the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty
Mikhail Romanov
short biography
Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov(1596-1645) - the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty (ruled from March 27 (April 6), 1613), was elected to reign by the Zemsky Sobor on February 21 (March 3), 1613.
The Romanov clan belongs to the ancient families of the Moscow boyars. The first representative of this family known from the annals, Andrei Ivanovich, who had the nickname Mare, was in the service of the Great Vladimir and Moscow Prince Simeon Ivanovich Proud in 1347.
Mikhail Fedorovich was born in 1596 in the family of the boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov (later Patriarch Filaret) and his wife Xenia Ivanovna, nee Shestova. He was a cousin-nephew of Fyodor Ioannovich, the last Russian tsar from the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty.
Under Boris Godunov, the Romanovs fell into disgrace. In 1600, a search began on the denunciation of the nobleman Bertenev, who served as treasurer for Alexander Romanov, the uncle of the future tsar. Bertenev reported that the Romanovs kept magic roots in their treasury, intending to “spoil” (kill with witchcraft) royal family. From the diary of the Polish embassy it follows that a detachment of tsarist archers made an armed attack on the Romanovs' compound. On October 26 (November 5), 1600, the Romanov brothers were arrested. The sons of Nikita Romanovich: Fedor, Alexander, Mikhail, Ivan and Vasily were tonsured monks and exiled to Siberia in 1601, where most of them died.
Michael was born on July 12 - the day of St. Michael Malein, in whose honor he was baptized; also by tradition, he was named after his uncle - Mikhail Nikitich Romanov.
In the Age of Troubles
In 1605, False Dmitry I, wishing to prove in practice the relationship with the Romanovs, returned the surviving members of the family from exile. Fyodor Nikitich (monastic Filaret) with his wife Xenia Ivanovna (monastic Martha) and children, and Ivan Nikitich were returned. From the autumn of 1602, Mikhail lived for several years in Kliny (now the Vladimir region, Kolchuginsky district), on the estate of his uncle Ivan Nikitich, and after the overthrow of Shuisky and the coming to power of the Seven Boyars, he ended up in Moscow, where he stayed all the time while the city was besieged by the Russians militia.
In the winter of 1612, Marfa Ivanovna and her son Mikhail lived in their Kostroma patrimony of the Romanovs, the village of Domnino (read about the feat of Ivan Susanin), and then hid from the persecution of the Polish-Lithuanian detachments in the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma.
Election to the kingdom
According to the famous Soviet historian, Professor A.L. Stanislavsky, a well-known specialist in the history of Russian society of the 16th-17th centuries, the united then with the Moscow common people, the Great Russian Cossacks, whose liberties the tsar and his descendants subsequently took away by all possible ways. The Cossacks received a grain salary and feared that the bread that was supposed to go to their salary would instead be sold by the British for money all over the world. led by Archbishop Theodoret of Ryazan, cellar of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Avraamiy Palitsyn and boyar Fyodor Ivanovich Sheremetev arrived in Kostroma; On March 14 (24) they were received at the Ipatiev Monastery. Here they announced the decision of the Zemsky Sobor on the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the Moscow throne.
His mother, nun Martha, was in despair, she tearfully begged her son not to accept such a heavy burden. Michael himself hesitated for a long time. After an appeal to the mother and Mikhail of the Ryazan Archbishop Theodorita Martha gave her consent to the elevation of her son to the throne. A few days later, Mikhail left for Moscow. His mother blessed him with the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, and from that moment the icon became one of the shrines of the Romanov dynasty. In the legend about the icon there are such words attributed to Martha: “Behold, to You, O Mother of God, the Most Pure Mother of God, in Your Most Pure Hand, Lady, I betray my child, and if you wish, arrange for him useful and for all Orthodox Christianity.”
On the way, he stopped in all major cities: Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Trinity Monastery, Rostov, Suzdal. Arriving in Moscow, he went through Red Square to the Kremlin. At the Spassky Gates, he was greeted with a religious procession with the main state and church relics. Then he prayed at the tombs of Russian tsars in the Archangel Cathedral and at the shrines of the Mother See of the Assumption Cathedral.
In May 1613, Duma clerk Ivan Chicherin signed a letter of election to the kingdom of Mikhail Romanov.
On July 11 (21), 1613, the wedding of Mikhail to the kingdom took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, which marked the founding of a new ruling dynasty of the Romanovs.
Governing body
Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich was young and inexperienced, and until 1619 the country was ruled by the great old woman Martha and her relatives. The historian N. I. Kostomarov says the following about this period: “There were no people near the young tsar who were distinguished by intelligence and energy: everything was just ordinary mediocrity. The former sad history of Russian society bore bitter fruits. The torment of Ivan the Terrible, the insidious reign of Boris, finally, the unrest and the complete breakdown of all state ties produced a pitiful, petty generation, a generation of stupid and narrow people who were little able to rise above everyday interests. Under the new sixteen-year-old king, neither Sylvester nor Adashev of the old days appeared. Michael himself was naturally kind, but, it seems, of a melancholic disposition, not gifted with brilliant abilities, but not without intelligence; but he did not receive any education and, as they say, having ascended the throne, he could hardly read.
After Patriarch Filaret was released from Polish captivity in 1619, the actual power passed into the hands of the latter, also called the Great Sovereign. State charters of that time were written on behalf of the tsar and the patriarch.
During his reign, the wars with Sweden were stopped (the Peace of Stolbovsky 1617, according to which the Novgorod lands were returned to Russia) and the Commonwealth (1634), relations with foreign powers were resumed.
In 1621, especially for the tsar, the clerks of the Posolsky Prikaz began to prepare the first Russian newspaper - "Vestovye pis".
In the years 1631-1634, the organization of the regiments of the "new system" (Reiter, dragoon, soldier) was carried out.
The Russian-Polish war (1632-1634) took place in the same years, which ended in the Polyanovsky peace unfavorable for Russia.
In 1632, Andrei Vinius, with the permission of Mikhail Fedorovich, founded the first iron-smelting, iron-making and weapons factories near Tula.
