He lived a great and tragic life. Everyone knows his name, but the real events are often hidden or distorted by ill-wishers and not very honest historians. The name of the first Russian Tsar is Ivan IV Vasilyevich (Grozny).
Since ancient times, the highest title of the ruler in Russia was considered "prince". After the unification of the Russian principalities under the rule of Kyiv, the title of "Grand Duke" became the highest rank of the ruler.
The title "king" was worn by the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople. In 1453, Constantinople fell under the blows of the Turks, and shortly before that, Greek Orthodoxy concluded the Union of Florence with Catholic Rome. In this regard, the last Greek metropolitan was expelled from the Moscow cathedra, which proclaimed itself independent from Byzantium. The new metropolitans were chosen from natural hares.
Muscovite Russia, unlike Byzantium, was united, expanded and strengthened by the efforts of the great princes, including the father of Ivan IV, and then by himself. The great Moscow princes began to call themselves "sovereigns of all Russia" and gradually accustom foreign diplomats and their subjects to the idea that their state is not a backyard, but the center of a true Christian world, not subject to apostate unions. The idea of Moscow as the third Rome, which is the heir of non-Uniate Byzantium, both in politics and in faith, appears and strengthens in the mind, about the special purpose of Russia.
In addition to all of the above, the title "Grand Duke" in Europe was perceived as "prince" or "duke" and, accordingly, as a vassal or subordinate of the emperor.
The title "king" put the "sovereign of all Russia" on the same level with the only emperor at that time - the emperor of the Roman Empire, to whom all European kings nominally obeyed.
They crowned Ivan IV in 1547, at the age of 17. The boyar elite, who ruled the country at that time, hoped that the tsar would remain a puppet in their hands and an official sign of the state.
The official recognition by Europe of the royal title for the Moscow sovereign occurred in 1561, when the eastern patriarch Joasaph confirmed it with his letter. Some states, for example, England and Sweden, recognized the title of the Russian Tsar before the Patriarch.
Truth and slander
The events of the life of the first crowned Russian Tsar for many hundreds of years were subjected to frankly slanderous insinuations by enemies, traitors and those who wrote official history. One of their main postulates is that "all the undertakings of the king ended in failure." However, among the significant reforms of Ivan IV, the indisputable, and further developed, are:
Contrary to popular belief, Ivan the Terrible left behind a more developed country than he inherited. The ruin of the country is due to another boyar turmoil that occurred after the death of the king.
Most of the "knowledge" about history people get from school textbooks, feature films, books and media, which without a twinge of conscience repeat established myths. Here are some of them about Ivan the Terrible:
far from unambiguous, as well as the time in which he lived. Power is a burden to be borne, and the better this is done, the more opposition there will be. This happened to Ivan IV when he "modernized" the country. So it is with his legacy over the centuries, when his deeds are slinged in the mud.
« History itself speaks for us. Strong kings and states have fallen, but our Orthodox Russia is expanding and prospering. The largest kingdom in the world was formed from scattered small principalities, the head of which decides the fate of not only its people, but the rulers of other kingdoms also listen to the word of which"(Pyatnitsky P.P. The legend of the wedding of Russian tsars and emperors. M., 1896. P.3)
The first Russian Tsar, son of Grand Duke Vasily III and Grand Duchess Elena Glinskaya, Ivan IV, was born in 1530. After the death of his father, Vasily III in 1533, and the short reign of his mother, during which there was a struggle with the specific princes, the future tsar witnessed a fierce political struggle for power mainly between the most noble and powerful boyar groups, the princes Shuisky and Belsky in the period from 1538- 1547 And only by 1547 Ivan IV becomes the autocratic ruler of a vast country inherited from his ancestors. But the young ruler was not just to ascend the throne, he was assigned the role of becoming the first king to be crowned king. Now “the ancient rite of initiation in the kingdom in Russia, expressed by “planting on the table,” finally stops, giving way to a new form of royal wedding “according to the ancient Tsaregrad rank, with the addition of chrismation” (Pyatnitsky P.P. The legend of the wedding of Russian tsars and emperors. M ., 1896. P.5). But what caused these changes? The answer to this question should be sought long before the future king was born.
It is worth recalling the time when the Russian lands and principalities were in a state of political fragmentation. When the final unification of the lands into a single, strong state required a number of wars, diplomatic calculations and many other factors that ultimately led to the emergence of the Russian state, in which Moscow was and remains an important political center. However, it was not enough just to unite the lands around a single, strong center, it was still necessary to reinforce and bring reasonable arguments in favor of rapid concentration in the hands of the Grand Duke of Moscow. It was precisely in order for everyone to realize the increased importance of the Muscovite state and its role that it was necessary to find and substantiate those ideas that would later constitute the ideology. Thus, the beginning of the formation of the ideology of a single Moscow state can be considered con. XV beginning. XVI century, the period of the reign of Grand Duke Ivan III and his son - Vasily III. At this time, “a powerful Russian state is taking shape in the spaces of Eastern Europe” (Froyanov I. Ya. Drama of Russian history. M., 2007. P. 928) What place could it take in the world? And what is its further role in the history of people? All these questions had to be answered. Under such conditions, the theory of the autocracy of the Moscow Grand Dukes, “Moscow-Third Rome”, associated with the name of Philotheus, the elder of the Pskov Eleazarovsky Monastery, appears.
