Minin's people's militia. Second militia. Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky

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✪ Second zemstvo militia. Minin and Pozharsky. Video lesson on the history of Russia Grade 7

✪ Prince Dmitry Pozharsky (says historian Maria Yakushina)

✪ Minin and Pozharsky

✪ Trouble on the fingers (part 2) - Shuisky, False Dmitry II, Seven Boyars

Subtitles

Prerequisites for the creation of the second militia

The initiative to organize the Second People's Militia came from the craft and trade people of Nizhny Novgorod, an important economic and administrative center on the Middle Volga. At that time, about 150 thousand males lived in the Nizhny Novgorod district (in Nizhny itself - about 3.5 thousand male residents, of which about 2-2.5 thousand townspeople), there were up to 30 thousand households in 600 villages.

Disastrous situation in the Nizhny Novgorod Territory

Nizhny Novgorod in terms of its strategic position, economic and political significance was one of the key points of the eastern and southeastern regions of Russia. In the conditions of the weakening of the central government, the hostage of the interventionists, this city became the initiator of a nationwide patriotic movement that engulfed the Upper and Middle Volga regions and neighboring regions of the country. Nizhny Novgorod residents joined the liberation struggle a few years before the formation of the second militia.

Hike up the Volga

The second militia marched on Moscow from Nizhny Novgorod in late February - early March 1612 through Balakhna, Timonkino, Sitskoye, Yuryevets, Reshma, Kineshma, Kostroma, Yaroslavl. In Balakhna and Yuryevets, the militiamen were greeted with great honor. They received replenishment and a large cash treasury. In Reshma, Pozharsky learned of the oath of Pskov and the Cossack leaders Trubetskoy and Zarutskoy to a new impostor, the fugitive monk Isidore. Kostroma governor Ivan Sheremetev did not want to let the militia into the city. Having removed Sheremetev and appointed a new governor in Kostroma, the militia entered Yaroslavl in the first days of April 1612.

Capital in Yaroslavl

In Yaroslavl, the militia stood for four months, until the end of July 1612. Here, the composition of the government, the "Council of All the Earth", was finally determined. It also included representatives of noble princely families - Dolgoruky, Kurakin, Buturlin, Sheremetev and others. The Council was headed by Pozharsky and Minin. Since Minin was illiterate, Pozharsky put his signature on the letters instead: “Prince Dmitry Pozharsky put his hand to the elected man with all the land in Kozmino instead of Minin.” The letters were signed by all members of the "Council of All the Earth". And since localism was strictly observed at that time, Pozharsky's signature was in tenth place, and Minin's was in fifteenth.

In Yaroslavl, the militia government continued to pacify cities and districts, freeing them from the Polish-Lithuanian detachments, from the Zarutsky Cossacks, depriving the latter of material and military assistance from the eastern, northeastern and northern regions. At the same time, it took diplomatic steps to neutralize Sweden, which had seized the Novgorod lands, by negotiating the candidacy for the Russian throne of Charles Philip, brother of the Swedish king Gustavus Adolf. At the same time, Prince Pozharsky held diplomatic negotiations with Joseph Gregory, the ambassador of the German emperor, about the emperor's assistance to the militia in the liberation of the country. In return, he offered Pozharsky to the Russian tsars the emperor's cousin, Maximilian. Subsequently, these two pretenders to the Russian throne were denied.

"Standing" in Yaroslavl and the measures taken by the "Council of All the Earth", by Minin and Pozharsky themselves, gave their results. A large number of lower and suburban cities with counties, Pomorye and Siberia joined the Second Home Guard. Government institutions functioned: under the "Council of All the Earth" the orders of the Local, Discharge, Posolsky worked. Gradually, order was established in an increasingly large territory of the state. Gradually, with the help of militia detachments, it was cleared of gangs of thieves. The militia army already numbered up to ten thousand warriors, well armed and trained. The authorities of the militia were also engaged in daily administrative and judicial work (appointment of governors, maintaining bit books, analyzing complaints, petitions, etc.). All this gradually stabilized the situation in the country and led to the revival of economic activity.

At the beginning of July 1612, the militia received news of the advance of the twelve thousandth detachment of the great Hetman of Lithuania Khodkevich with a large convoy towards Moscow. Pozharsky and Minin immediately sent detachments of Mikhail Dmitriev and Prince Lopata-Pozharsky to the capital, who approached Moscow on July 24 (August 3) and August 2 (12), respectively. Upon learning of the arrival of the militia, Zarutsky fled with his Cossack detachment to Kolomna, and then to Astrakhan, since before that he had sent assassins to Prince Pozharsky, but the attempt failed, and Zarutsky's plans were revealed. Moving (from Yaroslavl) to Moscow, the main forces of the second militia on August 14 (24) reached the Holy Trinity Sergius Monastery and stood for some time between the monastery and Klementyevskaya Sloboda. Patriarch Hermogenes had already passed away at that time, and Archimandrite Dionysius of Radonezh and other authorities of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery became the successors of his patriotic feat in inspiring the militias to fight. Archimandrite Dionysius urged the militia to rush to Moscow and sent a request to Prince Trubetskoy to unite with the Second Militia. 18 (28) August The second militia headed for Moscow, accompanied by the blessing of the archimandrite and the brethren. With the army, the cellarer Avraamiy Palitsyn went to Moscow.

Battle of the militias with the troops of Hetman Khodkevich

On August 23, the militia of Prince Pozharsky again entered into battle with the troops of Hetman Khodkevich, and again Prince Trubetskoy did not help Pozharsky, as a result of which the Poles occupied Klimentovsky prison and captured the Cossacks who were there. Seeing this state of affairs, the cellar of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Abraham Palitsyn, who came to Moscow with the militia, went to the camp to the Cossacks, promised to pay them a salary from the monastery treasury, and only after that the Cossacks came to the aid of the militia.

On August 24 (September 3), 1612, a decisive bloody battle took place between the militias and the Poles. The battle lasted about fourteen hours. Kuzma Minin also showed valor, who, with a small detachment of cavalry militias, suddenly attacked the advanced detachments of the Poles and sowed panic in their ranks. Under the onslaught of the main forces of the militia and the Cossacks Trubetskoy who came to their aid, Khodkevich's army faltered and fled. Having stood all night near the Donskoy Monastery, the remnants of Khodkevich's army left Moscow on the morning of August 25.

Liberation of Moscow

But the militias did not yet control all of Moscow. The Polish detachments of Colonels Strusya and Budila remained, settled in Kitai-Gorod and the Kremlin. The traitorous boyars with their families also took refuge in the Kremlin. Mikhail Romanov, still little known at that time, was in the Kremlin with his mother Marfa Ivanovna. Knowing that the besieged Poles were suffering a terrible famine, Pozharsky at the end of September 1612 sent them a letter in which he offered the Polish garrison to surrender. “Your heads and lives will be saved for you,” he wrote, “I will take this on my soul and ask for the consent of all military people.” This was followed by an arrogant refusal.

