The first Romanovs on the Russian throne. Cheat Sheet: Romanov Dynasty

The monks under the name Filaret. When Archimandrite Filaret was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Rostov, his wife Xenia, who was tonsured a nun under the name of Martha, together with their son, Mikhail, settled in the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery, which belonged to the Rostov diocese. During the stay of the Poles in Moscow, Marfa and Mikhail were in their hands and endured with them all the disasters of the siege from the Nizhny Novgorod militia, and after the liberation of Moscow, they again retired to the Ipatiev Monastery.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov in his youth

The Great Zemsky Sobor, convened in Moscow to elect a tsar, after stormy disputes, disagreements and intrigues, on February 21, 1613, unanimously decided to elect 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom. main reason that prompted the council to make this choice was probably the fact that Michael, through the female line, was the nephew of the last tsar of the old dynasty, Fyodor Ioannovich. Having suffered so many failures in choosing new kings during the turmoil, the people became convinced that the election would only be lasting if it fell on a person connected by more or less close family ties with the dynasty that had ceased. The boyars, who led the course of affairs at the Council, could also be persuaded in favor of Mikhail Fedorovich by his young age and meek, gentle character.

On July 11, 1613, the royal wedding of Mikhail Romanov took place in Moscow. The first concern of the young king was to appease the state, tormented by enemies from outside and inside. By the end of 1614, the state was cleared of the Cossack gangs of Zarutsky, Balovnya, and others; the Lithuanian rider Lisovsky held on longer, from whom Russia saved him sudden death only in 1616.

It was much more difficult to settle external affairs. With the Swedes who captured Novgorod and continued offensive operations under the command of King Gustav Adolf, in 1617 the government of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov concluded the Stolbovsky peace, according to which Russia gave Sweden Ivangorod, Pits, Koporye and Oreshek, which again cut off Moscow from the shores of the Baltic Sea. Even more dangerous was the second enemy - Poland, which presented Prince Vladislav, whom Moscow itself had previously called for, as a contender for the Moscow throne. But Moscow people of all ranks, "not sparing their heads," made the last effort and beat off all the attacks of Vladislav. On December 1, 1618, the Deulino truce was concluded with the cession of Smolensk and Seversk land to Poland, and Vladislav did not renounce his rights to the Moscow throne.

According to this truce, the father of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, Metropolitan Filaret, who was sent in 1610 to Poland for negotiations and detained there, returned to Moscow (in June 1619). Elevated immediately upon his return to the rank of Moscow patriarch with the title of "great sovereign", he began to rule together with Mikhail: matters were reported to both and decided by both, foreign ambassadors presented themselves to both together, gave double letters and brought double gifts. This dual power continued until the death of Patriarch Filaret (October 1, 1633).

Patriarch Philaret. Artist N. Tyutryumov

In 1623, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov married Princess Marya Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, but she died the same year, and the following year the tsar married Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva, the daughter of an insignificant nobleman.

The Deulino truce was not lasting: Vladislav continued to bear the title of Tsar of Moscow, Polish government did not recognize Mikhail Fedorovich, did not want to communicate with him and insulted him in their letters. In 1632, the second Polish war broke out, for which Moscow had long been preparing. Started very successfully, the war was spoiled by the unfortunate surrender near Smolensk of the boyar M. B. Shein, who paid with his head for the failure. The government of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov got rid of difficulties only thanks to the approach of the Turkish army to the Polish borders. On May 17, 1634, the Polyanovsky peace left behind the Poles all the cities, except for Serpeisk, ceded by the Deulinsky truce; Russians paid 20 thousand rubles in money, and Vladislav renounced his rights to the Moscow throne.

The government of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich was forced to avoid wars in every possible way, so when in 1637 the Don Cossacks took the Turkish fortress of Azov (at the mouth of the Don), then, on the advice of the Zemsky Sobor (in 1642), Mikhail refused to support them and ordered to clear Azov, not wanting and not being able to wage war on the powerful Turkish sultan.