In 1637, the term for capturing fugitive peasants was increased to 9 years, and in 1642 - for another year. Those taken out by other owners were allowed to search for up to 15 years.
Board results
- The conclusion of the "eternal peace" with Sweden (Stolbovsky peace in 1617). The borders established by the Treaty of Stolbovsky remained until the beginning of the Northern War of 1700-1721. Despite the loss of access to Baltic Sea, returned large territories previously conquered by Sweden. Russia also had to pay a large indemnity of 20,000 rubles for those times.
- Truce of Deulino (1618), and then "perpetual peace" with the Commonwealth (Polyanovsky peace of 1634). Poland and Lithuania retained Smolensk and Seversk land, but the Polish king and Grand Duke of Lithuania Vladislav IV renounced claims to the Russian throne.
- Establishment of a strong centralized authority throughout the country through the appointment of governors and local elders.
- To determine the amount of taxes throughout the country, an accurate inventory of all manorial lands was made. A special "order" (office) was established to receive and analyze complaints from the population "on the insults of strong people."
- Overcoming the most difficult consequences of the Time of Troubles, restoring a normal economy and trade.
- Accession to Russia of the lands along the Yaik, Baikal, Yakutia, access to the Pacific Ocean.
- Reorganization of the army (1631-1634). Creation of regiments of the "new system": Reiter, Dragoon, soldier.
- Foundation of the first ironworks near Tula (1632).
- Foundation of the German settlement in Moscow - settlements of foreign engineers and military specialists. In less than 100 years, many residents of "Kukuy" will play an important role in the reforms of Peter I the Great.
- The beginning of secular painting in Russia: according to the sovereign decree on July 26 (August 5), 1643, a resident of Rugodiv painting master John Deters, who taught painting to Russian students, was admitted to the Armory Chamber.
Marriage plans
In 1616, Tsar Michael was twenty years old. The queen-nun Martha, in agreement with the boyars, decided to arrange a bridesmaid's bride - it was fitting for the tsar to marry and show the world a legitimate heir so that there would be no troubles. The girls came to Moscow for the bride, but the mother chose in advance for her son a girl from a noble boyar family, close to the family of her Saltykov relatives. Mikhail, however, confused her plans: bypassing the ranks of beauties, the young tsar stopped in front of the hawthorn Maria Khlopova. The royal bride was settled in the palace and even named Anastasia by a new name (in memory of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible). Together with the girl, her numerous relatives also arrived at the court. But suddenly the girl fell ill, for several days she had frequent vomiting. The court doctors who examined her (Valentin Bils and the healer Balsyr) issued a conclusion: “There is no harm to the fetus and childbearing from that.” But Mikhail Saltykov reported to Tsar Mikhail that the doctor Balsyr recognized the illness of the bride as incurable. Nun Martha demanded that Mary be removed. The Zemsky Sobor was convened. Gavrilo Khlopov beat with his forehead: “The disease came from sweet poisons. The disease passes, the bride is already healthy. Don't send her away from above!" But the boyars knew that the tsar's mother did not want Khlopova, so they admitted: "Maria Khlopova is fragile to royal joy!" Maria, together with her grandmother, aunt and two uncles Zhelyabuzhsky, separated from her parents, was sent into exile in Tobolsk. But Mikhail Fedorovich continued to receive news about the health of the former bride.
In 1619, the tsar's father, Metropolitan Filaret, returned from captivity and was consecrated patriarch. With his appearance, the influence of his mother on Mikhail noticeably decreased. Filaret did not agree with his wife and condemned his son for his cowardly behavior. The bride and her relatives were transferred to Verkhoturye, and a year later - to Nizhny Novgorod. But Filaret did not insist on marriage with the former bride. Taking into account the sad state of the state, the patriarch decided to marry off a Lithuanian princess to Mikhail, but he refused. Then the father offered to marry Dorothea-August, the niece of the Danish king Christian. The chronicle reports the refusal of the king, motivated by the fact that his brother, Prince John, came to woo Princess Xenia and, according to rumors, was poisoned to death. At the beginning of 1623, an embassy was sent to the Swedish king to woo his relative, Princess Catherine. But she did not want to fulfill the indispensable Russian condition - to be baptized into the Orthodox faith.
After failures at foreign courts, Mikhail Fedorovich again remembered Mary. He told his parents: “I was married according to the law of God, the queen was betrothed to me, I don’t want to take another besides her.” Nun Martha again accused the girl of being sick. By order of Patriarch Filaret, an inquiry was held: Maria's parents and the doctors who treated her were interrogated. Doctors Bils and Balsyr were sent to Nizhny Novgorod to re-examine the bride. They examined Maria Anastasia, interrogated relatives, confessor and came to a consensus: "Maria Khlopova is healthy in everything." The bride herself said: “As I was with my father and mother and grandmother, there were no illnesses, and even being at the sovereign’s court, I was healthy for six weeks, and after that an illness appeared, it vomited and broke inside and there was a tumor, and tea, it was caused by the adversary, and that illness was twice for two weeks. They gave me holy water to drink from the relics, and that’s why I was healed, and I soon felt better, and now I’m healthy.” After the inquiry, the Saltykovs' conspiracy was revealed. Mikhail and Boris were sent to their estates, the old woman Evnikia (Martha's confidante) was exiled to the Suzdal monastery. The king was again going to marry the chosen girl. But nun Martha threatened her son: “If Khlopova becomes queen, I will not stay in your kingdom.” A week after the disgrace of the Saltykovs, Ivan Khlopov received a royal letter: "We will not deign to take your daughter Marya for ourselves."
Having insisted on her own, nun Martha found a new bride for Mikhail Fedorovich - the well-born Princess Maria Vladimirovna Dolgoruky from an ancient family of descendants Chernigov princes- Rurikovich. The wedding took place on September 18, 1624 in Moscow. But a few days later the young queen fell ill and died five months later. The chronicle calls the death of Mary God's Punishment for insulting the innocent Khlopova.
