And that helped strengthen the idea of a unified Russia, just as you'll remember the Persians helped unify the Greeks a long time ago. Aiding this growth was stability, which Moscow owed largely to luck. Muscovite princes usually had sons, which allowed them to have successors. In fact, there was only one major succession struggle, and it was between two blind guys named Basil. That's not a joke, by the way. Oh, it's time for the open letter? An open letter to Basil and Basil.