The article highlights the main stages and motives of the activity of Vasylii Ivanovich Shemiachych – the last independent prince. He was an important political figure of the Moscow-Lithuanian border at the beginning of the 16th century and played a key role in destabilizing the border regions. The reasons and prerequisites for V. Shemiachych's transfer to the Moscow service are characterized. A wide range of sources was analyzed and the chronology of V. Shemiachych's military campaigns was clarified. Particular attention is paid to highlighting the relations between V. Shemiachych and V. Mozhaiskii, and the role of the Moscow prince in the heated enmity between them is determined. It has been proven that the treacherous tactics of Vasylii III led to the death of both Siversky princes and allowed their possessions to be annexed to Moscow.

1. (1848). Akty, otnosyashchiesya k ystoriy Zapadnoy Rossiy, sobrannye y yzdannye Arkheohrafycheskoyu Komyssieyu. Tom vtoroy. 1506-1544 [Acts relating to the history of Western Russia, collected and published by the Archaeographic Commission. Vol. 2. 1506-1544]. Saint Petersburg: V Typohrafiya II Otdeleniya Sobstvennoy E.Y.V.Kantselyariy [In Russian].
2. (1841). Akty ystorycheskie, sobrannye y yzdannye Arkheohrafycheskoyu Komyssieyu. Tom pervyy. 1334–1598 [Historical acts, collected and published by the Archaeographical Commission. Vol. 1. 1334–1598]. Saint Petersburg: V Typohrafiy Еkspedytsiy zahotovleniya Hosudarstvennykh bumah [In Russian].
3. (1856). Akty, sobrannye v byblyotekakh y arkhyvakh Rossiyskoy Ymperiy Arkheohrafycheskoyu ekspedytsieyu Ymperatorskoy Akademiy Nauk. Dopolnenы y yzdanы Vysochayshe uchrezhdennoyu Komyssieyu. Tom pervyy. 1294–1598 [Acts, collection in libraries and archives of the Russian Empire by the Archaeographic Expedition of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Supplemented and published by the Highest Established Commission. Vol. 1. 1294–1598]. Saint Petersburg: V Typohrafiya II Otdeleniya Sobstvennoy E.Y.V.Kantselyariy [In Russian].
4. Herbershteyn, S. (1988). Zapysky o Moskovyy [Notes on Muscovy]. Moscow: Yzdatel'stvo Moskovskoho Unyversyteta [In Russian].
5. Zymyn, A. A. (1972). Krymskyy smerch. Rossyya na porohe novoho vremeny: (Ocherky polytycheskoy ystoryy Rossyy pervoy trety XVI v.) [Crimean tornado. Russia on the threshold of a new time: (Essays on the political history of Russia in the first third of the 16th century)]. Moscow: Mysl' [In Russian].
6. Zymyn, A. A. (1988). Formyrovanye boyarskoy arystokratyy v Rossyy vo vtoroy polovyne XV – pervoy trety XVI v. [Formation of the boyar aristocracy in Russia in the second half of the 15th - first third of the 16th century]. Moscow [In Russian].
7. (1957). Yoasafovskaya letopys' [Chronicle of Joasaph]. Moscow: Yzdatel'stvo Akademyy Nauk SSSR [In Russian].
8. Kozakov, O. (1998). Moskovs'ko-lytovs'ka viyna 1500-1503 rr. za ukrayins'ki zemli [Muscovite-Lithuanian war 1500-1503 for Ukrainian lands]. Kyiv: TOV «Mizhnarodna finansova ahentsiya» [In Ukrainian].
9. Krom, M. M. (2010). Mezh Rus'yu y Lytvoy. Pohranychnыe zemly v systeme russko-lytovskykh otnoshenyy kontsa XV – pervoy trety XVI v. [Between Russia and Lithuania. Border lands in the system of Russian-Lithuanian relations of the late 15th – first third of the 16th century]. (2nd ed., rev.). Moscow: Kvadryha; Ob’edynennaya redaktsyya MVD Rossyy [In Russian].