Seat of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich with the boyars. Painting by A. Ryabushkin, 1893

The main attention of the government of Mikhail Romanov was turned to the internal structure of the state, to the rise of its economic forces and the ordering of the financial system. From each city, it was ordered to take to Moscow one person from the clergy, two from the nobles and children of the boyars, and two from the townspeople who could provide the government with accurate information about the state of the regions and about ways to help the ruined residents. Zemsky Sobors, of which there were about 12 under Mikhail Fedorovich, greatly facilitated the work of the government. The need to strengthen the external position of the state forced in 1621–22 to analyze the military service class throughout the state; even earlier, in 1620, a new cadastre was begun. Dozens of collapsible and new scribe and sentinel books of this time give a curious description of the military and fiscal-economic forces of the state, which suffered from the storms of troubled times. Attempts to call foreign scholars, correct liturgical books, and establish a government school in Moscow complete the overall picture of the work of the government of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the founder of the dynasty, died on July 12, 1645, leaving 3 daughters and a 16-year-old son Alexei Mikhailovich, who succeeded him on the throne.

In the Kremlin, in the Armory Chamber, two plain-looking sabers are kept. But, despite the unpresentable appearance, they are priceless relics of Russia. These sabers were the military weapons of Minin and Pozharsky. In 1612, Kuzma Minin, a merchant from Nizhny Novgorod, urged the Russian people to fight against the Polish invaders, and led civil uprising Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

In the autumn of the same year, the Mother See was cleared of Polish lords. After that, the Zemsky Sobor met, which elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the throne. The Romanov family itself came from the family of Tsarina Anastasia (the first wife of Ivan the Terrible). The people loved her and revered her for her kindness and meekness. The formidable king himself loved her and was very worried after the death of his wife.

All this was the reason that the representatives of the Russian lands, who gathered at the Zemsky Sobor, made a choice in favor of a 16-year-old boy who was a descendant of Anastasia. This was announced to him in the Ipatiev Monastery in the city of Kostroma. Thus began the reign of the Romanov dynasty. It lasted 300 years and turned the Russian land into a huge and great power.

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645)

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676)

Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-1682)

Triarchy and Princess Sofia Alekseevna (1682-1689)

Peter I the Great (1689-1725)

The tsar, and then the emperor Peter I, is considered a great reformer who turned the Muscovite kingdom into the Russian Empire. His merits include the defeat of the Swedes, access to Baltic Sea, the construction of St. Petersburg, the rapid growth of the metallurgical industry. have been converted public administration, judiciary and education system. In 1721, the Russian tsar began to be called the emperor, and the country the empire.
Read more in the article Peter I Romanov.

Empress Catherine I (1725-1727)

Emperor Peter II (1727-1730)

Empress Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740)

Ivan VI and the Brunswick family (1740-1741)

Empress Elizabeth (1741-1761)

Emperor Peter III (1761-1762)

Empress Catherine II the Great (1762-1796)

Emperor Paul I (1796-1801)

Emperor Alexander I (1801-1825)

Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855)

Emperor Alexander II the Liberator (1855-1881)

Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker (1881-1894)

Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917)

Nicholas II became the last emperor of the Romanov dynasty. Under him, the Khodynka tragedy and Bloody Sunday took place. The Russo-Japanese War was extremely unsuccessful. At the same time, the economy Russian Empire rise was observed. At its peak, the First World War began, ending with a revolution and the abdication of the emperor from the throne. The renunciation manifesto was signed on March 2, 1917. Nicholas II abdicated in favor of his brother Mikhail, but he also renounced power.

Leonid Druzhnikov

For more than 300 years, the Romanov dynasty was in power in Russia. There are several versions of the origin of the Romanov family. According to one of them, the Romanovs come from Novgorod. The family tradition says that the origins of the family should be sought in Prussia, from where the ancestors of the Romanovs moved to Russia at the beginning of the XIV century. The first reliably established ancestor of the family was the Moscow boyar Ivan Kobyla.

The beginning of the ruling dynasty of the Romanovs was laid by the great-nephew of the wife of Ivan the Terrible, Mikhail Fedorovich. He was elected to reign by the Zemsky Sobor in 1613, after the suppression of the Moscow branch of the Rurikovich.

Since the 18th century, the Romanovs have ceased to call themselves tsars. On November 2, 1721, Peter I was declared Emperor of All Russia. He became the first emperor in the dynasty.

The reign of the dynasty ended in 1917, when Emperor Nicholas II abdicated as a result February Revolution from the throne. In July 1918, he was shot by the Bolsheviks along with his family (including five children) and close associates in Tobolsk.

