Among the literary monuments devoted to the events of the Time of Troubles, the so-called "Temporary" occupies a special place - the composition of the Duma clerk (high-ranking civil servant) Ivan Timofeev, who became their witness and chronicler. The biographical data concerning this person are so scarce that even the limits of his life — the second half of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century — are indicated with a great deal of conventionality. Nevertheless, the role of this person in covering the events of that era is truly priceless.
What is known about the life of the author of "Temporary"?
From the fragmentary information that has come down to us, we can conclude that clerk Ivan Timofeev, who was a high-ranking civil servant and one of those close to the tsar, enjoyed universal respect not only because of his social status, but also because of his comprehensive education. Numerous contemporaries noted, in particular, that he was not only a passionate reader of previously written books, but a very skilled compiler of his own works. Some information has also been preserved regarding his direct participation in the events of the Time of Troubles.
So, his signatures are found among documents relating to the reign of Boris Godunov (election certificate of 1598) and False Dmitry I, dated 1605. From the preserved archival documents it is also known that the future author of the Temporary Book, Ivan Timofeev, departed from Moscow to Novgorod in 1607 by order of Tsar Vasily Shuisky, where he witnessed the occupation of the city by the Swedes. In subsequent years, he happened to serve in Yaroslavl, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod and a number of other places.
Events that prompted Ivan Timofeev to literary activity
What were the motivating factors that made during the years of the Time of Troubles take up the pen of a government official already burdened with many official duties? This is eloquently testified by his own notes, in which he expresses his shock at the picture of destruction that appeared before him in Novgorod occupied by the Swedes. The drop that overflowed his patience was the news of the devastation and humiliation of Moscow, received by him shortly after arriving in Novgorod.
Trying to understand the causes of the Time of Troubles in Russia and trying to find a way out of this situation, the tsarist official began to create his own composition. Over the following years, five independent parts came out from under his pen, preserved not in the original, but in a single copy made by scribes several decades later. As a starting point for writing this historical work, called “The Temporary”, Ivan Timofeev used the notes compiled by him while he was in the capital. The exact date of the end of the literary work is not known.
The structure of an essay reflecting the realities of its time
This work, written in Novgorod, unique in form and content, was built in such a way that each of the five parts included in it was dedicated to the life and work of a certain historical person, well known to the author. His first heroes were Tsar Ivan the Terrible and his son who replaced him on the throne - Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. After them, the author goes on to describe the rulers of the Time of Troubles: Boris Godunov, False Dmitry I and Vasily Shuisky.
The whole essay concludes with another chapter, which is a summary of all the previous ones. It is known as the “Chronicler in Brief,” and, without pointing directly to the causes of the Time of Troubles in Russia, it makes the reader think about the role of each of the politicians described above in the disaster that erupted.
Characteristic features of the literary style of the work
In his work, the author resorts to a very ornate language and a somewhat complicated form of presentation. Filled with expressions characteristic of ancient Russian chronicles, the text of the Temporary Book of Ivan Timofeev is extremely difficult for perception. At the same time, the compiler’s undoubted merit is the description of only those events that he witnessed, and in cases where this was done with the words of others - an indication of a specific source of information.
An analysis of the structure of the Temporary Book by I. Timofeev and a number of its literary features allows researchers to argue that this work can hardly be attributed to the genre of a historical story. A similar conclusion follows from the absence in it of a consistent transmission of events of that period. To a much greater extent, the author is interested in the characteristics of bright personalities who played key roles during the Time of Troubles.
Under the patronage of a formidable tyrant
The first historical person whose portrait the author created on the pages of his work was Tsar Ivan the Terrible, during the reign of which Ivan Timofeev was born, grew up, and took a place among government officials of the highest rank. Undoubtedly, he belonged to that part of Russian society, whose representatives not only did not undergo any tangible oppression during the reign of this, one of the bloodiest, rulers of Russia, but also managed to make a successful career at his court.
Heir to Rurik and Emperor Augustus
Apparently, this explains the fact that from the very beginning of his narrative, the duma clerk characterizes the cruel tyrant, who shed a sea of ​​blood of his subjects, as an “all-terrible”, but at the same time “great” sovereign. For him, as for most people of that old era, his origin plays a key role in assessing the ruler. In this regard, Ivan the Terrible for the author of "Temporary" seems to be a complete ideal, which is a descendant of not only the founder of the Russian state - Prince Rurik, but even the Roman Tsar Tsar Augustus. So in any case, Timofeev writes about him, stipulating the complete legitimacy of his reign and giving him the right to arbitrarily dispose of the lives of hundreds of thousands of subjects.
