Feat of Minin and Pozharsky. True patriots of Russia

12 years in Russia Troubles. 12 years after the death of Ivan the Terrible shakes, as in a fever. For 12 years, there is neither a permanent ruler nor a government. There is a famine in the country, poor harvests. There are countless impostors and just wanting to take possession of the deserted throne. For a hundred years the Crimean Tatars did not attack, but they take advantage of the moment and reach Moscow and rob everything along the way. Both the Swedes and the Poles come to claim the throne. Roads and forests are ravaged by bands of robbers. In this situation, Minin and Pozharsky's militia gathered to save the country.

Tsar Boris

After the death of Ivan IV for some time on the throne was his sickly son Fyodor Ivanovich, married to Irina Godunova. When he is working "tutelary council", consisting of boyars. But his members quarrel with each other quickly. As a result, the brother of the queen, Boris Godunov, is gaining a lot of strength. He is a man of the state mind, but unlucky. On his advice, Fyodor releases the nobles from paying duties, strengthens the status of the higher ranks of the church, and, finally, improves the position of merchants and artisans by the construction of new cities. Tsar Feodor, dying, has no children, and his younger brother Dmitri, under mysterious circumstances, perishes in Uglich. There is no longer a dynasty of Rurik. The Zemsky Sobor elects Tsar Boris Godunov as tsar. The chain of accidents and regularities did not allow the dynasty to found a new king. The totality of events that occurred after this event caused the feat of Minin and Pozharsky. Three years in Russia, natural disasters and famine: rains flooded crops, early frosts beat the crop. There is a rumor in the country that the new king is not pleasing to God. Many peasants flee to the south, retaining hatred for their former masters. The old Moscow nobility, jealous of Godunov, in every possible way hinders his actions, and, at last, neighbors - the Poles and Swedes became animated, seeing the weakness of the country. They actively interfere in its affairs, sending troops to Russia. This later will determine the feat of Minin and Pozharsky as saviors of the Fatherland.

Who is the first applicant to the throne?

Adventurer, who appropriated to himself the name of the Tsarevich Dmitry, who died in Uglich. Having made a promise to the Polish King Sigismund III to lead Orthodox Russia to Catholicism, impostor Dmitry I invaded with detachments on the territory of Russia. He did not skimp on promises to give Russian cities and lands to those who gave him money for the militia, and therefore collected a considerable army. In addition, luck was with him. Suddenly, Tsar Boris died, who was preparing a replacement. But the young Tsarevich Fyodor Borisovich was weak and, as circumstances show, the throne did not deter. The henchmen of False Dmitri I, who entered Moscow, will simply be killed. And False Dmitri himself was afraid of the Russian boyars. Tsar Boris is no more, and he is superfluous. Boyars themselves need power. Strengthening his position, he marries the Catholic Marina Mnishek, counting on the help of her father-voevody. The Orthodox Tsar and the Catholic are too much. This is the last drop, followed by the indignation of Muscovites. Subsequently, and this will cause the feat of Minin and Pozharsky.

Vasily Shuisky

From the oldest family, entered into velvet books, he became a boyar king while Polish troops were escaping to Moscow to rescue False Dmitri I. Supporters of Shuisky killed a Polish protege in the Kremlin chambers, buried, but did not calm down, unearthed the body and burned. Basil Shuisky elected king. But it was calmer in Russia. An impudent south and southwest did not swear an oath to the new king. Moreover, there were rumors spread by Yuri Mnishek that Dmitri was alive, and the king's double was killed. He ordered that in Sambor there would be a new Dmitry, who later would be called both the second and "Tushino thief." A large army was sent from Moscow to suppress the southern uprising. But more and more detachments joined the rebels, and the tsarist army was routed. The main task was to capture Moscow. Muscovites, realizing what kind of blood they are facing, have teamed up around Shuisky. It was a very shaky balance of strength. The rebels, who were defeated both at Kaluga and at Tula, very much hoped for the emergence of the miraculously saved "Tsar Dmitry Ivanovich." And if Minin and Pozharsky, the saviors of the Fatherland, who did not appear later, do not know what would have ended this bloody story. Meanwhile, False Dmitry II began a campaign against Moscow. Bryansk, Karachev, Kozelsk - everything was in his power. He arranged a camp in Tushino, not far from Moscow. The siege began. The Muscovites began to starve. The people believed in the resurrected "good king", and the cities of Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Pskov joined him. Marina Mnishek immediately recognized the new Dmitry as her husband. However, the young relative of the tsar, a very gifted commander, with a miserable detachment of 3,000 people, won a victory over the Polish-Lithuanian troops. To Moscow, the Polish king Sigismund himself was approaching, who intended to put his son on the Moscow throne. Not a country, but a blood bath, and if it were not for Minin and Pozharsky, the saviors of the Fatherland, Russian people would have been tortured for a long time. They would completely cease to cultivate the land, trade, lead a peaceful peaceful life.

Conspiracy against Shuisky

The young victor was poisoned, and the Shuyskih defeated. The king was overthrown and forcibly tonsured into monks. The power was seized by the Boyar Duma. They went on betrayal - they let the Polish troops into Moscow and agreed that the Catholic would be the king's king. At this time False Dmitry II fled to Kaluga, where he was killed. Residents of Moscow did not want to see foreigners and wanted an Orthodox king. Poles, saving the situation, set fire to Moscow. The revolt against them was suspended.

Continuation of Russian losses

The Poles took besieged Smolensk, the Swedes took the Novgorod lands and announced that the Swedish king's son would be on the throne in Novgorod. In such conditions in Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin (1568-1616) announced the collection of funds for the militia. But the merchants refuse it. Minin gathered the wives and merchants' merchants in the yards and invited the merchants to buy their own household. Such cunning is collected money for the militia. The experienced governor, Prince Pozharsky (1578-1641), also found himself.

Militia actions

In Yaroslavl the militiamen stayed for several months, preparing their forces for a campaign against Moscow. The militia of Minin and Pozharsky was threatened. During this time, a murderer was sent to Prince Pozharsky. Only by chance the prince remained alive. Forces of the militia are waiting for Moscow. Minin and Pozharsky are fighting with the Poles in the streets of the city, knocking them out of the Kremlin and China Town. As a result, after persistent battles and sieges, the Poles in Moscow surrendered. But King Sigismund III hurries to Moscow and demands a throne for his son. Several battles, and the king suffered a failure and went to Poland. There remained a large rebel detachment of the ataman Zarutskiy, who became the third husband of Marina Mnishek, who retreated to Astrakhan, and then was defeated on the Yaik River and executed.

National heroes

If it were not for the feat of Minin and Pozharsky, briefly speaking, who saved the Russian land from the enemies, it is not known how long the bloodshed would last, and how the political situation would develop in the future, which was extremely acute and tense, with large territorial losses: Zaporozhye, Smolensk, Chernigov, part of Karelia, access to the Gulf of Finland. The economic life of the country also fell into decay. It is not known how many times intriguers of all stripes would have wanted to seize the Russian lands, and turn the Russians themselves into submissive slaves. Prince Pozharsky gathered representatives to select a new king, and after much controversy the young Mikhail Romanov ascended the throne. Kuzma Minin was proclaimed a noble gentleman. Prince Pozharsky of the cadets was raised in the boyars. So the troubles ended.