Numerous descendants of the Romanovs now live abroad. However, none of them, in terms of Russian law on succession to the throne, has no right to the Russian throne.

Below is a chronology of the reign of the Romanov family with the dating of the reign.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Reign: 1613-1645

He laid the foundation for a new dynasty, being elected at the age of 16 to reign by the Zemsky Sobor in 1613. Belonged to an ancient boyar family. He restored the functioning of the economy and trade in the country, which he inherited in a deplorable state after the Time of Troubles. Concluded " eternal peace with Sweden (1617). At the same time, he lost access to the Baltic Sea, but returned the vast Russian territories previously conquered by Sweden. He concluded an "eternal peace" with Poland (1618), while losing Smolensk and Seversk land. Attached land along the Yaik, Baikal, Yakutia, access to the Pacific Ocean.

Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (Quiet). Reign: 1645-1676

He ascended the throne at the age of 16. He was a gentle, good-natured and very religious person. He continued the reform of the army started by his father. At the same time attracted a large number of foreign military specialists left idle after the end of the Thirty Years' War. Under him, Nikon's church reform was carried out, affecting the main church rites and books. Returned Smolensk and Seversk land. Annexed Ukraine to Russia (1654). Suppressed the uprising of Stepan Razin (1667-1671)

Fedor Alekseevich Romanov. Reign: 1676-1682

The short reign of the extremely painful king was marked by a war with Turkey and the Crimean Khanate and the further conclusion of the Treaty of Bakhchisaray (1681), according to which Turkey recognized Left-bank Ukraine and Kyiv as Russia. A general census was carried out (1678). The struggle with the Old Believers received new round- Archpriest Avvakum was burned. He died at the age of twenty.

Peter I Alekseevich Romanov (the Great). Reigned: 1682-1725 (ruled independently from 1689)

The previous tsar (Fyodor Alekseevich) died without making an order regarding the succession to the throne. As a result, two tsars were crowned on the throne at the same time - the young brothers of Fyodor Alekseevich Ivan and Peter under their regency older sister Sofya Alekseevna (until 1689 - Sophia's regency, until 1696 - formal co-ordination with Ivan V). Since 1721, the first Emperor of All Russia.

He was an ardent supporter of the Western way of life. For all its ambiguity, it is recognized by both adherents and critics as the "Great Sovereign".

His bright reign was marked by the Azov campaigns (1695 and 1696) against the Turks, which resulted in the capture of the Azov fortress. The result of the campaigns was, among other things, the king's awareness of the need to reform the army. The old army was disbanded - the army began to be created according to a new model. From 1700 to 1721 - participation in the most difficult with Sweden, the result of which was the defeat of the hitherto invincible Charles XII and Russia's access to the Baltic Sea.

In 1722-1724, the largest foreign policy event of Peter the Great after Northern war- The Caspian (Persian) campaign, which ended with the capture of Derbent, Baku and other cities by Russia.

During his reign, Peter founded St. Petersburg (1703), established the Senate (1711) and Colleges (1718), introduced the "Table of Ranks" (1722).

Catherine I. Years of reign: 1725-1727

The second wife of Peter I. A former maid named Marta Kruse, who was taken into captivity during the Great Northern War. Nationality not known. She was the mistress of Field Marshal Sheremetev. Later, Prince Menshikov took her to him. In 1703, Peter liked her, who made her his mistress, and later his wife. She was baptized into Orthodoxy, changing her name to Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova.

Under her, the Supreme Privy Council was created (1726) and an alliance was concluded with Austria (1726).

Peter II Alekseevich Romanov. Years of government: 1727-1730

Grandson of Peter I, son of Tsarevich Alexei. The last representative of the Romanov family in a direct male line. He ascended the throne at the age of 11. He died at the age of 14 from smallpox. In fact, the administration of the state was carried out by the Supreme Privy Council. According to contemporaries, the young emperor was distinguished by waywardness and adored entertainment. It was entertainment, fun and hunting that the young emperor devoted all his time to. Under him, Menshikov was overthrown (1727), and the capital was returned to Moscow (1728).