In this theory, a significant role was assigned to the Orthodox faith. It should be noted that "ideas about Russia in the Christian world began to form soon after the adoption of Christianity" (Cultural Heritage of Ancient Russia. M., 1976. P. 111-112) Previously, Russian people believed in pagan gods, but after the baptism of Russia they equated with all other Christian countries. But as history has shown, not all Christian countries could keep the faith in the original form in which it was. In 1054, “the separation of the Roman Church from the Universal Orthodoxy” takes place (Tsypin V. Course of Church Law. Klin. S.159) In 1439, the Patriarch of Constantinople concludes the Union of Florence with the Roman Church. In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks. These events influenced the further development of not only European countries, but also Russia. It is with the fall of Constantinople, once a strong and powerful Christian state, that a rethinking of the role of Russian rulers in the events and further development of world history begins. “From the very moment of the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, the Moscow Grand Dukes began to consider themselves the successors of emperors or Byzantine kings” (Golubinsky E.E. History of the Russian Church. T. 2. M., 1900. P. 756) The Russian state is gradually striving to occupy by this time the place that used to belong to Byzantium.
From the middle of the XV century. The words “about the special purpose of the Russian land “chosen by God” are not only not new, but, on the contrary, acquire a new even deeper meaning: “the new position of Russia was the result of the retreat of the Greek rulers from Orthodoxy and, at the same time, a consequence of the strengthening of the “true faith” in the Russian land ”(Cultural heritage of Ancient Russia. M., 1976. P. 112-114) It is in such conditions that the idea of the chosenness of the Moscow state receives its meaning in the idea of “Moscow is the Third Rome”. “The Church of Old Rome, having fallen into unbelief..heresy, the second Rome, Constantine’s city..the Hagarites with axes..razsekosha..now the third, new Rome,..like the whole kingdom of the Orthodox Christian faith descended into your one kingdom” (Library of Literature of Ancient Russia SPb, 2000, pp. 301-302) - Filofei wrote to Grand Duke Vasily III. The main ideas of this theory boiled down to the following: 1. everything that happens in the life of people and nations is determined by God's providence. 2. two Romes fell, actually the old Rome and Constantinople, Moscow - the last third Rome. 3. The Russian Tsar is the only heir to the power of the rulers in the two previous fallen states. Thus, Moscow, as it were, becomes not only a world political center, but also an ecclesiastical one, and the Moscow tsars are now the successors of the Byzantine emperors.
We see that the 16th century is becoming a turning point in the minds of people. “The Russian Orthodox Kingdom is being formed, a country in which everyone’s life, from the tsar to the last slave, is subordinated to one goal - to be worthy of the great mission that has befallen Russia, to complete the course of world history” (Shaposhnik V.V. Church and State relations in Russia in the 30-80s of the 16th century, St. Petersburg, 2006) The Russian state, as a future power, is becoming in line with European countries. Thus, Russia of that time was called upon to play a special historical role, moreover, it was to become the only guardian of true Christianity.
It was with these views on the changes that had taken place in the Orthodox world that Ivan IV encountered. On January 16, 1547, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, a solemn wedding ceremony took place for the reign of Grand Duke Ivan IV, “the signs of the royal dignity - the cross of the Life-Giving Tree, barmas and the cap of Monomakh - were assigned to John by the Metropolitan. After the communion of the Holy Mysteries, John was anointed with the world ”(Pyatnitsky P.P. The legend of the wedding of Russian tsars and emperors. M., 1896. S.8-9) That this event did not remain just a beautiful ceremony, but it was deep accepted by the tsar, the fact that ten years after the wedding, Ivan IV, in order to strengthen his position, began to “care about asking the Eastern Church for a blessing for his wedding”, the fact is that the coronation took place in 1547 , took place without the blessing of the ecumenical patriarch and, therefore, in the eyes of foreign sovereigns was considered illegal. In 1561, a conciliar charter signed by the metropolitans and bishops of Greece was sent to Moscow from Patriarch Iosaph. with the Greek princess Anna and the role of Vladimir. The letter stated that since “the Moscow Tsar undoubtedly descends from the family and blood of a truly royal, namely from the Greek Empress Anna, the sister of Vasily Porphyrogenitus, and, moreover, Grand Duke Vladimir was crowned with a diadem and other signs and clothes of the royal dignity sent from Greece, then the patriarch and the cathedral, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, granted John to be and be called legally married ”(Pyatnitsky P.P. The legend of the wedding of Russian tsars and emperors. M., 1896. P. 9-10)
Thus, we can conclude that after ascending to the royal throne, Ivan IV was really aware of his position. As you know, “kings from ancient times are called “God's anointed”. This name itself testifies that the tsars are not proteges of the people ”(Pyatnitsky P.P. The legend of the wedding of Russian tsars and emperors. M., 1896. P.3) At this time, this most accurately emphasizes the position of the young tsar. After all, he received not just a royal title, which he used in external documents, in connection with Western states, he received the right to become the first ruler who realized the importance of his stay on the royal throne, and without the spiritual prosperity of the country, Moscow, as the center of the Russian state, would not could in the full sense become the successor of Byzantium.
