Time of Troubles. End of Troubles

The Time of Troubles in Russia is a historical period that shook the state structure at its very foundations. He fell at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries.

Three periods of trouble

The first period is called dynastic - at this stage, the pretenders fought for the Moscow throne until Vasily Shuisky ascended it, although his reign is also included in this historical era. The second period is social, when various social classes fought among themselves, and this struggle was used in their own interests by foreign governments. And the third - national - it continued until Mikhail Romanov ascended the Russian throne, and is closely connected with the struggle against foreign invaders. All these stages greatly influenced the further history of the state.

Board of Boris Godunov

In fact, this boyar began to rule Russia as early as 1584, when the son of Ivan the Terrible Fedor, who was completely incapable of state affairs, ascended the throne. But legally he was elected tsar only in 1598 after the death of Fyodor. He was appointed by the Zemsky Sobor.

Rice. 1. Boris Godunov.

Despite the fact that Godunov, who took the kingdom in a difficult period of social disaster and the difficult position of Russia in the international arena, was a good statesman, he did not inherit the throne, which made his rights to the throne doubtful.

The new king began and consistently continued the course of reforms aimed at improving the country's economy: merchants were exempted from paying taxes for two years, landowners - for a year. But this did not make the internal affairs of Russia easier - crop failure and famine of 1601-1603. caused mass mortality and an increase in the price of bread of unprecedented sizes. And the people blamed Godunov for everything. With the appearance in Poland of the “legitimate” heir to the throne, who allegedly was Tsarevich Dmitry, the situation became even more complicated.

The first period of turmoil

In fact, the beginning of the Time of Troubles in Russia was marked by the fact that False Dmitry penetrated into Russia with a small detachment, which was increasing against the backdrop of peasant riots. Quite quickly, the “prince” attracted the common people to his side, and after the death of Boris Godunov (1605), he was recognized by the boyars. Already on June 20, 1605, he entered Moscow and was placed in the kingdom, but he could not hold the throne. On May 17, 1606, False Dmitry was killed, and Vasily Shuisky sat on the throne. The power of this sovereign was formally limited by the Council, but the situation in the country did not improve.

The second period of turmoil

It is characterized by the performances of different social strata, but above all - the peasants led by Ivan Bolotnikov. His army advanced quite successfully across the country, but on June 30, 1606 they were defeated, and soon Bolotnikov himself was executed. The wave of uprisings subsided somewhat, thanks in part to the efforts of Vasily Shuisky to stabilize the situation. But in general, his efforts did not bring results - soon a second Ldezhmitry appeared, who received the nickname "Tush thief". He spoke out against Shuisky in January 1608, and already in July 1609, the boyars, who served both Shuisky and False Dmitry, swore allegiance to the Polish prince Vladislav and forcibly tonsured their sovereign as a monk. On June 20, 1609, the Poles entered Moscow. In December 1610, False Dmitry was killed, and the struggle for the throne continued.

Third Period of Troubles

The death of False Dmitry was a turning point - the Poles no longer had an actual pretext to be on the territory of Russia. They become interventionists, for the fight against which the first and second militia are assembled.

The first militia, which went to Moscow in April 1611, did not achieve much success, as it was disunited. But the second, created on the initiative of Kuzma Minin and headed by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, was successful. These heroes liberated Moscow - it happened on October 26, 1612, when the Polish garrison capitulated. The actions of the people are the answer to the question why Russia survived the Time of Troubles.

Rice. 3. Minin and Pozharsky.

It was necessary to look for a new king, whose candidacy would suit all sectors of society. They became Mikhail Romanov - on February 21, 1613 he was elected by the Zemsky Sobor. The troubled times are over.

Chronology of the Troubles

The following table gives an idea of what major events took place during the period of unrest. They are arranged chronologically by date.

What have we learned?

