VASILY SHUISKY'S REVOLUTION

Russia. 1606

Vasily Shuya was second in the history of Russia elected king (after Boris Godunov). His short reign (from 1606 to 1610) has brought a lot of trouble not only for himself Basil, but the entire state.

Unanimously negative response was given Shuisky known historians. NM Karamzin wrote about him: "Basil, sycophantic courtier John, first clear the enemy, and after unscrupulous saint and still secret zlozhelatel Borisov . . . enthroned a host of minions, rather than unanimous homeland because of treachery, crime, and depravity buynosti . . . could be only the second Godunov: a hypocrite, and not Virtue Hero . . . No doubt giving Boris a state of great talent, however famous Shujskij reason her husband Dumnova and information book, so wonderful to the ears of superstition, that he was considered a wise man . . . "

VO Klyuchevskii presented a portrait Shuyskiy: "After the king-pretender to the throne Prince VI Shuya king-conspirator. It was an elderly 54-year-old nobleman, a short, nondescript, half-blind, stupid people, but more clever than smart, and utterly izolgavshiysya Zain-trigovavshiysya, past fire and water, and seeing the block and do not try it just by the grace of the pretender, against which he secretly acted very keen on headphones and much afraid of witches.

Sam SHUISKI thought that has all rights to the throne. Indeed, Shuiskys belonged to the princely family, whose ancestor was considered Varangian Rurik, but also belonged to him and all the other Russian princes. More rights to the throne gave the relationship with the renowned prince Alexander Nevsky. But some researchers doubt that the prince of Suzdal (to be treated and Shuiskys) descended from the son of Alexander Nevsky Andrew. So it was anyway, but the official lineage of princes Shuiskis ancestor named Andrey.

During the reign of Fedor Ivanovich, reportedly bit the book, SHUISKI received nobility and became the head of the Moscow doomsday order. Soon became a boyar and his brother Alexander, and in 1586, and Dmitri. Their relative IP Shuya was given in the feeding of Pskov, and VF Skopin-Shuisky - Kargopol as a reward for the defense of Pskov from the Polish king Stefan Batory.

In 1598, King became Boris Godunov. Soon the Commonwealth appeared "Tsarevich Dmitry, who claimed that he - the survivors of the hired killers, planted Boris Godunov, son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

In early June 1605 Falsdmitry emissaries incited a crowd of Muscovites rushed to the Kremlin to smash Godunovs, and Shuya done nothing to protect them. Moreover, according to foreigners, it is Basil was responsible for overthrowing Godunovs. Speaking to the people, he confirmed the story of the "miraculous escape of Prince", instead of hired killers who mistakenly killed the priest′s son. Words Shuyskiy so impressed the crowd that all ran in anger to the royal palace and began to smash it. Tsar Fyodor, son of Boris Godunov, with his mother and sister were imprisoned and guarded reserved for old boyar courtyard, where he and the Queen Mary Fedor were smothered . . .

Publicly acknowledging the truth "Tsarevich Dmitry," Prince Vasili went in his bid to Tula, to personally attest to their devotion. Lzhedmitry willingly accepted noble nobleman, as hoped to use to consolidate their power. However, some pretender already firmly established, PF Basmanov, VM Mosalskiy, imaginary relatives Naked brothers Buchynska . . . Among the favorites was even teenage nephew Basil MV Skopin-Shujskij.

Under the bells I False Dmitry triumphantly entered the capital and sat down on the "ancestral throne. " However, it soon became clear that the new monarch did not like the past: he did not respect the customs of the ancestors, arbitrarily assumed the imperial title, to redraw the court in its discretion, all intervened, denouncing all in ignorance, encouraged Catholics and Lutherans, and even thought of unification of religions.

All this prompted the ambitious and cunning Basil begin preparing a plot to overthrow the Falsdmitry. At his side he drew not only relatives but also representatives of tenements, which had traditionally strong ties. But expanding the number of conspirators led to the fact that their plan was discovered. For June 20, 1605 arrests and interrogations under torture. VI Shuya as the chief instigator of sedition was arrested and sentenced by a court to death knights.

June 25 Basil brought to Red Square, where there was erected scaffold. It was surrounded by 8 thousand armed musketeers led by PF Basmanov, who delivered a guilty verdict in the last moment, the death penalty was replaced Shuisky reference.

But in the autumn of 1605 Shuiskys were again at the court. They came and the Board of the Laity of the first class - it became a boyar duma. But Prince Vasili understood that when Lzhedmitry unlikely his high position firmly. Therefore, he again started a conspiracy to overthrow the pretender, attracting only absolutely reliable and proven people. One of his most trusted people was a young nobleman dumnyi Okolnichy and Michael Ignatievich Tatishchev Once the conspirators had nearly betrayed myself when one of the peers 20 April 1606 ventured to criticize Falsdmitry for using dish of veal, which in Russia was regarded as unclean meat.

