Surely many have remembered the phrase "Tushinsky thief" since their school years. The fact that this nickname meant False Dmitry 2, most learned from the lessons of Russian history.
Imposter biography
To this day, neither the real name nor the origin of this mysterious person is known. There are only extremely cautious and practically unfounded assumptions about who False Dmitry 2 was in reality. The biography of the impostor is a "white spot". According to one version, he was the son of a priest. Another source tells us that False Dmitry 2 had Jewish roots that go back to a rundown province, but there is no reliable information. Speaking briefly about such a person as False Dmitry 2, we can say with confidence: the adventurism that is inherent in any Russian person, as well as susceptibility to foreign influence, played a detrimental role in his fate.
An impostor appeared in the summer of 1607 in Starodub. His entire short life was spent in local skirmishes and wars. The strategy of False Dmitry 2 was based on the version that hispredecessor survived after the uprising in Moscow. Despite his cunning, he was less fortunate. The reign of False Dmitry 2 did not take place, since he did not manage to get to the capital to be crowned. His main hope was on the troops of Ivan Bolotnikov. The impostor believed that they would help capture Moscow, but Bolotnikov could not provide significant assistance.
Politics
False Dmitry 2's victories included only local short-term triumphs. It is surprising that he was generally able to place even insignificant forces under his banners. He began his journey up the stairs to the goal with a trip to the Belarusian cities of Propoisk and Starodub. Having shown courage, the impostor introduced himself as Dimitri Ioannovich. In a short period of time, he managed to win the trust of a large number of people and gather soldiers from the Polish gentry, the treasury, as well as the rebels of Ivan Bolotnikov into his entourage. Under the leadership of this dubious subject, the resulting group advanced towards Bryansk, and then to Tula. The first triumphs inspired the army. During the siege of the capital, half of the local nobility went over to False Dmitry 2, who claimed the Russian throne. Having defeated Vasily Shuisky, the impostor was defeated near Khimki on Presnya. Nevertheless, he managed to organize a camp in Tushino near Moscow. Here the local Boyar Duma was formed, and their own orders and orders began to operate. False Dmitry 2 controlled the territories north of Moscow, such large cities asVladimir, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Suzdal, Rostov. After the capture of the latter, the detachments brought the captive Metropolitan Filaret Romanov to Tushino, where they proclaimed him patriarch. Significant support was provided by popular unrest, backed up by dissatisfaction with the power of the boyars and Vasily Shuisky.
Strengthening position
Meanwhile, in pursuit of power and easy money, in July 1608, Marina Mnishek, who was the official widow of False Dmitry 1, arrived in Tushino. Under the terms of the armistice agreement with the Poles, she was released.
Taking the opportunity, in the "Tushino thief" the woman recognized her husband, who supposedly escaped by a miracle. Of course, this fact once again confirmed the false status of the impostor in the eyes of others. Subsequently, the couple secretly married and had a son.
Power of the Polish interventionists
The regime of anarchy was finally established in the country. The Poles divided and ruled in the Tushino court. It was in their hands that control was, they corrected the actions of their puppet: the policy of False Dmitry 2 was completely controlled by the Poles. Taking advantage of this, the Poles willingly robbed and ruined ordinary peasants. Endless robbery raids began to run into armed responses from townspeople and peasants.
In the period from September 1608 to January 1610, detachments of Poland and Lithuania kept the Trinity-Sergius Monastery under siege. Despite the difficult situation, the defenders of the monastery managed to repel all enemy attacks and defend the shrine.
PolishIn 1609, the interventionists made an attempt to capture Smolensk, but it was unsuccessful. They also failed to place their prince Vladislav on the Russian throne.
Inglourious end
Thanks to the efforts of a remarkable military leader and an excellent strategist - Skopin-Shuisky M. V. plans of False Dmitry 2 were upset. In 1609, the Tushino camp finally disintegrated. The assembled rabble did not want to obey anyone, everyone just wanted easy money. False Dmitry 2 did not find another way out, how to flee to Kaluga. But even there he did not find salvation: death found an impostor in the Kaluga region, where he was shot dead by his own serviceman, Urusov P.
Meanwhile, the fate of Ivan Bolotnikov, who supported False Dmitry 2, was no less sad. He was first blinded and then killed by a blow to the head with a club. The lifeless body of Bolotnikov was thrown into the hole.
Chronology
Thus, if we analyze the path that False Dmitry 2 went through, briefly, we can distinguish several main stages:
-1607 - the appearance of an impostor who introduced himself as the surviving False Dmitry 1;
- 1608 - the formation of their own army from the remnants of troops of different stripes;
-May 11, 1608 - the defeat of government troops under the leadership of Shuisky, the formation of the Tushino camp, the seizure of new lands;
-1609 - appearance in the camp of discord, weakening of the position of False Dmitry 2;
-1610 - the dissolution of the Tushino camp, the flight of False Dmitry 2 to Kaluga;
-December 11, 1610 - Murderimpostor who betrayed him by Peter Urusov.
The location of the remains of False Dmitry 2 is not known, but there is an opinion that they are in one of the Kaluga churches.
