Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Years of government, politics

Mikhail Fedorovich became the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty. At the end of February 1613, he would be elected ruler of the Russian kingdom at the Zemsky Sobor. He became a king not by inheritance, not by the seizure of power and not of his own free will. Mikhail Fedorovich was elected by God and people, and at that time he was only 16 years old. His reign was at a very difficult time. Mikhail Fyodorovich had to solve serious economic and political problems by the will of fate: to lead the country out of the chaos in which it was after the Troubles, to raise and strengthen the national economy, to preserve the territories of the Fatherland torn to pieces. And most importantly - to arrange and consolidate the house of the Romanovs on the Russian throne.

Dynasty of the Romanovs. Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov

In the family of the Romanovs, the boyar Fyodor Nikitich, who later became Patriarch Filaret, and Xenia Ivanovna (Shestova), July 12, 1596, a son. They called him Michael. The Romanov family was related to the Rurik dynasty and was very famous and rich. This boyar family owned vast patrimonies not only in northern and central Russia, but also in the Don and Ukraine. At first Michael lived with his parents in Moscow, but in 1601 his family fell into disgrace and was subjected to disgrace. The reigning Boris Godunov was informed at the time that the Romanovs are plotting and want to kill him with a magic potion. The massacre followed immediately - many representatives of the Romanov family were arrested. In June 1601, at the meeting of the Boyar Duma , a verdict was issued: Fyodor Nikitich and his siblings: Alexander, Mikhail, Vasily and Ivan, should be deprived of property, forcibly cut into monks, sent and imprisoned in various places remote from the capital. Fedor Nikitich was sent to the Antonievo-Siisky Monastery, which was in a deserted place, 165 versts from Arkhangelsk, along the Dvina River upwards. It was there that Mikhail Fedorovich's father was cut into monks and named Filaret. The mother of the future autocrat, Xenia Ivanovna, was accused of complicity in the crime against the tsarist authorities and was sent into exile in the Novgorod district, in Tol-Egorievsky churchyard, which belonged to the monastery Vazhitsky. Here she was cut into nuns, called Martha and imprisoned in a small building enclosed by a high palisade.

The reference of Mikhail Fedorovich to Beloozero

Little Mikhail, who was at that time the sixth year, was exiled together with his eight-year-old sister Tatyana Fedorovna and aunts, Martha Nikitichna Cherkasskaya, Ulyana Semyonova and Anastasia Nikitichna, at Beloozero. There the boy grew up in extremely harsh conditions, was undernourished, tolerated deprivation and need. In 1603, Boris Godunov somewhat softened the verdict and allowed his mother, Martha Ivanovna, to come to Beloozero for the children. And some time later the autocrat allowed the exile to move to Yuriev-Polsky county, to the village of Klin - the native patrimony of the Romanov family. In 1605, who seized power False Dmitry I, wanting to confirm his kinship with the Romanovs, returned to Moscow the surviving members of the exile, including the family of Mikhail, and himself. Fyodor Nikitich was granted the Rostov Metropolitanate.

Troubles. The siege of the future tsar in Moscow

In a difficult time from 1606 to 1610, Vasily Shuisky rules. During this period, many dramatic events took place in Russia. In particular, the movement of "thieves", a peasant uprising led by I. Bolotnikov, arose and spread. Some time later he merged with a new impostor, "Tushinsky thief" False Dmitry II. Polish intervention began. The troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took Smolensk. Boyars threw Shuisky from the throne because he had rashly concluded the Vyborg Treaty with Sweden. Under this agreement, the Swedes agreed to help Russia fight against False Dmitry, and in return received the territories of the Kola Peninsula. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the Vyborg Treaty did not save Russia - the Poles defeated Russian-Swedish troops in the Klushin battle and opened their approaches to Moscow. At this time, boyars, governing the country, swore allegiance to the son of the King of the Commonwealth Sigismund, Vladislav. The country split into two camps. In the period from 1610 to 1613 the anti-Polish popular uprising took place. In 1611 the people's militia was formed under the leadership of Lyapunov, but it was defeated on the outskirts of Moscow. In 1612, the 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 Russian troops won the victory. Hetman Khodkevich retreated to Vorobyovy Gory. By the end of October, the Russian militia cleared Moscow of the Poles who had settled in it and were waiting for help from Sigismund. The Russian boyars, including Mikhail Fedorovich and his mother Martha, captured, exhausted by hunger and deprivation, were finally released.

The attempt on the murder of Fyodor Mikhailovich

After a heavy Moscow siege, Mikhail Fedorovich left for the Kostroma patrimony. Here the future tsar nearly died at the hands of a gang of Poles who were staying in the Iron-Borovsky monastery and were looking for a way to Domnino. Savior Michael Fedorovich peasant Ivan Susanin, who volunteered to show the highwaymen to the future tsar and led them to the opposite side, to the swamps. And the future king took refuge in the Yusupov Monastery. Ivan Susanin was tortured, but he never uncovered the location of Romanov. Such a difficult childhood and adolescence of the future tsar, who was forcibly separated from his parents at the age of 5, became a round orphan with a living mother and father, experienced the hardships of isolation from the outside world, the horrors of a state of siege and famine.

