But then Basil the Cross-Eyed's brother tracked down Basil II and he was like, I'm gonna blind you back! And of course, everybody thought that would end Basil II's political career, but they were wrong. It turns out you can rule Russia like a boss, even if you're blind. Best wishes, John Green. After Basil the Blind came the real man who expanded Moscow's power, Ivan III, later known as Ivan the Great. First, he asserted Russian independence from the Mongols and stopped paying tribute to the Khan, after the Khan had named him Grand Prince, of course. Then, Ivan purchased, negotiated for, or conquered multiple appendages, thus expanding Muscovite power even more.