About Elena
Lived 1464 – 1505 (aged 40–41). Elena was an aristocrat.
Elena Stefanovna of Moldavia , also known as Elena of Wallachia (; – 18 January 1505), was a Moldavian princess as a daughter of Stephen III, who later became the grand princess consort of Moscow in 1483 as the wife of Ivan the Young, the heir of Ivan III of Russia.
After her husband's death in 1490, their son Dmitry Ivanovich was made co-ruler in 1498 until her faction lost in 1502; she and her son were then imprisoned.
Biography Depiction of Palm Sunday procession with Ivan III and his family on a shroud belonging to Elena. Elena was born in . Her parents were Stephen III ("the Great"), the sovereign prince of Moldavia, and his first (or second) wife Princess Evdochia of Kiev.
Negotiations to marry her to Ivan Ivanovich ("the Young"), heir to the throne of Moscow, began in the late 1470s. and gave birth to Dmitry Ivanovich on 10 October 1483. After the death of her spouse in 1490, her son, who had borne only the title prince, She actively participated in politics at court to protect her son's interests and rights to succession against Sophia Palaiologina, the stepmother of her late spouse, who wished for her son to be appointed heir. The Judaizers, a religious sect in Russia, also found a patron in Elena.
In 1502, the faction of Sophia defeated the faction of Elena. She was transferred to a prison in Moscow with her son, where she was apparently murdered on 18 January 1505.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Elena's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Elena's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Elena?
Ştefan cel Mare daughter
When was Elena born?
Elena was born in 1464.
When did Elena die?
Elena died on 18 January 1505.
What was Elena's occupation?
Elena was an aristocrat.
What nationality was Elena?
Elena's recorded nationality: Principality of Moldavia.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Elena. https://biography.guide/elena-aristocrat/
MLA: "Elena." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/elena-aristocrat/.
Chicago: "Elena." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/elena-aristocrat/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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