Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Tsar Mikhail Romanov Creation of new army regiments

After the turmoil, the people decided to elect their ruler. Each proposed various candidates, including themselves, and could not come to a consensus. Once, some nobleman from Galich brought a written opinion to the cathedral, which said that Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was the closest in kinship with the former tsars. The opinion of the nobleman was supported, which resolved the issue.

Mikhail at that time was in Kostroma, together with his mother (in the Ipatiev Monastery). Mikhail and his mother categorically refused the offer. The ambassadors prayed with tears and beat with their foreheads from three in the afternoon until nine in the evening. Finally they agreed, and Mikhail announced that he would soon be in Moscow. On May 2, Mikhail entered Moscow with his mother, and on June 11 he was crowned king.

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich was young and inexperienced, and until 1619 the country was ruled by the nun Martha and her relatives (after the release of Patriarch Filaret, father of Mikhail, from Polish captivity in 1619, power actually passed to Filaret). 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 torments of Ivan the Terrible, the insidious reign of Boris, and finally, the turmoil and the complete breakdown of all state ties produced a miserable, 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 ”

The wedding of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in the Assumption Cathedral.

Stolbovsky world.

Having captured Novgorod and its environs during the Time of Troubles, the Swedes forced the people to swear allegiance to Prince Philip. The king decided to act cunningly. He gave the Novgorodians two letters - in one he called them traitors, and in a secret letter he forgave them. But the duma Moscow clerk reported to the Swedes about this trick - the war began. The Swedes besieged the city of Tikhvin and beat the Russian troops, and in the autumn of 1614. captured the city of Gdov. Only February 27, 1617. A peace treaty was signed in Stolbov.

According to the text of the treaty, the Novgorod lands were divided between two states: Veliky Novgorod and its environs, captured during the Time of Troubles, including Staraya Russa, Ladoga, Porkhov, Gdov with counties, as well as the area of ​​Lake Samro, and everything captured by the Swedes on this territory of state and church property. The Russian cities of Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, Korela, the entire Neva and Oreshek with the county departed to the Swedish kingdom, Russia lost access to the Baltic Sea. In addition, Moscow pledged to pay the Swedish crown 20,000 silver rubles - a huge amount in those days.

Deulinsky truce (Polyanovsky world).

The Russo-Polish war began in 1609. During the campaigns of 1609-1612, the Polish-Lithuanian troops managed to occupy a significant territory of the Russian kingdom, including the largest fortress of Smolensk.

In 1616, the Polish-Lithuanian army, led by Vladislav Vaza and the Lithuanian hetman, the great Jan Khodkevich, again invaded Russia with the aim of overthrowing Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The Polish-Lithuanian troops managed to advance to Mozhaisk, where they were stopped. After the failure near Moscow, the main forces of the army of the Commonwealth settled down in the area of ​​​​the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and the Cossacks - in the Kaluga area. The presence of enemy armies on the territory of Russia, exhaustion from years of Troubles and wars, as well as internal instability forced the Russian government to agree to peace negotiations (the term of the truce was set at 14 years and 6 months) on unfavorable terms.

Russia conceded the following cities to the Commonwealth: Smolensk, Roslavl, Dorogobuzh, Belaya, Serpeysk, Trubchevsk, Novgorod-Seversky, Chernigov. And also Vladislav Vaza retained the right to be called the Russian Tsar in the official papers of the Polish-Lithuanian state. The Commonwealth returned cities to Russia: Kozelsk, Vyazma, Meshchovsk, Mosalsk.

And later, after the siege of Smolensk by Shein, an “eternal peace” was concluded 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.

Exploration of Siberia.

Initially, the city of Yeniseisk was built in Siberia. In 1621, having conquered the nearest nations, they founded Krasnoyarsk. And in 1631. Cossack Porfiryev and his Cossacks built Bratsk Ostrog (on the Angara River) and tried to conquer the Buryats. Then the explorers went down the Lena River and in 1632. founded Yakutsk. Ustyansk was also laid by Yelisey Yuryev. The researchers studied peoples (forcing Russia to submit), rivers (where they start, where they flow) and lands. In 1643 Kurbat Ivanov and the Cossacks went down the Lena and discovered Lake Baikal.

Death of Mikhail Fedorovich.

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.” He died on July 13 (23), 1645 from abdominal dropsy 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. Mikhail Fedorovich was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

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

In difficult times from 1606 to 1610, Vasily Shuisky ruled. 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. Such was the difficult 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 the outside world, the horrors of a state of siege and hunger.

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 Marfa. 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. The domestic policy of 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 (the captured cities returned to him: Veliky Novgorod, Ladoga, Gdov, Porkhov, Staraya Russa, as well as the Sumer region) and the Kingdom of Sweden (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, Reiter, 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.

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov

After the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow, the leadership of the Second Militia settled in the capital, and the main orders were also located there. It was necessary to assemble the Zemsky Sobor, designed to solve the main issue: to elect a new head of state. And letters on the convocation, election and dispatch of delegates to Moscow "ten people of the best, reasonable and constant, with whom it was possible to talk about God's and Zemstvo about a big deal for an agreement" were sent already at the end of November 1612. In addition, the elected delegates had to speak about this public matter "freely and fearlessly, so that they were direct without any cunning." At the end of December 1612 - beginning of January 1613, representatives of all classes and social groups of Russia gathered in Moscow for the Council of the whole Russian land.

Expulsion of the Poles from the Moscow Kremlin in 1612

The Polish Prince Vladislav and the Swedish Duke Carl Philip continued to be contenders for the Moscow throne. The leaders of the First and Second People's Militias took part in the election campaign: princes Dmitry Pozharsky, Dmitry Trubetskoy, Dmitry Cherkassky and others. Vasily Golitsyn was in Polish captivity, Mstislavsky and Vorotynsky recoiled. But the main figure turned out to be the 16-year-old youth Mikhail Romanov, the son of the captive Tushino Metropolitan Filaret (in the world of Fyodor Romanov) and the nun Martha (in the world of Xenia Romanova)

Romanov Fedor Nikitich

Elder nun Martha

A real struggle unfolded around the candidacy of the future king. Each of the boyar groups tried to promote its representative to the throne. Only the Polish and Swedish princes, applicants of "other German faiths and from some non-Orthodox states" and Marinka's son were unanimously rejected. It was decided to put a "natural Russian sovereign" on the Russian throne

Statements that Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was unanimously elected at the Zemsky Sobor are nothing more than a myth. The fact is that in Moscow on the eve and during the election of the Council there was a complete predominance of the Cossacks (about ten thousand; nobles with slaves about one and a half, and archers and not at all less than a thousand people) and they practically dictated their conditions to the leadership of the Second Militia. It was the dominance of the Cossacks that played a decisive role. Moreover, direct, rude intervention with the use of force, moreover, twice, made the candidacy of Mikhail Romanov not only acceptable to the main part of the deputies of this cathedral, but the only possible one. First, on February 7, at the pre-election, the Cossacks broke into the chamber for meetings and forced Mikhail Romanov to be proclaimed. But before publicly announcing the name of the new tsar, they conducted, so to speak, a study of the target audience, sending envoys from the Zemsky Sobor to the cities to see if this candidate would be popular there.

