Despite the growing popularity of this religious movement in Novgorod and Moscow, Ivan III was wary of the fact that it could irreversibly infiltrate broader masses of ordinary people and deprive him of ecclesiastic support in his foreign policy. Indeed, a denial of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ would destroy Christianity, while the adherents' opposition to the clergy and the secular authorities would have undermined the entire society. This made Ivan III renounce his ideas of secularization and ally with the clergy.<ref>On Ivan's policies regarding the sect, see George Vernadsky, "The Heresy of the Judaizers and the Policies of Ivan III of Moscow", ''Speculum'', Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct., 1933): 436-454.</ref>
=== Zacharias de Ghisolfi ===
A member of the famous Ghisolfi family, '''Zacharias de Ghisolfi''' was the prince and ruler of the [[Taman peninsula]] from about 1480. Beset by the [[Ottoman Empire]] (which was then in the process of reducing the [[Girai Khanate]] and the [[Italy|Italian]] possessions in the Crimea to tributary status) in 1482, Zacharias and his subjects, a mixed population of [[Jews]], [[Italian people|Italians]], [[Greek people|Greeks]], [[Circassians]], [[Tatar]]s and [[Slavs]], were compelled to retire from Matrega and sought refuge on the island of Matrice. On August 12 of that year, Zacharias informed the directors of the Bank of Saint George in Genoa of his position, and requested for 1,000 [[ducats]] with which to retain the friendship of his allies, the [[Crimean Goths]] of [[Feodoro]], who had exhausted his resources; he stated that unless he received the support of the republic, he would move to [[Wallachia]], where the [[voivode]] had offered him a castle.
