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

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov in his youth

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

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

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

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

Patriarch Philaret. Artist N. Tyutryumov

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

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

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

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

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

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

At the end of 1612, the Zemsky Sobor met in Moscow. The question of choosing a new king was discussed for about two months. The council rejected all foreign candidates for the throne. In the end, they settled on the candidacy Mikhail Romanov.

As a result, the Romanov dynasty was established in Russia, which ruled the country for 300 years (until 1917).

• Firstly, Mikhail Romanov was not involved in the events of the Time of Troubles.
• Secondly, he had family ties with the former Rurik dynasty, was a relative of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich (on the maternal side). The first wife of Ivan the Terrible - Anastasia - was the mother of Tsar Fedor. She came from the Romanov family.
• Thirdly, Mikhail was the son of Filaret Romanov, who suffered from Godunov (he was forcibly tonsured a monk) and, in addition, was captured by the “Tushinsky thief”, and, therefore, suffered from him.
• Fourthly, Mikhail was young, he was 16 years old, and he had a "quiet disposition." There is a legend that one of the boyars said: "Let's choose Mishka Romanov, he is young and not yet wise, he will be habitual (obedient) to us in everything."

The Russian historian V. O. Klyuchevsky put forward the following reasons for choosing Mikhail: “Mikhail was endured ... by family popularity. But most of all, the kinship of the Romanovs with the former dynasty helped Michael in the conciliar elections. Tsar Michael was seen not as a conciliar elect, but as the nephew of Tsar Theodore, a natural, hereditary tsar. This is how the founder of a new dynasty appeared, putting an end to the Troubles.

Having elected the tsar, the people's representatives did not leave him alone with the boyar lust for power and the huge problems of restoring the country. The Zemsky Sobor constantly supported the tsar. Its members were elected for a three-year term. They worked almost without interruption for nine years (three convocations).

Ivan Susanin

Having hardly found a new tsar, Russia almost lost him. According to a number of sources, a Polish detachment was sent to Kostroma to capture the new Muscovite tsar and kill him. However, the local peasant Ivan Susanin, volunteering to escort the Poles to the patrimony of the Romanovs, led them into the dense forests. Meanwhile, Mikhail, warned by well-wishers, managed to move to Kostroma, under the protection of the high walls of the Ipatiev Monastery. For the salvation of the king, Susanin paid with his life.

Historians have long debated the authenticity of this event. But in the memory of the people, the image of the Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanin became a symbol of heroic self-sacrifice in the name of the Fatherland.

Minin and Pozharsky under the Romanovs

Minin Kuzma Zakharyev (nicknamed Sukhoruk), a townsman, Zemstvo headman from Nizhny Novgorod under Mikhail Romanov, became a duma nobleman. Died 1616

Under Tsar Boris Godunov, Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky had the court rank of steward, under Vasily Shuisky he was governor in the city of Zaraysk. He bravely fought against False Dmitry I I, participated in the first militia in battles against the Poles in Moscow. Under Tsar Mikhail Romanov, he received the boyar rank, headed important orders, and was governor in Novgorod. He died in 1642 and was buried in Suzdal, on the territory of the Spas-Efimiev Monastery.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (born 12 (22) July 1596 - death 13 (23) July 1645) - Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia. Board from February 21 (March 3), 1613 - to July 13 (23), 1645

During the Troubles

The father of Mikhail Fedorovich was Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, who later became Patriarch Filaret, married to Xenia Ivanovna Shestova, from an humble family. Their son Mikhail was born on July 12, 1596.

1601 - Boris Godunov tonsured Fyodor Nikitich Romanov as a monk with the name Filaret and exiled him to the St. Sophia Anthony Monastery, and tonsured his wife Xenia under the name Martha and exiled to Zaonezhye, to the Yegoryevsky churchyard of the Tolvui volost.

Mikhail Fedorovich ended up with his aunt Martha Nikitichnaya Cherkasskaya on Beloozero, from 1603 he lived in Klin (the Romanovs' ancestral home), from 1605 - with his mother.

The first impostor elevated Filaret to the rank of Metropolitan of Rostov. His family was reunited and almost until the end of 1608 lived together, and at the time when Filaret was in his honorable captivity - in Moscow.

