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When was the second militia created? Second People's Militia

Second militia. Liberation of Russia. Russia was threatened with the loss of national independence and the dismemberment of lands. In this difficult, hectic time in Nizhny Novgorod, a large and rich city on the Volga, townspeople led by Kuzma Minin, a simple "beef"(meat merchant) and the town headman, organized a fundraiser for the creation of a new militia. In the Volga region, Pomorie and other places, militia groups are being created, funds and supplies are being collected.

The second, or Nizhny Novgorod, militia was led by Minin and Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky. The first was in charge of the treasury and the economy of the militia, the second, a native of the family of Suzdal princes, became a military leader. Detachments marched towards Nizhny from all sides, and the militia, which initially had 2-3 thousand soldiers, quickly increased its ranks. In March 1612 it moved from Nizhny to Kostroma and Yaroslavl. Along the way, new reinforcements are poured into it. At the beginning of April, already in Yaroslavl, they created “Council of all the earth”- a government made up of representatives of the clergy and the Boyar Duma, nobles and townspeople; in fact it was headed Pozharsky and Minin. The orders began to work. The militia already consisted of 10 thousand people - nobles, archers, peasants, artisans, traders and others; It included Tatar detachments from Kasimov and Temnikov, Kadom and Alatyr.

In July, the militia left Yaroslavl - its leaders received news that Hetman Khodkevich was marching towards Moscow with an army. The militia marched through Rostov, Pereyaslavl, and Trinity. At the end of the month, the first troops approached the capital from the northern side. In August the main forces appeared. Near the capital they were met by the detachments of Zarutsky and Trubetskoy. But Pozharsky and Minin chose not to unite with them and stood separately. Soon Zarutsky left for Kolomna.

On August 22, Chodkiewicz’s army with a huge convoy, which had arrived from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, settled near Moscow. He tried to break through to the besieged in the Kremlin. But every time he was thrown back by Pozharsky-Minin’s militia and Trubetskoy’s detachments, either west of the Borovitsky Gate, or at the Donskoy Monastery. Without achieving success, having lost many people and carts of food, the hetman left from near Moscow. The siege and fighting continued. Famine began in the Kremlin, and the besieged capitulated at the end of October 1612. The militia solemnly entered the Kremlin - Moscow, the heart of all Russia, was liberated by the efforts of the people, who, in a difficult time for Russia, showed restraint, fortitude, courage, and saved their country from a national catastrophe.

“Council of all the earth” convened representatives of different segments of the population at the Zemsky Sobor (clergy, boyars, nobility, townspeople, Cossacks, black-sown peasantry). In January 1613, he elected as king the young Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the son of the Tushino patriarch Filaret, in the world - the boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, a relative through the female line of the kings and Fyodor Ivanovich. The election of the king meant the revival of the country, the protection of its sovereignty, independence and identity.

Liberation of Moscow in 1612. The new government had to solve difficult problems. The country was devastated and exhausted. Gangs of robbers and interventionists roamed the towns and villages. One of these Polish detachments, even before arriving in Moscow (he was then in the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery), operated in Kostroma and neighboring counties. Here were located ancestral lands mother of the newly elected king. It was winter time. The Poles appeared in one of the Romanov villages, seized the headman Ivan Susanin and demanded that he show them the way to where his young master was. Susanin led them into the wilds and, having died himself under the sabers of the enemies, destroyed the detachment. The feat of the Kostroma peasant played a role not only in the salvation of Mikhail Fedorovich, but also in preventing a new unrest in the country in the event of the death of young Romanov.

The Moscow authorities are sending military detachments everywhere, and they are gradually liberating the country from gangs. The campaign to Russia, undertaken by the grown-up prince Vladislav in the fall of 1618, ended in failure. On December 1 of the same year, in the village of Deulino, near the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, a truce was concluded for 14.5 years - hostilities ceased, Poland retained Smolensk and some cities along the southwestern border.

Almost two years earlier, on February 27, 1617, peace was established with Sweden under the Treaty of Stolbovo. She was given lands along the southern and eastern banks Gulf of Finland with the cities of Ivan-gorod, Yam, Koporye, Oreshek. Russia has again lost access to the Baltic Sea.

task "pacification" The country's relations with neighboring countries were finally resolved. There remained internal affairs, first of all - the ongoing unrest and offended people. During these years, the rebels captured Cheboksary, Tsivilsk Sanchursk and other cities in the Volga region, Vyatka district and the city of Kotelnich in the northeast. Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan were besieged. In Pskov and Astrakhan, locals waged a fierce struggle among themselves for many years. “the best” And “smaller” People. In Pskov, in some years, the rebels established “Smerdov autocracy”, removing governors, boyars and nobles from affairs. There were impostors operating in both cities.

The Romanov government organizes the fight against the rebels. Civil War comes to the end. But its echoes, the last rumbles, were heard for several more years, until 1617-1618.

The Troubles, also called by contemporaries “Moscow or Lithuanian ruin”, ended. It left serious consequences. Many cities and villages lay in ruins. Russia has lost many of its sons and daughters. Agriculture and crafts were ruined, and commercial life died out. The Russian people returned to the ashes and began, as had been the custom from time immemorial, to a sacred task - they revived their homes and arable lands, workshops and trade caravans.

Time of Troubles greatly weakened Russia and its people. But it also showed his strength. Beginning of the 17th century heralded the dawn of national liberation.

He was overthrown from the Russian throne in 1610. He was sent to a monastery, and they did it by force. After this, the period of Boyar rule begins - the so-called Seven Boyars. The end includes, in addition to boyar rule, an invitation to the throne of the Polish prince Vladislav, foreign intervention in the territory of Rus', the creation of a people's militia and the accession of a new dynasty.

