Is the nickname of the quietest Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich justified? The quietest sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. Board characteristics. Annexation of Left-bank Ukraine

It would seem that the answer lies on the surface. It is generally believed that the second Romanov was so called for his gentle kindness. Indeed, the king was a good-natured man. However, he was by no means the "quietest" in this sense of the word - neither in his nature, nor in his deeds. Consider first his character.

If the second Romanov showed some "quietness", then only in the first years of his reign, when he was young. But his natural irascibility very quickly made itself felt. The king easily lost his temper and gave free rein to his tongue and hands. So, once, having quarreled with Patriarch Nikon, he publicly scolded him as a man and a son of a bitch. In general, Alexei Mikhailovich knew how to swear in a very inventive and sophisticated way, not like the current foul-mouthed with their miserable high school vocabulary. Here, for example, is the letter the tsar sent to the treasurer of the Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery, father Nikita, who, having drunk, fought with the archers stationed at the billet: “ From the Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Russia to the enemy of God and the God-hating and Christ-seller and the destroyer of the miracle-working house and like-minded Satan, the enemy of the damned, unnecessary spur and the evil sly villain Treasurer Mikita».

Archpriest Avvakum denounces: "... And the enemy of God has darkened the tsar, and, moreover, he magnifies, flattering, on the transfer: “the most pious, quietest, most autocratic sovereign of ours, such and such, great, - more than all the saints from the age! - may the Lord God remember in his kingdom, always, and now, and forever, and forever and ever».
But the king turned out to be different, not the quietest at all: " And the tsar, to sing, in those days one hopes and imagines that he really is such, there is no holier than him! And where is the greater pride of that!" etc.

As for business, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, there was the least peace and quiet. The king demanded from his henchmen to serve tirelessly. Remembering "their incessant work", the boyar Artamon Matveev noted that " this has never happened before". And according to the recall of Archpriest Avvakum, the king " he did a lot in this life, like a goat hopping over the hills and chasing the wind". Yes, and when was Alexei Mikhailovich to rest, if in his reign rebellion followed rebellion, war after war. The contemporaries themselves called the 17th century “the rebellious age”.

But it is precisely this last circumstance that provides the key to the correct understanding of the nickname "The Quietest". Its origins lie in the ancient formula "peace and quiet", which symbolized a well-organized and prosperous state. Prayer for "peace and silence", for "peace and silence, and prosperity" from the time of Boris Godunov into the "sovereign's cup" (a special verbal and musical genre). Pretenders and rebels, according to the terminology of the time, were "libertines of silence."

Alexei Mikhailovich precisely “calmed down” Russia, torn apart by riots and splits. In one document of that time it is said that after the death of Mikhail Fedorovich Monomakhov he put on a hat “ his noble son, the most pious, quietest, most autocratic great sovereign, tsar and grand duke Alexei Mikhailovich. Then, under his sovereign hand, in the whole kingdom, piety was firmly observed, and all Orthodox Christianity shone serenely with silence.».

This is the meaning our ancestors put into the epithet "the quietest" - it was the official title of the sovereign, which was related to the rank, and not to the character of the king. It is also found in the mourning inscription " the last voice of the most pious, quietest, most luminous Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich, who sanctified in the Lord in the Lord".

On June 18, 1676, on the day of the wedding to the kingdom of Fedor Alekseevich, Simeon Polotsky brought him "Gusl good-voiced" - a book dedicated to " to the newly reigning most pious, quietest, most luminous Great Sovereign".
In 1701, the professor of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, the Chudov monk Job, who compiled the Primer, Rekshe Socrates of the Christian Teaching, indicated in the preface that he worked for glory " the clearest and most sovereign ... Pyotr Alekseevich". Simply "the quietest" Peter is called in the inscription of Stefan Yavorsky's "Rhetorical Hand" - more precisely, in its Russian translation, owned by Feofan Prokopovich. In the "Trilingual Lexicon" he translated "the quietest" as serenissimus, which epithet was used in the title of Roman emperors. And this finally debunks the myth that Alexei Mikhailovich earned the nickname "the quietest" among his contemporaries due to his meekness and humility.

References:
Klyuchevsky V.O. Alexei Mikhailovich (in the course of "Lectures on Russian history").
Panchenko A. About Russian history and culture. SPb., 2000. S. 17-21.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich remained in history with the nickname "the quietest." What does it mean?

It would seem that the answer lies on the surface. It is generally believed that the second Romanov was so called for his gentle kindness. Indeed, the king was a good-natured man. However, he was by no means the “quietest” in this sense of the word, neither by nature nor by deeds. Let us first consider his character.

If the second Romanov showed some "quietness", then only in the first years of his reign, when he was young. But his natural irascibility very quickly made itself felt. The king easily lost his temper and gave free rein to his tongue and hands. So, once, having quarreled with Patriarch Nikon, he publicly scolded him as a man and a son of a bitch. In general, Alexei Mikhailovich knew how to swear in a very inventive and sophisticated way, not like the current foul-mouthed with their miserable high school vocabulary. Here, for example, is the letter the tsar sent to the treasurer of the Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery, father Nikita, who, having drunk, had a fight with the archers stationed at the lodge: “From the tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Russia to the enemy of God and the hater of God and Christ-seller and the destroyer of the miracle-working house and like-minded satanin , the cursed enemy, the useless bastard and the evil sly villain Treasurer Mikita.

Such was the king's tongue. Let's talk about hands. Once the question of a war with Poland was discussed in the Duma, and the tsar's father-in-law, the boyar Miloslavsky, who had never been on campaigns, unexpectedly announced that if the sovereign appointed him governor, he would bring him the Polish king himself as a prisoner. This impudent boasting outraged the king so much that he gave the old man a slap in the face, pulled his beard and kicked him out of the ward. And this is the quietest king? Unlikely.
Archpriest Avvakum denounces: "... And the enemy of God darkened the tsar, and besides, he magnifies, flattering, on the transfer:" the most pious, quietest, most autocratic sovereign of ours, such and such, great - more than all the saints from the age! - let him remember the Lord God in his kingdom, always, and now, and ever, and forever and ever.

