Portugal: Union of Spain and Portugal, 1580–1640: …and her secretary of state, Miguel de Vasconcelos, the leaders of the party of independence carried through a nationalist revolution on December 1, 1640. Vasconcelos was almost the only victim; the Spanish garrisons were driven out, and on December 15 the duke of Bragança was crowned as John IV (1640–56).

Basque, member of a people who live in both Spain and France in areas bordering the Bay of Biscay and encompassing the western foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. In the late 20th century probably about 850,000 true Basques lived in Spain and 130,000 in France; as many as 170,000 Basques may live

Gascony, historical and cultural region encompassing the southwestern French départements of Landes, Gers, and Hautes-Pyrénées and parts of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Haute-Garonne, and Ariège and coextensive with the historical region of Gascony. During ancient Roman

angiosperm: Organization of the vascular tissue: …organized into discrete strands called vascular bundles, each containing xylem and phloem. In stems, the vascular tissue is organized into many discrete vascular bundles. In the roots, the vascular tissue is organized within a single central vascular cylinder. The anatomy of roots and stems is discussed in their respective sections…

tissue: Plants: …herbaceous ones, consist of the vascular cambium and the cork cambium. They produce secondary tissues from a ring of vascular cambium in stems and roots. Secondary phloem forms along the outer edge of the cambium ring, and secondary xylem (i.e., wood) forms along the inner edge of the cambium ring.…

lower vascular plant, any of the spore-bearing vascular plants, including the ferns, club mosses, spike mosses, quillworts, horsetails, and whisk ferns. Once considered of the same evolutionary line, these plants were formerly placed in the single group Pteridophyta and were known as the ferns and

angiosperm: Roots: …converge into a single central vascular cylinder in the root, forming a continuous system of vascular tissue from the root tips to the leaves. At the centre of the vascular cylinder of most roots is a solid, fluted (or ridged) core of primary xylem (Figure 9). The primary phloem lies…

dementia: …of dementia, called multi-infarct, or vascular, dementia, results from a series of small strokes that progressively destroy the brain. Dementia can also be caused by Huntington disease, syphilis, multiple sclerosis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and some types of encephalitis

angiogenesis: …these proteins is known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF induces endothelial cells (the building blocks of capillaries) to penetrate a tumour nodule and begin the process of capillary development. As the endothelial cells divide, they in turn secrete growth factors that stimulate the growth or motility of tumour…

materials science: Cardiovascular devices: Synthetic vascular graft materials are used to patch injured or diseased areas of arteries, for replacement of whole segments of larger arteries such as the aorta, and for use as sewing cuffs (as with the heart valve mentioned above). Such materials need to be flexible to…

nervous system disease: Vascular headaches: Vascular headaches include migraines and its variants as well as headaches due to abnormal stretching of the arterial walls in the cranium as a result of vessel-wall disease. Migraine headaches are extremely painful recurring headaches that are sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting;…

von Willebrand disease, inherited blood disorder characterized by a prolonged bleeding time and a deficiency of factor VIII, an important blood-clotting agent. Von Willebrand disease is caused by deficiencies in von Willebrand factor (vWF), a molecule that facilitates platelet adhesion and is a

vascular plant, any of some 260,000 species of plants with vascular systems, including all of the conspicuous flora of Earth today. Plant vascular systems consist of xylem, concerned mainly with the conduction of water and dissolved minerals, and phloem, which functions mainly in the conduction of

renal system: Minute structure: This opening is called the vascular pole of the corpuscle.

vascular system: Vascular rays extend radially across the stem, assisting in conduction from the vascular bundles to tissues alongside them.

cacao: Pests and diseases: …the branch tips—a condition called vascular streak dieback. Swollen shoot is a viral disease transmitted to the plant by mealybugs that has devastated Ghanaian and Nigerian cocoa crops.

