“The time has come for the feat!” How the First Militia was created
Despite the fact that the Poles seized Moscow and trampled the boyars government under them, independent power centers remained in the Russian state. Bleeding out, Smolensk still stood firmly, chained to himself the best regiments of the Polish king Sigismund III. He fought off the gangs of Nizhny Novgorod. I did not want to surrender to the enemy and Zaraysk, where from February 1610, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky had been in the province. The fortress more than once reflected the raids of the Crimean Tatars. It was hard under Zaraisk and during the Polish intervention. Wishing to keep such a city important for the defense of Moscow, Tsar Vasily Shuisky appointed Dmitry Pozharsky as a Zaraisk voivode, sending a small force of archers to help him. When the Tushins sent a letter to the city demanding to swear to False Dmitry II, Pozharsky rejected this demand. In response, a rebellion broke out in Zaraisk. The voivode with a few people took refuge in the Kremlin, where the townspeople kept food and the most valuable property, and, closing the gate, "sat under siege." A few days later, the rebels, seeing the firmness and determination of their governor, surrendered. At the talks, they decided: "Who is the king in Moscow, that is what to serve."
In neighboring Ryazan, the ambitious Duma nobleman Procopius Lyapunov ruled, in the past he supported the False Dmitry I, playing a large role in his elevation. After the murder of False Dmitry I Lyapunov did not swear to Vasily Shuisky and participated in the Bolotnikov uprising. Then he quarreled with the Bolotnikovists and went over to the side of Tsar Vasily. During the Moscow siege, when the Tushians were besieged the capital, he greatly helped Moscow with reinforcements and food. At this time, Lyapunov was reigned by the king for loyalty and zeal. Lyapunov still did not like Vasily Shuisky and defended the interests of Prince Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky, even suggested that he become king. After his sudden death, the voivod began sending letters to the cities, accusing them of Tsar Vasily of deliberately poisoning Skopin and calling on everyone to revolt against Shuisky. With the support of his people, Tsar Vasily Shuisky was overthrown.
Initially Lyapunov reacted positively to the decision of the Boyar Duma to elect the Polish prince Vladislav to reign, sent his son Vladimir with a greeting to hetman Zolkiewski. However, news of Polish perfidy quickly diverged across Russia. From the Poles, Abraham Palitsyn, the kelars of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, managed to escape from the Poles, spreading the truth. And Prokopiy’s brother Zakhar Lyapunov secretly forwarded to his brother news of the intentions of the interventionists. It was also found out that even submission to the Polish king does not save from violence. The cities that admitted the Poles suffered pogroms and devastation. A letter from Smolensk and Bryansk nobles began to spread throughout the country, hoping to preserve their estates, they were the first to serve the king, but their estates were plundered, relatives were killed or stolen in bondage. Attempts to achieve justice at court, or at least buy out relatives from captivity, have come to nothing. People who went to Poland to look for wives and children “lost their heads there,” and the ransom was taken from them. Prokopy Lyapunov sent an ultimatum to the boyars government: would they, they say, send the promised “Orthodox” Vladislav to the kingdom, or the whole treaty - a lie? In this case, he threatened to “fight to the death with the Poles and Lithuanians” and began sending out his own appeals.
In addition, Patriarch Hermogenes, who was initially inclined to agree to the election of Vladislav as the Russian tsar, subject to the royal acceptance of the Orthodox faith and observance of all Russian customs, also found that the "concessions" of the Poles are lies. Realizing the plans of the enemy and finding a threat to the state and the Orthodox Church, Hermogen, not yielding to the pressure and threats of the boyars-traitors and Poles, freed the Muscovites from oath Vladislav, cursed him and the king and began writing and making appeals to the faithful sons of Russia, urging them to stand up for Orthodoxy and Fatherland. "You see how your fatherland is being plundered, how they swear at holy icons and temples, how they shed innocent blood ... Disasters like our disasters have never happened, you will not find anything like this in any books." The patriarch urged: “Defend yourself and arm yourself, and mend the advice among themselves, as if to us from all enemies of excess. The time has come! ”
Patriarch Hermogenes at the Millennium of Russia monument
These appeals found a response in the Russian kingdom. In particular, the position of the patriarch influenced Lyapunov. At the same time, supporters of False Dmitry II, who was killed in December 1610, began to look for allies. Lyapunov met with Ataman Zarutsky, with the "Tush boyar" Trubetskoy and agreed to act together. Thus, a coalition of two forces was created - the Ryazan militia and the former Tushins. In addition, in January, 1611, Prokopy Lyapunov turned to Pozharsky, with a proposal to unite and expel the interventionists from Moscow. He called on the Zaraisky governor "to stand together with all the earth, as one, and fight with strangers to death with foreigners." The place of assembly for rati was the Ryazan city of Shatsk. Pozharsky decided to accept this offer.