The only true guardian of the Orthodox faith
As a special merit of Ivan the Terrible, the author notes his extreme religiosity, in which he drew strength for his "difficult" state activities. Such a statement is perplexing, since it is very difficult to correlate the extreme cruelty shown by him with the principles of humanism, which are the basis of Christian teaching.
At the same time, one cannot but agree with the assessment of Ivan the Terrible as an outstanding commander. However, in this case as well, the clerk, in his laudatory odes, transcends all conceivable boundaries, drawing a parallel between the military successes of his idol and the conquests of Alexander the Great. In support of his words, he cites the reaction of foreign (in his words - “pagan”) rulers to the death of Ivan the Terrible, in which they allegedly saw deliverance from the military danger looming over them.
It is very curious that the author of The Temporary Book considers Russia in his work as an Orthodox power, living surrounded by enemies, which are heretical Latins and all sorts of pagans. The fatherland for him is the only center of true faith in the world, and therefore he sees the death of the sovereign, first of all, as the tragedy of Orthodoxy.
Master of Subtle Psychological Analysis
Showing the remarkable talent of a psychologist, the author not only gives facts depicting the variability of human nature, but also gives them a comprehensive explanation. Against the background of the most important historical processes, Ivan Timofeev discusses issues related to the mixing of good and evil principles in people, which ultimately determine the nature of each individual person.
Among other historical figures who influenced the fate of Russia during the Time of Troubles, the author emphasizes Boris Godunov and in his narrative assigns him much more space than other characters. Paying tribute to his merits, the main ones being mind, piety, energy and the ability to attract people, Ivan Timofeev at the same time condemns him for his unbridled pride, combined with treachery and cruelty in him. Going deeper into the psychological analysis of his hero, the author tries to figure out how one person can combine such conflicting features. In a similar way, he approached the creation of characteristics of other political figures of his era.
New type ruler
What was the exclusivity of this man about which the author of the Temporary Book Ivan Timofeev wrote in such detail? The year of Boris Godunov’s calling for the kingdom became, in his opinion, a turning point in Russian history, not only because the Rurikovich dynasty was cut short, and for the first time in many centuries, an elected person appeared on the throne, but mainly because of a radical change in the very nature of government aimed at rapprochement with West. Russia had never before seen such a number of foreign specialists discharged by the sovereign from abroad and who had a beneficial effect on the development of various areas of social and economic life.
The lad on the fortress wall
At the same time, speaking about the contents of Ivan Timofeev’s Temporary Book, one cannot ignore a whole series of very remarkable scenes illustrating Godunov’s pretense and hypocrisy. Having mentioned that after the death of the last Rurikovich, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich (the son of Ivan the Terrible), Boris did his best to ascend the throne, the author brings to his descendants a fact testifying to which tricks he resorted to maximize his power legitimacy. For example, he cites the following episode.
In order to influence his own sister Irina, who was the widow of the deceased sovereign, and to force her to refuse in his favor the reign proposed by the Zemsky Sobor, he resorts to a very dubious reception. Diak Timofeev writes that he himself witnessed how, upon Godunov’s order, a specially trained lad was planted on the fortress wall near the widow’s window, who, without ceasing, “almost in the ears of the empress” shouted for her to ask for her brother to be enthroned. This went on for several days, and in the end, the desired result was achieved. On September 11, 1598, Godunov was married to the kingdom, having all legal grounds for it.
Memoirs of a statesman
Ivan Timofeev’s “temporary book” can be justifiably regarded as a collection of memoirs of a person who held a high state post at one of the turning points in Russian history. Due to his social status, he not only saw and knew a lot, but also enjoyed access to the most important government documents, from which he drew information for his work.
Being at the same time an inquisitive and observant person, the author of Vremyanik noticed, and then with amazing vividness he conveyed on paper the details of the scenes he saw, which incorporated the characteristic features of that era. Thanks to his talent, modern researchers are able to visually imagine the events that took place four centuries ago.