The history of Rus' goes back more than a thousand years, although even before the advent of the state, a variety of tribes lived on its territory. The last ten-century period can be divided into several stages. All the rulers of Russia, from Rurik to Putin, are people who were true sons and daughters of their eras.
The main historical stages of the development of Russia
Historians consider the following classification to be the most convenient:
Board of the Novgorod princes (862-882);
Yaroslav the Wise (1016-1054);
From 1054 to 1068, Izyaslav Yaroslavovich was in power;
From 1068 to 1078, the list of rulers of Russia was replenished with several names at once (Vseslav Bryachislavovich, Izyaslav Yaroslavovich, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod Yaroslavovichi, in 1078 Izyaslav Yaroslavovich ruled again)
The year 1078 was marked by some stabilization in the political arena, until 1093 Vsevolod Yaroslavovich ruled;
Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich was on the throne from 1093 to;
Vladimir, nicknamed Monomakh (1113-1125) - one of the best princes of Kievan Rus;
From 1132 to 1139, Yaropolk Vladimirovich had power.
All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who lived and ruled during this period and up to the present, saw their main task in the prosperity of the country and strengthening the country's role in the European arena. Another thing is that each of them went to the goal in his own way, sometimes in a completely different direction than his predecessors.
The period of fragmentation of Kievan Rus
During the feudal fragmentation of Rus', changes on the main princely throne were frequent. None of the princes left a serious mark on the history of Rus'. By the middle of the XIII century, Kyiv fell into absolute decline. It is worth mentioning only a few princes who ruled in the XII century. So, from 1139 to 1146, Vsevolod Olgovich was the prince of Kyiv. In 1146, Igor II was at the helm for two weeks, after which Izyaslav Mstislavovich ruled for three years. Until 1169, such people as Vyacheslav Rurikovich, Rostislav Smolensky, Izyaslav Chernigov, Yuri Dolgoruky, Izyaslav the Third managed to visit the princely throne.
Capital moves to Vladimir
The period of formation of late feudalism in Rus' was characterized by several manifestations:
The weakening of the Kyiv princely power;
The emergence of several centers of influence that competed with each other;
Strengthening the influence of the feudal lords.
On the territory of Rus', 2 largest centers of influence arose: Vladimir and Galich. Galich is the most important political center at that time (located on the territory of modern Western Ukraine). It seems interesting to study the list of rulers of Russia who reigned in Vladimir. The importance of this period of history has yet to be assessed by researchers. Of course, the Vladimir period in the development of Rus' was not as long as the Kiev period, but it was after it that the formation of monarchical Rus' began. Consider the dates of the reign of all the rulers of Russia of this time. In the first years of this stage in the development of Rus', the rulers changed quite often, there was no stability that would appear later. For more than 5 years, the following princes have been in power in Vladimir:
Andrew (1169-1174);
Vsevolod, son of Andrei (1176-1212);
Georgy Vsevolodovich (1218-1238);
Yaroslav, son of Vsevolod (1238-1246);
Alexander (Nevsky), great commander (1252-1263);
Yaroslav III (1263-1272);
Dmitry I (1276-1283);
Dmitry II (1284-1293);
Andrei Gorodetsky (1293-1304);
Michael "Saint" of Tver (1305-1317).
All the rulers of Russia after the transfer of the capital to Moscow until the appearance of the first tsars
The transfer of the capital from Vladimir to Moscow roughly coincides chronologically with the end of the period of feudal fragmentation of Rus' and the strengthening of the main center of political influence. Most of the princes were on the throne longer than the rulers of the Vladimir period. So:
Prince Ivan (1328-1340);
Semyon Ivanovich (1340-1353);
Ivan the Red (1353-1359);
Alexei Byakont (1359-1368);
Dmitry (Donskoy), famous commander (1368-1389);
Vasily Dmitrievich (1389-1425);
Sophia of Lithuania (1425-1432);
Vasily the Dark (1432-1462);
Ivan III (1462-1505);
Vasily Ivanovich (1505-1533);
Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538);
The decade before 1548 was a difficult period in the history of Russia, when the situation developed in such a way that the princely dynasty actually ended. There was a period of stagnation when boyar families were in power.
The reign of tsars in Rus': the beginning of the monarchy
Historians identify three chronological periods in the development of the Russian monarchy: before the accession to the throne of Peter the Great, the reign of Peter the Great and after it. The dates of the reign of all the rulers of Russia from 1548 to the end of the 17th century are as follows:
Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible (1548-1574);
Semyon Kasimovsky (1574-1576);
Ivan the Terrible again (1576-1584);
Fedor (1584-1598).
Tsar Fedor did not have heirs, so she interrupted. - one of the most difficult periods in the history of our country. Rulers changed almost every year. Since 1613, the country has been ruled by the Romanov dynasty:
Mikhail, the first representative of the Romanov dynasty (1613-1645);
Alexei Mikhailovich, son of the first emperor (1645-1676);
He ascended the throne in 1676 and ruled for 6 years;
Sophia, his sister, ruled from 1682 to 1689.
In the 17th century, stability finally came to Rus'. The central government has been strengthened, reforms are gradually beginning, which have led to the fact that Russia has grown territorially and strengthened, the leading world powers began to reckon with it. The main merit in changing the face of the state belongs to the great Peter I (1689-1725), who simultaneously became the first emperor.
Rulers of Russia after Peter
The reign of Peter the Great is the heyday when the empire acquired its own strong fleet and strengthened the army. All the rulers of Russia, from Rurik to Putin, understood the importance of the armed forces, but few were able to realize the huge potential of the country. An important feature of that time was the aggressive foreign policy of Russia, which manifested itself in the forcible annexation of new regions ( Russian-Turkish wars, Azov campaign).
The chronology of the rulers of Russia from 1725 to 1917 is as follows:
Catherine Skavronskaya (1725-1727);
Peter II (killed in 1730);
Queen Anna (1730-1740);
Ivan Antonovich (1740-1741);
Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761);
Petr Fedorovich (1761-1762);
Catherine the Great (1762-1796);
Pavel Petrovich (1796-1801);
Alexander I (1801-1825);
Nicholas I (1825-1855);
Alexander II (1855 - 1881);
Alexander III (1881-1894);
Nicholas II - the last of the Romanovs, ruled until 1917.
This ends a huge period of development of the state, when the kings were in power. After October revolution a new political order appears - the republic.
Russia during the Soviet era and after its collapse
The first few years after the revolution were difficult. Among the rulers of this period, Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky can be distinguished. After the legal registration of the USSR as a state and until 1924, Vladimir Lenin led the country. Further, the chronology of the rulers of Russia looks like this:
Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich (1924-1953);
Nikita Khrushchev was First Secretary of the CPSU after Stalin's death until 1964;
Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982);
Yuri Andropov (1982-1984);
General Secretary of the CPSU (1984-1985);
Mikhail Gorbachev, the first President of the USSR (1985-1991);
Boris Yeltsin, leader of independent Russia (1991-1999);
The current head of state, Putin, has been the President of Russia since 2000 (with a break of 4 years, when Dmitry Medvedev was in charge of the state)
Who are the rulers of Russia?
All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who have been in power over the entire more than a thousand-year history of the state, are patriots who wished the flourishing of all the lands of a vast country. Most of the rulers were not random people in this difficult field and each made his own contribution to the development and formation of Russia. Of course, all the rulers of Russia wanted goodness and prosperity for their subjects: the main forces were always directed to strengthening borders, expanding trade, and strengthening defense capabilities.
We know who the first princes in Rus' were from the writings of the chroniclers - Nestor, who lived at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries, his contemporary Sylvester and the semi-legendary Joachim, whose reality historians cannot assert with all certainty. It is from their pages that the “deeds of bygone years” come to life before us, the memory of which is kept only in the depths of silent steppe mounds and in folk legends.
First prince of ancient Rus'
The chronicler Nestor was canonized, therefore, during his lifetime he did not lie, and therefore we will believe everything that he wrote, especially since we have no choice, to be honest. So, in the middle of the 9th century, the Novgorodians, together with the Krivichi, the Chud and the whole, invited three Varangian brothers to rule themselves - Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The chronicler explains such a strange desire - to voluntarily give himself under the rule of strangers - by the fact that our ancestors lost hope of independently restoring order in their vast lands, and therefore decided to turn to the Varangians for help.
By the way, at all times there were skeptics among historians. In their opinion, the warlike Scandinavians simply seized the Russian lands and began to manage them, and the legend of voluntary vocation was composed only to please the trampled national pride. However, this version has also not been proven and is based only on idle reasoning and conjecture, and therefore, it is not worth talking about it. In the conventional view, the first prince Kievan Rus was a guest here.
Reigning on the banks of the Volkhov
Rurik was the first Varangian prince in Rus'. He settled in Novgorod in 862. Then his younger brothers began to rule in the estates assigned to them - Sineus on Beloozero, and Truvor in Izborsk. It is curious that Smolensk and Polotsk did not allow foreigners to visit them - either the order in the cities was exemplary without them, or the Vikings simply did not have the strength to break their resistance. Two years later, Sineus and Truvor die at the same time, as they say now, "under unclear circumstances", and their lands join the possessions of their elder brother Rurik. This became the basis for the subsequent creation of the Russian monarchy.
The chroniclers mentioned above refer to this period one more an important event. Two Varangian princes, Askold and Dir, accompanied by a retinue, set off on a campaign against Constantinople, but before reaching the Byzantine capital, they captured the small Dnieper city of Kiev, which later became the capital of Ancient Rus'. The campaign they conceived in Byzantium did not bring glory, but as the first Kyiv princes Askold and Dir forever entered our history. And although Rurik was the first Varangian prince in Rus', they also played an important role in the formation of the state.
Treacherous capture of Kyiv
When in 879, after fifteen years of sole reign, Rurik died, he left his young son Igor as the heir to the princely throne, and until he came of age appointed his relative Oleg, the one whom descendants would call the Prophet, the ruler. The new ruler from the first days showed himself to be a man of power, warlike and devoid of excessive morality. Oleg conquers Smolensk and Lyubech, everywhere covering up his actions in the name of the young prince Igor, in whose interests he allegedly acts. Having begun the conquest of the Dnieper lands, he seized Kyiv by cunning and, having killed Askold and Dir, became its ruler. It is to him that the chroniclers attribute the words that Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities.
Conqueror and conqueror of the lands
At the end of the 9th century, Russian lands were still very scattered, and significant territories inhabited by foreigners stretched between Novgorod and Kiev. Oleg, with his large retinue, conquered many peoples who until then had retained their independence. These were the Ilmen Slavs, the tribes of Chud, Vesi, Drevlyans and many other inhabitants of the forests and steppes. Having united them under his rule, he gathered the lands of Novgorod and Kyiv into a single powerful state.
His campaigns put an end to domination Khazar Khaganate who controlled the southern territories for many years. Oleg became famous for his successful campaign against Byzantium, during which, as a sign of victory, he nailed his famous shield to the gates of Constantinople, sung by both Pushkin and Vysotsky. He returned home with rich booty. The prince died at a ripe old age, satiated with life and glory. Whether the snake biting him, crawling out of a horse's skull, was the cause of death, or is it just fiction - it is not known, but the prince's life itself was brighter and more amazing than any legend.
Mass influx of Scandinavians to Rus'
As can be seen from the above, the first princes in Rus', immigrants from the Scandinavian peoples, saw their main task in conquering new lands and creating a single state capable of resisting those numerous enemies who continuously encroached on its integrity.
During these years, seeing the success of their fellow tribesmen in Rus', Scandinavians rushed to the Novgorod and Kiev lands in large numbers, wanting to snatch their piece, but, finding themselves among a large and resilient people, they inevitably assimilated in it and soon became part of it. The activities of the first princes of Rus', of course, relied on their support, but over time, foreigners gave way to the indigenous people.
