How long did the troubled times last? Time of Troubles: concise and clear

Troubles of the 17th century in Russia: causes, beginning, stages and consequences

Causes and beginning of unrest in Russia

Consequences of the Troubles of the 17th century in Russia

TROUBLES (TIME OF TROUBLES) - a deep spiritual, economic, social, and foreign policy crisis that befell Russia in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The first period, the beginning of the Troubles, was marked by a fierce struggle for the throne of many applicants. The son of Ivan the Terrible, Fedor, turned out to be a weak ruler. In fact, Boris Godunov, the brother of the tsar's wife, received power, his policy led to the discontent of the people.

The Time of Troubles began with the appearance in Poland of Grigory Otrepyev, who declared himself False Dmitry, the surviving son of Grozny. Not without the support of the Poles, False Dmitry was recognized by a fairly large part of the country's population, and in 1605 the impostor was supported by Moscow and the governors of Russia and was recognized as king. But, his support for serfdom caused violent discontent among the peasants, and too independent policy led to the displeasure of the boyars. As a result, False Dmitry 1 was killed on May 17, 1606. And V.I. Shuisky ascended the throne. However, his power was limited.

The second period of unrest began with an uprising led by Bolotnikov I.I. The militia was made up of people from all walks of life. Participation in the uprising was taken not only by peasants, but also by serving Cossacks, serfs, landowners, townspeople. But, in the battle near Moscow, the rebels were defeated, and Bolotnikov was captured and executed.

The outrage of the people only intensified. The appearance of False Dmitry 2 was not long in coming. Already in January 1608, the army assembled by him moved towards Moscow. He settled on the outskirts of the city in Tushino. Thus, two operating capitals were formed in the country. At the same time, almost all officials and boyars worked for both tsars, often receiving money from both Shuisky and False Dmitry 2. After Shuisky managed to conclude an agreement on assistance, the Commonwealth began aggression. False Dmitry had to flee to Kaluga.

But Shuisky did not manage to retain power for a long time. He was seized and forced to take the veil as a monk. An interregnum began in the country - a period called the Seven Boyars. As a result of the deal between the boyars who came to power and the Polish interventionists, on August 17, 1610, Moscow swore allegiance to the King of Poland, Vladislav. False Dmitry 2 was killed at the end of this year. The struggle for power continued.

The third period of the Troubles is the time of the struggle against the interventionists. The people of Russia were finally able to unite to fight the invaders - the Poles. During this period, the war acquired the character of a national one. The militia of Minin and Pozharsky reached Moscow only in August 1612. They were able to liberate Moscow and expel the Poles.

The end of the Time of Troubles was marked by the appearance on the Russian throne of a new dynasty - the Romanovs. At the Zemsky Sobor on February 21, 1613, Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar.

Causes of unrest in Russia

Termination of the Rurik dynasty.

Enslavement of the peasants, an increase in tax oppression.

The struggle between the boyars and the royal power - the first sought to preserve and increase traditional privileges and political influence, the second - to limit these privileges and influence.

The difficult economic situation of the country. Conquests of Ivan the Terrible and Livonian War required a lot of effort production forces. The forcible movement of service people and the ruin of Novgorod the Great had a rather negative impact on the country's economy. The situation was catastrophically aggravated by the famine of 1601‒1603, which ruined thousands of large and small farms.

Deep social discord in the country. The existing system caused rejection among the masses of fugitive peasants, serfs, impoverished townspeople, Cossack freemen and city Cossacks, as well as a significant part of service people

The consequences of the oprichnina, which undermined respect for power and law

Consequences of the Troubles of the 17th century in Russia

Its first, most severe consequence was the terrible ruin and desolation of the country; many cities and villages lay in ruins. Agriculture, crafts were ruined, trading life died out.

The territorial unity of Russia was largely restored, although the coast of the Baltic Sea and the lands of Smolensk were lost.

Within the political life of the state, the role of the nobility and the top tenants has grown significantly. Power was restored in the form of an autocratic monarchy.

The positions of the nobility were strengthened.

The independence of Russia was preserved.

The Romanov dynasty began to rule.

Ticket 6. Transformations of Peter I: pros and cons.

