Lectures for students on Russian history (Методика освоения содержания предметного образования (История)). Учебное пособие

of strong tsars reached its finish when a physically and mentally weak person became a tsar. The new Tsar crowned in 1584 at the age of 27. He had devout character; his favorite pursuit was bell ringing. But he also enjoyed the antics of dwarfs and court jesters and combats between men and bears entertaining him.

Theodore was so unable to govern that recourse was to had to a regent the first being Nikita Romanov, a maternal uncle of the Tsar. But he died in 1586. There followed the enigmatic figure of Boris Godunov, familiar to lovers of poetry and opera. Godunov hailed from a family of Mongol origin that had first taken service with the Grand Prince of Moscow in the XIVth century. Under the Oprichnina he rose to fast eminence and succeeded in marrying his sister Irina to Theodore, thus making himself the new tsar’s brother-in-law. This upstart rises provoked envy and hatred among the old aristocratic families, and in early years of Godunov’s regency there were several plots against his life as well as the attempts to alienate him from his proximity to the throne by trying to bring about a divorce between the Tsar and his childless wife. These attempts failed and their instigators – the princely families of Mstislavskiy and Shuiskiywere executed, tortured or exiled.

Godunov removed Metropolitan Dionisiy, a member of the opposition, installing his own nominee, Job, a cleric of modest talents who had served the Oprichnina without a qualm. He then exploited the indigence and insecurity of the visiting Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia in 1588. This clever move improved the prestige of Job and Godunov within the church, averted the danger that Russian church might come under the influence of the foreign. By 1587 Godunov had disposed of or silenced all his rivals. He ruled supreme, even though he was still nominally regent. Despite his modest education, B. Godunov was the high qualified bureaucratic politician: he took care to base his actions on accurate information, he was a masterly tactician who knew when to lie, when to make alliances and when to denounce allies as traitors. He was vastly superior as a diplomat to Ivan IV and he personally participated in drafting

of diplomatic correspondence with foreign monarchs.

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the tax-paying population. In 1597 a general law was issued permitting the forcible recovery of all peasants who had left their masters within the previous 5 years. In effect B. Godunov had retroactively abolished the peasants’ right to depart on St. George’s Day. Like other politicians of his time, Boris appealed to the poorer gentry when his fortunes were uncertain but attempted to gain allies among the aristocracy once he had reached the top. Abroad, Godunov led a largely defensive policy. He made a serious attempt to unite Poland-Lithuania and Russia under Tsar Theodore during the Polish election of 1587 and concluded an enduring peace with the Poles when this failed. In the steppe zone, fortress towns as Kursk, Voronezh and Byelgorod were established. Godunov even succeeded in recapturing from the Swedes some of the areas on the Gulf of Finland yielded up by Ivan IV – Ivangorod, Yam, Karelia. But these were the years before the storm.

Apart from Theodore, Ivan had one other son – Dmitry. Early in the reign of his half-brother, Dmitry and his mother had been exiled to Uglich. Maria Nagaya, last wife of Ivan IV and mother of Tsarevich Dmitry, was married to an unloving tyrant and was regarded by her male relatives as a step-ladder to fortune. All her affections and hopes were pinned on her epileptic son. In 1591 she found him bleeding to death from stab wounds. She accused the agents of Boris of murder and incited

thickened the atmosphere. Power passed briefly to Tsarina Irina, but Muscovy was not ready for a woman ruler and she immediately took the veil. There was no choice but to thread the Polish path and choose a tsar – an unprecedented situation in Muscovite history. Godunov, by virtue of the power that he had in fact exercised, was the favoured candidate. But before he would accept the throne he insisted on election by Zemskiy Sobor.

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Part II

Godunov succeeded and his reign looked promising. He was, e.g. the first tsar to take an interest in education, he had an idea of establishing a university and sent a number of young Russians to study abroad. He knew that he was resented both by the former Oprichniks and by more aristocratic competitors for the throne. At first, he tried hard to ingratiate himself with them but as he felt his health and popularity wane, he took of repression (Belskiy was exiled, Romanovs were accused in plotting).

1601-1603 was the end of Godunov’s regime. Great starvation started: many villages died of it, people ere make to eat grass and birch bark, they took cannibalism. Speculation in grain and depopulation took place.