In 1626, Tsar Mikhail Romanov was in his thirtieth year and he was a childless widower. For new brides brought 60 beauties from noble families. But he liked one of the servants - the daughter of the Meshchovsky nobleman Evdokia Streshnev, a distant relative of the hawthorn who came to the bride. A modest wedding took place on February 5 (15), 1626 in Moscow. The young people were married by Patriarch Filaret himself, the father of the groom. Moreover, the tsar brought Evdokia into the Kremlin chambers just three days before the announcement of the wedding, fearing that the enemies would spoil the girl. Before that, her father and brothers themselves guarded her at home. Evdokia refused to change her name to Anastasia, explaining that neither Anastasia Romanovna nor Maria Khlopova "added happiness to this name." She was far from the struggle of political "parties" at court and intrigues. The family life of Mikhail Fedorovich turned out to be happy.
Death
Tsar Michael from birth was not distinguished by good health. Already in 1627, at the age of 30, Mikhail Fedorovich “mourned with his legs” so much that sometimes, in his own words, he was “carried in armchairs to and from the cart.”
Cathedral of the Archangel. Perspective of the ends of the tombstones of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676), Tsarevich Alexei Alekseevich (1654-1670), Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645), infant princes Vasily and Ivan Mikhailovich. Photograph by K. A. Fischer. 1905 From the collections of the Museum of Architecture. A. V. Shchuseva.
He died on July 13 (23), 1645 from a watery disease of unknown origin at the age of 49. According to the doctors who treated the Moscow sovereign, his illness came from "a lot of sitting", from cold drinking and melancholy, "to put it mildly." Mikhail Fedorovich was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Children
In the marriage of Mikhail Fedorovich and Evdokia Lukyanovna were born:
- Irina Mikhailovna (April 22 (May 2), 1627 - April 8 (18), 1679)
- Pelageya Mikhailovna (1628-1629) - died in infancy
- Alexei Mikhailovich (March 19 (29), 1629 - January 29 (February 8), 1676) - Russian Tsar
- Anna Mikhailovna (July 14 (24), 1630 - October 27 (November 6), 1692)
- Marfa Mikhailovna (1631-1632) - died in infancy
- John Mikhailovich (June 2, 1633 - January 10, 1639) - died at the age of 5.
- Sofia Mikhailovna (1634-1636) - died in infancy
- Tatyana Mikhailovna (January 5 (15), 1636, Moscow - August 24 (September 4), 1706, Moscow)
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 house of the Romanovs on the Russian throne.
Romanov dynasty. Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov
In the Romanov family, the boyar Fyodor Nikitich, who later became Xenia Ivanovna (Shestova), had a son on July 12, 1596. They named him Michael. The Romanov family was related to and was very famous and rich. This boyar family owned vast estates not only in northern and central 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, a verdict was passed at the meeting: 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 remote from the capital.
Fyodor Nikitich was sent to the Antoniev-Siysky 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 palisade.
Mikhail Fedorovich's exile on 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, Uliana Semyonova and Anastasia Nikitichnaya, to Beloozero. There the boy grew up in extremely harsh conditions, malnourished, endured deprivation and need. In 1603, Boris Godunov somewhat 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 relationship 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
AT difficult time Vasily Shuisky ruled from 1606 to 1610. 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 Commonwealth 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 Commonwealth, Sigismund, Vladislav. The country split into two camps. In the period from 1610 to 1613, an anti-Polish popular uprising arose. In 1611, it 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, 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.
Attempted murder of Mikhail Fedorovich
After the hardest Moscow siege, Mikhail Fedorovich left for the Kostroma estate. Here, the future tsar almost died at the hands of a gang of Poles who were in 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 led 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, 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 outside world, the horrors of state of siege and famine.
Zemsky Sobor of 1613 Election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom
After the expulsion of the interventionists by the boyars and the people's militia, led by Prince Pozharsky, a decision was made on the need to choose a new tsar. 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 nun Martha. 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.
The beginning of the reign of the sovereign
Mikhail Fedorovich took the reins of government 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. Domestic politics Mikhail Fedorovich 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, the distribution of state lands to the needy was carried out.
Important strategic decisions - armistice with Sweden
The foreign policy of Mikhail Fedorovich was focused on the conclusion of a truce with Sweden and the end of 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 (captured cities were returned to it: Velikiy Novgorod, Ladoga, Gdov, Porkhov, Staraya Russa, as well as the Sumer region) and the Swedish kingdom (he got Ivangorod, Koporye, Yam, Korela, Oreshek, Neva). In addition, Moscow had to pay Sweden a serious sum - 20 thousand silver rubles. The Peace of Stolbov cut off the country from the Baltic 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 Russo-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. It could only reach 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 Commonwealth. 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 consecrated to the rank of 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 at centralizing power, restoring 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, governors and elders began to be appointed in the localities, who kept 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 enslavement of 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. In the 17th century, "shelves of the new system" appeared. They also included free people, and foreigners were accepted for the position of officers. In 1642, the training of military people in a foreign system began. In addition, reytarsky, soldier and cavalry regiments began to form. Also, two Moscow elective regiments were created, which were later named Lefortovsky and Butyrsky (from the settlements in which they were located).
Industry 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 was 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.
1. Crying with great anger
The tsar was Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, who was nicknamed by the people "The Meek", that is, peace-loving, since during his reign the long-awaited peace came to Russia. Already in the sources of that time, his peacefulness and meekness were noted. So in the Pskov legend it is written: "The tsar was young, but he was kind, quiet, meek, humble and benevolent, he loved everyone, had mercy on everyone and was generous."
At the same time, the nickname “Meek” means “Humble”, that is, resigned to the burden of kingship placed on him by the people and fulfilling God's will. After all, he became the King not of his own free will and even against his will. When for years the ambassadors from the Zemsky Sobor, headed by the Ryazan Archbishop Theodorit, announced to him the decision of the Zemsky Sobor to be elected to the Kingdom, instead of a joyful consent, they received a categorical refusal and even, as the chroniclers testify, heard "weeping with great anger." Martha, the mother of 16-year-old Mikhail, was afraid that her son, who was completely inexperienced in public affairs, would not be able to rule in Russia devastated by the Great Troubles, that his reign could end in inglorious death of both the country and himself.