All internal state activity Peter's can be conditionally divided into two periods: 1695-1715 and 1715-1725.
The peculiarity of the first stage was the haste and not always thoughtful nature, which was explained by the conduct Northern war. The reforms were aimed primarily at raising funds for the conduct of the Northern War, were carried out by force and often did not lead to the desired result. Except government reforms at the first stage, extensive reforms were carried out to change the cultural way of life. In the second period, the reforms were more systematic and aimed at internal arrangement states.
REFORM

military maritime

Administrative

3. Transformations in the field of culture, science and everyday life

Church

5. Transformations in the field of economy

In general, Peter's reforms were aimed at strengthening the Russian state and familiarizing the ruling stratum with European culture while strengthening the absolute monarchy. By the end of the reign of Peter the Great, a powerful Russian empire, which was headed by the emperor, who had absolute power. In the course of the reforms, the technical and economic backwardness of Russia from a number of other European states was overcome, access to the Baltic Sea was won, and transformations were carried out in many areas of the life of Russian society. At the same time, the people's forces were extremely exhausted, the bureaucratic apparatus grew, the prerequisites (Decree of Succession) were created for the crisis of the supreme power, which led to the era of "palace coups".

The Time of Troubles in Russia is one of the key pages of our history. In fact, it was an introduction to the 17th century, which went down in history under the name "Rebellious". And the Time of Troubles, no matter how much we were told about its short historical period, was not suppressed and it "left" Russia for the entire 17th century. It was actually completed only after the creation of the regime of Peter 1. It was he who finally strangled the process that rotted the entire 17th century.

The Time of Troubles is an era of social, political, economic, dynastic and spiritual crisis. It was accompanied by popular uprisings, class and interclass struggle, impostors, Polish and Swedish intervention, and the almost complete ruin of the country.

Historical guide

Concepts of Troubles

In Russian historiography, there were 2 schemes of the Time of Troubles: Klyuchevsky and Platonov. Here is what Klyuchevsky wrote - “All classes of Russian society consistently act in the Time of Troubles and they act in the same order in which they lay in the then composition of Russian society, as they were placed on the social ladder. At the top of this ladder stood the boyars, and it was they who started the turmoil. Therefore, the first phase is boyar, then noble and then nationwide.

By the way, the Time of Troubles of the beginning of the 20th century, which led to the fall of the Empire, developed absolutely according to the same pattern. The Time of Troubles also began, the first phase of which was Perestroika. That is, the first phase of all three Russian Troubles is the boyar phase, when the elite begins to share power.

The second scheme of the Time of Troubles in Russia belongs to the historian Platonov, who singled out three periods in the history of the Troubles: dynastic, noble, and socio-religious. But in essence, this is the same as that of Klyuchevsky:

1. Dynastic. Boyars and nobility are fighting for power.
2. Noble. less wealthy and powerful people are connected to these disassemblies.
3. National-religious. The people are included in the Troubles

The main reasons for the Time of Troubles in Russia can be expressed as follows:

• economic reasons. As a result of weather conditions, the famine of 1601-1603 occurred. The population died en masse. Trust in the current government padolo.
• dynastic crisis. After the death of Tsarevich Dmitry in Uglich and Fyodor Ivanovich in Moscow, the Rurik dynasty was interrupted.
• social crisis. Almost all segments of the population of Russia in the late 16th - early 17th centuries were dissatisfied with their position.
• political crisis. In Russia, there was an active struggle for power between boyar groups.
• Poland and Sweden intensified and actively showed their claims to Russian lands and the throne.

More detailed causes of the Troubles are given in the following diagram:

Beginning of Troubles in Russia

The Time of Troubles in Russia actually began with the death of Ivan the Terrible. In 1598, Fedor died and events take place that can be called the “Latent Stage of the Troubles”. The fact is that Fedor did not leave a will, and formally Irina was supposed to sit on the throne. But at this time she clears the way for her brother Boris Godunov and voluntarily goes to the monastery. The Boyar Duma is splitting as a result. The Romanovs attacked Boris, and as a result, he stopped going to the Duma.

Ultimately, the Zemsky Sobor elected Godunov to reign, but the Boyar Duma opposed this. There was a split. This is a classic feature of the Time of Troubles in Russia - dual power. Zemsky Sobor against the Boyar Duma. Dual power will arise later after the February coup of 1917. It will be the "Provisional Government" against the "Petrosoviet" or the "Reds" against the "Whites". The dual power at the end of the 20th century will be the following - first Gorbachev against Yeltsin. Then Yeltsin against Supreme Council. That is, the Time of Troubles always splits power into 2 opposing camps.

Ultimately, Boris Godunov outplayed the Boyar Duma and became tsar. Learn more about how this happened.

Driving elements of the Time of Troubles

It must be understood that the Time of Troubles is a mass phenomenon, in which almost all segments of the population and social groups took part. Nevertheless, there were three major estates that played an exceptional role in those events, and which need to be told separately. These are the following groups:

1. Sagittarius.
2. Cossacks.
3. "Battle thugs".

Let's take a closer look at each of these groups.

Battle serfs

The problem in Russia after the famine of 1601-1603 was that the growth in the number of service people overtook the growth of the land fund. The country (even strange to say this about Russia) did not have the resources to provide all the children of the nobility with land. As a result, a layer of "Combat serfs" began to appear in Russia.