Landowners couldn’t feed their peasants, they drove them away. Bands of homeless peasants rob people.

In 1603 the first major outbreak with peasant Khlopok at the head reached Moscow. Godunov faced this catastrophe without help. Government could give only one third of grain needs. At the moment of governmental collapse Polish intervention began to play its part.

Its instrument was the first False Dmitry. The death of real

Tsarevich Dmitry was very mysterious and enigmatic that’s why belief in his survival was possible. The real name of the first False Dmitry was Grigory Otriepiev. He was a poor gentleman who served the Romanovs first, after it he made his career in the church, joining the staff of Patriarch. During the starvation he went to Poland. In 1603 Otriepiev claimed to be Tsarevich Dmitry. He appeared at the castle of one Polish aristocrat who introduced him to other Polish nobility and governor of Sandomir – Georgiy Mnishek. The Roman Pope saw in False Dmitry an instrument for the conversion of Russian land to Catholicism. Pretender left Orthodox Church for Catholicism. The Polish king Sigismund III had met with False Dmitry in 1604, he gave him pension, recognized him as legal Russian tsar but he didn’t promise to start war against Moscow. False Dmitry got only small army (4,000 people) from Polish king. False Dmitry promised to rescue peasants from their misery that’s why he became very popular. Godunov tried to discredit

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to Pretender unsuccessfully. Army of False Dmitry quadrupled in size in a few months in contrast Godunov’s forces were disintegrated by desertion, treachery and defeatism.

In April 1605 Godunov suddenly died from stroke or from self administered poison. This is another mystery of that time. Throne was inherited by his son Theodore, but the nobles didn’t support him and he was killed. Two months later the Pretender entered Moscow and Maria Nagaya (mother of real Dmitry) acknowledged him as her long-lost son and after that he was crowned as a tsar. The new tsar was very strange person. He was about 25, small stature with ugly beardless face, wart on his nose and spiky red hair. Pretender was very lively; it was very unusual feature for tsar. He doubled the pay of officials and officers, confirmed and extended the privileges of Orthodox Church, liberated a quarter of slaves and peasants who ran away from their masters during starvation. He refused to use terror but this period lasted less than 1 year. False Dmitry married polish woman Marina Mnishek. The reason of Preteder’s downfall was the opposition of Russian aristocrats. They didn’t want to install another tsar after Godunov. The aristocratic revolt led by Vasiliy Shuiskiy broke out in Moscow in May of 1606 at night. Pretender was killed, his body was burnt and ashes shot from a cannon to the four winds.

Shuiskiy replaced False Dmitry on the throne; he wasn’t elected by Zemskiy Sobor, only nominated by his supporters from Boyar Dumb.

Shuiskiy’s ukases didn’t run much outside Moscow, so he ruled in Moscow only and half of Moscow territory was outside his control. Tula and Ryazan rose against Shuiskiy, defeated governmental troops and besieged Nizhniy Novgorod. Astrahan produced three pretenders. This movement found a political and military leader in Ivan Bolotnikov. He called on peasants o rise against their masters, siege the estates and overthrow existing social order. Bolotnikov ran away from Moscow to Tula. Then he catched his star to Tsar Peter (baby died son of Tsar Theodore). Rebellions were sieged by Shuiskiy in the autumn of 1607

in Tula.

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One peasant revolution overcame than another center of revolt arose under leadership of a second false Dmitry. He marched on Moscow from Poland. Marina Mnishek and Philaret Romanov supported him but he was less successful than the first false Dmitry. He was called Thief. His forces never reached Moscow and he set up and established at Tushino (village some miles to the west of Moscow) anti governmental separate court. He was called the Tushino Thief after it. Moscow and Tula confronted each other, it is lasted two years.

Sigismund III declared open war against Shuiskiy. The whole of the Baltic coast fell into Swedish hands. In 1609 Sigismund laid siege to Smolensk, key to the Western Russia. The Thief camp was disintegrated. Tsar Shuiskiy was dethroned and Polish garrison became master in Moscow. The Boyar Council opened negotiations with polish king. The terms were acceptance of Polish king as Russian Tsar, the council recognized Sigismund as Russian Tsar, but he refused in favor of his son Vladislav. Smolensk fell to Sigismund and Swedes seized Novgorod. Nobody could stop this disintegration of Russian state.

