Mikhail Fedorovich became the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty. At the end of February 1613, he would be chosen as the ruler of the Russian kingdom at the Zemsky Sobor. He became king not by ancestral heritage, not by seizing power and not by his own will.
Mikhail Fedorovich was chosen by God and people, and at that time he was only 16 years old. His reign came at a very difficult time. Mikhail Fedorovich, by the will of fate, had to solve serious economic and political problems: to bring the country out of the chaos in which it was after the Time of Troubles, to raise and strengthen the national economy, to preserve the territories of the Fatherland, torn apart. And most importantly - to arrange and secure the Romanov dynasty on the Russian throne.
The Romanov dynasty. Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov
In the Romanov family, the boyar Fyodor Nikitich, who later became Patriarch Filaret, and Xenia Ivanovna (Shestova), had a son on July 12, 1596. They named him Michael. The Romanov family was related to the Rurik dynasty and was very famous and rich. This boyar family owned vast estates not only in the northern andCentral Russia, but also on the Don and in Ukraine. At first, Mikhail lived with his parents in Moscow, but in 1601 his family fell out of favor and was disgraced. Boris Godunov, who was ruling at that time, was informed that the Romanovs were preparing a conspiracy and wanted to kill him with the help of a magic potion. The massacre followed immediately - many representatives of the Romanov family were arrested. In June 1601, at a meeting of the Boyar Duma, a verdict was issued: Fyodor Nikitich and his brothers: Alexander, Mikhail, Vasily and Ivan - should be deprived of their property, forcibly cut into monks, exiled and imprisoned in various places far from the capital.
Fyodor Nikitich was sent to the Antoniev-Siya Monastery, which was located in a deserted, deserted place 165 miles from Arkhangelsk, up the Dvina River. It was there that Father Mikhail Fedorovich was cut into monks and named Filaret. The mother of the future autocrat, Xenia Ivanovna, was accused of complicity in a crime against the tsarist government and sent into exile in the Novgorod district, in the Tol-Yegorevsky churchyard, which belonged to the Vazhitsky monastery. Here she was cut into a nun, named Martha and imprisoned in a small building surrounded by a high picket fence.
Mikhail Fedorovich's link to Beloozero
Little Mikhail, who was in his sixth year at that time, was exiled along with his eight-year-old sister Tatyana Fedorovna and aunts, Martha Nikitichnaya Cherkasskaya, Ulyana Semyonova and Anastasia Nikitichnaya, to Beloozero. There the boy grew up in extremely harsh conditions, malnourished, endured deprivation and need. In 1603 Boris Godunovsomewhat softened the sentence and allowed Mikhail's mother, Marfa Ivanovna, to come to Beloozero to the children.
And some time later, the autocrat allowed the exiles to move to the Yuryev-Polsky district, to the village of Klin, the native patrimony of the Romanov family. In 1605, False Dmitry I, who seized power, wishing to confirm his kinship with the Romanov family, returned to Moscow its surviving representatives from exile, including Mikhail's family, and himself. Fyodor Nikitich was granted the Rostov Metropolis.
Trouble. The state of siege of the future tsar in Moscow
In difficult times from 1606 to 1610, Vasily Shuisky ruled. During this period, many dramatic events took place in Russia. In particular, the movement of "thieves" appeared and grew, a peasant uprising, led by I. Bolotnikov. Some time later, he teamed up with a new impostor, the "Tushino thief" False Dmitry II. The Polish intervention began. The troops of the Commonwe alth captured Smolensk. The boyars overthrew Shuisky from the throne because he thoughtlessly concluded the Vyborg Treaty with Sweden. Under this agreement, the Swedes agreed to help Russia fight against False Dmitry, and in return received the territory of the Kola Peninsula. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the Treaty of Vyborg did not save Russia - the Poles defeated the Russian-Swedish troops in the Battle of Klushino and opened up approaches to Moscow.
