One of the most difficult periods in the history of the state is the Time of Troubles. It lasted from 1598 to 1613. It was at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries. there is a severe economic and political crisis. Oprichnina, the Tatar invasion, the Livonian war - all this led to the maximum growth negative phenomena and increased public outrage.
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Reasons for the beginning of the Time of Troubles
Ivan the Terrible had three sons. He killed his eldest son in a fit of rage, the youngest was only two years old, and the middle one, Fedor, was 27. Thus, after the death of the tsar, it was Fedor who had to take power into his own hands. But the heir is a soft person and did not fit the role of a ruler at all. Even during his lifetime, Ivan IV created a regency council under Fedor, which included Boris Godunov, Shuisky and other boyars.
Ivan the Terrible died in 1584. Fedor became the official ruler, but in fact - Godunov. A few years later, in 1591, Dmitry (the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible) dies. A number of versions of the boy's death are put forward. The main version is that the boy himself accidentally ran into a knife when he was playing. Some claimed that they knew who killed the prince. Another version - he was killed by Godunov's henchmen. A few years later, Fedor dies (1598), leaving no children behind.
Thus, historians identify the following main causes and factors for the beginning of the Time of Troubles:
- Interruption of the Rurik dynasty.
- The desire of the boyars to increase their role and power in the state, to limit the power of the king. The claims of the boyars developed into an open struggle with the top of power. Their intrigues had a negative effect on the situation royal power in the state.
- The economic situation was critical. The conquests of the tsar demanded the activation of all forces, including production ones. In 1601-1603 - a period of famine, as a result - the impoverishment of large and small farms.
- Serious social conflict. The current system tore away not only numerous fugitive peasants, serfs, townspeople, city Cossacks, but also some parts of the service people.
- Domestic politics Ivan the Terrible. The consequences and result of the oprichnina increased distrust, undermined respect for law and authority.
Events of unrest
The Time of Troubles was a huge shock for the state, which affected the foundations of power and political system. Historians distinguish three periods of unrest:
- Dynastic. The period when the struggle for the Moscow throne took place, and it lasted until the reign of Vasily Shuisky.
- Social. The time of civil strife among the popular classes and the invasion of foreign troops.
- National. The period of struggle and expulsion of the interventionists. It lasted until the election of a new king.
The first stage of confusion
Taking advantage of the instability and discord in Russia, False Dmitry crossed the Dnieper with a small army. He managed to convince the Russian people that he was Dmitry - the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible.
A huge mass of the population reached out for him. Cities opened their gates, townspeople and peasants joined his detachments. In 1605, after the death of Godunov, the governors sided with him, and after a while, all of Moscow.
The support of the boyars was necessary for False Dmitry. So, on June 1, on Red Square, he proclaimed Boris Godunov a traitor, and also promised privileges to boyars, clerks and nobles, unimaginable benefits to merchants, and peace and tranquility to peasants. An alarming moment came when the peasants asked Shuisky if Tsarevich Dmitry was buried in Uglich (it was Shuisky who headed the commission investigating the death of the prince and confirmed his death). But the boyar already claimed that Dmitry was alive. After these stories, an angry mob broke into the houses of Boris Godunov and his relatives, destroying everything. So, on June 20, False Dmitry entered Moscow with honors.
It turned out to be much easier to sit on the throne than to stay on it. To assert his power, the impostor consolidated serfdom, which led to the discontent of the peasants.
False Dmitry also did not live up to the expectations of the boyars. In May 1606, the gates of the Kremlin were opened to the peasants, False Dmitry was killed. The throne was taken by Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky. The main condition for his reign was the limitation of power. He vowed that he would not make any decisions on his own. Formally, there was a restriction state power . But the situation in the state did not improve.
The second stage of confusion
This period is characterized not only by the struggle for power of the upper classes, but also by free and large-scale peasant uprisings.
So, in the summer of 1606, the peasant masses had a head - Ivan Isaevich Bolotnikov. Peasants, Cossacks, serfs, townspeople, large and small feudal lords, and servicemen gathered under one banner. In 1606, Bolotnikov's army moved to Moscow. The battle for Moscow was lost, they had to retreat to Tula. Already there, a three-month siege of the city began. The result of the unfinished campaign against Moscow is the capitulation and execution of Bolotnikov. Since that time, peasant uprisings have declined..