Mikhail refused to reign three times, and three times Archbishop Theodoret with the elected people served a prayer service and came to him with a request to head the Moscow throne. They came in procession with the miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. However, Michael refused. And then, raising the icon above his head, the Ryazan saint exclaimed in despair: “Do not heed your prayers! Be your way, the Russian land is in distress, weeping again, the Russian people. But before this holy image, I tell you, Tsar Michael, that from now on the calamity of the Fatherland will fall on you!
And the hearts of Mikhail Romanov and his mother, nun Martha, shuddered. Fulfilling God's will, they agreed with the decision of the Great Council. On March 14/27, 1613, Archbishop Theodoret of Ryazan blessed Mikhail Romanov to reign with the icon of the Fedorov Mother of God.
At the same time, his mother, nun Martha, burst into tears and “many tears before the image of the Most Pure outpouring,” said: “Behold, O God Holy Mother of God, and in your hands, Mistress, I betray my child and, as you wish, arrange for him useful and for all Orthodox Christianity.
That is why the "Approved Charter" of 1613 calls Mikhail Fedorovich "God's Chosen Tsar." He became Tsar not by his own will, but by the will of God and the Russian people.
The wedding to the Kingdom and the naming of Michael "Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia" took place on June 21, 1613 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. So after the reign of the Rurikids, the foundation of a new ruling dynasty of the Romanovs took place. However, continuity was observed, since Mikhail was a cousin-nephew of the last Russian Tsar from the Rurik dynasty, Fedor I Ioannovich. Mikhail's father was Fyodor Nikitich /later Patriarch Filaret/. In 1601, Boris Godunov exiled Fyodor, as a pretender to the Tsar's throne, to the Sophia St. Anthony Monastery, where he was tonsured a monk with the name Filaret. Godunov also disgraced Mikhail's mother. He exiled her to Zaonezhye, where she was tonsured a nun with the name Marfa. Mikhail himself, together with his aunt Martha Nikitichnaya Cherkasskaya, was exiled by Godunov to Beloozero. So the 4-year-old boy was separated from his parents.
The family united and almost until the end of 1608 lived together. In 1610, Filaret was sent along with Prince Golitsyn to negotiate with the Poles, but was captured by them and spent 9 years in captivity. So Mikhail again lost his father for a long time. And soon he himself, along with his mother, was detained by the Poles in the Moscow Kremlin. And only thanks to the victory of the Russian militia under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky in 1612 they were released from captivity and retired to their fiefdom - the village of Domnino near Kostroma. There they often lived in the Ipatiev Monastery, praying for the release of their father from Polish captivity.
The news of Michael's election to the throne was absolutely stunning for both him and his mother. And they were not only not ready for it, but also internally did not want to change their position. However, they obeyed the will of God. Michael meekly agreed to reign.
2. Praise for "every creature"
It was extremely difficult for the youth to agree to put the "heavy cap of Monomakh" on his head. Russia was devastated, Veliky Novgorod with the northwestern lands was captured by the Swedes. Smolensk and the western lands were captured by the Poles. The south was subjected to constant raids by the Crimean Tatars. Many detachments of free Cossacks began to engage in robbery and robbery. There was practically no control of Russia. It seemed that there was no longer a Russian state. The country lay in ruins, many lands were not cultivated, the peasants left the devastated villages, many died of hunger, taxes were not paid, the treasury was empty.
Who could rule in such a devastated country as Russia was at that time? Only a brilliant commander. Tough, strong-willed, and besides having a powerful army capable of pacifying all enemies. Most of all, a Tsar like Ivan the Terrible would be suitable for occupying the throne. The Dutchman Isaac Maas, a witness of those events, wrote: “I hope that God will open the eyes of the young tsar, as it was with the former tsar Ivan Vasilyevich; for Russia needs such a tsar, otherwise it will perish.”
However, Russia chose a peace-loving, “Meek” Tsar, who has neither an army nor money, to hire an army. Not having even an elementary education (having taken the throne, Mikhail could not write and could hardly read in warehouses). Such a King could be chosen only by God's providence. According to the whole faith of people in God and in the fact that He Himself will appoint a King for them. And, of course, according to popular conciliar prayers, because before the decision to elect Michael to the kingdom, Russia fasted for three days and prayed from young to old. Even the cattle did not receive food to participate in the fasting of "every creature." And the Lord looked down on Russia. And he gave her a pious, meek, humble Tsar, who, being in exile, in the Ipatiev Monastery spent time in prayers for his captive parents. The lad sincerely hoped in God, he believed that if he prayed earnestly, then all the dangers that threatened his mother and father would pass. Michael had great respect for his parents. And he became Tsar for a year, immediately took care of his father, captured by the Poles, sending hegumen Ephraim to him, so that Filaret would not be so lonely in a foreign land. After some time, Mikhail specially sent a boyar, Zhelyabovsky, to him, who was to personally verify the good health of Filaret and take a blessing for his son-Tsar. Michael himself prayed earnestly in the Moscow monasteries for the release of his father. For the same purpose, he undertook pilgrimages to remote holy monasteries.
So, having neither education nor the slightest idea of state government, Mikhail Romanov had another, most important gift - the gift of communication with God, knowledge of His will and acceptance of this will. He put all his trust in the Lord and was not put to shame. When Mikhail went to Moscow to be married to the kingdom, he drove slowly, without haste, visiting holy places and praying to God. And the Lord managed to stop him in large and small cities, and conduct active correspondence with the boyars. Mikhail stayed in Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Trinity Monastery, Rostov, Suzdal. Therefore, the journey from Kostroma to Moscow lasted a long time - a month and a half, but during this time Mikhail completely got used to his new position. Thanks to negotiations and correspondence, he gathered around him just such people who became his faithful assistants in ruling the country. As the Dutchman Max Isaac hoped, "God opened the eyes of the young king."