1610 - Filaret and Prince Golitsyn were sent to the Poles, who did not let him go, and for the next 9 years Mikhail did not see his father. The future tsar and his mother were detained in the Moscow Kremlin and released from captivity only in November 1612, when they retired to Kostroma, living either in their own house or in the Ipatiev Monastery.

Zemsky Sobor. Election to the kingdom

On February 21, 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich as tsar. On March 13, ambassadors from the Council arrived in Kostroma and the next day they were received at the Ipatiev Monastery. Nun Martha and her son resolutely refused to accept the proposal of the Council, mainly because, as the mother said, “her son has no idea of ​​being a sovereign in such great glorious states; he is not in perfect years, but the people of the Moscow state of all ranks, because of their sins, were exhausted, giving their souls to the former sovereigns, they did not directly serve.

After negotiations that lasted six hours, mother and son, when they were threatened that God would punish them for the final ruin of the state, agreed to accept the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the royal throne.

1613, July 11 - in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the wedding to the kingdom of Mikhail Fedorovich took place. The Romanov dynasty began.

The beginning of the reign of the Romanovs

Xenia Ivanovna Shestova. The king's mother

The young and weak-willed king was unable to do without the firm support of his relatives. This was provided to him, and even excessively, by his mother, and upon his return from Polish captivity, by his father. Vladyka Filaret was a man of a tough and tough temper, but nun Martha was distinguished by an even tougher and more domineering character. “It was enough to look at her portrait,” wrote the historian S. F. Platonov, “at low eyebrows, stern eyes, a large, hooked nose, and most of all at mocking and at the same time imperious lips, in order to get an idea of ​​​​her mind, strong character and will, but these signs say little about gentleness and kindness.

Having come to power, Mikhail Fedorovich was forced to start streamlining internal affairs and fighting external enemies - Sweden and Poland. In addition, many gangs of robbers calmly moved from one edge of the Russian land to another, robbed and committed excesses, completely ruining the Muscovite state.

The first task of the new government was to collect the treasury. The sovereign and the Zemsky Sobor sent letters everywhere with orders to collect taxes and state revenues, with requests for a loan for the treasury of money and everything that could be given. Particular attention was paid to the gangs of Cossacks and all other rabble. The struggle with Zarutsky was long, with the gang of which they were able to deal only in June 1614. And by the autumn of 1614 they dealt with the ataman Balovny and his gang on the upper reaches of the Volga. In the end, by 1616 they were able to weaken and disperse the most dangerous gang - Lisovsky.

The Zemsky Sobor of 1616 decided to levy the fifth money on all merchants and indicated to rich people what sums they needed to give to the treasury in order to wage war against external enemies. The Swedes owned Novgorod and the Vodskaya Pyatina and wanted to annex this region to Sweden. In addition, they demanded that Russia recognize Prince Philip as the Tsar of Moscow, to whom the Novgorodians had already sworn allegiance. But most of all, the Swedes were interested in preventing the Russians from reaching the Baltic Sea. Therefore, they willingly agreed to the mediation of England and Holland in the peace negotiations.

Negotiations were often interrupted, in the end, they ended in eternal peace on February 27, 1617 in Stolbov. The Swedes conceded Novgorod, Porkhov, Staraya Russa, Ladoga and Gdov to the Russians, and the Russians conceded to the Swedes the Primorye Territory: Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, Oreshek and Korela, while pledging to pay Sweden 20 thousand rubles. At the same time, the British, Dutch and Swedes secured important trading privileges for themselves.

It should be noted that because of these territories many years later it will participate in the Northern War. The domestic policy of the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty was still aimed at stabilizing life and centralizing power. He was able to bring harmony to the secular and spiritual society, restore agriculture and trade, which were destroyed during the Time of Troubles, establish the first factories in the state, and transform the tax system depending on the size of the land.

It should also be said about such innovations by Mikhail Romanov as the first census of the population and their property conducted in the state, which made it possible to stabilize the tax system, as well as encouraging the development of creative talents by the state. The tsar ordered to hire the artist John Deters and instructed him to teach painting to capable Russian students.

