The era preceding the reign of Peter the Great was difficult, and the state was not always able to solve emerging problems using legal methods. As a result, “initiative from below” began to operate, usually giving results opposite to those desired. A good example maybe the Streltsy riot of 1682.
The true reasons for the Streltsy revolt
They consisted in the deterioration of the situation of the poorest strata of the Russian population after the defeat of the uprising of Stepan Razin and the complete abolition of the peasants' right of transition. The Streltsy, the once privileged regular army, also suffered. Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the eldest of his surviving sons, was a fan Western traditions and began to introduce “regiments of the new system” into the army, because of which the importance of the Streltsy army sharply decreased. At the same time, Fedor was a sickly young man, quite weak will, and this led to a weakening central government, devastation of the treasury and numerous abuses, including by the Streltsy commanders.
TO real reasons This can also be attributed to Fyodor’s lack of sons despite the presence of two brothers - in monarchies, the absence of a clear heir always causes tension.
Created reasons
They were in a struggle for influence at the court of two clans - the Naryshkins and the Miloslavskys, who were relatives of Fyodor’s two maternal brothers (Ivan - the son of Maria Miloslavskaya, Peter - Natalya Naryshkina). Each group expected to rule on behalf of its young relative (at the time of Fyodor's death, Ivan was 16 and Peter was 10 years old).
Fans of the Old Believer Church, who had not yet lost hope of regaining their spiritual supremacy, also contributed their “five cents” to the general turmoil. Here, too, we were talking exclusively about worldly matters - money and power.
Finally, the Streltsy simply did not understand how their problems with poverty and lack of rights could really be solved, and they succumbed to the “Maidan” ideology - to beat just anyone, simply for being richer and more successful. It so happened that the Miloslavskys were the first to show them a suitable target.
Course of events
The riot actually took place in 2 stages. The first took place from May 15 to May 18, 1682, when the archers, trained by the Miloslavskys, broke into the Kremlin and killed large number supporters of the Naryshkins. As a result, Tsarina Natalya (mother of Peter 1), the patriarch, the Boyar Duma and Princess Sophia were forced to make significant concessions to the rebels.
The second period is known as Khovanshchina. It lasted from the beginning of July until September 17, 1682. The stage is associated with the name of I.A. Khovansky, the prince appointed to command the Streltsy army. The prince tried to support the claims of the Old Believers and did not hide the fact that he was counting on the archers to implement his plans. There were rumors that he wanted to marry one of the princesses and become king.
This stage was completed as a result of the departure of the entire royal family from Moscow and the convening of a militia outside the capital. Khovansky was executed, the Old Believers were subjected to repression, and the Streltsy lost all their won privileges.
Mixed results
The riot had significant consequences. For several years, the Miloslavsky clan, headed by Princess Sophia, came to power. She received the title of ruler under her young brothers. There were two kings: Ivan and Peter, but they played only a representative role. The Miloslavskys did not dare to remove Peter from the throne, since he had already been recognized as king by the Boyar Duma, and it was somehow not accepted to remove a living king from power.
The discontent was muted for some time, but not eliminated, since the Miloslavsky repressions caused displeasure not only among the Naryshkin supporters. There is reason to believe that the rebellion was also responsible for future attacks of cruelty in Peter 1 - he had to see how his relatives were thrown on spears and dragged to torture, and this affected the psyche.
And the archers, who became a tool in the wrong hands, received almost nothing - all the concessions given to them were canceled, they were only paid back wages. They didn’t know that the “Maidans” could only end like this...
The spring of 1682 was eventful. Died Feodor III Alekseevich. After the death of the tsar, the throne was supposed to pass to his brother Ivan, the sick and feeble-minded son of Maria Miloslavskaya. And without that difficult situation was complicated by the fact that Alexei Mikhailovich had another heir - Peter, the son of Natalya Naryshkina. He was younger than his half-brother, but he was healthy, strong and intelligent.
Many close associates of Fyodor Alekseevich placed their bets on Peter. Therefore, when the tsar was already on his deathbed, Yazykov, Likhachev, Matveev, rescued from exile, and other boyars, rallying with the Naryshkins interested in this matter, proclaimed Peter Alekseevich tsar. In this generally unlawful situation, Patriarch Joachim provided support to the conspirators. He announced publicly who would now become the Tsar-Father. “Father,” however, by that time was not yet ten years old.
Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna saves Peter from the fury of the archers
However, the Miloslavskys were not going to retreat. Moreover, they even managed to enlist the support of the Streltsy army, which by that time had already felt its strength. In the same 1682, the archers were led by Yuri Alekseevich Dolgorukov - “a wreck from old age and paralysis,” as the historian S. M. Solovyov wrote. There was no order in the army, the colonels abused their powers. Then the archers filed a petition in which they promised to lynch the authorities if there was no reaction from above to these complaints. Natalya Naryshkina and her associates, frightened, unquestioningly complied with the demands of the archers, without even trying to understand the situation. It was then that the Sagittarius realized that they were capable of achieving a lot, that they were a real force.
Such sentiments were to the advantage of the Miloslavskys. Moreover, they decided to “heat up” the already tense atmosphere: the archers were told that Tsarevich Ivan was no longer alive - he had been strangled by insidious traitors. The archers were also given a list of boyars by name who were involved in such a terrible crime. The army took all this information on faith. These events became the catalyst for the rebellion.
Streletsky riot
On May 15, 1682, the Streltsy army entered the Kremlin. Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna went out onto the porch of the palace along with both heirs in order to demonstrate that everyone was alive and well. Moreover, Ivan himself spoke out saying that no one offends or torments him. However, this circumstance no longer bothered the archers much. The good fellows began a bloody massacre of the boyars indicated by the Miloslavskys. Murders were committed not only in the palace, but also outside it. That day, father and son Dolgorukov, Matveev, Romodanovsky, Yazykov and many others died. Brutal executions took place in front of the members royal family, Pyotr Alekseevich also witnessed the riot. The archers mocked the bodies of the killed Naryshkin supporters until nightfall.
On May 16 and 17, the massacre continued. The main goal Streltsov was now Ivan Kirillovich Naryshkin, Natalya’s brother. However, he managed to hide in the depths of the palace, and his search dragged on. Then the army representatives announced that they would stop the uprising only if they received the last traitor. The palace decided to agree to these conditions. They found Ivan Kirillovich, allowed him to take communion and handed him over to the archers. After painful torture he passed away. The riot was over.
Princess Sophia
Natalya Kirillovna and young Peter were shocked by what happened. They lost relatives and friends; the jubilant Miloslavskys even threatened to expel the heir’s mother outside the palace. It was decided that from now on both brothers would reign, and the smart and cunning Princess Sophia was appointed regent for them. Thus began the period of her seven-year reign.
In 1550, Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible established rifle regiments. This was a special branch of the army, formed from the free population, townspeople and peasants. The right to serve in the Streltsy regiment was for life and was inherited. The archers received salaries from the treasury, and had to provide themselves with weapons, supplies and uniforms. Apart from guard duty, the archers did not carry weapons. Streltsy lived with their families in special settlements, settlements, where free time They ran farms and were engaged in crafts and trades.
The entire regiment was subject to the Streletsky order, which decided military proceedings. The order was divided into smaller ones, scattered throughout Moscow. Local affairs were run by generals and colonels.
By the end of the 7th century, the regiment numbered more than 20,000 people. Streltsy constituted the main branch of the troops of the Moscow State. Despite military organization, they led a free lifestyle, had the opportunity to receive additional income.
What preceded the Streltsy riot of 1682
With the death of Tsar Fedor in the spring of 1682, a struggle for power began. Two families claimed the throne: the Naryshkins and the Miloslavskys. Alexey Mikhailovich, the father of Fyodor Alekseevich, was married twice. The first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, gave birth to sons Fyodor and Ivan, as well as several daughters. The second wife, Natalya Naryshkina, gave birth to the heir Peter.The Naryshkins had great influence among the Moscow nobility. The Miloslavskys were supported mainly by Golitsyn and one of the commanders of the Streltsy regiment, Ivan Khovansky.
According to the law, after the death of Fedor, the throne was supposed to pass to his younger brother Ivan, the heir through the Miloslavsky line. But Tsarevich Ivan was sickly and mentally retarded, and therefore could not fully rule. What did the Naryshkins take advantage of? At that time, the issue of succession to the throne was decided by the Zemsky Assembly, convened from all lands. But under the guise of a general meeting, only local boyars loyal to the Naryshkins were invited to the Church of the Savior. And the issue was resolved in Peter's favor.