The conclusion of a military alliance with Sweden and the arrival of Swedish troops gave Sigismund III, who fought with Sweden, a reason to start open hostilities against V. Shuisky. The boyars decided to get out of the catastrophic situation by eliminating V. Shuisky. There was a boyar conspiracy against him. In the summer of 1610, V. Shuisky was deposed from the throne and forcibly tonsured a monk, which meant political death. The boyars invited the son of Sigismund III Vladislav to the throne. The troops of the Commonwealth entered Moscow, and the Polish administration appeared. However, this did not bring peace. The head of the church, Patriarch Hermogenes, began to call for a fight against the Poles. Swedish troops demanded payment of salaries, engaged in robbery and robbery. They captured Novgorod and Novgorod land, Smolensk. Only relying on the broad support of the people, it was possible in these conditions to win back and preserve the independence of the state.

At the beginning of 1611, the first militia was formed in the Ryazan land. It included nobles, townspeople of many cities, Cossacks from the camp of False Dmitry P. The militia was headed by the nobleman Prokopy Lyapunov and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. In March 1611, detachments of the first militia approached Moscow and began to lay siege to the capital. However, between the noble and the Cossack parts of the militia, significant disagreements were discovered, during which P. Lyapunov was killed by the Cossacks. The first militia broke up. Near Moscow, only Prince D. Trubetskoy remained with the Cossacks, who later joined the troops of the second militia.

3.Second militia

The struggle of the people did not subside. Nizhny Novgorod became its center. Here, in the autumn of 1611, on the initiative of the zemstvo headman Kuzma Minin, a second militia was created, the military leader of which was Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. In the spring of 1612, the detachments headed for Yaroslavl, where forces were being accumulated for a decisive offensive. The “Council of the Whole Land” was also created there, that is, the provisional government of the country (it included representatives of the boyars, nobles, townspeople, clergy), as well as orders - state executive authorities. In August, the militia approached Moscow and laid siege to the city. Attempts by Polish troops under the command of Hetman Khodkiewicz to break through to the besieged failed. After bloody battles, they were thrown back from Moscow, and on October 27, 1612, the encircled garrison laid down their arms.

In 1613, a Zemsky Sobor was held in Moscow to elect a new tsar. With the support of the Cossacks, who were part of the second militia, Mikhail Romanov (1613–1645), the son of Fyodor Romanov (Filaret), was elected tsar, that is, the beginning of the reign of a new dynasty was laid.

Topic 7. Russia at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. Russia in the 17th century

1. The reign of Peter I

The assessment of the transformations carried out during the reign of Peter the Great (1682–1725) has been and remains one of the most difficult problems of Russian historical science. Formed in the 30s and 40s. 19th century two different approaches to the assessment of Peter's reforms and national history in general, they are usually associated with the traditions of Slavophilism, which defends the idea of ​​a special path for the development of Russia, and Westernism, based on the ideas of social progress, the laws of which are the same for all peoples. With a certain degree of simplification, it can be said that the Slavophiles perceived the transformations of Peter I as an artificial interference of state power in the course of social development, as a forcible transfer of alien ideas, customs and institutions to Russian soil. The Westerners, on the other hand, proceeded from the fact that Peter had started and carried out a useful thing for the country, accelerating its development and eliminating (or reducing) Russia's "lag" behind Europe. Both of these concepts are certainly exaggerated. The assessment of Peter's reforms should be approached more carefully, given the ambiguity of the tendencies of the spiritual, political and social development of society that manifested themselves in his time. It should also be taken into account that the objective prerequisites for transformations were formed in Russia in the second half of the 18th century. These include:

1) activation foreign policy and diplomatic activity of the Russian state;

2) intensive development of trade;

3) reforming the financial and tax system;

4) the transition from handicraft production to manufacturing with the use of elements

hired labor and the simplest mechanisms;

5) the tendency to absolutization of the supreme power;

6) registration of national legislation (Council Code of 1649);

7) reorganization and improvement of the armed forces (creation of regiments of the "foreign system");

8) the delimitation of society under the influence of Western European culture and Nikon's church reforms; the emergence of national conservative and Western trends.

After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1676, 14-year-old Fyodor (1676–1682) ascended the throne,

who was seriously ill, could not even walk. In fact, power was seized by his maternal relatives Miloslavsky and sister Sophia, who was distinguished by her strong will and energy. The ruling circle under the princess was headed by the intelligent and talented Prince V.V. Golitsyn. During this period, the course towards the elevation of the nobility was continued, towards the creation of conditions for the merging of the nobility and the boyars into a single estate. A strong blow to the class privileges of the aristocracy was dealt in 1682 with the abolition of parochialism.

With the death in 1682 of the childless Fyodor Alekseevich, the question of the heir to the throne arose. Of his two brothers, the weak-minded Ivan could not occupy the throne, and Peter was only 10 years old. At court, a struggle for power broke out between the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins. At a meeting of the "Consecrated Cathedral" and the Boyar Duma, Peter was proclaimed tsar. However, on May 15, 1682, streltsy rebelled in Moscow, incited by the head of the streltsy order, I.A. Khovansky (at the end of the 17th century, in connection with the creation of regiments of the new system, the role of the archers fell, they lost many privileges, but were still obliged to pay duties and taxes from crafts). A rumor was spread around Moscow that Tsarevich Ivan had been strangled. Armed archers entered the Kremlin. Mother of Peter N.K. Naryshkina led Peter and Ivan to the palace porch. But this did not calm the archers, who wanted to use the palace events for their own purposes. For three days power in Moscow was in the hands of the archers. All prominent supporters of the Naryshkins were killed. In honor of their performance, the archers erected a pillar on Red Square. On the iron boards nailed to it, the merits of the archers and the names of the boyars executed by them were listed. Peter and Ivan (1682–1696) were proclaimed kings. Princess Sophia became regent until they came of age. However, the position of the archers almost did not improve. They tried to appoint I.A. Khovansky. However, Khovansky was summoned by deceit to Sofya, captured and executed. Archers came to obedience. The pillar of the Red Square was torn down, many of the archers were executed. Power passed into the hands of Princess Sophia (1682-1689). The actual ruler under Sophia was her favorite Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn. Sophia's government achieved the most notable results in the field of foreign policy. In 1686, the “Eternal Peace” was concluded with Poland, Russia assumed an obligation, in alliance with Poland, Austria and Venice, to oppose the Crimea and Turkey.

