12 years in Russia Troubles. 12 years after the death of Ivan the Terrible, Russia shakes, as if in a fever. 12 years there is no permanent ruler, no government. There is famine in the country, crop failures. Countless impostors appear and just want to take hold of the empty throne. For a hundred years, the Crimean Tatars did not attack, but they seize the moment and reach Moscow and rob everything along the way. Both Swedes and Poles come to claim the throne. Gangs of robbers are rampaging along roads and forests. In such an environment, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky gathered to save the country.
Tsar Boris
After the death of Ivan IV, his sickly son Fedor Ivanovich, married to Irina Godunova, was on the throne for some time. A “guardian council” consisting of boyars works under him. But its members quickly quarrel among themselves. As a result, the goddess’s brother, Boris Godunov, is gaining great strength. He is a man of state mind, but unlucky.
On his advice, Fedor frees the nobles from paying duties, strengthens the status of the highest ranks of the church and, finally, improves the position of merchants and craftsmen by building new cities. Tsar Fedor, dying, has no children, and his younger brother Dmitry, under mysterious circumstances, dies in Uglich. No more dynasty of Rurikovich. Zemsky Cathedral elects Boris Godunov as king. A chain of accidents and patterns did not allow the founding of a dynasty to the new king. The set of events that occurred after this caused the feat of Minin and Pozharsky. Three years in Russia, natural disasters and famine: rains flood crops, early frosts beat the crop. Rumor has it that the new king is not pleasing to God. Many peasants flee south, retaining hatred of their former masters. The old Moscow nobility, envious of Godunov, in every possible way interferes with his actions, and, finally, neighbors - Poles and Swedes, revived, seeing the country's weakness. They actively interfere in its affairs, sending troops to Russia. This subsequently will determine the feat of Minin and Pozharsky as saviors of the Fatherland.
Who is the first contender for the throne?
An adventurer who has arrogated to himself the name of Tsarevich Dmitry, who died in Uglich. Having made a promise to the Polish king Sigismund III to convert Orthodox Russia into Catholicism, the impostor Dmitry I invaded with Russian troops.
He did not skimp on promises to give away Russian cities and lands to those who gave him money for the militia, and therefore gathered a significant army. Moreover, luck was with him. Suddenly, Tsar Boris, who was preparing a replacement, died. But the young Tsarevich Fedor Borisovich was weak and, as circumstances show, could not hold the throne. The minions of False Dmitry I, who entered Moscow, will simply kill him.
And False Dmitry himself was afraid of Russian boyars. Tsar Boris is no more, and he is superfluous.
The boyars themselves need power. Strengthening his position, he marries the Catholic Marina Mnishek, counting on the help of her father-governor. Orthodox Tsar and Catholic - that's too much. This is the last straw, followed by the indignation of Muscovites. Subsequently, this will cause the feat of Minin and Pozharsky.
Vasily Shuisky
Of the oldest family, listed in velvet books, he became a boyar king while Polish troops went to Moscow to save False Dmitry I. Supporters of Shuisky killed a Polish protege in the Kremlin chambers, buried, but did not calm down, unearthed the body and burned it. Vasily Shuisky was elected king. But calmer in Russia did not. Caressed by the impostor, the south and southwest did not swear allegiance to the new king. Moreover, there were rumors spread by Yuri Mnishek that Dmitry was alive and the king’s double was killed. He ordered that a new Dmitry appear in Sambir, who will then be called both the second and the “Tushino thief.” A large army was sent from Moscow to crush the southern uprising. But more and more detachments joined the rebels, and the tsarist army was defeated. The main task was to capture Moscow. Muscovites, realizing what kind of blood it threatens them, united around Shuisky. A very precarious balance of power has arrived. The rebels, who were defeated both near Kaluga and near Tula, very much hoped for the appearance of the miraculously saved "Tsar Dmitry Ivanovich." And if Minin and Pozharsky, the saviors of the Fatherland had not appeared later, it is not known how this bloody story would end. In the meantime, False Dmitry II began a campaign against Moscow. Bryansk, Karachev, Kozelsk - everything was in his power. He set up a camp in Tushino, near Moscow.
Her siege began. Muscovites began to starve. The people believed in the resurrected "good king", and the cities of Vladimir,
Yaroslavl, Vologda, Pskov joined it. Marina Mnishek immediately recognized the new Dmitry as her husband.
However, a young relative of the tsar, a very gifted commander, with a miserable detachment of 3,000 people won the victory over the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian troops. The Polish king Sigismund himself was approaching Moscow, who intended to set his son on the Moscow throne. Not a country, but a bloody bathhouse, and if not for Minin and Pozharsky, the saviors of the Fatherland, then the Russian people would have suffered for a long time.
They would completely stop cultivating the land, trade, and lead a quiet peaceful life.
Conspiracy against Shuisky
The young winner was poisoned, and Shuiskys began to lose. The king was overthrown and forcibly tonsured as monks. Power seized the Boyar Duma. They went on a betrayal - they sent the Polish troops to Moscow and agreed that the Catholic would be the king of the Orthodox. At this time, False Dmitry II fled to Kaluga, where he was killed. The inhabitants of Moscow did not want to see foreigners at home and wanted the Orthodox Tsar. The Poles, saving the situation, set fire to Moscow. The rebellion against them was suspended.
Continuation of Russian losses
The Poles took the besieged Smolensk, the Swedes took the Novgorod lands and announced that the Swedish prince would be on the throne in Novgorod. In such conditions, in Nizhny Novgorod, the Zemsky elder Kuzma Minin (1568-1616) announces a fundraising for the militia. But merchants refuse him. Minin gathered the wives and children of the merchants in the yards and invited the merchants to redeem their households.
With such cunning, money is raised for the militia. There was also an experienced governor - Prince Pozharsky (1578-1641).
Militia actions
In Yaroslavl, the militias stayed for several months, preparing forces for a campaign against Moscow. The militia of Minin and Pozharsky was in jeopardy. During this time, a killer was sent to Prince Pozharsky. Only by chance did the prince survived. Militia is waiting for Moscow. Minin and Pozharsky are fighting with the Poles on the streets, knocking them out of the Kremlin and Kitai Gorod. As a result, after stubborn battles and a siege, the Poles in Moscow surrendered.
But King
Sigismund III hurries to Moscow and demands a throne for his son. Several battles, and the king failed and set off for Poland. There remained a large rebel detachment of the ataman Zarutsky, who became the third husband of Marina Mnishek, who retreated under Astrakhan, and then he was defeated on the Yaik River and executed.
National heroes
If it were not for the feat of Minin and Pozharsky, who, in short, saved the Russian land from enemies, it is not known how long the bloodshed would have lasted, and how the political situation would have been, which was extremely acute and tense, with large territorial losses: Zaporozhye, Smolensk, Chernihiv, part of Karelia, access to the Gulf of Finland. The economic life of the country also fell into decay. It is not known how many times intriguers of all stripes would like to seize the Russian lands, and turn the Russians themselves into submissive slaves. Prince Pozharsky gathered representatives to select a new king, and after much debate, young Mikhail Romanov ascended the throne. Kuzma Minin was proclaimed the Duma nobleman. Prince Pozharsky from the stolniks was erected in the boyar. So the troubles ended.