Who was the first Russian Tsar? Prophecies about the restoration of the monarchy in Russia.

Eight prophets and seers unanimously affirm the inevitability of Russia’s return to monarchy. These are Basil the Blessed, Vasily Nemchin, Seraphim of Sarov, monk Abel, Theophan of Poltava, Lavrenity of Chernigov, monk John, monk Agathangel. But only one of them names the time of this event. The chronicles record the words of St. Basil: “Russia will live for a whole century without a Tsar, and the rulers will destroy many churches. Then they will be restored, but the people will begin to serve not God, but gold.” Thus, the time for the restoration of the monarchy falls somewhere in 2017.

Prophecies of St. Abel the Seer about the future King.

And the Great Prince will rise in exile from your family, standing for the sons of his people. This will be the Chosen One of God, and on his head will be a blessing. It will be united and understandable to everyone; the very Russian heart will sense it. His appearance will be sovereign and bright, and no one will say: “The king is here or there,” but everyone: “It’s him.” The will of the people will submit to the mercy of God, and he himself will confirm his calling... His name is destined three times over in Russian History.

The two namesakes were already on the Throne, but not the Royal Throne. The heroes served one (Alexander Nevsky), the second will be born on one day, and they will honor him on another (Alexander Suvorov). He will sit on Tsarsky as the third. So it’s clear what the future Tsar will be called. We are waiting. All the elders are inclined towards the restoration of the monarchy and the coming of the Tsar in 17-18, so that St. Basil will tell Russia to live for 100 years without a Tsar.

And also on the Częstochowa Icon Mother of God on the cheek there is a letter A denoting the first letter of the name of the future Tsar.

It speaks of the coming Victorious Tsar, who will rise from the Romanov family in last times(i.e. already). Everyone recognizes this King by his appearance alone, because the Lord will win the hearts of people towards his chosen one. “The Russian heart itself will smell it” - the Russian heart! This does not mean that everyone will submit to him just by the sight of him. The Tsar will have enemies, and many of them. But these words mean that the Russian Orthodox heart will immediately see its Tsar in him, and many will stand for the Tsar not for life, but for death.

THE FUTURE TSAR OF Rus', WHO IS HE?

Vladimir I Svyatoslavich (Old Russian: Volodymer Svtoslavich, c. 960 - July 15, 1015) - Kiev Grand Duke, during which the baptism of Rus' took place. Vladimir became Novgorod prince in 970, seized the Kiev throne in 978. In 988 he chose Christianity as the state religion Kievan Rus. Received in baptism christian name Vasily. Also known as Vladimir the Saint, Vladimir the Baptist (in church history) and Vladimir the Red Sun (in epics). Glorified among the saints as Equal to the Apostles. Vanga called the future tsar’s middle name: “Vladimirovich.” (Continuer of the work of Prince Vladimir.).

Appearance Rev. Seraphim of Sarov (2002): “Tell everyone what I say! The war will begin immediately after my holiday. As soon as the people leave Diveevo, it will begin immediately! But I’m not in Diveevo: I’m in Moscow. In Diveevo, having resurrected in Sarov, I will come alive along with the Tsar. The Tsar’s wedding will take place in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir.”

Saint Theophan of Poltava, 1930: “The Monarchy and Autocratic power will be restored in Russia. The Lord has chosen the future King. This will be a man of fiery faith, a brilliant mind and an iron will. First of all, he will restore order in the Orthodox Church, removing all untrue, heretical and lukewarm bishops. And many, very many, with few exceptions, almost all will be eliminated, and new, true, unshakable bishops will take their place... Something that no one expects will happen. Russia will rise from the dead, and the whole world will be surprised. Orthodoxy in it (Russia) will be reborn and triumph. But the Orthodoxy that existed before will no longer exist. will be installed by God Himself strong king on the Throne."

Is it really possible that 2017 - 2018 the king will come Will Russia rise again as an autocratic Orthodox empire?

