Yevdokia Dmitrievna (1353–1407) — princess
Princess Yevdokia was the granddaughter of the Grand Prince of Nizhny Novgorod, Konstantin Vasilyevich, and the daughter of his second son, Dmitry Konstantinovich. After her grandfather's death, when his place was taken by the first son Andrey, Yevdokia's father was granted Suzdal as his appanage. Having delivered rich gifts to the Golden Horde, Dmitry Konstantinovich unexpectedly received a patent (yarlyk) to reign in the throne city of Vladimir. This made him a prince over princes — the premier prince, as it was said. He would have done better to refuse and spare the realm from turmoil, but ambition blinded him.
In the summer of 1360, the ceremony of Dmitry Konstantinovich's enthronement as Grand Prince of Vladimir — "the White Grand Principality" — was held at the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir, in defiance of custom, for since the time of Ivan Kalita the Grand Princes of Vladimir had been Muscovite rulers. And although the Konstantinoviches and the Muscovites shared a common ancestor — Alexander Nevsky — the right of succession to the throne remained with the latter. The Muscovites were outraged. Their forces, led by the eleven-year-old Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, marched on Pereyaslavl and then on Vladimir. Dmitry Konstantinovich was forced to flee in disgrace. Such was the event that marked the "first acquaintance" of the future son-in-law with his future father-in-law. What began in enmity ended in a family alliance. Having become Grand Prince of Nizhny Novgorod with Moscow's support, following in his elder brother's footsteps, Dmitry Konstantinovich remained loyal to Moscow until the end of his life, sealing that loyalty by marrying his daughter to the now-grown Dmitry Ivanovich. The wedding took place in winter, at the start of 1366, in Kolomna rather than in Moscow — the latter had been devastated by a terrible fire. The young couple were wed in the stone Church of the Resurrection, which survives to this day in a rebuilt form. The marriage proved a happy one. The devout Yevdokia was devoted to her children and bore twelve of them; love and harmony strengthened the family, and the spouses jointly participated in the founding and consecration of churches. Before the warriors set out for battle against Mamai, Yevdokia urged them to "defeat the enemy adversaries" and gave courage to the princesses, boyar women, the wives of military commanders, and serving women. Though gentle in character, she possessed a firm will. She was able to endure great hardships, praying humbly before the icons. Her unwavering faith saved her from despair and grief. With great joy Yevdokia welcomed the surviving warriors returning from the victorious field of Kulikovo. With tears of happiness she pressed herself to the breast of her wounded husband, whom she had feared to lose. And together with him she grieved upon learning of the enormous losses, hearing the moans and weeping of widows in Moscow, now protected from enemies by stone walls in place of the burned oak ones. But walls could shield against neither another's nor one's own sorrow. The Grand Prince Dmitry Ivanovich died young — he who had been surnamed Donskoy for saving Rus and was proclaimed a saint centuries later. Yevdokia outlived him by a full eighteen years, wearing a black headscarf in her widowhood. At her direction, in 1393 construction began in the Kremlin of a white-stone Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God — in memory of her husband, in memory of the savage battle and the victory that had taken place on the day of the feast of the Mother of God. With the blessing of the widowed Grand Princess, the Nativity Convent on Kuchkovo Field was also founded, likewise connected with the memorable events of 8 September 1380. According to tradition, after Yevdokia's death, heavy iron chains (veriga) were found beneath her clothing — chains she had secretly worn throughout all the years of her widowhood. It was not for nothing that long before her final day she was venerated as a righteous woman and regarded with reverence. She was one of the most remarkable women of ancient Rus.