Have you heard of Ivan III Vasilevich? Ivan III Vasilevich, who is also known as Ivan the Great, is an interesting figure in Russian history. Ivan had great political skills and became a popular leader, uniting many princes in the surrounding area. Ivan the Great's greatest achievement was to free Russia from Mongol control. In 1480, Ivan made an important announcement, telling the Mongols that he would no longer pay them the money they wanted. Both sides came together to fight and it was unclear which side was more powerful. However, before the battle, the Mongols retreated because of the strenghth of Ivan's army and the battle never happened. Тhe Mongols had, in effect, lost and from then, Russia was a free country. B11: interesting (interest); B12: political (politics); B13: achievement (achieve); B14: announcement (announce); B15: powerful (power); B16: strength (strong).