Famous prophecies of Russian saints (St. Theophan (Bistrov), St. Theophan of Poltava, St. Lawrence of Chernigov, St. Seraphim Sarovsky and many, many others) give an affirmative answer to this question. With slight differences in details, but in essence, these prophecies tell us that sooner or later something will happen in our country that no one expects. Russia national repentance will be transformed, rise from the dead and together with everyone Slavic peoples and the lands will form a mighty Kingdom. He will be cared for by the Orthodox Tsar, God's Anointed, a man of fiery faith, a brilliant mind and an iron will, whom even the Antichrist will fear.

The coming Tsar will be chosen and installed by God Himself; first of all, he will restore order in the Orthodox Church, removing all untrue, heretical and lukewarm bishops. And many, very many, with few exceptions, almost all of them will be eliminated, and new, true, unshakable bishops will take their place...

Prot. Nikolay Guryanov. In 1997, one woman asked the priest: “Father Nikolai, who will come after Yeltsin? What should we expect? “Afterwards there will be a military man,” answered Father. - What will happen next? - the woman asked again. - Afterwards there will be an Orthodox Tsar! - said Father Nikolai.

The clairvoyant Vanga predicted in 1996: “New man under the sign of the New Teaching will appear in Russia, and he will rule Russia all his life... The new teaching will come from Russia - this is the oldest and truest teaching - will spread throughout the world and the day will come when all religions in the world will disappear and they will be replaced by this new philosophical teaching of the Fire Bible. Socialism will return to Russia new form, in Russia there will be large collective and cooperative agriculture, and the former will be restored again Soviet Union, but the union is already new. Russia will strengthen and grow, no one can stop Russia, there is no force that could break Russia. Russia will sweep away everything in its path, and will not only survive, but will also become the sole and undivided “mistress of the world,” and even America in the 2030s will recognize Russia’s complete superiority. Russia will again become a strong and powerful real empire, and will again be called by its old name ancient name Rus."

Although each of us studied the history of Russia in school, not everyone knows who was the first tsar in Rus'. In 1547, Ivan IV Vasilyevich, nicknamed the Terrible for his difficult character, cruelty and harsh disposition, began to be called this loud title. Before him, all the rulers of the Russian lands were grand dukes. After Ivan the Terrible became Tsar, our state began to be called the Russian Kingdom instead of the Moscow Principality.

Grand Duke and Tsar: what is the difference?

Having dealt with who was first named Tsar of All Rus', we should find out why the new title became necessary. By the middle of the 16th century, the lands of the Moscow Principality occupied 2.8 thousand square kilometers. It was a huge state, stretching from the Smolensk region in the west to the Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod districts in the east, from the Kaluga lands in the south to the Northern Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Finland in the north. About 9 million people lived on such a vast territory. Muscovite Rus' (as the principality was otherwise called) was a centralized state in which all regions were subordinate to the Grand Duke, that is, Ivan IV.

By the 16th century, the Byzantine Empire ceased to exist. Grozny hatched the idea of ​​becoming the patron of everything Orthodox world, and for this he needed to strengthen the authority of his state on international level. Change of title in this issue played an important role. In countries Western Europe the word “king” was translated as “emperor” or left untouched, while “prince” was associated with duke or prince, which was a level lower.

The Tsar's childhood

Knowing who became the first tsar in Rus', it will be interesting to get acquainted with the biography of this person. Ivan the Terrible was born in 1530. His parents were the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III and Princess Elena Glinskaya. The future ruler of the Russian lands was orphaned early. When he was 3 years old, his father died. Since Ivan was the only heir to the throne (his younger brother Yuri was born mentally retarded and could not lead the Moscow principality), rule of the Russian lands passed to him. This happened in 1533. For some time, his mother was the de facto ruler of the young son, but in 1538 she too passed away (according to rumors, she was poisoned). Completely orphaned by the age of eight, the future first Tsar of Rus' grew up among his guardians, the boyars Belsky and Shuisky, who were not interested in anything other than power. Growing up in an atmosphere of hypocrisy and meanness, from childhood he did not trust those around him and expected a dirty trick from everyone.