Igor's reign
With the death of Oleg, his successor appeared on the historical stage, the son of Rurik, who had matured by that time, the young prince Igor. All his life he tried to achieve the same fame that Oleg got, but fate was not favorable to him. Having undertaken two campaigns against Byzantium, Igor became famous not so much for his military success as for his incredible cruelty towards the civilians of the countries through which his army was moving.
However, he did not return home empty-handed, bringing abundant booty from campaigns. His actions against the steppe robbers-Pechenegs, whom he managed to drive away to Bessarabia, were also successful. By nature, ambitious and ambitious, the prince ended his life very ingloriously. Once again collecting tribute from the Drevlyans subject to him, with his indefatigable greed, he brought them to the extreme, and they, having rebelled and interrupted the squad, betrayed him to a fierce death. His actions expressed the whole policy of the first princes of Rus' - the search for fame and fortune at any cost. Not burdened by any moral norms, they considered all paths leading to the achievement of the goal acceptable.
Princess, canonized saints
After the death of Igor, power passed to his widow, Princess Olga, whom the prince married in 903. Starting her reign, she brutally dealt with the Drevlyans - the murderers of her husband, sparing neither the elderly nor the children. The princess went on a campaign with her young son Svyatoslav, wishing with early years accustom him to swearing.
According to most historians, Olga - as a ruler - deserves praise, and this is due primarily to wise decisions and good deeds. This woman managed to adequately represent Rus' in the world. Her special merit is that she was the first to bring the light of Orthodoxy to the Russian land. For this, the church canonized her as a saint. While still a pagan, in 957 she led an embassy to Byzantium. Olga understood that outside of Christianity it was impossible to strengthen the prestige of the state and the ruling dynasty.
Newly Baptized Servant of God Elena
The sacrament of Baptism was performed over her in the church of St. Sophia personally by the patriarch, and the emperor himself acted as a godfather. The princess came out of the holy font with the new name Elena. Unfortunately, having returned to Kyiv, she could not persuade her son Svyatoslav to accept the Christian faith, like all the first princes in Rus', who worshiped Perun. Remained in the darkness of paganism and all boundless Rus', which was to be enlightened by the rays of true faith to her grandson, the future prince of Kyiv Vladimir.
Prince-conqueror Svyatoslav
Princess Olga died in 969 and was buried according to Christian custom. characteristic feature her rule was that she limited her activities only to the concerns of state government, leaving the male princes to wage wars and assert her power with the sword. Even Svyatoslav, having matured and received all the princely powers, busy with campaigns, boldly left the state in the care of his mother.
Having inherited power from his mother, Prince Svyatoslav devoted himself entirely to military campaigns, wishing to revive the glory of Rus', which shone so brightly in the time of Prince Oleg. By the way, he was almost the first to follow the laws of knightly honor. The prince, for example, considered it unworthy to attack the enemy by surprise, and it was he who owns the famous phrase "I'm coming at you!"
Possessing an iron will, a clear mind and a talent for generalship, Svyatoslav managed to annex many lands to Rus' during the years of his reign, significantly expanding its territories. Like all the first princes in Rus', he was a conqueror, one of those who conquered a sixth of the land for the future Russian state with his sword.
The struggle for power and the victory of Prince Vladimir
The death of Svyatoslav was the beginning of a struggle for power between his three sons - Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir, each of whom, having his own rightful inheritance, sought to seize the brothers' territories by deceit and force. After several years of mutual enmity and intrigue, Vladimir won, becoming the sole and full ruler.
He, like his father, showed outstanding military leadership skills, subduing the rebellions of the peoples subject to him and conquering new ones. However, the main merit that truly immortalized his name was the Baptism of Rus', which took place in 988 and put the young state on a par with European countries, which long before that accepted the light of the Christian faith.
The end of the life of the holy prince
But at the end of his life, the Baptist of Rus' was destined to go through many bitter moments. The passion of lust for power ate away the soul of his son Yaroslav, who ruled in Novgorod, and he revolted against own father. To pacify him, Vladimir was forced to send a squad under the command of his other son Boris to the rebellious city. This inflicted severe psychological trauma on the prince, from which he could not recover and died on July 15, 1015.
For his services to the state and the Russian Orthodox Church, Prince Vladimir entered the history of our country with the addition of the epithet Great or Holy to his name. A special proof of the people's love for this outstanding person is the trace that he left in the folk epic, which mentioned him in epics about Ilya Muromets, Dobryn Novgorodsky and many other Russian heroes.
Ancient Rus': the first princes
This is how the formation of Russia took place, rising from the darkness of paganism and eventually becoming a powerful power, one of the legislators of European politics. But since Rus', during the reign of the first princes, stood out from among other peoples, having asserted its superiority over them, it had a long and hard way, which included the process of evolution of state power. It continued throughout the entire period of Russian autocracy.
The concept of "the first Russian prince in Rus'" can be considered very conditional. The whole family of the Rurik princes, which originated from the legendary Varangian, who came to the banks of the Volkhov in 862, and ended with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, carries Scandinavian blood, and it is hardly fair to call its members purely Russian. Numerous specific princes, who were not directly related to this dynasty, also mostly have either Tatar or Western European roots.
But who is the first prince of all Rus', we can say with some accuracy. From the chronicles it is known that for the first time the title, which emphasized that its owner was not just the Grand Duke, but the ruler of "all Rus'", was awarded to Mikhail Yaroslavovich of Tverskoy, who ruled at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The first Moscow prince of all Rus' is also authentically known. It was Ivan Kalita. The same title was worn by his followers, up to the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The main line of their foreign policy was the expansion of borders Russian state and the addition of new lands to it. The internal policy was reduced to the all-round strengthening of the centralized princely power.
Rurik(? -879) - the ancestor of the Rurik dynasty, the first Russian prince. Chronicle sources claim that Rurik was called from the Varangian lands by Novgorod citizens to reign together with his brothers - Sineus and Truvor in 862. After the death of the brothers, he ruled all Novgorod lands. Before his death, he transferred power to his relative - Oleg.
Oleg(?-912) - the second ruler of Rus'. He reigned from 879 to 912, first in Novgorod, and then in Kyiv. He is the founder of a single ancient Russian state, created by him in 882 with the capture of Kyiv and the subjugation of Smolensk, Lyubech and other cities. After the transfer of the capital to Kyiv, he also subjugated the Drevlyans, Northerners, and Radimichi. One of the first Russian princes undertook a successful campaign against Constantinople and concluded the first trade agreement with Byzantium. He enjoyed great respect and authority among his subjects, who began to call him "prophetic", that is, wise.
Igor(? -945) - the third Russian prince (912-945), the son of Rurik. The main direction of his activity was to protect the country from the raids of the Pechenegs and preserve the unity of the state. Undertook numerous campaigns to expand the possessions of the Kievan state, in particular against the Uglichs. He continued his campaigns against Byzantium. During one of them (941) he failed, during the other (944) he received a ransom from Byzantium and concluded a peace treaty that secured the military-political victories of Rus'. Undertook the first successful campaigns of the Rus within the North Caucasus (Khazaria) and Transcaucasia. In 945, he tried twice to collect tribute from the Drevlyans (the procedure for collecting it was not legally fixed), for which he was killed by them.
Olga(c. 890-969) - the wife of Prince Igor, the first female ruler of the Russian state (regent for her son Svyatoslav). Installed in 945-946. the first legislative procedure for collecting tribute from the population of the Kievan state. In 955 (according to other sources, 957) she made a trip to Constantinople, where she secretly adopted Christianity under the name of Helen. In 959, she was the first of the Russian rulers to send an embassy to Western Europe, to Emperor Otto I. His answer was the direction in 961-962. with missionary purposes to Kyiv, Archbishop Adalbert, who tried to bring Western Christianity to Rus'. However, Svyatoslav and his entourage refused to Christianize and Olga was forced to transfer power to her son. IN last years life from political activity was actually removed. Nevertheless, she retained significant influence on her grandson - the future Prince Vladimir the Holy, whom she was able to convince of the need to adopt Christianity.
Svyatoslav(? -972) - the son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga. The ruler of the Old Russian state in 962-972. He had a militant character. He was the initiator and leader of many aggressive campaigns: against the Oksky Vyatichi (964-966), the Khazars (964-965), against North Caucasus(965), Danubian Bulgaria (968, 969-971), Byzantium (971). He also fought against the Pechenegs (968-969, 972). Under him Rus' became the largest power in the Black Sea. Neither the Byzantine rulers nor the Pechenegs, who agreed on joint actions against Svyatoslav, could come to terms with this. During his return from Bulgaria in 972, his army, bloodless in the war with Byzantium, was attacked by the Pechenegs on the Dnieper. Svyatoslav was killed.
Vladimir I Saint(? -1015) - the youngest son of Svyatoslav, who defeated his brothers Yaropolk and Oleg in an internecine struggle after the death of his father. Prince of Novgorod (from 969) and Kiev (from 980). He conquered the Vyatichi, Radimichi and Yotvingians. He continued his father's struggle with the Pechenegs. Volga Bulgaria, Poland, Byzantium. Under him, defensive lines were built along the rivers Desna, Osetr, Trubezh, Sula, and others. Kyiv was refortified and built up with stone buildings for the first time. In 988-990. introduced Eastern Christianity as the state religion. Under Vladimir I, the Old Russian state entered the period of its heyday and power. The international prestige of the new Christian power grew. Vladimir was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church and is referred to as Saint. In Russian folklore, he is called Vladimir the Red Sun. He was married to the Byzantine princess Anna.
Svyatoslav II Yaroslavich(1027-1076) - son of Yaroslav the Wise, Prince of Chernigov (since 1054), Grand Duke Kyiv (since 1073). Together with his brother Vsevolod, he defended the southern borders of the country from the Polovtsians. In the year of his death, he adopted a new code of laws, the Izbornik.
Vsevolod I Yaroslavich(1030-1093) - Prince of Pereyaslavl (from 1054), Chernigov (from 1077), Grand Duke of Kiev (from 1078). Together with the brothers Izyaslav and Svyatoslav, he fought against the Polovtsy, took part in the compilation of the Truth of the Yaroslavichs.
Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich(1050-1113) - grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. Prince of Polotsk (1069-1071), Novgorod (1078-1088), Turov (1088-1093), Grand Duke of Kiev (1093-1113). He was distinguished by hypocrisy and cruelty both towards his subjects and his inner circle.
Vladimir II Vsevolodovich Monomakh(1053-1125) - Prince of Smolensk (from 1067), Chernigov (from 1078), Pereyaslavl (from 1093), Grand Duke of Kiev (1113-1125). . Son of Vsevolod I and daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh. He was called to reign in Kyiv during the popular uprising of 1113, which followed the death of Svyatopolk P. He took measures to limit the arbitrariness of usurers and the administrative apparatus. He managed to achieve the relative unity of Rus' and the cessation of strife. He supplemented the codes of laws that existed before him with new articles. He left the "Instruction" to his children, in which he called for strengthening the unity of the Russian state, living in peace and harmony, and avoiding blood feuds
Mstislav I Vladimirovich(1076-1132) - son of Vladimir Monomakh. Grand Duke of Kiev (1125-1132). From 1088 he ruled in Novgorod, Rostov, Smolensk, etc. Participated in the work of the Lyubech, Vitichev and Dolobsky congresses of Russian princes. He took part in campaigns against the Polovtsians. He led the defense of Rus' from its Western neighbors.
Vsevolod P Olgovich(? -1146) - Prince of Chernigov (1127-1139). Grand Duke of Kiev (1139-1146).
Izyaslav II Mstislavich(c. 1097-1154) - Prince of Vladimir-Volynsk (from 1134), Pereyaslavl (from 1143), Grand Duke of Kiev (from 1146). Grandson of Vladimir Monomakh. Member of feudal strife. A supporter of the independence of the Russian Orthodox Church from the Byzantine Patriarchate.
Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky (90s of the XI century - 1157) - Prince of Suzdal and Grand Duke of Kiev. Son of Vladimir Monomakh. In 1125 he transferred the capital of the Rostov-Suzdal Principality from Rostov to Suzdal. From the beginning of the 30s. fought for southern Pereyaslavl and Kyiv. Considered the founder of Moscow (1147). In 1155 recaptured Kyiv. Poisoned by Kievan boyars.
Andrey Yurievich Bogolyubsky (c. 1111-1174) - son of Yuri Dolgoruky. Prince Vladimir-Suzdal (since 1157). Moved the capital of the principality to Vladimir. In 1169 he conquered Kyiv. Killed by the boyars in his residence in the village of Bogolyubovo.
Vsevolod III Yurievich Big Nest(1154-1212) - son of Yuri Dolgoruky. Grand Duke of Vladimir (since 1176). Severely suppressed the boyar opposition, which participated in the conspiracy against Andrei Bogolyubsky. Subdued Kyiv, Chernigov, Ryazan, Novgorod. During his reign, Vladimir-Suzdal Rus reached its peak. Named for a large number of children (12 people).
Roman Mstislavich(? -1205) - Prince of Novgorod (1168-1169), Vladimir-Volyn (from 1170), Galician (from 1199). Son of Mstislav Izyaslavich. He strengthened princely power in Galich and Volhynia, was considered the most powerful ruler of Rus'. Killed in the war with Poland.
Yuri Vsevolodovich(1188-1238) - Grand Duke of Vladimir (1212-1216 and 1218-1238). In the course of the internecine struggle for the throne of Vladimir, he was defeated in the Battle of Lipitsa in 1216. and ceded the great reign to his brother Constantine. In 1221 he founded the city of Nizhny Novgorod. He died during the battle with the Mongol-Tatars on the river. City in 1238
Daniel Romanovich(1201-1264) - Prince of Galicia (1211-1212 and from 1238) and Volyn (from 1221), son of Roman Mstislavich. He united the Galician and Volyn lands. Encouraged the construction of cities (Kholm, Lvov, etc.), crafts and trade. In 1254 he received the title of king from the Pope.
Yaroslav III Vsevolodovich(1191-1246) - son of Vsevolod the Big Nest. He reigned in Pereyaslavl, Galich, Ryazan, Novgorod. In 1236-1238. reigned in Kyiv. From 1238 - Grand Duke of Vladimir Went twice to Golden Horde and to Mongolia.
1st century, list of eventsThe country and population of ancient Rus' before the beginning of the state
On the vast East European plain, irrigated by great rivers, the Slavic peoples, our ancestors, have long lived. When they arrived here is unknown. They settled in different places of this vast but desert country, and mainly along the great waterway: From the Varangian (Baltic) sea, Lake Nevo (Ladoga), the Volkhov River, the Ilmen Lake, the Lovat River, the Dnieper River to the Russian Sea (black) . From the place of settlement, for the most part, the Slavs took their name: They built Novgorod; along the Dnieper there lived a glade who had their own city of Kyiv; those who settled in the forests, not far from the glades, were called Drevlyans; many other Slavic tribes with different names settled near Russian rivers and lakes. But not only the Slavs lived in present-day Russia. Foreign peoples also lived here: To the north and northeast - the Finnish tribes (Chud, all, Merya, Muroma, Cheremis, Mordvins, etc.), to the west - Lithuania, to the south and southeast - the Turks (Khazars, Pechenegs, Cumans). The Slavs were mostly engaged in agriculture. They were ruled by the ancestors, but there was no peace between the tribes, and besides, their neighbors offended them. Then they themselves sent across the Baltic Sea to one of the tribe of the Varangians, which was called Rus (from where we all began to be called Russians), ambassadors, saying: "Our whole land is great and plentiful, but there is no outfit (i.e. Order) in it , come to reign and rule over us, "three princes (brothers Rurik, Sineus, Truvor) from this tribe came with their squads, among which there were many Slavs, and took places in Novgorod, on Beloozero and in Izborsk. This happened in 862. From this year begins the hard work of the Russian people on the organization of their state.
Rurik (862-879)
Rurik's brothers died two years later, Rurik became the sole ruler of the country. He handed out the surrounding cities and villages to the management of his close associates, who themselves carried out judgment and reprisals. At the same time, two brothers, not from the Rurik family, Askold and Dir, occupied Kyiv and began to manage the glades.
Oleg (879-912)
After the death of Rurik, for the infancy of his son Igor, Oleg began to rule. He glorified himself with intelligence and militancy, with a large army he went down the Dnieper, took Smolensk, Lyubech, Kyiv and made the latter his capital city. Askold and Dir were killed, and Oleg showed little Igor to the glades: "Here is the son of Rurik - your prince." Remarkable is Oleg's campaign against Greece, which ended in Oleg's complete victory and provided the Russians with preferential free trade rights in Constantinople. Oleg brought with him a lot of gold, expensive fabrics, wine and all kinds of wealth from the campaign. Rus' marveled at his exploits and nicknamed him "prophetic Oleg".
Igor (912-945)
Igor Rurikovich, following the example of Oleg, conquered the neighboring tribes, forced them to pay tribute, repelled the attack of the Pechenegs and undertook a campaign in Greece, but not as successful as Oleg's campaign was. Igor was immoderate in his demands on the defeated tribes. The Drevlyans said: "The wolf will get into the sheep, so it will endure the whole herd. Let's kill him." And they killed Igor and his squad that was with him ..."
Olga (945-957)
Olga, Igor's wife, according to the custom of that time, cruelly avenged the Drevlyans for the death of her husband and took their main city of Korosten. She was distinguished by a rare mind and great abilities for government. In her declining years, she accepted Christianity and was canonized as a saint. Christianity adopted by Olga was the first ray of true light, which was to warm the hearts of the Russian people.
general characteristics 1st century
With the calling of the princes, order begins in the Russian state. The Grand Duke sits in Kyiv: He creates court here, rides for tribute (cart, polyudye). In subordinate areas, he appoints posadniks, with the right to have their own squad and collect tribute in their favor. The main concern of the first princes is the fight against restless nomads: At that time, the entire south was occupied by the Pechenegs, the Slavs paid tribute to the Khazars. In order to give space and freedom to Russian trade, Russian princes undertake campaigns in Byzantium (Tsargrad). The religion of the Russian Slavs was at first pagan: they worshiped thunder and lightning (Perun), the sun under different names, fire, wind, etc. But military and trade relations with Byzantium introduced the Russians to Christianity. So, there are indications of the baptism of Askold. Under Igor, there was already a Christian church in Kyiv, Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople (Constantinople). But, despite the cares and activities of the rulers of the princes, in the general course of the Russian people, there is a turmoil due to the need to fight with neighboring tribes (self-defense) and the still instability of order within the country.
2nd century, list of events
Vladimir St. Equal-to-the-Apostles (980-1015)
The internecine wars of Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir, the sons of Svyatoslav, who had distributed his lands to them during his lifetime, ended with the death of Yaropolk and Oleg and the triumph of Vladimir. Vladimir took away the pure Rus' from the Poles, fought against the Bulgarians and the Pechenegs. He did not spare his rich booty for his squad and for the decoration of numerous idols. Christianity, accepted by Olga, had already managed to penetrate into Kyiv, where the church of St. Ilya. Greek preachers managed to persuade the prince himself to accept Christianity. The baptism of Vladimir and his entourage, and then all the people of Kiev, took place in 988. The Greek emperors, Basil and Constantine, married Vladimir to his sister Anna. Christianity was actively spread by the princely retinue and priests in all areas of the principality. The people loved Vladimir for his meek disposition and rare love for his neighbors. Vladimir built cities and churches, and at churches, for literacy, schools. Under him, the monastery building in Rus' began. In folk songs and the past (epics), the affectionate prince, Vladimir the Red Sun, is often mentioned, the Russian church calls him the equal-to-the-apostles prince.
Svyatopolk (1015-1019)
Saint Vladimir, during his lifetime, divided the lands to his sons: Svyatopolk, Izyaslav, Yaroslav, Mstislav, Svyatoslav, Boris and Gleb. After the death of Vladimir, Svyatopolk took possession of Kiev and decided to get rid of all his brothers, for which he ordered the death of Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav, but was soon expelled from Kyiv by Yaroslav of Novgorod. With the help of his father-in-law, the Polish king Bolesław the Brave, Svyatopolk captured Kiev for the second time, but had to flee from there again and took his own life on the way. In folk songs, he, as the killer of his brothers, is called "cursed."
Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054)
After the expulsion of the Holy Regiment and with the death of Mstislav Tmutarakansky, Prince Yaroslav became the sole ruler of the Russian land. Distinguished by his great mind, he skillfully ruled Russia: he cared a lot about the needs of the country, built cities (Yaroslav and Yuryev), erected churches (St. Sophia in Kiev and Novgorod), established schools and promoted writing in Rus'. He also has the merit of publishing the first set of legal customs, known as "Russian Truth". To his sons: Izyaslav, Svyatoslav, Vsevolod, Igor, Vyacheslav, he gave the allotments of the Russian land and advised to live peacefully, amicably and in love among themselves, the people called Yaroslav "wise".
Izyaslav (1054-1078)
The eldest son of Yaroslav, Izyaslav - I, after the death of his father, took the throne of Kiev, but after an unsuccessful campaign against the Polovtsy, he was driven out by the people of Kiev, and his brother Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke. After the death of the latter, Izyaslav returned to Kyiv again.
Svyatoslav (957-972)
The son of Igor and Olga, Svyatoslav, tempered himself in campaigns and wars and was distinguished by a harsh character, honesty and directness. He went to the enemies with a warning: "I'm coming to you." Svyatoslav joined the Vyatichi, defeated the Khazars, took the Tmutarakan region and, despite the small squad, successfully fought on the Danube with the Bulgarians. After that, Svyatoslav went to the Greeks - he conquered, among other things, Andrianopol and threatened Constantinople, but the Greeks went to peace. "Do not go to the city - they said - take whatever tribute you want." On the way back, Svyatoslav did not take precautions and was killed by the Pechenegs at the rapids of the Dnieper.
General characteristics of the 2nd century
The brothers of the Grand Duke receive control over separate parts (destinies) of the state, of which the most significant are: the principality of Kiev (the largest and strongest), Chernigov, Rostov-Suzdal, Galicia-Volyn, Novgorod. Despite this division, the Russian land is still considered one. Yaroslav the Wise expands its borders to the Ros River (a tributary of the Dnieper). Under St. Vladimir, Christianity spread in Rus', and with it enlightenment with a strong Byzantine influence. The Metropolitan of Kiev, who was subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, became the head of the Russian Church. Representatives of the church, mostly Greeks, brought with them not only a new religion, but also new state concepts (about the rights and duties of a prince and subjects) and a new enlightenment. The princes acted in accordance with the church. They built temples, encouraged monasteries, started schooling. Of the monasteries, the most famous is the Kiev Caves, founded by St. Anthony and arranged by St. Theodosius. At this time, the ancient Russian historian also appears, recording events over the years, the chronicler monk Nestor and many other ancient Russian writers of that time, mainly preachers. There were no printed books yet, but everything was copied, and the copying itself was considered charitable. Thus, the general way of life is established under the influence of the Byzantine, although the life of the people is diverted from the direct path by the constant struggle between the rulers-princes and the need to protect their native land from the raids of their neighbors. The most important features of this century: The beginning of the development of writing, but at the same time the struggle of princes, the struggle with neighboring tribes, from which, according to the expression "the words about Igor's regiment" - "the Russian land will freeze." Also an important feature was the beginning of the development of the idea of love and peace, the idea of Christianity, the beginning of enlightening ideas under the cover of the church.
