Russia and Poland fought among themselves for several centuries. One of these conflicts was an integral part of the Livonian War, during which the interests of several states clashed in the Baltic states.
How the Livonian war began
In 1558, the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible invaded the territory of the Livonian Order. He wanted to recapture the Baltic provinces on the territory of modern Estonia and Latvia. Previously, pagans lived here, and in the 13th century, Catholic crusaders arrived here. They founded the Livonian Order, built Riga and many other fortresses.
The Crusaders fought with the infidels, for which they received approval from the Pope. Such, in their opinion, belonged to the Orthodox, who also paid tribute to the Golden Horde. Therefore, Alexander Nevsky fought with the Livonian knights. Subsequently, the conflict became permanent and was interrupted only for the terms of armistice.
By the time Grozny began to rule, Russia was uniting around Moscow, dropped the Tatar yoke and even began a successful expansion to the east (the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan). Ivan IV believed that the weakened Livonian Order could not provide serious resistance.
The first period of the war was indeed successful for Russia. The king's governors captured Derpt, Narva and several other important cities. Everything changed when neighboring powers were drawn into the conflict. It was Sweden, the Commonwealth (political union of Poland and Lithuania), as well as Denmark (to a lesser extent). From that moment, Grozny found himself in an extremely difficult isolated position.
Depletion of warring countries
Nevertheless, over the long years of the war, he was accompanied by temporary success in the confrontation with Poland and Lithuania. So in 1564, Russian troops conquered Polotsk (the city to which Grozny also had rights as Rurikovich). However, the defeat at the Battle of Chashniki followed.
Foreign policy failures were accompanied by terror within Russia. After the mysterious death of his first wife, Ivan the Terrible became suspicious of his inner circle. Paranoia and fear of betrayal led to tyranny. While the governor was tortured in giant hot pans in Moscow, the troops suffered defeat after defeat.
Finally, in 1577, Polotsk was returned back, and the Swedes captured Narva. It was only thanks to popular heroism and perseverance that foreign intervention was stopped. Poles in 1581-1582 unsuccessfully besieged Pskov, and the Swedes failed in Oreshok. The war has been going on for 24 years, and depleted countries needed peace.
Composition of delegations
Best of all, the Yam-Zapolsky truce and the negotiation process were reflected in Antonio Posevino's memoirs. He was a Jesuit and an experienced diplomat. He represented the interests of the Catholic Church in the negotiations between Poland and Russia. In addition, he was a skilled secretary and was able to convey all the details of this complex procedure.
Negotiations began on December 13, 1581. And the place was chosen a place a few miles from the Zapolsky Pit (hence the name). It was located near the former border of Russia near the city of Pskov, which until recently had been besieged by the Polish king Stefan Batory. The Yam-Zapolsky peace was concluded in the neighborhood of a recent battle site.
None of the monarchs was present at the negotiations. Their interests were represented by numerous diplomats. From the Poles and Lithuanians came the Braslav governor Janusz Zbarazhsky, Nesvizh and Olyk Prince Albrecht Radzwill and secretary Miail Garaburda. Ivan the Terrible also did not stint on parliamentarians. They were the Kashin governor Dmitry Yeletsky, the Kozelsk governor Roman Alferyev, as well as the clerk Nikita Vereshchagin. The Yam-Zapolsky truce was concluded with the mediation of the aforementioned Jesuit Antonio Posevino.
Concessions in Livonia
Negotiations lasted about a month. Finally, on January 15, 1582, the Yam-Zapolsky truce was concluded. Its conditions were difficult for Russia, but fully consistent with unpleasant reality.
Ivan IV abandoned all the cities that he conquered in Livonia. These were dozens of fortresses of various sizes. Here is just a small list for an example: Alist, Volodimirets, Derpt, Kruzborg, Paide, Rivne, Tarvaz, Chestvin, etc. were given. Most of these names became historicisms. Now these settlements have received toponyms in national languages - Latvian and Estonian. The rest of Livonia at that time was occupied by Sweden (an agreement was signed with her a year later).
Other terms of the contract
In addition, the Yam-Zapolsky truce stipulated the fate of the cities, which at different times were captured by Ivan the Terrible on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was Velizh and Polotsk. The Russian tsar refused them (although this was only a formality, since at that time they had already been recaptured by Stefan Batory).
The Polish king agreed to return those cities that he himself had captured in Russia. These were Great Luke, Hill, Nevel and Zavolochye. The Yam-Zapolsky peace contained an article, according to which the Pskov neighborhoods occupied during the last siege were also returned.
The lands that were seized in Livonia by Sweden at the time of signing the document were excluded from the paper. Nevertheless, the Poles made a statement that they also lay claim to these territories. So a compromise Yam-Zapolsky truce was concluded. The date of its signing was displayed at the beginning of the document.
The fate of the truce
Despite this, everyone understood that this was only a respite, and hostilities did not stop for long. The Yam-Zapolsky truce with Poland was designed for a period of 10 years. In the future, it could be extended. History has shown that the treaty remained relevant until the Troubles in Russia. After Ivan the Terrible died, his son Fedor and all their heirs, the Rurik dynasty was cut short. Conflicts began between the boyar groups that claimed power.
At the same time, an impostor arrived from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, who called himself the surviving prince Dmitry - the son of Ivan the Terrible, who died a child in Uglich in 1591. The adventurer was called Grigory Otrepiev. He was a runaway monk. He was supported by the Polish king, who then himself invaded Russia, thereby violating the Yam-Zapolsky truce. He besieged Smolensk for a year, and then briefly occupied Moscow. In the end, the Russian national militia expelled the Poles, and the boyars were elected Tsar Mikhail Romanov, who became the founder of the new royal dynasty, which ruled for more than three hundred years.