Acceptance of new title and marriage

At the beginning of 1547, Grozny announced his intention to marry into the kingdom. On January 16 of the same year he was given the title of Tsar of All Rus'. The crown was placed on the head of the ruler by Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, a man who enjoys authority in society and has a special influence on young Ivan. The ceremonial wedding took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

As a 17-year-old boy, the newly-crowned king decided to get married. In search of a bride, the dignitaries traveled all over the Russian lands. Ivan the Terrible selected his wife from one and a half thousand applicants. What he liked the most was young Anastasia Zakharyin-Yuryev. She captivated Ivan not only with her beauty, but also with her intelligence, chastity, piety, and calm character. Metropolitan Macarius, who crowned Ivan the Terrible, approved the choice and married the newlyweds. Subsequently, the king had other spouses, but Anastasia was his favorite of them all.

Moscow uprising

In the summer of 1547, a strong fire broke out in the capital, which could not be extinguished for 2 days. About 4 thousand people became its victims. Rumors spread throughout the city that the capital was set on fire by the Tsar’s relatives, the Glinskys. An angry crowd of people went to the Kremlin. The houses of the Glinsky princes were plundered. The result of popular unrest was the murder of one of the members of this noble family - Yuri. After this, the rebels came to the village of Vorobyovo, where the young king was hiding from them, and demanded that all the Glinskys be handed over to them. The rioters were hardly pacified and sent back to Moscow. After the uprising waned, Grozny ordered the execution of its organizers.

Beginning of state reform

The Moscow uprising spread to other Russian cities. Ivan IV faced the need to carry out reforms aimed at establishing order in the country and strengthening his autocracy. For these purposes, in 1549, the tsar created the Elected Rada - a new government group, which included people loyal to him (Metropolitan Macarius, priest Sylvester, A. Adashev, A. Kurbsky and others).

This period dates back to the beginning of the active reform activities of Ivan the Terrible, aimed at centralizing his power. To manage various branches of state life, the first tsar in Rus' created numerous orders and huts. So, foreign policy Russian state was led by the Ambassadorial Prikaz, headed by I. Viskovity for two decades. Receive applications, requests and complaints from ordinary people, and the Petition Izba, under the control of A. Adashev, was also obliged to conduct investigations into them. The fight against crime was entrusted to the Robust Order. It served as a modern police force. The life of the capital was regulated by the Zemsky Prikaz.

In 1550, Ivan IV published a new Code of Laws, in which everything existing in the Russian kingdom was systematized and edited legislative acts. When compiling it, the changes that have occurred in the life of the state over the past half century were taken into account. The document introduced punishment for bribery for the first time. Before this, Muscovite Rus' lived according to the Code of Laws of 1497, the laws of which were noticeably outdated by the middle of the 16th century.

Church and military politics

Under Ivan the Terrible, influence increased significantly Orthodox Church, the life of the clergy improved. This was facilitated by the Council of the Hundred Heads, convened in 1551. The provisions adopted there contributed to the centralization of church power.

In 1555-1556, the first Tsar of Rus', Ivan the Terrible, together with the Elected Rada, developed the “Code of Service”, which contributed to an increase in the number of Russian army. In accordance with this document, each feudal lord was obliged to field a certain number of soldiers with horses and weapons from his lands. If the landowner supplied the Tsar with soldiers in excess of the norm, he was encouraged monetary reward. In the event that the feudal lord could not provide the required number of soldiers, he paid a fine. The “Clause of Service” contributed to improving the combat effectiveness of the army, which was important in the context of Ivan the Terrible’s active foreign policy.

Expansion of territory

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the conquest of neighboring lands was actively carried out. In 1552, the Kazan Khanate was annexed to the Russian state, and in 1556, the Astrakhan Khanate. In addition, the king's possessions expanded due to the conquest of the Volga region and the western part of the Urals. Kabardian and Nogai rulers recognized their dependence on Russian lands. Under the first Russian Tsar, the active annexation of Western Siberia began.

Throughout 1558-1583, Ivan IV fought the Livonian War for Russia's access to the shores of the Baltic Sea. The start of hostilities was successful for the king. In 1560, Russian troops managed to completely defeat the Livonian Order. However, the successfully started war dragged on for for many years, led to a worsening of the situation within the country and ended in complete defeat for Russia. The king began to look for those responsible for his failures, which led to mass disgrace and executions.