But the tsar turned out to be different, not the quietest at all: “But the tsar, to sing, in those days it is dreamed and imagined that he really is, there is no holier than him! And where is more than that pride!” etc.

As for business, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, there was the least peace and quiet. The king demanded from his henchmen to serve tirelessly. Remembering "his unceasing work," the boyar Artamon Matveev remarked that "this has never happened before." And according to the recall of Archpriest Avvakum, the tsar "had done a lot in this life, like a goat galloping over the hills and chasing the wind." Yes, and when was Alexei Mikhailovich to rest, if in his reign rebellion followed rebellion, war after war. The contemporaries themselves called the 17th century “the rebellious age”.

Alexei Mikhailovich precisely “calmed down” Russia, torn apart by riots and splits. In one document of that time, it is said that after the death of Mikhail Fedorovich Monomakhov, the hat was put on by “his noble son, the most pious, quietest, most autocratic great sovereign, tsar and grand duke Alexei Mikhailovich. Then, under his sovereign hand, piety was firmly observed throughout the kingdom, and all Orthodox Christianity shone with serene silence.

This is the meaning our ancestors put into the epithet "the quietest" - it was the official title of the sovereign, which was related to the rank, and not to the character of the king. It is also found in the inscription of the mourning "voice of the last to the Lord God, the most pious, quietest, most luminous Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich, who sanctified the Lord in the Lord."

And such a “quietest” sovereign, by the way, was officially not Aleksey Mikhailovich alone, but also his sons, successors on the throne: first Fedor Alekseevich, then the brothers Ivan and Peter, and then for 30 years one Peter, whom you can’t suspect of “ quiet" behavior and excessive softness.
On June 18, 1676, on the day of the wedding of Fyodor Alekseevich to the kingdom, Simeon Polotsky brought him "Gusl good-voiced" - a book dedicated to "the newly reigning pious, quietest, most luminous Great Sovereign."

In 1701, the professor of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, the Chudov monk Job, who compiled the Primer, Rekshe Socrates of the Christian Teaching, indicated in the preface that he worked for the glory of "the clearest and most powerful ... Peter Alekseevich." Peter is simply called the "quietest" in the inscription of Stefan Yavorsky's "Rhetorical Hand" - more precisely, in its Russian translation, owned by Feofan Prokopovich. In the Trilingual Lexicon, he also translated "the quietest" as serenissimus, which epithet was used in the title of Roman emperors. And this finally debunks the myth that Alexei Mikhailovich earned the nickname "the quietest" among his contemporaries due to his meekness and humility.

References:
Klyuchevsky V.O. Alexei Mikhailovich (in the course of "Lectures on Russian history").
Panchenko A. On Russian history and culture. SPb., 2000. S. 17-21.

ALEXEY MIKHAILOVICH ROMANOV

(1629 - 1676)

Tsar in 1645-1676

Son of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.

He considered the royal power to be established by God, and the monarch - the only source of law and "mercy".

Under him, the gradual formation of absolutism began.

Was nicknamed "The Quietest" - an honorary title of Latin origin,

meaning "silence" (calm, prosperity) in the country during the reign of the sovereign.

It has nothing to do with the qualities of Alexei Mikhailovich's character.

Until the age of five, the young Tsarevich Alexei remained in the care of the royal "mothers". From the age of five, under the supervision of B. I. Morozov, he began to learn to read and write using the primer, then he began to read the Book of Hours, the Psalter and the Acts of the Holy Apostles, at the age of seven he began to study writing, and at nine - church singing. Over time, a child (11-12 years old) has a small library; among the books that belonged to him are mentioned, among other things, the Lexicon and grammar published in Lithuania, as well as Cosmography. Among the items of "children's fun" of the future king there are: a horse and children's armor of the "German cause", musical instruments, German maps and "printed sheets" (pictures). Thus, along with the previous educational means, innovations are also noticeable, which were made not without the direct influence of B. I. Morozov. The latter, as is known, dressed the young tsar with his brother and other children in German clothes for the first time. In the 14th year, the prince was solemnly “announced” to the people, and at the age of 16, having lost his father and mother, he ascended the throne of Moscow.

Character and hobbies

With his accession to the throne, Tsar Alexei came face to face with a number of issues that worried Russian life in the 17th century. Little prepared to resolve such issues, he initially listened to the influence of his former uncle B. I. Morozov, but soon he himself began to take an independent part in affairs. In this activity, the main features of his character were finally formed. The autocratic Russian tsar, judging by his own letters, foreigners (Meyerberg, Collins, Reitenfels, Lisek) and his relations with those around him, had a remarkably mild, good-natured character. The spiritual atmosphere in which Tsar Alexei lived, his upbringing, character and reading of church books developed religiosity in him. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the tsar did not drink or eat anything during all fasts, and in general was a zealous performer of church rites. The veneration of the external rite was joined by an internal religious feeling, which developed Christian humility in Tsar Alexei. "But to me, a sinner, he writes, local honor, like dust ". Royal good nature and humility sometimes, however, gave way to brief outbursts of anger. Once the tsar, who was bled by the German "dokhtur", ordered the boyars to try the same remedy. Rodion Streshnev disagreed. Tsar Alexei personally "humbled" the old man, but then did not know what gifts to appease him.

Samuel Collins, an English physician at the royal court, reports that “His fun consists in falconry and dog hunting. It maintains more than three hundred falcon keepers and has the best gyrfalcons in the world, which are brought from Siberia and kill ducks and other game. He hunts bears, wolves, tigers, foxes, or, better to say, poisons them with dogs. When he leaves, the East Gate and the inner wall of the city are locked until he returns. He rarely visits his subjects… When the Tsar goes out of town or to the field of amusement, he strictly orders that no one should bother him with requests.”