400 years ago, the Romanov dynasty ascended the Russian throne. Against the background of this memorable date, discussions flare up about how the royal power influenced our past and whether it has a place in our future. But for these discussions to make sense, you need to understand how the rulers of Russia got the royal title and what role the Church played in this.
The royal title is not only a verbal expression of a very high degree of power, but also a complex philosophy. For Russia, this philosophy was created mainly by the Russian Church. She, in turn, inherited the rich heritage of the Greek churches, whose fate flowed on the lands of the Byzantine Empire. The royal title was officially assigned to the rulers of Moscow in the 16th century. But no one, not a single person thought at that time: "We created the royal power." No, no, our sovereigns themselves, and their nobles, and church hierarchs adhered to a completely different way of thinking: “The royal power has passed to us from Constantinople. We are the heirs."
Symbols of royal power: Monomakh's hat and orb
ancient prophecies
In the second half of the 15th century, events took place that were stunning both for the Russian Church, and for all the “bookish” people of our fatherland, and for the political elite of Russia.
Firstly, the pious Greeks were “dishonored”! They agreed with the papacy on a union in exchange for military assistance against the Turks. Metropolitan Isidore, a Greek who came to the Moscow cathedra, an active supporter of the union, tried to change the religious life of Russia, found himself under arrest, and then barely took his feet out of the country.
Secondly, the Russian Church became autocephalous, that is, independent of Byzantium. Greek metropolitans were no longer called here, they began to appoint the heads of the Russian Church conciliarly, from their own bishops.
Thirdly, in 1453, Constantinople fell, which seemed to be the unshakable center of the Orthodox-glorious civilization.
And all this - for some one and a half decades. And then, before the beginning of the 16th century, Tsar Ivan III turned the crumbling specific Russia into the Muscovite state - huge, strong, unprecedented in its structure. In 1480, the country finally freed itself from the Horde's claims to power over it.
After the fall of Constantinople in Moscow, albeit not immediately, they remembered the mysterious predictions that had long been attributed to two great people - Methodius, Bishop of Patara, as well as the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise, philosopher and legislator. The first died a martyr's death in the 4th century, the second reigned at the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century. Tradition put gloomy prophecies into their mouths. Christianity, "pious Israel", shortly before the arrival of the Antichrist, will be defeated in the fight against the "kind of Ishmael." The tribes of the Ishmaelites will prevail and take over the land of the Christians. Then lawlessness will reign. However, later a certain pious king will appear who will defeat the Ishmaelites, and the faith of Christ will shine again.
With special attention, our scribes peered into the words, where the future triumph was attributed not to someone, but to the “Russian family”.
After 1453, Moscow church intellectuals gradually came to the conclusion: Constantinople fell - part of the ancient prophecies came true; but the second part will also come true: “The Russian family with allies (participants) ... will defeat all of Ishmael and the seven-hill [city] will accept him with his former laws and reign in him.” This means that someday Moscow will come with its Orthodox regiments to the Turks, break them, liberate Constantinople from the "Ismailites".
From the slow but inevitable realization of some high role of Moscow in the crippled, bleeding world of Eastern Christianity, from the fascination with exciting revelations of a thousand years ago, a whole “fan” of ideas was born explaining the meaning of the existence of the newborn state and its capital city. Not in vain - they thought at that time - the dear forest savage Moscow turned out to be in the role of a sovereign mistress! It was not in vain that she emerged from under the yoke of the Gentiles just at the moment when other Orthodox peoples fell into it!
Traditions about the familyMoscow sovereigns
When Moscow turned out to be the capital of a united Russia, its sovereigns began to look at the main city of their state, and at themselves in a completely different way. Ivan III styled himself "sovereign of all Russia", which was not previously found in the fragmented Russian lands. Under him, magnificent Byzantine rituals were introduced into palace use: together with Sophia Palaiologos, noble people came to the Moscow state, who remembered the sunset Roman splendor and taught it to the subjects of Ivan III. The Grand Duke started a seal with a crowned double-headed eagle and a horseman striking a snake.