Break with the Chosen Rada, oprichnina

Adashev, Sylvester and other figures of the Elected Rada did not support the aggressive policy of Ivan the Terrible. In 1560 they opposed Russia's control Livonian War, for which they aroused the wrath of the ruler. The first tsar in Rus' dispersed the Rada. Its members were persecuted. Ivan the Terrible, who does not tolerate dissent, thought about establishing a dictatorship in the lands under his control. To this end, in 1565 he began to pursue a policy of oprichnina. Its essence was the confiscation and redistribution of boyar and princely lands in favor of the state. This policy was accompanied by mass arrests and executions. Its result was the weakening of the local nobility and the strengthening of the power of the king against this background. The oprichnina lasted until 1572 and was ended after the devastating invasion of Moscow by Crimean troops led by Khan Devlet-Girey.

The policy pursued by the first tsar in Rus' led to a severe weakening of the country's economy, devastation of lands, and destruction of estates. Towards the end of his reign, Ivan the Terrible abandoned execution as a method of punishing the guilty. In his will of 1579, he repented of his cruelty towards his subjects.

Wives and children of the king

Ivan the Terrible married 7 times. In total, he had 8 children, 6 of whom died in childhood. The first wife Anastasia Zakharyina-Yuryeva gave the Tsar 6 heirs, of which only two survived to adulthood - Ivan and Fedor. His second wife, Maria Temryukovna, gave birth to a son, Vasily, to the sovereign. He died at 2 months. The last child(Dmitry) Ivan the Terrible was born by his seventh wife, Maria Nagaya. The boy was destined to live only 8 years.

The first Russian Tsar in Rus' killed the adult son of Ivan Ivanovich in 1582 in a fit of anger, so Fedor turned out to be the only heir to the throne. It was he who took over the throne after the death of his father.

Death

Ivan the Terrible ruled the Russian state until 1584. IN recent years Throughout his life, osteophytes made it difficult for him to walk independently. Lack of movement, nervousness, and unhealthy lifestyle led to the fact that at the age of 50 the ruler looked like an old man. Early in 1584, his body began to swell and emit bad smell. Doctors called the sovereign’s illness “blood decomposition” and predicted his quick death. Ivan the Terrible died on March 18, 1584, while playing chess with Boris Godunov. Thus ended the life of the one who was the first tsar in Rus'. Rumors persisted in Moscow that Ivan IV was poisoned by Godunov and his accomplices. After the death of the king, the throne went to his son Fedor. In fact, Boris Godunov became the ruler of the country.

End of the Kalita dynasty . Historians reading documents from that time often come across the following entries: “wastelands that were villages”, “arable land is overgrown with forest”. The desolation of lands assumed terrible proportions: in Novgorod and Pskov places close to the Livonian front, only 7.5% of previously cultivated lands remained plowed, in the Moscow district - 16%, a similar picture was observed in other areas. Taxes have increased many times; “having once taken a tax,” according to Kurbsky, “they sent to collect more and more taxes.”

They have become widespread in the country “robberies”, excitement. There was no one to work, to feed the nobles and the army. The authorities, trying to save the situation, have been organizing a description of the lands since 1581 and prohibiting the transfer of peasants from one owner to another on St. George’s Day. Then the famous proverb was born: “Here’s to you, grandma, and St. George’s Day!” “Reserved years”(commandment - prohibition) were introduced as a temporary measure, but remained for a long time, until the abolition of serfdom (1861). The scribe books compiled during the description became the basis of a peasant “fortress” for the landowner and patrimonial owner.

Landowners receive tax benefits, but monasteries are deprived of them (by decision of the church council of 1584). The nobles are rewarded with new lands. These measures, taken at the end of Ivan the Terrible's reign, could not give any noticeable and quick results.