Photo — «Vasily Shuisky's Revolution»

At this time, Prince Vasili escaped with only a fright, as Michael was expelled from the yard.

The risk of new revelations forced the Prince Vasili to act quickly and decisively. The cup Russian boyars overflow wedding pretender and Polish Princess Marina Mnishek, which was attended by many distinguished Poles who wanted to take a high place with the king and to press the tribal nobility. Wedding feasts, bad behavior of drunken Poles, causing anger Muscovites, and general dissatisfaction with the fact that the Russian queen was a Catholic, were found to be conspirators most appropriate time for intervention.

Secret supporters of the conspirators were many representatives of the court, which not so long ago planted Falsdmitry to the throne. However, the deal with the king, protected by archers and who had strong support of the Poles (suite Marina Mnishek numbered several thousand people), it was very difficult. So Prince Vasili has developed a cunning plan. Early in the morning, when the court was in a deep sleep after many days of wedding feasts, should ring the bells throughout the city, allegedly informing about some trouble. Under the pretext of messages about what happened in the palace the king had to infiltrate the conspirators, composed of prominent boyars, and rush to kill the impostor. Awakened by the same Muscovites should say that the king had tried to kill the Poles, and thereby to set them on a possible assistant Falsdmitry Only after the physical removal of lzhetsarya should reveal the truth to all the participants of events and to convince them of the legality of actions of the conspirators.

Undoubtedly SHUISKI much risk, because in case of failure chopping block he was no longer inevitable. However, everything happened as planned. Early on the morning of May 17, 1606 around town ringing a bell - the Orthodox clergy fervently supported the conspirators have long since been notified about the plans okatolichivaniya country and not feel sympathy for the queen-inoverke. Lzhedmitry awake could not understand what it means bell tower, so let the guard to let the boyars, who were supposed to tell everything. But seeing that in the hands included flashing swords and long knives, scared and ran. PF Basmanov tried to obscure his sovereign, but then fell from the hands of M I. Tatishcheva. Pretender managed to jump out of windows of the palace, but he broke his leg. Therefore conspirators overtook him and then finished off.

Meanwhile, in the city, Muscovites yards smashed the hated Poles. Many of them were killed. Only the next day, the boyars took power into their hands and with the help of the guards gradually put things in order. Ensure the safety of Marine Mnishek and its closest relatives, was taken into custody the most ardent supporters of the False Dmitri, who, incidentally, turned out to be quite a bit: Patriarch Ignatius, personal secretaries lzhetsarya brothers Buchinskaya, dumnyi clerk Vlasov, who had gone to Poland wooing Mnishek Marina, and several other . Basic same number of boyars, once betrayed the Tsar Fyodor Borisovich Falsdmitry put on the throne, unanimously rallied around Basil Shuisky. Among them was, and VM Mosalskiy, and brothers Galitzine, and imaginary families lzhetsarya The Naked and the Romanovs. All of them were willing to serve the new king. In gratitude, he was obliged to guarantee the safety of all awards Falsdmitry.

After the successful implementation of the first part of the plan before Shuiski got the most important task - to convince the Russian people in the legality of their actions. The first witness falsity Dmitri had his imaginary mother, Martha Naked. The conspirators withdrew it from the Monastery of the Ascension, and by showing the mangled corpse of the "king of Dmitry", forced to publicly renounce it.

Muscovites allowed to plunder the houses of the rich suite of Poles Marina Mnishek and indulge in the joys of many days of drinking. This is the best way possible helped them come to terms with the loss of "Tsar Dmitrii" and proclaim a new national hero Vasily Shuisky.

May 19 at the cathedral square was convened crowd of Muscovites came as prominent nobles and clergy. They were supposed to be a selective Zemsky Sobor. In fact, with the boyars, members of the court, the government and the clergy all been discussed in advance. They agreed to put Shuyskiy the throne on condition that he sign a restrictive account that would place him in dependence on the Boyar Duma and cut his own right as a king. Clergy guarantee the inviolability of wealth and land holdings and were promised protection and support. In addition, the future king was not to disrupt existing in the court hierarchy and arbitrarily impose a disgrace.

Then hastily around the country were sent to various documents with a story about what happened in the capital, on behalf of the boyars, Martha Nagoya, Basil himself. They tried to convince people that deposed and killed the king was an impostor, adventurer and heretic, and was planning to finally destroy Orthodox Russia and its people.