Peter was blessed by the patriarch for the kingdom. But due to his early age (at that time Peter was 10 years old), his mother Natalya Naryshkina became regent. She did not have enough intelligence and character to take power into her own hands. Her relative Artamon Matveev, who had once arranged her marriage with Alexei Mikhailovich, rushed to her aid. Under Fyodor Alekseevich, Matveev was expelled from Moscow and could now return safely.
Beginning of the 1682 riot
Meanwhile, in the rifle regiment, protest sentiments. Sagittarians have repeatedly complained about the arbitrariness of their bosses, that they rob them and force them to work for themselves for free. But the complaints remained unconsidered, and the petitioners were flogged and driven out of the yard.Shortly before the death of Tsar Fedor, the archers again turned to the court. The whole regiment was already attacking its commander, Griboyedov. This time the complaint was considered and satisfied. The colonel was stripped of all ranks and expelled from Moscow.
Inspired by success, the archers, immediately after the election of Peter, came to the palace and filed a petition simultaneously with their entire command, threatening to deal with the offenders themselves if their complaint was not satisfied. Frightened by the threats, the boyars ordered to punish and expel all the colonels, and also to demand from them the missing salary in favor of the archers. No one doubted the reliability of the testimony. New power succumbed to the provocation, which gave confidence to the archers.
Riot
Gradually, a rebellion grew among the Streltsy, and the Miloslavskys gave it direction. At the instigation of Princess Sophia, one of the daughters of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Maria Miloslavskaya, rumors spread in the regiment that the Naryshkins decided to take all power for themselves, Natalya Kirillovna’s brother Ivan would reign, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich was poisoned, and the legal heir Tsarevich Ivan was strangled. The new rulers want to make peace with Polish king, and surrender to the enemies. A Orthodox faith destroy.Such rumors caused a violent reaction in the regiment. Armed to the teeth, the archers moved to the Kremlin. The rebels smashed the carriages of the boyars they met on the way. And the guards who tried to pacify them were thrown from the tower onto the placed peaks.
When the angry crowd reached the royal chambers, regent Natalya Kirillovna realized that she had no choice but to bring the unharmed Tsarevich Ivan to the rioters, as proof that they had been deceived. The ruler found strength in herself, and, taking Ivan and Peter by the hands, she went out with them onto the porch. Seeing the living prince in front of them, the crowd was confused. Artamon Matveev and Patriarch Joachim, who spoke before them, finally managed to calm down the rioters. In their speeches, they assured the archers that their actions would not be regarded as a rebellion. And everything that they did will be perceived as an attempt to protect Tsarevich Ivan.
When the crowd was ready to disperse, Mikhail Dolgorukov, the son of the regiment commander, came out in front of them and began to drive away the archers in a harsh manner, thereby angering them. The riot resumed with new strength. Mikhail Dolgorukov was captured by the archers and thrown onto the pikes.
Then the archers remembered their hostility towards the Naryshkins and rushed into the chambers to look for everyone they wanted to deal with. They identified their victims in advance. They had prepared lists of enemies.
Hearing the furious screams of the enraged men, the nobles scattered in the hope of saving themselves. The first victim of the outrage was Matveev. The archers burst into the chambers in a crowd demanding that the minister be given to them. And no matter how hard Natalya Kirillovna and Prince Cherkassky tried to win him back, the rebels picked him up in their arms and threw him into the yard. He was also thrown on pikes, and his body was cut into pieces.
The archers scoured the entire Kremlin in search of victims and did not disdain anything. They dealt with Afanasy Naryshkin right at the altar of the Church of the Resurrection. The clerk Larion Ivanov and his son were killed because they found a cuttlefish with which, according to the archers, he could poison Tsarevich Ivan. The archers first came to Prince Yuri Dolgorukov to apologize for killing his son. But when he began to angrily drive them out, they became angry and also raised him on pikes. In total, about ten people lost their blood on the first day of the riot. The Sagittarius were looking for everyone who was displeasing to them.