...On March 18, 1584, Tsar Ivan IV died. At less than 54 years old, this man, exceptionally gifted, cruel and maniacally suspicious, looked like a very old man, a wreck. Long years of struggle, suspicion and fear, reprisals and repentance, drunken orgies and evil antics took their toll. Night fears and nightmares, illnesses and worries brought him to the extreme - his whole body was swollen, his eyes were watering, his hands were shaking. The people surrounding the throne were in awe of him, but they were intriguing; It was rumored that they were the ones who helped him pass into another world - they planted poison.

It caused and still causes the most controversial assessments of contemporaries and descendants. Some see in his actions a great state meaning - the desire for centralization, strengthening the state, eliminating obstacles on this path (the fight against the boyars and others). As for atrocities, including oprichnina terror, it is not without reason that we speak about the morals of the era, characteristic of both Russia and other countries (let us recall, for example, the massacres of St. Bartholomew’s Night in France in 1572, when in two weeks more than 30 thousand people were slaughtered at once). Others sharply judge the individual negatively and focus on executions, oprichnina, and ruin of the country. Obviously, it is necessary to take into account positive aspects his reign (strengthening the state), and negative (deterioration of the situation of the people, terror).

Summing up the era of Ivan the Terrible, we can say that for all its successes, it left heavy inheritance and led to the notorious Time of Troubles in the history of the Fatherland.

After the death of Ivan IV, power passed to his 27-year-old son Fedor. Having seen enough of what his father and his family did from a young age, all his life he disliked reprisals, cruelty, and unmercifulness. A quiet and God-fearing man, the king was more interested in prayer and quiet conversation with the monks. He loved church singing and bell ringing. He entrusted state affairs to the boyars. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, a struggle for power and influence began among them. At first, B. Ya. Volsky, the favorite of the late monarch, a devout guardsman who inherited the role of the strangler Malyuta Skuratov under Grozny, claimed the leading role. Dissatisfied with the topic Because he was not included in the number of regents under Tsar Fedor, he brought his armed slaves to the Kremlin. Everyone regarded his actions as a desire to revive the oprichnina order.

The alarm sounded in the capital - Muscovites, nobles from the southern districts, who had come to work, rushed to the Kremlin from all sides, “The whole people,” as a contemporary chronicler says, “were shaken”. The rebels destroyed weapons depots on Red Square and gathered “knock the gates (in the Kremlin) out”. Boyars and clerks left the Frolovsky (Spassky) Gate. They were greeted with shouts: “Give us Bogdan Belsky! He wants to destroy the royal roots and boyar families!”

Belsky was immediately captured and in April exiled by the governor to Nizhny Novgorod. At court, after the elimination of rival boyars, the tsar's brother-in-law, Boris Fedorovich Godunov, asserted his power; his sister Irina was the wife of Fyodor Ivanovich. younger brother Tsar, six-month-old Tsarevich Dmitry (son from Maria Nagiya, his last wife, fourth in a row) found himself, in fact, in exile - he was given the appanage possession of Uglich, and he was taken there by his mother and her relatives Nagiya.

Under Tsar Fyodor, the situation in the country became calmer and quieter. The oprichnina terror was remembered with horror and disgust, including by the monarch himself, who began every day with prayer: "Lord, save me, a sinner, from evil action."

Of course, there were also executions. For example, six traders were punished "men"—participants in the spring uprising in Moscow (1584). The Shuisky boyars were exiled, for example. The leader of the heroic defense of Pskov, Prince I.P. Shuisky, was villainously killed in exile. And Metropolitan Dionysius, a supporter of the Shuiskys, was removed from the metropolitan see, his place was taken by Job, Godunov’s protege. In 1589, Job was elected Patriarch of All Rus' at a council of the Russian clergy. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church became completely independent.

Illustration. Death of Tsarevich Dmitry

May 15, 1591 at mysterious circumstances Tsarevich Dmitry died in Uglich. The rebels of Uglich dealt with some of the people who were watching the late prince. A commission sent by Godunov, headed by Prince V.I. Shuisky, conducted an investigation and came to the conclusion: the prince stabbed himself to death while playing “poke” (knife). But even then many did not believe this version, and rumors spread throughout Russia: the Tsarevich was killed on the orders of Godunov. This event subsequently had a significant impact on the aggravation of the situation in the country.