From the article on history for grade 10, we briefly learned about the Time of Troubles, examined the most important thing - what events took place during this period and what historical figures influenced the course of history. We learned that in the 17th century, the Time of Troubles ended with the ascension to the throne of the compromise Tsar Mikhail Romanov.

Topic quiz

Report Evaluation

Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 810.

The beginning of the 17th century was marked by a series of difficult trials for Russia.

How did the turmoil start?

After Tsar Ivan the Terrible died in 1584, his son Fyodor Ivanovich, who was very weak and sickly, inherited the throne. Due to his state of health, he ruled for a short time - from 1584 to 1598. Fedor Ivanovich died early, leaving no heirs. The younger son of Ivan the Terrible was allegedly stabbed to death by minions of Boris Godunov. There were many who wanted to take the reins of government into their own hands. As a result, a struggle for power within the country unfolded. A similar situation served as an impetus for the development of such a phenomenon as the Time of Troubles. The reasons and the beginning of this period were interpreted differently at different times. Despite this, it is possible to single out the main events and aspects that influenced the development of these events.

Main reasons

Of course, first of all, this is the interruption of the Rurik dynasty. From this moment on, the central power, which has passed into the hands of third parties, loses its authority in the eyes of the people. The constant increase in taxes also served as a catalyst for the discontent of the townspeople and peasants. For such a protracted phenomenon as the Time of Troubles, the reasons have been accumulating for more than one year. This includes the consequences of the oprichnina, the economic devastation after the Livonian War. The last straw was the sharp deterioration in living conditions associated with the drought of 1601-1603. The Time of Troubles became for external forces the most successful moment for the liquidation of the state independence of Russia.

Background from the point of view of historians

Not only the weakening of the monarchy regime contributed to the emergence of such a phenomenon as the Time of Troubles. The reasons for it are connected with the interweaving of aspirations and actions of various political forces and social masses, which were complicated by the intervention of external forces. Due to the fact that at the same time many unfavorable factors were formed, the country plunged into a deep crisis.

For the occurrence of such a phenomenon as Troubles, the reasons can be identified as follows:

1. The crisis of the economy, which falls at the end of the XVI century. It was caused by the decline of peasants in the cities, the increase in tax and feudal oppression. The famine of 1601-1603 aggravated the situation, as a result of which about half a million people died.

2. The crisis of the dynasty. After the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the struggle of various boyar clans for the right to stand in power intensified. During this period, Boris Godunov (from 1598 to 1605), Fyodor Godunov (April 1605 - June 1605), False Dmitry I (from June 1605 to May 1606), Vasily Shuisky (from 1606 to 1610), False Dmitry II (from 1607 to 1610) and the Seven Boyars (from 1610 to 1611).

3. Spiritual crisis. The desire of the Catholic religion to impose its will ended in a split in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Internal turmoil laid the foundation for peasant wars and urban uprisings.

Godunov's board

The difficult struggle for power between representatives of the highest nobility ended in the victory of Boris Godunov, the tsar's brother-in-law. This was the first time in Russian history when the throne was not inherited, but as a result of victory in elections in the Zemsky Sobor. In general, over the seven years of his reign, Godunov managed to resolve disputes and disagreements with Poland and Sweden, and also established cultural and economic relations with the countries of Western Europe.

His domestic policy also brought results in the form of Russia's advance into Siberia. However, soon the situation in the country worsened. This was caused by crop failures in the period from 1601 to 1603.

Godunov took all possible measures to alleviate such a difficult situation. He organized public works, gave permission to the serfs to leave their masters, organized the distribution of bread to the starving. Despite this, as a result of the abolition in 1603 of the law on the temporary restoration of St. George's Day, an uprising of serfs broke out, which marked the beginning of the peasant war.

Exacerbation of the internal situation

The most dangerous stage of the Peasant War was the uprising led by Ivan Bolotnikov. The war spread to the southwest and south of Russia. The rebels defeated the troops of the new tsar - Vasily Shuisky - proceeding to the siege of Moscow in October-December 1606. They stopped their internal disagreements, as a result of which the rebels were forced to retreat to Kaluga.

The Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century was the right moment for the attack on Moscow for the Polish princes. The reasons for the intervention attempts lay in the impressive support provided to the princes False Dmitry I and False Dmitry II, who were subordinate to foreign accomplices in everything. The ruling circles of the Commonwealth and the Catholic Church made attempts to dismember Russia and eliminate its state independence.

The next stage in the split of the country was the formation of territories that recognized the power of False Dmitry II, and those that remained faithful to Vasily Shuisky.

According to some historians, the main reasons for such a phenomenon as the Time of Troubles lay in lack of rights, imposture, internal split of the country and intervention. This time was the first civil war in Russian history. Before the Time of Troubles appeared in Russia, its causes were formed for more than one year. The prerequisites were associated with the oprichnina and the consequences of the Livonian War. The country's economy was already ruined by that time, and tension was growing in the social strata.

Final stage

Beginning in 1611, there was an increase in patriotic sentiment, accompanied by calls for an end to strife and greater unity. The militia was organized. However, only on the second attempt under the leadership of K. Minin and K. Pozharsky in the fall of 1611, Moscow was liberated. 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov was elected the new tsar.

The Troubles brought colossal territorial losses in the 17th century. The reasons for it were mainly in the weakening of the authority of the centralized government in the eyes of the people, the formation of the opposition. Despite this, having gone through years of losses and hardships, internal disunity and civil strife under the leadership of False Dmitry impostors and adventurers, nobles, townspeople and peasants came to the conclusion that strength can only be in unity. The consequences of the Time of Troubles influenced the country for a long time. Only a century later they were finally eliminated.

The Time of Troubles in the history of Russia is a difficult period in the history of the country. It lasted from 1598 to 1613. The country at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries suffered a severe socio-economic and political crisis. The Tatar invasion, the Livonian war, and the domestic policy of Ivan the Terrible (oprichnina) led to the maximum intensification of negative trends and an increase in discontent among the country's population. These most difficult historical circumstances became the causes of the Time of Troubles in Rus'. Historians identify separate, most significant periods of the Time of Troubles.

The first period, the beginning of the Troubles, was marked by a fierce struggle for the throne of many applicants. The son of Ivan the Terrible Fedor, who inherited power, turned out to be a weak ruler. In fact, Boris Godunov, the brother of the tsar's wife, received power. It was his policy that eventually led to the discontent of the people.

The Time of Troubles began with the appearance in Poland of Grigory Otrepyev, who declared himself False Dmitry, miraculously escaped the son of Ivan the Terrible. Not without the support of the Poles, False Dmitry was recognized as a rather large part of the country's population. Moreover, in 1605 the impostor was supported by Moscow and the governors of Rus'. In June of the same year, False Dmitry was recognized as king. But, his support for serfdom caused violent dissatisfaction among the peasants, and too independent policy led to the obvious displeasure of the boyars. As a result, False Dmitry 1 was killed on May 17, 1606. And V.I. Shuisky ascended the throne. However, his power was limited. Thus ended this stage of unrest, which lasted from 1605 to 1606.

The second period of unrest began with an uprising led by Bolotnikov I.I. The militia was made up of people from all walks of life. Participation in the uprising was taken not only by peasants, but also by serving Cossacks, serfs, landowners, townspeople. But, in the battle near Moscow, the rebels were defeated, and Bolotnikov was captured and executed.

The outrage of the people only intensified. The appearance of False Dmitry 2 was not long in coming. Already in January 1608, the army assembled by him moved towards Moscow. He settled on the outskirts of the city in Tushino. Thus, two operating capitals were formed in the country. At the same time, almost all officials and boyars worked for both tsars, often receiving money from both Shuisky and False Dmitry 2. After Shuisky managed to conclude an agreement on assistance, the Commonwealth began aggression. False Dmitry had to flee to Kaluga.