Peter grew up in the villages of Kolomenskoye, Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky near Moscow. From the age of three, he began to learn to read and write from the deacon Nikita Zotov. Peter did not receive a systematic education, even in his mature years he wrote with grammatical errors. As a teenager, the prince discovered a penchant for military affairs. For Peter's military games, children from two palace villages - Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, were gathered into "amusing" regiments, which later turned into the first regular guards regiments of the same name, which were an impressive military force. Another favorite brainchild of Peter was the fleet. First on the Yauza, and then on the nearest one from Moscow large body of water- Lake Pleshcheyevo near the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky - the foundations of the future were laid Russian fleet. In 1689, Peter, having reached the age of majority, married the hawthorn E. Lopukhina. In the person of Peter, the advanced part of Russian society saw the tsar-transformer, an irreconcilable fighter against the old, obsolete boyar orders and traditions. Relations between Sophia and Peter escalated from year to year and by the summer of 1689 became such that an open clash became inevitable. On the night of August 8, 1689, secret supporters of Peter informed him that Sophia was preparing archers for a campaign against Preobrazhenskoye. Later it turned out that the rumor was false, but, frightened, Peter rode to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where amusing troops soon arrived. An armed struggle was brewing, in which, however, the streltsy regiments, which initially supported Sophia, were not inclined to shed blood for her and one by one went over to the side of Peter. He was supported by many boyars and nobles, the Moscow Patriarch. Sophia was left without armed support. She was imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow. The throne passed to Peter. With the death of Ivan (1696), the autocracy of Peter was established.

Peter surrounded himself with capable, energetic assistants, especially the military. Among the foreigners stood out: the closest friend of the king F. Lefort, an experienced general P. Gordon, a talented engineer J. Bruce. And among the Russians, a close-knit group of associates gradually formed, who subsequently made a brilliant political career: A.M. Golovin, G.I. Golovkin, brothers P.M. and F.M. Apraksina, A.D. Menshikov.

One of the most important tasks facing Peter was to continue the fight against the Crimea. It was decided to take possession of Azov - a Turkish fortress at the mouth of the Don. In 1695, Russian troops besieged Azov, but due to a lack of weapons, poorly trained siege equipment and the absence of a fleet, Azov was not taken.

Having failed near Azov, Peter set about building a fleet. The fleet was built on the Voronezh River at its confluence with the Don. During the year, about 30 large ships were built, lowered down the Don. The land army was doubled. In 1696, blocking Azov from the sea, Russian troops captured the city. In order to strengthen Russian positions on the Sea of ​​Azov, the Taganrog fortress was built. However, Russia was clearly not strong enough to fight Turkey and Crimea. Peter ordered the construction of new ships (52 ships in 2 years) at the expense of landlords and merchants and began looking for allies in Europe. This is how the idea of ​​the “Great Embassy” was born, which took place from 1697 to 1698. Its goals were to create an anti-Turkish coalition, get acquainted with the political life of Europe, study foreign crafts, life, culture, military orders. General-Admiral F.Ya. Lefort, General F.A. Golovin, head of the embassy department, and Duma clerk P.B. Voznitsyn. The embassy included 280 people, including 35 volunteers who went to study crafts and military sciences. In its composition, under the name of the constable of the Preobrazhensky regiment, Peter Mikhailov, was Peter himself. During a year and a half of his stay abroad, Peter with an embassy visited Courland, Brandenburg, Holland, which at that time was the largest power in Europe (its fleet was 4/5 of the European fleet), England and Austria. Members of the embassy met with princes and monarchs, studied shipbuilding and other crafts. During the “embassy”, Peter became convinced that a favorable foreign policy situation had developed for the struggle for the Baltic, since the largest European states were busy with the upcoming War of the Spanish Succession of 1701-1714. - the struggle for vast possessions in Europe and America due to the lack of a direct heir after the death of the Spanish king Charles II.

In the summer of 1698, Peter had to cut short his trip. In Vienna, he received a secret report about the Streltsy rebellion in Moscow. Even before the arrival of Peter, the rebellion was suppressed by government troops. Streltsy regiments marching on Moscow were defeated near New Jerusalem (now in the area of ​​Istra near Moscow). More than a hundred archers were executed, many of them were exiled to various cities.

Peter on his return forced to reconsider the sentence. He personally led the new investigation. A connection was established between the archers and the reactionary Moscow boyars and Tsarevna Sophia. More than 1000 archers were executed. The king himself and his entourage took part in the executions. Sophia, who was tonsured a nun, lived under the strictest supervision until the end of her life in the Novodevichy Convent. The Streltsy army was disbanded, the forces of the boyar opposition were undermined.

The collapse of the First Zemstvo militia did not lead to the end of Russian resistance. By September 1611, a militia was formed in Nizhny Novgorod. It was headed by the Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo head Kuzma Minin, who invited Prince Dmitry Pozharsky to command military operations. In February 1612, the Second Militia set off on a campaign to the capital.

Nizhny Novgorod

At the beginning of the 17th century, Nizhny Novgorod was one of the largest cities in the Russian kingdom. Having arisen as a border fortress of Vladimir-Suzdal Russia on its eastern border, it gradually lost its military significance, but acquired a serious trade and craft significance. As a result, Nizhny Novgorod became an important administrative and economic center on the Middle Volga. In addition, in Nizhny there was a rather large and rather heavily armed “stone city”, its upper and lower tenements were protected by wooden forts with towers and a moat. The Nizhny Novgorod garrison was relatively small. It consisted of approximately 750 archers, fodder foreigners (mercenaries) and serf servants - gunners, collars, zatinshchiks and state blacksmiths. However, this fortress could become the core of a more serious army.

Important geographical position(it was located at the confluence of two largest rivers inner Russia- Oka and Volga) made Nizhny Novgorod large shopping center. According to its trade economic importance Nizhny Novgorod stood on a par with Smolensk, Pskov and Novgorod. In terms of its economic importance, it occupied at that time the sixth place among Russian cities. So, if Moscow gave the royal treasury at the end of the 16th century 12 thousand rubles of customs duties, then Nizhny - 7 thousand rubles. The city rod was connected with the entire Volga river system and was part of the ancient Volga trade route. Fish from the Caspian Sea, furs from Siberia, fabrics and spices from distant Persia, bread from the Oka were brought to Nizhny Novgorod. Therefore, the trade settlement, in which there were up to two thousand households, was of primary importance in the city. There were also many artisans in the city, and workers (loaders and barge haulers) in the river port. The Nizhny Novgorod Posad, united in the zemstvo world with two elders at the head, was the largest and most influential force in the city.

Thus, in terms of its military-strategic position, economic and political significance, Nizhny Novgorod was one of the key points in the eastern and southeastern regions of the Russian state. No wonder the 16th-century publicist Ivan Peresvetov advised Tsar Ivan the Terrible to move the capital to Nizhny Novgorod. It is not surprising that the city became the center of the people's liberation movement, which engulfed the Upper and Middle Volga regions and neighboring regions of Russia, and Nizhny Novgorod residents actively joined the struggle for the liberation of the Russian state.

Nizhny Novgorod and Troubles

During the Time of Troubles, Nizhny Novgorod was threatened more than once by the Poles and Tushinos. At the end of 1606, large bandit formations appeared in the Nizhny Novgorod district and adjacent districts, which were engaged in robberies and atrocities: they burned villages, robbed residents and drove them to full. This "freedom" in the winter of 1608 captured Alatyr and Arzamas, setting up its base in it. Tsar Vasily Shuisky sent his governor with troops to liberate Arzamas and other cities occupied by "thieves". One of them, Prince Ivan Vorotynsky, defeated the rebel detachments near Arzamas, took the city and cleared the areas adjacent to Arzamas.