At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, the “Tale of the Princes of Vladimir” appeared - praise and justification for the autocratic rule of the great princes of Moscow. The "Tale" entered the Russian chronicles and gained great popularity in the Muscovite state. In it, the history of the Moscow princely house is connected with the Roman emperor Augustus: a certain legendary relative of Augustus, Prus, was sent to rule the northern lands of the Empire - on the banks of the Vistula. Later, a descendant of Prus, Rurik, was invited by the Novgorodians to reign, and from him the ruling family of princes of the Russian land had already gone. Consequently, the Muscovite Rurikovichs, the same Ivan III and his son Vasily III, are distant descendants of the Roman emperors, and their power is consecrated by the ancient tradition of succession to the throne.
Simplicity real? Yes. Incredible? Yes. But exactly the same simplicity, exactly the same improbability, which many dynasties of Europe bowed to. The Scandinavians derived their royal family from the pagan gods! Compared to them, our Russian Prus is a model of modesty and sanity. In those days, kinship from Augustus was an ideologically strong construction. Albeit brazenly, defiantly fabulous.
Further, according to the "Tale", the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX sent the royal regalia to the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir Monomakh: a diadem, a crown, a gold chain, a carnelian casket (cup?) of Emperor Augustus himself, the "cross of the Life-Giving Tree" and the "royal frame" (barmas ). From this the conclusion was drawn: “To such a talent, not from man, but to God’s ineffable destinies, translating and translating the glory of the Greek kingdom to the Russian Tsar. Then, in Kyiv, he was crowned with that royal crown in the holy great cathedral and apostolic church from the most holy Neophyte, Metropolitan of Ephesus ... And henceforth the divinely crowned tsar was named in the Russian kingdom. In the years when Kievan Rus was at the hands of Prince Vladimir, Byzantium was ruled by Alexei I Komnenos, and Konstantin Monomakh died in the middle of the 11th century. Yes, and our princes did not wear the royal title in pre-Mongolian times. Therefore, the whole legend of the Byzantine gift is now being questioned.
Now, of course, it is impossible to determine exactly what kind of regalia Vladimir Monomakh received, and whether this actually happened. And it's not that important.
Another thing is more important: the Moscow historiosophist of the 16th century threw the “bridge of royalty” from the 12th century into the present. Then the ruler of Russia already had the royal title? Perfect! Consequently, it is appropriate for the current sovereigns of Russia to renew the royal title. Idea kingdom, kingship, slowly but surely took root in Russian soil. Moscow began to try on the crown of the royal city long before it became "Porphyry-bearing" in reality.
(On the picture - Ivan III. Engraving by A. Teve from the book "Cosmography". 1575 Seal of Ivan III. 1504)
Mirrors of Moscow
Grand ducal games with genealogy were much inferior in courage, scope and depth to what church intellectuals expressed. The sovereigns acquired an official historical legend about their own dynasty. They had enough.
The learned Josephite monks (followers of the Monk Joseph of Volotsky) were the first to understand that Muscovite Russia was no longer the backyard of the Christian world. From now on, she should perceive herself differently.
The ideas of the wise scribes who lived under Ivan the Great and his son Vasily resemble mirrors. Young Moscow, not yet fully aware of its beauty, its greatness, looked capriciously from one to the other, and still could not decide where it looked better. In the first, it looked like the “Third Rome”, in the second, like the “House of the Most Pure”, marked by the special patronage of the Virgin, in the third, like “new Jerusalem”.
The most famous "mirror" in which Moscow then looked was born from several lines.
In 1492, Paschalia was recalculated for a new, eighth thousand years of Orthodox chronology from the Creation of the world. In the explanation of Metropolitan Zosima to this important matter, Grand Duke Ivan III was spoken of as the new Tsar Konstantin, ruling in the new city of Konstantinov - Moscow ...
Here is the first spark.
A great flame flared up in the correspondence of the Elder of the Pskov Eleazarov Monastery Philotheus with Tsar Vasily III and the deacon Misyur Munekhin. Philotheus expressed the concept of Moscow as the "Third Rome".
Philotheus regarded Moscow as the center of world Christianity, the only place where it was preserved in its pure, uncomplicated form. Two of its former centers - Rome and Constantinople ("Second Rome") fell due to apostasy. Philotheus wrote: "... all the Christian kingdoms came to an end and converged in the single kingdom of our sovereign according to the prophetic books, that is, the Roman kingdom, since two Romes fell, and the third stands, and there will be no fourth."
