Vasily II of Moscow

Vasily II Vasilyevich (Russian: Василий II Васильевич, also transcribed as Vasili or Vasilii; 10 March 1415 – 27 March 1462), also known as Vasily the Blind or Vasily the Dark (Василий Тёмный), was a Grand Prince of Moscow in the 15th century. When his father died in 1425, the 10-year-old Vasily and his uncle Dmitry Shemyaka started fighting over the right to the throne, causing the Muscovite War of Succession (1425–1453). At one point, Vasily was captured and blinded by his opponents. Only after winning a decades-long bloody family struggle, during which Ulugh of Kazan captured Vasily and made him his vassal, was his reign finally generally accepted. Due to his disability, he made his son Ivan III his co-ruler in his late years.