Life went on and demanded its toll. By the beginning of the 90s. the description of the lands, which lasted a whole decade, ended. Mode “reserved years”, initially introduced in individual counties, spread throughout the country. The documents say this briefly and unambiguously: “Now, according to the sovereign’s decree, there is no way out for peasants and farmers.”.

Then they introduced “lesson summer”(1597): in cases of the ownership of peasants, their export, and the return of fugitive peasants, a five-year period for filing petitions by their owners began to apply. If a landowner or patrimonial owner turned to the authorities more than five years after the removal or escape of a peasant, he lost all rights to him. At the same time, a decree on slaves was promulgated, which greatly worsened their situation: they lost the right to release by paying the debt under the old servitude letters. And “voluntary” service as slaves, previously indefinite, was reduced to six months, after which the owners could enslave them completely, unconditionally.

“Imposed with humility” Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich died quietly on January 7, 1598, leaving no heir. The dynasty on the Moscow throne died out. On Zemsky Sobor, whose ancestors, natives of Russia, began to serve Moscow under the same Kalita. Now the former, son-in-law of Malyuta Skuratov, who for many years went to supreme authority, got it. When Duma clerk Vasily Shchelkalov, an experienced clerk, announced to the people in the Kremlin about the tonsure of the widow Tsarina Irina, her brother heard the cherished and long-awaited cries of Muscovites:

- Long live Boris Fedorovich!

This meant one thing: the people wanted to see him as king. The star of the founder of the new has risen royal dynasty. But she didn't shine for long.

This seems like a simple question, but you can’t immediately remember who was the first king. For me the king is the ruler. But there were many rulers. And Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko, Oleg, and so on. But I read the story in more detail and found out something. I’ll tell you about this.

The first Tsar of All Rus'

It turned out that earlier in Rus' rulers were called grand dukes, there was no title of king. Whereas in other countries the titles tsar, king, and emperor were widely used and meant autocratic power. Our princes were perceived as princes or dukes. The urgent need for a “king” appeared in the 16th century, when Prince Ivan IV found himself embroiled in a power struggle. Ivan was the son Vasily III, direct heir. When he was three years old, his father died, his mother became the boy's guardian, but she also died five years later. The boyars Shuisky and Belsky became guardians. A serious struggle broke out between them. Boy from an early age observed violence, cruelty, intrigue, deceit. This is what led to the fact that he became distrustful, bitter, and even then he decided to become a king, to have unlimited power.

At the age of 16, Ivan, who was later named Grozny, was crowned the kingdom of all Rus'. It was also beneficial for the clergy at that time to appoint a tsar, since this contributed to the strengthening of the Orthodox Church in the country. So, Ivan the Terrible became the first tsar.

Reign of Ivan the Terrible

About this historical figure there are many legends. But his very nickname suggests that he was cool, wayward and even cruel character. He was characteristic outbursts of aggression, at the moment of one of which he killed his son.

But what did he do for Russia? Here are his main achievements:

But the worst thing that happened under Ivan the Terrible was his oprichnina army, which for many years robbed and killed the population. The people were afraid andhated the king.

The Russian people are traditionally distinguished by their faith in the Tsar. But there were such monarchs in Rus' who almost led Russia to historical destruction.

Boris Godunov

Godunov’s accession to the throne already raised many doubts (he was a ruler from the “crowd.” The list of victims attributed to the “great poisoner” is impressive: two sovereigns Ivan the Terrible and Fyodor Ivanovich, Duke Hans of Denmark (failed husband of Boris’s daughter Ksenia), daughter of Duke Magnus of Denmark (whom the Poles could have elevated to the Russian throne) and even Tsarina Irina, Boris Godunov’s sister, who herself presented him with the crown.

It was Boris Godunov, and not Peter I, who became the first sovereign oriented towards European orders. He maintained friendly ties with England and was in flattering correspondence with the Queen of England. Under Godunov, the British received unprecedented privileges, including the right to duty-free trade.

