The titular war of the Moscow state with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries: communication and pragmatic aspect

Purpose. The struggle for the royal title recognition was one of priorities in the foreign policy of the Moscow State in diplomatic relations with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries. The purpose of the article is to identify the communication and pragmatic features of the controversy about the title «tsar» betweenthe Russian monarch Boris Godunov and the Lithuanian ambassadors, which was preserved in the documents of the embassy of the GDL’s Chancellor Lew Sapieha to Moscow (1600-1601).Results. The main communication strategy of Boris Godunov in obtaining the recognition of the royal title was rational argumentation: succession by the right of inheritance and conquest, recognition by Christian and Muslim rulers, observance of the necessary rituals and diplomatic protocol. However, the key arguments of the Russian monarch were regarded by the Lithuanian side as a manipulative influence attempt, since they did not have sufficient documentary and factual confirmation. In turn, Lithuanian ambassadors also used verbal manipulation: deliberate substitution of the meaning of words, appeal to «God’s justice» and opponent’s emotions.