10. Pamyatnyky dyplomatycheskykh snosheniy Moskovskaho hosudarstva s pol'sko-lytovskym. Tom 1. (s 1487 po 1533). (1882). [Monuments of diplomatic relations between the Moscow state and the Polish-Lithuanian state. Vol. 1. (from 1487 to 1533)]. Sbornyk Ymperatorskaho Rossyyskaho Ystorycheskaho Obshchestva. Tom trydtsyat' pyatiy – Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Vol. 35. Saint Petersburg: Typohrafiya F. Eleonskaho y Ko [In Russian].
11. (1884). Pamyatnyky dyplomatycheskykh snosheniy Moskovskaho hosudarstva s krыmskoyu y nahayskoyu ordamy y s Turtsiey. Tom 1. S 1474 po 1505 hod, epokha sverzheniya monhol'skaho yha v Rossiy [Monuments of diplomatic relations of the Moscow state with the Crimean and Nagai hordes and with Turkey. Vol. 1. From 1474 to 1505, the era of the overthrow of the Mongol yoke in Russia]. Sbornyk Ymperatorskaho Rossyyskaho Ystorycheskaho Obshchestva. Tom sorok perviy – Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Vol. 41. Saint Petersburg: Typohrafiya F. Eleonskaho y Ko [In Russian].
12. (1895). Pamyatnyky dyplomatycheskykh snosheniy Moskovskaho hosudarstva s Krыmom, Nahayamy y Turtsieyu. Tom II. 1508 – 1521 [Monuments of diplomatic relations of the Moscow state with Crimea, Nagai and Turkey. Vol. II. 1508 – 1521. Sbornyk Ymperatorskaho Rossyyskaho Ystorycheskaho Obshchestva. Tom devyanosto pyatiy – Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Vol. 95. Saint Petersburg: Tovaryshchestvo «Pechatnya S. P. Yakovleva» [In Russian].
13. (1853). Polnoe Sobranie Russkikh Letopysey, yzdannoe po Vysochayshemu poveleniyu Ymperatorskoyu Arkheohrafycheskoyu Komyssieyu. Tom shestoy. VI. Sofiyskiya letopisy [Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles, published by the Highest Order of the Imperial Archaeographic Commission. Vol. 6. VI. Sophia Chronicles]. Saint Petersburg: V typohrafiy Eduarda Pratsa [In Russian].
14. (1911). Polnoe Sobranie Russkikh Letopysey, yzdannoe po Vysochayshemu poveleniyu Ymperatorskoyu Arkheohrafycheskoyu Komyssieyu. Tom 22. Russkiy Khronohraf. Chast' pervaya. Khronohraf redaktsiy 1512 hoda [Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles, published by Imperial Order by the Imperial Archaeographic Commission. Volume 22. Russian Chronograph. Part one. Chronograph edition of 1512]. Saint Petersburg [In Russian].
15. (1921). Polnoe Sobranie Russkikh Letopysey, yzdavaemoe Arkheohrafycheskoyu Komyssieyu. Tom dvadtsyat' chetvertyy. Typohrafskaya Letopys' [Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles, published by the Archaeographical Commission. Vol. 24. Typographic Chronicle]. Petrograd: 2-ya Hosudarstvennaya typohrafiya [In Russian].
16. (1963). Polnoe sobranye russkykh letopysey. Tom 28. Letopysnыy svod 1497 h. Letopysnyy svod 1518 h. (Uvarovskaya letopys') [Complete collection of Russian chronicles. Volume 28. Chronicle code of 1497. Chronicle code of 1518 (Uvarov Chronicle)]. Moscow-Leningrad: Yzdatel'stvo Akademyy Nauk SSSR [In Russian].
17. (1975). Polnoe sobranye russkykh letopysey. Tom 32. Khronyky: Lytovskaya y Zhmoytskaya, Bykhovtsa. Letopysy: Barkulabovskaya, Averky y Pantsyrnoho [Complete collection of Russian chronicles. Volume 32. Chronicles: Lithuanian and Zhmoitskaya, Bikhovtsa. Chronicles: Barkulabovskaya, Averka and Pantsirny]. Moscow: Nauka [In Russian].