Falcons of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

"Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with boyars on a falconry near Moscow." Sverchkov Nikolay Egorovich. (1817 - 1898)

Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye

It is known that Alexei Mikhailovich personally dealt with the organization of the army. The staff list of the Reiter regiment, made by the sovereign himself, has been preserved. The secretary of the Danish embassy, Andrei Rode, testifies that the sovereign was also engaged in artillery. Alexei Mikhailovich was very interested in the European press, which he got acquainted with through translations made in the Ambassadorial Prikaz. One of the articles (that the British, who overthrew and executed their king, greatly regret it), the tsar personally read to the boyars at a meeting of the Duma. Since 1659, Alexei Mikhailovich tried to establish a regular delivery of foreign newspapers to Russia. In 1665, for this purpose, the first regular postal line was organized, linking Moscow with Riga, and through it with the pan-European postal system. The king showed great interest in various systems of secret writing. The newly developed ciphers were used in diplomatic practice.

Letter from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to his cousin, the steward Afanasy Matyushkin, written in cryptography

The order of the Secret Affairs kept drawings of Egyptian hieroglyphs, made according to the book of the Egyptologist A. Kircher. The king's interests included astrology. Following the advice of his physician Samuel Collins, he allowed himself to be bled based on the recommendations of medical astrology. Alexei Mikhailovich was so fascinated by the starry sky that in the early 1670s. he, through A. S. Matveev, who was in charge of the Ambassadorial order, asked the Danish resident to get him a telescope. In the last years of his life, the king became interested in European music. On October 21, 1674, Alexei Mikhailovich arranged a feast for himself and his neighbors, which was accompanied by very unusual fun: in everything."

PATRIARCH NIKON

The soft, sociable nature of the king needed an adviser and friend. Nikon became such a “special”, especially beloved friend. Being at that time the metropolitan in Novgorod, where with his characteristic energy he pacified the rebels in March 1650, Nikon seized the royal confidence, was consecrated patriarch on July 25, 1652 and began to exert direct influence on state affairs. Among the latter, foreign relations attracted particular attention of the government. Patriarch Nikon was instructed to carry out church reform. The reform took place in 1653-1655. and dealt mainly with church rites and books. Baptism with three fingers was introduced, waist bows instead of earthly ones, icons and church books were corrected according to Greek models. Convened in 1654, the Church Council approved the reform, but proposed to bring the current rites into line not only with the Greek, but also with the Russian tradition.

The new patriarch was a wayward, strong-willed man, in many ways fanatical. Having received immense power over the believers, he soon came up with the idea of the primacy of church authority and invited Alexei Mikhailovich to share power with him. However, the king did not want to endure the patriarch for a long time. He stopped attending patriarchal services at the Assumption Cathedral and inviting Nikon to state receptions. This was a serious blow to the pride of the patriarch. During one of his sermons in the Assumption Cathedral, he announced the resignation of his patriarchal duties (with the preservation of his rank) and retired to the New Jerusalem Resurrection Monastery. There Nikon waited for the tsar to repent and ask him to return to Moscow. However, the king acted differently. He began to prepare a church trial against Nikon, for which he invited Orthodox patriarchs from other countries to Moscow.

For the trial of Nikon in 1666, a Church Council was convened, to which the patriarch was brought under guard. The tsar declared that Nikon, without the permission of the tsar, left the church and renounced the patriarchate, thereby making it clear who owns the real power in the country. The church hierarchs present supported the tsar and condemned Nikon, blessing his deprivation of the rank of patriarch and eternal imprisonment in a monastery. At the same time the Council of 1666-1667. supported the church reform and cursed all its opponents, who began to be called Old Believers. The participants of the Council decided to transfer the leaders of the Old Believers into the hands of the authorities. According to the Council Code of 1649, they were threatened with burning at the stake. Thus, the reforms of Nikon and the Council of 1666-1667. initiated a schism in the Russian Orthodox Church.

MILITARY REFORM

In 1648, using the experience of creating regiments of a foreign system during the reign of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich began to reform the army.

During the reform of 1648 - 1654, the best parts of the "old system" were strengthened and enlarged: the elite Moscow local cavalry of the Sovereign's regiment, Moscow archers and gunners. The main direction of the reform was the mass creation of regiments of the new system: Reiters, soldiers, dragoons and hussars. These regiments formed the backbone of the new army of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. To fulfill the goals of the reform, a large number of European military specialists were recruited into the service. This became possible due to the end of the Thirty Years' War, which created a colossal market for military professionals in Europe for those times.

CASES IN UKRAINE. POLISH WAR

At the end of 1647, the Cossack centurion Zinoviy Bogdan Khmelnitsky fled from Ukraine to Zaporozhye, and from there to the Crimea. Returning with the Tatar army and elected hetman by the Cossack Rada, he raised the whole of Ukraine, defeated the Polish troops at Zhovti Vody, Korsun, Pilyava, besieged Zamostye and concluded a favorable peace near Zborov; having failed at Berestechko, he agreed to a world much less profitable than Zborovsky at Belaya Tserkov. During all this time, Alexei Mikhailovich occupied a waiting policy: he did not help either Khmelnitsky or the Commonwealth. However, the tsarist troops took part in undermining the Cossack-Crimean alliance aimed at expelling the Poles from Ukraine: on the eve of the Battle of Pilyavtsy, the Don Cossacks attacked the Crimea on the orders of the tsar and the horde was unable to come to the aid of the Cossack army.

The Belotserkovsky peace aroused popular displeasure; the hetman was forced to violate all the conditions and, in cramped circumstances, asked for help from the "king of the east." At the cathedral, convened on this occasion in Moscow, on October 1, 1653, it was decided to accept the Cossacks as subjects and war was declared on Poland. On May 18, 1654, the tsar himself went on a campaign, having gone to pray to the Trinity and to Savvin's monastery. The army went to Smolensk. After the surrender of Smolensk on September 23, the tsar returned to Vyazma.

