Time of Troubles in Russia

The troubled time in the history of Russia was a deep crisis that affected the foreign policy, social, economic and spiritual spheres of the country's life. Beginning at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, it coincided with the opposition of boyar groups, each of which aspired to power. Almost a catastrophe is the Time of Troubles in Russia.

The causes of the crisis were the economic devastation of the state, the growing social tension that arose as a result of the Livonian War (from 1558 to 1583) and oprichnina. The main features of this period include the intervention, imposture, anarchy. Some authors tend to consider the Time of Troubles in Russia as the first civil war.

This period was estimated by contemporaries, as the era of "shakiness", "embarrassment of the minds", which resulted in conflicts and bloody clashes.

The troubled time in Russia began with a dynastic crisis. Tsar Ivan the Terrible killed his son Ivan. The second came to power - Fedor. The third son Dmitry died. Many at that time were convinced that the latter was stabbed by the henchmen of Boris Godunov, who in effect acted as the ruler of the country. After the death of the childless Fedor, Godunov came to power. Thus, the state lost the last heir to Rurikovich.

Godunov was considered the ruler of the energetic and wise, but he could not stop the boyar intrigues.

Then followed the crop failure, which caused famine. As a result, the first social explosion arose. At the same time, Russia's weakness hastened to use the Rzeczpospolita (Polish-Lithuanian association). At the same time in Poland appeared False Dmitriy I (Grigory Otrepiev, Galich nobleman, who declared himself to be the surviving son of Ivan the Terrible).

After the sudden death of Godunov and the recognition of the ruler's son, his Fyodor, False Dmitriy I at the end of 1604 with a small army entered Russia. As a result, the impostor ruled the country for almost a year. False Dmitry I was overthrown. Vasily Shuisky was appointed the king.

Near Moscow, settling in the village of Tushino in 1608, the new False Dmitry II (his origin is unknown), besieged Moscow.

The troubled time in Russia in 1609 is characterized by a split in the country. In Muscovy there were two rulers, two Dumas, two patriarchs (in Tushino Filaret and in Moscow Germogen). Thus, two territories were formed. One recognized the power of False Dmitry II, and the second was faithful to Shuisky.

In 1610, in July, Shuisky was overthrown and tonsured violently as a monk. Temporarily, power passed to the "Semiboyar". This government signed with Sigismund III (Polish king) an agreement on the enthronement of Vladislav (son of Sigismund III).

1611 is characterized by the intensification of patriotic sentiments, the increase in calls for the restoration of the unity of the state and the cessation of strife. In the same year the First Militia was formed. However, he was not able to liberate Moscow from the power of the "Semiboyarschina". The first militia disintegrated. In Pskov was at the same time proclaimed king of False Dmitry III.

By the autumn the Second militia was formed on the initiative of Minin and Pozharsky. As a result of the campaign against Moscow in 1612 (October 26), the capital was liberated. In 1613 the Zemsky Sobor was elected the ruler of the sixteen-year-old Mikhail Romanov. In addition, Patriarch Filaret (Mikhail's father) returned from captivity to Russia.

In 1617, the Stolbov Peace Treaty was signed, as a result of which Sweden received the shore of the Gulf of Finland and the fortress of Korela. The following year, a truce was concluded with Poland, as a result of which Russia gave her Chernigov, Smolensk and some other cities.

Despite significant territorial losses, the difficult and long crisis ended. However, the consequences that caused the Time of Troubles in Russia had an impact for the next decade.