He also kept his chosen one. So, when the Poles learned about the proclamation of Mikhail Fedorovich as Tsar, they went to the Ipatiev Monastery in order to kill him. By God's Providence, their detachment got lost along the way. And then a simple peasant Ivan Susanin, having given "consent" to show the way, led them into such dense forest from which they knew no way out. They brutally tortured Susanin, trying to find out the right path. However, he died in torture, but did not show the way back. The Poles also perished in the winter forests of Kostroma, never carrying out their evil plan.
3. Terry roses from Hamburg
Having become Tsar, Mikhail Fedorovich, first of all, began to establish government. To do this, he established Orders (a kind of state councils and departments). By 1639, there were as many as 14 orders in Russia, which dealt with both national affairs (petition, Judgment, Pushkar, etc.), and the affairs of estates - Kholopy, Streletsky. There was even a pharmacy order that was in charge of doctors.
Shortly after accession to the throne, Michael established new laws that streamlined the main economic activity of the country - land ownership and land use.
All this led to rapid economic growth. To the amazement of the whole world, Russia began to fully provide itself with grain. Just imagine how many crops the peasants grew! Rye, wheat, barley, millet, buckwheat, peas, oats. Flax and hemp were sown, from which fabrics and oil were made. Horticulture and horticulture flourished. Foreigners who came to Moscow admired Russian gardens. The young Tsar Michael had a great inclination towards gardening. He spent a lot of money on buying expensive plants abroad. The Hamburg merchant Marcelius brought for him terry roses, which had not been in Russia before. They were planted in special hanging gardens, where apple trees, pears, cherries, plums and even walnuts and grapes. In general, viticulture under Mikhail Fedorovich received great development. When he learned that in Astrakhan the monks managed to grow several vines, he ordered to plant vineyards at the expense of the treasury. In 1630, as many as 50 barrels of their domestic wine were sent from Astrakhan to Moscow.
Cattle breeding began to develop throughout Russia. Herds of cows, horses, sheep, goats numbered in the thousands! However, fish was considered the main product in Russia at that time, and it was caught and processed in abundance.
In just ten years of the reign of Tsar Michael in economic activity achieved unprecedented results. Already by 1627, Russia was selling bread abroad in thousands of pounds! It was bought by such "civilized countries" as Denmark, Sweden, England, Holland, Holstein. And in 1632, France joined them.
To expand land use, the territories of the Urals and Western Siberia were actively developed. Peasants went there en masse and settled on highly fertile lands in the floodplain of the Lena River. Seeds were given free of charge to the settlers. Everyone could take out loans for the purchase of agricultural implements and horses. In 1618, Russian people reached the Yenisei and founded the city of Krasnoyarsk.
Under Mikhail Fedorovich, the formation of Russian industry began. Qualified specialists were discharged from abroad: metallurgists, gunsmiths, miners. The first ironworks was founded in Tula. A blast-furnace plant, iron-smelting and copper-smelting production appeared in the Urals. The owners of factories received benefits from the Tsar, which contributed to the development of industry. The most important breeders under Mikhail Fedorovich were the Stroganovs.
Light industry also developed - weaving, production of velvet and brocade. Sewing workshops and tanneries worked.
The manufacture of products from precious metals began, coins were minted, weaving improved, velvet and brocade fabrics were produced, sewing workshops and tanneries worked, books were printed, a newspaper with news was published.
And this was under the Tsar, who was separated from his father in childhood, imprisoned in a monastery, and lived in fear of death, without receiving any education! What is there to say? Only the Lord could perform such miracles. Only He could help the 16-year-old boy solve the extremely serious political and economic problems generated by the Great Troubles. No matter how great was the support for the reign of Michael by his father - Patriarch Filaret - no one but the Lord could help solve the problems that were then in Russia. And Tsar Michael understood this, because the main thing in his activity was prayerful standing before God, daily participation in church services, pilgrimages to holy places.
4. A bad peace is better than war
The pious Tsar Michael the Meek, following the commandment “blessed are the peacemakers,” managed to pacify all classes in Russia. With his humility and good-naturedness, he was able to unite everyone.
He did not disgrace anyone, not even his personal enemy Boris Godunov. Carefully looking at his surroundings, he chose practical, wise people as advisers, he was distinguished by tolerance for various political views, listened to different opinions about the way out of the crisis. To solve complex political and economic problems, Mikhail Fedorovich convened collective advisory bodies of government - Boyar Dumas and Zemsky Sobors.
However, in solving some problems, he was guided by personal opinion and applied his royal power. So, when the Russian embassy sent to the Crimean Khanate was arrested and shackled, the Zemsky Sobor decided to do the same with the Crimean ambassadors in Moscow. And the Boyar Duma even insisted on a military invasion of the Crimea. However, the Meek Tsarne began to aggravate relations with the Crimea and sent expensive gifts to the khan. At the same time, he indicated that he was doing this to restore friendly relations. The peacefulness of the Meek Tsar gave its results - relations with the Crimea were restored, the apostles were released.
Tsar Michael, although he was Meek, was not weak, cowardly and weak-willed. This is evidenced by the surviving documents of that time. So in a letter from the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, he sharply writes that if the authorities called to that do not stop theft, robbery and robbery, then he can refuse to travel to Moscow to ascend the throne. And in a letter dated April 8, 1613, he reprimanded the boyars for the fact that they could not find the means to provide for “service and military people.” Tsar Mikhail reprimanded the Zemsky Sobor for unrest in the country. Not a single document of the first years of Mikhail's reign contains even a hint of the co-government of the boyars, on the contrary, it is emphasized everywhere that they are "serfs", faithful servants and executors of his will.