In the spring of 1655 a new campaign was undertaken. On July 30, the tsar made a solemn entry into Vilna, then Kovno and Grodno were taken. In November the tsar returned to Moscow. At this time, the successes of Charles X, King of Sweden, who took possession of Posen, Warsaw and Krakow, changed the course of hostilities. Moscow began to fear the strengthening of Sweden at the expense of Poland. In order to borrow money to wage war with Poland and Sweden, Alexei Mikhailovich sent a diplomat Ivan Chemodanov to Venice in 1656, but his embassy did not fulfill its task. In the autumn of 1656, the Vilna truce was concluded with the Commonwealth.

On July 15, 1656, the tsar set off on a campaign in Livonia and, after taking Dinaburg and Kokenhusen, laid siege to Riga. The siege was lifted because of the rumor that Charles X was going to Livonia. Derpt was occupied by Moscow troops. The tsar retreated to Polotsk and here he waited for a truce, concluded on October 24, 1656. In 1657 - 1658 military operations continued with varying success. On December 20, 1658, the Valiesar truce was concluded with the Swedes for a period of three years, according to which Russia retained part of the conquered Livonia (with Derpt and Marienburg). The final peace is concluded in Cardis in 1661; in this world, Russia has lost all the places it has won. Unfavorable conditions of the Cardis peace were caused by unrest in Little Russia and a new war with Poland.

After the death of Bogdan Khmelnitsky in July 1657 at the Chigirinsky Rada, the Cossack foreman assigned hetman duties to Ivan Vyhovsky, but only until Yuri Khmelnitsky reached full age.

On October 21, 1657, at the Korsun Rada, in an atmosphere of sharp contradictions, Ivan Vyhovsky was elected hetman of Ukraine. The bright but controversial personality of the new hetman could only increase the unrest in Ukraine. On the one hand, in the conditions when Ukraine was still waging a war for national revival, a greedy clerk, not a “natural Cossack”, but bought from the Tatars for a horse “lyakh”, in addition, married to the daughter of a Polish magnate, could not become a leader recognized by all. . But on the other hand, from 1648 he served as a general clerk and, being the closest confidant to B. Khmelnitsky, he was the only person in Ukraine who was privy to all internal and external political problems. Thus, the very election of I. Vyhovsky as hetman caused a lot of controversy and could not create unity in Ukraine. Already in October 1657, the hetman faced strong opposition. The hetman, wholly supported by Moscow, managed at first to defeat the oppositionists, headed by the Poltava colonel Martyn Pushkar and the ataman Yakov Barabash, but the contradictions within the Cossack society continued to escalate. Seeing the aggravation of the civil war, Moscow more and more insistently offers its help to the hetman in pacifying the unrest and "rebellion", and persuades the opposition to submit to the hetman.

After the betrayal of Vyhovsky and the transition to the side of Poland, in the civil war that began in Ukraine, in which Vyhovsky was supported by the Polish crown, and behind Yuri Khmelnitsky stood the experienced colonels of his father Ivan Bohun, Ivan Sirko, Yakim Somko, actively supported by Alexei Mikhailovich, the victory was won by supporters union with Moscow, and Vyhovsky was forced to lay down the hetman's mace in favor of the politically inactive Yuri Khmelnitsky, who later took the monastic vows and went to the monastery.

Taking advantage of the betrayal of the hetman and unrest in Little Russia, Poland refused to recognize Alexei Mikhailovich as the heir to the Polish throne and did not concede to Moscow its conquests. The consequence of this was the second Polish war. In June 1660, Prince Khovansky was defeated at Polonka, in September - Sheremetev near Chudnov. Things took an even more dangerous turn due to the unrest that continued in Little Russia. Teterya swore allegiance to the king, who appeared on the left side of the Dnieper, but after the unsuccessful siege of Glukhov in early 1664 and the successful actions of his opponents - Bryukhovetsky, who was elected hetman on the left side of the Dnieper, and Prince Romodanovsky - left for the Desna. A. Ordin-Nashchokin advised the tsar to abandon Little Russia and turn to Sweden. Alexei Mikhailovich rejected this offer; he did not lose hope. The favorable outcome of the struggle was facilitated by internal unrest in Poland and the transfer of Hetman Doroshenko, Teteri's successor, to the citizenship of the Turkish Sultan. On January 13, 1667, peace was concluded in the village of Andrusov. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich acquired Smolensk, Seversk land, the left side of the Dnieper and, in addition, Kiev for two years.

Banner of the Great Regiment of the Great Sovereign Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich 1654

During the wars of 1654-1658, the tsar was often absent from Moscow, was, therefore, away from Nikon and by his presence did not restrain the patriarch's lust for power. Returning from campaigns, he began to be weary of his influence. Nikon's enemies took advantage of the tsar's cooling towards him and began to disrespect the patriarch. The proud soul of the archpastor could not bear the insult; On July 10, 1658, he renounced his rank and went to the Resurrection Monastery. The sovereign, however, did not soon decide to put an end to this matter. Only in 1666, at a spiritual council chaired by the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch, Nikon was deprived of his bishopric and imprisoned in the Belozersky Ferapontov Monastery. In the same period of the wars (1654-1667), Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich personally visited Vitebsk, Polotsk, Mogilev, Kovno, Grodno, especially Vilna, and here he got acquainted with the new way of life; on his return to Moscow, he made changes in the court environment. Wallpaper (golden skins) and furniture in German and Polish designs appeared inside the palace. Outside, the carving became figured, in the taste of rococo, and not only on the surface of the tree according to Russian custom.