With the advent of False Dmitry II, various gangs became more active again, especially since part of the boyars, the Moscow and district nobility and boyar children went over to the side of the new impostor. The Mordovians, Chuvashs and Cheremis also rebelled. Many cities also went over to the side of the impostor and tried to persuade Nizhny Novgorod to do the same. But Nizhny Novgorod stood firmly on the side of Tsar Shuisky and did not change his oath to him. The citizens of Nizhny Novgorod have never let enemies into the city. Moreover, Nizhny not only successfully defended itself, but also sent its army to help other cities and supported the campaign of Skopin-Shuisky.

So, when at the end of 1608 the inhabitants of the city of Balakhna, having changed their oath to Tsar Shuisky, attacked Nizhny Novgorod, the voivode Andrey Alyabyev, according to the sentence of Nizhny Novgorod, hit the enemy, and on December 3, after a fierce battle, he occupied Balakhna. The leaders of the rebels were captured and hanged. Alyabyev, barely having time to return to Nizhny, again entered the fight against a new enemy detachment that attacked the city on December 5. Having defeated this detachment, the Nizhny Novgorodians took Vorsma.

In early January 1609, the troops of False Dmitry II attacked Nizhny under the command of the voivode Prince Semyon Vyazemsky and Timofey Lazarev. Vyazemsky sent a letter to Nizhny Novgorod residents, in which he wrote that if the city did not surrender, then all the townspeople would be exterminated, and the city would be burned to the ground. Nizhny Novgorod did not give an answer, but they themselves decided to make a sortie, despite the fact that the enemy had more troops. Thanks to the suddenness of the attack, the troops of Vyazemsky and Lazarev were defeated, and they themselves were taken prisoner and sentenced to hang. Then Alyabiev freed Murom from the rebels, where he remained as the royal governor, and Vladimir.

An even more active struggle was waged by the inhabitants of Nizhny Novgorod against the Polish troops of King Sigismund III. Simultaneously with Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod called on all Russians to liberate Moscow. It is interesting that letters with such appeals were sent not only on behalf of the governor, but also on behalf of the townspeople. The importance of urban settlements in the fight against enemy intervention and internal unrest has seriously increased. On February 17, 1611, earlier than others, the Nizhny Novgorod squads marched to Moscow and fought bravely under its walls as part of the First Zemstvo militia.

The failure of the first militia did not break the will of the Nizhny Novgorod residents to resist, on the contrary, they were even more convinced of the need for unity for a complete victory. Nizhny Novgorod residents maintained constant contact with Moscow through their scouts - boyar son Roman Pakhomov and townsman Rodion Moseev. They penetrated the capital and obtained the necessary information. The Nizhny Novgorod scouts even managed to establish contact with Patriarch Hermogenes, who was languishing in the Kremlin in the underground cell of the Chudov Monastery. Gonsevsky, embittered by the fact that the patriarch denounced the interventionists and their henchmen, called on the Russian people to fight and, not daring to openly deal with Hermogenes, sentenced him to starvation. Once a week, only a sheaf of unthreshed oats and a bucket of water were allowed to feed the imprisoned. However, this did not humble the Russian patriot. From the underground dungeon, Hermogenes continued to send out his letters with calls to fight against the invaders. These letters also reached Nizhny Novgorod.

Minin

From Nizhny, in turn, letters were distributed throughout the country with a call to unite to fight the common enemy. In this strong city, the determination of people to take the fate of a dying country into their own hands was ripening. It was necessary to inspire the people, instill in people confidence in victory, readiness to make any sacrifices. We needed people who had high personal qualities and such an understanding of what was happening in order to lead the popular movement. A simple Russian man from Nizhny Novgorod Kuzma Minin became such a leader, a folk hero.

Little is known about Minin's origins. However, it is known for certain that the version of the non-Russian origin of K. Minin (“baptized Tatar”) is a myth. On September 1, 1611, Minin was elected to the zemstvo elders. “The husband is not glorious by birth,” the chronicler notes, “but he is wise, intelligent and pagan in sense.” High human qualities The people of Nizhny Novgorod were able to appreciate Minin by nominating Sukhoruk to such an important post. The position of zemstvo headman was very honorable and responsible. He was in charge of the collection of taxes and ruled the court in the suburb, he had great power. The townspeople had to obey the zemstvo headman "in all worldly affairs," those who did not obey, he had the right to force. Minin was a "favorite" person in Nizhny Novgorod for his honesty and justice. Great organizational talent, love for the Motherland and ardent hatred for the invaders made him the "fathers" of the Second Zemstvo Militia. He became the soul of the new militia.

Minin began his exhortations to “help the Moscow state” both in the “zemstvo hut”, and at the market where his shop stood, and near his house in ordinary meetings of neighbors, and at gatherings where letters that came to Nizhny Novgorod were read to the townspeople, etc. .d. In October 1611, Minin appealed to the people of Nizhny Novgorod to create civil uprising to fight foreigners. At the alarm, the people gathered at the Transfiguration Cathedral for a gathering. Here Kuzma Minin delivered his famous speech, in which he urged the people of Nizhny Novgorod to spare nothing for the protection of their native country: “ Orthodox people We will want to help the Muscovite state, we will not spare our stomachs, but not only our stomachs - we will sell our yards, we will lay our wives, children and we will beat with our foreheads so that someone becomes our boss. And what praise will be to all of us from the Russian land that such a great deed will happen from such a small city as ours. I know that as soon as we move towards this, many cities will come to us, and we will get rid of foreigners.

Kuzma Minin's ardent call received the warmest response from Nizhny Novgorod residents. On his advice, the townspeople gave the "third money", that is, the third part of their property, for the militia. Donations were made voluntarily. One rich widow of the 12 thousand rubles she had donated 10 thousand - a huge amount at that time, striking the imagination of Nizhny Novgorod residents. Minin himself donated not only “his entire treasury” to the needs of the militia, but also silver and gold salaries from icons and jewelry of his wife. “You all do the same,” he said to the posad. However, voluntary contributions alone were not enough. Therefore, a compulsory collection of the “fifth money” was announced from all Nizhny Novgorod residents: each of them had to contribute a fifth of their income from fishing and trading activities. The collected money was to be used to distribute salaries to service people.

Peasants, townspeople and nobles joined the Nizhny Novgorod militia as volunteers. Minin introduced new order in the organization of the militia: the militia was given a salary that was not equal. Depending on the military training and military merits, the militias were assigned (divided) into four salaries. Those who were turned on the first salary received 50 rubles a year, on the second - 45, on the third - 40, on the fourth - 35 rubles. Monetary salaries for all militias, regardless of whether he was a nobleman or a peasant, made everyone formally equal. Not noble origin, but skill, military abilities, devotion to the Russian land were the qualities by which Minin assessed a person.