The call to the kingdom of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov

Personal life

1616 - to Tsar Mikhail Romanov, the Queen-nun Martha, in agreement with the boyars, arranged the bride's bride, it was fitting for the tsar to marry and show the rightful heir to the power, so that there would be no troubles and unrest. It is curious that these brides were originally a fiction - the mother had already chosen a future wife for the sovereign from the noble Saltykov family. However, Mikhail Fedorovich confused her plans - he chose his bride himself. She was the hawthorn Maria Khlopova, but she was not destined to become a queen. In anger, the Saltykovs began to secretly poison the girl's food, and because of the symptoms of the disease, she was recognized as an unsuitable candidate. However, the sovereign uncovered the boyar intrigues and exiled the Saltykov family.

But the character of the king was too soft to insist on a wedding with Maria Khlopova. He married foreign brides. Although they agreed to marriage, but only on the condition of maintaining the Catholic faith, which turned out to be unacceptable for Russia. As a result, the well-born Princess Maria Dolgorukaya became the sovereign's wife. But just a few days after the wedding, she fell ill and died soon after. The people called this death a punishment for insulting Maria Khlopova, and historians do not exclude a new poisoning.

1626 - the tsar was in his thirtieth year and he was a childless widower. Again bride-to-be was organized, again behind the scenes the future queen was chosen in advance, and again Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov showed self-will. They chose the daughter of the Meshchovsky nobleman Evdokia Streshneva, who was not even a candidate and did not take part in the bride, but arrived as a servant of one of the girls. The wedding was played very modestly, the bride was protected from assassination by all possible means, and when she showed that she was not interested in the politics of Mikhail Romanov, all the intriguers fell behind the tsar's wife.

In family life, Mikhail Fedorovich and Evdokia Lukyanovna were relatively happy. The family couple became the founders of the Romanov dynasty and produced 10 children, although 6 of them died in infancy. The future Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was the third child and the first son of the ruling parents. In addition to him, three daughters of Mikhail Romanov survived - Irina, Tatyana and Anna. Evdokia Streshneva herself, in addition to the main duty of the queen - the birth of heirs, was engaged in charity work, helping churches and poor people, building temples and leading a pious life.

Mikhail Fedorovich and Evdokia Streshneva

Death

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was often ill in the last months of his life. Walking and riding had a tiring effect on him, his body weakened from a sedentary lifestyle. Apparently, the failure in arranging the fate of his eldest daughter also had an effect on him: the refusal of the Danish prince dealt him a heavy blow.

1645, July 12 - on the day of his name day, Mikhail Romanov, having overcome his malaise, got out of bed and went to church. But there he had an attack of suffocation. The king was transferred to the chambers. But by evening he got worse. He groaned and complained of severe pain in his heart. He ordered to call the queen and son, 16-year-old Alexei. He blessed him for the kingdom, confessed to the patriarch, and at the third hour of the night he died quietly.

Foreign doctors who treated the Moscow tsar explained that his illness came from “many sitting”, from cold drinking and melancholy ...

Queen Evdokia was able to outlive her royal husband by only a few months. The successor of the Romanov family was the only son of Tsar Mikhail, 16-year-old Alexei: a year before his death, the autocrat declared him publicly the heir to the royal throne.

Thus, the reign of the first tsar of the Romanov family ended. Tsar Mikhail Romanov, the founder of the dynasty, who shared power for 14 years with his father, an involuntary monk and patriarch, came to power in a completely democratic way and laid the foundation for a long journey. During his reign, the Muscovite state was able to heal the severe wounds caused by the Time of Troubles, so much so that the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich could become quite successful for Russia both in internal and external affairs.

From the significant cases of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov

1619 - the foundation of the Yenisei prison on the Yenisei River - the center of the Russian development of Eastern Siberia.

1620 - the foundation of the Pharmaceutical Order - the first state medical institution.

Construction in 1624–1625 Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) Tower of the Moscow Kremlin by Russian architect B. Ogurtsov.

1627 - expansion of the powers of elected zemstvo authorities and courts by limiting the power of governors.

1628 - the foundation of the Krasnoyarsk prison on the Yenisei River.

1630 - the construction of the first ironworks in the Trans-Urals near Irbit.

1631 - Bratsk prison was founded in Siberia.

1632, February 19 - a charter of the tsar to the Dutch merchant A. Vinius for the construction of factories near Tula for casting cannons, boilers, forging "boards and rods", with exemption from duties and dues for 10 years. 1636, March 14 - the first iron was obtained at the Vinius plant.