These were those nobles who did not have land, but who had weapons (they say little about this, but Ivan Bolotnikov was one of the Battle serfs), and who went into the service as a military service to some boyar or rich nobleman. The percentage of Battle serfs in Russia at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century was +/-10%. Now think about this... The events of the 90s (the collapse of the USSR). Then those who serve in various private and security firms, in the army, and all armed people in the country - these are just those same 10%. That is, it is social dynamite that can explode at any moment.

What are combat serfs at the beginning of the 16th century? For 25 thousand nobles in the militia, there were up to 5 thousand fighting slaves.

For example, after the shelling of Ivangorod in 1590, the governors led 350 archers, 400 Cossacks and 2382 combat slaves to storm. That is, there were a lot of combat slaves, and they specific gravity in the army changed its structure for the use of these people. And these people were extremely dissatisfied with their position.

It was from the fighting serfs that the leader of the largest uprising of the lower classes of the times of 1602-1603, Khlopko Kasolap, came from. In 1603, he approached Moscow, and in order to defeat him, he had to send a regular army.

archers

Archers, as a military unit, were created in the middle of the 16th century. The undoubted advantage of its creation was that it was thanks to the archery army that Kazan was taken. In Moscow, there were 10 thousand archers (that is, a fairly large social stratum). In others major cities up to 1 thousand people. The salary for archers ranged from 7 rubles in Moscow to 0.5 rubles in the outskirts. They also received a grain salary.

The problem was that they received money in full only during hostilities. In addition, the archers received money with a long delay, since those who handed out the money, according to Russian tradition, stole. Therefore, the archers, who lived in township settlements, kept gardens, were engaged in trade, some even banditry. Therefore, they felt social kinship with the townspeople, because. their lifestyle and priorities were identical.

Cossacks during the Time of Troubles

Another group that played an extremely important role in the Time of Troubles in Russia, and which was also dissatisfied with the authorities, was the Cossacks. The total number of Cossacks at the end of the 16th century from the Dnieper to the Yaik River (the modern Ural River) is estimated at 11-14 thousand people. The Cossack organization was as follows: In Russia it was a village, in Ukraine it was a hundred. The free villages were not part of the government troops, but actually served to protect the border.

After impoverishment, fighting slaves fled to the Don, the government demanded to withdraw them, but there was a rule - "There is no issue from the Don!" Hence the anti-Cossack measures of Godunov, who tried to return the fighting serfs, since the wealthy nobility put pressure on him. Naturally, this caused discontent and the Cossacks. As a result, Godunov found himself in a situation where whatever he did did not solve the problem, but exacerbated it.

The Cossacks were associated with the southern counties, in which social contradictions were already acute, because those who were offended by the authorities fled to the southern counties. That is, the Cossacks are such a separate layer, which has always considered itself superior to the rest.

The beginning of the open stage of the Troubles

Thus, we can say that at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries an explosive situation developed in Russia:

1. aggravated almost all possible contradictions between the estates and within them.
2. confrontations within the country intensified - "South" against "Center".

A lot of "social dynamite" was worked out, and all that remained was for the interested parties to light the fuse. And it was lit simultaneously in Russia and Poland. At the beginning of the 17th century, a situation developed in Russia, which contributed to the transition of the Time of Troubles from a latent (hidden) state to an open state.

The first stage of the Troubles

A man appeared in Poland who called himself Tsarevich Dmitry, a survivor of Uglich. Of course, he declared his rights to the throne and began to gather an army in Poland in order to go and return “his” throne by force. I will not now dwell on this man and the elements of his attempt (and successful) to seize power. We have a whole article on our website, where all the events of this stage are considered in detail. You can read it at this link.

I will only say that at this stage Poland did not support False Dmitry. He recruited an army of mercenaries there, but the Polish king Sigismund 3 distanced himself from this campaign. Moreover, he even warned Godunov that "a man is coming after his soul."

At this stage:

1. There was a dynastic struggle for power.
2. False Dmitry 1 appeared.
3. The scale of the Time of Troubles was still small. In fact, only the elite were involved in them so far.
4. The murder of False Dmitry 1.

The second stage of the Troubles

After the overthrow of False Dmitry, Vasily Shuisky became king. By the way, far from the last role in the murder of the impostor was played by the future king himself. Most historians agree that it was his conspiracy, which he brilliantly implemented. The accession of Shuisky, according to the historian Platonov, is the beginning of the entry of the Time of Troubles into the second period (noble), marked not only by a dynastic struggle for power, but also by deep social conflicts. Although Shuisky's reign began very well, with the suppression of the Bolotnikov uprising. In general, Bolotnik's uprising is an extremely important thing for understanding the essence of the Time of Troubles in Russia. Again, we will not consider this issue in detail in this topic, since this topic has already been discussed by us. Here is a link for review.