In other words, the “Roman Kingdom” is indestructible, it simply moved to the east and now Russia is the new Roman Empire. Basil III Philotheus calls the king "Christians of all under heaven." In this new purity, Russia will have to rise when its sovereigns “arrange” the country, establishing a just, merciful government based on Christian commandments.
But most of all, Filofey worries not about the rights of the Moscow rulers to political primacy in the universe of Christianity, but about preserving the faith in an uncorrupted form, in saving the last focus of true Christianity. His "indestructible Roman kingdom" is more of a spiritual entity than a state in the usual sense of the word. The role of the Moscow sovereign in this context is, first of all, the role of the guardian of the faith. Will they cope with such a difficult task? Filofey, therefore, does not sing solemn hymns to the young state at all, he is full of anxiety: such a responsibility has fallen on Moscow!
The idea of Moscow as the Third Rome did not immediately receive wide recognition. Only from the middle of the 16th century did they begin to perceive it as something deeply related to the Moscow state system.
Crowning the kingdom
In January 1547, Ivan Vasilyevich was married to the kingdom.
Moscow sovereigns from the XIV century bore the title of "Grand Dukes of Moscow." However, in diplomatic correspondence, even under Ivan III, they began to use the title "tsar", equating it with the imperial one. Thus, in the whole of Europe, in the opinion of our monarchs, only the German emperor could equal them, and even, perhaps, the Turkish sultan. But it is one thing to use such a high title in diplomatic etiquette and quite another to officially accept it. This step was a serious reform, since it raised the Moscow sovereign above all his western neighbors.
The ceremony of showering Tsar Ivan IV with gold coins after the crowning of the kingdom. Miniature. 16th century
Ivan the Terrible. Illustration from the Big State Book. 1672
Moreover, the “bookish people” of that time understood that the Byzantine political heritage was being transferred to Russia before their very eyes. A new “restraint” appears in Moscow, whose place for a century, after the fall of Constantinople, was empty. Politics was combined with Christian mysticism - "holding", or "katechon", prevents the final fall of the world into the abyss, to complete corruption and departure from the Commandments. If it does not exist, then either a new one must appear, or the Last Judgment is approaching, and with it the end of the old world. Thus, a heavy burden fell on the shoulders of the young man.
Behind this transformation, one can see the wisdom of Metropolitan Macarius, who crowned the young monarch, and the sharp mind of the princes Glinsky - Ivan IV's relatives by mother.
The wedding ceremony was held with great pomp in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral. A few days later, the sovereign went on a pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.
European countries did not immediately recognize the royal status. Yes, and confirmation of it from the Patriarch Joasaph of Constantinople came only in 1561.
Mysticism and politics
In addition to Christian mysticism, in addition to the historiosophical ideas generated by the environment of learned monasticism, there were much more prosaic circumstances that made it necessary to accept the royal title.
First of all, the country with great difficulty got out of the turmoil caused by the minority of the ruler. The largest aristocratic "parties" reigned supreme for many years, fighting each other, arranging bloody internecine skirmishes. Law and order have come to nothing. Ivan IV was allowed very little access to state affairs. Yes, and he himself was distinguished by a dissolute character: cruel entertainment interested him more than questions of big politics. The Church and those of the aristocrats who would like to end the era of lawlessness have chosen an ideal way for this. First, they raised the young ruler high above the level of nobility, elevating him to the pinnacle of royal rank. Secondly, they married him to Anastasia, a representative of the ancient boyar family of the Zakharyins-Yuryevs: here is the tsar and faithful allies, and a cure for debauchery!
It cannot be said that the wedding and the crowning of the kingdom instantly corrected the character of Ivan IV. But they contributed to it. Until then, the sovereign was a young man living close to power - without a firm understanding of who he is in relation to his own aristocracy, according to what models his life should be built, what will play the role of immutable laws in it, and what is destined for the fate of the marginals in the fields biographies. The adoption of the royal title and marriage led to the fact that he was built into the social mechanism of Russian civilization. Ivan Vasilievich actually acquired a real full-fledged role for life - the role of the head of his own family, in the long term - the secular head of the entire Orthodox world.
Icon "Moscow - Third Rome". 2011
Seal of Ivan the Terrible. 1583
Such an elevation imposes significant restrictions on the monarch - on his way of life and even on his way of thinking. For several years, the young sovereign brought repentance to the Church for his previous sins and "grew" into his great role. In the mid-1550s, Ivan Vasilyevich looked like a person who ideally matched her.
The country at that time was ruled in a complicated and colorful way. Each region had its own administrative and legal customs. The "church region", scattered throughout the state, was governed by special laws and rules. The serving nobility received income from cities and regions for “feeding”, where its representatives, in turn, for a relatively short period, occupied managerial positions. These incomes were distributed unevenly, depending on the strength and weakness of the aristocratic parties that were able to promote their people to feed. The law has been shaken. The central administration could not keep up with the ever-increasing wave of tasks that arose on a colossal territory. After all, the size of the country increased several times compared to the territory that Ivan III received!