The Shuisky government sought to normalize the situation in the country, but the peasants and servicemen were still dissatisfied. The nobles doubted the ability of the authorities to stop the peasant uprisings, and the peasants did not want to accept the feudal policy. At this moment of misunderstanding, another impostor appeared in the Bryansk lands, who called himself False Dmitry II. Many historians claim that he was sent to rule the Polish king Sigismund III. Most of his detachments were Polish Cossacks and gentry. In the winter of 1608, False Dmitry II moved with an armed army to Moscow.
By June, the impostor reached the village of Tushino, where he camped. They swore allegiance to him big cities like Vladimir, Rostov, Murom, Suzdal, Yaroslavl. In fact, there were two capitals. The boyars swore allegiance either to Shuisky or to the impostor and managed to receive salaries from both sides.
For the expulsion of False Dmitry II, the Shuisky government concluded an agreement with Sweden. According to this agreement, Russia gave the Karelian volost to Sweden. Taking advantage of this mistake, Sigismund III switched to open intervention. The Commonwealth went to war against Russia. The Polish units abandoned the impostor. False Dmitry II is forced to flee to Kaluga, where he ingloriously ended his "reign".
Letters of Sigismund II were delivered to Moscow and Smolensk, in which he claimed that, as a relative of the Russian rulers and at the request of the Russian people, he was going to save the dying state and the Orthodox faith.
Frightened, the Moscow boyars recognized Prince Vladislav as the Russian Tsar. In 1610, an agreement was concluded in which master plan agreed state structure Russia:
- the inviolability of the Orthodox faith;
- restriction of freedom;
- division of the sovereign's power Boyar Duma and Zemsky Sobor.
The oath of Moscow to Vladislav took place on August 17, 1610. A month before the events, Shuisky was forcibly tonsured a monk and exiled to the Chudov Monastery. To manage the boyars, a commission of seven boyars was assembled - Seven Boyars. And already on September 20, the Poles entered Moscow without hindrance.
At this time, Sweden openly demonstrates military aggression. Swedish detachments occupied most of Russia and were already ready to attack Novgorod. Russia was on the verge of the final loss of independence. The aggressive plans of the enemies aroused great indignation among the people.
The third stage of turmoil
The death of False Dmitry II greatly influenced the situation. The pretext (the fight against the impostor) to rule Russia by Sigismund disappeared. Thus, the Polish troops turned into occupying ones. Russian people unite for resistance, the war began to acquire national proportions.
The third stage of turmoil begins. At the call of the patriarch, detachments come to Moscow from the northern regions. Cossack troops led by Zarutsky and Grand Duke Trubetskoy. Thus, the first militia was created. In the spring of 1611, Russian troops launched an assault on Moscow, which was unsuccessful.
In the autumn of 1611, in Novgorod, Kuzma Minin addressed the people with an appeal to fight against foreign invaders. A militia was created, headed by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.
In August 1612, the army of Pozharsky and Minin reached Moscow, on October 26 the Polish garrison surrendered. Moscow was completely liberated. The Time of Troubles, which lasted almost 10 years, is over.
In these difficult conditions, the state needed a government that would reconcile people from different political parties, but could also find a class compromise. In this regard, the candidacy of Romanov suited everyone..
After the grandiose liberation of the capital, letters of convocation of the Zemsky Sobor were scattered throughout the country. The council took place in January 1613 and was the most representative in the entire medieval history of Russia. Of course, a struggle broke out for the future tsar, but as a result they agreed on the candidacy of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (a relative of the first wife of Ivan IV). Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar on February 21, 1613.
From this time begins the history of the reign of the Romanov dynasty, which was on the throne for more than 300 years (until February 1917).
Consequences of the Time of Troubles
Unfortunately, the Time of Troubles ended badly for Russia. 
Territorial losses were suffered:
- loss of Smolensk for a long period;
- loss of access to the Gulf of Finland;
- eastern and western Karelia captured by the Swedes.
The Orthodox population did not accept the oppression of the Swedes and left their territories. Only in 1617, the Swedes left Novgorod. The city was completely devastated, there were several hundred citizens left in it.
