The new Muscovite Sudebnik, or law code, is compiled by the scribe Vladimir Gusev during the reign of Ivan III.

Ivan does his utmost to make his capital a worthy successor to Constantinople, and with this objective has invited many foreign masters and artificers to settle in Moscow.

The most noted of these is the Italian Ridolfo di Fioravante, nicknamed "Aristotle" because of his extraordinary knowledge, who had come to Russia in 1475 at Ivan’s invitation and has buit the magnificent Dormition Cathedral in Moscow from 1475-1479, taking inspiration from the eponymous cathedral in Vladimir.

This is the work for which he is best remembered., though he builds several cathedrals and palaces in the Kremlin, and also supervises the construction of the Kremlin walls.

According to some accounts, he was thrown into prison by Ivan III when he asked to return to Italy, and died in captivity.

According to other accounts, he participated as a military engineer and artillery commander in the campaigns against Novgorod from 1477 to 1478, Kazan in 1482, and Tver in 1485.