 Aleksei enjoyed the confidence of the grand duke in a high degree and had free access to him.The court party of Sophia Paleologue alleged that he succeeded in converting his secretary, Fyodor Kuritsyn, the archimandrite Zosima, the monk Zechariah, Elena of Moldavia (wife of Ivan the Young), and many other prominent personages.The grand duke at first, probably for political reasons, protected the heretics, but later on was constrained to persecute them.