Cossacks at the Zemsky Cathedral,Mikhail GORELIK

Theophylact Mezhakov

If you believe Klyuchevsky, at the most tense moment, the ataman of the Don Cossacks Feofilakt Mezhakov, during a meeting of the Council, put a note on the table with the name of Mikhail Romanov and covered it with a naked saber from above ... Then on February 21, under pressure from all the same Cossacks, the final choice of the king passed much faster. On the same day, Mikhail Fedorovich was approved in this rank by representatives of all Russian lands.

February 21, 1613 Avraamy Palitsyn reads in the Patriarchal chambers of the Moscow Kremlin to the consecrated cathedral,
a petition to the boyars and governors about calling the boyar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the royal throne

and the porches of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin cellar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Avraamiy Palitsyn
read out the decision of the Zemsky Sobor on the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom

The ambassadors of the Zemsky Sobor inform the people and the army about the decision to elect
Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov.
The assembled people swear allegiance to the newly elected Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich

Streltsy at the election of Mikhail Fedorovich

From the Book of the Romanovs. Three hundred years of service to Russia. Ed. White City

A large delegation from the Zemsky Sobor went to the Ipatiev Monastery near Kostroma, where Mikhail and his mother were at that time. On March 13, 1613, the ambassadors, headed by the Archbishop of Ryazan Theodoret, the cellarer of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Avraamiy Palitsyn and the boyar Fyodor Ivanovich Sheremetev, arrived in Kostroma; On March 14, they were received at the Ipatiev Monastery by Mikhail Romanov and nun Martha and announced the decision of the Zemsky Sobor to elect Mikhail Fedorovich to the Moscow throne

March 14, 1613. The embassy of the Zemsky Sobor informs Mikhail Romanov about his election to the kingdom.
19th century miniature

The people and the boyars plead in front of the Ipatiev Monastery for Mikhail Romanov and his mother to accept the kingdom
Fragment

Nun Martha, fearing for the fate of her son, begged him not to accept such a heavy burden. Michael also hesitated. However, after much persuasion, the mother gave her consent to the elevation of her son to the throne. Then the elected tsar, together with his family, the delegation of the Zemsky Sobor, accompanied by a large guard, moved from Kostroma to Yaroslavl, and then along the Yaroslavl road to Moscow.

The calling of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom. N. Shustov

Vocation to the kingdom of the Romanovs - Mikhail Fedorovich
Alexey KIVSHENKO

Mikhail Nesterov. The calling of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom.

Russian royal house of the Romanovs

The calling of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom
Grigory UGRYUMOV

The call to the kingdom of Mikhail Romanov
Ivan Kuznetsov

Calling Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom

Ivan Susanin

Ivan Susanin's vision of the image of Mikhail Fedorovich, Mikhail Nesterov

Ivan Susanin
Elena DOVEDOVA

Just at this time, either in the winter or in the spring of 1613, one of the Polish detachments scouring the country decided to capture Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in order to vacate the throne for his prince Vladislav. Making their way to Kostroma, the Poles took the peasant Ivan Susanin as a guide, who, saving the life of the newly elected tsar, led enemies into a swampy forest, where he was tortured by them for refusing to show the right path.

Ivan Susanin
Maxim FAYUSTOV

Kill! torture me!—my grave is here! But know and rush: I saved Michael!

You thought you found a traitor in me: They are not and will not be on the Russian land!

In it, everyone loves their homeland from infancy And will not destroy his soul by betrayal

Kondraty Ryleev

Death of Ivan Susanin
Boris ZVORYKIN

Ivan Susanin
Michael SCOTTI

Death of Ivan Susanin

Monument to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and Ivan Susanin in Kostroma

Bas-relief on the pedestal Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and peasant Ivan Susanin in Kostroma

The Rooks Have Arrived,Alexey SAVRASOV

Church of the Resurrection in the village of Susanino, Kostroma Region, where the Museum of the Feat of Ivan Susanin is now located

Chromolithography by A.V. MOROZOV

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich's entry into Moscow. 1613

May 1613 The consecrated cathedral, the Moscow citizens and the arriving people of all classes solemnly welcome the newly elected Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and the Empress the great old woman Marfa Ivanovna at the Sretensky Gate.
From the Book of the Romanovs. Three hundred years of service to Russia. Publishing House White City

May 3, 1613. The procession of the higher clergy, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, boyars, nobles and townspeople through the territory of the Moscow Kremlin to the Assumption Cathedral to perform a solemn prayer service in it

July 11, 1613 Procession of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich to the coronation. Engraving

Procession along the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin.
Miniature from the Book of the Election and Crowning of the Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich.

July 11, 1613. Kingdom wedding.
Metropolitan Ephraim anoints the newly-married Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in the royal gates of the Assumption Cathedral

The wedding of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov in the Assumption Cathedral

The wedding of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom
Boris CHORIKOV

July 11, 12, 13, 1613.
Feast in the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin on the occasion of the wedding of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom

Large (first) outfit of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich crown cap, orb, scepter

Seal of Mikhail Fedorovich Adam Olearius Travel description

Portrait of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in the Ipatevsky Monastery (Kostroma).

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in the Miracle Monastery of the Moscow Kremlin prays at the relics of St. Alexia
Miniature of the 17th century. Engraving, watercolor

The problem of Mikhail Fedorovich was not only that he was not only young, but also that he was not married. In general, this is an unprecedented case for Russia: as a rule, a person whose parent has already died was on the throne. And Russian family traditions in this case provided for guardianship on the part of the father, and so on. pressure on the sovereign and his decisions. But the father, Fyodor Romanov, was in captivity at that moment, and then it suddenly became clear that a woman close to power is also capable of much. Nun Martha, in the world Xenia Ivanovna, the mother of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, who was constantly with her son, proved to be a fairly strong political figure.