The Poles, having learned about this, decided to crush the uprising in the bud and threw a large detachment of Sumbulov against Lyapunov, who, along with the gang of Zaporozhye Cossacks, Ataman Nalyvayko, joined the path of Pronsk and laid siege to this poorly fortified city. However, Pozharsky spoke to Lyapunov’s help. He quickly gathered his forces and leaving a small detachment for the defense of the fortress, went with a quick march to Pronsk. Having learned about the approach to Lyapunov from Zaraisk and other cities, the gentry and the Cossacks lifted the siege and fled. The detachment of the Zaraisk voevoda with the Kolomna and Ryazan detachments, which came to their rescue, did not find them. As soon as Pozharsky had time to return to Zaraisk, on the same night the Cossacks, hoping for surprise in the small number of the city’s garrison, broke into the prison. But Prince Dmitry himself led from the Kremlin to the attack of his archers. A brutal battle broke out in the prison. By order of the governor the gates of the city were closed. Robber Cossacks ruthlessly exterminated. Some of them still managed to break through from Zaraysk, but during the persecution many were killed.
Prokofy Lyapunov
Ivan Zarutsky. Later images
Formation of the militia
It should be noted that at the beginning of 1611, the patriotic correspondence between the cities became extremely strong and expanded. Even when Prince Skopin-Shuisky organized the northern militia in 1608 — 1609. Russian cities agreed on a general resistance to the enemy. In 1611, the number of such conscription letters increased dramatically. In many lists they went to all parts of the Russian state. Special messengers traveled from town to town, from county to county, called the people for a general gathering with a bell, read out letters and urged everyone to rise to expel foreign invaders from the Russian land. At the same meeting, the whole world wrote letters encouraging them to go "to the sovereign traitors", to the interventionists.
The population of cities and villages enthusiastically responded to these conscription letters. Many have already experienced the actions of the interventionists or all sorts of bandit groups (looting, massacres, violence). The national consciousness of the broad masses of the people grew. At the gatherings discussed questions about the organization of the militia and self-defense. People kissed the cross, they vowed to stand up to fight for the Motherland, not to serve the Polish king, to fight to the death with foreign invaders. Warriors were sent to the assembly points; weapon, equipment and food.
Many cities responded to the calls of Lyapunov, Patriarch Hermogenes. The Ryazan squads were joined by the militia of Nizhny Novgorod (in the ranks of which, apparently, was Kuzma Minin), Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Suzdal and Kostroma. Immediately responded Tula and Kaluga. Many Volga and Siberian cities were recalled. To Moscow from these cities went foot and horse units to take part in the liberation of the Russian capital.
In Nizhny Novgorod and Balakhna a cross-notation was made and an oath was organized. It talked about the goals of the Zemstvo militia, which was created for the liberation of Moscow: “what do we stand for the Orthodox Christian and the Moscow State and not respect the Moscow State”. According to the cross-causal record, the future militia agreed to "stand behind them" against the Polish king Sigismund III and his Russian supporters. To do this, it was necessary to preserve peace among those who gathered in the militia: “... neither can accommodate vague words, and do not fool a fool, in a crowd and a conspiracy and no evil intention will come upon anyone to anyone, and do not plunder, and do not beat, and not interfering with anyone in any way over anyone else. ” The question of the future tsar was not predetermined: “And who will give us the sovereign of Moscow and all the sovereigns of the Russian kingdom, the sovereign, God will give, and we will have the sovereign to serve him and direct and goodness in everything, according to this godfather kiss”. With the adoption of the cross-causal record, the possibility of Prince Vladislav’s vocation was not excluded. “And the king will not give us his son to the Moscow state and the Polish and Lithuanian people from Moscow and from all Moscow and Ukrainian cities will not lead, and he will not retreat from Smolensk, and will not take the military people to death:”
The second part of the militia were the Cossacks - the former Tushians, led by the boyar Dmitry Trubetskoy and the Don Ataman Ivan Zarutsky. Joined the Ryazan and Tushino steward Prosovetsky, a detachment of which stood north of Moscow. Many commanders of the deceased “Tushino Tsar” joined the people's militia, since the death of False Dmitry II did not know whom to serve, and now they hoped to continue the “free life”. Although there were also many who consciously wanted to stand “for the land and the Orthodox faith” and hated the Poles.