Time of Troubles led to economic and economic recession. The size of arable land fell 20 times, the number of peasants decreased 4 times. Land cultivation was reduced, the monastic yards were devastated by the invaders.
The death toll during the war is approximately equal to one third of the population of the country.. In a number of regions of the country, the population fell below the level of the 16th century.
In 1617-1618, Poland once again wanted to capture Moscow and elevate Prince Vladislav to the throne. But the attempt failed. As a result, the signing of a truce with Russia for 14 years, which marked the refusal of Vladislav's claims to the Russian throne. Poland remained Northern and Smolensk lands. Despite the difficult conditions of peace with Poland and Sweden, the end of the war and a welcome respite came for the Russian state. The Russian people unitedly defended the independence of Russia.
The Time of Troubles is usually called the historical period in Russia, from 1598 to 1613. It was a turning point when the country faced serious internal problems and an external threat from the Polish invaders.
Consider the main causes of Troubles.
Causes and stages of Troubles
There are several main stages of the Time of Troubles. Let's briefly review the main ones.
The first stage is associated with the accession of Godunov (1598), crop failure and famine in Russia due to a sharp cooling of the climate. The campaign against Moscow of the impostor Dmitry and his accession (1605).
The second stage is determined by the short-term reign of an impostor in Moscow, who was killed as a result of a palace conspiracy in 1606.
The third stage includes the arrival of several more impostors, the accession of Shusky and his fall, the intervention of the Poles in Moscow, the meeting of the first and second militia, and, finally, the election in 1613 of the young boyar Mikhail from the Romanov family to the royal throne.
Among the main causes of the Troubles, historians name the following:
1. The crisis of succession due to the suppression of the dynasty.
2. Economic disasters.
3. Military defeats.
4. Social gap between the noble and the poor.
Let's explore these reasons in more detail.
Reason One: Succession Crisis
After the death of Ivan Vasilievich IV, his son Fyodor ascended the throne of Moscow, who, due to the illness of his wife, was childless. Under the young tsar, his brother-in-law, the dexterous and intelligent boyar Boris from the Godunov family, received great authority. At this time, the last son of the formidable Tsar Ivan, Dmitry, was killed in Uglich. Evil tongues blamed Godunov for the death of this royal youth.
After the death of Fedor, it was Godunov (who was not a direct descendant of the Rurikovichs) who entered the Russian throne, which caused discontent among the noble boyars.
Reason Two: Economic Disasters
Several years at the beginning of the new century were lean for our country. Snow fell already in September, and the winter was fierce. All food supplies are depleted. People died in whole villages and fled to the cities in order to somehow feed themselves.
Scientists see at this moment climate change on the entire planet due to the onset of volcanic winter after the volcanic eruption South America, however, our ancestors associated these disasters with the punishment of heaven. Some people believed that God punished Russia because of the murder of the young Tsarevich Dmitry.
Reason three: military defeats
Our country then suffered a difficult Livonian war, in which it was unable to win back western regions. After the Poles sent False Dmitry to Russia, they settled in the Kremlin and began to consider Russia as their conquest. After the death of the impostor, the Polish troops made an attempt to conquer our country by military means. The tragic siege of Smolensk and the siege of the Trinity-Sergei Lavra began.
The fourth reason: the social gap between the noble and the poor.
Hunger, lack of a clear central authority and military confusion exacerbated the social stratification between the various Russian classes. People went into the forests to rob. This time was notorious for its peasant uprisings. Only under the command of one of the rebels - the chieftain nicknamed Cotton - there were about 600 people. Also during this period, the Bolotnikov uprising is known. It would seem that the entire former social order has collapsed, and it can no longer be restored.
Thus, we see that the main causes of the Troubles were serious enough to plunge our country into the abyss of troubles, from which it got out with with great difficulty suffering huge human losses.
Background of Troubles
1. Economic crisis end of the 11th century. and the decline of the draft population was intensified by the increase in tax and feudal oppression.
2. Enslavement of the peasants and the deterioration of the position of the serfs. Many of them, especially the so-called. combat serfs , found themselves in conditions of famine at the beginning of the 11th century. thrown into the street by their owners. Lacking the skills of productive labor and disdainful of it, they united in groups of thieves who terrorized the civilian population, and over time turned into a threat to the authorities (for example, the Cotton detachment). Of these, the leaders of the military formations participating in the Time of Troubles were recruited.