She correctly judged that she should nominate faithful people in order to strengthen the position of her son. Thanks to her, the Saltykovs, Mikhail's cousins, began to play the main role at court, and Marfina's nephews, Boris and Mikhail. The monarch himself was by nature an intelligent person, but due to his fanatical piety, melancholy, apoliticality and lack of education (when ascending the throne, he could barely read), he was not able to govern the country and in everything obeyed the will of his mother and temporary workers, did nothing without their consent . Even when in 1616 Mikhail decided to marry Maria Khlopova, the daughter of a poor nobleman, his mother and the Saltykovs opposed this (seeing the uncle of the bride as a competitor to his influence at court), the tsar did not dare to disobey the will of his mother

The choice of the bride, I.E. Repin

But we need to complete the story of another heroine of the Time of Troubles. Marina Mnishek. We left her in the company of ataman Ivan Zarutsky in the vicinity of Kolomna in 1612

Marina and Zarutsky fled from Kolomna with loyal Cossacks, a considerable detachment, to the upper reaches of the Don and stopped in the fortified stronghold of Epifan, founded by Ivan the Terrible. Here they spent several months and here they received news of the Zemsky Sobor held in Moscow and the election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom. Marina wanted to go to Lithuania, i.e. leave the political scene altogether. Zarutsky also demanded the continuation of the struggle. And they went in an exotic direction: they wintered in Astrakhan in 1614, and then moved towards Iran. It was there, on the way to Iran, that Marina Mnishek, Ivan Zarutsky and a small detachment were overtaken by the troops sent to capture them from Moscow. Marina, Zarutsky and Tsarevich Ivan, Vorenok, were captured

Marina's flight with her son

Marina Mnishek before taking the veil as a nun
Claudius STEPANOV

Marinkina tower of the Kolomna Kremlin
Evgeny LADYGIN

The further fate of these characters was very sad. Zarutsky was interrogated by the tsar himself, after torture the ataman was put on a stake. And Marina's three-year-old son, Tsarevich Ivan, was hanged on the gallows outside the Serpukhov Gate. Moreover, the execution of a small child was arranged publicly, publicly, apparently in the hope that in this way it would be possible to protect oneself from the resurrected Pretenders - Tsarevich Ivanov ... Zarutsky and Vorenok became almost the only judicial victims of the Time of Troubles.

As for Marina Mniszek, she was tonsured a nun, imprisoned in Kolomna in the same tower (and maybe some other) where she died. The Poles, who were interested in the fate of Marina, were told that in Moscow "Ivashka for his evil deeds and Marinka's son were executed, and Marinka died of illness and longing of her own free will" ...

To consolidate his power, Mikhail Fedorovich, especially in the first years of his reign, relied on the authority of the Zemsky Sobor and the Boyar Duma. After all, the new Romanov dynasty ascended the throne thanks to the will of the cathedral, and therefore they regularly consulted "with all the earth"

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich at a meeting of the boyar duma
Andrey RYABUSHKIN

Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov
Sergey YAGUZHINSKY

A few words about the largest uprising that occurred at the beginning of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich in 1615-16. It was the Balovnya uprising, named after the nickname of the very well-deserved Cossack chieftain Mikhail Balovnev. The main reasons lay on the surface: complete starvation, lack of monetary salaries and the impossibility of real warfare, in order to at least try to feed oneself by military robbery. In the spring of 1615, a single army headed by Balovny moved to Moscow. Up to 5 thousand Cossacks found themselves under the walls of the White City, when there was practically no military garrison in Moscow, the main forces fought with Lisovsky's army. Nevertheless, after the approach of government troops, the rebellion was suppressed by force and cunning. The minion and 36 other chieftains were hanged. Hundreds of Cossacks were imprisoned in Moscow or sent to other cities.

Portrait of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich
Johann Heinrich WEDEKIND

After lengthy negotiations between Sweden and Russia, mediated by England, on February 27, 1617, the Stolbovsky peace was signed, according to which the Swedes returned to Russia the years. Novgorod, Staraya Russa, Ladoga and the Sumer region, and Russia conceded to Sweden Ivangorod, Kaporye, Yam, Oreshek, Korel. That. Russia has lost access to the sea.

In 1616, the grown-up Polish prince Vladislav became more active, he issued a letter to all the inhabitants of the Muscovite state, in which he declared his readiness to take the Russian throne. The Zemsky Sobor answered his claims that the country would stand for the Orthodox faith and Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich

Vladislav Vasa

But the Polish royal court, having set itself the goal of placing Prince Vladislav on the Moscow throne, undertook a campaign against Moscow, which was led by detachments of Hetman Khodkevich, Kosh ataman of the Zaporizhzhya Sich Peter Sahaidachny, with the direct assistance of Chancellor Lev Sapieha

Jan Karol Khodkevich Lev Sapieha Piotr Sahaidachny

In early October 1618, the Polish-Lithuanian troops occupied the village of Tushino and began preparations for the assault on Moscow, which took place on the night of October 11, but attempts to break through the Tver and Arbat gates were unsuccessful. In the face of the impending winter and lack of funding, Prince Vladislav agreed to negotiations

The Polish envoy discusses in the Ambassadorial Order the terms of a preliminary truce before the negotiations in Deulino
Mikhail GORELIK

On December 1, 1618, after lengthy and difficult negotiations between the parties, the Deulino truce was signed between Russia and the Commonwealth for 14.5 years, according to which Vladislav did not give up his encroachments on the Russian throne and the royal title, but Russia was able to defend its independence, although it lost Smolensk, which became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as Chernigov and Seversk lands, which became part of the Polish crown

In 1618, a trial was held against the archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Dionisy, well-known in the Time of Troubles. On behalf of Tsar Michael, he corrected mistakes made in the printing of liturgical books, eliminated absurdities and contradictions, using Greek books as models. Dionysius was accused by other monks of deviations from the canon. By the Holy Council, not without the active participation of the mother of the king Martha, Dionysius was condemned as a heretic to imprisonment; however, a new council, convened by Filaret, who had returned from Polish captivity, was justified. One of the interrogations of Dionysius took place directly in the cell of the nun Martha in the Ascension Monastery.