On the second day, the bloodshed continued. The Streltsy demanded the extradition of Ivan Naryshkin, Natalya Kirillovna’s brother. In search of him, they tortured and killed everyone who was close to him. On the third day, Princess Sophia turned to Natalya Kirillovna with a request to give Ivan to the archers. To stop the bloodshed, Natalya had to give in. He was confessed and taken out to the rebels. After severe torture, Ivan’s legs, arms and head were cut off, and then the remains were mocked for a long time.
Thus ended the outrages that lasted from May 16 to 18. The Sagittarius were pleased that they had avenged the poisoning of Fyodor Alekseevich and prevented the death of Tsarevich Ivan. Among the undesirables, only Natalya’s father Kirill remained. But since he no longer posed any danger, he was exiled to a monastery far from Moscow.
Consequences of the riot
On May 23, those elected from the archers came to the court and demanded that both heirs Peter and Ivan be placed on the throne. The issue was being prepared for discussion. And on May 26, the newly appeared archers put forward a new demand that Ivan be the first tsar, and Peter the second. And they threatened a new riot. So Princess Sophia managed to take away power with the help of the archers. She, as the guardian of the first king, became the main ruler, and the Naryshkins were relegated to the background.Instead of the murdered Dolgoruky, Prince Khovansky, who was close to Sophia, was placed at the head of the Streltsy army.
The Sagittarius, fearing retribution, demanded guarantees. They wanted to erect a pillar on Red Square with the names of all the murdered boyars and their offenses, so that no one would have any doubts about the justice of the archers. Their demand was fulfilled.
Old Believer movement during the Streltsy riot
The Old Believers decided to take advantage of the influence of the Streltsy army on the authorities. Khovansky, who led the army, sympathized with them. The schismatics, under the cover of the archers, organized processions and freely carried out sermons and campaigning in the square. They called on Sophia to declare the patriarch a heretic and remove him from the church. This state of affairs did not suit Sophia. Everyone was afraid of a new rebellion. At a debate with the Old Believers, Sophia declared that since the patriarch is a heretic, then she is a heretic, and so is her father, who stood for the faith, and everyone in the palace. Then she ordered the leaders of the Old Believers to be captured and punished. Some were executed, others exiled. So the Old Believer movement lost its strength.The end of the Streltsy riot of 1682
Khovansky, who was at the head of the Streltsy regiment, stopped coordinating his actions with the Miloslavskys. He behaved independently and won over the army. Sagittarius was allowed and got away with a lot. They, in turn, behaved brazenly and confidently. They often turned to the court with various demands and complaints. And the Kremlin spent the entire summer of 1682 in fear of a new revolt. Sophia wanted to get rid of Khovansky, however, this was not easy to do. He was surrounded by streltsy guards, and guards were posted at the house.In September of that year, the entire courtyard went to the Moscow region on vacation. Later, by decree, boyars and nobles, including the Khovanskys, were summoned to the village of Vozdvizhenskoye. On September 17, at a meeting of the Boyar Duma, a report was read out about the atrocities of the Streltsy, where their actions were regarded as a riot, and the Khovansky princes were accused as the instigators: Ivan and his son Andrei. As proof, they presented a letter in which the Khovanskys called on the archers to revolt, and set their goal to come to power.
There was no long trial. The Khovanskys were sentenced to death. Nobody began to listen to their arguments. And soon the sentence was carried out.
Having learned about this, the archers were initially alarmed and started a new riot. But then news reached them that Sophia had moved to the well-guarded Trinity Lavra. And regiments of nobles are put on alert from all over the area.
Frightened, the archers rushed to ask the patriarch for protection. On September 27 they were ordered to appear at the Lavra. At the reception, Sophia angrily reproached them and demanded that all orders submit a petition for forgiveness. And also the archers were given an obligation not to organize riots in the future, and not to arbitrarily carry out reprisals against anyone. The memorial pillar from Red Square was demolished.
On November 6, the entire court returned to Moscow, accompanied by noble guards. The clerk Shaklovity, devoted to Sophia, was placed at the head of the Streltsy army. He pacified the remnants of the rebellion in the regiment without neglecting death penalty. And the Kremlin was now reliably guarded by a convoy from a noble regiment.