The self-confident and overbearing Lyapunov believed that he would be able to hold in his hands allies from among the former Tushins. Therefore, he not only conspired with the atamans standing near Kaluga and Tula, but also called for Cossack reinforcements, all the outlying, lower Cossacks, promising salary and military equipment. Thanks to such appeals, large masses of Cossacks gathered around Moscow from all sides. As a result, they numerically exceeded the provincial military nobility, on which Lyapunov relied, which ultimately led to the collapse of the First Militia.
The Ryazan voevoda did not gather militia units into a single army on the distant approaches to Moscow. Spring came, which turned worn winter roads into impassable mud. Therefore, in March, 1611, on the last winter route, the militiamen began to push from all sides to Moscow. From Ryazan went Lyapunov, who laid siege to Kolomna, from Tula - Zarutsky, from Suzdal - Prosovetsky and Izmailov, from Murom - Repnin.
On the beginning of the march to Moscow tells the unsubscribe from Yaroslavl to Kazan. It was attached to the “List of which city the governor went to with military men”, giving an idea of the initial composition of the First Militia: “From Rezani, with voivod Prokofye Petrovich Lyapunov, Rezansky cities and Sivera. From Murom, with okolnichim with Prince Vasily Fedorovich Masalsky, Muromtsy with okolni cities. From Nizhny, with the governor with Prince Oleksandr Ondreyevich Repnin, Ponizovy people. From Suzdal, yes from Volodymyr, with the governor with Ortemya Izmailov, and with Ondrey Prosovetsky, near the cities, and the Cossacks of the Volk and the Cherkasy, who were near Pskov. From Vologda and from the Pomeranian cities, with voivod Fedor Nashchekin. From Romanov, from Murza and from Tatars and from Ruska people, voivode Prince Vasily Romanovich Pronskoi and Prince Fedor Kozlovskaya. With Galician lyudmi voivod Peter Ivanovich Mansurov. Prince Fyodor Ivanovich Volkonskaya with the Kostroma lyudmi voivode.
Prince Pozharsky at the head of his squad made from Zaraysk in early March. Approaching the capital, his warriors entered the Moscow settlements in small groups and one by one. The same was done by the warriors from other units, the first to approach the outskirts of the Russian capital.
The fall of Novgorod. "Pskov thief"
The militia was supported by Novgorod and Pskov, but they had their own problems. They had to fight the Swedish invasion, the Poles and gangs. Novgorod in January 1611, recaptured from the Swedes Ladoga. Persistent battles were under the Nut. The Swedes bombarded, attacked him, but still could not take and retreated. By spring, the situation deteriorated. The Swedes of Delagardi besieged Korela. In the absence of regular troops, a militia from the local population was gathered to protect Korela. 2000 militiamen and 500 archers commanded by Governor I. M. Pushkin, A. Bezobrazov, V. Abramov, and Bishop Sylvester rose to the defense of the fortress. From September 1610 to March 1611, the heroic defense of the fortress continued. It ended in complete exhaustion of the defenders' forces (only about 100 people remained in the garrison) and Korela’s surrender. Voivod Pushkin entered into negotiations and uttered the honorable conditions of delivery, the remnants of the soldiers and citizens allowed to leave with all the property.
In the 1611 year, taking advantage of the fact that Moscow could not help Novgorod in any way, the Swedes launched a new offensive. The Swedes approached Novgorod. In Novgorod itself, there were troubles: some were for an alliance with the Swedes, others were against. Voivod Buturlin until the last hoped to negotiate with Delagardi and did not fortify the city. In the meantime, Delagardi decided by force to take Novgorod in order to put an end to the lengthy and fruitless negotiations and hesitations. 8 July 1611 he led the troops on the attack, but the people of Novgorod repulsed the attack after a fierce battle. However, there was a traitor and in the night from 16-th to July 17, he spent the Swedes in Novgorod. The Swedes, having broken the weak resistance of the townspeople, occupied Novgorod. Buturlin led his troops out of the city, not having put up resistance. Therefore, many accused him of treason.
25 July 1611 between Novgorod and the Swedish king signed an agreement according to which the Swedish king was declared the patron saint of Russia, and one of his sons (Prince Charles Philip) became the Moscow Tsar and the Novgorod Grand Prince. Thus, the Novgorod land became formally independent Novgorod state, located under the Swedish protectorate, even though in reality this Novgorod region was occupied by the Swedes. At the head of Novgorod were from the Russian side Ivan Nikitich Bolshoi Odoyevsky, from the Swedish side - Jacob Delagardi.
