Yuri Vasilievich (30 October 1532 – 24 June 1563) of the House of Rurik

Rurik

Rurik, or Riurik , was a semilegendary 9th-century Varangian who founded the Rurik dynasty which ruled Kievan Rus and later some of its successor states, most notably the Tsardom of Russia, until 1598....

, was Prince of Uglich

Uglich

Uglich is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, which stands on the Volga River. Population: A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. It was first documented in 1148 as Ugliche Pole...

, and the second son of Vasily III of Russia and Elena Glinskaya

Elena Glinskaya

Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya April 1538, Moscow) was the second wife of Grand Prince Vasili III and regent of Russia for 5 years .- Background :...

, as well as being the younger brother of Ivan the Terrible. He was born deaf mute, and was thus never considered to be a candidate as heir to the Russian throne.

He was a year and a half old when his father died of a leg abscess

Abscess

An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue in which the pus resides due to an infectious process or other foreign materials...

, and six when his mother was apparently poisoned. According to letters written by his older brother Ivan, the two children customarily felt neglected and offended by the mighty boyar

Boyar

A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....

s from the Shuisky and Belsky

Belsky

The Belsky or Belski family was a princely family of Gediminid origin in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It later deflected to the Grand Duchy of Moscow and played a key role during the regency of Ivan IV of Russia. The family started with Ivan Vladimirovich, son of Vladimir Olgerdovich and grandson...

 families. Unlike his brother who spent his spare time in learning theology

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

, Yuri was apparently only interested in food and games. Yuri accompanied his brother during the latter's coronation as Tsar

Tsar

Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...

, and was later given a private residence with servants. On 16 June 1552, during the Russo-Kazan war, Yuri was given full charge of state affairs while his brother accompanied the army to Kazan

Kazan

Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...

. Yuri was married in 1558 to Princess Ulyana of Palekh

Palekh

Palekh is an urban locality and the administrative center of Palekhsky District of Ivanovo Oblast, Russia. Its urban status is due to its economy not depending upon agriculture. Population:...

 (Paletskaya) and had a son, Vasili, in 1560. The child died 11 months later.

Yuri died three years later from natural causes. His wife was sent to the Novodevichy Convent

Novodevichy Convent

Novodevichy Convent, also known as Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery is probably the best-known cloister of Moscow. Its name, sometimes translated as the New Maidens' Monastery, was devised to differ from an ancient maidens' convent within the Moscow Kremlin. Unlike other Moscow cloisters, it has...

. Yuri's property was inherited by his elder brother.