The first national levy was formed from the provincial nobility in Ryazan to attack and besiege the Poles in Moscow in 1611. This levy has no success. The second attempt was made in following year and it was rather better prepared. It took its inspiration from the leaders of the most famous and ancient Russian monasteries. A second national levy made up of towns people in Nizhniy Novgorod under Prince Pozharskiy and Kuzma Minin. The first and second national levies were able to combine in final supreme efforts that freed Moscow.

Early in 1613 a newly elected Assembly of the Lands which include representatives of gentry, clergy, merchants, peasants and aristocracy all over Russia met in Moscow and chose new dynasty – Romanovs. The new elected Tsar Michael was related to Ivan IV through his first wife Anastasiya Romanov. So new dynasty in Russia was established.

Tasks 1. Answer the following questions:

1. What policy did B. Godunov conduct at home?

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2.How did Russia develop after the death of Godunov?

3.What were the essential political and economic features of this

period?

4.What tendencies were characteristic for Russia under the Polish invaders?

5.What role did the Russian church play at that time?

6.What was significant about the Times of Troubles?

2.Watch video “History of Russian Empire” (Matteo Zilli, part 6 of 20) and summarize new information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpsPLTND62g.

3.Topics for writing essay.

1.The causes of the political catastrophe at the beginning of the 17 century.

2.The Polish and Swedish invasion to Russia.

3.The role of Romanovs Dynasty in Russian history.

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Lecture 5. PETER THE GREAT

Part I

Peter the Great – one of the Russian greatest statesmen – the Tsar and first Emperor – was a man of extraordinary energy and supreme vision. Russian tsar embarked on an ambitious program to transform Russia into an advanced European country.

Peter was born in 1672 in Moscow. Future emperor was the only son of the second marriage of Tsar Alexey. His mother was Natalia

Naryshkina. Peter was his mother’s first son, but he was his father’s 14th child. But unlike his half-brothers, from his father’s first marriage,

Peter was healthy and energetic child. When Peter was 4 years old his father died and the throne was left to Peter’s elder half-brother Theodore, weak young man. In reality the royal power felt into the hands of the relatives of Theodore’s mother who tried to push Peter aside. In 1682 Theodore died without a heir.

There was a struggle between nobility who supported Peter’s half - brother Ivan and who supported Peter. Ivan’s relatives managed a revolt in Moscow. As a result, Ivan and Peter were proclaimed joint tsars. But

Ivan’s sister Sophia became a regent for them. She was 25 years old,

The result of this exile was that Peter grew up away from atmosphere

to a German colony near Moscow he started to like all European things. He spent much time with repairing old sailboat. And this provided his passion for sailing. He also liked maths, fortification and navigation. He was interested in military games. In 1689 Peter’s mother arranged his marriage to Evdokia Lopuchina. After this he could rule the state by himself. Peter’s wife born him a son (the only one), but they had different interests and didn’t love each other. Later Peter sent his first

wife to a monastery and could marry for a second time.

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In August 1689 Streltsy revolted again but that time things turned in Peter’s favour. Sophia was dethroned (removed from power). After

Ivan’s death 7 years later, Peter became the only ruler. But Russian state was far behind Europe, that’s why Peter wanted to get access route to the seas. So Russian new Tsar had ambitious program to transform Russia into an advanced European country. Breaking the resistance of old nobility

Peter launched a series of reforms during 25 years in every area of nation’s life – administration, industry, commerce and culture.

The first steps he took were military campaigns of 1695-1696 against Crimean Tatars in the hope to get a route to the Black Sea. Initially unsuccessful, the campaign eventually brought some lands and forced Peter to build a navy.

His next undertaking was an extensive European tour. It was the first time a Russian Tsar went abroad. Accompanied by a large delegation, Peter's main objective was to strengthen the anti-Turkish coalition, but also to learn more about European economic and cultural life. He studied different things: shipbuilding, sailing and so on.

In summer 1698 Peter returned home because of new Streletsky revolt. Hundreds of rebellions were executed and exiled to distant towns. Stretskaiy army was abolished after it.