3rd century, list of events
Vsevolod - I (1078-1093)
Vsevolod - I could be a useful ruler. This prince was pious, truthful, very fond of education and knew five languages, but the raids of the Polovtsians, famine, pestilence and troubles in the country did not favor his principality. He stayed on the throne only thanks to his son Vladimir, nicknamed Monomakh.
Svyatopolk - II (1093-1113)
The son of Izyaslav-I, Svyatopolk-II, who inherited the throne of Kiev after Vsevolod-I, was characterized by spinelessness and was not able to pacify the civil strife of the princes because of the possession of cities. At the congress in Lyubich, Pereslavl in 1097, the princes kissed the cross "to each own his father's land", but soon Prince David Igorevich blinded Prince Vasilko. The princes gathered again for a congress in Vyatichenia in 1100, and deprived David of Volhynia; at the suggestion of Vladimir Monomakh, they decided at the Dolobsky congress, in 1103, to undertake a joint campaign against the Polovtsy, the Russians defeated the Polovtsy on the Sala River (in 1111) and took a multitude of people: Cattle, sheep, horses, etc. Some Polovtsian princes killed up to 20 people . The fame of this victory spread far among the Greeks, Hungarians and other Slavs. Russian lands.
Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125)
Despite the seniority of the Svyatopolk II, after the death of Svyatopolk II, Vladimir Monomakh was elected to the throne of Kiev, who, according to the chronicle, "wished well the brethren and the whole Russian land." He stood out for his great abilities, rare intelligence, courage and tirelessness. He was happy in campaigns against the Polovtsians. He humbled the princes with his severity. The “teaching to children” left by him is remarkable, in which he gives a purely Christian moral teaching and tall example service of the prince to his homeland.
Mstislav - I (1125-1132)
Resembling his father Monomakh, the son of Monomakh, Mstislav I, lived in harmony with his brothers in mind and character, inspiring respect and fear in recalcitrant princes. So, he expelled the Polovtsian princes who disobeyed him to Greece, and instead of them in the city of Polotsk he planted his son to rule.
Yaropolk (1132-1139)
Mstislav's brother, Yaropolk, the son of Monomakh, decided to transfer the inheritance not to his brother Vyacheslav, but to his nephew. Thanks to the strife that arose from here, the "Monomakhovichi" lost the throne of Kiev, which passed to the descendants of Oleg Svyatoslavovich - the "Olegovichi".
Vsevolod - II (1139-1146)
Having achieved the great reign, Vsevolod wanted to secure the throne of Kiev in his own way and handed it over to his brother Igor Olegovich. But not recognized by the people of Kiev and tonsured a monk, Igor was soon killed.
Izyaslav - II (1146-1154)
The people of Kiev recognized Izyaslav II Mstislavovich, who, with his intelligence, brilliant talents, courage and friendliness, vividly resembled his famous grandfather Monomakh. With the accession to the throne of Izyaslav II, the concept of seniority, which was rooted in ancient Rus', was violated: In one way, a nephew during the life of his uncle could not be a Grand Duke. Between Yuri Vladimirovich, Prince of Rostov-Suzdal, and Izyaslav-II, a stubborn struggle begins. Izyaslav was twice expelled from Kyiv, but still retained the throne until his death.
Yuri Dolgoruky (1154-1157)
The death of Izyaslav II opens Yuri, later named Dolgoruky by the people, access to the throne of Kyiv, on which, three years later, he dies as a Grand Duke.
Mstislav - II (1157-1169)
After long strife between the princes, Mstislav II Izyaslavovich is approved for the throne of Kiev. He is expelled from there by Andrei Yurievich, nicknamed Bogolyubsky. At the same time, Andrei ruined Kyiv (1169).
Andrei Bogolyubsky (1169-1174)
Having taken the grand ducal title, Andrey Yuryevich transferred the throne to Vladimir on the Klyazma, and since then Kyiv began to lose its leading position. Severe and strict Andrey wanted to be autocratic, that is, to rule Russia without a vecha and retinues. Andrei Bogolyubsky mercilessly pursued the disgruntled boyars, they plotted on Andrei's life and killed him.
General characteristics of the 3rd century
After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the Russian land was divided among his sons according to their relative seniority and according to the relative profitability of the regions: The older the prince was, the better and richer the region was given to him. When someone from the princely family died, the younger relatives who followed the deceased moved from volost to volost. This redistribution of land in the 12th century was replaced by destinies, when one princely line was established in a certain area. But the usual order of princely possession was often violated by the disastrous quarrels of the princes, all the more disastrous because at that time the Black Sea steppe was occupied by the Polovtsy instead of the Pechenegs. However, if not in the south, then Slavic colonization (mainly Novgorod) rises to the east and northeast of Rus'. The head of the region was still the prince, who consulted with the boyars from the combatants. Legislative power belonged to the veche of the townspeople. The veche in Novgorod was especially important and for a long time. The region was divided into districts (vereyas, churchyards), ruled by persons appointed by the prince. The court was created by princely judges (tiuns) according to a collection of customary law, i.e., on the basis of folk customs of "Russian truth". The church, which was in charge of family, religious and moral order, took a wide part in worldly affairs. Preachers Hilarion, Cyril, hegumen Daniel were famous at that time, visited the holy land and left a pious description of his pilgrimage.
Thus, in this century, under the influence of the church, religious faith develops, family life and moral foundations, the colonization of the Slavic tribes takes place, the judiciary is organized, for which the collection of laws "Russian Truth" serves as a guide, but the fragmentation of the Russian land into appanages and the resulting strife and wars do not allow the establishment of a general state order, and entail a weakening forces of the people and bring on enslavers-Tatars, only the preaching of humility, humility and love supports and approves of the people in bearing all the hardships of life.
4th century, list of events
Vsevolod - III (1176-1212)
After the struggle and strife that arose after the death of Andrei Bogolyubsky between the ancient (Rostov, Suzdal) and new (Vladimir, Pereslavl) cities of the Suzdal region, Andrei's brother, Vsevolod III "Big Nest" (father of a large family) established himself in Vladimir. The prince was far-sighted and firm, having reached a great degree of courage - he, not living in Kyiv, however, bore the title of Grand Duke and was the first of the Russian princes to make him swear allegiance "to himself and his children."
Constantine - I (1212-1219)
The Grand Duke's throne was transferred by Vsevolod III not to his eldest son Konstantin, with whom he was dissatisfied, but to his second son Yuri. In the strife that arose from here, the third son of Vsevolod, Yaroslav, also held the side of Yuri, but Mstislav Udaloy took the side of Konstantin. Konstantin and Mstislav won (the battle of Lipetsk in 1216) and Konstantin took the grand throne. After his death, the throne passed to Yuri.
Yuri - II (1219-1238)
Yuri waged successful wars with the Mordovians and the Volga Bulgarians. At the very extreme point of Russian possessions on the Volga, he built Nizhny Novgorod. During his reign in the southeast of Europe, the Mongols appeared from Central Asia in 1224 under Kalka (now within the borders of Yekaterinoslav), the Mongols inflicted a terrible defeat first on the Polovtsy, who roamed the southern Russian steppes, and then on the Russian princes who came to the aid of the Polovtsy. The Mongols put the captive princes under the boards and sat down to feast on them. After the battle of Kalka, the Mongols left for Central Asia and returned only 13 years later under the leadership of Batu, they ruined the principality of Ryazan, Suzdal, defeated the great army of the Grand Duke at the City River, with which Yuri fell here, smashed southern Rus' for two years and destroyed Kiev. All Russian principalities had to recognize the heavy Tatar yoke over themselves, the city of Saray on the Volga River became the capital of the horde.
Yaroslav - II (1238-1252)
Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Prince of Novgorod, by the grace of the Khan of the Golden Horde, sat on the throne of the Grand Duke. He actively took care of the restoration of Rus' devastated by the Mongols.
Alexander Nevsky (1252-1263)
Alexander Yaroslavovich, was at first a prince of Novgorod. In 1240, he defeated the Swedes on the Neva and was nicknamed Neva for this victory: They say that Alexander Nevsky himself beat many Swedes and "impressed the face of the leader Birger with his sharp spear." Two years later, Alexander destroyed the German army in the "battle on the ice" : In addition, he successfully waged wars with Lithuania and the Chud. Having received the khan's label for a great reign, Alexander became an "intercessor and intercessor" for the Russian land. Four times he went to the horde with a bow, taking a lot of silver and gold to the khans. Alexander Nevsky was canonized, and Peter the Great transferred his relics to St. Petersburg to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Daniel - I (1229-1264)
While the Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky acted in the north-east of Rus', Daniel Romanovich reigned in the south-west of Rus'. Clever, brave and noble Daniil Romanovich Galitsky, after the invasion of the Tatars, again brought his possessions to a flourishing state. The crusade against the Tatars promised to him by the Pope did not take place, and Daniel had to put up with the Mongols in order to protect southwestern Rus' from the heavy yoke. Upon the termination of his family, the Polish king Casimir III, in 1340, took possession of Galicia.
General characteristics of the 4th century
During this period, the importance of southwestern Rus' gradually decreases. Princely strife, heavy taxation of the lower classes of the population, the continuous attack on Rus' by the steppe nomads of the Polovtsy - all this drives the people from the Dnieper region, on the one hand, to the region of the river. Vistula, on the other hand - to the northeast, beyond the river. Ugra in the interfluve of the Oka and Volga. Thanks to this, the Vladimir-Suzdal land in the northeast is growing stronger, cities are being built, trade and industry are being revived, and a Great Russian people is taking shape. Andrei Bogolyubsky puts forward the idea of a strong individual princely power. Vladimir on the Klyazma is gradually becoming the new political center of Rus'. The process of new development is delayed by the Tatar invasion. The Tatars, having devastated Rus', imposed another tribute on it (at first it was collected by the khan's officials "Baskaki", and then the princes themselves). Fortunately, the Tatars were far away and did not interfere in internal management Rus' did not hamper the Orthodox Church. But nevertheless, the influence of the Tatar yoke was heavy: No wonder the proverbs were formed: “Worse than the evil Tatar”, “the guest is not fit, worse than the Tatar”, etc. there is a lot of rudeness in our life (corporal punishment, seclusion of women, cunning and deceptions of oppression of the weak). Only faith and piety continue to support the Russian people in the difficult times of the Tatar region. Exhausted by material and spiritual needs, Russian people found solace in prayer in monasteries, churches, and parishes.
5th century, list of events
Yaroslav - III (1264-1272)
After the death of Alexander Nevsky, the dispute between Vasily and Yaroslav, Alexander's brothers, because of the grand prince's throne, was resolved by the khan in favor of Yaroslav, in addition, he had previously been invited by the Novgorodians to reign, but could not get along with them, called on them even the Tatars . The metropolitan reconciled the prince with the Novgorodians, and the prince was again "led by them to the cross."
Basil - I (1272-1276)
Vasily I, of Kostroma, having received the grand prince's throne in the old order, revealed his claims to Novgorod, where Dmitry, the son of Alexander Nevsky, already reigned. He soon achieved his goal. The desire of each Grand Duke to take possession of Novgorod was explained by the desire to strengthen his own principality, weakened by division into appanages.
Dmitry - I (1276-1294)
The great reign of Dmitry I of Pereslavl flowed almost entirely in the struggle with his brother Andrei Alexandrovich because of the grand prince's rights. Dmitry escaped three times from his brother and the Tatar regiments accompanying him, but returning, thanks to his allies, he again asserted himself on the throne. After the third flight, he finally asked Andrei for peace and received his Pereslavl principality.
Andrew - II (1294-1304)
Pursuing the greatest possible expansion of his possessions at the expense of other principalities, Andrei Alexandrovich decided to take possession of Pereslavl, in which Prince Ivan Dmitrievich died childless. Hence, civil strife arose between Tver and Moscow, this dispute continued even after Andrei's death.