Anna Ioannovna Romanova. Years of government: 1730-1740

Daughter of Ivan V, granddaughter of Alexei Mikhailovich. She was invited in 1730 to the Russian throne by the Supreme Privy Council, which she later successfully dissolved. Instead of the Supreme Council, a cabinet of ministers was created (1730). The capital was returned to St. Petersburg (1732). 1735-1739 were marked by the Russian-Turkish war, which ended with a peace treaty in Belgrade. Under the terms of the Russian treaty, Azov was ceded to Russia, but it was forbidden to have a fleet on the Black Sea. The years of her reign are characterized in literature as "the era of the dominance of the Germans at court", or as "Bironism" (by the name of her favorite).

Ivan VI Antonovich Romanov. Years of government: 1740-1741

Great-grandson of Ivan V. Was proclaimed emperor at the age of two months. The baby was proclaimed emperor under the regency of the Duke of Courland Biron, but two weeks later the guards removed the duke from power. The emperor's mother, Anna Leopoldovna, became the new regent. At the age of two he was overthrown. His short reign was subject to a law condemning the name - they were withdrawn from circulation, all his portraits were destroyed, all documents containing the name of the emperor were withdrawn (or destroyed). Until the age of 23, he spent in solitary confinement, where (already half-mad) he was stabbed to death by guards.

Elizabeth I Petrovna Romanova. Years of government: 1741-1761

Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. During her reign, the death penalty was abolished for the first time in Russia. A university was opened in Moscow (1755). In 1756-1762. Russia took part in the largest military conflict of the 18th century - the Seven Years' War. As a result of hostilities, Russian troops captured the entire East Prussia and even briefly took Berlin. However, the fleeting death of the Empress and the coming to power of a pro-Prussian Peter III nullified all military achievements - the conquered lands were returned to Prussia, peace was concluded.

Peter III Fedorovich Romanov. Years of government: 1761-1762

Nephew of Elizabeth Petrovna, grandson of Peter I - son of his daughter Anna. Reigned 186 days. A lover of everything Prussian, he stopped the war with Sweden immediately after coming to power on extremely unfavorable terms for Russia. I spoke Russian with difficulty. During his reign, a manifesto "On the Liberty of the Nobility", an alliance of Prussia and Russia, a decree on freedom of religion (all -1762) was issued. He stopped the persecution of the Old Believers. He was overthrown by his wife and died a week later (according to the official version - from a fever).

Already during the reign of Catherine II, the leader of the peasant war, Emelyan Pugachev, in 1773, pretended to be the "miracle of the saved" Peter III.

Catherine II Alekseevna Romanova (the Great). Years of government: 1762-1796

Wife of Peter III. She enslaved the peasants to the maximum, expanding the powers of the nobility. Significantly expanded the territory of the Empire during the Russian-Turkish wars (1768-1774 and 1787-1791) and the partition of Poland (1772, 1793 and 1795). The reign was marked by the largest peasant uprising of Yemelyan Pugachev, who pretended to be Peter III (1773-1775). A provincial reform was carried out (1775).

Pavel I Petrovich Romanov: 1796-1801

Son of Catherine II and Peter III, 72nd Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He ascended the throne at the age of 42. Introduced compulsory succession to the throne only through the male line (1797). Significantly eased the situation of the peasants (decree on a three-day corvee, a ban on selling serfs without land (1797)). From foreign policy the war with France (1798-1799) and the Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov (1799) are worthy of mention. Killed by the guards (not without the knowledge of Alexander's son) in his own bedroom (strangled). The official version is a stroke.

Alexander I Pavlovich Romanov. Years of government: 1801-1825

Son of Paul I. In the reign of Paul I, Russia defeated the French troops during Patriotic War 1812. The result of the war was a new European order, enshrined in the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. During numerous wars, he significantly expanded the territory of Russia - annexed Eastern and Western Georgia, Mingrelia, Imeretia, Guria, Finland, Bessarabia, most Poland. He died suddenly in 1825 in Taganrog from a fever. among the people for a long time there was a legend that the emperor, tormented by conscience for the death of his father, did not die, but continued his life under the name of the elder Fyodor Kuzmich.

Nicholas I Pavlovich Romanov. Years of government: 1825-1855

The third son of Paul I. The beginning of the reign was marked by the Decembrist uprising of 1825. The Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was created (1833), monetary reform, reform in the state village. The Crimean War (1853-1856) was started, until the devastating end of which the emperor did not live. In addition, Russia participated in the Caucasian War (1817-1864), the Russian-Persian War (1826-1828), the Russian-Turkish War (1828-1829), the Crimean War (1853-1856).