It is important to understand that the Bolotnikov uprising is not a peasant war, as they often try to present it to us, but a struggle for power in the Time of Troubles. Bolotnikov was a man of False Dmitry 1, always acted on his behalf and pursued a specific goal - power.

The Time of Troubles in Russia was characterized by the following phenomenon. The free Cossacks, especially at the final stage of the Time of Troubles, claimed to replace the nobility in its function of military defense of the country. That is, the Time of Troubles had many dimensions, but a very important dimension was the struggle of the nobility and the Cossacks for who would become the main military estate of the country. The Cossacks did not fight for freedom. It is they who later, under Razin, 50 years after the end of the Time of Troubles, will fight for freedom. Here they fought to take the place of the nobility. This became possible due to the fact that Oprichnina, having shaken the situation in the country, left some voids.

Tushintsy and their role in the Time of Troubles

For a long time, dual power remained in Russia. On the one hand, there was the legitimate Tsar Vasily Shuisky in Moscow, and on the other hand, there was False Dmitry 2 with the Tushino camp. In fact, this camp became a breeding ground for banditry and all kinds of wickedness that plundered the country. It is no coincidence that the people then called this man "Tushinsky thief." But such a situation was possible only as long as the forces were equal. As soon as Shuisky received Swedish troops to help, and the Polish king Sigismund 3 began a campaign against Smolensk, the Tushino camp disintegrated automatically. The intervention of the Polish king and the collapse of the Tushino camp became an important stage in the development of all the events of the Time of Troubles.

At this stage, the following happened:

• The victory of the tsarist troops over Bolotnikov.
• Appearance of False Dmitry 2.
• The confusion is gaining momentum. All more people are involved in events.
• Formation of the Tushino camp as an alternative to the current government.
• Lack of elements of intervention.

The third stage of the Time of Troubles in Russia

The death of the Tushinsky thief and the beginning of the Poles' housekeeping in Moscow was the beginning of the 3rd phase of the Time of Troubles in Russia - national-religious or general social. The situation has been greatly simplified. If before 1610 the situation was very difficult, because some Russian forces called on foreigners to their side, other Russians called on other foreigners, i.e. such a mixed situation. Now the situation has become very simple: the Poles are Catholics, but the Russians are Orthodox. That is, the struggle became national-religious. And the Zemstvo militias became the striking force of this national struggle.

The ultimate heroes of these events were Minin and Pozharsky, who drove the Poles out of the country. But again, one should not idealize the images of these people, since we know little about them for certain. It is only known that Pozharsky was a descendant of Vsevolod Big Nest, and his campaign against Moscow was a family coat of arms, which directly indicates his attempt to seize power. But that's another story. You can read in this article about the events of those years.

At this stage:

• Polish and Swedish intervention in Russia began.
• The murder of False Dmitry 2.
• The beginning of the Zemsky militias.
• Capture of Moscow by Minin and Pozharsky. Liberation of the city from the Polish invaders.
• The convocation of the Zemsky Sobor in 1613 and the accession of a new ruling dynasty - the Romanovs.

End of the Time of Troubles

Formally, the Time of Troubles in Russia ended in 1613-1614, with the beginning of the reign of Mikhail Romanov. But in fact, at that moment, only the following was done - the Poles were thrown out of Moscow and ... And that's all! The Polish question was finally resolved only in 1618. After all, Sigismund and Vladislav actively claimed the Russian throne, realizing that the local government there is extremely weak. But in the end, the Deulino truce was signed, according to which Russia recognized all the gains of Poland during the Time of Troubles, and peace was established between the countries for 14.5 years.

But there was also Sweden, which Shuisky called for. Few people talk about it, but Sweden owned almost all the northern lands, including Novgorod. In 1617, Russia and Sweden signed the Treaty of Stolbov, according to which the Swedes returned Novgorod, but retained the entire coast of the Baltic.

Consequences of the Time of Troubles for Russia

The Time of Troubles is always a difficult phase that hits the country very hard, and from which it then takes a very long time to get out. it was the same in Russia. The Troubles formally ended with the accession of the Romanovs, but in fact it was not so. More long years Russian tsars actively fought against the passive, but still with the elements of the Time of Troubles, in the country.

If we talk about the consequences of the Time of Troubles in Russia, then the following main consequences can be distinguished:

1. Russia retained its independence and the right to be a state.
2. Creation of a new ruling Romanov dynasty.
3. Terrible economic ruin and depletion of the country. Ordinary people fled en masse to the outskirts.
4. The fall of the authority of the church. People could not understand how the church could allow such passivity in the fight against the interventionists.
5. There was a complete enslavement of the peasants, which had not happened before.
6. Russia lost part of its territory (Smolensk, the Baltic Sea (the access to which Peter 1 would then so persistently seek) and the northern regions of the country).
7. The military potential of the country was actually destroyed.