In some historiography, the end of the Troubles is not associated with 1613, when he was elected to the throne. Many historians extend the Time of Troubles until 1617-1618, when truces were concluded with Poland and Sweden. Namely Deulinskoe with Poland and the Stolbovsky peace with the Swedes.

Period of Troubles

After the overthrow of Shuisky's rule, the boyars took power into their own hands. Several noble boyar families, led by Mstislavsky, took part in the administration. If we evaluate the activities of the Seven Boyars, then its policy looked treacherous in relation to its country. The boyars openly decided to surrender the state to the Poles. In surrendering the country, the Seven Boyars proceeded from class preferences. At the same time, the army of False Dmitry II was heading towards Moscow, and these were the “lower classes” of society. And the Poles, although they were Catholics and did not belong to the Russian nation, were still closer in class terms.

On August 17, 1610, an agreement was signed between the two states on the territory of the Polish army. The agreement implied - to call his son to the Russian throne Polish king Vladislav. But in this agreement there were several points that significantly limited the power of the prince, namely:

The prince converts to Orthodoxy;
No contact with the Pope about Vladislav's faith is prohibited;
Execute Russians who deviate from the Orthodox faith;
The prince marries a Russian Orthodox girl;
Russian prisoners must be released.

The terms of the agreement were accepted. Already on August 27, the capital of the Russian state swears allegiance to the prince. The Poles entered Moscow. Those close to False Dmitry II learned about this. A conspiracy was organized against him, he was killed.

During the oath of Moscow to the prince, the Polish king SigismundIII and his army stood at Smolensk. After the oath of office, the Russian embassy was sent there, its head was Filaret Romanov. The purpose of the embassy is to bring Vladislav to the capital. But then it turned out that SigismundIII himself wanted to take the Russian throne. He did not inform the ambassadors about his plans, he simply began to stall for time. And at this time, the boyars opened the doors of Moscow for the Poles who were near the city.

Events at the end of the Time of Troubles

The events of the end began to develop rapidly. A new government arose in Moscow. He was assigned the role of managing the state until Vladislav arrived in the city. It was headed by the following people:

Boyarin M. Saltykov;
Merchant F. Andronov.

Particular attention should be paid to Andronov. For the first time, a city person, in this case a merchant, appeared in the state apparatus. From this we can conclude that the wealthy part of Moscow’s citizens were in favor of Vladislav’s rule and actively promoted his candidacy. At the same time, realizing that Sigismund was in no hurry to send Vladislav to the throne, the ambassadors began to put pressure on Sigismund. This led to their arrest and they were then sent to Poland.

In 1610, the Time of Troubles entered the phase of the liberation struggle. Everything has become easier. Now it was not Russian forces that were confronting each other, but an open confrontation between Poles and Russians. This also included the religious segment - the struggle between Catholics and Orthodox. The main force in this struggle among the Russians was the zemstvo militias. They arose in counties, volosts and cities, gradually the militias grew stronger and were subsequently able to provide fierce resistance to the interventionists.

Patriarch Hermogenes took a very tough position towards the Poles. He was categorically against their stay in the capital, and was also against the Polish prince on the Russian throne. He was an ardent fighter against intervention. Hermogenes will play an important role in the liberation struggle, which will begin in 1611. The presence of the Poles in Moscow gave impetus to the beginning of the national liberation movement.

The first militia of the Time of Troubles

It is worth noting that those territories where militias arose were long accustomed to independently governing their territories. In addition, in these territories there was not such a large social stratification, there was no clear division between rich and poor. We can say that this movement was patriotic. But not everything is so perfect. The merchants who lived there did not want the Poles to rule the state at all. This state of affairs had a negative impact on trade.

In 1610-1611 The first zemstvo militia arose during the Time of Troubles. This militia had several leaders:

Lyapunov brothers - Prokipiy and Zakhar;
Ivan Zarutsky - formerly in the camp of False Dmitry II, favorite of Marina Mnishek (wife);
Prince Dmitry Trubetskoy.

The leaders had an adventurous character. It is worth noting that the time was adventurous in itself. In March 1611, the militia decided to take Moscow by storm. It was not possible to do this, but the city was placed under blockade.

Within the militia, a conflict arose between representatives of the Cossacks and the nobility. The Poles took advantage of this conflict. They sent a letter stating that Prokopiy Lyapunov was supposed to enter into an agreement with them. Lyapunov could not justify himself, and was killed. The militia eventually disintegrated.

The end and consequences of the Time of Troubles

Some territories swore allegiance to little Ivan Dmitrievich - the son of False Dmitry II and Marina Mnishek. But there is a version that the boy’s father was Ivan Zarutsky. Ivan had the nickname “raven”, as he was the son of the Tushinsky thief. At the same time, a new militia begins to take shape. It was headed by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

Initially, Minin raised funds and equipped the infantry. And Prince Pozharsky led the army. Dmitry Pozharsky was a descendant of Vsevolod the Big Nest. It can be judged that Dmitry had very extensive rights to take the Russian throne. In addition, it is worth saying that this militia marched on Moscow under the coat of arms of the Pozharsky family. The movement of the new militia swept the Volga region, the army arrived in the city of Yaroslavl. Alternative government bodies were created there.

In August 1612, a militia army was near Moscow. Pozharsky managed to persuade the Cossacks to help the militia. The combined army struck the Poles, then the militia entered the city. It took a long time to take the Kremlin. Only on October 26 (November 4) he was surrendered by the Poles, and their lives were guaranteed. The prisoners were divided between the Cossacks and the militia. The militia kept their word, but the Cossacks did not. The captured Poles were killed by the Cossacks.

In February 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected a 16-year-old boy to reign. This is the story of the end of the troubled period.