Alexander II Nikolaevich Romanov (Liberator). Years of government: 1855-1881

The son of Nicholas I. During his reign, the Crimean War was ended by the Paris Peace Treaty, humiliating for Russia (1856). In 1861 serfdom was abolished. Zemstvo and judicial reforms were carried out in 1864. Alaska was sold to the USA (1867). The financial system, education, city self-government, and the army were reformed. In 1870, the restrictive articles of the Peace of Paris were repealed. As a result of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. returned to Russia Bessarabia, lost during Crimean War. He died as a result of a terrorist act committed by the People's Will.

Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov (Tsar-Peacemaker). Years of government: 1881-1894

Son of Alexander II. During his reign, Russia did not wage a single war. His reign is characterized as conservative and counter-reform. A manifesto was adopted on the inviolability of autocracy, the Regulations on the strengthening of emergency protection (1881). He pursued an active policy of Russification of the outskirts of the empire. A military-political Franco-Russian alliance with France was concluded, which laid the foundation for the foreign policy of the two states until 1917. This union preceded the creation of the triple Entente.

Nicholas II Alexandrovich Romanov. Years of government: 1894-1917

Son Alexander III. The last Emperor of All Russia. A difficult and ambiguous period for Russia, accompanied by serious upheavals for the empire. Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905) turned into a heavy defeat for the country and the almost complete destruction of the Russian fleet. The defeat in the war was followed by the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. In 1914 Russia joined the First world war(1914-1918). The emperor was not destined to live until the end of the war - in 1917 he abdicated as a result and, and in 1918 he was shot with his whole family by the Bolsheviks.

The wise man avoids all extremes.
Lao Tzu

The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for 304 years, from 1613 to 1917. She replaced the Rurik dynasty on the throne, which ended after the death of Ivan the Terrible (the tsar did not leave an heir). During the reign of the Romanovs, 17 rulers changed on the Russian throne (the average duration of the reign of 1 tsar is 17.8 years), and the state itself changed its form with the light hand of Peter 1. In 1771 Russia changed from a Tsardom to an Empire.

Table - Romanov Dynasty

In the table, people who ruled (with the date of reign) are highlighted in color, and people who were not in power are marked with a white background. Double line - marital ties.

All rulers of the dynasty (who accounted for each other):

Mikhail 1613-1645. Ancestor of the Romanov dynasty. Received power largely thanks to his father - Filaret.
Alexei 1645-1676. Son and heir of Michael.
Sophia (regent under Ivan 5 and Peter 1) 1682-1696. Daughter of Alexei and Maria Miloslavskaya. Native sister Fedor and Ivan 5.
Peter 1 (independent rule from 1696 to 1725). A man who is for the majority a symbol of the dynasty and the personification of the power of Russia.
Catherine 1 1725-1727. Real name - Marta Skavronska. Wife of Peter 1
Peter 2 1727-1730. Grandson of Peter 1, son of the murdered Tsarevich Alexei.
Anna Ioannovna 1730-1740. Daughter of Ivan 5.
Ivan 6 Antonovich 1740-1741. The baby ruled under the regent - his mother Anna Leopoldovna. Grandson of Anna Ioannovna.
Elizabeth 1741-1762. Daughter of Peter I.
Peter 3 1762. Grandson of Peter 1, son of Anna Petrovna.
Catherine II 1762-1796. Wife of Peter 3.
Pavel 1 1796-1801. Son of Catherine 2 and Peter 3.
Alexander 1 1801-1825. Son of Paul 1.
Nicholas 1 1825-1855. Son of Paul 1, brother of Alexander 1.
Alexander 2 1855-1881. Son of Nicholas 1.
Alexander 3 1881-1896. Son of Alexander II.
Nicholas 2 1896-1917. Son of Alexander 3.

Diagram - rulers of dynasties by years

The amazing thing is that if you look at the diagram of the duration of the reign of each king from the Romanov dynasty, then 3 things become clear:

The greatest role in the history of Russia was played by those rulers who have been in power for more than 15 years.
The number of years in power is directly proportional to the importance of the ruler in the history of Russia. The largest number For years, Peter 1 and Catherine 2 were in power. Most historians associate these rulers as the best rulers who laid the foundation for modern statehood.
All those who ruled for less than 4 years are outright traitors, and people unworthy of power: Ivan 6, Catherine 1, Peter 2 and Peter 3.