These are the main consequences that were extremely important for the country. but most importantly, Russia retained its statehood and continued to develop. Attempts by Poland and Sweden to seize power in Russia ended in nothing.

The complexity of the interpretation of the Troubles

The Time of Troubles was very inconvenient for Soviet historians. Pre-revolutionary historiography did not create a strict concept of turmoil. There are schemes of Klyuchevsky and Platonov (we will talk about them later) - they empirically reflect reality very well, but they do not give the concept of the Time of Troubles. Because in order to develop the concept of the Time of Troubles in Russia, you must first develop the concept of Russian history and the concept of autocracy. But it wasn't. For Soviet historians, things were very bad with the concept of the Time of Troubles. Actually, Soviet historians did not study any Time of Troubles. Example of Professor Andrey Fursov:

when I handed over Russian history, or rather the history of the USSR, there was no question "Time of Troubles" in the tickets. There were two completely different questions on the tickets: "The uprising under the leadership of Ivan Bolotnikov" and "Foreign intervention at the beginning of the 17th century."

Andrey Fursov, historian

That is, the Troubles were dispelled, as if it did not exist. And it's understandable why. The fact is that in the Time of Troubles for Soviet historians, literally everything came into conflict. From a class point of view, the Soviet historian had to stand on the side of Ivan Bolotnikov, because he fought against the exploiters. But the fact is that Ivan Bolotnikov was a man of False Dmitry 1 (we will talk about this below), and False Dmitry was associated with the Poles and Swedes. And it turns out that Bolotnikov's uprising is an element of the activity of False Dmitry to betray the country. That is, this is what hits the state system of Russia. From a patriotic point of view, the Soviet historian could not have been on the side of Bolotnikov. Therefore, we decided to make it very simple. The Time of Troubles was integrally cut: the Bolotnikov uprising is one thing, and the intervention is another. False Dmitry is generally the third. But it was an absolute fake. Everything was much more difficult. And all this was very closely connected, and there would be no Bolotnikov without False Dmitry and the Time of Troubles.

What actually was the Time of Troubles in the history of Russia

The turmoil was certainly a revolutionary event. How is revolution fundamentally different from insurrection? Who knows, by the way, when the term "revolution" appeared as a political one? Hint - is there any connection between the word "revolution" and "revolver"? In addition to the fact that revolutions use revolvers ... Is there any connection between the names "revolution" and "revolver"? The point is that the drum is "spinning". First, the revolution appeared in 1688 during the so-called "Glorious Revolution" in England, when, as it were, everything returned to normal. That is, initially the revolution was called a 360-degree turn. They made a turn and returned to their places with some changes. But from the time french revolution In 1789-1799, revolutions began to be called a turn not by 360 degrees, but by 180. That is, they turned around, but did not return to the previous point.

Any popular movement can be divided into 3 categories:

1. palace revolutions. This is a showdown of the elite.
2. uprisings and riots. The population takes an active part.
3. revolution. When revolutions occur, the following happens - part of the elite enters into an alliance with part of the population, and throws it against another part of the elite. So at some point, the very top begins to express the interests of society, and not just their own. Therefore, for a short moment of revolution, there is unity. Then, in most cases, the elite deceives society.

And in the Time of Troubles of the beginning of the 17th century, of course, some revolutionary features are visible, especially since after the Time of Troubles the autocratic-feudal system finally stood on its feet, which had not existed in Russia before.

Chronology

• 1605 - 1606 Board of False Dmitry I.
• 1606 - 1607 The uprising led by I.I. Bolotnikov.
• 1606 - 1610 The reign of Vasily Shuisky.
• 1610 "Seven Boyars".
• 1612 Liberation of Moscow from interventionists.
• 1613 Election by the Zemsky Sobor of Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom.

Time of Troubles in Russia

The unrest in Russia at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century was a shock that shook the very foundations of the state system. Three periods in the development of the Troubles can be distinguished. First period - dynastic. This is the time of the struggle for the Moscow throne between various applicants, which lasted up to and including Tsar Vasily Shuisky. The second period is the social. It is characterized by the internecine struggle of social classes and the intervention of foreign governments in this struggle. The third period is national. It covers the time of the struggle of the Russian people with foreign invaders until the election of Mikhail Romanov as tsar.

After death in 1584. was succeeded by his son Fedor incapable of affairs of government. “The dynasty was dying out in his face,” remarked the British ambassador Fletcher. “What a king I am, it’s easy to confuse me in any business, and it’s not difficult to deceive,” is a sacramental phrase put into the mouth of Fyodor Ioannovich A.K. Tolstoy. The brother-in-law of the tsar, the boyar Boris Godunov, became the actual ruler of the state, who withstood a fierce struggle with the largest boyars for influence on state affairs. After death in 1598. Fedor, the Zemsky Sobor elected Godunov tsar.