At this time, the army of Hetman Hodkevich invaded Pskovshchina from Livonia. Pechorsky monastery was besieged, having stood six weeks in March-April. The detachments of the Poles dispersed, ruining the neighborhood. After seven attacks, Chodkiewicz withdrew to carry supplies to the Polish garrison in Moscow. But just from Khodkevich's army left the Pskov land, as Lisovsky’s gang arrived there and began to ravage the already devastated environs of Pskov and Izborsk.
In addition, a new “thief”, False Dmitry III, Mastushka (Sidorka) Verevkin, was declared. 11 March 1611 in Novgorod in the market an impostor tried to declare himself "miraculously saved Tsar Dmitry." However, he was identified and banished from the city in disgrace. From there, the new "Dmitry" with the Cossacks fled to Ivangorod, and there 23 in March, 1611, again declared himself sovereign. The impostor told the townspeople that he was not killed in Kaluga, but “miraculously saved himself” from death. Ivangorod at this time were exhausted in an unequal struggle with the Swedes, who had a fortress for several months and were happy for any help. Cossack garrison proclaimed the impostor "king." From all sides, mainly from Pskov, Cossacks flocked to the impostor. Yam, Koporye and Gdov also passed under the rule of the Ivangorod "thief". The first attempt to subdue Pskov from an impostor failed. His troops retreated as the Swedish detachment approached under the command of General Evert Horn. Gradually, however, his position, against the background of the surrounding collapse, strengthened. "Tsar" recognized Pskov, the Swedes and the leaders of the First Militia negotiated with him. Gorn decided to lure the False Dmitry to the Swedish side, inviting him to become governor of Pskov, but to abandon his claims to the Russian throne in favor of the Swedish prince. Playing in the "legitimate king", False Dmitry III rejected this proposal.
Pskov turned out to be an impregnable fortress for the Swedes, all attempts at assault in September-October 1611 were repulsed. However, Pskov was in a critical situation. Pskov Oblast was ruled by Deacon Lugovskiy with the townspeople, the governor was not. Pskov was threatened by Poles, Swedes and Russian gangs who, under the name of "Cossacks", ruined the surrounding lands and wanted to put in the kings of the new "Dmitry." In April, the Pskov people sent for help and advice to Moscow. The petitioners returned in July with certificates whose contents are unknown. But it was obvious that Moscow could not help the remote suburbs, as she herself needed help.
Not seeing any help for themselves from nowhere, the Pskovites, whose land was devastated by both the Swedes and the Poles, called the False Dmitry III to themselves. 4 December 1611, an impostor drove into Pskov, where he was "announced" to the king. The Cossacks of the “Tsar” began to make raids from Pskov and Gdov on Derpt and in Swedish Livonia. Things reached the point that the leaders of the First Militia sent their representatives to Pskov, Kazarin Begichev and Nekhoroshka Lopukhin, who, with a lot of people in Pskov, said that they were “our true sovereign”. At the same time, Pleshcheyev, who personally knew the False Dmitry II, once again publicly recognized in the new impostor "Tsar Dmitry Ivanovich." 2 March 1612, the Government of the First Militia swore to False Dmitry III. The oath of the impostor was brought by the southern and northern cities. A new impostor was preparing to march on Moscow.
However, he was ruined by lowly addictions. Having reached the government, the “Pskov thief” began a dissolute life, committed violence against citizens and imposed heavy levies on the population. In Pskov, a conspiracy against the impostor. The Moscow Cossacks, disillusioned with the "king", left Pskov. The conspirators arrested the "thief". He was put in a cage and put on public display. In July, 1612, he was taken to Moscow, on the way to the convoy was attacked by a detachment of Poles under the command of Lisovsky. Pskovs killed the "thief" and fled. According to another version, False Dmitry III was nevertheless taken to Moscow and executed there.
To be continued ...
- Alexander Samsonov
- Troubles
Folk hero Kuzma Minin and Smoot
How the False Dmitry I was killed
How suppressed the uprising Bolotnikov
How the False Dmitry II tried to take Moscow
The ruin of the Russian land. Heroic defense of the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius
Skopin-Shuisky's hike: the battles of Torzkom, Tver and Kalyazino
How did the Polish invasion begin? Completion of the liberation of Moscow by the army of Skopin-Shuisky: the battle on the Karinsky field and near Dmitrov
The heroic defense of Smolensk
How the Polish army stormed Smolensk
Klushinskaya catastrophe of the Russian army
How Russia almost became a colony of Poland, Sweden and England
Information