The country needed reform. And after the wedding of the sovereign, a period favorable for reformation begins.
At the helm of power are all the same aristocratic clans, but among them there is no dominant party. In other words, the most powerful people of Russia came to reconciliation, they agreed among themselves on a more or less even distribution of power. The sovereign was no longer a boy who was easy to push around, now he could play the role of an arbitrator and influence the political course in the direction he desired.
A formal reconciliation between the monarch and his ill-wishers takes place in 1549: the king publicly exonerates them of their previous abuses. On the metropolitan chair stands a man of statesmanship, great mercy and extensive knowledge - St. Macarius. As you can see, he managed to direct the frantic energy of the young king in a good direction and not let it splash violently, destructively.
In the 1550s, reforms come one after another, the country comes out of them transformed.
However, this might not have happened if in 1547 the young ruler of Moscow had not accepted the royal crown. And the wedding could not have happened if our Church had not prepared the spiritual ground for it. The truth is that the Russian "priesthood" nurtured and set the Russian "tsardom" on its feet.
Rurikovichi are a princely family in Russia, which comes from Rurik. The Rurik family was large and many of its representatives were the rulers of the state and principalities formed after the Russian lands were divided.
Biography of Rurik
The year 862 is considered the beginning of the reign of Ruriks. These are the great princes of Novgorod, Kyiv, Vladimir, Moscow. Rurik's descendants are considered all Russian tsars until the 16th century. The last of this dynasty was called Fedor Ioannovich. Rurik became prince in 862. During his reign, feudal relations were established.
Some of the historians say that Rurik was a Scandinavian. The basis for this is the etymology of the name, which is translated from Latin as King. It is also known that the name Rurik is very common in countries such as Sweden, Finland and others. But other historians suggest that Rurik still comes from the Slavs.
If you believe the chronicles, then we can say that not only Rurik, but also his brothers received the princely lands. But many of the researchers unanimously argue that he did not have any brothers.
The annals describe very little about his aspirations to strengthen the borders of the state and build cities. A positive moment in the period of his reign was the ability to suppress the rebellion. Thus, he reinforced his royal authority. On the positive side, one can also say that power was centralized in Russia.
In 879, Rurik died, and Oleg, the guardian of Igor, the son of Rurik, became prince.
List of princes, rulers of Russia
- Igor
- Olga "Holy"
- Svyatoslav Igorevich
- Yaropolk I, Svyatoslavovich
- Vladimir Svyatoslavovich "Saint"
- Svyatopolk I Vladimirovich "Cursed"
- Yaroslav I Vladimirovich "The Wise"
- Izyaslav I Yaroslavovich
- Vseslav Bryachislavovich Polotsky
- Izyaslav I Yaroslavovich
- Svyatoslav Yaroslavovich
- Izyaslav I Yaroslavovich
- Vsevolod I Yaroslavovich
- Svyatopolk II Izyaslavovich
- Vladimir Vsevolodovich "Monomakh"
- Mstislav Vladimirovich "The Great"
- Yaropolk II Vladimirovich
- Vsevolod II Olgovich Novgorod-Seversky
- Igor Olgovich
- Izyaslav II Mstislavovich Vladimir-Volynsky
- Yuri Vladimirovich "Dolgoruky"
- Izyaslav III Davidovich Chernigov
- Rostislav Mstislavovich Smolensky
- Mstislav Izyaslavovich Vladimir-Volynsky
Who was the first Russian tsar in Russia?
Ivan IV Vasilyevich, nicknamed "Grozny", the first tsar of the State
We all studied history at school. But not all of us remember who the first tsar in Russia was. This high-profile title in 1547 began to belong to Ivan IV Vasilyevich. For the uneasy nature of his character, for the coolness of his temper and cruelty, he was given the nickname "Terrible." Before him, all those who ruled Russia were called princes. And Ivan the Terrible is the first tsar of the State.
The first king was crowned king in 1547.
Biography
The year of Ivan's birth is 1530. His father was Prince of Moscow Vasily III, and his mother was Elena Glinskaya. Very early, Ivan became an orphan. He is the only heir to the throne, he had a brother Yuri, but since he is mentally retarded, he could not lead the principality. Ivan the Terrible began to rule the lands in Russia. It was 1533. In fact, his mother was considered the ruler, since the son was still small. But five years later she was gone. Becoming an orphan at the age of eight, Ivan lived with guardians, who were the boyars Belsky and Shuisky. They were only interested in power. He grew up seeing hypocrisy and meanness every day. He became distrustful, expecting a catch and betrayal everywhere and in everything.