INTERNAL DISORDERS

As soon as the war with Poland subsided, the government had to pay attention to new internal unrest, to the Solovetsky indignation and Razin's rebellion. With the fall of Nikon, his main innovation was not destroyed: the correction of church books. Many priests and monasteries did not agree to accept these innovations. The Solovetsky Monastery offered especially stubborn resistance; besieged since 1668, he was taken by the governor Meshcherinov on January 22, 1676; the rebels were outweighed. At the same time, the Don Cossack Stepan Razin revolted in the south. Having robbed the caravan of Shorin's guest in 1667, Razin moved to Yaik, took the Yaitsky town, robbed Persian ships, but in Astrakhan he brought guilt. In May 1670, he again went to the Volga, took Tsaritsyn, Cherny Yar, Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara and raised Cheremis, Chuvashs, Mordovians, Tatars, but was defeated near Simbirsk by Prince Yu. Baryatinsky, fled to the Don and, issued by ataman Kornil Yakovlev , executed in Moscow on June 6, 1671.
Soon after the execution of Razin, a war began with Turkey over Little Russia. Bryukhovetsky betrayed Moscow, but he himself was killed by Doroshenko's supporters. The latter became the hetman of both sides of the Dnieper, although he entrusted the administration of the left side to the hetman Mnohohrishny. Mnogohrishny was elected hetman at the council in Glukhov (in March 1669), again went over to the side of Moscow, but was overthrown by the foremen and exiled to Siberia. In June 1672, Ivan Samoylovich was elected to his place. Meanwhile, the Turkish sultan Mohammed IV, to whom Doroshenko succumbed, did not want to give up the left-bank Ukraine either. The war began, in which the Polish king Jan Sobieski, who was the crown hetman, became famous. The war ended with a 20-year peace only in 1681.

THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING

Thinking of getting married, the tsar in 1647 chose Evfemia, the daughter of Raf Vsevolozhsky, as his wife at the brides review, but refused his choice due to intrigues, in which B. I. Morozov himself was probably involved. In 1648, on January 16 (26 according to the new style), the tsar married Maria Ilyinichnaya Miloslavskaya.

Alexey Mikhailovich He was the father of 16 children from two marriages. Three of his sons subsequently reigned.

None of Alexei Mikhailovich's daughters married.

Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (13 children) :

Dmitry Alekseevich (1649 - October 6, 1649)
Evdokia (February 1650 - March 1712)
Martha (August 1652 - July 1707)
Alexei (February 1654 - January 1670)
Anna (January 1655 - May 1659)
Sophia (September 1657 - July 1704)
Catherine (November 1658 - May 1718)
Maria (January 1660 - March 1723)
Fedor (May 1661 - April 1682)
Feodosia (May 1662 - December 1713)
Simeon (April 1665 - June 1669)
Ivan (August 1666 - January 1696)
Evdokia (February 1669 - February 1669)

Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (3 children):

Peter (May 30, 1672 - January 28, 1725)
Natalya (August 1673 - June 1716)
Theodora (September 1674 - November 1678)

Makovsky K.E. The choice of the bride by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

Sedov Grigory (1836-1886). Bride's Choice king Alexey Mikhailovich

Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (1626-1669), first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich

Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkin. Portrait. Unknown artist

Achievements of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov

From internal regulations under the king Alexey the following can be singled out: a ban on Belomestsk residents (monasteries and persons who were in state, military or civil service) to own black, taxable lands and industrial, commercial establishments (shops, etc.).
V financially several transformations were made: in 1646 and the following years, a census of tax yards with their adult and minor male population was made, an unsuccessful above-mentioned attempt was made to introduce a new salt duty; by a decree of April 30, 1653, it was forbidden to collect small customs duties (myt, travel duties and anniversary) or to farm them out and it was ordered to be included in ruble duties collected at customs; at the beginning of 1656 (not later than March 3), due to a lack of funds, copper money was issued. Soon (since 1658), the copper ruble began to be valued at 10, 12, and in the 1660s even 20 and 25 times cheaper than silver, the resulting terrible high cost caused a popular uprising ( copper riot ) July 25, 1662. The rebellion was pacified by the tsar's promise to punish the guilty and the expulsion of the archery troops against the rebels. Decree of June 19, 1667. It was ordered to start building ships in the village of Dedinovo on the Oka. The built ship burned down in Astrakhan. In the field of legislation : compiled and published the Cathedral Code and supplementing it in some respects: the New Trade Charter of 1667, the New Decree Articles on Robbery and Murderous Cases of 1669, the New Decree Articles on Estates of 1676, the military charter in 1649. Russia also united with Ukraine in 1654. Under Tsar Alexei, the colonization movement to Siberia continued. Nerchinsk (1658), Irkutsk (1659), Penza (1663), Selenginsk (1666) were founded.

September 1st, 1674 the king "announced" his son Fedora people as heir to the throne,

Material taken from open sources

On January 29 (old style), 1676, the second Tsar from the Romanov Dynasty Alexei Mikhailovich died. His reign fell on a difficult time in the life of the Russian state: salt and copper riots caused by unsuccessful reforms; uprisings in Novgorod and Pskov; the church reform of Patriarch Nikon, which led to a split in Russian society and the Church; the perennial "Solovki perturbation" and the uprising of Stepan Razin that turned into a real war; crisis in relations between church and state authorities, ending with the deposition and exile of Patriarch Nikon. At the same time, during the years of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the improvement of the state apparatus and the army continued: new orders were created, the creation of regiments of the new system became massive. In 1649, the Council Code was compiled and published, which became the first complete set of laws in force throughout the entire territory of the Russian state. By decision of the Pereyaslav Rada and the Zemsky Sobor of 1654, left-bank Ukraine was annexed to Russia. The colonization movement to Siberia continued, accompanied by the founding of new cities - Nerchinsk, Irkutsk, Penza, etc.

Alexei Mikhailovich was born on March 19, 1629 and was the son of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and his second wife Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva. From the age of five, Tsarevich Alexei, under the supervision of the boyar Boris Morozov, began to study and in the 14th year he was solemnly “announced” to the people. And already at the age of 16, having lost his father and mother, Alexei Mikhailovich was destined to ascend the Russian throne and take responsibility for the fate of Russia.

What was this Russian Tsar like in his appearance, character, habits and temperament?

“Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich had a rather attractive appearance: white, ruddy, with a beautiful bushy beard, although with a low forehead, a strong build and a meek expression in his eyes”, - noted N.I. Kostomarov. According to another famous historian, S.M. Solovyov, “The new Tsar, with his kindness, gentleness, and the ability to become strongly attached to loved ones, was similar to his father, but he was distinguished by a greater liveliness of mind and character and received an upbringing more in line with his position”.