Boris Godunov was an energetic and intelligent statesman. In conditions of economic ruin and a difficult international situation, he solemnly promised on the day of his wedding to the kingdom, "that there will be no poor person in his state, and he is ready to share his last shirt with everyone." But the elected king did not have the authority and advantage of a hereditary monarch, and this could call into question the legitimacy of his being on the throne.

Godunov's government reduced taxes, freed merchants for two years from paying duties, and landowners for a year from paying taxes. The king started a great construction, cared about the enlightenment of the country. A patriarchate was established, which increased the rank and prestige of the Russian Church. He led and successful foreign policy- there was a further advance to Siberia, the southern regions of the country were mastered, Russian positions in the Caucasus were strengthened.

At the same time, the internal situation of the country under Boris Godunov remained very difficult. In the conditions of an unprecedented scale of crop failure and famine of 1601-1603. there was a collapse of the economy, people who died of starvation were considered hundreds of thousands, the price of bread rose 100 times. The government took the path of further enslavement of the peasantry. this caused a protest of the broad masses of the people, who directly linked the deterioration of their situation with the name of Boris Godunov.

The aggravation of the internal political situation led, in turn, to a sharp drop in Godunov's prestige not only among the masses, but also among the boyars.

The biggest threat to the power of B. Godunov was the appearance in Poland of an impostor who declared himself the son of Ivan the Terrible. The fact is that in 1591, under unclear circumstances, he died in Uglich, allegedly having run into a knife in a fit of epilepsy, the last of the direct heirs to the throne Tsarevich Dmitry. Political opponents of Godunov attributed to him the organization of the assassination of the prince in order to seize power, popular rumor picked up these accusations. However, historians do not have convincing documents that would prove Godunov's guilt.

It was under such conditions that he appeared in Russia False Dmitry. This young man named Grigory Otrepiev called himself Dmitry, using the rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry was alive, “miraculously saved” in Uglich. The agents of the impostor intensively disseminated in Russia the version about his miraculous rescue at the hands of assassins sent by Godunov, and proved the legitimacy of his right to the throne. The Polish magnates provided some assistance in organizing the adventure. As a result, by the autumn of 1604, a powerful army for a trip to Moscow.

The beginning of the turmoil

Taking advantage of the current situation in Russia, its disunity and instability, False Dmitry with a small detachment crossed the Dnieper near Chernigov.

He managed to win over to his side a huge mass of the Russian population, who believed that he was the son of Ivan the Terrible. The forces of False Dmitry grew rapidly, cities opened their gates to him, peasants and townspeople joined his troops. False Dmitry moved in the wake of the outbreak of the peasant war. After the death of Boris Godunov in 1605. the governors also began to go over to the side of False Dmitry, in early June Moscow also took his side.

According to V.O. Klyuchevsky, the impostor "was baked in a Polish oven, but hatched in a boyar environment." Without the support of the boyars, he had no chance for the Russian throne. On June 1, the letters of the impostor were read out on Red Square, in which he called Godunov a traitor, and promised "honor and promotion" to the boyars, "mercy" to the nobles and clerks, benefits to merchants, "silence" to the people. The critical moment came when people asked the boyar Vasily Shuisky whether the tsarevich was buried in Uglich (it was Shuisky who headed the state commission in 1591 to investigate the death of tsarevich Dmitry and then confirmed the death from epilepsy). Now Shuisky claimed that the prince had escaped. After these words, the crowd broke into the Kremlin, destroyed the houses of the Godunovs and their relatives. On June 20, False Dmitry solemnly entered Moscow.

It turned out to be easier to sit on the throne than to stay on it. To strengthen his position, False Dmitry confirmed the serf legislation, which caused the discontent of the peasants.

But, above all, the tsar did not live up to the expectations of the boyars, because he acted too independently. May 17, 1606. The boyars led the people to the Kremlin, shouting “Poles are beating the boyars and the sovereign,” and as a result, False Dmitry was killed. Vasily Ivanovich ascended the throne Shuisky. The condition for his accession to the Russian throne was the restriction of power. He swore "not to do anything without the Council", and this was the first experience of building a state order on the basis of a formal sovereignty restrictions. But the normalization of the situation in the country did not happen.

The second stage of confusion

Begins second stage of confusion- social, when the nobility, capital and provincial, clerks, clerks, Cossacks enter the struggle. However, first of all, this period is characterized by a wide wave of peasant uprisings.