End of the Time of Troubles video

They say that the state stands strong and is safe as long as the memory of the heroes of the past who won freedom and independence is alive among the people. There is a period in the history of Russia, the role of which is sometimes ambiguously assessed by modern Russians, but at the same time it was fateful for the entire country and predetermined its further development. We are talking about the events of 400 years ago, when during the Great Troubles, the Nizhny Novgorod merchant Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky entered the arena of history, leading the second people's militia. It was they who had the honor of becoming the liberators of Moscow, and with it the whole of Russia from the interventionists.

The center of the liberation movement was Nizhny Novgorod, where it was created people's army. After the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian intervention, a new tsar will be elected - Mikhail Romanov, the first of the Romanov dynasty. The Great Troubles will end, and a new, bright stage will begin in the history of Russia...

Great Troubles

The tragic thirty-year period in the history of Rus', which began after the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, was called the “Time of Troubles.” A difficult struggle begins in the state between factions of boyars, at first eager to gain influence on the successor of the Terrible Tsar Fyodor, who was known as a sick man and of a narrow mind, and when he died, they fought for the right to elect the next monarch. The result of numerous political intrigues and machinations is the ascension to the throne of Boris Godunov (although in fact it was he who ruled under Tsar Fedor), who received the support of the small nobility. For a short time, relative order is established in the state.

In 1601-1603 Russian state crop failures and terrible famine occur, which leads to the complete ruin of the peasants and further strengthens their serfdom. The final enslavement of the peasantry occurs precisely during the reign of Boris Godunov. As a result, peasant uprisings and food riots are breaking out more and more often. But among the people, faith in the coming of a real, “good king” is growing. Thus, without wanting it, the supreme power created the ground for the announcement of impostors.

Thus, in 1604, the adventurer Grigory Otrepyev (False Dmitry I) appeared on the historical stage, on whom the Polish gentry relied, in the hope of returning the original Russian lands conquered by Russia, and at the same time destroying its state independence. The time of intense struggle of the Russian people with foreign enemies begins.

In October 1604, False Dmitry crossed the Russian border along with a 3,000-strong army of Polish-Lithuanian gentry and a detachment of several hundred Zaporozhye Cossacks. Thanks to the support of the people and traitors, he manages to take several cities without a fight, but already in January 1605 the impostor suffered a severe defeat in a battle with the royal army near the village of Dobrynichi, not far from Sevsk.

However, Tsar Fyodor, the son of Boris Godunov, who reigned at that time, who ascended the throne after the death of his father, was unable to take advantage of such favorable circumstances and give the necessary rebuff to the impostor. This, coupled with accompanying events - the intensified struggle among the boyars and betrayal in the army - ensures False Dmitry's unhindered entry into Moscow on June 20, 1605.

Nevertheless, the impostor was able to hold out on the throne for less than a year, despite all the support of the Poles. On May 17, 1606, an uprising broke out in Moscow, during which False Dmitry was killed. The boyars declare Vasily Shuisky, a distant descendant of the Rurikovichs, as tsar. However, the turmoil does not end there, and in the fall of 1607, False Dmitry II appears in Russia - another protege of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The core of his army becomes a Polish-Lithuanian detachment of 20 thousand people. Several detachments of Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks also come out in support of the new impostor.

But soon the Poles stopped providing assistance to False Dmitry II due to his numerous failures. He failed to take Moscow, he suffered more than one defeat from the tsarist troops under the command of Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky and the militia, for which the people even received the nickname “Tushinsky thief.” As a result, the impostor was forced to flee to Kaluga, where he met his death.

Beginning of Polish and Swedish intervention

In the fall of 1609, open interference of the Polish-Lithuanian side in Russian affairs began. The Polish king Sigismund III, together with his army of 12.5 thousand people, crossed the border of the Russian state and began the siege of Smolensk. But the fortress city did not surrender and for almost two years slowed down the advance. large number interventionists, and an example heroic defense Smolensk residents caused a surge in the national liberation movement throughout the country.

Having failed in the siege of Smolensk, Sigismund III and his troops moved to the capital of Russia. Along the way, near the village of Klushino, the interventionists managed to defeat the tsar’s army under the command of D. Shuisky, the tsar’s brother, and on the remaining stretch they were no longer offered serious resistance. Moscow was gripped by unrest. On June 17, a boyar conspiracy occurs, as a result of which Tsar Shuisky is deprived of the throne and tonsured a monk. The Provisional Boyar Government, which included seven members of the major nobility, took power into its hands, thanks to which it received the apt nickname “Seven Boyars” among the people.

One of the first actions of the new government is to conclude an agreement with the Poles and recognize the Polish prince Vladislav IV as the Russian Tsar. Polish troops enter Moscow at the end of September. Russia is on the verge of losing its national independence. Here is what the historian Klyuchevsky writes about this time: “The state, having lost its center, began to disintegrate into its component parts; Almost every city acted independently. The state was being transformed into some kind of shapeless, restless federation.”

First People's Militia

The interventionists continue to commit outrages, thereby causing protests and uprisings throughout the country. The formation of militia groups begins in cities. Soon the movement for Russian independence takes on a nationwide character. On March 19, 1611, an uprising broke out in the capital. There were fierce battles on the streets of the city. The rebels received support from militia units. One of the detachments that operated in the area of Nikolskaya and Sretenka streets was led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. By the time of the uprising, the prince already had extensive experience in military affairs. As a military leader, for four years he defended the southern borders of the state from Crimean Tatars, won several victories in battles with the troops of False Dmitry II, defeating Lisovsky’s detachment near the village of Vysotskoye and Ataman Salkov near the Pekhorka River, and the cities of Pronsk and Zaraysk were also liberated under his command.