Mikhail Fedorovich was Tsar-unifier, Tsar-peacemaker. Possession of power did not make him a despot and tyrant. However, the Gentle King, when required, did not sharply scold negligent subjects. Could pass and radical laws. For example, he completely banned smoking in the country and strictly regulated the use of alcohol. Drinking was allowed only four weeks a year. These weeks followed the great holidays of Easter, Dmitriev's Saturday, winter Nikola and Maslenitsa. Drinking at other times was severely fined. Violators paid a lot of money for those times - two rubles. In addition, the drunkard was taken for the first time to the “bargain prison”. It was possible to get out of it only at someone's request. If the drunkard was caught a second time, he was again sent to prison, but for a long time. Malicious drunkards, by decree of the Meek Tsar, were led through the streets, mercilessly beaten with a whip. And as long as the guilty "keeps up with the pernicious passion." And when even these measures did not help, the drunkard was placed in prison until his death - "until he perishes."
Tsar Michael strictly forbade the maintenance of drinking establishments, taverns in the guest yards in large trading cities. The Meek Tsar ordered the disobedient to be beaten with a whip and imprisoned.
However, Mikhail Fedorovich supported his good subjects in every possible way. Donated to those in need. According to the testimony of the Holstein adviser Adam Olearius, "the king is very pious, he does not want to allow at least one of his peasants to become impoverished, the treasury gives benefits to the impoverished."
In external relations, Tsar Michael the Meek preferred war "thin, but peace." Therefore, he concluded peace treaties with neighboring powers, even on conditions that were unfavorable for Russia, which brought peace to the Russian people, tormented by the Time of Troubles. This happened in 1637 during the Azov conflict, when the Don Cossacks, on their own initiative, captured the Turkish fortress of Azov. Their goal was good - to destroy the slave market that existed there, where they traded in captive Russian people. The capture of Azov and the murder of the Turkish ambassador threatened Russia with a war with Turkey, which our state, bled dry by the Time of Troubles, could lose and lose much more than the fortress of Azov. And then Tsar Michael decided to return Azov to Turkey. This made it possible to avoid war and restore friendly relations with the Ottoman Empire.
Under the Meek Tsar, an “eternal peace” was concluded with Sweden. And although access to the Baltic Sea was lost, the Novgorod lands, previously conquered by Sweden, were returned.
After the unsuccessful war of 1632-34. with Poland, an "eternal peace" was concluded with the Commonwealth. At the same time, the Polish king and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vladislav IV renounced their claims to the throne of Moscow.
In general, by the time of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, many diplomatic contracts with our country were interrupted - with England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, France, Turkey and Persia. And only thanks to the diplomatic talents of the Meek King, all of them were gradually adjusted. But Mikhail Fedorovich firmly defended the interests of the Russian people. And when the British asked him for permission to travel through Russia to Persia for trade, he did not allow it, although he should have done this, given the importance of friendly relations with England. However, the Russian Tsar was primarily concerned about whether such trade would “damage” the Russian merchants? The Boyar Duma and merchants confirmed his fears. From a conversation with them, Michael realized that the English trade with Persia would cause considerable damage to the merchants, although the treasury could provide a large income. The tsar, despite even the state benefit, reckoned with the interests of the Russian merchants, and refused the British in their request. The same thing happened with the appeal of the French ambassador for permission to trade with Persia. He was denied this for the same reasons as the British.
In the outward arrangement of the Russian kingdom, thanks to the wise policy of Mikhail Fedorovich, the lands of the Lower Urals, the Baikal region, Yakutia and Chukotka were annexed to Russia, access to the Pacific Ocean was made. To put it bluntly, these are the unprecedented achievements of the Meek Tsar, who ruled a devastated country.
However, the Gentle Tsar understood that Russia, having grown stronger, should enter the war and win back the native Russian lands from the Poles and Swedes. Therefore, according to his decree, cannons were cast and powder mills were built. On the Volga and in the village of Dedinovo near Moscow, the construction of "military" ships began.
In 1631-1634, Mikhail Fedorovich carried out a military reform. Regiments of the "new system" were created - Reiters, dragoons, soldiers.
5. Guardian of piety
Having not received an education at one time, Mikhail Fedorovich was keenly interested in various sciences - astronomy, geography, and the structure of the earth. In 1637, by his decree, the book "Cosmography" was translated from Latin into Russian. Scientific work was carried out under the personal control of Tsar Michael. A directory of roads, maps of Russia and the first systematic description of the Russian state were created.
For the development of engineering, the Tsar ordered specialists from abroad. They built ships on the Volga, fortified Russian fortresses. For foreigners, a special settlement was founded in Moscow - the German Quarter. And from Russia, on the initiative of Mikhail Fedorovich, they began to send young people abroad to study medicine.
Thanks to foreigners, diamond and goldsmiths, watchmakers, cannon makers, and masons appeared in the capital. The industrial production of leather was established, and a glass-making factory was launched.
In 1621, by decree of Mikhail Fedorovich, the clerks of the Posolsky Prikaz began to publish the first Russian newspaper, Vestovye Pistachi.
The Russian Tsar was very fond of music. It is known that he ordered from Holland "two organ masters and an organ that was decorated with images of a nightingale and a cuckoo." Moreover, this organ was very skillful. When he played, the birds began to sing. Tsar Michael was delighted with the power and beauty of the sound of the organ and ordered to give the masters an unprecedented amount of 2676 rubles and forty sables each.
Science, culture and music were not ignored by Tsar Michael. And this despite the fact that he had to solve the most difficult state problems of centralizing the state, creating a military-industrial production, creating a legislative system, stabilizing public relations within the country and in relations with aggressive neighbors of the West and South. It is simply amazing how much the Lord gave him statesmanship and noble human qualities!
In gratitude to God, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich the Meek daily participated in church services, prayed for a long time at home, strictly observed fasts, and often went on a pilgrimage. The king was pious. Even in a very difficult time for the country, immediately after accession to the throne, he, first of all, took care of spiritual affairs. Having learned from the priests about the miracles of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, he ordered the establishment of a new church holiday: the first feast and the “walk from the cross” on July 8, when this icon appeared; the second on October 22, "how cleansed the Muscovite state."
Contemporaries wrote about Tsar Michael the Meek in this way: “This savagely pious zealot is ever-praised, the faithful and Christ-loving Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich, autocrat of all Russia, be blessed, very meek and merciful ... but beautify yourself with all good deeds, fasting and prayer, truth and chastity, purity and humility of mind, justice ... ".