Kuzma Minin not only himself was attentive and sensitive to every soldier who came to the militia, but also demanded the same from all commanders. He invited a detachment of service Smolensk nobles into the militia, who, after the fall of Smolensk, not wanting to serve the Polish king, abandoned their estates and went to the Arzamas district. The arriving Smolensk warriors were greeted very warmly by the Nizhny Novgorod people and provided with everything necessary.

With the full consent of all the inhabitants and city authorities of Nizhny Novgorod, on the initiative of Minin, the “Council of All the Earth” was created, which in its nature became the provisional government of the Russian state. Its members included the best people Volga cities and some representatives of local authorities. With the help of the "Council" Minin led the recruitment of warriors in the militia, and resolved other issues. The inhabitants of Nizhny Novgorod unanimously invested him with the title of "an elected man of the whole earth."

Minin's appeal to the people of Nizhny Novgorod in 1611. M. I. Peskov

Commander of the Second Militia

The question was extremely important: how to find a governor who would lead the Zemstvo militia? Nizhny Novgorod did not want to deal with local governors. Okolnichiy Prince Vasily Zvenigorodsky did not differ in military talents, and was related to Mikhail Saltykov, hetman Gonsevsky's henchman. He received the rank of roundabout according to the letter of Sigismund III, and was appointed to the Nizhny Novgorod province by Trubetskoy and Zarutsky. Such a person was not to be trusted.

The second governor, Andrey Alyabyev, skillfully fought and served faithfully, but was known only in his Nizhny Novgorod district. The townspeople wanted a skilled governor, not marked by "flights", and known among the people. Finding such a governor in this troubled time, when the transitions of governors and nobles from one camp to another became a common thing, was not easy. Then Kuzma Minin proposed to elect Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky as governor.

His candidacy was approved by the people of Nizhny Novgorod and the militias. A lot spoke in favor of the prince: he was far from corrupt ruling elite, did not have a duma rank, a simple steward. He did not manage to make a court career, but more than once distinguished himself on the battlefield. In 1608, being a regimental commander, he defeated the Tushino troops near Kolomna; in 1609 he defeated the gangs of ataman Salkov; in 1610, during the dissatisfaction of the Ryazan governor Prokopiy Lyapunov with Tsar Shuisky, he kept the city of Zaraysk in loyalty to the tsar. Then he defeated the Polish detachment sent against Lyapunov and the "thieves" Cossacks, who tried to take Zaraysk. He was faithful to the oath, did not bow to foreigners. The fame of the heroic deeds of the prince during the Moscow uprising in the spring of 1611 reached Nizhny Novgorod. Nizhny Novgorod also liked such traits of the prince as honesty, disinterestedness, justice in making decisions, decisiveness and balance in his actions. In addition, he was nearby, he lived in his patrimony just 120 miles from Nizhny. Dmitry Mikhailovich was treated after severe wounds received in battles with enemies. The wound on the leg was especially difficult to heal - lameness remained for life. As a result, Pozharsky received the nickname Lame.

To invite Prince Dmitry Pozharsky to the voivodship, the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod sent an honorary embassy to the village of Mugreeevo, Suzdal district. There is evidence that before and after that, Minin repeatedly visited him, together they discussed the organization of the Second Zemstvo militia. Nizhny Novgorod people went to him "many times, so that I could go to Nizhny for the Zemstvo Council," the prince himself noted. As was customary then, Pozharsky for a long time refused the offer of Nizhny Novgorod. The prince was well aware that before deciding on such an honorable and responsible business, it is necessary to think over this issue well. In addition, Pozharsky wanted from the very beginning to receive the powers of a large governor, to be commander in chief.

In the end, Dmitry Pozharsky, who had not yet fully recovered from his injuries, gave his consent. But he also set a condition that the people of Nizhny Novgorod themselves choose from among the townspeople a person who would become with him at the head of the militia and deal with the “rear”. And he offered Kuzma Minin to this position. That's what they decided on. Thus, in the zemstvo militia, Prince Pozharsky assumed a military function, and the “elected man of the whole earth” Kuzma Minin-Sukhoruk became in charge of the economy of the army, the militia treasury. At the head of the second zemstvo militia stood two people, elected by the people and invested with their confidence - Minin and Pozharsky.

Militia organization

At the end of October 1611, Prince Pozharsky arrived in Nizhny Novgorod with a small retinue and, together with Minin, set about organizing a people's militia. They developed vigorous activity to create an army that was supposed to liberate Moscow from the invaders and initiate the expulsion of the interventionists from the Russian land. Minin and Pozharsky understood that they could solve such a big task facing them only by relying on the “popular multitude”.

Minin showed great firmness and determination in raising funds. From the tax collectors for the militia, Minin demanded that the rich not make indulgences, and the poor should not be unfairly oppressed. Despite the total taxation of Nizhny Novgorod residents, there was still not enough money to provide the militias with everything they needed. I had to resort to forced loans from residents of other cities. The clerks of the richest merchants Stroganovs, merchants from Moscow, Yaroslavl and other cities connected with the taxation were subject to taxation. trade affairs with Nizhny Novgorod. By creating the militia, its leaders began to show their strength and power far beyond the borders of the Nizhny Novgorod district. Letters were sent to Yaroslavl, Vologda, Kazan and other cities. In a letter sent on behalf of the Nizhny Novgorod militia to residents of other cities, it was said: “From all the cities of the Moscow state, nobles and boyar children were near Moscow, Polish and Lithuanian people were besieged by a strong siege, but a stream of nobles and boyar children from Moscow parted for a temporary sweets, for robberies and kidnappings. But now we, all sorts of people of Nizhny Novgorod, having referred to Kazan and all the cities of the lower and Volga regions, having gathered with many military people, seeing the final ruin of the Muscovite state, asking God for mercy, we all go with our heads to help the Muscovite state. Yes, Smolensk, Dorogobuzh and Vets came to Nizhny Novgorod from Arzamas ... and we, all the people of Nizhny Novgorod, after consulting among ourselves, sentenced: to share our stomachs and houses with them, give salaries and help and send them to help the Moscow the state."

The Volga cities responded to the appeal of Nizhny Novgorod in different ways. Such small towns as Balakhna and Gorokhovets immediately got involved. Kazan reacted to this call at first rather coolly. Her "sovereign people" believed that "royal Kazan - main city Downstream". As a result, the service people of the border regions who arrived in the vicinity of Arzamas after the fall of Smolensk, Smolensk, Belyan, Dorogobuzh, Vyazmichi, Brenchan, Roslavtsy and others, become the core of the militia along with the Nizhny Novgorod people. They gathered about 2 thousand people, and they were all experienced fighters who had participated in battles more than once. Later, nobles from Ryazan and Kolomna came to Nizhny, as well as service people, Cossacks and archers from the "Ukrainian cities" who were in Moscow under Tsar Vasily Shuisky.