Also interesting fact is that each ruler of the Romanovs left his successor a territory larger than he received. Thanks to this, the territory of Russia expanded significantly, because Mikhail Romanov took control of a territory slightly larger than the Moscow kingdom, and in the hands of Nicholas 2, last emperor, was the whole territory modern Russia, other former republics of the USSR, Finland and Poland. The only serious territorial loss is the sale of Alaska. It's pretty dark story, in which there are many ambiguities.

The fact of close connection between the ruling house of Russia and Prussia (Germany) attracts attention. Almost all generations had family ties with this country, and some of the rulers associated themselves not with Russia, but with Prussia ( clearest example- Peter 3).

vicissitudes of fate

Today it is customary to say that the Romanov dynasty was interrupted after the Bolsheviks shot the children of Nicholas 2. This is indeed a fact that cannot be disputed. But something else is interesting - the dynasty also began with the murder of a child. We are talking about the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, the so-called Uglich case. Therefore, it is quite symbolic that the dynasty began on the blood of a child and ended on the blood of a child.

Candidates

There were many contenders for the Russian throne. The two most unpopular candidates - the Polish prince Vladislav and the son of False Dmitry II - were "weeded out" immediately. The Swedish king's son Karl-Philip had more supporters, among them - the leader of the Zemstvo army, Prince Pozharsky. Why did the patriot of the Russian land opt for a foreign prince? Perhaps the antipathy of the "thin" Pozharsky to domestic applicants - well-born boyars, who, in Time of Troubles more than once they betrayed those to whom they swore allegiance. He feared that the “boyar tsar” would sow the seeds of a new unrest in Russia, as happened during the short reign of Vasily Shuisky. Therefore, Prince Dmitry stood for the calling of the "Varangian", but most likely it was Pozharsky's "maneuver", since in the end only Russian applicants, noble princes, participated in the struggle for the royal throne. The head of the infamous "seven boyars" Fyodor Mstislavsky compromised himself by collaborating with the Poles, Ivan Vorotynsky renounced his claim to the throne, Vasily Golitsyn was in Polish captivity, the leaders of the militia Dmitry Trubetskoy and Dmitry Pozharsky did not differ in nobility. But the new king must unite the country split by the Time of Troubles. The question was: how to give preference to one family, so that a new round of boyar civil strife would not begin?

Mikhail Fedorovich did not pass the first round

The candidacy of the Romanovs as the main contenders did not arise by chance: Mikhail Romanov was the nephew of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. Mikhail's father, Patriarch Filaret, was respected among the clergy and Cossacks. In favor of the candidacy of Mikhail Fedorovich, the boyar Fyodor Sheremetyev actively campaigned. He assured the obstinate boyars that Mikhail "is young and will be familiar to us." In other words, become their puppet. But the boyars did not allow themselves to be persuaded: in the preliminary vote, the candidacy of Mikhail Romanov did not get the right number votes.

no-show

When Romanov was elected, an overlay arose: the Cathedral demanded the arrival of the young applicant in Moscow. The Romanov party could not allow this: an inexperienced, timid, inexperienced young man in intrigues would have made an unfavorable impression on the delegates of the Council. Sheremetyev and his supporters had to show miracles of eloquence, proving how dangerous the path from the Kostroma village of Domnino, where Mikhail was, to Moscow. Was it not then that the legend about the feat of Ivan Susanin, who saved the life of the future tsar, arose? After a heated debate, the Romanovs succeeded in persuading the Council to cancel the decision on Michael's arrival.

tightening

On February 7, 1613, the rather tired delegates announced a two-week break: “for a large strengthening, they postponed February from the 7th of February to the 21st.” Messengers were sent to the cities "to see through their thoughts in all sorts of people." The voice of the people, of course, is the voice of God, but isn’t two weeks enough for monitoring public opinion big country? It is not easy for a messenger to get to Siberia, for example, even in two months. Most likely, the boyars counted on the departure from Moscow of the most active supporters of Mikhail Romanov - the Cossacks. If the stanitsa get bored, they say, to sit idle in the city, they will disperse. The Cossacks really dispersed, so much so that the boyars did not seem a little ...