Positive results of the board
1547 was the time when Grozny announced his intention to marry the reign. He received the title of king on January 16. The place where the wedding was held is the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. During the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich, a significant increase in the influence of the Orthodox Church was noted. There was also an improvement in the lives of the clergy.
Nine years after the beginning of his reign in Russia, Ivan, together with the Chosen Rada, developed the "Code of Service". Thanks to this document, the size of the Russian army increased. This document stated that behind each feudal lord there was an obligation to send a certain number of soldiers from their land, who had both horses and weapons with them. If the landowner supplied more soldiers than necessary, then the incentive for him was a monetary reward. But if the feudal lord, for whatever reason, did not provide the number of soldiers that was required according to the document, then he had to pay a fine. Thanks to this document, the combat capability of the army has improved. 
This is important, since Ivan the Terrible pursued an active foreign policy.
Negative aspects of government
Terrible despot on the throne!
So they called the king for cruelty, torture, reprisals against objectionable people to his rule and will.
List of rulers of Russia after the reign of Ivan the Terrible
- Simeon Bekbulatovich nominally Grand Duke of All Russia Fedor I Ivanovich
- Irina Fyodorovna Godunova
- Boris Fyodorovich Godunov
- Fedor II Borisovich Godunov
- False Dmitry I (presumably Grigory Otrepiev)
- Vasily IV Ivanovich Shuisky
- Mstislavsky Fedor Ivanovich
- Dmitry Timofeevich Trubetskoy
- Ivan Martynovich Zarutsky
- Prokopy Petrovich Lyapunov
- Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky
- Kuzma Minin
The first Russian tsar from the clan (family) of the Romanov dynasty
The Rurik dynasty was followed by the Romanov dynasty. As in the first, so in this dynasty there were many prominent representatives of the government. One of them was the first representative Mikhail Romanov.
Biography of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov
In 1613 he was elected Russian Tsar. His mother was Ksenia Shestova, and his father was Fyodor Romanov. After Moscow was liberated by Minin and Pozharsky. the future tsar and his mother began to live in the Ipatiev Monastery.
The Poles, when they found out that they had elected a tsar, wanted to interfere in every possible way. So, this case was behind a small detachment that moved towards the monastery in order to eliminate Michael. But Ivan Susanin showed courage and a detachment of Poles died without finding the right path. And they cut Ivan down.
Positive results of the board
The economy of the Russian lands, which were in decline after the failures that occurred in the 7th century, was gradually restored. 1617 was the year of the conclusion of a peace treaty with Sweden.
This is followed by the return of the Novgorod region, which was captured years earlier. After the agreement was signed in 1618 with Poland, the Polish troops had to leave the Russian lands completely. However, the territories of the Smolensk, Chernigov and Smolensk regions became lost.
Prince Vladislav did not recognize the legitimacy of Mikhail Romanov's rights. He confidently said that he was the Russian Tsar.
This period is also known for friendly relations with the Persians. Due to the fact that Siberia was conquered, there was an expansion of Russian territories.
Townsmen began to be heavily taxed. You can also note the attempt to form a regular army. Foreigners took the lead. The last years of the reign of Mikhail Romanov were marked by the formation of dragoon regiments, as one of the army's rapid deployment units.
List of tsars of Russia after the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty
In which cathedral did the coronation of Russian tsars take place?
The Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin is considered one of the oldest temples. It is located on the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin.
Since the time of Russia, the Assumption Cathedral has been the place where the most important state ceremonies were held. One of these ceremonies that took place there is the coronation of the tsars of Russia.
The last Russian tsar in the history of Russia
Biography
The last emperor was Nicholas II, his father was Alexander the Third. Nicholas had an excellent education, studied various foreign languages, studied law, military affairs, economics, history and literature. Since his father died early, he had to take the reins of government at a young age.
The coronation of Nicholas took place in the Assumption Cathedral on May 26, 1896. This date is also marked by bad events. This terrible event was Khodynki. As a result, a huge number of people died.
Positive results of the board
The reign of Nicholas is notable for many positive events. There was a rise in the economy. There was a significant strengthening of the agricultural sector. During this period, Russia was an exporter of agricultural products in Europe.
The introduction of a gold stable currency was also noted. The development of the industry was very intensive. The construction of enterprises, the growth of large cities, the construction of railways - this is all the positive influence of the reign of Nicholas II.
The introduction of a fixed day for workers, the provision of insurance, the implementation of excellent reforms regarding the army and navy had a good effect on the development of the state as a whole. Emperor Nicholas fully supported the development of science and culture. But, despite the fact that there were so many positive things that the life of the people improved, the unrest among the people did not stop.
And in January 1905, Russia is experiencing a revolution. This event was the event known to all under the name "Bloody Sunday". On September 17, 1905, there is talk of the adoption of a manifesto in which civil freedom was defended. There was the formation of a parliament, which included the State Duma and the State Council.
