Russia's Troubled Times

Author: Linda DeLaine
Website: RL Online
Department:
Page: 1   ( 2) pages

Summary: Russia's turbulent Time of Trouble, period between the Rurik and Romanov Dynasties.

The ancient forerunners of the Russian people was the Slavs. These indigenous peoples inhabited the better part of eastern Europe and in western Russia and Ukraine. Rurik is the name of the ancient Norman warrior (ca.AD 830 - 879) who is believed to have been the founder of the first Rus' state at Novgorod. Rurik was a prince of the Skandinavia Vikings, also known as Varangians, who took control of the region and the Slavs. Rurik's fellow tribesman, Oleg (aka Helgi), is said to have founded the principality at Kiev; now the capital of Ukraine. Rurik's son, Igor, was Oleg's successor and marked the beginning of the Rurik Dynasty which ruled until 1613. (1598). The year 1613 marked the beginning of the Romanov Dynasty.

Background . . .

Ivan IV (The Terrible) was born in Moscow (1533), the grandson of Ivan III (The Great) and was crowned as the first Czar (also spelled Tsar; variation on the Latin caesar) of ancient Russia (1547). The coronation took place in the Uspensky Cathedral (Assumption) in Moscow, the seat of the Holy Russian Empire. This is the church where the Russian tsars have been crowned ever since.

The early years of Ivan IV's reign was a time of great reforms, expansion and consolidation of power and rule in Moscow. The balance of his rule, until 1584, was marked by inconceivable brutality. Legend has it that Ivan put out the eyes of the designer of St. Basil's Cathedral so that the architect could never create such majesty ever again (1560). Ivan reigned terror on the city of Novgorod, killing thousands of its people, all because there had be rumors that they city was conspiring against him (1570). In 1580, Ivan personally murdered this oldest, and supposedly favorite, son and heir, Ivan.

Ivan's centralized power was complete when he took over the last remaining independent principalities from the boyars (nobles). He took possession of their land, using it as gifts to those loyal to him. These land grants were hereditary, thus Ivan IV is credited with creating the beginnings of the system of masters and serfs. As a result of a war with Poland and Sweden, Ivan lost his northern most Baltic territories (1582). Ivan died in 1884, leaving Moscovy in political and economic disarray.

Time Of Troubles was ushered in by Ivan IV's heir and son, the incompetent Fyodor I (1584-1598). Boris Godunov, Fyodor's brother-in-law, was appointed regent (Lord Protector) and is credited with the actual running of the government until 1605. During the Godunov period, the Moscow Patriarchate is established (1589), Dmitri Tsarevich is killed (1591) and there is widespread famine. Godunov was seen as such a pivotal figure in Russian history that an opera was written by Modest Mussorgsky, about his life and political career.

Next page Time of Troubles >Page 1, 2

Russia's First Civil War: Time of Troubles and the Founding of the Romanov Dynasty

The Disturbed State of the Russian Realm