Election of Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov Elected people gathered in Moscow in January 1613. From Moscow they asked the cities to send the best, strongest and most reasonable people for the royal selection. Cities, by the way, had to think not only about electing a king, but also about how to build

The end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries became a period of socio-political, economic and dynastic crisis in Russian history, which was called the Time of Troubles. The Time of Troubles began with the catastrophic famine of 1601-1603. A sharp deterioration in the situation of all segments of the population led to mass unrest under the slogan of overthrowing Tsar Boris Godunov and transferring the throne to the “legitimate” sovereign, as well as to the emergence of impostors False Dmitry I and False Dmitry II as a result of the dynastic crisis.

"Seven Boyars" - the government formed in Moscow after the overthrow of Tsar Vasily Shuisky in July 1610, concluded an agreement on the election of the Polish prince Vladislav to the Russian throne and in September 1610 allowed the Polish army into the capital.

Since 1611, patriotic sentiments began to grow in Russia. The First Militia, formed against the Poles, never managed to drive the foreigners out of Moscow. And a new impostor, False Dmitry III, appeared in Pskov. In the fall of 1611, on the initiative of Kuzma Minin, Nizhny Novgorod Led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, the formation of the Second Militia began. In August 1612, it approached Moscow and liberated it in the fall. The leadership of the Zemsky militia began preparing for the electoral Zemsky Sobor.

At the beginning of 1613, elected officials from “the whole earth” began to gather in Moscow. This was the first indisputably all-class Zemsky Sobor with the participation of townspeople and even rural representatives. The number of “council people” gathered in Moscow exceeded 800 people, representing at least 58 cities.

The Zemsky Sobor began its work on January 16 (January 6, old style) 1613. Representatives of “the whole earth” annulled the decision of the previous council on the election of Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne and decided: “Foreign princes and Tatar princes should not be invited to the Russian throne.”

The conciliar meetings took place in an atmosphere of fierce rivalry between various political groups that took shape in Russian society during the years of the Troubles and sought to strengthen their position by electing their contender to the royal throne. The council participants nominated more than ten candidates for the throne. IN different sources among the candidates are Fyodor Mstislavsky, Ivan Vorotynsky, Fyodor Sheremetev, Dmitry Trubetskoy, Dmitry Mamstrukovich and Ivan Borisovich Cherkassky, Ivan Golitsyn, Ivan Nikitich and Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, Pyotr Pronsky and Dmitry Pozharsky.

Data from the “Report on Patrimonies and Estates of 1613,” which records land grants made immediately after the election of the Tsar, make it possible to identify the most active members of the “Romanov” circle. The candidacy of Mikhail Fedorovich in 1613 was supported not by the influential clan of Romanov boyars, but by a circle that spontaneously formed during the work of the Zemsky Sobor, composed of minor figures from the previously defeated boyar groups.

According to a number of historians, the decisive role in the election of Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom was played by the Cossacks, who during this period became an influential social force. A movement arose among service people and Cossacks, the center of which was the Moscow courtyard of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and its active inspirer was the cellarer of this monastery, Avraamy Palitsyn, a very influential person among both the militias and Muscovites. At meetings with the participation of cellarer Abraham, it was decided to proclaim 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich, the son of Rostov Metropolitan Filaret captured by the Poles, as tsar.

The main argument of Mikhail Romanov’s supporters was that, unlike elected tsars, he was elected not by people, but by God, since he comes from a noble royal root. Not kinship with Rurik, but closeness and kinship with the dynasty of Ivan IV gave the right to occupy his throne.

Many boyars joined the Romanov party, and he was also supported by the highest Orthodox clergy - the Consecrated Cathedral.

The election took place on February 17 (February 7, old style) 1613, but the official announcement was postponed until March 3 (February 21, old style), so that during this time it would become clear how the people would accept the new king.

Letters were sent to the cities and districts of the country with the news of the election of a king and the oath of allegiance to the new dynasty.

On March 23 (13, according to other sources, March 14, old style), 1613, the ambassadors of the Council arrived in Kostroma. At the Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail was with his mother, he was informed of his election to the throne.

