Right-believing Prince John (Ivan) I Danilovich Kalita, Grand Prince of Moscow

Right-believing Prince John (Ivan) Danilovich, nicknamed Kalita ("money-pouch" — for his generous almsgiving to the poor), was the son of Righteous Prince Daniel of Moscow. He ruled the Principality of Moscow from 1325, and the Grand Principality of Vladimir from 1328.

He secured the favor of Khan Uzbek of the Golden Horde, which ended devastating Horde raids on Russian lands for a generation. He helped bring Metropolitan Peter to Moscow, transforming it into the ecclesiastical center of Rus'; he laid the first stone (and wooden) cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin — the Dormition and Archangel Michael Cathedrals — and founded the Epiphany Monastery. He was noted for his generosity to the poor, which gave rise to his nickname.

Shortly before his death he took monastic tonsure with the schema-name Ananias. He died on March 31, 1340.

LOCAL GLORIFICATION: he is venerated as a right-believing grand prince, a locally venerated saint — included in the Synaxis of Moscow Saints (movable feast) and the Synaxis of Tula Saints (established 1987, commemorated September 22/October 5). His individual commemoration falls on the day of his repose — March 31.

IMPORTANT IDENTITY CORRECTION: the original stub erroneously presented him as a "Patriarch of Constantinople" under the name "John Kalita (Kaladiy)" — data apparently confused with the name of Patriarch Callistus I of Constantinople (1350-1354, 1355-1363), who has no connection to Moscow or the nickname "Kalita." His genuine identity has been established: Right-believing Grand Prince of Moscow John I Danilovich. The category has been corrected from righteous to right_believing (the category for right-believing rulers).