400 years ago Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov as Russian Tsar
February 21 (March 3) 1613 The Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail F. Romanov (1596 — 1645) as the Tsar of the Russian State. Mikhail Fedorovich became the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty. He was the son of the boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov (later Moscow Patriarch Philaret) and Ksenia Ivanovna (nee Shestova), and was the first cousin of the last Russian sovereign from the ruling branch of the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ivanovich. Mikhail's grandfather was Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin (ca. 1522 — 1585 or 1586); his sister, Anastasia Zakharyina-Yuryeva (Romanovna), was the first wife of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, the mother of Tsar Fedor Ivanovich.
The Romanov family belonged to the ancient families of the Moscow boyars. The first representative of this name, known from written sources, is Andrei Ivanovich, nicknamed Mare, in the middle of the 14 century served the great Vladimir and Moscow prince Simeon Gordomu. Under Boris Godunov, the Romanovs were accused of conspiracy and subjected to disgrace. In 1601, the sons of Nikita Romanovich, Fyodor, Alexander, Mikhail, Ivan and Vasily were tonsured as monks and exiled to Siberia, where most of them died. In 1605, the False Dmitry I, proving his relationship with the Romanovs, returned from exile the surviving members of the Romanovs' clan - Fyodor Nikitich (as a monk of Philaret), his wife Xenia (as a monk of Martha), their son, and Ivan Nikitich.
Philaret became one of the highest hierarchs of the church - the metropolitan of Rostov, and remained in opposition to the throne after the overthrow of the False Dmitry Vasily Shuisky. From 1608, he was the “named patriarch” in the Tushinsky camp of the new impostor, False Dmitry II (“Tushinsky thief”), his spiritual power spread to the territories controlled by the Tushins. At the same time, the “patriarch” Filaret, if necessary, presented himself before the enemies of False Dmitry II as his “prisoner” and did not apply for the post of patriarch. In 1610, Fyodor Nikitich was “beaten off” from the Tushins, took part in the overthrow of Vasily Shuisky and became an active activist of the “seven-boyars” regime. Unlike Patriarch Hermogenes, Filaret was in principle not opposed to the election of the Russian tsar of the Polish prince Vladislav Sigismundovich, but suggested that he should accept Orthodoxy. As a participant in negotiations with the Polish king Sigismund III near Smolensk in 1611, he refused to sign the final treaty prepared by the Poles, and was arrested, stayed in Polish captivity until 1619, when he was released in accordance with the terms of the Deulinsky 1618 truce of the year.
Ivan Nikitich was produced by the False Dmitry in the boyars. In 1606 — 1607 He was a voivod in Kozelsk and fought with supporters of False Dmitry II. Then he became part of the boyars government - the Seven Boyars. Ivan Romanov became one of the richest people in Russia. However, during the Zemsky Sobor, the new Tsar who elected 1613 miscalculated, Ivan Nikitich supported the candidacy of the Swedish king Karl Philip, and when the Cossacks nominated his nephew Michael, he replied: "That is Prince Mikhail Fyodorovich still young and not completely intelligent." As a result, during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, Ivan Nikitich was removed from public affairs.
The convocation of the Zemsky Sobor and its decision
October 26 1612 in Moscow, without receiving help from the forces of hetman Chodkiewicz, capitulated the Polish garrison. The leadership of the Second Militia decided to hold elections for a new king. On behalf of the liberators of Moscow - Pozharsky and Trubetskoy, letters about the convocation of the Zemsky Sobor were sent to Russian cities. There is information about the letters sent to Vychegodskaya Sol, Pskov, Novgorod, Uglich, they ordered the representatives of each city to arrive in the capital before December 6. However, the electoral congress process was delayed. Some lands were severely devastated and depopulated, someone sent a 10-10 person, someone one. As a result, the opening date of the Zemsky Sobor meetings was postponed from December 6 1612 to January 6 1613.