Trial of Archimandrite Dionysius. 1618
Engraving by M. GAZENKAMPF

According to the Deulino truce in the summer of 1619, Russian captives captured in the Time of Troubles returned from the Commonwealth, including the father of Mikhail Fedorovich, Metropolitan Filaret, who, unlike his son, still reached the mind ..

The honorable first meeting near Mozhaisk of Metropolitan Filaret, released from 8-year Polish captivity, by Archbishop Joseph, princes Dm. Pozharsky and G. Volkonsky.

The return of Patriarch Filaret from Polish captivity
Elena DOVEDOVA

Metropolitan Filaret, in the world Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, exiled and tonsured a monk under Boris Godunov, under False Dmitry I, as a "relative", returned to Moscow, was in opposition to Tsar Vasily Shuisky and lit up in the Tushino camp with False Dmitry II, as a patriarch under impostor; participated in negotiations with King Sigismund III, after which he was captured by the Commonwealth. When Filaret returned from captivity 6 years after the election of his son to the kingdom, his wife Marfa Romanova handed over the reins of government to him (not without a struggle, I must say), the Saltykovs were removed from the throne.

Portrait of Patriarch Filaret Nikitich

Seal of Patriarch Filaret

Patriarch Filaret

Even after the return of his father, when it was proved that the first bride of Mikhail Fedorovich Maria Khlopova was slandered by the Saltykovs, Mikhail Fedorovich did not disobey his mother and did not marry his beloved, although he received consent to marriage from his father. Only in 1624 did he marry Maria Dolgorukova, but the queen fell ill immediately after the wedding and died three months later. In January 1626, Mikhail Fedorovich married a second time. Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva, the daughter of a poor nobleman, became his chosen one.

She was chosen by the king at a review of the girls, "full of growth, beauty and intelligence," who were brought from all over the state. Moreover, the first day was not crowned with success, the king could not stop the choice on a single discharged and rouged girls who were in the great hall. Then they decided to examine them at night, when they would not be embarrassed by the presence of the king. He went around all the applicants and he liked the servant of the daughter of the boyar Volkonsky Evdokia Streshnev. Despite the protests of his father and mother, Mikhail gave her a handkerchief and a ring as a sign of her election as a wife.

Mikhail Fedorovich seeks advice from his father, His Holiness Patriarch Filaret on marriage

His Holiness Patriarch Filaret blesses his son, Tsar Michael, for marriage

The marriage train of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich

Magnification in the Faceted Chamber of Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva before the wedding

Archpriest of the Cathedral of the Annunciation Maxim crowning Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and Evdokia Lukyanovna

The wedding of Mikhail Fedorovich
Boris CHORIKOV

Exit of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and Tsarina Evdokia Lukyanovna after their marriage

Solemn entrance to the Palace of Facets after the wedding.

Congratulations in the Faceted Chamber

Proclamation of a toast to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and Tsarina Evdokia Lukyanovna

The rite of marriage of the Sovereign Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich with the maiden Evdokia Lukianovna, daughter of the boyar Lukian Stepanovich Streshnev

wedding feast

All of the above wedding watercolors are taken from the book Description in Persons of the celebration that took place on February 5, 1626, at the marriage of the Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich with the Empress Tsaritsa Evdokia Lukyanovna of the Streshnev family. M. Ed. P. Beketova, 1810

As we can see, the wedding was celebrated very solemnly, with all the rituals inherent in it. From the very first days, the queen fell under the influence of her imperious mother-in-law, led a terem, closed life in a circle of close noblewomen and servants. At first, she gave birth only to daughters (Irina, Pelageya), which made the spouses very sad and made them pray hard ... In total, ten children were born in the marriage, six of whom died in infancy

Royal bedchamber, N. Anokhin

Terem in the 17th century, Mikhail KLODT

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Born July 12 (22), 1596 in Moscow - died July 13 (23), 1645 in Moscow. The first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty. Ruled from March 27 (April 6), 1613. Father of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Father - Patriarch Filaret, in the world Fyodor Nikitich Romanov (Romanov-Yuriev) (1553-1633), church and political figure, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1619-1633). Cousin of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich.

Mother - Nun Martha, she is also the great old woman Martha, in the world Xenia Ioannovna Romanova (nee Shestova; died January 26 (February 5), 1631).

Mikhail Fedorovich was a cousin of Fedor Ioannovich, the last Russian tsar from the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty.

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. Under the Romanovs, they 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 magical roots in their treasury, intending to "spoil" (kill witchcraft) the 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 the day of Saint Michael Malein, in whose honor he was baptized. Also, according to tradition, he was named after his uncle - Mikhail Nikitich Romanov.

Secular painting began in Russia: according to the sovereign decree on July 26 (August 5), 1643, a resident of Rugodiva painting master John Deters was admitted to the Armory Chamber, who taught painting to Russian students.

Death of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov:

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.”

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.

In 1851, a monument to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and the peasant Ivan Susanin was erected in Kostroma. The project was prepared by V. I. Demut-Malinovsky. In Soviet times, the monument was destroyed, only a granite pedestal was preserved, which was installed on the central square of the city in the “lying” position. On the eve of the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 2013, the former mayor of Kostroma installed a modernized version of the monument to Mikhail Fedorovich in the courtyard of his house.

The image of Mikhail Fedorovich in the cinema:

1913 - Accession of the Romanov dynasty - in the role of Mikhail Fedorovich, actress Sofya Goslavskaya;
1913 - Tercentenary of the reign of the Romanov dynasty - actor Mikhail Chekhov in the role of Mikhail Fedorovich;
2013 - The Romanovs - in the role of Mikhail Fedorovich, actor Andrei Shibarshin

Mikhail Fedorovich

The name of the first tsar from the House of Romanov is Mikhail. He was offered the royal crown by the Great Zemsky Sobor in January 1613, during the Time of Troubles, when Russia experienced severe trials for more than ten years. The royal family of Rurikovich, who ruled in Rus' for more than seven hundred years, was interrupted. On the throne, one king succeeded another. Numerous troubles fell upon Muscovy: crop failures, famine, devastation, civil strife, invasions of Poles who attempted on the royal crown. Truly a time of adversity and anarchy, in a word, Troubles ...