The rebel citizens, together with militia detachments, manage to liberate almost all of Moscow, pushing the interventionists into the Kremlin and Kitay-Gorod. In the hope of suppressing the uprising, the Poles and allied boyars set fire to the capital. The rebels are forced to retreat. Disagreements in the people's militia are intensifying and leading to a split. Prince Pozharsky is seriously wounded, and he is taken out of the city - first to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where the monks are treating him, and then to his native estate in the village of Mugreevo.

Very difficult times are coming in the country. The Poles rule in Moscow, the Swedes carry out predatory raids on the northwestern lands of Russia, and southern limits states are subject to predatory raids by the Crimean Tatars. In June 1611, Smolensk was nevertheless captured, and for two years it heroically stood under the command of governor Shein. The boyars of Veliky Novgorod, captured by the Swedes, decide to call the son of King Charles IX to reign. But the Russian people do not agree to accept the occupation, and the liberation movement is growing. But for complete victory over foreigners, the unification of disparate forces and the establishment of a unified command is required.

Nizhny Novgorod - the center of the liberation struggle

Nizhny Novgorod, one of the largest cities in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century, becomes the center of the liberation struggle against the Polish and Swedish invaders, and it is led by the Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

Kuzma Minin “namely trades in meat, but he loves the people because he is his own, not one of the masters. Fair, honest, smart, for which he was chosen as the zemstvo elder.” In the fall of 1611, he called on the people to create a new militia and donate part of their property to defend the Motherland. Moreover, the first one sets an example by giving away all his cash and even his wife’s jewelry. Residents of Nizhny Novgorod supported Minin’s call, and after them, residents of many other Russian cities responded. Thus, the “elected person” Kuzma Minin becomes one of the organizers and the real soul of the militia, and it is he who is trusted to manage the collected funds.

During heated discussions about who would become the commander of the militia, the residents of Nizhny Novgorod ultimately chose Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, since he is “an honest husband who is usually involved in military affairs... and who did not appear in treason.” But the prince agreed to such an unexpected proposal, although it was very honorable, only on the condition that Kuzma Minin would continue to deal with economic and financial issues. For the first time, representatives of different classes - a descendant of the Rurikovichs, Prince Pozharsky and the zemstvo elder Minin - cast aside prejudices and began to jointly prepare a militia to meet the enemy.

Second People's Militia

Residents of Nizhny Novgorod gave Dmitry Pozharsky a great honor - to organize a new Russian militia. In carrying out the will of the people, the prince relied only on service people who were familiar with military affairs, and never agreed to resort to the services of foreign mercenaries. However, he agreed to accept into the militia “willing people” from Russians, Mari, Tatars, Chuvash and other nationalities who knew how to wield weapons. Disregarding class differences, Dmitry Pozharsky handed out command positions not for belonging to a noble class, but exclusively “for business.” He also introduced fixed salary rates and established strict discipline.

The year 1611 ended with the publication of a special charter in which the political program of the people's militia was formulated. In particular, it stated that it was necessary to expel “Polish and Lithuanian people” from the territory of Russia, as well as to deny recognition as tsar to the Polish prince Vladislav and the son of False Dmitry II, who had the support of part of the Cossacks. The election of a real Russian Tsar must be organized “with all the earth.”

In March of the following year, Pozharsky and Minin began to withdraw the militia from Nizhny Novgorod, but moved not to the capital, but in the direction of Yaroslavl, and there for another four months they carefully prepared the militia for the upcoming battles.

Minin and Pozharsky - liberators of Moscow

At the end of July 1612, Prince Pozharsky received information that a 12,000-strong interventionist army, led by the Lithuanian hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, was moving towards Moscow. This detachment, which included Hungarian and Polish-Lithuanian cavalry, French Cossacks and gunners, as well as heavy German infantry, represented a significant force. It was impossible to allow Chodkiewicz to unite with the Poles who occupied Moscow. And therefore, the leaders of the militia decide to immediately move out to defeat the enemies separately.

Already by August 20, the people's militia approached the capital and positioned themselves along the walls of the White City, starting from the Petrovsky Gate and ending with the Alekseevskaya Tower on the Moscow River. They occupied the Zemlyanoy Val and the entire space between the Chertolsky and Arbat Gates.

At this time, there was already a Cossack army of 2,500 people near Moscow. This detachment did not submit to Pozharsky, since its commander D.T. Trubetskoy considered the right to lead the united Russian army controversial. However, the militia could not agree with his opinion. 500 mounted militias were sent to help the Cossacks, and they settled in Zamoskvorechye, in the area of the Crimean courtyard, along with Cossack detachments.

Khodkevich approached the capital on August 21 and gave the order to stop his troops on Poklonnaya Hill. And already on the morning of August 22, his army, having crossed the Moscow River at night in the area of the Novodevichy Convent, launched an attack on the militia, intending to take the Chertol Gate and join the Poles entrenched in the Kremlin. The cavalry attacked first, followed by the armored infantry. A fierce battle broke out. Under enemy pressure, the militia were forced to retreat for some time. A particularly heated battle took place on the left flank of the militia, on one of the banks of the Moscow River. At the same time, Strus's troops emerged from the Kremlin and struck the militia in the rear, but suffered heavy losses and returned to the fortress walls.

While the battle was going on, Trubetskoy’s army watched what was happening as if from the sidelines, not at all intending to provide assistance to the militia. The militia who were with the Cossacks decided that such inaction was treason, and, crossing the river, inflicted a strong flank attack on the enemy, thereby having a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle. Despite Trubetskoy's opposition, some Cossack detachments joined the militia. Unable to withstand the powerful attack, Khodkevich's troops began to retreat towards the Moscow River and, having crossed, stopped on the Sparrow Hills.

Taking advantage of the carelessness of the Cossack detachments, 600 enemy infantry, taking a small food train, still managed to break through Zamoskvorechye to the Kremlin at night. On the way back, the infantrymen took a fort in Endov, located near the Zamoskvoretsky Bridge.

