rand prince and to take advantage of problems in succession. Because of this, both Ivan III and Vasily relied upon groups of unofficial but highly educated advisors, hand-picked from classes lower than the traditional boyars. These assistants formed a true governmental bureaucracy, loyal not to noble family ties but to the grand prince and their own desires for advancement.
When Vasily died, Ivan was but three years old. He was immediately crowned grand prince in order to prevent his uncle, Prince Yury, from succeeding Vasily. Muscovy was then ruled by the regency council, consisting of seven boyars hand-picked by Vasily as his most trusted advisors. The rest of the boyar class, however, saw an opportunity to take control of Russia. When the regency council fractured into opposing factions, most of the boyars supported Prince Ovchina, who had gained the favor of Grand Princess Elena; with this support, Elena and Ovchina managed to overthrow the rest of the regents (including her uncle). This support evaporated, ho
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