And so, letters were sent to the cities with an order: “the best and most reasonable” representatives of different classes to come to Moscow to choose a tsar. Gathered in the Kremlin. Several candidates were discussed. Of course, it was not without controversy and long discussions. There were even proposals to give the Moscow throne to foreign princes - Swedish, Philip, or Polish, Vladislav. But the general opinion nevertheless leaned in favor of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, as the closest relative of the former tsars. The decision of the Council was supported by the people who gathered at the walls of the Kremlin. When the boyars went to Red Square and asked whom to call for the kingdom, there was a unanimous cry: "Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov."

The surname Romanov came from the voivode Roman, who served under the Russian Tsar Ivan IV, who was nicknamed Terrible for his cruelty. The daughter of this boyar-governor, Anastasia, was chosen as the bride of the king and became his first wife. And it happened quite by accident. There was a custom in Rus': when the tsar declared that he wanted to marry, letters were sent throughout the district about the collection of girls in Moscow to select the tsar's bride. The requirements for girls were, perhaps, even stricter than at modern beauty contests: not only external beauty, high growth, stately figure, good complexion, but also meek disposition and reasonableness were valued. The choice of Tsar Ivan fell on Anastasia, who belonged to the ancient Moscow boyar family of the Romanovs, who had been well known in Moscow for a long time and gave the Moscow sovereigns many devoted and capable servants. It was one of the richest boyar families. Through the marriage of Ivan IV with Anastasia, the Romanovs became related to the royal house.

There is, however, another version, according to which the progenitor of the Romanovs on Russian soil was Glanda-Kambila Divonovich, the brother of the Prussian prince, who moved to Russia from Livonia or Prussian lands at the end of the 13th century and was named Ivan. This point of view is expounded by some German authors, who believe that perhaps this is why the Romanovs pursued a policy friendly to foreigners almost all the time of their reign.

This version is not presented in Russian historical studies. They state that Romanov was elected tsar because he belonged to the family of Anastasia, who became the wife of the tsar and was revered by the people.

Yes, and Tsar Ivan IV himself fell in love with his first wife with tender love, and in total Ivan the Terrible had seven wives. Throughout the years of marriage, Tsarina Anastasia had a good influence on her husband. He was interested in talking with her, sharing thoughts and thoughts, listening to her wise advice. Anastasia even managed to soften her anger and curb the violent temper of her formidable husband.

The queen gave birth to two daughters, who, however, died before reaching two years. In the fifth year of marriage - and there were only thirteen of them - the queen had a son, the long-awaited heir. The joy of Tsar Ivan knew no bounds. But Dmitry, as the child was called, was not destined to take the royal throne. There was a misfortune. The king, along with his wife and the little prince, once went on a pilgrimage, and on the way to the monastery the boy caught a cold and died. Poor parents... You can imagine how they mourned their child. Their grief was muffled only by the birth of another son, named Ivan. It was him, many years later, in a fit of anger, Tsar Ivan the Terrible killed him with his staff. Fortunately, Anastasia did not witness this tragedy. She, having given birth to another son, Fedor, who then inherited the royal throne from his father, died at the age of thirty, leaving a good memory among the people.

All of Moscow buried her, many tears were shed. Meek and kind, the first Russian tsarina was sincerely loved by her subjects. And now the people remembered her, calling her great-nephew, Mikhail Romanov, the king.

Letters about the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom were sent everywhere. And an embassy was sent to the newly elected tsar, whose whereabouts there was no reliable information ... Mikhail was at that time in the Ipatiev Monastery with his mother, nun Marfa Ivanovna, away from the vain Moscow. He did not even think about the royal throne: he was then only the seventeenth year.

The fate of the family of the Romanov boyars was not easy. When Mikhail was five years old, his parents were forcibly tonsured monks and separated. This was done at the behest of Tsar Boris Godunov, who did not have direct ties with the Rurikovichs and showed distrust of the Romanovs, who were related to the former tsars. The last king of the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ioannovich, was a cousin of Mikhail's father. Tsarina Anastasia was the aunt of the boyar Romanov. The boy was brought up by an aunt, and only after the death of Tsar Boris the child was returned to his mother, who at that time lived in a family estate near Kostroma. In the Ipatiev Monastery, located nearby, the mother and son settled a little later, hiding from the persecution of the Polish-Lithuanian armed groups. In the world, Mikhail Romanov's mother was called Xenia Ivanovna Shestova. She was from a poor noble family, distinguished by an imperious character, she had a great influence on her son. A stern look from under thick eyebrows, a large aquiline nose, thin lips - this is how she looks in a portrait that has survived to this day.

Mikhail's father, Fyodor Nikitich, having taken the tonsure and put on monastic clothes and a klobuk, received the name Filaret. He has had many trials and tribulations. The living and active nature of this monk, of his good will, could not come to terms with the forced deprivation of liberty. Religion never attracted him, he did not prepare for the career of a clergyman, his tastes were rather secular. Before his exile, he lived in Moscow, rotated in the "higher circles", enjoyed wide fame and influence at court. The natural mind, education and secular gloss of Fyodor Romanov distinguished him among the nobility of that time. The then Moscow tailors, for example, wanting to praise the successful caftan, even said: "It sits just like the boyar Fyodor Nikitich." Tall, handsome, he was considered the first dandy in Moscow, and envy for Xenia, who became his wife, lived in many women's hearts.

And this man ended up in a monastery cell far from Moscow. However, after the death of Tsar Boris, dramatic changes took place in Filaret's life: he received the rank of metropolitan, but was soon captured by the Poles, where he remained until 1619. He could not have imagined that his only son would head the Muscovite state. And even Mikhail himself, who lived far from the capital, had not only thoughts, but also no desire to take the Russian throne.

When the Moscow ambassadors arrived at the Ipatiev Monastery, mother and son, having learned about the purpose of their visit, initially refused. Concerned about how not to be subjected to new disasters, the old woman Martha did not want to let her son go. Several times the messengers left with nothing. Only after long requests and persuasion, consent was given. Having borrowed money and received the blessing of his mother, the young man, accompanied by a small detachment, went to Moscow. The mother went with her son.

Mikhail moved slowly towards the capital, with long stops, carefully looking at life in the state, which he was to lead. In early May, his solemn entry into the Kremlin took place, Moscow saw its new sovereign. They placed it in the former chamber of Queen Anastasia. Martha settled in one of the Moscow monasteries.