But Shuisky did not manage to retain power for a long time. He was seized and forced to take the veil as a monk. An interregnum began in the country - a period called the Seven Boyars. As a result of the deal between the boyars who came to power and the Polish interventionists, on August 17, 1610, Moscow swore allegiance to the King of Poland, Vladislav. False Dmitry 2 was killed at the end of this year. The struggle for power continued. The second period lasted from 1606 to 1610.

The final, third period of the Time of Troubles is the time of the struggle against the interventionists. The people of Russia were finally able to unite to fight the invaders - the Poles. During this period, the war acquired the character of a national one. The militia of Minin and Pozharsky reached Moscow only in August 1612. They were able to liberate Moscow and expel the Poles. Here are all the stages of the Time of Troubles.

The end of the Time of Troubles was marked by the appearance on the Russian throne of a new dynasty - the Romanovs. At the Zemsky Sobor on February 21, 1613, Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar.

Years of unrest led to horrific results. The consequences of the Troubles are the complete decline of crafts and trade, the almost complete ruin of the treasury. Also, the results of the Time of Troubles were expressed in a serious lag of the country from the states of Europe. It took more than a dozen years to restore.

A difficult period in the history of our country began after the death of the last reigning Rurikovich - Tsar Fedor Ioannovich. The people could not imagine existence without a legitimate king, and the boyars rushed to power, trampling on the interests of the state. The reasons for the Time of Troubles (as it is customary to call it) lie in a deep political crisis caused by the struggle between the contenders for the royal throne. The situation was aggravated by a terrible crop failure and famine. Against the backdrop of a deep internal crisis, Russia became the object of foreign intervention.

Causes of the Time of Troubles and its three stages

The Time of Troubles can be divided into three stages, each of which is due to the causes that gave rise to it.

The first is dynastic. It is a struggle between contenders for the throne.
The second is called social. This is a confrontation between various social classes of an economically weakened country. It led to the invasion of foreigners.
And the third stage is national. It implies the struggle of the people against the invaders.

The end of the Time of Troubles is considered to be the accession to the throne of the young Tsar Mikhail Romanov. Let's dwell on each stage in more detail.

Beginning of the dynastic period

The reasons for the beginning of the Time of Troubles appeared when Boris Godunov, elected by the Zemsky Sobor, ascended the Russian throne. A smart, far-sighted and energetic ruler, he did a lot to strengthen the country and raise the standard of living of Russians. But the terrible crop failure of 1601-1603 was a disaster that brought down the country's economy. Hundreds of thousands died of hunger. Political opponents blamed Godunov for everything. Not having the authority of a hereditary tsar, and being only elected, the ruler lost the respect and support of both the masses and the boyars.

The appearance of False Dmitry

The situation was aggravated by claims to the throne by the impostor False Dmitry. The real heir to the throne, Tsarevich Dmitry, died under unclear circumstances in Uglich. Godunov was unsubstantiatedly accused of his death, thereby finally undermining the foundations of his rule. Taking advantage of the circumstances, False Dmitry with detachments of Poles invaded the territory of Russia, and was even proclaimed king. But he reigned only a year, and in 1606 he was killed. The boyar Vasily Shuisky ascended the throne. This did not bring any tangible normalization of the situation in the country.

social period

The reasons for the Time of Troubles in Russia also included an economic component. It was she who was the reason for the involvement in the struggle of the broadest public masses, including the nobility, clerks and Cossacks. A particularly sharp character of the events was given by mass popular uprisings, which were called peasant wars. The most large-scale among them was the uprising, which was led by Bolotnikov. Having stirred up the entire central part of the country, it choked and was suppressed.

