Michael of Russia
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| Tsar Mikhail I | |
| Tsar of all Russia | |
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| Reign | 21 February 1613 - 12 July 1645 |
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| Coronation | 22 July 1613 |
| Full name | Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov |
| Born | 12 July 1596 |
| Birthplace | Moscow |
| Died | 14 July 1645 |
| Place of death | Moscow |
| Predecessor | Time of Troubles (throne claimed by Władysław IV) preceded as Tsar by Vasili IV |
| Successor | Alexis I |
| Wives | Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva |
| Dynasty | Romanov |
| Father | Feodor Nikitich Romanov |
| Mother | Kseniya Shestova |
Mikhail I Fyodorovich Romanov (In Russian Михаи́л Фёдорович Рома́нов) (July 12, 1596 – July 13, 1645) was the first Russian tsar of the house of Romanov, being the son of Feodor Nikitich Romanov, afterwards the Patriarch Filaret, and Xenia (of disputed family), afterwards the great nun Martha. His reign marked the end of the Time of Troubles.
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[edit] Life and reign
Michael was unanimously elected Czar of Russia by a national assembly on February 21, 1613, but not until March 24 did the delegates of the council discover the young czar and his mother at the Ipatiev Monastery near Kostroma. At first Martha protested that her son was too young and tender for so difficult an office in such troublesome times. At the last moment, however, Michael consented to accept the throne, but not till the weeping boyars had solemnly declared that if he persisted in his refusal they would hold him responsible to God for the utter destruction of Russia.
Michael's election and accession to the throne form the basis of the Ivan Susanin legend, which Russian composer Mikhail Glinka dramatised in his opera A Life for the czar.
In so dilapidated a condition was the capital at this time that Michael had to wait for several weeks at the Troitsa monastery, 75 miles (121 km) off, before decent accommodation could be provided for him at Moscow. He was crowned on July 22, 1613. The first task of the new tsar was to clear the land of the robbers infesting it. Sweden and Poland were then dealt with respectively by the peace of Stolbovo (February 17, 1617) and the Truce of Deulino (December 1, 1618). The most important result of the Truce of Deulino was the return from exile of the tsar's father, who henceforth took over the government till his death in October 1633, Michael occupying quite a subordinate position.
Czar Michael suffered from a progressing leg injury (a consequence of a horse accident early in his life), which resulted in his not being able to walk towards the end of his life. He was a gentle and pious prince who gave little trouble to anyone and effaced himself behind his counsellors. Sometimes they were relatively honest and capable men like his father; sometimes they were corrupted and bigoted, like the Saltykov relatives of his mother. He was married twice, first to Princess Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova in 1624, who died four months after the marriage the next year, and then in 1626 to Eudoxia Streshneva (1608–1645), who brought him 10 children. Michael's failure to wed his daughter Irene with Prince Valdemar Christian of Denmark, in consequence of the refusal of the latter to accept Orthodoxy, so deeply afflicted him as to contribute to bringing about his death on July 12, 1645.
[edit] Michael's governments
The two most important politically government offices (prikazes) were Posolsky Prikaz ("Foreign Office") and Razryadny Prikaz (a Duma chancellery and a personnel department for both central and provincial administration including military command). Those offices could be pivotal in Boyar factions struggle, so they were traditionally headed not by Boyars but by dyaks (professional clerks).
The first head of the Posolsky Prikaz under Michael was Pyotr Tretyakov till his death in 1618; he conducted policy of allying with Sweden against Poland. The next one, Ivan Gramotin had a reputation of a Poloniphile; this appointment was necessary to bring forth Filaret's release from captivity. In mid-20s Filaret began preparations for war with Poland; Gramotin fell in his disfavour and was fired and exiled in 1626. The same fate was shared by Efim Telepnev in 1630 and Fedor Likhachov in 1631 - they too tried to soothe Filaret's belligerent approach. Ivan Gryazev, appointed in 1632, was promoted from second ranks of bureaucracy to fulfil Filaret's orders. After Filaret's and Gryazev's deaths the post was once again assumed by Gramotin in 1634, and after the latter's retirement in 1635, by Likhachov, with general course on pacification.
Razryadny Prikaz was first headed by Sydavny Vasilyev; Filaret replaced him by his fellow in captivity Tomilo Lugovskoy, but the latter somehow caused Filaret's anger and was exiled. In 1623 Fedor Likhachov was made head of Prikaz till his shift to Posolsky Prikaz, and in 1630 Razryad was given to Ivan Gavrenev, an outstanding administrator who took up this post for 30 years.
Three other strategic offices were Streletsky Prikaz (in charge of streltsy regiments who served as Moscow garrison), Treasury (Prikaz bolshoy kazny), and Aptekarsky Prikaz ("Pharmacy office", in fact ministry of health, most particularly the tsar's health). After Filaret's arrival their former heads were sent away from Moscow, and all three given to Ivan Cherkassky (Filaret's nephew), who proved to be an able and competent administrator and was a de facto prime minister till his death in 1642. Fedor Sheremetev who had succeeded to all Cherkassky's posts was a rather weak figure; the real power was in the hands of a court marshal, Alexey Lvov.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Preceded by Succession broken due to Time of Troubles (throne claimed by Władysław IV) preceded as Tsar by Vasili IV |
Tsar of all Russia 1613–1645 |
Succeeded by Alexis I |