A few weeks later, Mikhail Romanov was crowned king. The coronation ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin and was very splendidly furnished. The Metropolitan of Moscow solemnly announced that, by right of kinship with Tsar Fedor - the son of Ivan the Terrible - and in accordance with the popular election, the clergy bless Mikhail Fedorovich and crown him king. Then the lord placed the crown on the head of the young king and, taking him by the right hand, seated him on the throne. The fragile figure of the first Romanov Tsar in golden robes seemed unable to withstand the weight of the sparkling dress and crown, studded with precious stones. However, his hand confidently held a scepter - a symbol of royal power.

On the same day, a feast was held in the Faceted Chamber, which was attended by the highest ranks of the spiritual and secular authorities. During the meal, all the guests received rich royal gifts. For the poor, dinners were arranged on the square near the Kremlin. For three days the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Tsar Michael continued, and for a long time this was remembered by the people.

The reign of the Romanovs began...

Russian historians write that Mikhail Fedorovich was elected to the throne with some restrictions on the board, since the most serious matters were decided not by the tsar personally, but at the Zemsky Sobors, albeit on behalf of the tsar. Usually, the most important cases were dealt with by the Boyar Duma at the tsar's proposal to "think", and the decision began with the words: "The tsar indicated and the boyars were sentenced." So it was easier for the youngest sovereign, a man who was cautious and not decisive enough. At first, Mikhail did not make a single decision on his own at all, and then, in the sixth year of his reign, Filaret, who returned to Moscow from Polish captivity, began to lead him. Fyodor Romanov was still very popular in Moscow. Ambition and life experience allowed him to take almost all power into his own hands: to manage both the Church - he was elevated to the rank of Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' - and the state. He was a strong-willed man, very strict, but fair. The son treated his father with tenderness and great respect, saw in him his mentor and faithful assistant.

The participation of Romanov Sr. in the affairs of the state was established as follows: the affairs were reported to the son and father, and if any decision did not meet with the consent of the patriarch-father, it was either canceled or corrected, while the son tried not to argue with anything. In essence, there was a dual power in the country. In state charters of that time, they usually wrote: “The Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich of All Rus' and the Great Sovereign, His Holiness Patriarch Filaret Nikitich of Moscow and All Rus' indicated ...” And foreign envoys presented their credentials to both. The strong and bright personality of Filaret gradually pushed the Tsar-son, soft in character and in poor health, into the background - at the age of thirty, his legs began to hurt badly, so that sometimes he could hardly move independently.

Philaret's influence on his son was so great that even Xenia, Mikhail's mother, who in the early years had a strong influence on the young tsar, completely retired from the affairs of the state and lived out her days in a monastery, maintaining only personal connections with the court, so to speak.

When Mikhail was in his twentieth year, Ksenia Ivanovna decided to marry him. The daughter of the nobleman Ivan Khlopov, a girl with a pleasant appearance and a stately figure, was chosen as the bride. As the future wife of the sovereign, she was settled in the palace and informed the whole state about the upcoming marriage of the king. According to the then prevailing custom, the future tsarina changed her name to the name Anastasia, which reminded the inhabitants of the Moscow State of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, whose memory was dear to them. However, intrigues began at the court against the Khlopovs - after all, there were many among the boyar families who wanted to give their daughter to the tsar. As a result, the poor bride was slandered: she was declared sick and unfit to continue the Romanov family. The tsar's mother believed the evil slander, and the unfortunate girl was exiled to Siberia with her family. In order to keep the throne for the Romanov family, the tsar should have had an heir, so the father, who returned to Moscow, also decided to marry his son as soon as possible.

First, Filaret decided to find a bride for Mikhail among foreign princesses and established a connection with the Danish and German courts for this. However, due to the obligatory condition for the princesses to change their faith after marrying the Russian Tsar, these negotiations were unsuccessful. A year later, ambassadors were sent to Sweden to King Gustav Adolf to woo the sister of his brother-in-law, the Elector of Brandenburg, Catherine. But the agreement did not take place again, since the king did not agree to change the religion of his relative. Then the ambassadors turned to the Danish king Christian IV, with a request to give one of his nieces to the Russian Tsar. But even here it was rejected. So the first Tsar Romanov was not destined to marry a foreigner. This was then to be his grandson, Peter the Great...

But what about Michael himself? He still had tender feelings for the bride exiled to Siberia. Therefore, Filaret ordered to interrogate all the doctors who allegedly treated Maria Khlopova, as a result of which it was found out that the girl was completely healthy, and her relatives Xenia Ivanovna, who predicted their daughter to be queen, slandered her. Taking advantage of a simple indigestion that arose from a rich meal, they spread a rumor about the illness of the bride. The Khlopov family was returned from exile ... It was then that the mother of the young sovereign showed her strong character. When it was announced that the wedding of her son with the maiden Khlopova would nevertheless take place, she announced that she would leave Russia - nun Martha feared for her relatives, who were guilty of spreading slander. The obedient son again did not go against the will of his mother, and the marriage was upset.

The tsar married only in the eleventh year of his reign to the Russian hawthorn Maria Dolgoruky. She was chosen as the royal bride by Martha herself. Not for long, however, the young wife shared the royal bed with the sovereign. Soon after the wedding, Maria fell ill and died a few months later.

And again the question arose: whom to marry the son?

Less than a year later, girls from the most noble families were invited to Moscow to select the royal bride. They were accompanied by their mothers or close relatives. First, the girls had to appear before the sovereign's mother. Those whom she pointed out were ordered to spend the night in the palace chambers (each with her maid). The rest had to return home.

At midnight, when everyone was asleep, Tsar Michael went to look at the sleeping girls in order to choose a bride for himself. At the end of the review, the old woman Martha asked her son: whom does he want to take as his wife? Imagine her surprise when Mikhail pointed to the maid of one of the hawks. The mother began to beg her son to change his mind, saying: how all the princes and boyars, whose daughters you rejected, will be offended by the choice. However, this time the king remained adamant, the stern mother was forced to give in.

The girl chosen by the sovereign, Evdokia Streshneva, was the daughter of a Mozhaisk nobleman of humble origin. She became the new queen.

Mikhail lived with his wife for about twenty years and seemed to be happy in his married life. This marriage was overshadowed only by the fact that six out of ten children whom Evdokia gave birth to died during the life of their parents. The death of each child was perceived as a great family grief.