However, this did not stabilize the situation in the country. The rigid serf policy of Shuisky aroused the discontent of the peasants. The upper strata of society accused him of being unable to govern the state. To top it off, another impostor suddenly appeared, claiming the role of tsar, False Dmitry II. The country finally plunged into chaos, called the Time of Troubles. The causes, stages, consequences and driving forces of this historical process have become the subject of many scientific studies, which have shown that Poland's aggressive policy played an important role in the current situation.

Invasion of the interventionists

Under the pretext of protecting the legitimate heir to the throne, which meant False Dmitry II, his troops invaded the territory of Russia. Having made another mistake, Shuisky turned to the Swedish king for help in the fight against the impostor. As a result, in addition to the Polish interventionists, Swedish ones also appeared on Russian soil.

Soon, False Dmitry II, betrayed by the Poles, ended his days on the gallows, but the political causes of the Time of Troubles never found their solution. Shuisky was forcibly tonsured a monk by the boyars, and they themselves swore allegiance to the Polish prince Vladislav. It was a shameful act. The Swedes came close to Novgorod and prepared for the assault. Having betrayed its people, the Duma formed a body to govern the country, which was called the "seven boyars" by the number of its members. In essence, it was a government of traitors.

National period

But the Time of Troubles revealed not only the negative aspects of Russian life. The causes, stages, consequences, as well as the further course of the country's historical development were largely determined by the depth of people's self-consciousness. The people wanted only a legitimate ruler, this largely determined the features of the dynastic struggle of the first period of unrest.

The confrontation with economic and political chaos resulted in peasant wars. And, finally, a wave of patriotism raised the people to fight against the interventionists. Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky became the leaders of the national liberation movement. In October 1612, the thousands of militia led by them forced the Polish garrison in Moscow to capitulate.

In January of the following year, Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar. This marked the beginning of a three-hundred-year dynasty. For a long time, the country experienced the difficult consequences of dashing years, but nevertheless this event is considered to be the end of the historical period, referred to as the Time of Troubles, the causes, consequences and significance of which still require in-depth scientific analysis.

Causes of unrest

Ivan the Terrible had 3 sons. He killed the eldest in a fit of rage, the youngest was only two years old, the middle one, Fedor, was 27. After the death of Ivan IV, it was Fedor who was supposed to rule. But Fedor had a very mild character, he did not fit the role of king. Therefore, Ivan the Terrible, during his lifetime, created a regency council under Fedor, which included I. Shuisky, Boris Godunov and several other boyars.

Ivan IV died in 1584. Fedor Ivanovich officially began to rule, in fact - Godunov. In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, died. There are many versions of this event: one says that the boy himself ran into a knife, the other says that it was on the orders of Godunov that the heir was killed. A few more years later, in 1598, Fedor also died, leaving no children behind.

So, the first cause of unrest is a dynastic crisis. The last member of the Rurik dynasty died.

The second reason is class contradictions. The boyars aspired to power, the peasants were dissatisfied with their position (they were forbidden to move to other estates, they were tied to the land).

The third reason is economic devastation. The country's economy was not in order. In addition, every now and then in Russia there was a crop failure. The peasants blamed the ruler for everything and periodically staged uprisings, supported the False Dmitrys.

All this prevented the establishment of any one new dynasty and worsened an already terrible situation.

Events of Troubles

After the death of Fyodor, Boris Godunov (1598-1605) was elected tsar at the Zemsky Sobor.

He led a fairly successful foreign policy: he continued the development of Siberia and the southern lands, strengthened his position in the Caucasus. In 1595, after a short war with Sweden, the Treaty of Tyavzin was signed, in which it was said that the cities lost to Sweden in the Livonian War were returned to Russia.

In 1589, a patriarchate was established in Russia. This was a great event, because thanks to this, the authority of the Russian church increased. Job became the first patriarch.