3. Due to the shortage of peasant labor force strained relations between various factions of the service class.
3.1. Contradictions between the feudal lords of the South and the Center. The nobles of the south, sometimes forced to take up the plow themselves, tried to attract runaway peasants to their farms, creating favorable conditions for them, while the nobles of the central counties, relying on the decree of 1597, tried not only to keep their peasants, but also to return the departed.
3.2. Contradictions between estates and landlords. In addition, differences remained between large patrimonial landownership, where fugitive peasants also went, lured by various kinds of indulgences provided by wealthy boyars, and conditional holding service people. Each of the groups in the conditions of the crisis of power tried to support its contender for the throne and influence the course of the government.
4. Service people on the instrument tried to stabilize or even improve their financial situation, raise your social status to the level of servicemen in the homeland.
5. Cossacks, whose numbers have increased significantly, dissatisfied with the policies of the central government. Boris Godunov tried to subjugate the Cossack freemen, to impose on them not elected, but state-appointed leaders, heads, forbade the Cossacks, because of their willfulness, to appear in Russian border cities and trade there. The dissatisfaction of the government was also caused by the Cossack raids on the Crimea, posing a threat of war between Russia and Turkey.
In addition, part of the Cossacks hoped to increase their social status, receive land grants from the king, whom she would help to ascend the throne.
6. After the death of Ivan the Terrible and especially the suppression of the dynasty in 1598, when Fedor Ivanovich died without leaving children, the political crisis caused by struggle of various boyar clans for power.
7. The suppression of the dynasty, following the oprichnina, aggravated and spiritual crisis of society. The tsar in the Orthodox mind acted as the guardian of the natural and social order. His authority was perceived as coming from God. The absence of a legitimate, natural king - a protector from external enemies, natural and social troubles, in the event of real upheavals could be perceived as a terrible threat to the entire Russian people and country. This led to social instability, the appearance of impostors, in whom the people were eager to see saviors ready to restore Truth (ie social justice) and order.
8. Intervention. The neighbors tried to take advantage of the disorganization of the Russian land, interfering in its internal affairs, which also worsened the economic situation, exacerbated socio-political contradictions.
By the beginning of the 17th century, the process of the formation of Russian statehood was not complete, contradictions accumulated in it, resulting in a severe crisis that engulfed the economy, the socio-political sphere, and public morality, this crisis was called "Trouble". The Time of Troubles is a period of virtual anarchy, chaos and unprecedented social upheavals.
The concept of "Trouble" came into historiography from the popular lexicon, meaning, first of all, anarchy and extreme disorder. public life. Contemporaries of the Time of Troubles evaluated it as a punishment that befell people for their sins. Such an understanding of events was reflected in the position of S.M. Solovyov, who understood the crisis of the beginning of the 17th century as a general moral decay.
According to K.S. Aksakov and V.O. Klyuchevsky, in the center of events was the problem of the legality of the supreme power. N.I. Kostomarov reduced the essence of the crisis to the political intervention of Poland and intrigues catholic church. A similar view was expressed by the American historian J. Billington - he directly spoke of the Troubles as a religious war. I.E. Zabelin viewed the Time of Troubles as a struggle between herd and national principles. The representative of the herd principle was the boyars, who sacrificed national interests for the sake of their own privileges History of Russia from ancient times to the second half of XIX century. Lecture course. / Ed. academician Lichman B.V. Part 1. Ekaterinburg, 1995. S. 175.
A significant block in the historiography of the Time of Troubles is occupied by works where it is presented as a powerful social conflict. S.F. Platonov saw several levels of this conflict: between the boyars and the nobility, between the landlords and the peasantry, etc.
If in pre-revolutionary historiography the political, moral, ethical and social aspects of the Time of Troubles were presented as relatively equal, then Soviet historiography made a clear bias towards only social factors, as a rule, absolutizing them. Interpreting the events of the Time of Troubles solely as a "peasant revolution", Marxist historians rejected the term "Troubles" itself. The concept of "Trouble" was for a long time supplanted by the wording "peasant war under the leadership of Bolotnikov."