Everyone noted the religiosity of Alexei Mikhailovich, his strict observance of fasts, the zealous performance by the Sovereign of church rites. According to a contemporary, "no monk can surpass him in the severity of fasting". At the same time, Alexei Mikhailovich showed great humility and was indifferent to earthly glory. "And to me, a sinner, - he wrote , - local honor, like dust ". "He was extremely pious, - wrote N.I. Kostomarov, - liked to read sacred books, refer to them and be guided by them; no one could surpass him in observing the fasts: on Great Fortecost, this Sovereign stood every day for five hours in church and made thousands of prostrations, and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he ate only rye bread. Even on other days of the year, when the church charter allowed meat or fish, the Tsar was distinguished by sobriety and moderation, although up to seventy dishes were served at his table, which he ordered to be sent in the form of a royal serving to others. Every day he attended divine services, although in this case he was not at all a stranger to hypocrisy, which will inevitably manifest itself with strong devotion to the letter of piety; thus, considering it a great sin to miss mass, the Tsar, however, during the service talked about worldly affairs with his boyars. The purity of his morals was impeccable: the most sworn enemy would not dare to suspect him of licentiousness: he was an exemplary family man.. According to the English doctor S. Collins, who served at the royal court, the Sovereign observed Great Lent as follows: “Tsar Alexei dined only three times a week, namely: on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, on the rest of the days he ate a piece of black bread with salt, a pickled mushroom or cucumber and drank half a glass of beer. He ate fish only twice during Great Lent and observed all seven weeks of fasting... Except for fasting, he did not eat anything meat on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (...) We can assume that he fasted eight months a year, including six weeks of Advent and two weeks of other fasts.

Thanks to the works of the famous Russian archaeologist and historian I.E. Zabelin, we can imagine what the daily routine of the quietest Tsar was like:

“The emperor usually got up at four in the morning. The bed-keeper, with the help of sleeping bags and solicitors, gave the Sovereign a dress and put it away. Having washed, the Sovereign immediately went out to Krestovaya, where the confessor or the priest of the cross and the cross clerks were waiting for him. The confessor or priest of the cross blessed the Sovereign with a cross, laying it on his forehead and cheeks, and the Sovereign kissed the cross and then began the morning prayer. At the same time, one of the clerks of the cross placed in front of the iconostasis on a levy the image of the saint, whose memory was celebrated that day. After completing the prayer, which lasted about a quarter of an hour, the Sovereign kissed this icon, and the confessor sprinkled it with holy water. (...) After the prayer, the cross clerk read a spiritual word: a lesson, from a special collection of words distributed for reading every day for the whole year. (...) Having finished the morning cross prayer, the Sovereign, if he rested especially, sent a neighbor to the Queen in the mansion to ask her about her health, how did she rest? Then he himself went out to greet her in her hall or dining room. After that, they listened together in one of the riding churches to matins, and sometimes to early mass. Meanwhile, early in the morning, all the boyars, devious, thoughtful and close people gathered at the palace - "to hit the Sovereign with their foreheads" and be present in the tsar's Duma. (...)
After greeting the boyars and talking about business, the Emperor, accompanied by the entire assembled synclite, marched at nine o'clock to a late mass in one of the court churches. If that day was a holiday, then the exit was made to the cathedral or to the holiday, i.e. to a temple or monastery built in memory of the celebrated saint. On common church holidays and celebrations, the Sovereign was always present at all rituals and ceremonies. Therefore, the exits in these cases were much more magnificent, more solemn. The dinner went on for two hours. At a convenient time and here, the Sovereign received reports from the Duma people, talked about business with the boyars, and gave orders. (...) After mass in the room on ordinary days, the Sovereign listened to reports, petitions and, in general, was engaged in current affairs. The meeting and hearing of cases in the room ended approx. 12 am. The boyars, having struck the Sovereign with their brows, dispersed, and the Sovereign went to table food, or dinner, to which he sometimes invited some of the boyars, the most respected and close ones; but for the most part the Emperor ate alone. His ordinary table was not as refined and luxurious as the festive tables, embassy tables, etc. In home life, the Tsars were an example of moderation and simplicity. According to foreigners, the simplest dishes, rye bread, some wine, oatmeal mash or light beer with cinnamon oil, and sometimes only cinnamon water, were always served at the table of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. (...) After dinner, the sovereign went to bed and usually rested until evening, three hours. At vespers, the boyars and other ranks again gathered at the palace, accompanied by whom the Tsar went out to the riding church for vespers. After Vespers, business was sometimes also heard or the Duma met. But usually all the time after vespers until the evening meal, or supper, the Sovereign spent already in the family or with the closest people. This time was a rest, and therefore it was devoted to domestic entertainment and amusements, characteristic of the century and the tastes of the then hostel.

But adherence to the traditions of the Church bizarrely combined in Alexei Mikhailovich with a passion for astrology, and a reverent attitude to the customs of Russian antiquity with a craving for European innovations. Along with the old royal "fun" - falconry and dog hunting, the Sovereign was fascinated by European music and started the first theater at the Court, inviting foreign actors who began to arrange "comedy performances", previously perceived in Russia as a "demonic game" and "a dirty trick of the soul". ". (However, it should be noted here that Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich consulted on the issue of establishing a theater with his confessor, who allowed him theatrical performances, citing the examples of Byzantine emperors as justification).

Having visited such “western” cities as Vitebsk, Polotsk, Mogilev, Kovno, Grodno and Vilna during the war years with Sweden and Poland, Alexei Mikhailovich set about reorganizing the court environment in a western way, having carried out a “European-style renovation” in the palace: “ golden skins” (wallpaper), furniture made in the German and Polish manners decorated the atmosphere, Russian carving was replaced by carving in the taste of German rococo. According to the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky, Alexei Mikhailovich “I tried to arrange court life in my place like a Polish royal court”. But not only in these trifles was the “Westernism” of the Sovereign manifested. Suffice it to recall that Simeon of Polotsk, a learned monk of Western views and a secret Uniate, who belonged to the Basilian Order, was invited as a teacher to the eldest children of the Tsar - the future Sovereign Fedor Alekseevich and Princess Sophia.