1632 - Lena Ostrog (later Yakutsk) was founded on the Lena River.

1633 - the establishment of the Greek-Latin patriarchal school by Patriarch Philaret in the Miracle Monastery in the Kremlin.

1633 - discovery of copper deposits in the upper reaches of the Kama River and the construction of the first Pyskorsky copper smelter.

1634 - the publication in Moscow of the "Primer of the Slovene language, that is, the beginning of teaching for children" by V.F. Burtsov-Protopopov - the first printed textbook published in Russia.

1635–1636 - construction in Moscow by architects A. Konstantinov, B. Ogurtsov, L. Ushakov and T. Sharutin of the Kremlin Terem Palace.

1636 - the foundation of Simbirsk and Tambov.

1636 - the beginning of the construction of defensive structures of the Belgorod "notch line".

1639 - the oath of allegiance to the Russian tsar of the Kakhetian king Teimuraz I.

1640 - construction of the Oblique Ostrog (future Okhotsk) on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

The first tsar of the Romanov dynasty died on July 12, 1645 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

On 14 (24 NS) March 1613, Mikhail Romanov agreed to accept the Russian kingdom and was solemnly named sovereign. How did it happen that in a war-torn and troubled country, a 16-year-old youth was elected king, completely devoid of military talents and statesmanship, besides being a subject of the Polish king?

Naturally, over the 300 years of the reign of the Romanov dynasty, a mass of “reliable” justifications for the nationwide election of Michael and his outstanding role in ending the unrest in Russia appeared. But how did it really happen? Unfortunately, many documentary evidence of the election of Romanov to the kingdom were either destroyed or thoroughly edited. But, as they say, "manuscripts do not burn", some evidence has been preserved, and something can be read between the lines of official documents, for example, "The Tale of the Zemsky Sobor of 1613."

On October 22, 1612, the militia under the leadership of the prince and the Cossack detachments of Prince Dmitry Trubetskoy stormed Kitay-Gorod. The fate of the Polish garrison and his henchmen was sealed. First, the Russian boyars came out of the Kremlin, having previously sworn allegiance to the Polish prince Vladislav, whom Pozharsky promised immunity. Among them was the young Mikhail Romanov and his mother, who immediately left for their estate near Kostroma. Then the Kremlin left the Polish garrison, who laid down their arms.

It is difficult to understand what Pozharsky and Trubetskoy were guided by when they abandoned the persecution of traitor boyars, but it was precisely this that created the prerequisites for the development of all subsequent events. During this period, all power was in the hands of a triumvirate consisting of Pozharsky, Trubetskoy and Minin, but the born Rurik prince Dmitry Pozharsky became the formal head of state. Naturally, he was predicted to be the new Russian tsars. But the prince made an unforgivable mistake - he disbanded the militia, leaving only a few detachments in Moscow. From that moment on, the Cossack detachments of Prince Trubetskoy became the main military force in the capital. They actually had nowhere to go, and the opportunity to profit thoroughly kept them in Moscow.

The main task during this period was the election of a new Russian Tsar. In November, a meeting of all the Moscow estates, held by the triumvirate, decided to convene deputies from all the estates of the Russian land, except for the boyar and monastic peasants, by December 6 to the Zemsky Sobor in Moscow. Beyond the range of distances, the deputies continued to arrive until the end of January, when the Cathedral was already actively working. There were about 800 people in total.

Most of the boyars who had previously sworn allegiance to Vladislav also took part in the work of the Council. Under their pressure, the candidacies of Pozharsky and Trubetskoy were blocked. Two main groups formed at the Council, one supported the election of the tsar from among the Russian candidates, the other advocated a foreigner, nominating the Swedish prince Carl Philip as the main candidate. Pozharsky also supported the latter candidacy. Perhaps he believed that a foreigner would be able to quickly stop the turmoil and rally society, or maybe he was playing some kind of complex political game.

In the end, the Council rejected the foreigner's candidacy and focused on discussing Russian candidates, among whom were princes, boyars, and even Tatar princes. It took a long time to come to an agreement. Then the candidacy of Mikhail Romanov was put forward, actively supported by the Cossacks, many of whom had previously been supporters of the Tushinsky Thief. Apparently, the fact that the Cossacks considered the Romanovs to be their henchmen played a role, since the candidate's father was elevated to patriarch in the camp of False Dmitry II.