And the position of the queen at court was not easy. The first five years of marriage passed under the vigilant control of Mother Michael. She accompanied her daughter-in-law everywhere: on pilgrimage trips to monasteries, at church services and other outings, she herself chose educators for her grandchildren, taught in everything.

So Evdokia was completely dependent on her mother-in-law. After the death of the old woman Martha in 1631, the wife of Tsar Michael continued to remain in the "shadow", she did not exert any influence on state affairs, regularly fulfilling only her main purpose - the continuation of the Romanov family.

The Muscovite state, where anarchy and arbitrariness reigned for so many years, under the first tsar Romanov began to recover from the difficult Time of Troubles. Order was gradually established in the country, people's lives improved noticeably.

Particular attention of the tsar and the patriarch was drawn to the composition of officials who were in the sovereign's service, both in Moscow and in the provinces. For this purpose, an office was even established under the sovereign to receive and analyze complaints about the insults of service people. This has never happened in Rus' before... The first steps were taken to renew Russian life in a foreign way, the need to master the sciences and crafts was openly recognized, the Western orientation of Russia was clearly defined.

This trend continued throughout the three hundred years of the reign of the Romanov dynasty, but the beginning was laid in the reign of Michael. Masters of various crafts began to be invited to Russia from abroad. And they were mostly Germans. They opened their own business, taught Russian skills and for the most part were not going to leave Russia in the future - life here turned out to be free, because foreigners were given great privileges. It was also beneficial for ordinary Russian people, because new enterprises provided income. Hans Falk, who came from Nuremberg, organized a foundry in Moscow where cannons and bells were made. There were manufactories for the production of gunpowder and saltpeter, glass factories, one of which existed at the personal expense of the sovereign, and the Frenchman Mignot managed the factory. In the vicinity of Tula, new forges appeared, which eventually turned into weapons factories. Scientists and teachers began to arrive. And in general, only people who came from abroad were engaged in medicine and pharmacy.

The first Tsar Romanov also resorted to the help of foreigners for the development of external relations. The Russian ambassadors did not yet have sufficient experience. Mikhail Fedorovich often entrusted important matters at European courts to Peter Marselis, a Dutchman by origin, who represented the interests of Holstein in Moscow. The flow of merchants increased especially after the visit to Muscovy by envoys from Holstein, which took place in the twentieth year of Michael's reign.

Gradually, a fairly large foreign colony was created in Moscow, which began to flourish, naturally attracting the attention of city dwellers. Some began to imitate the appearance of foreigners, shaving their beards, cutting their hair, and even flaunting German caftans. However, the old customs were still observed with all strictness. For example, for the use of tobacco, which had become widespread in the West by that time, noses were cut off in Russia ...

Knowledge in the West about the distant Moscow kingdom at that time was very scarce. The first source of information about Russia is the work of Baron Sigismund Herberstein, a German diplomat who twice visited Muscovy. It was written in the middle of the 16th century. And at the beginning of the next century, the German scientist Gerard Gerrite produced the first printed map of the Russian state.

In 1633, the connections of the Moscow Kremlin with the Duchy of Holstein began to strengthen. A whole expedition, consisting of thirty-four people, went to Moscow. These were diplomats, musicians, artisans, doctors, artists, poets. It included Adam Olearius, a philosopher and mathematician, who then described this difficult journey in great detail. The expedition was financed by the Duke of Holstein Friedrich III, who was distinguished by humanistic views and a broad outlook. Between Tsar Michael and the envoys, negotiations were to take place on the passage through the territory of Russia to Persia to buy silk fabrics there and export grain from Russia to Europe, groaning from the devastation that the Thirty Years' War had inflicted on it.

The delegation traveled from Schleswig to Moscow exactly nine months. After a three-day rest, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich gave the guests an audience. The king was presented with rich gifts. Among them is a large mirror in a silver frame - and at that time a small mirror was already considered a luxury - a grandfather clock made of rare ebony, magnificent horses of the Holstein breed, which brought the sovereign and his entourage into indescribable delight. The Holsteiners were shocked by the luxury of the royal reception rooms and the triumph of the ceremonial. Adam Olearius described the reception at the king in great detail and colorfully in his book: “His Majesty the Tsar sat on the throne in a robe embroidered with precious stones and pearls. On the crown, worn over a dark sable hat, large diamonds sparkled, in his hand was a golden rod, which he took from one hand to the other, because it was probably very heavy. Four tall young princes stood in front of the king's throne, two on each side, in white satin caftans, lynx hats and white boots. Gold chains are crossed on the chest, each has a silver hatchet on the shoulder. Near the wall on both sides of the king sat the most eminent princes, boyars and state advisers in high hats made of foxes, in very expensive robes - about fifty people ... ”The king’s throne stood on golden eagles - its creator was the jeweler Esias Zinkgraf from Nuremberg. The translator was the German Hans Helme, who served with the tsar and enjoyed great prestige among the Russians.

The Tsar extended cordial hospitality to the German delegation. The news of this spread far beyond the borders of the Russian state.

Mikhail met with Olearius several times and was amazed by his versatile knowledge and abilities. He even invited him to stay in Moscow as a court astronomer and build an observatory. But Olearius rejected this offer, returned to his Schleswig and wrote a book about Moscow, about the Russian people. Thanks to him, Russia from the boundless far away somewhat approached the West, although they also learned a lot of unflattering things about Muscovy. First of all, this concerned the life and behavior of Russian residents: taverns overflowing with drunks, fights in the streets, frequent fires that were not even extinguished, but only smashed with axes neighboring houses so that the fire could not spread further. And at home! They were just shacks, surrounded by gardens, in which one could hardly see traces of rural culture - no flowers, no vegetables. The king alone had several feet of land with roses brought from Gottorp, lettuce and asparagus, just introduced by the Dutch.

Russians learned a lot of interesting things about people living in a country between two seas - the North and the Baltic. But how could anyone then imagine that the grandson of Tsar Mikhail would marry his daughter to a Holstein prince and that the child from this marriage would become the Russian Tsar?