Negative results of the reign and the end of the Romanov dynasty
After the June coup, which changed the rules for election to the State Duma. Every failure that happened in the war undermined the prestige of Nicholas. With the beginning of the uprising in March of the same year in Petrograd, the popular uprising acquired grandiose proportions. Not wanting bloodshed to reach even greater proportions, Nicholas abdicates the throne.
On March 9, the interim government observed the arrest of the entire Romanov family. Then they go to the royal village. In Yekaterinburg, on July 17, the Romanovs are sentenced to death in the basement, and the execution takes place. This ends the reign of the Romanov dynasty.
The Russian word known as "tsar" came to us from the Latin language from the word "caesar". The same word, only in a different sound, that is, "Caesar", became for the German "Kaiser", which also denoted the ruler.
The very first tsar in Russia came to power unexpectedly. There were princes before him. Ivan the Third Vasilyevich became the first king. He came out of the Rurik dynasty. It was he who was the first prince, the Grand Duke of the Varangians. Ivan was also read as John. Thus it was possible to unite oneself with the Apostle John in the Christian and Slavonic language. After all, it turns out for the people that then God himself made him king.
The church, in addition to a different sounding of the name, gave it a different name. Now the tsar was an autocrat, from where the autocracy originated. That is how the Byzantine emperor sounded in a Slavic country. While Turkey ruled Byzantium, there was no imperial house. When it was possible to return it to Russia, Ivan the Third began to consider himself the successor who ascended the throne after the emperor of Byzantium.
The king marries a girl named Sophia Palaiologos, who is the niece of Constantine Palaiologos, who is the last Byzantine emperor. Sophia is considered the heiress of the fallen imperial family. It is thanks to this marriage that John the Third manages to share with her the right to inherit over Byzantium.
When Sophia appears in the Kremlin of Moscow, the princess manages to change the routine of the life of the entire princely court. We are even talking about Moscow itself. John the Third himself also publishes the idea of changing everything that is in Moscow. Since he also doesn’t like anything that is there. Therefore, upon arrival of the young, Byzantine masters and artists are called to the capital, who begin not only to build, but also to paint churches in their own way. They also built stone chambers where not only kings, but also boyars could live. At this time, the Faceted Chamber appears. But our ancestors, unlike us, thought that it was harmful to live in a house made of stone. Therefore, although stone houses were built, only feasts and balls were held there, while people continued to live in wooden houses.
Now Moscow was Tsaregrad. This is how Constantinople was called, which was the capital of Byzantium, and was a Turkish city. The life of the nobles who served at the court was also now conducted according to Byzantine laws. There were even moments when the queen and the king had to go to the table, how they should do it, how others should behave. For example, it was accepted that when the king or queen enters or leaves the table, then everyone else should stand. When the Grand Duke became king, his gait also changed. Now she was more solemn, more leisurely, more majestic.
True, the fact that John called himself king did not mean at all that he became one. Indeed, until the middle of the 15th century, Ancient Russia called kings not only of the Byzantine emperors, but also of the khans of the Golden Horde. When can a tsar appear in Russia? When he ceases to be a subject of the Khan. And this was difficult to achieve. True, after all, Russia was able to throw off this yoke, so now she could rightfully call her rulers kings. Now no one, no Tatar, under whose yoke Russia had been for so many centuries, could demand tribute from the Russian princes.
When the 15th century ended, the seals used by Ivan the Third began to fasten political treaties, as well as various other important political documents, and the coat of arms on the seal is presented in the form of a double-headed eagle, which was previously the Byzantine imperial coat of arms.
True, Ivan the Third is not truly the king of Russia. After all, although it began to be called that, not everything was so smooth. Only after some time, the princes began to rightfully be called kings, who began to rule Russia. Only then were they able to pass this title from father to son, that is, by inheritance.
In fact, Ivan the Fourth the Terrible, who was the grandson of Ivan the Third, became the first Russian tsar. This happened when he was officially proclaimed such a title, and since 1547 it became known throughout the world that Ivan the Terrible is the king of all Russia.
It was Ivan the Fourth the Terrible who entered the history books as the first tsar of the then-famous mighty power of all Russia. Prior to this, the rulers were officially called princes. At the same time, this king served as the most formidable, which is why he was named so, as well as a dramatic figure in the whole world.
He was born in 1530 from the noble noblewoman Elena Glinskaya. It is said that she was a descendant of Genghis Khan. Grandmother was Sophia Paleolog, as we have already said, the niece of the Byzantine emperor. Ivan's father died when he was only three years old. At the age of eight, he loses his mother. This is what influenced the formation of the character of the young king. He acted like a smart politician, a strong and cruel ruler. When he turns eighteen, he becomes the first tsar in Russia.
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