In an effort to defuse the situation, Pozharsky's supporters proposed taking a two-week break in the work of the Council from February 7 to discuss possible candidates with residents of Moscow and nearby regions. This was a strategic mistake, since the Cossacks and the boyar group had much more opportunities to organize agitation. The main agitation unfolded for Mikhail Romanov, who was supported by many boyars, who believed that it would be easy to keep him under their influence, since he was young, inexperienced, and most importantly, like them, they were “messed up” in the oath to Vladislav. The main argument during the agitation of the boyars was that at one time Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, before his death, wanted to transfer the kingdom to his relative Fyodor Romanov (Patriarch Filaret), who is now languishing in Polish captivity. And therefore, the throne must be given to his only heir, which is Mikhail Romanov.

It was possible to create a certain opinion in favor of Mikhail. On the morning of February 21, when elections were scheduled, Cossacks and commoners rallied in the Kremlin, in modern terms, demanding the election of Mikhail. Apparently, the "rally" was skillfully staged, but later it became one of the facts of the justification for the nationwide nomination of Romanov to the throne. The role of the Cossacks in the election of a new king was not a secret for foreigners either. The Poles called Mikhail Romanov "a Cossack protege" for a long time.

By the way, there is information that on this day Pozharsky and a number of his supporters, who were blocked by the Cossacks in their homes, did not participate in the elections. In addition, petitions from several cities were presented to the Council by the boyars to support the election of Mikhail. To increase pressure on the Council, the Cossacks even broke into its meeting, demanding that Romanov be elected. Be that as it may, elections were held and Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed the Russian Tsar. The legality of the vote itself has never been questioned. Well, the fact that it was carried out with a powerful use of administrative resources and pressure on voters is an eternal "tradition" in Russia. It is curious that V.O. Klyuchevsky later very accurately remarked about the elections: "We wanted to choose not the most capable, but the most convenient."

Letters announcing the election of Mikhail Romanov as tsar were sent to all parts of the country. It is curious that neither Pozharsky nor Trubetskoy are among the signatories. A special embassy was sent to Mikhail Romanov. Actually, Romanov still had to be found, since the Cathedral did not have exact information about the place of his stay, so the embassy was ordered to go to "Yaroslavl or where he, sovereign, will be."

Mikhail and his mother were first in the ancestral estate near Kostroma, where, according to legend, through the efforts of his miraculous salvation from the Poles, and then in the Ipatiev Monastery. The embassy reached Kostroma by the evening of March 13th. The next day, at the head of the procession, it went to ask Michael to accept the kingdom. In reality, it was not him who had to ask, but his mother, nun Marfa, who for several more years (until Filaret returned from Poland) would make decisions for her son. A report from the embassy to Moscow has been preserved about how Mikhail was persuaded to accept the kingdom and with what doubts he made this decision.

On March 14, 1613, Russia had a legally elected tsar. Subsequent events showed that the choice was not the worst. And it’s even good that for many years Mikhail was only a nominal ruler, and the real power was in the hands of people with great life experience - first his mother, and then his father, Patriarch Filaret, who, upon his return from captivity, was officially proclaimed co-ruler of the king.

The gradual overcoming of the consequences of the Time of Troubles, and the birth of the heir to the throne, created the conviction in the country that the new dynasty would be for a long time. And so it happened, the Romanov dynasty reigned for more than 300 years.

In January 1613, the Zemsky Sobor began work in Moscow. His main task was the election of a new Russian tsar, who was supposed to put an end to the protracted Troubles.

The capture of Moscow by the people's militia Minina and Pozharsky sharply shifted the emphasis in the selection of candidates. Contrary to the previous ideas of the nobility, the common people spoke out quite clearly - we do not need any foreign princes, the king should be his own.

If the issue could be decided by the will of the people, then the winner would be Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, the military leader who liberated Moscow, a man whose biography remained unsullied during the Time of Troubles.

However, this was precisely what did not suit the majority of representatives of the Russian nobility. Those who have served and False Dmitry I, and the Tushinsky thief, and the Poles, sought to turn this unsightly page of their lives. And so that no one reminded of old sins, it was necessary to bring to power a person from the clan, whose representatives were also involved in unsightly affairs.