In 1611, Patriarch Hermogenes, calling on the sons of the church to defend the fatherland, insisted on electing a Russian tsar, convincing him with examples from history; but he was starved to death for this call, his life expired on February 17, 1612, but he died with the name of Michael, indicating who should be king.
-- By the end of 1612, Moscow and all average Russia, notified by the leaders of the people's militia, celebrated her salvation and triumphantly remembered the dying testament of Patriarch Hermogenes - on February 21, 1613, the unanimous choice for king fell on Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the son of the former Rostov Metropolitan Philaret Nikitich, who was still languishing in captivity among the Poles and returned from there only in 1619.
— The first act of the great Zemsky Sobor, which elected sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the Russian throne, was to send an embassy to the newly elected tsar. When sending the embassy, ​​the cathedral did not know where Mikhail was, and therefore the order given to the ambassadors said: “Go to Sovereign Mikhail Fedorovich, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus' in Yaroslavl.” Arriving in Yaroslavl, the embassy here only learned that Mikhail Fedorovich lives with his mother in Kostroma; without hesitation, it moved there, along with many Yaroslavl citizens who had already joined here.
— The embassy arrived in Kostroma on March 14; On the 19th, having convinced Mikhail to accept the royal crown, they left Kostroma with him, and on the 21st they all arrived in Yaroslavl. Here all the residents of Yaroslavl and the nobles who had come from everywhere, boyar children, guests, trading people with their wives and children met the new king with a procession of the cross, bringing him icons, bread and salt, and rich gifts. Mikhail Fedorovich chose the ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery as his place of stay here. Here, in the archimandrite’s cells, he lived with his mother nun Martha and the temporary State Council, which was composed of Prince Ivan Borisovich Cherkassky with other nobles and clerk Ivan Bolotnikov with stewards and solicitors. From here, on March 23, the first letter from the tsar was sent to Moscow, informing the Zemsky Sobor of its consent to accept the royal crown. The warm weather that followed and the flooding of the rivers detained the young tsar in Yaroslavl “until it dried out.” Having received information here that the Swedes from Novgorod were going to Tikhvin, Mikhail Fedorovich from here sent Prince Prozorovsky and Velyaminov to defend this city, and sent an order to Moscow to detach troops against Zarutsky, who, having robbed Ukrainian cities, with a crowd of rebels and Marina Mnishek was going to Voronezh . Finally, on April 16, having prayed to the Yaroslavl Wonderworkers and received a blessing from Spassky Archimandrite Theophilus, accompanied by the good wishes of the people, bell ringing of all churches, Mikhail Fedorovich left a hospitable monastery in which he lived for 26 days. Soon after his arrival in Moscow, in the same 1613, Mikhail Fedorovich sent three letters of grant to the Spassky Monastery, as a result of which the welfare of the monastery, which suffered a lot during the Polish defeat, improved. And throughout his reign, the sovereign constantly had affection for Yaroslavl and remembered the place of his temporary stay. Proof of this is 15 more letters of grant given to the same monastery.
- In the first years after the accession of Mikhail Fedorovich, before the final conclusion of peace with Poland, Yaroslavl with its environs and neighboring cities often had to endure great disturbances from the Poles, and in 1615 Yaroslavl again became a rallying point for troops equipping themselves against Lisovsky, who was then troubling Uglich, Kashin, Bezhetsk, Romanov, Poshekhonye and the surrounding area of ​​Yaroslavl. In 1617, Yaroslavl was in danger from the Zaporozhye Cossacks, sent here from near the Trinity Lavra by the Polish prince Vladislav, who again decided to seek the Russian throne. Boyar Ivan Vasilyevich Cherkassky drove them away from here “with great damage.”
-- Filaret Nikitich, who returned from captivity in 1619, was installed as patriarch of the Russian church, and in next year The tsar undertook a “prayer journey” through the cities, and visited Yaroslavl.

K. D. Golovshchikov - "History of the city of Yaroslavl" - 1889.

1. Election of Michael

Immediately after the liberation of Moscow in October 1612, letters were sent to the cities to send elected people to Moscow, 10 representatives from each city, for the “Sovereign's fleece.” By January 1613, electors from 50 cities gathered in Moscow and, together with the highest clergy, surviving boyars and representatives of Moscow, formed the Zemsky Sobor.