Having learned about the formation of the Second Militia in Nizhny Novgorod and not being able to counteract this, the worried Poles turned to Patriarch Hermogenes demanding that he condemn the "traitors". The patriarch refused to do so. He cursed the Moscow boyars who turned to him on behalf of Gonsevsky as "cursed traitors." As a result, he was starved to death. On February 17, 1612 Hermogenes died.

The leaders of the second militia needed to resolve the issue of the remainder of the First militia. The leaders of the Cossack freemen Zarutsky and Trubetskoy still had considerable strength. As a result, since December 1611, two provisional governments have been operating in Russia: the “Council of All the Land” of the Cossacks near Moscow, led by Ataman Ivan Zarutsky, and the “Council of All the Land” in Nizhny Novgorod. Between these two centers of power there was a struggle not only for influence on local governors and for income, but also on the question of what to do next. Zarutsky and Trubetskoy, with the support of the rich and influential Trinity-Sergius Monastery, proposed to lead the militia to Moscow as soon as possible. They feared rapid growth strength and influence of the Nizhny Novgorod rati. And they planned to take a dominant position near Moscow. However, the "Council of All the Earth" of Nizhny Novgorod considered it necessary to wait in order to properly prepare for the campaign. It was the line of Minin and Pozharsky.

Relations between the two centers of power became openly hostile after Trubetskoy and Zarutsky began negotiations with the Pskov impostor Sidorka (False Dmitry III), to whom they eventually swore allegiance. True, they soon had to abandon their "kissing the cross", since such an act did not find support among ordinary Cossacks and was sharply condemned by Minin and Pozharsky.

Start of the hike

After hard work, by the beginning of February 1612, the Nizhny Novgorod militia was already an impressive force and reached 5 thousand soldiers. Despite the fact that the work on the military structure of the Second Home Guard had not yet been fully completed, Pozharsky and Minin realized that they could no longer wait and decided to start the campaign. Initially, the shortest route was chosen - from Nizhny Novgorod through Gorokhovets, Suzdal to Moscow.

The moment to attack was convenient. The Polish garrison in Moscow experienced great difficulties, especially an acute shortage of food. Hunger forced most the Polish garrison to leave the devastated city for the surrounding counties in search of food. Of the 12 thousand the enemy troops in the Kremlin and Kitai-Gorod remained about 4 thousand. garrison weakened by hunger. The most select detachments of Polish thugs under the command of Hetman Khodkevich settled in the village of Rogachevo, not far from the city of Dmitrov; Sapieha's detachment was in the city of Rostov. There was no help from Sigismund III to the besieged garrison. And the “Seven Boyars” is somehow real military force did not represent herself. Thus, it was the most convenient time for the liberation of Moscow.

Voivode Dmitry Pozharsky drew up a plan for a liberation campaign. The idea was to take advantage of the fragmentation of the forces of the interventionists, to break them in parts. At first, it was planned to cut off the detachments of Khodkevich and Sapieha from Moscow, and then defeat the besieged Polish garrison of Gonsevsky and liberate the capital. Pozharsky hoped for the help of the Cossack camps near Moscow (the remnants of the First Militia).

However, Ataman Zarutsky began open hostilities. He decided to take over major cities North-Eastern Russia and thereby prevent Nizhny Novgorod residents from going there and maintain their sphere of influence. Taking advantage of the withdrawal from Rostov of the Great Sapieha Detachment, in February Zarutsky orders his Cossacks to capture Yaroslavl, a strategically important city along the Volga. The Cossack detachment of ataman Prosovetsky was supposed to go there from Vladimir.

As soon as it became known about the actions of Zarutsky, Minin and Pozharsky were forced to change the original plan for the liberation campaign. They decided to move up the Volga, occupy Yaroslavl, bypassing the devastated areas where the Cossack detachments of Zarutsky and Trubetskoy near Moscow were operating, and combine the forces that had risen against the interventionists. Zarutsky's Cossacks were the first to break into Yaroslavl. The townspeople asked Pozharsky for help. The prince sent detachments of his relatives, princes Dmitry Lopata Pozharsky and Roman Pozharsky. They occupied Yaroslavl and Suzdal with a quick raid, taking the Cossacks by surprise and did not allow Prosovetsky's detachments to go there. The detachment of Prosovetsky, who was on the way to Yaroslavl, had no choice but to turn back to the camps near Moscow. He did not take the fight.

Having received news from Lopata-Pozharsky that Yaroslavl was in the hands of the Nizhny Novgorod people, Minin and Pozharsky in early March 1612 ordered the militia to set out from Nizhny Novgorod on a campaign to liberate the capital of the Russian state. In early April 1612, the militia entered Yaroslavl. Here the militia stood for four months, until the end of July 1612.

One of the turning points in Russian history can definitely be called the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612. It was then that it was decided whether to be or not to be Russian state. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this date for future generations. Let's take another look at this an important event after many centuries, and also find out what the military leader did during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in order to achieve success.

background

But first, let's find out what events preceded the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

The confrontation between the Commonwealth, which is actually a federation of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with the Russian state began in the days of Ivan the Terrible. Then, in 1558, the famous Livonian War broke out, pursuing its goal of gaining control over the Baltic lands. In 1583, the war ended with the signing of the peace, which turned out to be rather unfavorable for Russia. But in general, this world of contradictions between the Russian kingdom and the Commonwealth did not resolve.

After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, his son Fyodor took the Russian throne. He was a rather weak and sickly man, under whom the royal power was significantly weakened. He died in 1598 without heirs. The brother of Fedor's wife, the boyar Boris Godunov, came to power. This event had rather deplorable consequences for Russia, since the Rurik dynasty, which ruled the state for more than seven hundred years, was cut short.

Dissatisfaction with the policies of Boris Godunov, who was widely considered an impostor who illegally seized power and, according to rumors, ordered the death of the legitimate heir to Ivan the Terrible, grew within the Russian kingdom.

This tense situation within the country most opportunely contributed to the possibility of foreign intervention.

Impostors

The ruling elite of the Commonwealth was well aware that its main external rival was the Russian kingdom. Therefore, the fall served as a kind of signal to start preparing for the invasion.

However, the Commonwealth itself was not ready for an open war, therefore, for its intrigues, it used the impostor Grigory Otrepyev, who pretended to be Dmitry, the son of Ivan the Terrible who died in childhood (according to another version, he was killed on the orders of Boris Godunov), for which he received the nickname - False Dmitry.

The army of False Dmitry was recruited with the support of Polish and Lithuanian magnates, but was not officially supported by the Commonwealth. She invaded the territory of Russia in 1604. Soon, Tsar Boris Godunov died, and his sixteen-year-old son Fyodor was unable to organize the defense. Grigory Otrepiev captured Moscow in 1605, and he himself proclaimed himself Tsar Dmitry I. However, already in next year he was killed in the coup. At the same time, a significant part of the Poles who arrived with him was killed.