On August 23, there was a temporary lull: the fighting stopped. Khodkevich was catching his breath in the Donskoy Monastery along with the troops who had suffered the day before. Meanwhile, Pozharsky was transferring the main militia detachments to Zamoskvorechye and preparing for the upcoming defense.

The next morning, Khodkevich went on the attack in Zamoskvorechye. The heavy battle lasted several hours, the militia began to retreat. Meanwhile, the enemy had already entered the city ramparts. However, he failed to consolidate his success, although he took possession of part of Zamoskvorechye. The militia, having won new positions, managed to stop Khodkiewicz and his army.

Then the Polish detachment moved to the Klementyevsky fort along Bolshaya Ordynka and captured it. But in a swift counterattack by the militia soldiers, he was knocked out again. From the prison, some retreaters fled to Endov in the hope of receiving protection there, but were expelled from there, after which they broke into the Kremlin through the Zamoskvoretsky Bridge, but with heavy losses.

Prince Pozharsky at this time gathered the main forces of the militia on the northern side of Zamoskvorechye, and sent a powerful detachment of noble cavalry, led by Minin, to bypass the left flank of the Polish army. Soon the horsemen crossed the Moscow River and struck the enemy near the Crimean Ford. At the same time we went on the offensive and foot soldiers militia. Thus, the attack on the enemy proceeded along the entire front. The defeat was completed by the militia cavalry entering the battle together with the Cossacks. The winners took guns, convoys and enemy banners as trophies.

Khodkevich's troops began to retreat to the Donskoy Monastery, and the next day they went to Mozhaisk and Vyazma through the Vorobyovy Gory. According to the 17th century Polish historian Kobierzycki, “the Poles suffered such a significant loss that nothing could be compensated for it. The wheel of fortune turned, and the hope of taking possession of the entire Moscow state collapsed irrevocably.”

Meanwhile, in the Kremlin and Kitai-gorod, even after the victory over Chodkiewicz’s troops, a strong Polish detachment, hoping for help from abroad, still continued to resist. The siege that began lasted almost two months.

But on October 22, the militia still managed to take Kitay-Gorod by storm. After another 4 days, the agreement of surrender was signed, and the Russian boyars with their minions left the Kremlin, among whom was 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov, the future Tsar of All Rus'. The Polish garrison surrendered the next day. Russian army entered the Kremlin with honors. Thus, the capital of Russia, Moscow, was completely freed from interventionists.

But this was not yet a final victory over the Polish intervention. A 4,000-strong detachment of Sigismund III was moving towards Moscow. In Vyazma it was replenished with the remnants of Khodkevich’s defeated army. In November, Sigismund began to demand that his son Vladislav be recognized as the Russian Tsar, and to threaten that he intended to seize the throne by force if he refused. They did not enter into negotiations with the Poles and drove their detachment away from Moscow. Then the Polish king attempted to take the fortified city of Volokolamsk, but the Russian garrison successfully repelled all three assaults. Having received heavy losses, Sigismund's army again turned to Smolensk. The Polish intervention was finally defeated. The tragic period in the history of Rus' called the “Time of Troubles” was coming to an end.

...Over the course of time, the names of ordinary militiamen who stood up to defend their Motherland in difficult times have been erased from the people’s memory, but their great feat will be remembered forever. In memory of the valiant deeds of our ancestors, bronze monuments with a brief inscription “To Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky, grateful Russia” were erected on Red Square in Moscow near the Intercession Cathedral and in Nizhny Novgorod near the Kremlin walls.

By Orthodox calendar On October 22 (November 4, new style), the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated. According to historical data, it was she who was in the hands of Prince Pozharsky when the people’s militia troops stormed Kitay-Gorod on October 22, 1612. And since 2005, November 4 has been established as a national holiday in Russia - National Unity Day. After all, it was on this day 400 years ago that people of different religions and different nationalities were able to overcome division and act together against the enemy for the liberation of the Fatherland.

One of the turning points national history we can confidently call the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612. It was then that the decision was made whether to exist or not to exist as a Russian state. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this date for future generations. Let's take another look at this an important event after many centuries, we will also find out what the military leader did during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles to achieve success.

Background

But first, let's find out what events preceded the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

The confrontation between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which is actually a federation of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with the Russian state began during the time of Ivan the Terrible. Then, in 1558, the famous Livonian War broke out, with the goal of gaining control over the Baltic lands. In 1583, the war ended with the signing of peace, which turned out to be quite unfavorable for Rus'. But in general, this world of contradictions between the Russian kingdom and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did not resolve.

After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, the Russian throne was taken by his son, Fedor. He was a rather weak and sickly man, under whom the royal power weakened significantly. He died in 1598, leaving no heirs. The brother of Fedor's wife, boyar Boris Godunov, came to power. This event had rather disastrous consequences for Rus', since the Rurik dynasty, which ruled the state for more than seven hundred years, was cut short.

Within the Russian kingdom, there was growing dissatisfaction with the policies of Boris Godunov, whom many considered an impostor who had illegally seized power and at one time, according to rumors, ordered the murder of the rightful heir of Ivan the Terrible.

This tense situation within the country contributed very opportunely to the possibility of foreign intervention.

Impostors

The ruling elite of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth understood perfectly well that its main external rival was Russian kingdom. Therefore, the fall served as a kind of signal for the beginning of preparations for the invasion.

However, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth itself was not ready for open war, so for its intrigues it used the impostor Grigory Otrepyev, who pretended to be Dmitry, the son of Ivan the Terrible who died in childhood (according to another version, he was killed on the orders of Boris Godunov), for which he received the nickname - False Dmitry.