But, despite the successful policy of Godunov, the country was in a difficult situation. Then Boris Godunov worsened the position of the peasants, giving the nobles some benefits in relation to them. The peasants, on the other hand, had a bad opinion of Boris (not only was he not from the Rurik dynasty, he also encroaches on their freedom, the peasants thought that it was under Godunov that they were enslaved).

The situation was aggravated by the fact that for several years in a row there was a crop failure in the country. The peasants blamed Godunov for everything. The king tried to improve the situation by distributing bread from the royal barns, but this did not help the cause. In 1603-1604 there was an uprising of Cotton in Moscow (the leader of the uprising was Khlopok Kosolap). The uprising was crushed, the instigator was executed.

Soon, Boris Godunov had a new problem - there were rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry survived, that not the heir himself was killed, but his copy. In fact, it was an impostor (monk Grigory, in life Yuri Otrepyev). But since no one knew this, people followed him.

A little about False Dmitry I. Having enlisted the support of Poland (and its soldiers) and promising the Polish tsar to convert Russia to Catholicism and give Poland some lands, he moved to Russia. His goal was Moscow, and along the way his ranks increased. In 1605, Godunov died unexpectedly, Boris's wife and his son were imprisoned upon the arrival of False Dmitry in Moscow.

In 1605-1606 False Dmitry I ruled the country. He remembered his obligations to Poland, but was in no hurry to fulfill them. He married a Polish woman, Maria Mnishek, increased taxes. All this caused discontent among the people. In 1606, they rebelled against False Dmitry (the leader of the uprising, Vasily Shuisky), and killed the impostor.

After that, Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610) became king. He promised the boyars not to touch their estates, and also hastened to protect himself from a new impostor: he showed the remains of Tsarevich Dmitry to the people in order to stop rumors about the surviving prince.

The peasants revolted again. This time it was called the Bolotnikov uprising (1606-1607) after the name of the leader. Bolotnikov was appointed tsar's governor on behalf of the new impostor False Dmitry II. Dissatisfied with Shuisky joined the uprising.

At first, luck was on the side of the rebels - Bolotnikov and his army captured several cities (Tula, Kaluga, Serpukhov). But when the rebels approached Moscow, the nobles (who were also part of the uprising) betrayed Bolotnikov, which led to the defeat of the army. The rebels retreated first to Kaluga, then to Tula. The tsarist army besieged Tula, after a long siege the rebels were finally defeated, Bolotnikov was blinded and soon killed.

During the siege of Tula, False Dmitry II appeared. At first he went with the Polish detachment to Tula, but after learning that the city had fallen, he went to Moscow. On the way to the capital, people joined False Dmitry II. But Moscow, like Bolotnikov, they could not take, but stopped 17 km from Moscow in the village of Tushino (for which False Dmitry II was called the Tushino thief).

Vasily Shuisky called for help in the fight against the Poles and False Dmitry II of the Swedes. Poland declared war on Russia, False Dmitry II became unnecessary for the Poles, as they switched to open intervention.

Sweden helped Russia a little in the fight against Poland, but since the Swedes themselves were interested in conquering Russian lands, they got out of Russian control at the first opportunity (failures of the troops led by Dmitry Shuisky).

In 1610, the boyars overthrew Vasily Shuisky. A boyar government was formed - the Seven Boyars. Soon in the same year, the Seven Boyars called the son of the Polish king, Vladislav, to the Russian throne. Moscow swore allegiance to the prince. It was a betrayal of national interests.

The people were outraged. In 1611, the first militia was convened, led by Lyapunov. However, it was not successful. In 1612, Minin and Pozharsky gathered a second militia and moved to Moscow, where they joined up with the remnants of the first militia. The militia captured Moscow, the capital was liberated from the invaders.

End of the Time of Troubles

In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor was convened, at which a new tsar was to be chosen. Applicants for this place were the son of False Dmitry II, and Vladislav, and the son of the Swedish king, and finally, several representatives of the boyar families. But Mikhail Romanov was chosen as tsar.

Consequences of Troubles: