Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov (Quiet) (born March 17 (27), 1629 - death January 29 (February 8) 1676) Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of All Russia 1645-1676
Childhood
Alexey Mikhailovich was born in 1629, he was the eldest son of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and his wife Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva.
From the age of five, the young Tsarevich Alexei, under the supervision of B. I. Morozov began to learn to read and write the ABC book, after which he began to read books. At the age of 7 he began to study writing, and at 9 - church singing. By the age of 12, the boy had compiled a small library of books that belonged to him. Among them are mentioned, among other things, the lexicon and grammar published in Lithuania, as well as "Cosmography".
Among the subjects of the Tsarevich's "children's fun" are musical instruments, German maps and "printed sheets" (pictures). Thus, along with the previous educational means, innovations made not without the direct influence of boyar B. I. Morozov.
Accession to the throne
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After the death of his father, 16-year-old Alexei Mikhailovich became the second king of the Romanov dynasty on July 17, 1645. With his accession to the throne, he came face to face with a whole series of disturbing questions that worried Russian life in the 17th century. Too little prepared for the resolution of such cases, he initially submitted to the influence of his former uncle Morozov. However, he soon began to make independent decisions.
Alexei Mikhailovich, as can be seen from his own letters and reviews from foreigners and Russian subjects, had a remarkably gentle, good-natured character; was, according to the clerk of the Ambassadorial order Grigory Kotoshikhin, "much quiet", for which he received the nickname "Quiet".
The character of the king
The spiritual atmosphere among which the sovereign lived, his upbringing, character and reading of church books developed religiosity in him. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he did not drink or eat anything during all fasting periods, and in general he zealously performed church rituals. The veneration of the external rite was also joined by an internal religious feeling, which developed Christian humility in Alexei Mikhailovich. "And to me, a sinner," he writes, "is the local honor, like dust."
Tsarist good nature and humility at times, however, gave way to short-term outbursts of anger. Once the tsar, who was being bled by a German "dohtur", ordered the boyars to try the same remedy. R. Streshnev refused. Alexey Mikhailovich "humbled" the old man with his own hand, but after that he did not know what gifts to appease him with.
In general, the sovereign knew how to respond to someone else's grief and joy. His letters are remarkable in this respect. Few dark sides can be noted in the royal character. He had a rather contemplative, passive, rather than practical, active nature; stood at the crossroads between two directions, old Russian and Western, reconciled them in his worldview, but did not indulge with passionate energy to either one or the other.
Alexey Mikhailovich and Nikon in front of the tomb of St. Philip
Marriage
Thinking of getting married, Alexei Mikhailovich in 1647 chose the daughter of Raf Vsevolozhsky as his wife. However, I had to give up my choice because of intrigues, in which Morozov may have been involved. 1648 - the tsar married Marya Ilyinishna Miloslavskaya. Soon Morozov married her sister Anna. As a result, B. I. Morozov and his father-in-law I. D. Miloslavsky acquired primary importance at the royal court. From this marriage sons were born - the future tsars Fyodor Alekseevich and Ivan V and daughter Sophia.
Salt riot
However, by this time, the results of Morozov's poor internal management were already clearly revealed. 1646, February 7 - on his initiative, a new duty on salt was established by a royal decree and a boyar sentence. It was about one and a half times higher than the market price of salt - one of the main consumer goods of the entire population - and caused strong discontent among the people. To this was added Miloslavsky's abuse and rumors about the sovereign's addiction to foreign customs. All these reasons caused the Salt Riot in Moscow on June 2-4, 1648, and riots in other cities.
The new duty on salt was canceled in the same year. Morozov continued to enjoy the tsarist favor, but no longer had a primary role in the administration of the state. Alexey Mikhailovich matured and no longer needed guardianship. He wrote in 1661 that "his word became terrible in the palace."
Alexey Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon
Patriarch Nikon
But the tsar's gentle, sociable nature needed an advisor and friend. Vladyka Nikon became such a beloved friend. As a metropolitan in Novgorod, where with his characteristic energy he pacified the rebels in March 1650, Nikon gained the trust of the tsar, was ordained patriarch on July 25, 1652, and began to exert direct influence on the affairs of the state.
1653, October 1 - The Zemsky Sobor in Moscow decided to admit Ukraine to Russia. As a result of this, Russia declared on October 23 of the same year the war of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which oppressed the Ukrainians.