In the summer of 1606, the masses had a leader - Ivan Isaevich Bolotnikov. The forces gathered under the banner of Bolotnikov were a complex conglomerate, consisting of different layers. There were Cossacks, and peasants, and serfs, and townspeople, a lot of service people, small and medium feudal lords. In July 1606, Bolotnikov's troops went on a campaign against Moscow. In the battle near Moscow, Bolotnikov's troops were defeated and were forced to retreat to Tula. On July 30, the siege of the city began, and after three months the Bolotnikovites capitulated, and he himself was soon executed. The suppression of this uprising did not mean the end of the peasant war, but it began to decline.

The government of Vasily Shuisky sought to stabilize the situation in the country. But both the service people and the peasants were still dissatisfied with the government. The reasons for this were different. The nobles felt Shuisky's inability to end the peasant war, while the peasants did not accept the feudal policy. In the meantime, a new impostor appeared in Starodub (in the Bryansk region), declaring himself to have escaped “Tsar Dmitry”. According to many historians, False Dmitry II was a protege of the Polish king Sigismund III, although many do not support this version. The bulk of the armed forces of False Dmitry II were Polish gentry and Cossacks.

In January 1608. he moved to Moscow.

Having defeated Shuisky's troops in several battles, by the beginning of June, False Dmitry II reached the village of Tushino near Moscow, where he settled in a camp. Pskov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Vologda, Astrakhan swore allegiance to the impostor. Tushino occupied Rostov, Vladimir, Suzdal, Murom. In Russia, in fact, two capitals were formed. Boyars, merchants, officials swore allegiance either to False Dmitry or Shuisky, sometimes receiving salaries from both.

In February 1609, the Shuisky government concluded an agreement with Sweden, counting on help in the war against the “Tushinsky thief” and his Polish troops. According to this agreement, Russia gave Sweden the Karelian volost in the North, which was a serious political mistake. This gave Sigismund III an excuse to move to open intervention. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began hostilities against Russia in order to conquer its territory. Polish detachments left Tushino. False Dmitry II, who was there, fled to Kaluga and, ultimately, ingloriously ended his voyage.

Sigismund sent letters to Smolensk and Moscow, where he claimed that, as a relative of the Russian tsars and at the request of the Russian people, he was going to save the perishing Moscow state and its Orthodox faith.

The Moscow boyars decided to accept help. An agreement was concluded on the recognition of the prince Vladislav Russian tsar, and before his arrival to obey Sigismund. On February 4, 1610, an agreement was concluded that included a plan for the state structure under Vladislav: the inviolability of the Orthodox faith, the restriction of freedom from the arbitrariness of the authorities. The sovereign had to share his power with the Zemsky Sobor and the Boyar Duma.

August 17, 1610 Moscow swore allegiance to Vladislav. And a month before that, Vasily Shuisky was forcibly tonsured by the nobles as monks and taken to the Chudov Monastery. To govern the country, the Boyar Duma created a commission of seven boyars, called " Seven Boyars". On September 20, the Poles entered Moscow.

Sweden also launched aggressive actions. Swedish troops occupied a significant part of the north of Russia and were preparing to capture Novgorod. Russia faced a direct threat of loss of independence. The aggressive plans of the aggressors aroused general indignation. In December 1610. False Dmitry II was killed, but the struggle for the Russian throne did not end there.

The third stage of turmoil

The death of the impostor immediately changed the situation in the country. The pretext for the presence of Polish troops on Russian territory disappeared: Sigismund explained his actions by the need to “fight the Tushino thief.” The Polish army turned into an occupational army, the Seven Boyars into a government of traitors. The Russian people united to resist the intervention. The war took on a national character.

The third period of turmoil begins. From the northern cities, at the call of the patriarch, detachments of Cossacks led by I. Zarutsky and Prince Dm begin to converge towards Moscow. Trubetskoy. Thus was formed the first militia. In April - May 1611, Russian detachments stormed the capital, but did not achieve success, as internal contradictions and rivalry between the leaders affected. In the autumn of 1611, the desire for liberation from foreign oppression was vividly expressed by one of the leaders of the Nizhny Novgorod Posad Kuzma Minin, who called for the creation of a militia to liberate Moscow. Prince was elected leader of the militia Dmitry Pozharsky.

In August 1612, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky reached Moscow, and on October 26 the Polish garrison capitulated. Moscow was liberated. The Time of Troubles or the “great devastation”, which lasted about ten years, is over.

Under these conditions, the country needed a government of a kind of social reconciliation, a government that would be able to ensure not only the cooperation of people from different political camps, but also a class compromise. The candidacy of a representative of the Romanov family suited different strata and classes of society.