At this time, the boyars ruling the country swore allegiance to the son of the king of the Commonwe alth, Sigismund, Vladislav. The countrysplit into two camps. In the period from 1610 to 1613, an anti-Polish popular uprising arose. In 1611, a people's militia was formed under the leadership of Lyapunov, but it was defeated on the outskirts of Moscow. In 1612, a second militia was created. It was headed by D. Pozharsky and K. Minin. At the end of the summer of 1612, a terrible battle took place, in which the Russian troops won. Hetman Khodkevich retreated to Sparrow Hills. By the end of October, the Russian militia cleared Moscow of the Poles who had settled in it, who were waiting for help from Sigismund. The Russian boyars, including Mikhail Fedorovich and his mother Martha, who were captured, exhausted by hunger and deprivation, were finally released.
Attempt to kill Mikhail Fedorovich
After the most difficult Moscow siege, Mikhail Fedorovich left for the Kostroma patrimony. Here, the future tsar almost died at the hands of a gang of Poles who stayed in the Zhelezno-Borovsky monastery and were looking for a way to Domnino. Mikhail Fedorovich was saved by the peasant Ivan Susanin, who volunteered to show the robbers the way to the future tsar and took them in the opposite direction, to the swamps.
And the future tsar took refuge in the Yusupov monastery. Ivan Susanin was tortured, but he never revealed Romanov's whereabouts. That was how difficult the childhood and adolescence of the future king was, who at the age of 5 was forcibly separated from his parents and, with his mother and father alive, became an orphan, experienced the hardships of isolation from the outside world, the horrors of a state of siege and hunger.
Zemskoy Sobor 1613 Election to the kingdom of MichaelFedorovich
After the expulsion of the interventionists by the boyars and the people's militia, led by Prince Pozharsky, it was decided that a new king should be chosen. On February 7, 1613, at the preliminary election, a nobleman from Galich proposed to enthrone Filaret's son, Mikhail Fedorovich. Of all the applicants, he was closest in kinship to the Rurik family. Messengers were sent to many cities to find out the opinion of the people. On February 21, 1613, the final elections were held. The people decided: "To be the sovereign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov." Having made such a decision, they equipped an embassy to notify Mikhail Fedorovich of his election as king. On March 14, 1613, the ambassadors, accompanied by a religious procession, came to the Ipatiev Monastery and beat nun Martha with their foreheads. Long persuasion finally succeeded, and Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov agreed to become tsar. Only on May 2, 1613, did the sovereign's magnificent solemn entry into Moscow take place - when, in his opinion, the capital and the Kremlin were already ready to receive him. On July 11, a new autocrat, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, was crowned king. The solemn ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral.
Beginning of the reign of the sovereign
Mikhail Fedorovich took the reins of power in a torn, ruined and impoverished country. In difficult times, the people needed just such an autocrat - generous, charming, gentle, kind and at the same time generous in spiritual qualities. It's not for nothing that people called him "meek." The personality of the tsar contributed to the strengthening of the power of the Romanovs. Mikhail's domestic policyFedorovich at the beginning of his reign was aimed at restoring order in the country. An important task was to eliminate gangs of robbers rampant everywhere. A real war was waged with the ataman of the Cossacks Ivan Zarutsky, which eventually ended in capture and subsequent execution. The question of the peasants was acute. In 1613, state lands were distributed to the needy.
Important strategic decisions - truce with Sweden
Mikhail Fedorovich's foreign policy was focused on concluding a truce with Sweden and ending the war with Poland. In 1617, the Stolbovsky Treaty was drawn up. This document officially ended the war with the Swedes, which lasted for three years. Now the Novgorod lands were divided between the Russian kingdom (the captured cities returned to him: Veliky Novgorod, Ladoga, Gdov, Porkhov, Staraya Russa, as well as the Sumer region) and the Kingdom of Sweden (he got Ivangorod, Koporye, Yam, Korela, Oreshek, Neva). In addition, Moscow had to pay Sweden a serious sum - 20 thousand silver rubles. The Treaty of Stolbovo cut off the country from the B altic Sea, but for Moscow, the conclusion of this truce allowed it to continue its war with Poland.
