Voevoda Shein: short biography and interesting facts

On the spring morning of April 28, 1634, the Moscow crowd flocked to Red Square in noisy crowds. Even here, in the capital, accustomed to the sight of executions, the upcoming event aroused general excitement-it was a joke, Chief Shevard Governor Shein had to rise to the scaffold, and along with him his assistant Artemy Izmailov and his son Vasily. What brought these people, who were surrounded by honor, to the scaffold yesterday?

Young careerist - heir to the ancestral family

About where and when the voevode was born Shein Mikhail Borisovich, there is no information, but according to some sources, researchers are inclined to believe that this event happened in the late seventies of the 16th century. It is known that he came from an ancient family of noblemen Shein, whose references are found in the annals, beginning with the XIV century.

His path to the heights of the court hierarchy of the governor Shein began as a squire under Tsar Boris Godunov during his Serpukhov campaign against hordes of the Tatar khan Gaza-Girey. He consolidated his position by marrying the daughter of one of the closest relatives of the tsar, Maria Godunova. Having thus become an autocrat, he steeply went up the career ladder, and soon received a very honorable for those times post of an arson, that is, an official who was in charge of the wine cellars of the sovereign.

The Beginning of Polish Intervention

From the barrels with overseas wine, the young nobleman Mikhail Shein was torn off by hostilities that unfolded in connection with the invasion of Polish-Lithuanian forces in 1604 and the appearance of the impostor False Dmitri I. Within the battle of Novgorod-Seversky, he covered himself with glory, delivering from imminent The death of Prince Fyodor Mstislavovich, commander of the Russian troops. For this feat the sovereign was granted to him by the boyars and put the city defeated from the enemy by the chief voivode.

Subsequent events unfolded in such a way that, in view of the death of Boris Godunov and the mass transfer of a significant number of residents of neighboring towns and villages to the side of False Dimitry I, Shein was also forced to swear an impostor, and only the fall of the latter spared him this forced oath.

New fights and the next appointment

A very significant role was played by voivod Shein in suppressing the uprising of Ivan Bolotnikov, which broke out during the reign of Ivan Shuisky. As part of the troops sent to suppress the rebel, leaving only his blood and destruction on the way of his troops, he participated in all the main battles of that campaign. He managed to fight under Yelets, and on the river Pakhra, and near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin, where he headed the regiment of Smolensk nobles. There was a young governor and among the squads who besieged Tula, which became the last stronghold of the Bolotnikovites.

When in 1607 there was a threat of the capture of Smolensk by the troops of the Polish king Sigismund, by the decree of the king the head of the city was appointed voivode Shein. The defense of Smolensk was an important strategic task, as it lay on the path of the enemy to Moscow. In this regard, the voivode fell a great responsibility.

Approach of the enemy army

In anticipation of the approach of the enemy, which, according to available information, was expected at the city walls in early September 1609, the governor Shein conducted extensive preparatory work aimed at strengthening the city. In particular, by his order, the fortress wall erected under Boris Godunov was built, and several additional internal protective lines were built. To deprive the enemy of the opportunity to use Zadneprovsky Posad for his accommodation, all his buildings had to be burned, and residents of more than 600 yards to be placed inside the fortress.

In the first days of October the army of Sigismund, numbering 12,5 thousand people, came to Smolensk. They were opposed by 5,5 thousand defenders of the city. The defense of the city, unprecedented in its heroism, lasted 20 months. According to the conclusion of many military historians, it was an example of a whole series of new tactical methods, little developed in the Russian practice.

Defense, which ended in defeat

In particular, we are talking about the so-called underground war that unfolded near the walls of the city, when the mine galleries dug under the fortress walls were opened and undermined, inflicting considerable losses on the Poles. The history and reflection of the numerous assaults undertaken by the besieging troops entered into history. They also used a new tactic for those times, developed by voivode Shein.

The defense of Smolensk, nevertheless, with each month was an increasingly difficult task, because outside the aid of the besieged did not receive, and its own resources came to an end. As a result, in the spring of 1611, when out of 5,500 defenders of the fortress only 200 people remained alive, the Poles seized the city.

Captivity and the subsequent return to Moscow

Part of the inhabitants, fleeing from the enemies, locked themselves in the main city church - Monomakh Cathedral, and was killed in an explosion of a powder cellar under it. The Poles themselves were captured by the voivode of Shein, and were sent to Poland, where he spent eight years in prison, until the conclusion of the Deulino armistice, one of the conditions of which was the exchange of prisoners.

In the number of those who returned to their homeland was Governor Shein. The photo that reproduces his image in the picture of the famous Russian artist Yuri Melkova (placed at the beginning of the article), if he does not pretend to be a portrait resemblance, at least conveys his appearance in the eyes of the people who saw him as a defender of the Fatherland, like the epic heroes. The war was not completed, and yesterday's prisoner had high hopes.

Again under the walls of Smolensk

In Moscow governor Shein enjoyed universal respect and the location of the Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich himself. He was instructed to supervise the detective order, but the governor wholeheartedly threw himself into the troops, and in 1632, when the term of the Deulino armistice expired, was sent by the sovereign to the release of so memorable Smolensk.

Despite the fact that under his command there was an army far superior in strength to the defenders of the fortress, this task proved impossible for the voevoda. Researchers who studied this dramatic episode of Russian history, put forward several versions explaining what happened.

New defeat

According to many of them, the reason for the failure was the criminal slowness of military officials responsible for bringing powerful walling tools to the besieged Smolensk, with the help of which the besiegers could enter the city. Others point to the constant interference in the course of military operations of the incompetent Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in this field and the mistakes made by him. There are also supporters of the version, according to which, the wine in many respects lies on the governor herself Sheine.

One way or another, but the moment favorable for the liberation of the city was missed, and the army of Sigismund III who had approached soon to the city forced the besiegers to ask for an armistice. It was received and allowed Shein and his entrusted troops to withdraw from the walls of Smolensk, but under conditions that are humiliating for them.

Life, cut off on the scaffold

In Moscow, the defeated governor expected more than a cold reception. The whole blame for the military failure was assigned to him. In addition, yesterday's favorite of the Tsar was charged with high treason, based on rumors that allegedly, while in Polish captivity, he swore allegiance to King Sigismund III. Many modern researchers believe that the reason was in the desire of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich to dump his own errors in the military commander's leadership in the direction of the military operation. One way or another, but the boyar commission convened urgently sentenced him to death.

The news that the governor Shein was convicted of the defeat suffered by him under the walls of Smolensk, was perceived by the then society is extremely ambiguous. Many of the number of military men who fought before under the command of Shein were openly indignant and threatened to leave the army forever, but there were others who could hardly restrain their gloating. Especially a lot of them were surrounded by the king. It is possible that the victim of their intrigues fell once the revered by all the governor Shein, a brief biography of which formed the basis of our story.