The army of False Dmitry was recruited with the support of Polish and Lithuanian magnates, but was not officially supported by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. She invaded the territory of Rus' in 1604. Soon, Tsar Boris Godunov died, and his sixteen-year-old son Fedor was unable to organize a defense. Grigory Otrepyev captured Moscow in 1605, and he proclaimed himself Tsar Dmitry I. However, already in next year he was killed in the coup. At the same time, a significant part of the Poles who arrived with him were killed.

Vasily Shuisky, who was a representative of a side branch of the Rurikovichs, became the new Russian Tsar. But a significant part of the population of Rus' did not recognize him as a real ruler.

In 1607, a new impostor appeared on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, whose real name is unknown. He went down in history as False Dmitry II. He was supported by magnates who had previously started a rebellion against the Polish king Sigismund III, but lost. The impostor's headquarters became the town of Tushin, which is why False Dmitry II received the nickname Tushinsky thief. His army defeated Shuisky's army and besieged Moscow.

Vasily Shuisky tried to negotiate with him to recall his subjects. But he had no real leverage, and he didn’t want to. Then the Russian Tsar entered into an alliance with the Swedes. This alliance assumed Swedish assistance against False Dmitry II on the terms of the transfer of a number of Russian cities to Sweden, as well as the conclusion of an alliance against Poland.

Prerequisites for open Polish intervention

The main pretext for the start of the Polish intervention was the Russian-Swedish alliance. This gave the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth a formal pretext to declare war on Rus', because one of the goals of the alliance was precisely confrontation with Poland.

In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth itself at that time there was a strengthening of royal power. This was due to the fact that by 1609 King Sigismund III had suppressed the uprising of the dissatisfied gentry, which lasted three years. Now there is an opportunity for external expansion.

In addition, Russian-Polish contradictions have not gone away since the Livonian War, and the hidden Polish intervention did not give the expected result in the form of unofficial support for impostors.

These factors served as the impetus for the decision to openly invade the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth troops into the territory of the Russian state in order to bring it under its full control. It was they who launched a chain of events, the links of which were the capture of the capital of Rus' by the Polish-Lithuanian army, and then the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

Capture of Moscow by the Poles

In the fall of 1609, the Polish army, led by Hetman Stanislav Zholkiewski, invaded the territory of Rus' and besieged Smolensk. In the summer of 1610, they defeated Russian-Swedish troops in the decisive battle near Klushino and approached Moscow. On the other hand, Moscow was besieged by the army of False Dmitry II.

Meanwhile, the boyars overthrew Vasily Shuisky and imprisoned him in a monastery. They established a regime that is known as the Seven Boyars. But the boyars who usurped power were unpopular among the people. They could really only control Moscow. Fearing that the more popular False Dmitry II might seize power, the boyars colluded with the Poles.

By agreement, the son of Sigismund III Vladislav became the Russian Tsar, but at the same time converted to Orthodoxy. In the fall of 1610, the Polish army entered Moscow.

First militia

Thus, the capital of Rus' was captured by the Poles. From the first days of their stay, they began to commit outrages, which naturally caused displeasure among the local population. Hetman Zholkiewski left Moscow, and left Alexander Gonsevski in charge of the Polish garrison in the city.

At the beginning of 1611, under the leadership of Prince D. Trubetskoy, I. Zarutsky and P. Lyapunov, the so-called First Militia was formed. His goal was to begin the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. The main force of this army were the Ryazan nobles and Tushino Cossacks.

The army approached Moscow. At the same time, an uprising against the occupiers took place in the city, in which Dmitry Pozharsky, the future military commander during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, played a prominent role.

At this time, the militia managed to occupy Kitai-Gorod, but disagreements within it led to the murder of one of the leaders, Prokopiy Lyapunov. As a result, the militia actually disintegrated. The goal of the campaign was not achieved, and the liberation of Moscow from the Poles never took place.

Formation of the Second Militia

The year 1612 arrived. The liberation of Moscow from the Poles became the goal of the emerging Second Militia. The initiative for its creation came from the trade and craft class of Nizhny Novgorod, which suffered great oppression and losses during the Polish occupation. The people of Nizhny Novgorod did not recognize the authority of either False Dmitry II or Vladislav Zhigmontovich, the Prince of Poland.

One of the leading roles in the creation of the Second People's Militia was played by Kuzma Minin, who held the post of zemstvo elder. He called on the people to unite in the fight against the occupiers. In the future, he became famous as a military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles and as a national hero. And then he was a simple artisan who managed to unite the masses of people who flocked to his call in Nizhny Novgorod from other parts of Rus'.

Among those who arrived was Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, another man who gained fame as a military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612. He was called upon by the people's militia at a general meeting, asking Prince Pozharsky to lead the people in the fight against the interventionists. The prince could not refuse this request and added his own people to the army that began to form under the leadership of Minin.

The core of the militia consisted of the Nizhny Novgorod garrison of 750 people, but servicemen from Arzamas, Vyazma, Dorogobuzh and other cities responded to the call. It is impossible not to note the high abilities of Minin and Pozharsky in leading the formation of the army and in coordination with other cities of Russia. In essence, they formed a body that performs the role of government.

Later, during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, the Second People's Militia, when it had already approached the capital, was replenished with some groups from the disintegrated First Militia.

Thus, under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky, a significant force was formed that was capable of successfully resisting the interventionists. Thus began the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612.

Personality of Dmitry Pozharsky

Now let's take a closer look at the personality of the man who became famous as a military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. It was Dmitry Pozharsky who, at the behest of the people, became the main leader of the militia, and he deservedly owns a significant part of the contribution to this glorious victory. Who was he?

Dmitry Pozharsky belonged to an ancient princely family, which was a side branch of the Rurikovichs along the Starodub line. He was born in 1578, that is, at the time of the formation of the militia in the fall of 1611, he was about 33 years old. The father was Prince Pozharsky, and the mother was Maria Fedorovna Berseneva-Beklemisheva, on whose estate, given as a dowry, Dmitry was born.