The role of Pozharsky

Let's return to Pozharsky and his lobbying for the Swedish candidate for the Russian throne. In the autumn of 1612, the militia captured a Swedish spy. Until January 1613, he languished in captivity, but shortly before the beginning of the Zemsky Sobor, Pozharsky freed the spy and sent him to Novgorod occupied by the Swedes with a letter to the commander Jacob Delagardie. In it, Pozharsky reports that both he himself and most of the noble boyars want to see Karl-Philip on the Russian throne. But, as shown further developments, Pozharsky misinformed the Swede. One of the first decisions of the Zemsky Sobor was that there should not be a foreigner on the Russian throne, the sovereign should be elected "from Moscow families, which God wills." Was Pozharsky really so naive that he did not know the mood of the majority? Of course not. Prince Dmitry deliberately fooled Delagardie with "universal support" for the candidacy of Charles Philip, in order to prevent Swedish interference in the election of the king. The Russians hardly repelled the Polish onslaught, and a campaign against Moscow by the Swedish army could also turn out to be fatal. Pozharsky's "cover operation" was successful: the Swedes did not move. That is why on February 20, Prince Dmitry, safely forgetting about the Swedish prince, proposed to the Zemsky Sobor to choose a tsar from the Romanov family, and then he put his signature on the conciliar charter on the election of Mikhail Fedorovich. During the coronation of the new sovereign, it was Pozharsky who was given a high honor by Mikhail: the prince presented him with one of the symbols of power - the royal power. Modern political technologists can only envy such a competent PR move: the savior of the Fatherland hands the state to the new tsar. Handsomely. Looking ahead, we note that until his death (1642) Pozharsky faithfully served Mikhail Fedorovich, taking advantage of his unchanging location. It is unlikely that the tsar would have favored someone who wanted to see not him, but some Swedish prince on the throne of the Ruriks.

Cossacks

A special role in the selection of the king belongs to the Cossacks. An interesting story about this is contained in the Tale of the Zemsky Sobor of 1613. It turns out that on February 21 the boyars decided to choose the king by casting lots, but the hope for "maybe", in which any forgery is possible, seriously angered the Cossacks. Cossack orators smashed the boyar "tricks" to smithereens and solemnly proclaimed: "By God's will, in the reigning city of Moscow and all Russia, let there be a tsar, sovereign and Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich! This cry was immediately picked up by supporters of the Romanovs, and not only in the Cathedral, but also among the large crowd of people in the square. It was the Cossacks who cut the "Gordian knot", having achieved the election of Mikhail. The unknown author of the Tale (probably an eyewitness of what is happening) does not spare colors, describing the reaction of the boyars: “At that time, the Bolyar was obsessed with fear and trembling, and their faces were changing with blood, and not a single one could say anything.” Only Mikhail's uncle, Ivan Romanov, nicknamed Kasha, who for some reason did not want to see his nephew on the throne, tried to object: "Mikhailo Fedorovich is still young and not in full mind." To which the Cossack wits objected: “But you, Ivan Nikitich, are an old verst, in full mind ... you will be a strong potor to him.” Mikhail did not forget Uncle's assessment of his mental abilities and subsequently removed Ivan Kasha from all state affairs. The Cossack demarche came as a complete surprise to Dmitry Trubetskoy: “His face is black, and falling into an ailment, and lying for many days, without leaving his courtyard from the mountain, that the Cossacks exhausted the treasury and recognized them as flattering in words and deceit.” The prince can be understood: it was he, the leader of the Cossack militia, who counted on the support of his comrades-in-arms, generously endowed them with a "treasury" - and suddenly they were on the side of Mikhail. Perhaps the Romanov party paid more?

British recognition

On February 21 (March 3), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor made a historic decision: to elect Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom. The first country to recognize the new sovereign was England: in the same year, 1613, the embassy of John Metric arrived in Moscow. Thus began the history of the second and last royal dynasty of Russia. It is significant that throughout his reign, Mikhail Fedorovich showed a special attitude towards the British. So, after the Time of Troubles, Mikhail Fedorovich restored relations with the British "Moscow Company" and although he curtailed the freedom of action of English merchants, he nevertheless put them on favorable terms not only with other foreigners, but also with representatives of the Russian "big business".