The one-sidedness of approaches and assessments was gradually eliminated. Works have appeared where the entire spectrum of the causes and manifestations of the Troubles is analyzed. A large number of works were written by R.G. Skrynnikov, they provide extensive factual material, show the true role of the individuals who participated in the events, including Bolotnikov.
V.B. Kobrin defined the Time of Troubles as "the most complex interweaving of various contradictions - class and national, intraclass and interclass." He posed the question: “Are we right, raging in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century, civil war reduce to the peasant? Rejecting stereotypes in assessments historical figures, Kobrin tried to interpret the role of both Boris Godunov and False Dmitry I in a new way, attributing to them a certain “reform potential”. Quite rightly applying the criterion of popular perception to Bolotnikov, Kobrin "forgets" about Godunov's unpopularity among the people, and about the extreme rejection of the impostor - the conductor of Catholic interests. The surviving documents from the time of the Time of Troubles clearly indicate that the impostors were not just traitors to national interests, but direct henchmen of foreign powers and agents of an anti-Russian conspiracy.
The immediate impetus for the ferment was the suppression of the ruling Rurik dynasty, whose representatives were recognized by the mass consciousness as "natural sovereigns" History of Russia from ancient times to the second half of the 19th century. Lecture course. / Ed. academician Lichman B.V. Part 1. Yekaterinburg, 1995. S. 180. The fight for the royal throne, begun by the Moscow boyars, led to the destruction of public order to public demoralization.
The prerequisites for the Time of Troubles arose during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, whose centralization policy was carried out at great expense. The efforts of the government to strengthen the state, to ensure the security of the borders were perceived by the people as necessary. The people were ready for self-sacrifice for nation-wide construction. However, the cruel will of the king "pushed" him into the background. The unbridledness of the guardsmen and the extreme impudence in the choice of political means dealt a heavy blow to public morality, planted doubts and unsteadiness in the minds of people. The situation was aggravated by economic difficulties resulting from the depletion of the country's forces in the Livonian War and the constant tension on the southern borders created by the Crimean Khanate.
The reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, son of the Terrible, was a time of political caution and calming down the people after the oprichnina. In January 1598, after the death of Fedor, there were no legitimate heirs to the throne. The Zemsky Sobor elected Boris Godunov to the kingdom, whose popularity was fragile, which reflected the behind-the-scenes intrigues of the boyars against him. Being the first elected monarch in Russian history, Godunov proved himself not so much an autocrat as a populist temporary worker, unsure of himself and afraid of open actions. The times of the oprichnina affected his political characteristics, as well as the whole society, where, after Grozny, sparks of moral decay smoldered. Godunov sought to gain public favor by giving away undeserved privileges and making the loudest promises, while at the same time stubbornly strengthening himself in power through secret surveillance and denunciation, as well as repression, that is, due to the same lawlessness that was inherent in the oprichnina.
The beginning of the reign of Boris Godunov (1598 - 1605) brought many good hopes to people. He acted as a defender of strong morality, banning the private trade in vodka. Domestic policy was aimed at social stabilization in the country. The colonization of new lands and the construction of cities in the Volga region and in the Urals were encouraged. There were some achievements in foreign policy as well.
The turmoil manifested itself, first of all, in the minds and souls of people. The terrible famine of 1601 - 1603 finished off the usual moral values that held people together in a single team. The famine, the consequences of which were aggravated by the mistakes of the Godunov government, wiped out hundreds of thousands of human lives. Historian A.P. Shchapov wrote: “... people, tormented by hunger, lay on the streets like cattle, nibbled grass in summer, and ate hay in winter. Fathers and mothers strangled, cut and boiled their children, children - their parents, hosts - guests, human meat was sold in the markets for beef; travelers were afraid to stay in hotels...” History of Russia from ancient times to the second half of the 19th century. Lecture course. / Ed. academician Lichman B.V. Part 1. Ekaterinburg, 1995. S. 198.
The people were in poverty, and at the same time, the nobility arranged the division of wealth and privileges, viciously competing in search of personal well-being. Stocks of grain, hidden by many boyars, would be enough for the entire population for several years. It came to cannibalism, and the speculators kept the bread, anticipating the rise in prices for it.