Corpse Falsdmitry, before lain three days in the nude with a carnival mask on her face and a bagpipe in the hands of the Red Square, it was decided to bury the countryside.

Photo — «Vasily Shuisky's Revolution»

Under the cries of the mob dragged him on the crowded streets and thrown into a pit to be devoured by dogs, but then covered with earth. But secret supporters of the impostor began to spread rumors that the dead man was a sorcerer and is able to rise again. Some even claimed that they saw in the ditch some strange lights. Vassily commanded again to dig up the corpse and publicly burned. The ash is loaded into the gun and shot at the West, where Lzhedmitry come. With this act, the new king wanted to convince those who doubt that with Falsdmitry finished once and for all. However, subsequent events have shown that to do so failed.

By country rumors about a new miraculous escape "the king of Dmitry. They are being spread with those of his supporters who did not belong to the highest nobility and did not enter into an agreement with Shuisky. Even in Moscow, some say publicly exhibited the corpse was not a "king Dimitri" and he deliberately wore a mask so no one saw to shave off his black beard, who never had lzhetsarya.

There contemporaries called a doubt not only the circumstances of the accession of Basil, but his ability to govern the country and establish a dynasty. Shuya was old by then standards, homely and could not persuade his subjects nor self-love, nor sympathy. In addition, he was cunning, crafty, stingy, encouraged informers. By the time of his ascension to the throne he had no heirs, and not even married (his first wife Helen had died). Perturbation caused contemporaries and what Shujskij voluntarily limited his power in favor of the boyars, which no Russian monarch did not.

Alarming news from the outskirts of Basil quickly forced to legitimize their accession to the throne and become not only elected, but crowned monarch. The ceremony was scheduled for 1 June. The attributes to the new king of Novgorod Metropolitan Isidore borrowed from the marriage celebration of Boris Godunov: "God, my beloved, chosen of God, God, venerable and God betrothed.

Then Basil decided to finally expose the imposture "king Dmitry" that show the people remains true prince. To do this, Uglich was sent a representative delegation, headed by Metropolitan Filaret and boyar PN Sheremetev. There, at the opening of the tomb was discovered that Dmitri might not decayed, but rather well preserved, even clothes and boots. All this, in conviction of the Orthodox clergy, testified to the sanctity of the last son of Ivan the Terrible. Already on June 3 in Moscow, the coffin with the imperishable relics solemnly greeted the king Basil, all the clergy and townspeople. It was established for public viewing in the Archangel Cathedral, where he immediately began miraculous healing of the sick. This allowed the church to announce the new Tsarevich Dmitry holy martyr, write it and send for the life of the church parishes to be read by the faithful.

Much has taken to Vasily consolidate his power, but all was in vain. Residents Seversky cities dealt with the king′s messengers, and sent them letters were burned, not reading Basil also announced a dishonest traitor to encroach on the true king. Do not want to recognize the new king and all the Volga to Astrakhan.

Supporters of False Dmitry, who had fled from Moscow, continued to spread rumors that this time "the king Dmitry" saved and will fight with the usurper Basil Shuisky unlawfully deprived him of the throne. Under the banner of a non-existent impostor once again began to gather a large army. At its head stood an experienced soldier, a former serf combat Ivan Bolotnikov. His campaign began in July 1606 from Putivel, and ended - after many battles - in autumn 1607 in Tula, where he was forced to surrender.

However, with the adventure Falsdmitry was not finished. In the summer of 1607 in Starodub, a new "king Dmitry" - False Dmitry II. Around this mysterious figure quickly gathered a large army, ready to go to Moscow. It is based on the Polish-Lithuanian troops, the Zaporozhye Cossacks, residents Seversky cities. In June 1608 he went to the capital and located in Tushino, and why it was called Tushino. The country has had the dual power: some of the city (north-east) remained faithful to Tsar Vasily, others (in the south-west) - subordinated to the pretender.

The king sought help from the Swedish king, an enemy of the Polish king Sigiz-Munda III He sent his nephew to Novgorod, a young and talented military commander M. Skopina-Shuisky. Tom was able to negotiate with the Swedes and hire a large contingent led by J. de la Gardie. Won a number of victories, their combined army of March 12, 1610 triumphantly entered Moscow, happily the welcome residents.

But the joy of victory was short-lived. After one of the peers in April, the commander liberator was dead. At this time, the Polish King Sigismund, angered by Sweden, entered the Russian borders. Held on 24 June at Klushino battle was hopelessly lost by Russian troops. It finally decided the fate of Tsar Vasily. On 17 July he was overthrown and a monk. Then, with his brothers, he was sent prisoner to the Polish king, where he died.