Despite the fact that Mikhail Romanov sat on the Russian throne as a young and inexperienced youth, he gradually gained strength, and the people fell in love with him. The last twelve years of his reign, after the death of Philaret in 1633, he was already the sovereign sovereign. All foreign envoys reported that, despite the exceptional friendliness of the first Tsar Romanov, a serious expression did not leave his face. He was never seen smiling at official receptions. However, in everyday life he was completely different, he loved music and singing, especially folk songs, willingly listened to all sorts of stories, laughed heartily at the merry tricks of the jesters, whom he kept at court. Contemporaries emphasized the sovereign's special predilection for pleasant smells and all kinds of incense. Perfumes and fragrant water from India and Turkey were specially ordered for him, and court pharmacists made special soap for the king, which only he could use. The composition of this soap necessarily included rose water and fragrant cloves, the aroma of which was especially pleasing to the sovereign. Contemporaries also noted the great hospitality of Mikhail Romanov. Although he himself was exceptionally moderate in eating and drinking alcoholic beverages, his meals were distinguished by the abundance and variety of dishes.

The sovereign lived in chambers that were not particularly luxurious. The wife and children lived in a part of the palace specially reserved for them, in a tower, and were not allowed into the room occupied by the king. Mikhail himself visited his family every day, enjoyed talking with his children, carefully choosing toys for them, many of which were brought from Nuremberg. But he could share a bed with his wife only on special days, strictly defined by the church. That was the tradition.

Of the ten children that Evdokia Streshneva gave birth to, only four survived to adulthood: the eldest daughter Irina, the son and heir Alexei and two more daughters: Anna and Tatiana. Daughters grew up in the tower, nurses and nannies were assigned to them, the hawthorns of well-born families entertained them with games and all sorts of fun. Girls were taught literacy and needlework.

Sometimes they, together with their parents, traveled to churches and monasteries on a pilgrimage. The royal family spent summers in villages near Moscow, where Mikhail indulged in his favorite pastime - falconry or bear hunting.

When the eldest daughter Irina was thirteen years old, her parents began to look for her groom among foreign princes. The choice fell on the illegitimate son of the Danish king Christian IV Voldemar, who bore the title of Count of Schleswig-Holstein. At this time, the king's son was twenty years old. “Russian with hair, not small in height, thin, gray eyes, good, handsome face, healthy and reasonable, knows Latin, French, Italian, knows German, is skilled in military affairs,” the Russians described the young man. ambassadors sent to the Danish court to negotiate. In the summer of 1641, Prince Voldemar himself appeared in Moscow. He was not allowed to see his bride, since no one in the Muscovite state, except for the closest boyars, and servants, was supposed to see the princesses. A husband can see his betrothed for the first time only after crossing the threshold of the marriage bedroom - this is how this refusal was explained to him.

Having received rich gifts, Voldemar returned to Denmark with his embassy, ​​but after two and a half years he again arrived in Moscow, this time with a retinue of three hundred people. The purpose of the visit was to marry Princess Irina. The king's son was warmly welcomed. The king received him in the Faceted Chamber and even left his place to give his daughter's fiancé a hand and ask about his health. All that was left was to seal the marriage contract. In the position of the groom, Prince Voldemar settled in the Kremlin.

But a condition was set before the future husband of the royal daughter: to be baptized according to the rite of the Orthodox faith. This was a complete surprise for the Danish prince. After all, during the preliminary negotiations on marriage, the king agreed that even after the marriage, Voldemar would remain a Protestant. For the conversion to Orthodoxy and marriage with Irina, the oldest Russian cities of Suzdal and Yaroslavl were given to the prince for eternity, and they also gave a large dowry for the bride.

Prince Voldemar refused to convert to Orthodoxy, despite any persuasion he remained adamant and demanded that he and his retinue be allowed to return to their homeland. The king did not give his consent, hoping that the prince would change his mind. However, this did not happen, and Voldemar became in fact a prisoner of Moscow: although he was treated further as the groom of the royal daughter, he could not leave the Russian capital. This went on for almost a year and a half, a year and a half of the honorary captivity of the Danish prince.

Burdened by his position as a captive groom, Voldemar even made an attempt to secretly escape from Moscow, but at the Tver Gates (now it is the square near the Belorussky railway station connecting Moscow with Berlin and other Western cities), he was captured and brought to the Kremlin. Realizing the hopelessness of his situation, the prince even decided to agree that his children become Orthodox, and promised to observe Orthodox fasts to the extent "as far as his health would allow him." The father of the bride did not go for it either. The release of Voldemar came only after the death of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.

Well, what about Princess Irina? She didn't even get to see her fiancé. Like her sisters Anna and Tatiana, she remained in virginity. The daughters of the first Tsar Romanov were not married. Irina lived her whole life in a tower and died at the age of fifty-two, and her younger sisters ended their life in a monastery. Anna, in monasticism Anfisa, accepted the schema and died shortly after her sixtieth birthday; and Tatyana lived to be 70 years old and maintained close family ties with all the Romanovs all her life.

Tsar Michael was often ill in the last months of his life. Walking and riding tired him, his body weakened from a sedentary lifestyle. Apparently, the failure in arranging the fate of his eldest daughter also had an effect on him: the refusal of the Danish prince dealt him a heavy blow.

On July 12, 1645, on the day of his name day, the tsar, having overcome his indisposition, got out of bed and went to church. But there he had an attack of suffocation. The sovereign was transferred to the chambers. However, by evening he got worse. He groaned, complaining of severe pain in his heart. He ordered to call the queen and his son, sixteen-year-old Alexei. He blessed him for the kingdom, confessed to the patriarch, and died quietly at three o'clock in the morning.

Foreign doctors who treated the Moscow tsar explained that his illness came from “a lot of sitting”, from cold drinking and melancholy ... Now we would say that the cause of death of the first Romanov on the Russian throne was a heart attack.

Tsaritsa Evdokia outlived her husband by only a few months. The successor of the Romanov family was the only son of Tsar Mikhail, sixteen-year-old Alexei: a year before his death, the sovereign declared him publicly the heir to the royal throne.

So, the reign of the first tsar from the House of Romanov ended. Tsar Michael, the founder of the dynasty, who shared power for fourteen years with his father, an involuntary monk and an "improvised" patriarch, came to power in a completely democratic way and laid the foundation for the long dynastic path of the Romanovs. During his reign, the Muscovite state managed to heal the severe wounds caused by the Time of Troubles, so much so that the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich could become quite successful for Russia both in internal and external affairs.

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich There are few examples in history when a new sovereign would take the throne under such extremely sad circumstances, under which sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich was elected. With two states - Poland and Sweden - were not finished