The essence of what was happening was well understood by the people and was defined by the word "theft", but no one could offer quick and easy ways out of the crisis. Feeling of belonging to public issues each individual person turned out to be insufficiently developed. In addition, considerable masses of ordinary people were infected with cynicism, self-interest, oblivion of traditions and shrines. The decomposition came from above - from the boyar elite, which had lost all authority, but threatened to overwhelm the lower classes as well. Antisocial interests clearly prevailed, while energetic and honest people, according to S.M. Solovyov, "died victims of lack of talent." In all estates there were discords, distrust, a decline in morals. This was set off by thoughtless copying of foreign customs and patterns. The confusion in the minds was intensified by rampant corruption and high cost.
Anarchy and the loss of centralizing principles led to the revival of local separatism. collected before in single state individual lands began to show signs of isolation again. The ferment also seized the inhabitants of the non-Russian outskirts - like those that were annexed with the help of military force, and those who voluntarily became part of the Russian state, responding to the prospect of a stable order and well-established ties in a strong state. Political destabilization caused inevitable discontent among national minorities. If before the Time of Troubles Moscow was the coordinating center linking all regions of the country, then with the loss of confidence in the Moscow authorities, ties between individual regions were also lost. “... Having lost political faith in Moscow, they began to believe in everyone and everything ... It was then that demonic obscuration really set in for the entire state, produced by the spirit of lies, a dark and unclean thing” (S. M. Solovyov). The state turned into a shapeless conglomerate of lands and cities.
Disregard for state interests and the petty self-interest of the boyars gave rise to such a phenomenon as imposture. As N.M. wrote Karamzin, “... the numbness of the minds betrayed Moscow to villainy as a peaceful prey ... The rasstriga with its Poles already dominated our borders, and the soldiers of the Fatherland shied away from service. So dislike for the sovereign gives rise to insensitivity to public honor! History of Russia from ancient times to the second half of the 19th century. Lecture course. / Ed. academician Lichman B.V. Part 1. Ekaterinburg, 1995. S. 225. None of the impostors dared to encroach on the throne without open or covert support from boyar groups. False Dmitry I was needed by the boyars to overthrow Godunov in order to pave the way for the accession of one of the representatives of the boyar nobility. This scenario was played out.
13. Time of Troubles in Russia. Causes, essence, results.
Causes of unrest
Ivan the Terrible had 3 sons. He killed the eldest in a fit of rage, the youngest was only two years old, the middle one, Fedor, was 27. After the death of Ivan IV, it was Fedor who was supposed to rule. But Fedor had a very mild character, he did not fit the role of king. Therefore, Ivan the Terrible, during his lifetime, created a regency council under Fedor, which included I. Shuisky, Boris Godunov and several other boyars.
Ivan IV died in 1584. Fedor Ivanovich officially began to rule, in fact - Godunov. In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, died. There are many versions of this event: one says that the boy himself ran into a knife, the other says that it was on the orders of Godunov that the heir was killed. A few more years later, in 1598, Fedor also died, leaving no children behind.
So, the first cause of unrest is a dynastic crisis. The last member of the Rurik dynasty died.
The second reason is class contradictions. The boyars aspired to power, the peasants were dissatisfied with their position (they were forbidden to move to other estates, they were tied to the land).
The third reason is economic devastation. The country's economy was not in order. In addition, every now and then in Russia there was a crop failure. The peasants blamed the ruler for everything and periodically staged uprisings, supported the False Dmitrys.
All this prevented the establishment of any one new dynasty and worsened an already terrible situation.
Events of Troubles
After the death of Fyodor, Boris Godunov (1598-1605) was elected tsar at the Zemsky Sobor.
He led a fairly successful foreign policy: he continued the development of Siberia and the southern lands, strengthened his position in the Caucasus. In 1595, after a short war with Sweden, the Treaty of Tyavzin was signed, in which it was said that the cities lost to Sweden in the Livonian War were returned to Russia.
In 1589, a patriarchate was established in Russia. This was a great event, because thanks to this, the authority of the Russian church increased. Job became the first patriarch.