18. (1982). Polnoe sobranye russkykh letopysey. Tom trydtsat' sed'moy. Ustyuzhskye y Volohodskye letopysy XVI-XVIII vv. [Complete collection of Russian chronicles. Volume thirty-seven. Ustyug and Vologda chronicles of the 16th-18th centuries]. Leningrad: «Nauka» – Lenynhradskoe otdelenye [In Russian].
19. (1787). Rodoslovnaya knyha knyazey y dvoryan rossiyskykh y vyezzhykh (Barkhatnaya knyha) [Genealogical book of princes and nobles of Russia and visitors (Velvet Book)]. Moscow: Unyversytetskaya typohrafiya u N. Novykova [In Russian].
20. (1966). Razryadnaya knyha 1475-1598 hh. [Rank book 1475-1598]. Moscow: Ynstytut ystoryy AN SSSR, Nauka [In Russian].
21. (1977). Razryadnaya knyha 1475-1605 hh. Tom I. Chast' I. [Rank book 1475-1605. Vol. I. Part I]. Moscow: Ynstytut ystoryy AN SSSR, Nauka [In Russian].
22. Rusyna, O. (1998). Sivers'ka zemlya u skladi Velykoho knyazivstva Lytovs'koho [Siverskaya land as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania]. Kyiv: Polihrafichna dil'nytsya Instytutu ukrayins'koyi arkheohrafiyi ta dzhereloznavstva im. M. S. Hrushevs'koho NAN Ukrayiny [In Ukrainian].
23. (1820). Ruskiy vremyannyk, syrech, Letopysets, soderzhashchiy rossiyskuyu istoriyu. Chast' vtoraya ot 1441 (6949) leta do 1681 (7189) leta. [Russian timebook, that is, Chronicler, containing Russian history. Part two from 1441 (6949) years to 1681 (7189) years]. Moscow: V Sunodal'noy Typohrafiy [In Russian].
24. (1868). Skazaniya knyazya A. Kurbskoho. Yzdanye tret'e, yspravlennoe y dopolnennoe, N. Ustryalova [Tales of Prince A. Kurbsky]. (3d ed., rev.). Saint Petersburg: Typohrafiya Ymperatorskoy Akademiy Nauk [In Russian].
25. (1819). Sobranie hosudarstvennykh hramot y dohovorov, khranyashchykhsya v hosudarstvennoy kollehiy ynostrannykh dъl. Chast' vtoraya, sluzhashchaya dopolneniem k pervoy [Collection of state documents and agreements stored in the State College of Foreign Affairs. Part two, serving as a supplement to the first]. Moscow: V typohrafiy Selyvanovskaho [In Russian].
26. Stryykovs'kyy, M. (2011). Litopys Pol's'kyy, Lytovs'kyy, Zhmuds'kyy i vsiyeyi Rusi [Chronicle of Polish, Lithuanian, Zhmudsky and all Russia]. Naukove vydannya Istorychni dzherela. Tom 10 – Historical sources scientific publication. Vol. 10. Lviv: Naukove tovarystvo im. Shevchenka [In Ukrainian].
27. Tykhomyrov, M. N. (Eds.). (1966). Khronyka Bykhovtsa [Chronicle of Bykhovets]. Moscow: Yzdatel'stvo «Nauka» [In Russian].
28. (2012). Lietuvos Metrica. Knyga nr. 5. (1427–1506). Uzrasymu knyga 5. [Lithuanian metric. Vol. 5. (1427–1506)]. Vilnius [In Lithuanian/in Russian].
29. Papee, Fryderyk (1927). Akta Aleksandra Krola Polskiego, Wielkiego Ksiecia Litewskiego i t.d. (1501-1506) [Files of Alexander the King of Poland, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, etc. (1501-1506)]. Krakow [In Polish/in Latin].
30. Wolff, Jozef (1895). Kniaziowie Litewsko-Ruscy od konca czternastego wieku [Lithuanian-Russian princes from the end of the fourteenth century]. Warszawa [In Polish].