Saint Michael (1304-1319)
Mikhail Yaroslavovich of Tver, having given more output (tribute) to the khan, received a label for the great reign mainly before Yuri Danilovich, the prince of Moscow. But while he was at war with Novgorod, Yuri, with the help of the treacherous Khan's ambassador Kavgady, managed to slander Mikhail before Khan Uzbek. The Uzbek summoned Mikhail to the horde, where he tortured him for a long time, and then gave him into the hands of the killers. At the same time, Michael, in order not to bring misfortune on the heads of his neighbors, did not agree to take advantage of the opportunity to escape.
Yuri - III (1320-1326)
Having married the sister of Khan Konchak, in Orthodoxy Agafya, Yuri gained great strength and help in the person of the Tatars who were related to him. But soon, thanks to the claims of Prince Dmitry, the son of Mikhail, who was tortured by Khan, he had to appear for a report to the horde. Here, at the first meeting with Dmitry, Yuri was killed by him, in revenge for the death of his father and for the violation of morality (marrying a Tatar). Content
Dmitry - II (1326)
Dmitry Mikhailovich, nicknamed "terrible eyes" for the murder of Yuri III, was executed by the Khan for arbitrariness.
Alexander of Tver (1326-1338)
Brother of Dmitry executed in the Horde -II Alexander Mikhailovich was approved by the Khan on the throne of the Grand Duke. He was distinguished by his kindness and was loved by the people, but he ruined himself by allowing the Tverichians to kill the hated Khan's ambassador Shchelkan. Khan sent 50,000 Tatar army against Alexander. Alexander fled from the Khan's wrath to Pskov, and from there to Lithuania. Ten years later, Alexander of Tver returned and was forgiven by the khan. Not getting along, however, with the prince of Moscow, John Kalita, Alexander was slandered by him before the khan, the khan summoned him to the horde and executed him.
John I Kalita (1320-1341)
John -I Danilovich, the cautious and cunning prince, nicknamed Kalita (money purse) for his thrift, devastated the Tver principality with the help of the Tatars, taking advantage of the violence of the indignant Tverichans against the Tatars. He took upon himself the collection of tribute from all over Rus' for the Tatars, and having greatly enriched himself thanks to this, he bought cities from the specific princes. In 1326, thanks to the efforts of Kalita, the metropolis from Vladimir was transferred to Moscow, and here, according to Metropolitan Peter, the Assumption Cathedral was laid. Since then, Moscow, as the seat of the Metropolitan of All Rus', has acquired the significance of the Russian center.
Simeon the Proud (1341-1353)
To Simeon Ioannovich, who inherited the throne of the Grand Duke after John I, the Tatar Khan “gave all the Russian princes under his hand,” calling himself the prince of all Rus'. Simeon treated other Russian princes as his henchmen, he died childless from a pestilence.
John - II (1353-1359)
According to the will of brother Simeon the Proud, John II Ivanovich, the meek and peaceful prince, followed the advice of Metropolitan Alexei, who was of great importance in the Horde, in everything. During this time, relations between Moscow and the Tatars have improved significantly.
General characteristics of the 5th century
Thanks to many favorable conditions, the importance of Moscow is growing. Convenient geographical position between southwestern and northeastern Russia and protection from external enemies attracts more and more people here. Clever and practical princes of Moscow take advantage of increasing incomes to expand their destinies. Great importance had the fact that the metropolitan moved to Moscow. Moscow's ecclesiastical significance also strengthened its political role. Simultaneously with the gathering of northeastern Rus' near Moscow, a Lithuanian state was formed in the southwest.
Thus, the suffering and misfortune of the people, the humiliation of princely power under the influence of the heavy oppression of the Tatar khans, little by little, causes the consciousness of the need to unite power. The center of the association is revealed - Moscow. All that is needed is strength and energy in order for the association to grow stronger and it would be possible to overthrow the oppressor - the Tatars. Not a small role is played in this association by representatives of the church, who, with their word, influence both the princes and the people.
6th century, list of events
Dmitry - III of the Don (1363-1389)
When John II died, his son Dmitry was still underage, so the Khan gave the great reign to Dmitry Konstantinovich of Suzdal (1359-1363). But the Moscow boyars, who benefited from the strengthening of the Moscow prince, achieved a great reign for Dmitry Ioannovich. Dmitry Konstantinovich submitted to power, and other princes of northeastern Rus' also submitted to Dmitry Ioannovich. Meanwhile, the attitude of Rus' towards the Tatars has changed significantly. Civil strife in the horde gave Dmitry not to pay tribute to the Tatars at all. Khan Mamai decided to remind Rus' of the times of Batu and, in alliance with Jagiello, the prince of Lithuania, moved a huge army to Russian soil. Prince Dmitry, with the princes subject to Moscow, went to meet Mamai, having previously received a blessing from St. Sergius at the Trinity Monastery. The battle of Dmitry with Mamai on the Kulikovo field, near the Don River, on September 8, 1380, ended in the triumph of the Russians, although, according to the chronicle, due to losses, "the whole Russian land was completely impoverished by governors and all sorts of troops." The need for unity in order to repulse the enemy has now become especially recognized in Rus'. Dmitry, nicknamed Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo, until the end of his days did not stop caring about the strengthening of Moscow.
Basil - I (1389-1425)
Sharing with the father of the reign, Vasily I ascended the throne as an experienced prince and, following the example of his predecessors, actively expands the boundaries of the Moscow principality: he acquired Nizhny Novgorod and other cities. In 1395, Rus' was threatened by the danger of an invasion by Timur, a formidable Tatar Khan. Meanwhile, Vasily did not pay tribute to the Tatars, but collected it in the grand ducal treasury. In 1408, the Tatar Murza Edigey attacked Moscow, but having received a ransom of 3,000 rubles, he lifted the siege from it. In the same year, after long disputes between Vasily I and Lithuanian prince Vitovt, both cautious and cunning, the Ugra River was appointed the extreme border of Lithuanian possessions from Rus'.
Basil - II Dark (1425-1462)
Vasily II's infancy was taken advantage of by Yuri Dmitrievich Galitsky, who declared his claims to seniority. But at the trial in the horde, the khan leaned in favor of Vasily, thanks to the efforts of the smart Moscow boyar Ivan Vsevolozhsky. The boyar hoped to marry his daughter to Vasily, but was deceived in his hopes: Offended, he left Moscow to Yuri Dmitrievich and assisted him in mastering the grand throne, on which Yuri died in 1434, when Yuri's son Vasily oblique decided to inherit his father's power, then all the princes rebelled against him. Vasily II captured him and blinded him: Then Dmitry Shemyaka, brother of Vasily Kosoy, by cunning captured Vasily II, blinded him and took the Moscow throne. Soon, however, Shemyaka had to give the throne to Vasily II. During the reign of Vasily II, the Greek metropolitan Isidore accepted the Florentine union (1439), for which Vasily II put Isidore in custody, and Ryazan Bishop John was appointed metropolitan. Thus, from now on, Russian metropolitans are supplied by a council of Russian bishops. During the last years of the grand reign, the internal structure of the grand duchy was the subject of the main concerns of Vasily II.
General characteristics of the 6th century
The process of unification of Rus' around Moscow continued. Rivalry with Lithuania begins as a result of the desire of Moscow and Lithuania to unite the entire Russian people under their rule. The chances of both were more or less the same, until the Lithuanian prince Jagiello married the Polish queen Jadwiga and thus began the Polish influence in Rus'. Such a strengthening of Lithuania made many reach out to Moscow as the all-Russian center. With the gradual rise of Moscow, the great princes of Moscow sought to destroy the dominion of the Tatar khans, which is favored by the falling away from the golden horde of two khanates - Crimean and Kazan. And so, the desire for unification grows stronger, favorable circumstances come to light: On the one hand, the rise of Moscow, on the other, the weakening of the Tatars, the disintegration of their formidable power. The attempts of the princes to overthrow the yoke begin to acquire more chances of success, and a new road shines before Russia.
7th century, list of events
John - III (1462-1505)
Adopted by his father as a co-ruler, John III Vasilievich ascended the throne as the full owner of Rus'. At first, he severely punished the Novgorodians who decided to become a subject of Lithuania, and in 1478 "for a new offense" he finally subdued them. During this veche, the Novgorodians lost their self-government, and the Novgorod posadnitsa Maria and the veche bell were sent to the camp of John. In 1485, after the final conquest of other appanages more or less dependent on the Moscow principality, John finally annexed the Tver principality to Moscow. By this time, the Tatars were divided into three independent hordes: Golden, Kazan and Crimean. They were at enmity with each other and were no longer afraid of the Russians. Having secured himself from the Kazan Tatars and entered into an alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey, John III in 1480 tore the Khan's basma, ordered the Khan's ambassadors to be taken to execution, and then, without bloodshed, overthrew the Tatar yoke. John also emerged victorious in the fight against Lithuania, Alexander of Lithuania ceded the northern region to John. Widowed back in 1467, John III entered into marriage with Sophia Palaiologos, the last Byzantine princess, and combined the coat of arms of the Moscow principality, depicting George the Victorious, with the double-headed eagle of the Byzantine Empire. From that time on, John surrounds himself with splendor and luxury, enters into intercourse with Western Europe, in relation to the boyars is already showing more independence. He cared a lot about the external decoration of the capital, erected cathedrals in Moscow: Assumption, Arkhangelsk, Annunciation, built a stone palace, the Palace of Facets and several towers of the Moscow Kremlin. In 1497, John published a collection of laws called "Sudebnik". Since the time of John III, the right to mint coins belongs only to the Grand Duke of Moscow.
Basil - III (1505-1533)
The son of John -III from his marriage with Sophia Paleologus Vasily -III was distinguished by pride and impregnability, punished the descendants of appanage princes and boyars subject to him, who dared to rebuke him. He is "the last collector of the Russian land." Having annexed the last appanages (Pskov, the northern principality), he completely destroyed the appanage system. He fought twice with Lithuania, on the teaching of the Lithuanian nobleman Mikhail Glinsky, who entered his service, and, finally, in 1514, he took Smolensk from the Lithuanians. The war with Kazan and the Crimea was difficult for Vasily, but ended in the punishment of Kazan: Trade was diverted from there to the Makaryev fair, which was later transferred to Nizhny. Vasily divorced his wife Solomonia and married Princess Elena Glinskaya, the more he aroused the boyars dissatisfied with him. From this marriage, Vasily had a son, John.
Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538)
Appointed by Vasily III as the ruler of the state, the mother of three-year-old John, Elena Glinskaya, immediately took drastic measures against the boyars who were dissatisfied with her. She made peace with Lithuania and decided to fight the Crimean Tatars, who boldly attacked Russian possessions, but in the midst of preparing for a desperate struggle, she died suddenly.
John - IV the Terrible (1538-1584)
Left at the age of 8 in the hands of the boyars, the intelligent and talented Ivan Vasilievich grew up among the struggle of parties over the rule of the state, among violence, secret murders and incessant exile. He himself often endured oppression from the boyars, he learned to hate them, and the cruelty, violence and rudeness that surrounded him contributed to the hardening of his heart. In 1547, John was married to the kingdom and was the first of the Russian sovereigns to take the title of "Tsar of Moscow and All Rus'." The marriage of John to Anastasia Romanova, thanks to the wonderful spiritual qualities of the latter, had a beneficial effect on him. At the same time, unrest and disasters that began in the capital and terrible fires had a strong effect on the impressionable John. He brought the honest and kind advisers Sylvester and Adashev closer to him and took up internal affairs. In 1550, the tsar summoned elected officials to the first zemstvo council, which approved the first tsar's judicial code; the following year, a conciliar decree was issued for the clergy, called Stoglav. In 1552, Kazan, which dominated the entire Volga region, was conquered by John, and in 1556 the kingdom of Astrakhan was annexed to the Moscow state. The desire to establish himself on the shores of the Baltic Sea forced John to start the Livonian War, which brought him into conflict with Poland and Sweden. The war began quite successfully, but ended in the most unfavorable truce for John with Poland and Sweden: John not only did not establish himself on the shores of the Baltic, but also lost the coast of the Gulf of Finland, after the removal of Sylvester and Adashev, who had fallen out of favor, and with the death of meek Empress Anastasia, in character John there was a significant change for the worse, while the flight of Prince Andrei Kurbsky to Poland aroused the suspicion of John in the loyalty of all his boyars. The sad era of "search", disgrace and executions began. John left Moscow, went with his entourage to Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda and here he surrounded himself with guardsmen, whom John opposed to the rest of the land, the Zemstvo. Oprichniki greatly abused their extensive rights. At this time, the holy Metropolitan Philip died, denouncing the king of iniquity. In 1570, John defeated Novgorod, which was reported as if he had entered into secret agreements with Poland. In 1582, the Don Cossacks under the command of Yermak conquered the vast Siberian kingdom to the Muscovite state. Three years before his death, John, in a fit of anger, hit his son John on the head with a rod, and his son died from this blow. John IV received the nickname of the Terrible among the people.
General characteristics of the 7th century
The "gathering" of Rus' is already becoming a conscious and persistent task of the Moscow princes. The last destinies are falling.
The state borders coincide with the ethnographic borders of the Great Russian people. Politics from local, Moscow, turns into national Great Russian. In accordance with this, the importance of the prince also increases: He takes the title of sovereign, and soon the king of all Rus' and the autocrat. The eldest son receives all the advantages over the younger ones. The struggle that arose between the tsar and the boyars (its causes are especially sharply clarified in the correspondence of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with the boyar Andrei Kurbsky) ends in favor of the tsar. The hereditary nobility, the boyars, are pushed aside by the veteran nobles. In the middle of the 16th century, book printing began in Rus'. The first book was printed "Acts and Epistles of the Apostles" (1564). After the overthrow of the Tatar yoke, we again become face to face with Western Europe. Its influence also penetrates to us through southwestern Rus', which has already been drawn into Polish education (culture), especially after the Union of Lublin in 1569. In the 16th century, the Russian Church was also freed from subjugation to the Greek Church. Metropolitans are supplied in Rus' by local bishops at the direction of the Grand Dukes. The clergy and the church continue to act in accordance with the princes. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Joseph-Volokolamsky Monastery provide great support to the latter. Thus, the dawn of a new life lights up: The development of educational influence begins, although internal turmoil, like a legacy that has passed from the specific princes to the formed upper class of the boyars, interferes with the proper development of both state and people's life. The internecine strife of the princes ended - the internecine strife (disputes, parochialism, envy) of the boyars began.
8th century, list of events
Fedor Ioannovich (1584-1598)
The second son of John IV, Fedor, was distinguished by morbidity and weak mental abilities, which is why the government of the state soon passed into the hands of the tsar's brother-in-law, the intelligent and far-sighted boyar Boris Godunov. Having removed all his opponents by disgrace and exile, Godunov surrounded himself with devoted people and became the sovereign ruler of the state. He maintains relations with Western states, builds cities and fortifications on the borders of Rus', and arranged the Arkhangelsk harbor on the White Sea. According to his own idea, an independent all-Russian patriarchate was approved and the peasants were finally attached to the land. In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry, the brother of the childless Tsar Fedor and his heir, was killed, and Fedor himself died six years later.
Boris Godunov (1598-1605)
After the abdication of the throne of Tsarina Irina, the wife of Tsar Fedor and Godunov's sister, Boris's adherents, at the insistence of Patriarch Job, convened a Zemsky Sobor, which elected Boris Godunov. The suspicion of the tsar and the fear of intrigues on the part of the boyars caused disgrace and exile, and the boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov was trimmed under the name of the monk Filaret, and his young son Mikhail was exiled to Beloozero. The boyars became embittered against Boris, and the national disasters that befell the Moscow kingdom - a three-year crop failure and pestilence - prompted the people to blame Tsar Boris for everything. The tsar tried to help the starving, added earnings on government buildings (the bell tower of Ivan the Great), distributed alms, but the people kept murmuring, willingly believing the rumors about the appearance of the legitimate tsar Dmitry. In the midst of preparations for the fight against False Dmitry, Godunov died suddenly, having bequeathed his throne to his son Fyodor.
False Dmitry (1605-1606)
Grigory Otrepyev, said to be a fugitive monk supported by the Poles, declared himself Tsarevich Dmitry, who allegedly escaped the assassins in Uglich. With several thousand people he entered Russia. The army sent to the meeting went over to the side of False Dmitry, who was recognized by them as king, and Fyodor Godunov was killed. False Dmitry was a very developed person, distinguished by intelligence and good nature, diligently engaged in state affairs, but aroused the displeasure of the people and the clergy with disrespect for the old Russian customs. The boyars, having spread the rumor about the impostor of the tsar, led by Vasily Shuisky, plotted and killed False Dmitry.
Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610)
The old, indecisive and inept Vasily Shuisky was elected king by the boyars and townspeople, and his power was limited. Thanks to the rumors about the rescue of the murdered False Dmitry, new troubles began in Russia, which were intensified by the rebellion of the serf Ivan Bolotnikov and the appearance in Tushino of False Dmitry II, the "Tushino thief". The Polish king went to war against Moscow, and his generals scattered the Russian troops. Then Tsar Vasily was "brought down" from the throne and forcibly tonsured a monk. It has come to Russia Time of Troubles interregnum.
Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645)
Thanks to the letters sent by the Trinity Lavra, calling for the defense of the fatherland and Orthodoxy, a large militia led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, with the active participation of the Nizhny Novgorod Zemstvo elder Kozma Minin Sukhoruky, headed for Moscow and, after much effort, liberated the capital from Poles and rebels. On February 21, 1613, the Great Zemstvo Duma elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the tsar, after much persuasion he ascended the throne and set about pacifying internal and external enemies. Mikhail concluded the Stolbovsky agreement with Sweden, the Deulinsky agreement (1618) - with Poland. According to this last treaty, after a long captivity, Filaret, the father of the king, was returned to Russia and was immediately elevated to the rank of patriarch. Filaret became co-ruler and reliable adviser to his son. By the end of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, Russia had already significantly recovered from the horrors of the Time of Troubles and began to enter into friendly relations with Western states.
Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676)
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was one of the best people of ancient Rus'. He not only performed fasts and church rites, but also possessed an ecclesiastical feeling. He was gentle and "much quiet" in character, having offended someone in a short anger, he could not calm down for a long time and sought reconciliation. The closest advisers to the king in the early years were his uncle b. I. Morozov, in the 50s, Patriarch Nikon, at the end of the boyar a. S. Matveev. Taxes unbearable for the people, the injustice of clerks, echoes of the old turmoil, caused a number of popular riots in different cities (Moscow, Solvychegodsk, Ustyug, Novgorod, Pskov, the rebellion of Razin, Bryukhovetsky, etc.) And in different time. The voluntary annexation of Little Russia to the Muscovite state caused two wars between Russia and Poland. Russia managed to endure these heavy blows only thanks to the concentration of power, unity, correctness and continuity in orders. Of the internal orders under Alexander Mikhailovich, the most significant are: the Cathedral Code of 1649 and, as an addition, its new trade charter and new decree articles on robbery and murderous cases and on estates. New central institutions were founded: orders of secret affairs, grain, reitarsky, counting affairs, Little Russian, monastic. Tax classes are finally attached to the place of residence. In the church, Patriarch Nikon undertook the necessaryreform - the correction of liturgical books, which caused a split, however, ie falling away from the Russian church. Russian colonialists in Siberia became famous: A. Bulygin, O. Stepanov, E. Khabarov, and others. New cities appeared: Nerchinsk, Irkutsk, Selenginsk. The best people in Moscow already at that time they created a need for science and reforms. Such are the persons as boyars: A.L. Ordyn-Nashchekin, A.S. Matveev, Prince V. Golitsin. After the death of Tsar Alexei, children remained from his first marriage with Maria Milaslavskaya, two sons: Fedor and John and several daughters, from a second marriage to Natalya Naryshkina, son Peter was born in 1672.
General characteristics of the 8th century
Most of this period is occupied by "distemper in the Muscovite state." The impetus and pretext was the termination of the dynasty, the real reason was the egoism and injustice of the boyars, the ignorance of the people, who had lost the habit of respecting the honor and property of their neighbor during the Tatar yoke, the Cossacks and other "walking" people, and finally, the Poles. Rus' was saved by strong national and religious ties, but having driven the Poles away, the Russians did not completely stop the turmoil, its echoes can be seen in the riots of the time of Alexei Mikhailovich. The supreme power of the XVI-XVII centuries has become so strong that it does not need protection. The rights of the service class are being strengthened and developed; it has taken over a huge amount of land. Peasants are attached to the land in economic interests. The representative of the Russian Church, in accordance with the new order, receives the title of patriarch. The government and the patriarch are busy correcting liturgical books, in which many errors have crept in due to the ignorance and illiteracy of scribes and sometimes translators. This correction was completed under Patriarch Nikon. Many did not recognize correction and fell away from the Orthodox Church.
9th century, list of events
Fedor Alekseevich (1676-1682)
Under Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the so-called Little Russian question ended: Eastern Little Russia and Zaporozhye remained with Moscow, and the western part went to Turkey. Under him, parochialism was abolished - the custom of the Moscow boyars to be considered the service of their ancestors when taking a place in the military and civil service, in court ceremonies and at the royal table. At the insistence of the king, Nikon and Matveev were returned from exile. Tsar Fedor Alekseevich died childless.
Ivan Alekseevich (1682-1689)
Thanks to the Streltsy rebellion, Ivan Alekseevich, frail and weak-minded, was recognized as tsar along with the unanimously elected Peter Alekseevich, but Tsarevich Ivan did not take any part in state affairs, he died in 1696. The rulers of Russia at this time were Princess Sophia.
Sophia - ruler (1682-1689)
According to the general opinion, Sofia Alekseevna was "of a great mind and the most tender insights, a maiden full of a man's mind." She stopped the unrest of the schismatics, curbed the rebellious archers, concluded a favorable for Russia " eternal peace"with the Poles and the Nerchinsk treaty with China, undertook campaigns against the Crimean Tatars. Sophia fell victim to her love of power. Peter penetrated her plans and imprisoned her in the Novodevichy Convent, where she died in 1704.