But, despite the successful policy of Godunov, the country was in a difficult situation. Then Boris Godunov worsened the position of the peasants, giving the nobles some benefits in relation to them. The peasants, on the other hand, had a bad opinion of Boris (not only was he not from the Rurik dynasty, he also encroaches on their freedom, the peasants thought that it was under Godunov that they were enslaved).
The situation was aggravated by the fact that for several years in a row there was a crop failure in the country. The peasants blamed Godunov for everything. The king tried to improve the situation by distributing bread from the royal barns, but this did not help the cause. In 1603-1604 there was an uprising of Cotton in Moscow (the leader of the uprising was Khlopok Kosolap). The uprising was crushed, the instigator was executed.
Soon, Boris Godunov had a new problem - there were rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry survived, that not the heir himself was killed, but his copy. In fact, it was an impostor (monk Grigory, in life Yuri Otrepyev). But since no one knew this, people followed him.
A little about False Dmitry I. Having enlisted the support of Poland (and its soldiers) and promising the Polish tsar to convert Russia to Catholicism and give Poland some lands, he moved to Russia. His goal was Moscow, and along the way his ranks increased. In 1605, Godunov died unexpectedly, Boris's wife and his son were imprisoned upon the arrival of False Dmitry in Moscow.
In 1605-1606 False Dmitry I ruled the country. He remembered his obligations to Poland, but was in no hurry to fulfill them. He married a Polish woman, Maria Mnishek, increased taxes. All this caused discontent among the people. In 1606, they rebelled against False Dmitry (the leader of the uprising, Vasily Shuisky), and killed the impostor.
After that, Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610) became king. He promised the boyars not to touch their estates, and also hastened to protect himself from the new impostor: he showed the remains of Tsarevich Dmitry to the people in order to stop rumors about the surviving prince.
The peasants revolted again. This time it was called the Bolotnikov uprising (1606-1607) after the name of the leader. Bolotnikov was appointed tsar's governor on behalf of the new impostor False Dmitry II. Dissatisfied with Shuisky joined the uprising.
At first, luck was on the side of the rebels - Bolotnikov and his army captured several cities (Tula, Kaluga, Serpukhov). But when the rebels approached Moscow, the nobles (who were also part of the uprising) betrayed Bolotnikov, which led to the defeat of the army. The rebels retreated first to Kaluga, then to Tula. The tsarist army besieged Tula, after a long siege the rebels were finally defeated, Bolotnikov was blinded and soon killed.
During the siege of Tula, False Dmitry II appeared. At first he went with the Polish detachment to Tula, but after learning that the city had fallen, he went to Moscow. On the way to the capital, people joined False Dmitry II. But Moscow, like Bolotnikov, they could not take, but stopped 17 km from Moscow in the village of Tushino (for which False Dmitry II was called the Tushino thief).
Vasily Shuisky called for help in the fight against the Poles and False Dmitry II of the Swedes. Poland declared war on Russia, False Dmitry II became unnecessary for the Poles, as they switched to open intervention.
Sweden helped Russia a little in the fight against Poland, but since the Swedes themselves were interested in conquering Russian lands, they got out of Russian control at the first opportunity (failures of the troops led by Dmitry Shuisky).
In 1610, the boyars overthrew Vasily Shuisky. A boyar government was formed - the Seven Boyars. Soon in the same year, the Seven Boyars called the son of the Polish king, Vladislav, to the Russian throne. Moscow swore allegiance to the prince. It was a betrayal of national interests.
The people were outraged. In 1611, the first militia was convened, led by Lyapunov. However, it was not successful. In 1612, Minin and Pozharsky gathered a second militia and moved to Moscow, where they joined up with the remnants of the first militia. The militia captured Moscow, the capital was liberated from the invaders.
End of the Time of Troubles. In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor was convened, at which new king. Applicants for this place were the son of False Dmitry II, and Vladislav, and the son of the Swedish king, and finally, several representatives of the boyar families. But Mikhail Romanov was chosen as tsar.
Consequences of Troubles:
Deterioration of the economic situation of the country
Territorial losses (Smolensk, Chernihiv lands, part of Corellia
The results of the turmoil
The results of the Time of Troubles were depressing: the country was in a terrible situation, the treasury was ruined, trade and crafts were in decline. The consequences of the Troubles for Russia were expressed in its backwardness in comparison with European countries. It took decades to restore the economy.