After the liberation of Moscow, letters of convocation of the Zemsky Sobor for the election of a new tsar were scattered around the country. The council, held in January 1613, was the most representative in the history of medieval Russia, reflecting at the same time the balance of forces that had developed during the war of liberation. A struggle broke out around the future tsar, and in the end they agreed on the candidacy of 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, a relative of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible. This circumstance created the appearance of a continuation of the former dynasty of Russian princes. February 21 1613 Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov Tsar of Russia.

Since that time, the rule of the Romanov dynasty in Russia began, which lasted a little more than three hundred years - until February 1917.

So, concluding this section, connected with the history of the "Time of Troubles", it should be noted: acute internal crises and long wars were generated largely by the incompleteness of the process of state centralization, the lack of necessary conditions for the normal development of the country. At the same time it was milestone struggle for the establishment of the Russian centralized state.

The Time of Troubles in Russia is a historical period that shook state structure in its very foundations. He fell at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries.

Three periods of trouble

The first period is called dynastic - at this stage, the applicants fought for the Moscow throne until Vasily Shuisky ascended it, although his reign is also included in this historical era. The second period is social, when various social classes fought among themselves, and this struggle was used in their own interests by foreign governments. And the third - national - it continued until Mikhail Romanov ascended the Russian throne, and is closely connected with the struggle against foreign invaders. All these stages greatly influenced the further history of the state.

Board of Boris Godunov

In fact, this boyar began to rule Russia as early as 1584, when the son of Ivan the Terrible Fedor, who was completely incapable of state affairs, ascended the throne. But legally he was elected tsar only in 1598 after the death of Fyodor. He was appointed by the Zemsky Sobor.

Rice. 1. Boris Godunov.

Despite the fact that Godunov, who took the kingdom in a difficult period of social disaster and the difficult position of Russia in the international arena, was a good statesman, he did not inherit the throne, which made his rights to the throne doubtful.

The new king began and consistently continued the course of reforms aimed at improving the country's economy: merchants were exempted from paying taxes for two years, landowners - for a year. But this did not make the internal affairs of Russia easier - crop failure and famine of 1601-1603. caused mass mortality and an increase in the price of bread of unprecedented sizes. And the people blamed Godunov for everything. With the appearance in Poland of the “legitimate” heir to the throne, who allegedly was Tsarevich Dmitry, the situation became even more complicated.

The first period of turmoil

In fact, the beginning of the Time of Troubles in Russia was marked by the fact that False Dmitry penetrated into Russia with a small detachment, which was increasing against the backdrop of peasant riots. Quite quickly, the “prince” attracted the common people to his side, and after the death of Boris Godunov (1605), he was recognized by the boyars. Already on June 20, 1605, he entered Moscow and was placed in the kingdom, but he could not hold the throne. On May 17, 1606, False Dmitry was killed, and Vasily Shuisky sat on the throne. The power of this sovereign was formally limited by the Council, but the situation in the country did not improve.

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Rice. 2. Vasily Shuisky.

The second period of turmoil

It is characterized by the performances of different social strata, but above all - the peasants led by Ivan Bolotnikov. His army advanced quite successfully across the country, but on June 30, 1606, they were defeated, and soon Bolotnikov himself was executed. The wave of uprisings subsided somewhat, thanks in part to the efforts of Vasily Shuisky to stabilize the situation. But in general, his efforts did not bring results - soon a second Ldezhmitry appeared, who received the nickname "Tush thief". He spoke out against Shuisky in January 1608, and already in July 1609, the boyars, who served both Shuisky and False Dmitry, swore allegiance to the Polish prince Vladislav and forcibly tonsured their sovereign as a monk. On June 20, 1609, the Poles entered Moscow. In December 1610, False Dmitry was killed, and the struggle for the throne continued.

Third Period of Troubles

The death of False Dmitry became turning point– the Poles no longer had an actual pretext to be on the territory of Russia. They become interventionists, to fight against whom the first and second militia are assembled.

The first militia, which went to Moscow in April 1611, did not achieve much success, as it was disunited. But the second, created on the initiative of Kuzma Minin and headed by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, was successful. These heroes liberated Moscow - it happened on October 26, 1612, when the Polish garrison capitulated. The actions of the people are the answer to the question why Russia survived the Time of Troubles.

Rice. 3. Minin and Pozharsky.

It was necessary to look for a new king, whose candidacy would suit all sectors of society. They became Mikhail Romanov - on February 21, 1613 he was elected by the Zemsky Sobor. The troubled times are over.

Chronology of the Troubles

The following table gives an idea of ​​what major events took place during the period of unrest. They are arranged chronologically by date.

What have we learned?

From the article on history for grade 10, we briefly learned about the Time of Troubles, considered the most important thing - what events took place during this period and what historical figures influenced the course of history. We learned that in 17th century The Time of Troubles ended with the ascension to the throne of the compromise Tsar Mikhail Romanov.

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