On public service Dmitry Pozharsky entered during the reign of Boris Godunov. The future military leader, who commanded during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, under Tsar Vasily Shuisky led one of the detachments that opposed the army of False Dmitry II. Then he received the post of Zaraisk voivode.

Later, as mentioned above, Pozharsky was involved in organizing an uprising against the Poles in Moscow during the existence of the First People's Militia.

Naturally, a person who fought so stubbornly against foreign intervention could not help but respond to Kuzma Minin’s call. Not the least role in the fact that it was Dmitry Pozharsky who led the militia was played by the fact that he had an estate near Nizhny Novgorod, that is, the Nizhny Novgorod residents, who made up the backbone of the army, considered it theirs.

This was the man who led the militia during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

March on Moscow

We figured out who was in command during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, now let's dwell on the vicissitudes of the campaign itself.

The militia moved at the end of February 1612 from Nizhny Novgorod up the Volga towards Moscow. As he progressed, new people joined him. Majority settlements The militias were greeted with joy, and where local authorities tried to resist, as was the case in Kostroma, they were removed and replaced by people loyal to the Russian army.

In April 1612, the militia entered Yaroslavl, where they stayed almost until August 1612. Thus, Yaroslavl became the temporary capital. This period of development of the liberation movement took the name “Standing in Yaroslavl.”

Having learned that the army of Hetman Khodkevich was approaching Moscow to ensure its defense, Pozharsky at the end of July promptly sent several detachments from Yaroslavl, which approached directly to the capital, and in mid-August all militia forces were concentrated near Moscow.

Strengths of the parties

It became clear to everyone that a decisive battle was ahead. What was the number of troops on the warring sides and their deployment?

The total number of troops that were subordinate to Dmitry Pozharsky, according to sources, did not exceed eight thousand people. The backbone of this army were Cossack detachments numbering 4,000 people and one thousand archers. In addition to Pozharsky and Minin, the commanders of the militia were Dmitry Pozharsky-Lopata (a relative of the chief governor) and Ivan Khovansky-Bolshoy. Only the last of them at one time commanded significant military formations. The rest either, like Dmitry Pozharsky, had to command relatively small detachments, or had no leadership experience at all, like Pozharsky-Lopata.

Dmitry Trubetskoy, one of the leaders of the First Militia, brought with him another 2,500 Cossacks. Although he agreed to help common cause, but at the same time retained the right not to carry out Pozharsky’s orders. Thus, total number The Russian army was 9,500-10,000 people.

The number of Polish troops of Hetman Chodkiewicz, approaching Moscow from the western side, numbered 12,000 people. The main force in it were the Zaporozhye Cossacks, numbering 8,000 soldiers under the command of Alexander Zborovsky. The most combat-ready part of the army was the hetman's personal detachment of 2,000 people.

The commanders of the Polish army - Chodkiewicz and Zborowski - had significant military experience. In particular, Chodkiewicz distinguished himself in suppressing the recent uprising of the gentry, as well as in the war with Sweden. Among other commanders, Nevyarovsky, Graevsky and Koretsky should be noted.

In addition to the 12,000 soldiers whom Chodkiewicz brought with him, there was also a three-thousand-strong Polish garrison in the Moscow Kremlin. It was led by Nikolai Strus and Joseph Budilo. These were also experienced warriors, but without any special military talents.

Thus, the total number of the Polish army reached 15,000 people.

The Russian militia was located near the walls of the White City, located between the Polish garrison entrenched in the Kremlin and Khodkiewicz’s troops, as if between a hammer and an anvil. Their numbers were smaller than those of the Poles, and the commanders did not have as much military experience. It seemed that the fate of the militia was predetermined.

Battle for Moscow

So, in August the battle began, the result of which was the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. The year of this battle will forever go down in Russian history.

The troops of Hetman Khodkevich were the first to attack, having crossed the Moscow River, they went to the gates of the Novodevichy Convent, where militia detachments were concentrated. A horse fight ensued. The Polish garrison attempted forays from its fortification, while Prince Trubetskoy waited and did not rush to help Pozharsky. It must be said that the military commander commanded quite wisely during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, which did not allow initial stage the enemy to crush the positions of the militia. Khodkevich had to retreat.

After this, Pozharsky changed the deployment of troops, moving to Zamoskvorechye. Decisive Battle occurred on August 24. Hetman Khodkevich again threw his troops into the attack, hoping to crush the smaller militia. But it didn't work out the way he expected. The Russian troops stood firm, and Trubetskoy’s troops finally entered the battle.

Exhausted opponents decided to take a break. By evening the militia launched a counter-offensive. They crushed the enemy's positions and forced him to retreat to the city of Mozhaisk. Seeing this, the Polish garrison was forced to surrender to the militia. Thus ended the liberation of Moscow from foreign invaders.

Consequences

The liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612 was a turning point in the whole Russian-Polish War. True, hostilities continued for quite a long time.

In the spring of 1613, a representative of the new Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, was installed as king. This served to significantly strengthen Russian statehood.

At the end of 1618, a treaty was finally concluded between the Russians and the Poles. As a result of this truce, Russia was forced to give up significant territories to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but retained the main thing - its statehood. In the future, this helped her recapture lost lands and even participate in the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth itself.

The meaning of the liberation of Moscow

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the liberation of the Russian capital for Russian history. This event made it possible to preserve Russian statehood in the difficult struggle against the invaders. Therefore, the battle of Moscow is included in all textbooks on Russian history and is one of the significant dates.

We also remember the leaders of the Second Militia - Prince Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who have long had the status folk heroes. Holidays are dedicated to them, monuments are erected, and memory is honored.