The end of the Russian-Polish war. Return of Patriarch Filaret
The Russian-Polish war lasted with varying success, starting in 1609. In 1616, the enemy army, led by Vladislav Vaza and hetman Jan Khodkevich, invaded Russian borders, wanting to overthrow Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich from the throne. Could itreach only Mozhaisk, where it was suspended. Since 1618, the army of Ukrainian Cossacks, led by Hetman P. Sahaydachny, joined the army. Together they launched an assault on Moscow, but it was unsuccessful. Detachments of the Poles withdrew and settled down next to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. As a result, the parties agreed to negotiations, and on December 11, 1618, a truce was signed in the village of Deulino, which put an end to the Russian-Polish war. The terms of the treaty were unfavorable, but the Russian government agreed to accept them in order to end internal instability and restore the country. Under the treaty, Russia ceded Roslavl, Dorogobuzh, Smolensk, Novgorod-Seversky, Chernihiv, Serpeysk and other cities to the Commonwe alth. Also during the negotiations, it was decided to exchange prisoners. On July 1, 1619, an exchange of prisoners was carried out on the Polyanovka River, and Filaret, the tsar's father, finally returned to his homeland. Some time later, he was ordained patriarch.
Dual power. Wise decisions of two rulers of the Russian land
The so-called dual power was established in the Russian kingdom. Together with his father-patriarch, Mikhail Fedorovich began to rule the state. He, like the king himself, was given the title of "great sovereign".
At the age of 28, Mikhail Fedorovich married Maria Vladimirovna Dolgoruky. However, she died a year later. For the second time, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich married Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva. During the years of marriage, she bore him ten children. In general, the policy of Mikhail Fedorovich and Filaret was aimed atcentralization of power, restoration of the economy and filling the treasury. In June 1619, it was decided that taxes would be taken from the devastated lands according to sentinel or scribe books. It was decided to again conduct a census of the population to establish the exact amount of tax collections. Scribes and watchers were sent to the region. During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, in order to improve the tax system, scribe books were compiled twice. Since 1620, voevodas and elders began to be appointed locally to keep order.
Restoration of Moscow
During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, the capital and other cities, destroyed during the Time of Troubles, were gradually restored. In 1624, the Stone Pavilion and the striking clock over the Spasskaya Tower were built, and the Filaret Belfry was built. In 1635-1636, stone mansions were erected for the king and his offspring in place of the old wooden ones. 15 churches were built on the territory from the Nikolsky to the Spassky Gates. In addition to the restoration of the destroyed cities, the policy of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was aimed at further enslaving the peasants. In 1627, a law was created that allowed the nobles to transfer their lands by inheritance (for this it was necessary to serve the king). In addition, a five-year investigation of fugitive peasants was established, which in 1637 was extended to 9 years, and in 1641 to 10 years.
Creation of new army regiments
An important activity of Mikhail Fedorovich was the creation of a regular national army. In the 30s. XVII century appeared shelves of the newThey included boyar children and freemen, and foreigners were accepted as officers., which were later named Lefortovsky and Butyrsky (from the settlements in which they were located).
Industrial Development
In addition to creating an army, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov sought to develop various crafts in the country. The government began to call on foreign industrialists (miners, foundry workers, gunsmiths) on preferential terms. The Nemetskaya Sloboda was founded in Moscow, where engineers and foreign military men lived and worked. In 1632, a factory was built for casting cannonballs and cannons near Tula. Textile production also developed: the Velvet Yard opened in Moscow. Here, velvet work was trained. Textile production launched in Kadashevskaya Sloboda.
Instead of a conclusion
Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov died at the age of 49. It happened on July 12, 1645. The result of his government activities was the calming of the state, agitated by the Time of Troubles, the establishment of centralized power, raising prosperity, restoring the economy, industry and trade. During the reign of the first Romanov, wars with Sweden and Poland were stopped, and, in addition, diplomatic relations were established with the states of Europe.