For more than a month, various candidates were proposed and discussions continued. But on February 7, the Cossack ataman and two elected noblemen proposed to the Council the name of the son of Metropolitan Philaret, 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. On February 21, 1613, Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed Tsar of the Moscow State and the Council swore an oath to him. Then ambassadors were sent from the Cathedral to Mikhail, who lived with his mother in the Ipatiev Monastery near Kostroma.

As soon as it became known that Mikhail Fedorovich was elected to the throne, one detachment of Poles headed to Kostroma to find and kill Mikhail. When the Poles approached Kostroma, they began to ask people where Mikhail was. When Ivan Susanin, who was asked this question, asked the Poles why they needed to know this, they answered that they wanted to congratulate

a new king with his election to the throne. But Susanin did not believe them and sent his grandson to warn Mikhail about the danger. He himself told the Poles this way: “There is no road here, let me lead you through the forest, along a nearby path.” The Poles were glad that now they could easily find Mikhail and followed Susanin.

The night passed, and Susanin kept leading and leading the Poles through the forest, and the forest became more and more dense. The Poles rushed to Susanin, suspecting him of deception. Then Susanin, in full confidence that the Poles would not be able to find their way out of the forest, told them: Now you can do with me what you want; but know that the king is saved and you will not reach him! The Poles killed Susanin, but they themselves died.

The family of Ivan Susanin was generously rewarded by the Tsar. In memory of this self-sacrifice, the famous composer Glinka wrote the opera “Life for the Tsar,” and a monument was erected to him in Kostroma, Susanin’s homeland.

The ambassadors of the Council for a long time begged Michael and his mother (Mikhail’s father, Metropolitan Philaret, was in Polish captivity) to become king. Mikhail's mother said that the Russian people were exhausted and would destroy Mikhail, like the previous kings. The ambassadors replied that the Russian people now well understand that without a tsar the state perishes. In the end, the ambassadors declared that if Mikhail and his mother did not agree, then Rus' would perish through their fault. 4.Mikhail's reign

IN difficult time The young Tsar Michael had to rule. The entire western part of the state was devastated, the border areas were captured by enemies - the Poles and Swedes. Gangs, and sometimes large detachments, of Poles, thieves, and robbers roamed and robbed the entire state.

Therefore, the young and inexperienced Tsar Mikhail did not dissolve the Zemsky Sobor for 13 years and ruled together with it. It became easier for Mikhail Fedorovich when in 1619 his father returned from captivity and became “the great sovereign, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.” Until his death in 1633, Patriarch Filaret, in accordance with Russian traditions, helped Tsar Michael rule.

Since unrest continued in the Moscow state for a long time, Tsar Mikhail always used the help of the Zemsky Sobor in governing the country. It should be said that the Zemsky Sobors played a purely advisory role. In other words, the tsar consulted with the Zemsky Sobor on various issues, but final decisions made it himself, agreeing or disagreeing with the opinion of the Council.

Russian Zemsky Councils consisted of three parts:

1. "Consecrated Cathedral", i.e. senior clergy.

2. "Boyar Duma", i.e. know.

3. "Earth", i.e. elected from the “servants” (nobility) and “taxable” free people - townspeople and peasants.

The Zemsky Councils of these times developed a tradition: the requests and wishes of the “land” were almost always fulfilled by the tsar, even when they were unfavorable to the boyars. Zemsky Sobors forever destroyed the dream of the “princes” about the “boyar tsar”. The king's sole power increased, but he always relied on the "ground", i.e. people, and the “land” always supported the king.

2. Return to order

Tsar Michael's first task was to restore order in the state. Astrakhan, occupied by the Cossacks of Zarutsky, who was trying to found a Cossack state, was cleared of rebels. Marina Mnishek died in prison, and her son was executed along with Zarutsky.

The huge robber army of Ataman Balovnya reached Moscow and only here was it defeated and most of his people were recaptured. Prince Pozharsky hunted for a long time for the Polish robber, Lisovsky, but it was not possible to disperse his gang until Lisovsky himself died.

It was very difficult to restore obedience and honesty among the governors and officials who were accustomed to the anarchy of the Time of Troubles and tried to govern as they pleased.