vascular system, in vascular plants, assemblage of conducting tissues and associated supportive fibres that transport nutrients and fluids throughout the plant body. The two primary vascular tissues are xylem, which transports water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the leaves, and phloem,

angiosperm: Vascular tissue: Water and nutrients flow through conductive tissues (xylem and phloem) in plants just as the bloodstream distributes nutrients throughout the bodies of animals. This internal circulation, usually called transport, is present in all vascular plants, even the most…

plant disease: Symptoms and signs: …they cause, which may include vascular wilt, necrosis, soft rot, and tumours. Vascular wilt results from the bacterial invasion of the plant’s vascular system. The subsequent multiplication and blockage prevents movement (translocation) of water and nutrients through the xylem of the host plant. Drooping, wilting, or death of the aerial…

connective tissue disease: Acquired diseases of connective tissue: …and small blood vessels (vasculitis) and a high frequency of involvement of various internal organs that are particularly rich in connective tissue (e.g., the lungs). The walls of inflamed blood vessels, portions of which may become necrotic (i.e., may die), are often found to contain characteristic deposits of hyaline…

floral decoration: Techniques: In silver vases, melted paraffin is used as a fastener, for, unlike clay, it will not tarnish the container and can be removed easily with hot water. Crumpled chicken wire, or wire netting, is frequently stuffed into vases as an aid to support, and a water-absorbing plastic…

vase carpet, any of the most widely known group of floor coverings among the “classic” Kermāns of the 16th and 17th centuries. At their best these carpets are extremely handsome, combining an elaborate overall repeat pattern of ogival lozenges with a profusion of extravagantly styled blossoms of

gardening: Training and pruning: In the open-centre or vase system, the main stem is terminated and growth forced through a number of branches originating close to the upper end of the trunk. An intermediate system is called the modified-leader system. In espalier systems plants are trained to grow flat along a wire or…

vasectomy, severing of the vas deferens in the male reproductive tract to bring about sterility or to prevent infection. The testes in the male produce the sperm cells that fertilize the ovum, or egg, in the process of producing a new organism. Connected to each testis is the epididymis, a

sterilization: Surgical reversal of vasectomy is somewhat more successful, achieving success about 80 percent of the time, but the conception rate following such reversal remains low.

Petr Bezruč was one of the finest and most individual Czech poets. Bezruč studied in Prague and became a postal official in Moravia until his retirement in 1928. His literary reputation rests on a remarkable series of poems written during 1899 and 1900 and published in the periodical Čas between

Daniel Vasella is a Swiss doctor and businessman who served as chairman (1999–2013) and CEO (1996–2010) of the pharmaceutical company Novartis. Vasella received an M.D. degree in 1980 from the University of Bern, Switzerland. For the next four years, he held residencies at various hospitals in Bern

Daniel Vasella is a Swiss doctor and businessman who served as chairman (1999–2013) and CEO (1996–2010) of the pharmaceutical company Novartis. Vasella received an M.D. degree in 1980 from the University of Bern, Switzerland. For the next four years, he held residencies at various hospitals in Bern

Paspalum: Vasey grass (P. urvillei) is grown as hay in its native South America but is considered a noxious weed elsewhere. Water couch, or knotgrass (P. distichum), forms large flat mats along shores and in ditches in North and South America and Europe; it is used…

Satavahana dynasty: Gautamiputra’s son Vashisthiputra Pulumavi (reigned c. 130–159) ruled from the west. The tendency seems to have been to expand to the east and the northeast. Inscriptions and coins of Vashisthiputra Pulumavi are also found in Andhra, and Shivashri Shatakarni (reigned c. 159–166) is known from coins found…

Augusta Jane Evans Wilson: …for his health, she wrote Vashti (1869), Infelice (1875), and At the Mercy of Tiberius (1887). After her husband’s death in 1891, she lived with relatives in Mobile, Alabama, and completed A Speckled Bird (1902) and Devota (1907).