I must say that the problems at that time were enough without the Zemsky Sobor. The Polish king, taking part of the Smolensk garrison and joining the remnants of Chodkiewicz's troops, moved along the Rzhevskaya road to Moscow. Receiving the news of the fall of the Polish garrison in Moscow, he recalled the Smolensk Treaty, which he had earlier rejected, and began to say that he had come to give Vladislav, chosen by the Russians, who allegedly had previously been ill and could not arrive. In Moscow, they were not ready for serious battles: the fortifications were half-destroyed, there was no food supply, so most of the militia, nobles and Cossacks went home and other areas. Trubetskoy and Pozharsky had no more than 3-4 thousand warriors. However, they decided not to give in and meet the enemy with their breasts, not admitting them to the city.
Siguzmund meanwhile approached Volokolamsk. Poles in the fortress was not allowed. The king leaped arrogance and decided to punish the disobedient city, the siege began. The embassy of Mezetsky was sent to Moscow accompanied by an 1 ths horse regiment. The militia with the embassy did not stand on ceremony, the horsemen were rejected, and Ambassador Mezetsky ran to the Russians. At this time, Siguzmund was unsuccessfully trampling near Volokolamsk, all Polish assaults were repelled, the Cossacks made a successful sortie, seizing several guns. Winter began, foragers were killed by partisans (shishy). 27 November the king gave the order to retreat.
Russia was able to more or less calmly proceed to state-building. For this, the Zemstvo government decided not to stir up the past and not to settle accounts, since many prominent boyars and nobles served various governments. Whoever and in what party he served during the Time of Troubles, retained the awards and ranks, even those received from the “Tushinsky thief”. Only the titles and awards granted by Sigismund were declared invalid. Under arrest took only obvious Polish accomplices, Andronov and his assistants.
At the beginning of 1613, delegates began to come to Moscow. Elected from all classes and groups came: nobles, clergy, townspeople (citizens), archers, Cossacks, black-nosy peasants. 16 January Zemsky Sobor began its work. Among the representatives of the Russian nobility there were several names that could claim the throne. This was the Golitsyn family, which was descended from Gedemin Lithuanian. However, the most prominent representative of this family - the commander and most active participant in the events of the Time of Troubles, Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn (1572 — 1619) was absent. V. Golitsyn fought against Lzhedmitry, but after the death of Boris Godunov, he and Fyodor Basmanov changed Fedor Borisovich Godunov and went over to the side of the impostor. He was a participant in the assassination of Fyodor Godunov, the conspiracy and the overthrow of False Dmitry, then Vasily Shuisky, he was invariably on the side of the victors in all conflicts. He was unlucky in 1610, when he became a member of the embassy to Sigismund III. He was detained along with Filaret, then he became a prisoner and died in captivity.
Fyodor Ivanovich Mstislavsky, the prince bred from Gedemin. He still in the 1598 year after the death of Fyodor Ivanovich was called among the claimants to the throne, was a competitor to Boris Godunov. In the Time of Troubles, the role of the “king's maker” played a role, his name as a possible master of the Russian throne sounded twice more - in 1606 and 1611. After the overthrow of Vasily Shuisky, the political role of Mstislavsky became even stronger, he headed the Seven Boyars (1610 — 1612). During this period, was a supporter of the election to the Russian throne, Vladislav. However, in 1613, his chances of obtaining the throne were undermined by cooperation with the Poles. Apparently, he himself was not very willing to take the throne - he could try to do it earlier.
Among the clans that could claim the throne, were the Kurakins (they were descended from Gedemin). Prince Ivan Semenovich Kurakin (? -1632) was a member of a conspiracy against False Dmitry and enthroned Prince Vasily Shuisky. The prince fought against the troops of False Dmitry II, acted under the leadership of Prince Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky. Together with Mstislavsky, after the overthrow of V. Shuisky, he initiated the election of the ruler of the Russian kingdom from a European royal dynasty. He actively promoted the candidacy of Prince Vladislav, after this plan was not realized, Kurakin switched to the service of Sigismund III. The traitor's reputation did not allow him to claim the throne in 1613.
Among the candidates for the kingdom was Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Vorotynsky, as one of the most distinguished and capable boyars. Vorotynskie were a branch of the princes Novosilsky and were considered one of the most noble families of the Russian kingdom. Ivan Vorotinsky contributed to the overthrow of the False Dmitry, fought with the supporters of the second impostor and Bolotnikov, was among those who took power from V. Shuisky. He became a member of the boyar government, but supported Hermogenes and was persecuted by other boyars, was arrested. According to the official version, during the election of 1613, Vorotinsky recused himself.