The ancestor of the royal dynasty of the Romanovs died on July 13 (26), 1645 at the age of 49. His honest remains were buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Virchev’s epitaph to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich reads: “Having a meek and gentle disposition, he always practiced the punishing deeds of his kingdom, supplying the good and meek with dignity, taming the malevolent with fear, and bestowing equality on everyone; and in Siklitzskaya the rank of natural people is worthy of this, but non-pedigree people and unworthy of that rank of being, all the days of their kingdom, are not allowing, and the rank is firmly preserved.
And many others. Although in fairness it should be said that not all of the reigning Romanov family tree were descendants of Mikhail Fedorovich by blood.
CarnationThe future Tsar Mikhail Romanov, whose biography dates back to 1596, was born in the family of the boyar Fyodor Nikitich and his wife Xenia Ivanovna. It was the father who was a relatively close relative of the last tsar from the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ioannovich. But since Romanov Sr., by coincidence, embarked on a spiritual path and turned into Patriarch Filaret, there was no longer any talk of succession to the throne of the Romanov branch through him.
Russian Historical Library This was facilitated by the following circumstances. During the reign of Boris Godunov, a denunciation was written against the Romanov family, which “denounced” Nikita Romanov, the grandfather of the future Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, of witchcraft and the desire to kill Godunov and his family. There followed the immediate arrest of all males, the universal compulsory tonsure as monks and exile to Siberia, where almost all family members died. When he ascended the throne, he ordered that the exiled boyars, including the Romanovs, be pardoned. By that time, only Patriarch Filaret with his wife and son, as well as his brother Ivan Nikitich, could return.
Painting "Anointing to the kingdom of Mikhail Fedorovich", Philip Moskvitin | Russian folk line The further biography of Mikhail Romanov was briefly associated with the town of Kliny, which now belongs to the Vladimir region. When the Seven Boyars came to power in Russia, the family lived in Moscow for a couple of years, and later, during the Russian-Polish war of the Time of Troubles, they hid from the persecution of the Polish-Lithuanian detachments in the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma.
Kingdom of Mikhail Romanov
The election of Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom became possible thanks to the unification of the Moscow common people with the Great Russian Cossacks. The nobility was going to give the throne to the King of England and Scotland, James I, but this did not suit the Cossacks. The fact is that they feared, not without reason, that foreign rulers would take away their territories from them, and in addition, they would reduce the size of the grain allowance. As a result, the Zemsky Sobor chose the closest relative of the last Russian Tsar, who turned out to be 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov, as the heir to the throne.
Election of Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom | History blog It should be noted that neither he nor his mother initially rejoiced at the idea of Muscovite reign, realizing what a heavy burden it was. But the ambassadors briefly explained to Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov why his consent was so important, and the young man left for the capital. Along the way, he stopped in all major cities, for example, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Suzdal, Rostov. In Moscow, he went straight through Red Square to the Kremlin and was solemnly greeted by the overjoyed people at the Spassky Gates. After the coronation, or, as they said then, the crowning of the kingdom, the royal dynasty of Mikhail Romanov began, which ruled Russia for the next three hundred years and brought it into the ranks of the great powers of the world.
Since the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov began when he was only 16 years old, there is no need to talk about any experience of the king. Moreover, he was not brought up with an eye on government and, according to rumors, the young king could barely read. Therefore, in the early years of Mikhail Romanov, politics depended more on the decisions of the Zemsky Sobor. When his father, Patriarch Filaret, returned to Moscow, he became the actual, though not explicit, co-ruler, prompting, guiding and influencing the policy of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. State charters of that time were written on behalf of the tsar and the patriarch.
The painting "The election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom", A.D. Kivshenko | World Travel Encyclopedia The foreign policy of Mikhail Romanov was aimed at ending the devastating wars with Western countries. He stopped the bloodshed with the Swedish and Polish troops, albeit at the cost of losing some of the territory, including access to the Baltic Sea. Actually, because of these territories, after many years, Peter I will participate in the Northern War. Mikhail Romanov's domestic policy was also aimed at stabilizing life and centralizing power. He managed to bring harmony to the secular and spiritual society, restore agriculture and trade, destroyed in Time of Troubles, establish the first factories in the country, transform the tax system depending on the size of the land.
Painting "Boyar Duma under Mikhail Romanov", A.P. Ryabushkin | Terra Incognita It is also worth noting such innovations of the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty as the country's first census of the population and their property, which made it possible to stabilize the tax system, as well as the state's encouragement of the development of creative talents. Tsar Mikhail Romanov ordered to hire the artist John Deters and instructed him to teach painting to capable Russian students.
In general, the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was characterized by an improvement in the position of Russia. By the end of his reign, the consequences of the Time of Troubles were eliminated and conditions were created for the future prosperity of Russia. By the way, it was under Mikhail Fedorovich that the German settlement appeared in Moscow, which will play such an important role in the reforms of Peter I the Great.
Personal life
When Tsar Mikhail Romanov was 20 years old, they arranged a bride show, because if he had not presented the state with an heir, unrest and unrest could begin again. It is interesting that these brides were originally a fiction - the mother had already chosen a future wife from the noble Saltykov family for the autocrat. But Mikhail Fedorovich confused her plans - he chose his bride on his own. She turned out to be the hawthorn Maria Khlopova, but the girl was not destined to become the queen. The angry Saltykovs began to secretly poison the girl's food, and because of the symptoms of the disease that appeared, she was recognized as an unsuitable candidate. However, the tsar uncovered the intrigues of the boyars and exiled the Saltykov family.
Engraving "Maria Khlopova, future bride of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich" | Culturology But the character of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was too soft to insist on a wedding with Maria Khlopova. He married foreign brides. Although they agreed to marriage, but only on condition that the Catholic faith was preserved, which turned out to be unacceptable for Russia. As a result, the well-born Princess Maria Dolgorukaya became the wife of Mikhail Romanov. However, just a few days after the wedding, she fell ill and died soon after. The people called this death a punishment for insulting Maria Khlopova, and historians do not exclude a new poisoning.