The influential family of the Romanovs perfectly suited these requirements. Falling into disgrace Boris Godunov, they took on leading roles under False Dmitry I, served False Dmitry II, participated in the Seven Boyars and supported the invitation to the kingdom of the Polish prince Vladislav.

Youth Michael, the son of a monk

Initially, it was clear that the new monarch would be a compromise candidate, which is unlikely to please everyone, but with which the majority will be ready to come to terms.

The 16-year-old son of a boyar turned out to be such a candidate. Fyodor Nikitich Romanov Mikhail.

At the time of Michael's election to the kingdom, an amazing situation developed - his parents were alive, but were monks.

Neither Fyodor Nikitich nor his wife Ksenia Ivanovna intended to devote their lives to serving God. However, in 1600, when the Romanovs fell into disgrace under Boris Godunov, they were forcibly ordained as monks under the names of Filaret and Martha. And they had no way back to the world without loss of honor.

At the time of his election to the kingdom, Mikhail and his mother took refuge in Kostroma, and Filaret Romanov, who had quarreled with the Poles in 1611, was in captivity.

Tradition says that the nun Martha, to whom the ambassadors arrived to announce the election of her son as king, wept for a long time, begging to save him from this fate. Mikhail himself allegedly also hesitated.

Frankly, all this is questionable. The issue was resolved by serious people, including from the Romanov clan, and when the issue was resolved, the opinion of the teenager and his mother was of little interest to anyone. The fate of the state was at stake, who is interested in women's tears at such a moment?

Everything was so serious that the competitor of Mikhail Fedorovich, 3-year-old son Marina Mnishek and False Dmitry II, already after the accession of the first of the Romanovs, they were publicly hanged "for their evil deeds."

Dad can, dad can do anything...

A detachment sent from Moscow accompanied Mikhail Romanov to the capital through major cities in order to show that the Russian state again had a monarch.

On July 21, 1613, one day before his 17th birthday, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was crowned king in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The wedding of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in the Assumption Cathedral. Source: Public Domain

There was no talk of any independent state administration - power was again in the hands of representatives of noble families, and first of all, the Romanovs. In the first years of his reign, his mother, nun Martha, had a great influence on his son.

In 1619, the tsar's father, Filaret Romanov, returned from captivity and was elevated to the rank of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. From that moment on, it is Filaret who becomes the real head of Russia. State letters were signed simultaneously on behalf of the king and on behalf of the lord of the church.

It would not be true to say that the management of political affairs, which was carried out by Filaret Romanov, was unsuccessful. Russia managed to defend its independence in the fight against Poland, centralized power was restored throughout the country, and a gradual revival of the economy destroyed by turmoil began.

Filaret Romanov was the most important figure in Russian politics until his death in 1633.

Patriarch Philaret. Portrait fantasy of the 19th century. Source: Public Domain

Rejected Bride

But what about Tsar Michael himself? The main thing that was required of him was to strengthen the new dynasty, saving the country from the nightmare that began after the suppression of the family Rurikovich.

Simply put, Mikhail Fedorovich had to leave offspring, preferably healthy and numerous. In 1616, when the tsar was 20 years old, a review of brides was announced.

Mikhail's mother, nun Martha, chose a bride for her son, but then the tsar suddenly confused her plans, pointing to the daughter of a Kolomna nobleman Ivan Khlopova Maria.

The royal word is the law, and Mary began to prepare for the wedding. But suddenly the girl fell ill, she began to vomit.

Nun Martha declared that Maria Khlopova was seriously ill and was not suitable for the role of queen. There is reason to believe that Mary's illness did not occur without the participation of the king's mother.

The doctors insisted that nothing serious had happened, and the girl would be able to give birth to healthy children. Nun Martha argued the opposite.

It came to the Zemsky Sobor, at which it was decided to send the bride with all her relatives into exile in Tobolsk.

Mikhail yearned for Mary, but this time he did not dare to argue with his mother.

In 1619, the tsar's father, Filaret Romanov, returned from captivity and gave his son a scolding, accusing him of cowardice, unwillingness to fight for his happiness. Khlopov softened the conditions of exile, but there was no longer any talk of marriage. Filaret tried to look for a bride for his son among foreign princesses, but everywhere he came across a refusal.

Maria Khlopova in the drawing by Nikolai Nevrev.