During the wars of 1654-1658. Alexei Mikhailovich was often absent from the capital, was, therefore, far from Nikon and by his presence did not restrain the patriarch's lust for power. Returning from military campaigns, he began to be weighed down by his influence. Nikon's enemies took advantage of the Tsar's coolness towards him and began to disrespect the Patriarch. The prideful soul of the archpastor could not bear the grievances. 1658, July 10 - he renounced his dignity and went to the New Jerusalem Resurrection Monastery, which he founded. The king, however, did not soon dare to put an end to this matter. Only in 1666, at the Church Council under the chairmanship of the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch, Nikon was deprived of his bishopric and imprisoned in the Belozersky Ferapontov Monastery.
During the military campaigns, Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov visited the western cities - Vitebsk, Polotsk, Mogilev, Kovno, Grodno, Vilno. There he got acquainted with a way of life similar to the European one. Returning to Moscow, the sovereign made changes in the court situation. Wallpaper (golden leather) and furniture in German and Polish designs appeared inside the palace. The life of ordinary townspeople also gradually changed.
Zemsky Cathedral
Church schism
After the elimination of Nikon, his main innovations were not destroyed - the correction of church books and changes in some religious rites (the form of church bows, baptism with three fingers, the use of icons only in Greek letters for worship). Many of the priests and monasteries did not agree to accept these innovations. They began to call themselves Old Believers, and the official Russian Orthodox Church began to call them schismatics. 1666, May 13 - in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, one of the leaders of the Old Believers, Archpriest Avvakum, was anathematized.
Internal unrest
Particularly stubborn resistance was shown by the Solovetsky Monastery; besieged in 1668 by government troops, it was taken by voivode Meshcherinov on January 22, 1676, the rebels were hanged.
Meanwhile, in the south, the Don Cossack Stepan Razin revolted. Having robbed the caravan of Shorin's guest in 1667, Razin moved to Yaik, took the Yaik town, plundered Persian ships, but in Astrakhan he confessed. In May 1670, he again went to the Volga, took Tsaritsyn, Cherny Yar, Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara and raised the Cheremis, Chuvash, Mordovians, Tatars to revolt. Razin's army near Simbirsk was defeated by Prince Yu. Baryatinsky. Razin fled to the Don and, extradited there by the ataman Kornil Yakovlev, was executed in Moscow on May 27, 1671.
Soon after the execution of Razin, a war began with Turkey over Little Russia. The war ended with a 20-year peace only in 1681.
The results of the board of Alexei Mikhailovich
Of the internal orders under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the founding of new central institutions (orders) is remarkable: Secret Affairs (no later than 1658), Khlebny (no later than 1663), Reitarsky (from 1651), Accounting Affairs, busy checking the parish, expenses and balances of monetary amounts (since 1657), Little Russian (since 1649), Lithuanian (in 1656-1667), Monastyrsky (in 1648-1677)
Financially, there have also been several changes. In 1646 and subsequent years, a census of tax households with their adult and minor male population was carried out. By the decree of April 30, 1654, it was forbidden to levy small customs duties (myt, travel duties and anniversary) or to give them at the mercy.
Due to the lack of funds, copper money was issued in many. Since the 1660s, the copper ruble began to be valued 20-25 times cheaper than the silver one. As a result, the ensuing terrible high cost caused a popular rebellion on July 25, 1662, called the Copper Riot. The rebellion was pacified by the expulsion of the streltsy army against the insurgent people.
By a decree of June 19, 1667, it was ordered to start building ships in the village of Dedinovo on the Oka.
In the field of legislation, the Sobornoye Ulozhenie was drawn up and published - a set of laws of the Russian state (published for the first time on May 7-20, 1649). It was supplemented in some respects by the New Trade Regulations of 1667, New Kazak Articles on Robbery and Murderous Deeds in 1669, New Kazak Articles on Manors of 1676.
During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, the colonization movement continued to Siberia. Famous in this respect: A. Bulygin, O. Stepanov, E. Khabarov and others. The cities of Nerchinsk (1658), Irkutsk (1659), Selenginsk (1666) were founded.
The last years of his reign. Death
In the last years of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich at the royal court, A. S. Matveev. 2 years after the death of M. I. The Miloslav Sovereign married a relative of Matveyev, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (January 22, 1671). From this marriage, Alexei Mikhailovich had a son - the future emperor Peter 1.
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov died on January 29, 1676 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
M. Vostryshev