The new Russian tsar was Vasily Shuisky, who was a representative of the lateral branch of the Rurikovich. But a significant part of the population of Russia did not recognize him as a real ruler.

In 1607, a new impostor appeared on the territory of the Commonwealth, whose real name is unknown. He went down in history as False Dmitry II. He was supported by the magnates, who had previously started an uprising against the Polish king Sigismund III, but lost. The town of Tushin became the headquarters of the impostor, which is why False Dmitry II received the nickname Tushinsky Thief. His army defeated Shuisky's army and besieged Moscow.

Vasily Shuisky tried to negotiate with him to recall his subjects. But he had no real leverage, and did not want to do this. Then the Russian Tsar made an alliance with the Swedes. This alliance assumed Swedish assistance against False Dmitry II on the terms of the transfer of a number of Russian cities to Sweden, as well as the conclusion of an alliance against Poland.

Prerequisites for open Polish intervention

The main pretext for the beginning of the Polish intervention was the Russian-Swedish alliance. This gave a formal pretext to the Commonwealth to declare war on Russia, because one of the goals of the alliance was precisely to confront Poland.

In the Commonwealth itself at that time there was an increase in royal power. This was due to the fact that by 1609 King Sigismund III suppressed the uprising of the discontented gentry, which lasted three years. Now there is an opportunity for external expansion.

In addition, Russian-Polish contradictions since Livonian War did not go away, and the hidden Polish intervention in the form of unofficial support for the impostors did not give the expected result.

These factors served as an impetus for the decision to openly invade the territory of the Commonwealth of the Russian state in order to put it under its control. full control. It was they who launched the chain of events, the links of which were the capture of the capital of Russia by the Polish-Lithuanian army, and then the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

Capture of Moscow by the Poles

In the autumn of 1609, the Polish army, led by hetman Stanislav Zolkiewski, invaded the territory of Russia and laid siege to Smolensk. In the summer of 1610, they defeated the Russian-Swedish troops in the decisive battle near Klushino and approached Moscow. On the other hand, Moscow was surrounded by the army of False Dmitry II.

Meanwhile, the boyars overthrew Vasily Shuisky and imprisoned him in a monastery. They established a regime known as the Seven Boyars. But the boyars who usurped power were unpopular with the people. They really could only control Moscow. Fearing that the more popular False Dmitry II might seize power, the boyars conspired with the Poles.

By agreement, the son of the king of Poland, Sigismund III, Vladislav became the Russian tsar, but at the same time converted to Orthodoxy. In the autumn of 1610, the Polish army entered Moscow.

First militia

Thus, the capital of Russia was captured by the Poles. From the first days of their stay, they began atrocities, which, of course, caused displeasure of the local population. Hetman Zolkiewski left Moscow, and Alexander Gonsevsky left to lead the Polish garrison in the city.

At the beginning of 1611, under the leadership of Prince D. Trubetskoy, I. Zarutsky and P. Lyapunov, the so-called First Home Guard was formed. His goal was to begin the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. main force of this army were Ryazan nobles and Tushino Cossacks.

The army approached Moscow. At the same time, an uprising against the invaders took place in the city, in which Dmitry Pozharsky, the future military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, played a prominent role.

At this time, the militia managed to occupy Kitai-Gorod, but disagreements within it led to the murder of one of the leaders - Prokopy Lyapunov. As a result, the militia actually disintegrated. The goal of the campaign was not achieved, and the liberation of Moscow from the Poles did not take place.

Formation of the Second Militia

The year 1612 has come. The liberation of Moscow from the Poles became the goal of the Second Militia that was being formed. The initiative for its creation came from the trade and craft class of Nizhny Novgorod, which suffered great oppression and losses during the Polish occupation. Nizhny Novgorod did not recognize the authority of either False Dmitry II or Vladislav Zhigmontovich, the Prince of Poland.

One of the leading roles in the creation of the Second People's Militia was played by Kuzma Minin, who held the post of zemstvo headman. He called on the people to unite in the fight against the invaders. In the future, he became famous as a military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles and as a national hero. And then he was a simple artisan who managed to unite the masses of people who flocked to his call to Nizhny Novgorod from other parts of Russia.

Among the arrivals was Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, another person who gained fame as a military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612. He was called by the people's militia to general fee, asking Prince Pozharsky to lead the people in the fight against the invaders. The prince could not refuse this request and added his own people to the army that began to form under the leadership of Minin.

The backbone of the militia consisted of the Nizhny Novgorod garrison of 750 people, but servicemen from Arzamas, Vyazma, Dorogobuzh and other cities came up to the call. It is impossible not to note the high abilities of Minin and Pozharsky in leading the formation of the army and in coordinating with other cities of Russia. In fact, they formed a body that performs the role of government.

Later, during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, the Second People's Militia, when it had already approached the capital, was replenished with some groups from the disintegrated First Militia.

Thus, under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky, a significant force was formed that could successfully resist the interventionists. Thus began the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612.

Personality of Dmitry Pozharsky

Now let's dwell in more detail on the personality of a man who became famous as a military leader during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. It was Dmitry Pozharsky who, at the behest of the people, became the main leader of the militia, and he deservedly owns a significant part of the contribution to this glorious victory. Who was he?

Dmitry Pozharsky belonged to an ancient princely family, which was a side branch of the Rurikids along the Starodub line. He was born in 1578, that is, at the time of the formation of the militia in the fall of 1611, he was about 33 years old. The father was Prince Pozharsky, and the mother was Maria Fedorovna Berseneva-Beklemisheva, in whose estate, given as a dowry, Dmitry was born.

Dmitry Pozharsky entered the civil service during the reign of Boris Godunov. The future military leader, who commanded during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, under Tsar Vasily Shuisky led one of the detachments that opposed the army of False Dmitry II. Then he received the post of Zaraisk governor.

Later, as mentioned above, Pozharsky was organizing an uprising against the Poles in Moscow during the existence of the First People's Militia.

Naturally, a man who fought so stubbornly against foreign intervention could not but respond to the call of Kuzma Minin. Not the last role in the fact that it was Dmitry Pozharsky who led the militia was played by the fact that he had an estate near Nizhny Novgorod, that is, the Nizhny Novgorod people who made up the backbone of the army considered him theirs.

This was the man who led the militia during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.

Trip to Moscow

We figured out who commanded during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, now let's dwell on the ups and downs of the campaign itself.

The militia moved at the end of February 1612 from Nizhny Novgorod up the Volga towards Moscow. As he progressed, new people joined him. Majority settlements greeted the militia with joy, and where local authorities they tried to repair opposition, as was the case in Kostroma, they were displaced and replaced by people loyal to the Russian army.

In April 1612, the militia entered Yaroslavl, where they stayed almost until August 1612. Thus, Yaroslavl became a temporary capital. This period of development of the liberation movement took the name "Standing in Yaroslavl".

Having learned that the army of Hetman Khodkevich was approaching Moscow in order to ensure its defense, Pozharsky at the end of July promptly sent several detachments from Yaroslavl, which approached the capital directly, and in mid-August all militia forces were concentrated near Moscow.

