Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was the son of the first Moscow ruler of the Romanov clan Mikhail Fedorovich and his wife Evdokia Lukyanovna. He ascended the throne in 1645 after the death of his father. Throughout his life, Mikhail Fedorovich managed to make 10 children (Irina, Pelageya, Alexei, Anna, Martha, Ivan, Sofia, Tatyana, Evdokia and Vasily). Despite the large clan, 9 heirs of the king died in childhood. By the time of the death of Mikhail Fedorovich, the only successor to the throne was his son Alexei.
Education and character of the ruler
The biography of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov indicates that he was born in 1629. Until the age of five, the royal "mothers" took care of him, and when he grew up, the boyar Boris Morozov took up his education . The tsar was given an excellent education: he was literate, knew several foreign languages, was versed in theology, philosophy and law. Having ascended the Moscow throne at the age of 16, the young tsar independently read all documents and petitions, drafted and signed decrees with his own hand. Education and a broad outlook allowed Alexei Mikhailovich to achieve tangible success in government.
For 31 years, the country was headed by Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676). For his love of God and gentleness, he was nicknamed the Quietest among the people. But it is difficult to call the period of the reign of the king calm. At this time, Russia was shocked by popular riots, political, economic and religious crises. The difficult situation within the state was further aggravated by the protracted war with the neighboring Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. But no matter how complicated the situation, Alexei Mikhailovich always managed to restore order and pacify the indignant people.
Salt riot
Aleksander Mikhailovich Romanov reigned very young on the Moscow throne . Domestic and foreign policy at the beginning of his reign was concentrated in the hands of boyar Morozov. Under him, taxes were increased in the country, corruption and arbitrariness increased. The last straw of patience of the indignant people was the introduction of a salt tax in 1646, which led to the rise in price of many food products. This reform especially hit the peasants and merchants. The people's discontent with Morozov’s policies and the inaction of Alexei Mikhailovich led to the Salt Riot (1848), as a result of which Kitai Gorod was burnt, the houses of the most hated boyars were destroyed. People managed to achieve their goal: Alexei Mikhailovich removed Boyar Morozov from power and sent him into exile.
Adoption of the Cathedral Code and trade charters
After the completion of the Salt Riot, it became clear that serious reforms were needed in the country. The domestic policy of Alexei Mikhailovich in this period was aimed at strengthening the nobility and restricting the rights of peasants. By 1649, the Council Code was developed and put into effect - a collection of laws regulating various spheres of state life. This document was the first to outline the division of law into branches (state, criminal, family, civil).
Alexei Mikhailovich devoted much effort to strengthening the state economy. His policy was aimed at protecting the domestic market from foreign competitors. The king supported the construction of manufactories. In 1653, the Trade was adopted, and in 1667, the Novotrade charter. These documents limited foreign trade within the country and contributed to the development of the domestic economy.
Popular uprisings
Ordinary people were not satisfied with the reforms that Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov carried out. The domestic and foreign policies pursued by the tsar led to the need for monetary reform in 1662: gold and silver coins could not cover the entire commodity circulation in the country, so it was decided to mint copper pennies. Due to the uncontrolled issue of small cents, the country began to experience strong inflation and higher prices for goods. The people, outraged by the activities of the sovereign, rose to the Copper Riot, which was brutally crushed by the tsarist troops.
The unrest associated with dissatisfaction with the policies of Alexei Mikhailovich repeatedly appeared during his reign. In the years 1670-1671, a Peasant War broke out in the country , led by Stepan Razin. Like most popular uprisings, she was strangled, and her leader was quartered.
Religious conflict
Under Alexei Mikhailovich, a conflict arose with the Russian Orthodox Church, which laid the foundation for its split. The reason for this was the attempt by Patriarch Nikon to subordinate secular authority to the spiritual. The activity of the clergyman led to the fact that in 1666 he was deprived of his rank and sent to the Ferapontov Belozersky Monastery, but this did not save the Church from further schism.
Wars with neighboring powers
The Russian state expanded significantly within its borders when Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov became king. Under him, domestic and foreign policies were closely intertwined, since he waged wars with neighboring states, and this caused a shortage of funds and the discontent of the masses. The result of a long war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the reunification of Russia with Ukraine in 1554, as well as the accession of Chernigov, Smolensk and other Russian cities to it. In the years 1556-1558, Alexei Mikhailovich fought with the Swedes for access to the Baltic Sea, however, the results of this confrontation were not so brilliant as in the south-west direction. Also during the reign of the second king from the Romanov dynasty, Russia managed to annex part of Siberia and the Far East.
During his life, Alexei Mikhailovich was twice married (the first time to Maria Miloslavskaya, the second - to Natalia Naryshkina). From two wives, 16 children were born, five of whom died in childhood. None of the Tsar’s daughters was destined to marry, and his three sons (Fedor, Ivan and Peter I) subsequently alternately headed the Russian throne. In 1676, not having lived quite a bit to 47 years old, Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov died. The Tsar’s domestic and foreign policy was continued by his sons, thanks to which the Russian state became even stronger and more powerful.