From marriage with M.I. Miloslavskaya.
Sagittarius in Russian state XVI- XVIII centuries were called service people, constituting a standing army armed firearms. Streletsky army was created in the 1540-1550s. based on orders of squeakers. Initially, the archers were recruited from the free townspeople and rural population. Subsequently, their service became lifelong and hereditary. Moscow archers guarded the Kremlin, performed guard duty, and took part in military operations.
In February 1682, the number of Moscow archers was about 14 thousand people. Discontent was brewing among them, caused by the increase in abuses and violence on the part of the command, as well as by the reduction and delay in the payment of salaries.
After the death of Tsar Fedor on April 27 (May 7), 1682 III Alekseevich, in the struggle for power, two rival families collided - the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins - relatives of the first and second wives of Alexei Mikhailovich. 10-year-old Peter was proclaimed Tsar, bypassing his older brother, 16-year-old Ivan Alekseevich. youngest son Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from N.K. Naryshkina. This exacerbated the crisis of government power; Dissatisfied archers who spoke for the Miloslavskys were involved in the struggle for the throne.
May 15 (25), excited by a false rumor that the Naryshkins strangled Tsarevich Ivan V , the archers, led by the head of the Streltsy order, Prince I. A. Khovansky, with banners and cannons moved towards the royal palace. They were met on the porch by boyar A.S. Matveev, other boyars and Patriarch Joachim, who brought out Ivan and Peter to them. Matveev and the patriarch came down from the porch and began to persuade the crowd to disperse. They almost managed to calm the rioters, but then Prince M. Yu. Dolgoruky intervened, who began to threaten the archers and ordered them to return to their settlements. The archers threw him off the porch onto their spears and hacked him to pieces. Then a crowd of angry rebels dealt with Matveev, after which they broke into the palace, searching for and killing the Naryshkins. Over the next three days in Moscow, the rebels executed many leaders of orders and prominent military leaders.
May 23 (June 2) Zemsky Sobor under pressure from the archers, he approved Ivan V, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his marriage with M.I. Miloslavskaya, as the first king by seniority, and Peter I as the second, but Princess Sophia actually began to rule the country as a regent over the minor kings. Prince Khovansky also aspired to become regent. However, Sophia, wanting to get rid of a strong rival, left Moscow in September 1682 and went to the village of Vozdvizhenskoye (near the Trinity-Sergius Monastery). Here she filed a denunciation against I. A. Khovansky that he sought to exterminate with the help of the archers royal family, and announced a gathering of noble militia. I. A. Khovansky did not dare to openly clash and, at Sophia’s request, came to Vozdvizhenskoye, where he was executed on September 17 (27), 1682. The Streltsy, having lost their leader, surrendered to government forces in exchange for a promise of pardon. The head of the Streletsky Prikaz was the Duma clerk F.L. Shaklovity, one of the prominent figures during the reign of Sophia.
The regime of Sofia Alekseevna's reign under the nominal reign of Peter I and Ivan V, established as a result Streltsy riot, lasted 7 years, until September 1689, when, as a result of an escalation of confrontation between the matured Peter and Sophia, the latter was removed from power.
Lit.: Bogoyavlensky S.K. Khovanshchina // Historical notes. T. 10. M., 1941; Buganov V.I. Moscow uprisings late XVII V. M., 1969; Uprising in Moscow 1682: Sat. documents. M., 1976; Urban uprisings in Moscow state XVII century: Sat. documents. M.; L., 1936; Kartashov A.V. Streletsky revolt // Essays on the history of the Russian Church. T. 2. M., 1992; Masalsky K. P. Sagittarius: East. novel. Parts 1-4. M., 1861; Lavrov S.A. Regency of Sofia Alekseevna: service society and the struggle for power at the top of the Russian state in 1682-1689. M., 1999; Lomonosov M.V. Description of the Streltsy riots and the reign of Princess Sophia. [ Electronic resource] // Eastern literature. 2001-2014. URL: http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/Russ/XVIII/1740-1760/Lomonosov/IP/Tom_II/Opis_strelec_bunt/text.htm ; Moscow Troubles of 1682 // Solovyov S. M. History of Russia since ancient times. T. 13. M., 1997; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/common/solovyev1/13_03.html ; Streltsy riot. 1682: Articles. Images. Documents. [Electronic resource] // Russian general education portal. B.d.