Peter the Great (1682-1725)
Tsar Peter the Great Alekseevich belongs to the number of geniuses. His spiritual powers were extraordinary: Quick, high-embracing mind, iron will and unceasing work. Until the age of 10, Peter goes through an old Russian, almost church school, from the age of 10 he becomes a witness to the bloody events of the streltsy rebellion: The intrigues of Sophia the ruler drive him out of the Kremlin palace: technical sciences and trips to palace villages. Peter completes his education abroad. He saw a lot, learned a lot and developed in himself an extraordinary quick wit and efficiency. He demanded the same from others. Giving all of himself to the service of Russia, Peter believed "in her great future." He patronized foreigners not for their own sake, but for the sake of developing the sciences, arts, factories and trade in the country. Even before traveling abroad, Peter took the fortress of Azov from the Turks. In 1700, in alliance with Denmark and Poland, Peter launched the northern war against Sweden. The first military operations of the Russians against the Swedes, who fought under the command of their young but gifted King Charles XII, were unsuccessful and ended in a major defeat for the Russian troops near Narva: But soon, thanks to Peter's tireless training of new regiments to fight the enemy, the Swedes began to suffer from the Russians defeat. Peter took the Swedish fortress Noteburg in Ingria, an ancient nutlet, renamed it Shlisselburg and in 1703 founded on the banks of the Neva new capital Petersburg, and on the island of Kotlin laid the fortress of Kronstadt. With the foundation of St. Petersburg, Peter created a strong fortress that provided Russia with access to the Baltic Sea, a convenient port to which many trade routes were drawn from the Russian north and from the center, and finally, a new capital that facilitated our relations with Western Europe. Meanwhile, Charles XII, having conquered Poland and using the help of the traitor Mazepa, the Little Russian hetman, quickly moved to Little Russia and here in 1709 laid siege to the city of Poltava. The Poltava battle ended in the complete triumph of Peter, Charles XII fled to Turkey and caused the Prut campaign, which was unsuccessful for Russia. Russia had to abandon Azov, for which the ongoing northern war was happy and ended with the Nishtad peace, according to which Sweden abandoned Livonia, Estonia, Ingria and part of Finland with the city of Vyborg. Peter was given the title of emperor of all Russia. Of Peter's internal transformations, the most remarkable are: The destruction of the patriarchate in 1700 and the transfer of management of all church affairs into the hands of the "locum tenens of the patriarchal throne", and since 1721 the holy synod, the establishment of the governing senate, in 1711, instead of the former boyar duma, - instead of the collegium "orders", for each individual industry government controlled, the transformation of estates, the division of the state into 12 provinces and the establishment of court courts in the most important cities, the organization of special schools and colleges and the creation of regular troops. Everywhere, directly involved in everything, the sovereign reformer cared about the development of Russian trade and industry, about stopping the seclusion of women, about softening the morals of society, about improving the life of the lower strata of the people and had a remarkable ability to choose his associates, among whom are known: Menshikov, Sheremetiev, Dolgoruky , the brothers Golitsyn, Kurakin, Matveev, Shafirov, Yaguzhinsky and foreigners - Osterman, Bruce, Minich and others. Peter's son from his divorced wife Lopukhina, Tsarevich Alexei, for his obvious disgust at his father's transformations, was put on trial by Peter. The prince was sentenced to death, but the prince died before the execution of the sentence. From Peter's second marriage to Ekaterina Alekseevna, two daughters were born: Anna and Elizaveta. Peter died of a cold while rescuing drowning soldiers during the great flood and was named the Great in posterity.
Catherine - I (1725-1727)
Peter the Great did not leave a will. The throne passed to his wife Catherine not without a struggle between different parties. Catherine I opened the Academy of Sciences in 1726, sent Bering to trip around the world and, at the request of Menshikov and his other supporters, established a Supreme Privy Council, Menshikov seized government power and persuaded the Empress to appoint Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich, son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, as heir, and allow him, upon reaching adulthood, to marry Menshikov's daughter , Princess Mary. At the time of the infancy of Tsarevich Peter, Menshikov was appointed ruler of the state.
Peter - II (1727-1730)
Peter II was not king for a long time and, moreover, all the time under the influence of others. The greedy and autocratic Menshikov fell, but long-handed ones advanced. To strengthen their influence, they tried in every possible way to distract the emperor from doing business with fun and entertainment, they decided to marry him to Princess E. A. Dolgoruky. This intention was prevented by the early death of Peter from smallpox.
Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740)
The Supreme Privy Council decided to limit the autocracy and chose the daughter of Tsar John Alekseevich, the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, but she was crowned autocratic empress. The Supreme Privy Council was destroyed, it was replaced by an equal Cabinet. The Russian nobles gave way to the Courlander Biron and the Germans Munnich and Ostern. Management was cruel and disastrous for Russia: At the slightest displeasure, "word and deed" was heard, and those who grumbled were tortured, executed or exiled. In 1733, Russia intervened in the affairs of Poland, and this war cost big sacrifices: Persia was returned and the areas conquered under Peter I. Of the internal orders of Anna Ioannovna, the most worthy of attention are: Limiting the service life of the nobles to 25 years, the destruction of the law on uniform inheritance, the foundation of the cadet corps in St. Petersburg, the increase in the guard by Izmailovsky and horse regiments. Anna Ioannovna, before her death, appointed the infant Ivan Antonovich, the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna, as the heir to the throne, and confirmed Biron as regent of the state. However, Biron was soon overthrown, and Anna Leopoldovna, who was completely incapable of governing the state, was declared the ruler.
Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761)
Many were dissatisfied with the reign of Anna Leopoldovna. The guards made a coup and proclaimed the daughter of Peter the Great, Tsarina Elizabeth, the empress. Anna Petrovna's son, Pyotr Fedorovich, was appointed her heir in order to strengthen the throne. Under Elizabeth, Russia waged two wars: the Swedish and the so-called seven years. The war with Sweden ended with peace in Abo in 1743, according to which a part of Finland was annexed to Russia up to the Kyumeni River. Taking part in the seven-year (Austria and France with Prussia) war, Elizaveta Petrovna, in the person of her generals, greatly constrained the Prussian King Frederick II, but the death of the Empress served to stop further hostilities against Prussia. Of the internal measures of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the destruction of the Cabinet is the most important. The Empress returned the senate to its former importance. She restored the former magistrate. In 1744, a decree was issued to abolish death penalty for criminal offences. Divided Russia into five recruiting districts, established order in recruitment. In 1754, the establishment of the first loan banks in Russia for nobles and merchants was beneficial, the opening in 1755, according to the plan of Lomonosov, of the first university in Moscow and the foundation in 1756 of the first theater. The zealous associates of the Empress in carrying out reasonable reforms were Counts Peter and Ivan Shuvalov.
Peter - III (1761-1762)
Good-natured, but incapable of governing the vast Russian state, Peter III aroused against himself all sections of Russian society with his attraction to everything German, to the detriment of Russian interests. He reformed the troops on the Prussian model, Friedrich II he made a lot of concessions. The decrees of Peter III on the liberty of the nobility and on the destruction of the secret office were not distinguished by sufficient certainty. The attitude towards the empress pushed her to a coup, on June 28, 1762, Peter III abdicated the throne and soon died alone, abandoned by everyone.
General characteristics of the 9th century
The most important issue of the foreign policy of the Muscovite state during this time is the attitude towards Poland, which captured southwestern Rus'. The annexation of Little Russia to Moscow in 1654 and, in general, Moscow's support for the Russian people and the Orthodox faith in the southwest caused a series of wars with Poland. The time of Peter the Great, being a continuation of the foreign and domestic policy of the state of the 17th century, was marked by special energy in carrying out the reforms outlined by life. In education, Russia is subject to Western European influence. Writers assimilate the Western European literary form and are active assistants to the government in protecting and spreading education (Fyodor Prokopovich, Stefan Yavorsky, Pososhkov, Tatishchev, Kantemir, Lomonosov, Sumarokov).
10th century, list of events
Catherine - II (1762-1796)
The reign of Catherine II is one of the most remarkable after Peter the Great. By nature, Catherine had a great mind and character. Self-education and observation expanded her horizons. With the help of skillfully chosen associates, the empress created a brilliant period in Russian history. In her reign there were two wars with Turkey. In the first, Rumyantsev Zadunaisky and Orlov Chesmensky especially distinguished themselves. Thanks to their victories, Russia acquired the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, and Turkey recognized the independence of Crimea. At the insistence of Potemkin, the Crimea was occupied by the Russians. Cities began to appear in Novorossiya. The Russian Black Sea Fleet appears. Turkey declares a second war. It became famous: Suvorov, the capture of the fortress of Izmail and the victories at Fokshanach and Rymnik. Turkey recognized all the northern shores of the Black Sea as Russian possessions. At the very beginning of her reign, Catherine had to intervene in Polish affairs. Unrest in the Polish state and oppression of dissidents (non-Catholics) was the cause of the Polish Partitions. Under the first section, Russia received most of Livonia and Belarus up to the Dvina, Druch and Dnieper, under the second section the rest of Belarus, Ukraine, Podolia and the eastern part of Polissya and Volhynia, under the third section - Lithuania. The wars with Sweden and Persia were fruitless. The appearance of the plague in Moscow in 1771 and the Pugachev rebellion in 1773-1775 can be attributed to national disasters. More than one external struggle occupied the empress. Its internal transformations are also quite remarkable. First of all, Catherine contributes to the development of estates. She gives a charter to the nobility, a prenatal position. In connection with the estate reforms, a "commission was convened to draft a new code", something like Zemsky Sobor. For the leadership of this commission, Catherine herself wrote a "mandate", but the goal was not completely achieved and the commission was soon disbanded. Regarding the provinces, the empress adhered to a policy of centralization. In 1775, Russia was divided into 50 provinces by the establishment of provinces, with increased power of governors. From an economic point of view, the following are important: The transfer of church property to the management of the savings college, the establishment of a state bank, the introduction of a paying system. Numerous concerns of Catherine II about public health, medical board, smallpox vaccination and education. In St. Petersburg, cadet corps (engineering and artillery), the Smolny Institute for girls, educational houses in Moscow were established, a general charter for public schools was developed, and a Russian academy was opened for the scientific processing of the national language. Catherine II, gifted with literary talent, patronized literature and herself took an active part in it. In her comedies, fairy tales and other articles, she served the cause of education no less than with her laws. In her reign, besides Lomonosov, the most famous were the writers Derzhavin, Fonvizin and Novikov.
Paul - I (1796-1801)
Emperor Paul -I did not approve of the transformations of his sovereign mother and in many respects retreated from her plans and views on the rule of the state. Upon accession to the throne, he wanted to deal exclusively with state affairs and stop preparations for war with France. He was soon forced to come to the aid of European states in the fight against France. He summoned Suvorov out of disgrace and sent him to "save the tsars." The Russians inflicted a number of defeats on the French and made an unprecedented crossing over the Alps (Devil's Bridge), but the allies prevented the end of the matter and Paul I withdrew his troops to Russia. Of the internal transformations of Emperor Paul I, the following are remarkable: "Institutions about the imperial family", about the order of succession to the throne, a significant relief of serfs (3-day corvee), the establishment of new women's institutions and the opening of a university in Derpt.
Alexander - I Blessed (1801-1825)
Raised by his grandmother, the Empress Catherine -II and having received a thorough education, Alexander-I Pavlovich, upon accession to the throne, declared that he would govern "according to the laws and according to the heart" of Catherine II, march according to her wise intentions. The first years of the reign of the young emperor were filled with the brightest hopes. A number of liberation measures of various kinds aroused enthusiasm in society. But more complicated foreign relations diverted attention from internal tasks. Alexander-I was forced to fight Napoleon in the beginning in alliance with Austria, while the Russians were defeated at Austerlitz: Then in alliance with Prussia. After the defeat of the Russians at Friedland, Alexander concluded the peace of Tilsin. Russia adopted the Napoleonic continental system, i.e., pledged not to trade with England. The burden of this system for Russia, the violation of his promises by Napoleon led to a break and the war of 1812. Napoleon, at the head of a huge army, invaded Russia: The Russians began to retreat inland: Generals Barclay de Tolly and Kutuzov (council in Fili) kept such tactics. A bloody battle took place on the Borodino field, but to no avail. Napoleon occupied Moscow, but it was burned by the inhabitants: The French experienced cold and hunger: Then Napoleon moved south: On the way he was defeated at Maloyaroslavets: His army still suffered from a lack of provisions and severe frosts: When crossing the Berezina River, they were almost destroyed the very remains great army. On December 25, 1812, Russia celebrated the liberation of the Russian land from the invasion of "twelve languages". Continuing the fight against Napoleon outside Russia in alliance with Prussia, Austria and Sweden, Alexander I in 1814, after a series of brilliant victories at Kulm, Leipzig and Fer-Champenoise, solemnly entered Paris. In 1815, at the "Congress of Vienna", the Duchy of Warsaw joined Russia and a "holy alliance" was concluded between Russia, Prussia and Austria. Of the reforms of Emperor Alexander I, the most remarkable are: the establishment of the State Council (1800), ministries (1802) and a committee of ministers, the foundation of Kazan, Kharkov and St. Petersburg universities, as well as pedagogical institutes and gymnasiums. Tsarsko-selskoye lyceums and corps, taking measures to organize the peasant class, in order to facilitate their significant life. The most significant associates of the emperor were: At the beginning of Novosiltsev, Stroganov, Kochubey, then Speransky and at the end of the reign of the Arakcheevs. At the end of his reign, the mood of the emperor was felt tired and disappointed. The ardent dreams of youth remained unfulfilled. The reason for this lay in the vagueness of the dreams themselves, the inability to find practical means for their implementation, partly in the absence of employees. Alexander-I entrusted himself to Arakcheev, but Arakcheev aroused dissatisfaction among the people with his military settlements. Emperor Alexander-I died childless.