Basil was an ambitious and enterprising prince of Moldavia (1634–53) who introduced the first written laws and printing press to his principality. Albanian in origin, Basil acceded to the throne of Moldavia in the spring of 1634. He intrigued throughout his reign to acquire the Walachian throne as

Bârlad: …also the site of the Vasile Pârvan Museum. Named for Romanian archaeologist Vasile Pârvan, it houses an eclectic collection that ranges from Romanian folk art to exhibits on the town’s famous citizens. The economy of the modern town is based on light industry, notably textiles. Pop. (2010 est.) 69,049.

Battle of Stalingrad: Generals Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich Vasilevsky, and Nikolay Nikolayevich Voronov. It was launched in two spearheads, some 50 miles (80 km) north and south of the German salient whose tip was at Stalingrad. The counteroffensive utterly surprised the Germans, who thought the Soviets incapable of mounting such an…

Vasílikí ware, elaborately shaped handmade pottery from Vasílikí, eastern Crete, produced in the second phase of the Early Minoan period (c. 3000–c. 2000 bc). The surface of the wares is covered with a red or brown semi-lustrous paint that appears mottled, an effect achieved by uneven

Romanian literature: The 20th century: …the poets Ion Minulescu and George Bacovia, while Impressionism was taken up by the literary critic Eugen Lovinescu and the poet Nicolae Davidescu, whose epic Cântecul omului (1928–37; “The Song of Man”) aimed at re-creating world history.

Vasylkiv, city, northern Ukraine, on the Stuhna River, a tributary of the Dnieper River. The city, which was founded in 988 and fortified in the 11th century, was destroyed in 1240 by the Mongols. It eventually recovered and was incorporated as a city in 1796. In 1825, troops stationed there took

Vasily (IV) Shuysky was a boyar who became tsar (1606–10) during Russia’s Time of Troubles. A member of an aristocratic family descended from Rurik, the legendary founder of the dynasty that ruled Russia until 1598, Vasily Shuysky achieved prominence in 1591 when he conducted the investigation of

One of the most dominant weight lifters of his generation, Vasily Alekseyev was one of the most revered sports heroes of the Soviet Union, as well as one of the most entertaining. The son of a lumberjack, Alexseyev began competing in 1961. He came to international prominence in 1970 when he broke

Vasily I was the grand prince of Moscow from 1389 to 1425. While still a youth, Vasily, who was the eldest son of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy (ruled Moscow 1359–89), travelled to the Tatar khan Tokhtamysh (1383) to obtain the Khan’s patent for his father to rule the Russian lands as the grand

Vasily I was the grand prince of Moscow from 1389 to 1425. While still a youth, Vasily, who was the eldest son of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy (ruled Moscow 1359–89), travelled to the Tatar khan Tokhtamysh (1383) to obtain the Khan’s patent for his father to rule the Russian lands as the grand

Vasily II was the grand prince of Moscow from 1425 to 1462. Although the 10-year-old Vasily II was named by his father Vasily I (ruled Moscow 1389–1425) to succeed him as the grand prince of Moscow and of Vladimir, Vasily’s rule was challenged by his uncle Yury and his cousins Vasily the

Vasily III was the grand prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. Succeeding his father, Ivan III (ruled Moscow 1462–1505), Vasily completed his father’s policy of consolidating the numerous independent Russian principalities into a united Muscovite state by annexing Pskov (1510), Ryazan (1517), and

Vasily III was the grand prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. Succeeding his father, Ivan III (ruled Moscow 1462–1505), Vasily completed his father’s policy of consolidating the numerous independent Russian principalities into a united Muscovite state by annexing Pskov (1510), Ryazan (1517), and

Vasily (IV) Shuysky was a boyar who became tsar (1606–10) during Russia’s Time of Troubles. A member of an aristocratic family descended from Rurik, the legendary founder of the dynasty that ruled Russia until 1598, Vasily Shuysky achieved prominence in 1591 when he conducted the investigation of