Peter gave up his dreams about the Black Sea without allies, but he turned his attention to the Baltic Sea in the north. Peter allied some European countries and started war against Sweden in 1700. It was so called Northern war. Peter never could imagine that this campaign would last for 21 years. Sweden had the most advanced army and was the most powerful country of that time. So Russian army was defeated for the first time at Narva. The military plan of operations was Peter’s own design.

In November 1721 after celebration of a victory in Northern war Peter was assumed the title of Emperor of Russia. So, Russia became Empire because it had access to the Baltic Sea. Many of the states of northern Europe – Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, the Dutch Republic (Holland – nowadays) – made little or no difficulty about giving it formal recognition, but Britain and Austria did not recognize until 1742; France

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and Spain not until 3 years after that. In the XVI th and XVII th centuries Russia was not regarded as a part of Europe in any significant sense; words “Emperor” or “Imperial Majesty”, applied to the ruler of an exotic country apparently outside Europe, were not titles which raised serious issues, for Europeans the Romanovs were the same as the Moguls in Delhi.

Peter was now a European ruler and his titles must be weighed in European scale. Another unmistakable sign of Russia’s new standing was the presence in every significant European capital of permanent Russian diplomatic mission. By 1721 Peter had 21 of these, this number was not to be exceeded during the rest of the XVIII th century. Russia was the first time an internal part of the network of European diplomacy.

of Courland, became the husband of Peter’s niece Anna Ivanovna, the Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel to whom the Tsarevich Alexey was married, Charles-Leopold, duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, to whom another niece, Ekaterina Ivanovna, was given – these were at the best of second-rate importance. All were Protestants – a reflection of the fear and hatred of Catholicism which, a legacy of generations of struggle with Poland, was still so powerful in Russia. The Courland and Mecklenburg marriages considerably strengthened Russian influence in the Baltic and North Germany, but it was until Peter’s last years that he could seriously hope to unite the Romanovs with a European ruling family of indisputably first-class importance.

After the end of Northern war Peter began to manage more active foreign policy on south border. In 1722 he invaded Persian territory and captured the Caspian Sea.

Peter went on to modernize Russian military and administrative structure, simplify the alphabet and change the calendar to make it correspond to European standards. Under the rule of Peter the Great industrial development was boosted. Foreign experts were invited, plants and factories were founded across the country and trade flourished. While Russia had no wars when Peter came to power, he went on to create a strong Baltic fleet and a modern regular army.

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Peter was the first Russian ruler to promote secular education, while the Church was subjected to the state. Russians were encouraged to study abroad and were often compelled to do so at the state's expense. Many books were translated into Russian. The first newspaper appeared in 1703.

Peter moved the capital to new city Saint Petersburg, his “European paradise”, on the Gulf of Finland. He didn’t like Moscow since his childhood and considered it as a center of old Russian nobility and traditions.

Part II

Catherine I starts life really as a sort of camp follower of Peter. She was a beautiful young woman and one of the Russian generals fancy to her. Story then goes that Peter caught a sight of her and he of course was the Tsar could have anything he wanted and he took her. As Marfa

Skavronskaya was evolved into the Tsar’s closest confidant the camp follower, she acquired a respectable name – Ekaterina, Catherine.

She helped him to make that he needed, she went with him to battles she comforted him when he got angry, she was produced children for him and gave him the love and the warmth that he had been denied probably as a child. Peter and his “peasant Queen” married first in secret, later they remarried. Later Peter would even crown her as an Empress of Russia. In 1715 Catherine gave Peter what he desired most of all, a new male heir. The birth of a baby half-brother complicated life for Peter’s first son the 25-year-old crown prince Alexey. Peter had the son from his first marriage. His son Alexey was upbringing according Old Russian traditions. Alexey didn’t want to be a successor and he told his father: “I do not think myself fit for the government. My memory is weak, my body is weak, my body decayed I do not aspire to the Russian crown”.

The quarrel between the Tsar and Alexey widened and Peter gave him an ultimatum: “I cannot resolve to let you live on according to your own will. Either strive to render yourself worthy of the succession or become a monk”. In 1718 Peter prepared to confine his son to a monastery desperate to live free of his overbearing father Alexey escaped to the west but the sudden flight only helps to convince Peter that his son was plotting against him. The Tsar’s spies followed Alexey

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