Side forces

It became clear to everyone that a decisive battle was coming. What was the number of troops on the opposing sides and their deployment?

The total number of troops that were subordinate to Dmitry Pozharsky, according to sources, did not exceed eight thousand people. The backbone of this army was the Cossack detachments numbering 4,000 people and one thousand archers. In addition to Pozharsky and Minin, the commanders of the militia were Dmitry Pozharsky-Shovel (a relative of the chief governor) and Ivan Khovansky-Big. Only the last of them at one time commanded significant military formations. The rest either, like Dmitry Pozharsky, had to command relatively small detachments, or there was no leadership experience at all, like Pozharsky-Shovel.

Dmitry Trubetskoy, one of the leaders of the First Militia, brought with him another 2,500 Cossacks. Although he agreed to help the common cause, at the same time he retained the right not to follow Pozharsky's orders. Thus, total strength Russian army was 9500-10 000 people.

The number of the Polish army of Hetman Khodkevich, approaching Moscow from the western side, totaled 12,000 people. The main force in it was the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, numbering 8,000 soldiers under the command of Alexander Zborovsky. The most combat-ready part of the army was the hetman's personal detachment of 2,000 people.

The commanders of the Polish army - Chodkiewicz and Zborowski - had significant military experience. In particular, Chodkiewicz distinguished himself in suppressing the recent uprising of the gentry, as well as in the war with Sweden. Among other commanders, Nevyarovsky, Graevsky and Koretsky should be noted.

In addition to the 12,000 soldiers that Khodkevich brought with him, there was also a 3,000-strong Polish garrison in the Moscow Kremlin. It was led by Nikolay Strus and Iosif Budilo. These were also experienced warriors, but without special military leadership talents.

Thus, the total number of the Polish army reached 15,000 people.

The Russian militia was stationed near the walls of the White City, being between the Polish garrison settled in the Kremlin and Khodkevich's troops, as between a hammer and anvil. Their numbers were smaller than those of the Poles, and the commanders did not have such great military experience. It seemed that the fate of the militia was sealed.

Battle for Moscow

So, in August, the battle began, the result of which was the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. The year of this battle entered the history of Russia forever.

Hetman Khodkevich's troops were the first to attack, having crossed the Moscow River, they reached the gates of the Novodevichy Convent, where militia units were concentrated. A horse fight ensued. The Polish garrison made attempts to sortie out of its fortification, while Prince Trubetskoy waited and was in no hurry to help Pozharsky. It must be said that the military leader commanded quite wisely during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, which did not allow the enemy to crush the positions of the militia at the initial stage. Chodkiewicz had to retreat.

After that, Pozharsky changed the deployment of troops, moving to Zamoskvorechye. The decisive battle took place on 24 August. Hetman Khodkevich again threw his troops into the attack, hoping to crush the smaller militia. But it didn't work out the way he had hoped. The Russian troops stood firm, moreover, Trubetskoy's detachments finally entered the battle.

Exhausted opponents decided to take a breather. By evening, the militia launched a counteroffensive. They crushed the positions of the enemy and forced him to retreat to the city of Mozhaisk. Seeing this, the Polish garrison was forced to surrender to the militia. Thus ended the liberation of Moscow from foreign invaders.

Effects

The liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1612 was a turning point in the entire Russian-Polish war. True, hostilities lasted for quite a long time.

In the spring of 1613, a representative of the new Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, was installed in the kingdom. This served as a significant strengthening of Russian statehood.

At the end of 1618, finally, it was concluded between the Russians and the Poles. As a result of this truce, Russia was forced to give up significant territories to the Commonwealth, but retained the main thing - its statehood. In the future, this helped her to recapture the lost lands and even participate in the division of the Commonwealth itself.

The meaning of the liberation of Moscow

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the liberation of the Russian capital for national history. This event made it possible to preserve Russian statehood in the difficult struggle against the interventionists. Therefore, the battle of Moscow is included in all textbooks on Russian history and is one of the significant dates.

We also remember the leaders of the Second Militia - Prince Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who have long had the status of folk heroes. Holidays are dedicated to them, monuments are erected, and memory is honored.

In 1610 Hard times for Russia did not end. The Polish troops that launched an open intervention took Smolensk after a 20-month siege. The Swedes, led by Skopin-Shuisky, changed and, moving north, captured Novgorod. In order to somehow defuse the situation, the boyars seized V. Shuisky and forced him to take the veil as a monk. Soon, in September 1610, he was extradited to the Poles.

The Seven Boyars began in Russia. The rulers secretly signed an agreement with the King of Poland Sigismund III, in which they pledged to call his son Vladislav to rule, after which they opened the gates of Moscow to the Poles. Russia owes its victory over the enemy to the feat of Minin and Pozharsky, which is still remembered today. Minin and Pozharsky were able to raise the people to fight, rally them, and only this made it possible to get rid of the invaders.

From the biography of Minin it is known that his family was from the town of Balkhany on the Volga. Father, Mina Ankundinov, was engaged in salt mining, and Kuzma himself was a townsman. In the battles for Moscow, he showed the greatest courage.

Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky was born in 1578. It was he, on the advice of Minin, who was raising funds for the militia, who was appointed the first governor. Stolnik Pozharsky quite successfully fought the gangs Tushinsky thief during the reign of Shuisky, he did not ask for mercy from the Polish king, did not commit treason.

The second militia of Minin and Pozharsky set out for Moscow from Yaroslavl on August 6 (according to the new style), 1612, and by August 30 took up positions near the Arbat Gates. At the same time, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky was separated from the first militia that had previously stood near Moscow, which consisted for the most part of former Tushino and Cossacks. The first battle with the troops of the Polish hetman Jan Karol took place on September 1. The battle was hard and bloody. However, the first militia took a wait-and-see attitude, at the end of the day only five horsemen came to help Pozharsky, the sudden blow of which forced the Poles to retreat.

The decisive battle (hetman battle) took place on 3 September. The onslaught of Hetman Khodkevich's troops was held back by Pozharsky's soldiers. Unable to withstand the onslaught, after five hours they were forced to retreat. Having gathered the remaining forces, Kuzma Minin launched a night attack. Most of the soldiers who participated in it died, Minin was wounded, but this feat inspired the rest. The enemies were finally pushed back. The Poles retreated towards Mozhaisk. This defeat was the only one in the career of Hetman Khodkiewicz.

After that, the troops of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky continued the siege of the garrison stationed in Moscow. Knowing that the besieged were starving, Pozharsky offered them to surrender in exchange for saving their lives. The besieged refused. But hunger forced them to start negotiations later. On November 1, 1612, Kitai-Gorod was attacked by the Cossacks during negotiations. Having surrendered it practically without a fight, the Poles locked themselves in the Kremlin. The nominal rulers of Russia (on behalf of the Polish king) were released from the Kremlin. Those, fearing reprisals, immediately left Moscow. Among the boyars was with his mother and