Zemsky Sobor of 1613 Election to the Kingdom of Mikhail Fyodorovich

After the expulsion of the interventionists by the boyars and the people's militia led by Prince Pozharsky, a decision was taken on the need to choose a new king. On February 7, 1613, at a preliminary election, a nobleman from Galich proposed to elevate the son of Filaret, Mikhail Fedorovich, to the throne. Of all the applicants, he was closest to the Rurikovich family by kinship. Many messengers were sent to many cities to find out the opinion of the people. February 21, 1613 the final elections were held. The people decided: "To be a prince to Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov." Having made such a decision, they equiped the embassy to notify Mikhail Fedorovich about his election as tsar. On March 14, 1613, the ambassadors, accompanied by the procession of the cross, came to the Ipatievsky Monastery and beat the nun Martha with a brow . Long persuasion finally succeeded, and Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov agreed to become king. Only on May 2, 1613, was the grand entrance of the sovereign to Moscow - when, in his opinion, the capital and the Kremlin were ready to accept it. On July 11, a new autocrat Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was crowned in the reign. The solemn ceremony was held in the Assumption Cathedral.

The beginning of the reign of the sovereign

Mikhail Fedorovich took the reins of government, tattered, destroyed and depleted country. In difficult times, people needed just such an autocrat - magnanimous, charming, gentle, kind and generous at the same time spiritual qualities. No wonder the people called him "meek". The personality of the tsar helped strengthen the power of the Romanovs. The internal policy of Mikhail Fyodorovich at the beginning of his reign was aimed at restoring order in the country. An important task was to eliminate the pirates of the brigands, rampaging all over the place. With the Cossack ataman Ivan Zarutskiy, a real war was fought, which eventually ended in captivity and subsequent execution. The question of peasants was acute. In 1613, the distribution of state lands to the needy was carried out.

Important strategic decisions - armistice with Sweden

The foreign policy of Mikhail Fedorovich was concentrated on concluding a truce with Sweden and ending the war with Poland. In 1617 the Stolbov 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 (captured cities: Veliky Novgorod, Ladoga, Gdov, Porkhov, Staraya Russa, and the Sumer region) and the Kingdom of Sweden (he got Ivangorod, Koporye, Yam, Korela, Oreshek, Neva). In addition, Moscow had to pay a serious sum to Sweden - 20,000 silver rubles. Stolbov's world cut off the country from the Baltic Sea, but for Moscow the conclusion of this truce allowed to continue its war with Poland.

The end of the Russo-Polish war. Return of Patriarch Filaret

The Russo-Polish war continued with varying success, beginning in 1609. In 1616, an enemy army, led by Vladislav Vaz and hetman Yan Khodkevich, invaded the Russian borders, wishing to overthrow the throne of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. It could only reach Mozhaisk, where it was suspended. Since 1618, the army joined the army of Ukrainian Cossacks with hetman P. Sagaidachny at the head. Together they undertook the assault on Moscow, but it proved unsuccessful. The Poles' detachments withdrew and settled close to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. As a result, the parties agreed to negotiations, and in the village of Deulino on December 11, 1618, a truce was signed, which put an end to the Russian-Polish war. The terms of the contract were unprofitable, but the Russian government agreed to accept them, to stop internal instability and rebuild the country. Under the treaty, Russia was inferior to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Roslavl, Dorogobuzh, Smolensk, Novgorod-Seversky, Chernigov, Sereisk and other cities. Also during the negotiations it was decided to exchange captives. July 1, 1619 on the river Polyanykov was carried out the exchange of prisoners, and Filaret, the father of the king, finally returned to his homeland. Some time later he was ordained a 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 Dolgorukaya. However, a year later she died. The second time, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich married Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva. For years of a joint life she has given birth to him ten children. In general, the policy of Mikhail Fedorovich and Filaret was aimed at centralizing power, restoring the economy and filling the treasury. In June 1619, it was decided that taxes would be collected from the ravaged lands for sentinel or scribal books. It was decided to conduct a census again to establish the exact amount of tax collection. Scribes and scouts were sent to the region. In the reign of Mikhail Romanov for the improvement of the tax system, scribe books were compiled twice. Since 1620, the governors and elders, who followed the order, have been appointed locally.

Restoration of Moscow

In the reign of Mikhail Fyodorovich gradually restored the capital and other cities destroyed during the Time of Troubles. In 1624 a stone tent and a clock with a battle over the Spassky Tower were built, and the Filaretovskaya belfry was built. In 1635-1636, stone mansions were erected for the tsar and his offspring in place of old wooden ones. In the territory from Nikolsky to the Spassky Gate, 15 churches were built. In addition to restoring the destroyed cities, the policy of Mikhail 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 tsar). In addition, a five-year search of runaway peasants was established, which in 1637 was extended to 9 years, and in 1641 - up to 10 years.

Creation of a new army regiment

An important area of activity of Mikhail Fedorovich was the creation of a regular national army. In the 30-ies. XVII century there were "regiments of the new system." They included boyar children and free people, and foreigners were accepted for the position of officers. In 1642, the training of military personnel began to foreign order. In addition, the Reiters, soldiers' and cavalry dragoon regiments began to be formed. Also, two Moscow electoral regiments were created, which were later named Lefortovsky and Butyrsky (from the settlements in which they were located).

Development of industry

In addition to creating the army, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov strove to develop various crafts in the country. The government began to call industrialists-foreigners (rudoznattsy, founders, gunsmiths) on preferential terms. In Moscow, the German settlement was founded, where engineers and foreign military men lived and worked. In 1632, a plant was built for casting the cores and guns at Tula. Textile production also developed: the Velvet Court opened in Moscow. Here the velvet business was taught. In Kadashevskaya Sloboda, textile production was launched.

Instead of concluding

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov died at the age of 49. It happened on July 12, 1645. The result of his government activities was the reassurance of the state, worried by the Troubles, the establishment of centralized power, raising welfare, restoring economy, industry and trade. During the reign of the first Romanov, wars with Sweden and Poland were stopped, and, in addition, diplomatic ties were established with the states of Europe.