The struggle of the Russian people against the Swedish-Polish invaders.

After the assassination of False Dmitry II on December 11, 1610, the turmoil acquired predominantly the character of a national struggle, in which the Russians sought to free themselves from the Polish invaders. External danger brought to the fore national and religious interests, which temporarily united the warring classes. In the winter of 1611, the first people's militia was formed in the Ryazan land, led by Prokopiy Lyapunov. The militia included residents of Nizhny Novgorod, Murom, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Kostroma, Cossacks led by I. Zarutsky. The militia approached Moscow. On March 19, 1611, an uprising of Muscovites broke out in the capital. Street battles broke out, in which the interventionists began to fail. Then they set fire to the city, which burned to the ground. The Polish garrison took refuge behind the walls of the Kremlin and Kitay-Gorod.

When the militia approached Moscow, they found only ashes in its place. Tushino nobles led by D.T. joined Lyapunov. Trubetskoy and the Cossacks under the command of Ataman Ivan Zarutsky. The siege of the Polish garrison began. There was a split within the militia. Lyapunov spoke out in favor of the return of the fugitive peasants, which led to discontent among the peasant militias and Cossacks. Lyapunov was killed in the Cossack circle. Soon the first zemstvo militia disintegrated. Only Cossack detachments remained near the capital.

Meanwhile, Sigismund II took bloodless Smolensk. The Swedes began negotiations with the Novgorod boyars about recognizing the son of the King of Sweden, Karl Philip, as the Russian Tsar.

In the autumn of 1611 Russian state stood on the brink of a national catastrophe. The Russian people rose up in armed struggle against the Polish-Swedish intervention.

The banner of the struggle for national liberation was raised in Nizhny Novgorod. Here in October 1611 zemstvo elder Kozma Minin-Sukhoruk, a small meat and fish merchant, appealed to the townspeople to create a people's militia to liberate Moscow. The patriotic appeal found a warm response among Nizhny Novgorod residents, who decided to give “third money” to the creation of the militia, i.e. a third of personal property.

On Minin’s initiative, the “Council of the Whole Earth” was created, which became a provisional government. Prince D.M. is invited to lead the zemstvo army. Pozharsky, who distinguished himself during the Moscow uprising against the Poles. At the beginning of March 1612, the militia began a campaign against Moscow through Yaroslavl, which became a gathering place for military forces.

At the end of August 1612, the army of Minin and Pozharsky approached the capital and united with the remnants of the first zemstvo militia. On August 22-24, a fierce battle took place under the walls of Moscow with the royal army under the command of Hetman Khotkevich, rushing to the aid of the besieged garrison. The Poles were completely defeated and fled home.

The interventionists entrenched behind the Kremlin wall capitulated on October 26, 1612. The capital of Russia was completely liberated. The complexity of the political situation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the lack of funds to continue military operations forced Sigismund III to temporarily abandon his claims to the Russian throne.

The liberation of Moscow made it possible to restore state power in the country. The Zemsky Sobor of almost 700 representatives from the nobility, boyars, clergy, 50 cities, archers and Cossacks gathered in the capital. The issue of electing a new Russian Tsar was being decided; on February 21, 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1613-1645), the son of Metropolitan Philaret, to the throne. Filaret was supported by those who came forward during the oprichnina years: after all, the Romanovs are relatives of the first wife of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

In 1619, Tsar Mikhail's father Filaret (Fyodor Nikitovich Romanov), who at one time had a real claim to the royal throne, returned from Polish captivity. In Moscow, he accepted the patriarchal rank with the title of “great sovereign” and became the de facto ruler of the state until his death in 1633.

In July 1613, the wedding of Mikhail Fedorovich took place in Moscow. During this celebration, according to custom, various favors are announced; Prince Pozharsky, who had previously been a steward, received the rank of boyar, and Kozma Minin was granted a Duma nobleman and awarded an estate.

Mikhail Fedorovich was married twice. In 1624 he married Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva, the daughter of a little-known nobleman. From this marriage six children were born: three daughters - Irina, Anna, Tatyana and three sons - Ivan, Vasily, Alexey. In 1639, Tsarevichs Ivan and Vasily died within three months. On June 12, 1645, the sovereign died.

However, to strengthen centralized power in the state, constant support was required from wide circles of the nobility and the top of the urban settlement. Therefore, the Zemsky Sobor met almost continuously from 1613 to 1619.

“The Great Moscow Devastation” of the early 17th century. devastated Russia. Recovery proceeded with great difficulties economic life both in cities and villages. The internal political situation in the country remained unstable. Smolensk was in the hands of the Poles, Novgorod was in the hands of the Swedes, and detachments of former Tushins were rampaging in many areas.

After an unsuccessful attempt in 1615 to seize Pskov, Sweden entered into peace negotiations with Moscow. On February 27, 1617, a peace treaty was concluded between them in the village of Stolbovo. The Novgorod land was returned to Russia, the Neva with the Izhora land, the city of Korela with the district and the city of Oreshek remained with Sweden. Russia lost its only access to the Baltic Sea.

Polish army Prince Vladislav and the Ukrainian Cossacks under the command of Hetman P. Konashevich-Sagaidachny made a new campaign into the interior of Russia. In October 1618, enemies approached Moscow, the defense of which was led by governor D.M. Pozharsky. Soon the Ukrainian Cossacks, realizing the deception, returned home.

On December 1, 1618, a truce was concluded between Russia and Poland for a period of 14 and a half years in the village of Deulino. The Smolensk and Chernigov-Seversk lands remained behind the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The signing of two unequal treaties ended the Time of Troubles and the Polish-Swedish intervention for Russia. By maintaining national independence, the country ensured its further development and solution of priority domestic and foreign policy problems.