In 1601, the Great Famine came to Russia, which lasted until 1603. This became the real fate of Godunov and his entire dynasty. Despite all the king's attempts to help his people - prohibitions on increasing the price of bread, building barns for the hungry - people remembered the Antichrist. Rumors about Boris's crimes spread throughout Moscow. The development of rumors about the coming of the Antichrist into something massive and militant was prevented by the sudden death of Boris Godunov and the coming to Rus' of the “miraculously saved” Tsarevich Dmitry. As a result of Godunov's rule, Russia found itself on the threshold of the Time of Troubles, which almost stopped the history of the Russian state.

Vasily Shuisky

Vasily Shuisky ruled in the period 1606-1610. At the beginning of the XVII century. Russia experienced massive crop failures, as a result of which famine spread throughout the territory. Vasily Shuisky came to the throne during these times, creating a conspiracy and organizing the murder of False Dmitry. Shuisky was proclaimed ruler by his supporters - a small group of people in Moscow.

“More cunning than smart, utterly deceitful and intrigued,” is how the historian Vasily Klyuchevsky described the tsar.

Shuisky inherited an inheritance that called into question the very concept of the “Russian state.” Famine, internal and external strife, and finally, the epidemic of imposture that swept Rus' at the dawn of the 17th century - in such conditions, few could maintain their common sense and political will.

Shuisky did everything he could. He tried to codify the law and consolidate the position of slaves and peasants. But his concessions difficult situation were akin to weakness. In the end Shuisky was captured Polish troops, by prior agreement of the boyars. His rule was replaced by the Polish prince Vladislav, and the country was actually under foreign occupation.

Peter II

Peter II reigned in the period 1727-1730. Became king at the age of 11, died at 14 from smallpox. This is one of the youngest rulers of Russia. Became king, according to the will drawn up by Catherine I. He showed no interest in state affairs And political activity. His government was not distinguished by spectacular events, and besides, Peter II did not actually rule Russia on his own. Power was in the hands of the Supreme Privy Council (Menshikov, and soon - Osterman and Dolgoruky). During this period we tried to adhere to political views Peter the Great, but these attempts were unsuccessful. During the reign of Peter II, the boyar aristocracy strengthened, the army fell into decay (especially changes affected the fleet), and corruption began to actively flourish. Also during this period, the capital of Russia changed its location (it was moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow).

Peter III

Peter III is an emperor who was proclaimed after the death of Elizabeth. During the 186-day period, the monarch did enough to be called one of the worst rulers of Russia. Historians explain this by the hatred of the “German” Peter III to Russia. The result of the emperor's reign was:
strengthening of serfdom;
the nobility receiving the right not to serve and other privileges (“Manifesto on the Freedom of the Nobility”);
the return to power of persons from the previous reign who were in exile;
cessation of hostilities with Prussia, conclusion of an agreement with the Prussian king on unfavorable terms (return of East Prussia, which at that time had been part of Russia for 4 years). Given that the 7-year war with Prussia was practically won, such a step caused bewilderment in army circles and was equated with high treason.
The reign of Peter III ended thanks to the conspiracy of the guard.

Nicholas II

Nicholas II - the last Russian Tsar, in whose success they did not even believe him own parents. For example, Nikolai’s mother considered Nikolai weak not only in spirit, but also in mind, and called him “ rag doll" At the very beginning of his reign, the tsar tied the ruble exchange rate to gold and introduced the gold ruble. The consequence of this step was the restriction of money within the country and an increase in the number of loans abroad, which were used for the development of the country. As a result, Russia became one of the leaders in terms of the volume of external debt, which was growing rapidly.

Next, the shameful defeat of Russia in Russian-Japanese war(in 1904-1905) During the reign of the tsar, one should remember “ Bloody Sunday" - the shooting of civilians by police in St. Petersburg, which served as the impetus for the beginning of the first revolution (1905-1907) As a result last event Nikolai received the nickname "Bloody".

In 1914 (the beginning of the war) there was an economic recession and inflation. The number of strikes increased sharply. As a result, Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and in Russia the most scary time in her history.