URL: http://historydoc. edu. ru/ catalog. asp? cat_ ob_ no=14316; Khmyrov M.D. Streltsy and the first Streltsy revolt with schismatic rebellion: Ist. essay. St. Petersburg, 1863; Cherepnin L.V. Class struggle 1682 in the south of the Moscow State // Historical notes. T. 4.M., 1938.See also in the Presidential Library:
One year for history is nothing, but it just so happened that 1682 in the history of Russia turned out to be eventful. A lot happened, both sad and joyful. It is difficult to give an unambiguous assessment of the period, but the fact that this date is important is indisputable.
Winter 1682
Already starting in January, significant things can be highlighted. It was in this month that the decree was issued Boyar Duma that the state needs to destroy localism. Thus, there is a rejection of the system of distributing positions in the state depending on how noble a person is. Also, as a result, Muscovites saw the public destruction of grade books.
Spring 1682
The most important thing happens in the spring: at the end of April there was a brutal massacre of the Old Believer Avvakum and his followers. The archpriest was burned alive, like other leaders of the Old Believers who went against the reforms of the Patriarch of All Rus' Nikon. Saint Habakkuk managed to leave behind a biography, which is a cultural monument of the seventeenth century.
A little later, the tsar dies and a reasonable question arises: who will continue the rule of the Romanov dynasty? On May 7, the answer was found: it was decided to install the deceased tsar’s young brother on the father’s side, Pyotr Alekseevich, as king. True, there were other contenders, even older than Peter. and Tsarevich Ivan are the children of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage to M. Miloslavskaya. It was Sophia, offended by this situation, who managed to raise a revolt of the royal archers against younger brother and achieved the following: the “first” tsar, who is also the main one in the country, is Ivan, the “second” is Peter, and Sophia herself was appointed regent under them. And all the real power in the country was in her hands. 1682 in the history of Russia is the year when a coup on the throne takes place.
Peter the Great, already an adult, often recalled the horror of the Streltsy uprising that happened then; on May twenty-eighth the fateful Tsar did not forgive Sophia, even though at that time he was only ten years old.
Summer 1682
In mid-July there was a new dispute between the Old Believers and supporters church reform, the prerequisites for this incident are the above-mentioned events. At this time, in order to streamline relations in the state between the disputants, it was decided to arrange a confrontation in the Kremlin and resolve all pressing issues. Both young kings and their sister were present at this meeting. What is noteworthy is that the Old Believers behaved in an inappropriate manner. Historical documents indicate that they were proud that the dispute would be clearly resolved in their favor (Prince I. A. Khovansky assured them of this). When they left the Kremlin, they, walking along the Moscow streets, shouted that the archers would support them, because they had won in a fair dispute. In addition, they called on everyone to break the reforms and be baptized or carry out the religious procession in the old way.
The cunning princess wanted to use the right moment and ordered the archers to carry out reprisals against the schismatics. Main speaker Old Believers Nikita Pustosvyat suffered more than anyone for his daring behavior; for the edification of everyone, he was executed in public on Execution Place on Red Square. The rest fled further from the capital: to the Urals, to Siberia. After this very for a long time questions about the blasphemy of Nikon's reform were no longer raised. The year 1682 in the history of Russia is a time of many executions.
But another problem appeared. A rumor spread throughout Moscow that the archers, together with Prince Khovansky, were going to destroy the royal couple and stage a coup. Frightened that a Streltsy riot would break out, the entire Romanov family fled to the Moscow region, not forgetting to surround themselves with guards.
In August of the same year, Tsar Ivan became very ill (he was sick). Peter is crowned the sole ruler of the kingdom.
Autumn 1682
It is logical that Khovansky did not live long after the rumors of a conspiracy. He served as the head and was greatly feared. Sofia Alekseevna's reign was very despotic. Being a very decisive ruler, she ordered the prince to be captured and executed, even though it was he who once supported her claims to the throne.
Thus ended the fateful year 1682 in the history of Russia, full of executions and conspiracies. Although for many who consider themselves Westerners, this year is joyful, because Peter Romanov, later nicknamed the Great due to his merits, comes to power.