As for the personal qualities of the Sovereign, contemporaries noted few dark sides

in his character. According to the general opinion, Alexei Mikhailovich had a contemplative and passive nature. Finding himself, as it were, at the crossroads between two directions, old Russian and Western, the Tsar tried to reconcile and combine them.

Being by nature a man with a soft and supple character, "much quiet", Alexei Mikhailovich often fell under the influence of people who were stronger in character (Boris Morozov, Patriarch Nikon, Artamon Matveev). But the Tsar's good nature and gentleness of character were combined with outbursts of anger. It happened that, having become angry with someone, Alexei Mikhailovich showered the offender before him with swear words, or even “rewarded” with cuffs. But at the same time, the Sovereign was quick-witted and quite often, after a flash of anger, sought reconciliation and showered the victim with favors and gifts. Once the Tsar, who was bled by the German "dokhtur", ordered the boyars to try the same remedy. When the boyar Rodion Streshnev did not agree, Tsar Alexei personally “humbled” the old man, but then did not know what gifts to appease him.

“By nature, he was distinguished by the most praiseworthy personal qualities, he was good-natured to such an extent that he earned the nickname “the quietest”, although, due to his temper, he allowed himself rude antics with the courtiers, in accordance with his age and his upbringing, and once personally pulled his father-in-law Miloslavsky by the beard, - written by N.I. Kostomarov . - However, with the then comparative simplicity of morals at the Moscow court, the Tsar generally treated his courtiers rather unceremoniously. Being by nature of a cheerful disposition, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich gave his close associates different nicknames and, as an entertainment, bathed the stewards in a pond in the village of Kolomenskoye.. But, the historian continued, “Aleksey Mikhailovich belonged to those complacent natures who most of all want to have light in their souls and around them; he was incapable of hidden malice, prolonged hatred, and therefore, angry with someone, due to his temper, he could easily offend him, but he soon calmed down and tried to reconcile with the one whom he offended in a fit of anger ".

Contemporaries and historians also paid attention to the great natural mind and good education of the Sovereign. The tsar read a lot, wrote letters, tried to write his memoirs about the Polish war, practiced versification, knew foreign languages. In addition, Alexei Mikhailovich is also known as a hymnographer. The famous Russian historian S.F. Platonov wrote about this Tsar: “He was well acquainted with the literature of that time and mastered the language of the book to the subtlety. In serious letters and writings, the Tsar liked to use book phrases, use flowery aphorisms ... every aphorism is thought out, a living thought looks out of every phrase ”.

By the day of his death, the Sovereign was not yet old. According to Kostomarov, Alexei Mikhailovich “had enjoyed good health for a long time; only excessive obesity upset his body and prepared for his premature death. In January 1676, the Sovereign felt a breakdown. On January 28, when it became clear that the end was near, Alexei Mikhailovich blessed his son Theodore to reign, ordered the release of all prisoners from prisons, the release of all those exiled from exile, the forgiveness of all state debts and the payment of those held for private debts, took communion of the Holy Mysteries , took unction and calmly awaited death. The next day, January 29, at 9 pm, three strikes on the bell of the Assumption Cathedral announced to the people the death of the quietest Tsar, "the kindest of Russian Tsars."

Prepared Andrey Ivanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences

For his gentle nature, he was nicknamed "The Quietest", but his policy was by no means quiet. He legalized the concept of "autocrat", annexed the Left-bank Ukraine, brought the border of the state to the Pacific Ocean.

Annexation of Left-bank Ukraine

Between Russia and Poland, there has always been some kind of understatement: under Alexei Mikhailovich, the Ukrainian lands became a stumbling block, some of which Russia lost during the Mongol-Tatar invasion. Despite the fact that a number of pro-Polish historians accuse Alexei Mikhailovich of "Asiatic cruelty", the evidence of contemporaries of the events suggests otherwise.

In 1654, a gentry from Vilna reported with alarm: “The peasants pray to God that Moscow comes”, “The peasants are hostile to us, everywhere they surrender to the royal name and do more harm than Moscow; this evil will continue to spread; something like a Cossack war must be feared.
In this case, we are talking about the possibility of a civil war, a religious conflict. Cultural and national ties among the population of the Left-Bank Ukraine at that time had not yet been lost, the inhabitants of Orthodox lands suffered under the onslaught of the “Latin yoke”. People of a different confession automatically turned into "second class". The situation was fueled by the rampant plague. Against the backdrop of general unrest, a leader stood out in the separatist movement - the leader of the Cossacks Bohdan Khmelnitsky, who could not get self-government of the Zaporizhian Sich from the Commonwealth. The hetman turned to the Muscovite tsar with a request to support him in the national struggle and take him "under the high hand of the Moscow tsar." Alexei Mikhailovich agreed, donating access to the Baltic Sea. Russia could not fight on two fronts. A bloody war with Poland began, as a result of which the Left-Bank Ukraine, Kiev was ceded to the Russian state, and the Smolensk and Chernihiv lands were returned.
By the way, the royal decrees of those times prove Alexei’s desire to limit himself to “little blood”. He ordered not to burn the cities, who surrendered to the mercy of the winner, he allowed them to leave without hindrance. The remaining nobility was able to freely swore allegiance to the new king and retain their privileges.

Fight for the Baltic

In parallel with the Russian-Polish war, the Quiet Sovereign tried to “cut a window to Europe” and provide the Russian state with access to the Baltic Sea. In October 1655, about six months after the conclusion of an agreement with Khmelnitsky, Austrian ambassadors visited Alexei Mikhailovich and tried to convince the tsar to make peace with the Commonwealth and throw all his forces into the war with the growing Sweden. In case of victory, Moscow could annex the entire Baltic. The Quietest refused peace with Poland, the issue of protecting Orthodox brethren was a matter of principle for him. I had to wage war on two fronts: Russian troops occupied some strategically important cities in Livonia - Yuryev, Kukonoys, Dinaburg, but they could not take Riga like that. The Cardis Peace Treaty annulled all Russian military successes. Access to the Baltic Sea had to be postponed for another half a century.