Nicholas (1825-1855)
As a result of the abdication of Konstantin Pavlovich, brother of Emperor Alexander I, his younger brother Emperor Nicholas I ascended the throne. In the war with Persia, in 1828, he acquired the khanates of Erivan and Nakhichevan in the Turkmenchay world and received a large indemnity. Turkey's war over Greece, which she oppressed, after a series of Russian victories over the Turks, ended with the peace of Andrianopol, according to which the independence of Greece was recognized, the Prut and Danube rivers were defined by the borders of Russia, and the possibility of the safe existence of Serbia was ensured. The Polish uprising after a series of battles was crushed in 1832, the constitution in Poland was destroyed. In 1839, the reunification of the Uniates with the Orthodox Church followed. As a result of a new break with Turkey, to which England, France and Sardinia came to the rescue, Emperor Nicholas I had to endure a stubborn struggle with the strongest enemy. They concentrated in Sevastopol, heroically defended by Russian troops. In 1853, the entire Turkish fleet was destroyed in the battle of Sinop. During the defense of Sevastopol, Emperor Nicholas I suddenly fell ill and died. fruitful activity Emperor Nicholas I on the internal structure of Russia was marked by: Publication in 1830 " complete collection laws Russian empire", 45 volumes (this business was led by Speransky and was generously awarded by the emperor, he was elevated to the dignity of a count and received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called). By taking measures to improve the life of the peasants, the foundation of the Kiev University of St. Vladimir, technological and pedagogical institutes, the military academy, the school of law and the cadet corps, holding the Nikolaev and Tsarsko-Rural railways. In the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, the great writers of the Russian land showed themselves: Karamzin, Zhukovsky, both actually related to the previous reign, Krylov, Griboyedov, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Belinsky. Content
General characteristics of the 10th century
State life is getting more complicated. In foreign policy issues are resolved: Polish, Turkish or Eastern. Having gone through several stages from the most favorable in 1829-1833 to the Sevastopol catastrophe, the Eastern question becomes a pan-European one. Russia is drawn into European politics (the fight against Napoleon, the fight against the European revolution). Internally, the central and regional administrations are being reformed. The productive forces of the country are developing, education is gaining national character especially in the field of art.
11th century, list of events
Alexander - II Liberator (1855-1881)
Alexander II completed a difficult eastern war the Parisian world on very painful conditions for Russia. Russia ceded to Turkey the mouth of the Danube, part of Bessarabia, Kars and pledged not to start a fleet on the Black Sea. Under the Aigun treaty with China in 1858, Russia acquired the vast Amur region, and in 1860 the Ussuri region. In 1864, the Caucasus was finally annexed to Russia, and the leader of the Caucasian highlanders Shamil was captured and sent to Russia. In 1863, the Polish rebellion was pacified, the need to protect the eastern border of Russia from nomadic raids caused our conquest in Central Asia (Turkestan, Khiva). Thanks to some changes in Western Europe, Russia freed itself in 1871 from the harsh conditions of the Paris Treaty: Our right to have a navy on the Black Sea was restored. In 1877, the violence of the Turks against the Orthodox subjects of the Sultan in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the unequal struggle of the Slavic principalities of Serbia and Montenegro with Turkey prompted Emperor Alexander II to take upon himself the protection of the oppressed Christians. The war was fought with varying fortunes against the strongest enemy, and the capture of Kars in 1877 and Plevna with the capture of the Turkish commander-in-chief Osman Pasha were especially remarkable. This war showed the courage and indefatigability of the Russian troops (winter crossing through the Balkans). She ended in 1878. Peace of Sanstefan, which secured the independence of Serbia and Montenegro and established the Bulgarian principality. The Treaty of Sanstephan was amended somewhat at the Congress of Berlin in the same year. The emperor's reign was marked by a number of "great reforms" that significantly advanced Russian life. Of these transformations, the most important are: the liberation of the peasants, in 1861 and the publication of the "regulations on the organization of the peasants", the granting to subjects in 1864 of a public, right, speedy, gracious and native court for all, zemstvo and city self-government, the publication in 1874 of the charter on military compulsory for all classes of the state, the establishment of Novorossiysk universities in Odessa and Warsaw, the foundation of philological institutes in St. Petersburg and Nizhyn "there used to be a legal lyceum" and teacher's seminaries and institutes, the opening of women's gymnasiums and progymnasiums, improving communications. Alexander II died on March 1, 1881 at the hands of assassins. Behind him remains in the offspring the name "liberator".
Emperor Alexander - III (1881-1894)
Experienced in state affairs, already upon accession to the throne, Emperor Alexander III showed a lot of firmness and self-control in government. Emperor Alexander III cared a lot about the needs of the peasant class: He gave him new power in the person of "zemstvo chiefs", established parochial schools, in the interests of improving National economy The Ministry of Agriculture was established. The construction of new railways, of which the most remarkable are Siberian and Central Asian, contributed to the rise of Russian trade and industry. Vigorously concerned about strengthening the military position of Russia and for this purpose strengthening the borders of Russia both from land and from the sea, the emperor adhered to a wise policy of non-interference in European affairs. In 1892, Emperor Alexander III entered into friendly relations with France, which for the first time marked the arrival of the French squadron in Kronstadt. The emperor, after a serious illness, died in Livadia on October 20, 1894. The voice of the people gave him the title of "Tsar-Peacemaker".
Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich
The now prosperously reigning Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, the eldest son of the deceased Emperor Alexander III, with his peace-loving policy and cordial responsiveness, immediately attracted the hearts of both his loyal subjects and the people of the whole world. Remaining faithful to the state traditions of his sovereign father, Tsar Nikolai Alexandrovich, in vigilant concern for the welfare of the people, expressed his love not only for his subjects, but for humanity in general, in a number of manifestos. In this case, the imperial manifesto of August 12, 1898, with a proposal to the powers on general disarmament, is remarkable. A conference of representatives of the powers convened in The Hague to discuss this proposal worked out a number of measures aimed at preventing a bloody clash of peoples.
General characteristics of the 11th century
The grandiose movement of Russia to the east, the protection of peace to the west and south, the "great reforms", the broad development of education. Russian literature and art in general, imbued with a high humane feeling and bright faith in the future of the Russian people, are the subject of our pride and European surprise. Goncharov, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, L. Tolstoy, our artists are known no less in Europe than here.
"The Tale of Bygone Years" is a book that has come down to our times from the 12th century. Its pages tell not only about the events of ancient times, but also help to learn about the life of the great princes, whose activities influenced the birth Old Russian state. Rurik, Oleg, Igor, Svyatoslav, Olga - Nestor paid attention to each of them in the Tale. Thanks to him and numerous studies of scientists, one can understand what they were - the princes of ancient Rus'.
First prince in Rus'
It all started with Rurik, whom the Slavic tribes called to reign in Novgorod. Nestor calls the reason for this decision the civil strife that swept the lands. Together with Rurik, two of his brothers also came, one of whom got Belozer, and the third - Izborsk. In addition, it was the Varangians who came who gave the name to the Russian land, because the genus Rurik was called Rus.
The most mysterious prince
After his death, Oleg took over the reins of government. Of course, Nestor could not ignore this legendary ruler of Rus'. Few facts are known about him, so historians rely on the legend described in The Tale of Bygone Years. It is not known for sure whether Oleg was a relative of Rurik or simply took care of his son, Igor. But he did a lot for Rus' and remained in history as the Prophetic - it was believed that he foresaw the future. Like it or not, you will not know, but he was a prudent politician.
Of course, the princes of ancient Rus' were different in character. Oleg was distinguished by enterprise and militancy. During his reign, the territory of Rus' expanded significantly. In 882 he united:
- north and south of Rus',
- Kyiv and Novgorod.
And Oleg, having decided that it was much more convenient to manage from Kyiv, called it the capital. Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichi, Ulichi, Tivertsy - all these tribes the prince subordinated to Rus'.
Like the first prince in Rus', Oleg did not live long. At that time, men rarely crossed the 35-year mark. Therefore, managers changed frequently. During his activity, Prophetic Oleg not only expanded the territory of Rus', but also engaged in strengthening foreign policy ties. In particular, a campaign was made against Constantinople, where the prince concluded peaceful and very profitable treaties.
Son of Rurik
The famous prince was replaced by the grown-up Igor - the son of Rurik. This happened after the death of the great Oleg, who, according to legend, died from a snake. The Drevlyans tried to separate, but Igor managed to stop them and imposed even more tribute. He had to defend himself from the Pechenegs - hordes of nomads who appeared at the end of the 9th century. The prince not only adequately coped with the task, but also signed a peace treaty with them.
The death of Igor was brought by the Drevlyans, to whom he went for tribute. Historians note that when collecting tribute, the prince was distinguished by cruelty and, having collected the tax, he decided to return and do it again. The Drevlyans did not forgive him for this and cruelly got even with the prince: they bent down the trunks of two trees, tied the ruler of Rus' and let them go. This led to the death of Igor.
Duchess Olga
Svyatoslav was supposed to be Igor's successor. But at that time the heir was too small and Olga, Igor's widow, began to rule Russia. Some sources say that she got married at the age of 10, others say that she met her future husband at a crossing near Pskov. According to the legend described in the Book of Degrees (16th century), she was a boat carrier dressed in men's clothing. Igor became interested in the girl, but she rejected the prince's courtship, saying that it was better to throw herself into the water than to suffer a reproach. And when it was time to look for the bride, the ruler sent for her. Whether it was or not is hard to know. But Olga managed to do a lot.
After the Drevlyans dealt with Igor, they offered Olga to marry their prince, Mala. But the princess not only rejected their proposal, but also cruelly avenged the death of her beloved. Although she ruled only until her son came of age, she actually continued to make decisions even after, while Svyatoslav was on military campaigns.
First of all, assuming the throne, Olga went on a journey through her lands. She created graveyards - strongholds and left stewards there. Instead of engaging in conquests, Olga turned her attention to foreign policy. Thanks to skillful diplomacy, she increased the prestige of Rus', and the state became known in different countries of Europe.
In addition, Olga became the first ruler to adopt Christianity. She was baptized by Constantine - the Byzantine emperor, and at baptism she received the name Elena. But this decision did not affect the baptism of Rus', and even her son remained a pagan.
Great commander
The next prince of the Slavs is Svyatoslav. Military campaigns and conquests - this is how his reign remained in history. On campaigns, he slept and ate like a simple warrior, thereby winning the favor of the squad. He defeated the Khazars, defeated the Yaasmi and the Kosogs, captured the cities of the Bulgarians. The prince died at the hands of the Pechenegs, who waylaid him on his return to Kyiv.
The first Russian princes are outstanding personalities. They lead their family from the middle of the 9th century. They are distinguished by justice to their people and at the same time - rigidity to their neighbors. But at this time, conquest and raids were an integral part of the formation of states. Therefore, the princes expanded the borders of Rus', trying to protect their subjects from enemies.