Wedding of Mikhail Romanov | Wikipedia By the age of 30, Tsar Mikhail Romanov was not only single, but most importantly, childless. The bride-to-be was organized again, the future queen was chosen in advance behind the scenes, and again Romanov showed self-will. He chose the daughter of a nobleman Evdokia Streshneva, who was not even listed as a candidate and did not participate in the bride, but arrived as a servant of one of the girls. The wedding was played very modest, the bride was guarded from assassination by all possible means, and when she showed that she was not interested in the politics of Mikhail Romanov, all the intriguers fell behind the tsar's wife.
Evdokia Streshneva, wife of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov | Wikipedia The family life of Mikhail Fedorovich and Evdokia Lukyanovna was relatively happy. The couple became the founders of the Romanov dynasty and produced ten children, although six of them died in infancy. The future Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was the third child and the first son of the ruling parents. In addition to him, three daughters of Mikhail Romanov survived - Irina, Tatyana and Anna. Evdokia Streshneva herself, except for main duty queens, the birth of heirs, was engaged in charity, helping churches and poor people, building temples and leading a pious life. She survived her royal husband by only one month.
Death
Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was a sick man from birth. Moreover, he had both physical and psychological ailments, for example, he was often in a state of depression, as they said then - "suffered from melancholy." In addition, he moved very little, which caused problems with his legs. By the age of 30, the tsar could barely walk, and often his servants carried him out of the chambers in their arms.
Monument to the first Romanov tsar in Kostroma | For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland However, he lived quite a long time and died the day after his 49th birthday. official reason death, doctors called watery sickness, formed from constant sitting and plentiful cold drinking. Mikhail Romanov was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
The first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, was born on July 22 (July 12, according to the old style), 1596 in Moscow.
His father is Fedor Nikitich Romanov, Metropolitan (later Patriarch Filaret), his mother is Xenia Ivanovna Shestova (later nun Martha). Mikhail was the cousin-nephew of the last Russian tsar from the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ivanovich.
In 1601, together with his parents, he was disgraced by Boris Godunov. Lived in exile. Since 1605 he returned to Moscow, where he was captured by the Poles, who captured the Kremlin. In 1612, freed by the militia of Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, he left for Kostroma.
On March 3 (February 21, old style), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanovich to reign.
On March 23 (March 13, old style), 1613, the Council's ambassadors arrived in Kostroma. In the Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail was with his mother, he was informed of his election to the throne.
The Poles arrive in Moscow. A small detachment went to kill Mikhail, but got lost along the way, because the peasant Ivan Susanin, agreeing to show the way, led him into a dense forest.
June 21 (June 11, old style) 1613 Mikhail Fedorovich in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.
In the first years of Mikhail's reign (1613-1619), the real power was with his mother, as well as her relatives from the Saltykov boyars. From 1619 to 1633, the father of the tsar, Patriarch Filaret, who returned from Polish captivity, ruled the country. With the dual power that existed at that time, state letters were written on behalf of the Sovereign Tsar and His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and all Russia.
During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the wars with Sweden (Stolbovsky peace, 1617) and the Commonwealth (Deulino truce, 1618, later - Polyanovsky peace, 1634) were stopped.
Overcoming the consequences of the Time of Troubles required the centralization of power. On the ground, the system of voivodeship administration grew, the order system was restored and developed. Since the 1620s, the activities of Zemsky Sobors have been limited to advisory functions. They met at the initiative of the government to resolve issues that required the approval of the estates: about war and peace, about the introduction of extraordinary taxes.
In the 1630s, the creation of regular military units (reiter, dragoon, soldier regiments) began, the rank and file of which were "eager free people" and dispossessed boyar children, the officers were foreign military specialists. At the end of the reign of Michael, cavalry dragoon regiments arose to guard the borders.
The government also began to restore and build defensive lines - serif lines.
Under Mikhail Fedorovich, diplomatic relations were established with Holland, Austria, Denmark, Turkey, and Persia.
In 1637, the term for capturing fugitive peasants was increased from five to nine years. In 1641, another year was added to it. Peasants taken out by other owners were allowed to search for up to 15 years. This testified to the growth of feudal tendencies in the legislation on land and peasants.
Moscow under Mikhail Fedorovich was restored from the consequences of the intervention.
In the Kremlin in 1624, the Filaret belfry was erected. In 1624-1525, a stone tent was built over the Frolovskaya (now Spasskaya) tower and a new striking clock was installed (1621).
In 1626 (after a devastating fire in Moscow), Mikhail Fedorovich issued a series of decrees appointing persons responsible for restoring buildings in the city. All the royal palaces were restored in the Kremlin, new trading shops were built in Kitay-gorod.
In 1632, an enterprise for training in velvet and damask craft appeared in Moscow - the Velvet Yard (in the middle of the 17th century, its premises served as a warehouse for weapons). The center of textile production was Kadashevskaya Sloboda with the sovereign Khamovny yard.
In 1633, machines were installed in the Sviblova tower of the Kremlin to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin (hence its modern name - Vodovzvodnaya).
In 1635-1937, on the site of the ceremonial chambers of the 16th century, the Terem Palace was built for Mikhail Fedorovich, all the Kremlin cathedrals were repainted, including the Assumption Cathedral (1642), the Church of the Deposition of the Robe (1644).
In 1642 construction began on the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles in the Kremlin.
On July 23 (July 13, old style), 1645, Mikhail Fedorovich died of water sickness. Buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
First wife - Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova. The marriage was childless.
The second wife is Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva. Marriage brought Mikhail Fedorovich seven daughters (Irina, Pelageya, Anna, Martha, Sophia, Tatiana, Evdokia) and three sons (Alexei, Ivan, Vasily). Not all children survived even to adolescence. Parents experienced the death of their sons Ivan and Vasily in one year especially hard.
Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1629-1676, reigned 1645-1676) became the heir to the throne.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