To the Pacific

If under Mikhail Fedorovich the Russian state extended to the Sea of Okhotsk, then under Quiet Alexei it expanded to the Pacific Ocean, even then turning Russia into the largest state in the world. In 1648, the Cossack Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev and his comrades crossed the strait separating Eurasia from North America on sea vessels - "kochs". Around the same time, the Russian explorers Poyarkov and Khabarov made trips to the Amur and brought the population of those regions into Russian citizenship. Despite the order of the sovereign, to bring the Siberian natives into citizenship "with kindness and greetings", service people often resorted to violence - they took away valuable furs by force, imposed exorbitant tribute.
With the development of the Far East, relations with China improved. The emperor of the Qin dynasty treated the Russian missions with the special vanity characteristic of Asian monarchs. According to Chinese ideas about the world order, the arrival from distant lands meant the spread of the emperor's good influence throughout the world and served as proof of his greater strength, the farther the land of the visitor was.

Therefore, a warm welcome was prepared for "people from afar" at the imperial court. Misunderstanding of Chinese traditions by Russians sometimes led to diplomatic incidents. So, in 1670, governor Danila Arshinsky sent a mission to the Chinese emperor in order to convince him to become a subject of the Russian tsar. The statement was so reckless that the dignitaries translated the message in reverse, informing the emperor that the Russians themselves had brought him a letter of subordination, with a request to take them into citizenship. Vladyka appreciated this step, the ambassadors were given the most cordial welcome, they were even honored with an imperial audience - an unheard-of honor among the Chinese people.

autocratic sovereign

Despite his nickname, Alexei was by no means a "quiet" policy. Under him, autocracy was consolidated in Russia. At the beginning of the reign of Alexei, a class-representative monarchy flourished in the country: the tsar could not take a step without the consent of the Boyar Duma, in the early years of the youth, his tutor boyar Morozov completely controlled. The historian Kostomarov wrote about the tsar: "Alexey Mikhailovich, considering himself autocratic and independent of anyone, was always under the influence of one or the other."
Contemporaries, especially foreign ambassadors, on the contrary, recalled: “Alexey Mikhailovich, unlike his father, is an autocrat and “rules his state according to his will.” The imperial ambassador A. Meyerberg also noted that Tsar Alexei in the Boyar Duma behaved like a complete master.

Despite his gentleness, if necessary, the king could be cruel. The rebellion of Stepan Razin was drowned in blood, and the opponents of Nikon's church reform were brutally repressed. Under Alexei, the term "autocrat" was approved, and for his new name, the Quietest was ready to shed blood. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, non-observance of the correctness of titles was equal to a criminal offense - a person could be flogged or even executed.
Alexey put an end to the broad influence of the Boyar Duma by establishing a system of orders, in particular the Order of Secret Affairs - an oversight body that controls the activities of other structures. Aleksey also violated another tradition of the Russian court by declaring an heir to the throne during his lifetime, the eldest son of Fyodor.

Capital of Orthodoxy

There are legends about the religiosity of the Quietest King. According to contemporaries: "no monarch could surpass him in religious rigor." The Orthodox orientation is generally very characteristic of Alexei Mikhailovich's entire policy. His main aspiration, which later became an integral feature of the Russian autocracy, was to strengthen ties with the Orthodox peoples: the liberation of Ukrainians from the "Catholic yoke", the establishment of friendly relations with the Transylvanian princes, and even Serbs, Bulgarians and Greeks who were under the Turks. The old concept of Moscow as the successor of Constantinople, the new "Third Rome" acquires new relevance. The well-known correction of the translations of dogmatic books, which led to the appearance of the Old Believers, established the role of Russia as a defender of the peoples of the same faith in the international arena and secured the status of the capital of Orthodoxy for Moscow.

First in Europe

Peter I clearly had a hereditary love for everything European. His father Alexei Mikhailovich loved Western "curiosities". Even as a child, he was brought up on "German printed sheets", and in his youth, his teacher Boris Morozov ordered him several dresses of French and English cut. He was interested in European history and politics, became the first sovereign to read European media! English, French, Dutch and other newspapers were specially translated for him in the Posolsky Prikaz.
Under Alexei, more and more foreign ambassadors came to the court, who noted the eastern splendor of the royal court. When on holidays Alexei left his chambers and “went out to the people”, the royal procession turned into a magnificent performance.

“The court of the Moscow sovereign is so beautiful and kept in such order that there is hardly any of all Christian monarchs who would surpass the Moscow one in this,” the Englishman Collins did not hide his admiration, contemplating the royal cortege.

Meanwhile, patronage had its own motives. Alexei wanted to surpass all the royal courts of the world, especially the French one. Travelers of that time noted the correspondence competition between Alexei Mikhailovich and Louis XIV: both devoutly took care of the ritual and splendor of their courtyards, trips and hunting. They were even called: "king-sun" and "king-sun".

New law

To match the mild autocrat, a new law was created that combined strong central tsarist power with elected local self-government - the Cathedral Code of Tsar Alexei. The rights of subjects included the ability to choose zemstvo and community elders, zemstvo bailiffs, clerks, kissers, sotskys, and the notorious "presumption of innocence" protected from the arbitrariness of higher ranks. Klyuchevsky wrote the following about the new legislation that was ahead of Europe: "Both sources of government powers - public choice and government appeal - then did not oppose each other, but served as auxiliary means for each other." “Self-government equal to Moscow was not known then by any country in the world,” another historian Solonevich reported. But for the peasants, the Cathedral Code became fateful. From now on, the transition from one landowner to another on St. George's Day was forbidden and an indefinite search for fugitives was announced. Serfdom was established in Russia.