Godunovs and Shuiskys could also claim the throne, these names occupied the throne and were relatives of the earlier ruling monarchs. Shuisky were descendants of the Suzdal princes, belonged to the Rurik family. However, representatives of these clans were considered politically dangerous, since taking the throne, they could deal with settling accounts with opponents, those who participated in the possible poisoning of Boris Godunov, the murder of his son, the overthrow of Vasily Shuisky and his extradition to the Poles.
Princes Dmitry Pozharsky and Dmitry Trubetskoy could also become candidates for the throne. The generals glorified their names in the fight against the "thieves" and the Poles, but did not differ in nobility. But Pozharsky did not suffer from heightened ambition and didn’t mark the kings. In Moscow, the formal leadership gave Trubetskoy, who tried to organize a campaign of his election. In addition, after being wounded in the head, Pozharsky was often sick and went down for a long time. Among the foreign candidates were Polish and Swedish queens Vladislav Sigismundovich and Carl Philipp.
One of the first decisions of the Council was the refusal to consider the candidacies of the royals Vladislav and Karl Philip, as well as Marina Mniszek and her son from marriage with False Dmitry II, “Little Pug”. Here for the kind of Romanov opened a straight road. Their interests at the Council were defended by the boyar Fyodor Sheremetev, who was a relative of the Romanovs. Other Romanov relatives, Cherkasskys, Troyekurovs, Lobanovs, Mikhalkovs, Veshnyakovs, joined their parties. They supported the candidacy of Romanov and the clergy - Patriarch Filaret enjoyed considerable authority in their midst. In particular, for the Romanov spoke Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Researchers point out several factors that influenced the election of Romanov. Mikhail's father, Patriarch Filaret, was in the camp of the Tushino Thief, which gave hope to his former supporters that they would not be persecuted. Philaret took a patriotic stance in the Smolensk embassy, earning universal respect. The last name of the Romanovs was not badly smeared with cooperation with the Poles. Boyarin Ivan Nikitich Romanov was a member of the Seven Boyars, but was in opposition to his relatives, opposed the election of Fyodor. Boyar Fyodor Sheremetyev agitated: “Let's choose Misha Romanov! He is young and will be ours! ”Fyodor’s youth and inexperience in Moscow politics (according to some sources, he received poor education and training because of the turbulent events of this time), was beneficial to experienced princely boyars.
However, the main role was played by the force factor - the Cossack detachments that remained in Moscow literally pushed Mikhail Fedorovich’s candidacy. In whose interests they acted, story is silent. 4 (according to other data, 7) at a meeting of the Council in February a proposal for the election of Mikhail was filed by servicemen from Galich, Don ataman Mezhakov, kelar of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Palitsyn and Kaluga merchant Sudovshikov. The issue has not been finally resolved. He was postponed for two weeks so that delegates could go to their cities and “see” whether the locals would support their candidacy.
February 21 gathered again. The boyars, who insisted on other candidates, started talking again about foreign queens, or postponement, they say, we must call Mikhail himself to look at him. Here Moscow simple people and the Cossacks were outraged by delays and intrigues, the final discussion was brought to the “street”. In Red Square, where crowds of people gathered, they unanimously approved the election of Mikhail as Tsar. Around the same time, Ivan Susanin accomplished his feat, who started one of the Polish gangs who continued to rob Russian regions in the swamps.
A few days later, an embassy was sent to Kostroma, where Mikhail Romanov lived with his mother, under the command of Archimandrite Theodoret of Trinity. It was supposed to give Michael a catholic oath and announce his election to the throne. According to the official version, Michael initially refused such honor, since the fate of the last Russian monarchs was very sad. He was supported by his mother Martha. Anyway, Mikhail Romanov listened to the arguments of the envoys and agreed to take the Russian presto. He arrived in Moscow 2 May 1613 of the year. In Russia, a new dynasty was established.
Russia has made an important step towards stabilization, the end of the Troubles. The war with the "thieves", the bandits of the robbers, the Poles and the Swedes, the reassurance of the state was delayed for several more years, but it was already a rise, not a fall.
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