Malyuta Skuratov is the "faithful dog of sovereigns", whose name has become synonymous with cruelty and ruthlessness. Malyuta Skuratov. Biography Message on the topic of Malyuta Skurat

Malyuta Skuratov- Russian statesman, military and political figure, duma boyar, one of the leaders of the oprichnina, as well as the beloved guardsman and assistant to Ivan the Terrible (see).

The name of Malyuta Skuratov has become a household name in history. People remember him as one of the most merciless killers and punishers.

Nevertheless, a number of Skuratov's researchers believe that some facts from his life are overgrown with legends and fiction. About who the famous guardsman actually was, we will tell in this article.

So, before you is a short biography of Malyuta Skuratov.

Biography of Malyuta Skuratov

To date, nothing is known about the date and place of birth of Malyuta Skuratov. For the first time his name is found in one of the books dated 1567. The book speaks of him as the "head" of the oprichnina army.

The real name of Malyuta Skuratov is Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belsky. It is known that he came from a noble family.

Most biographers agree that Skuratov received his nickname "Malyuta" for his short stature or for the saying "I pray you ..." that he often uses.

Oprichnik

It is worth noting that Malyuta Skuratov was not the founder of the oprichnina, as many believe. Initially, he occupied lower positions, and only over time he managed to become what he became.

In the late 1560s, the "chief oprichnik" lived in constant fear for his life. He was terrified of various conspiracies and uprisings.

For this reason, in 1569, Malyuta Skuratov gave the order to organize an oprichnina detective department, which was the "high police for high treason." In fact, it was the first state security service in history.

From the biography of Malyuta Skuratov it is reliably known that he liked to conduct interrogations on his own, often resorting to sophisticated torture.

Having enormous power in his hands, he repeatedly gave orders to execute various high-ranking officials, after which the land allotments went to the king, and the property went to him.

During the riots in Novgorod, Tver and Torzhok, the cruelty and brutality of Malyuta Skuratov manifested itself in full. He caused the deaths of many civilians. He and his henchmen rarely tried to look for any evidence that this or that person was involved in treason.

One denunciation was enough to take the life of anyone. Interestingly, he ordered Malyuta to imprison his cousin, Prince Vladimir Staritsky, suspecting that he allegedly wants to take the throne instead of him.

In 1568, Metropolitan Philip refused to bless the numerous pogroms of the guardsmen, and also condemned Ivan the Terrible for excessive cruelty.

For this, he was removed from his post and exiled to the Dormition Monastery. A year later, on December 23, 1562, the metropolitan died.

There is a version according to which Malyuta Skuratov was guilty of his death. Some biographers believe that it was he who strangled Philip with a pillow.

Wax figure of Malyuta Skuratov in the museum-reserve "Alexandrovskaya Sloboda"

The same opinion is shared by many reputable historians, including (see), Nikolai Kostomarov and Sergei Solovyov.

It is worth noting that Malyuta Skuratov gained fame not only as a cruel guardsman. In addition, he participated in many military campaigns, and also conducted diplomatic negotiations with high-ranking officials.

Personal life

Not much is known about Malyuta Skuratov's personal life. In his biography there was only one wife named Maria. In this marriage, they had 3 daughters, who later became the wives of famous statesmen.

The husband of the first daughter turned out to be the tsar's cousin Ivan Glinsky, and the second -. He married his youngest daughter, Catherine, to Prince Dmitry Shuisky.

Malyuta Skuratov had no direct male heirs.

Interestingly, Skuratov was not only one of the close associates of the Russian Tsar, but also his relative.

When Ivan the Terrible's second wife died, Malyuta Skuratov did everything to marry him to his distant relative Martha Sobakina. However, Marfa did not stay long as the wife of the Russian Tsar. Within a couple of weeks after the wedding, she was poisoned.

Death

Despite the fact that Malyuta Skuratov was remembered as a notorious monster and villain, guilty of shedding the blood of thousands of innocent people, he died a completely heroic death.

On January 1, 1573, he took part in the assault on the Weissenstein fortress. In one of the battles, he received a gunshot wound, from which he soon died.

At the direction of Ivan the Terrible, Malyuta Skuratov was taken to the Joseph-Volokolamsky Monastery for a funeral service. According to some sources, he was buried next to his father's grave.

Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov

Since the tsar loved Skuratov and cherished him, he donated a substantial sum for his burial. At the same time, it is worth noting that when his relatives or wives died, he allocated much less money for them.

Moreover, Ivan the Terrible ordered that the widow of Malyuta Skuratov be paid a pension for life, which was very unusual at that time.

An interesting fact is that because of his extraordinary biography, Malyuta Skuratov was surrounded by legends even after his death. Thus, a legend appeared among the people that Skuratov lived to arrive at the monastery, where he repented of all his sins and, after death, asked to be buried at the entrance to the sacred monastery. Now the feet of every incoming trample on the ashes of the great sinner.

Photo by Malyuta Skuratov

The last minutes of the life of Metropolitan Philip

Malyuta Skuratov from Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride

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B iography

Malyuta Skuratov, the chief guardsman of Tsar Ivan IV, a military and political figure, Malyuta Skuratov became widely known due to his merciless, truly fierce temper. At least, this is how his image appears from folk songs and legends, as well as from the studies of most historians. He was called the "noble executioner", and he called himself the "bloody dog", thus emphasizing his canine devotion to the king. Among historians, there is an opinion that Malyuta Skuratov played a significant role in the formation of the character of Ivan the Terrible. A faithful servant, an authoritative adviser and a reliable right hand, he provoked the king to cruel actions, skillfully inciting passions in the soul of the autocrat.

He came from a small noble family, former sovereign servants who had served themselves well, endowed with lands and titles for their loyalty. His real name is Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belsky, and the name "Malyuta" stuck with him for his short stature. The date of Skuratov's birth has not been established, and the first mention of him in Russian chronicles dates back to the early 60s of the 16th century, when he was in the immediate circle of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Tsar's secret police, bloody career

The tsar lived in constant fear of conspiracies, and in order to somehow protect himself, he created an oprichnina, a special service of bodyguards and bloodhounds. The distinctive sign of the soldiers of this secret police was a dog's head and a broom attached to the saddles. These symbols were supposed to inform others that the guardsmen "gnaw and sweep the traitors to the king." Malyuta fell into the ranks of the secret police and was soon marked by the tsar himself for his particular unscrupulousness and cruelty. Soon, on the highest orders, he headed the oprichnina detective department. Sometimes Skuratov and Grozny are called the creators of the Russian security service...

Countless arrests, torture, executions, deprivation of nobles and boyars of their property and lands followed - the main guardsman had a place to roam. Malyuta Skuratov showed to the full extent the properties of his wild temper during the pogroms in Torzhok, Tver, Novgorod, suspected of conspiring with foreign states. The suspicions were not proven, but the guardsmen did not look for evidence - they quickly organized punitive expeditions and for several weeks savagely burned and killed the inhabitants of the "recalcitrant" cities.

In 1569-1570, Skuratov actively participated in the tsarist repressions. It was he who was entrusted with the arrest of the cousin of the Tsar, Prince Vladimir Staritsky, who was suspected of preparing a coup d'etat and a desire to take a place on the throne. Skuratov strangled the recluse Metropolitan Philip, who refused to bless the tsar for the pogrom in Novgorod.

Former assassin, statesman

Once such a moment came that the oprichnina became such a well-organized armed structure (like the National Guard?) That it began to arouse the tsar's fears - at any moment this ferocious and strong army could get out of obedience. A series of executions followed, and Grigory Belsky played a major role in the massacre of the leaders of the guardsmen of the “first draft”. In 1572, the secret police was finally abolished, the army was disbanded, and under pain of punishment with a whip, it was forbidden to use even the very word "oprichnina".

Unlike his former "colleagues", Malyuta not only survived the repressions, but also made significant progress up the career ladder. In the same year, 1572, Skuratov was appointed yard governor and became a member of the Boyar Duma. He was with the person of the king and took an active part in domestic and foreign policy: for example, he conducted diplomatic negotiations with Lithuania and the Crimean Khanate.

Family ties, heroic death

This nomination of Skuratov is explained not only by his exceptional merits and blind trust of the tsar, but also by his close family ties with the royal family. With the assistance of Malyuta, Ivan the Terrible was married to Skuratov's relative Marfa Sobakina; Maria, one of the three daughters of Malyuta, became the wife of Boris Godunov, and the other, Catherine, was married to Prince Vasily Shuisky. Both "son-in-law" subsequently visited the royal throne ...

Ironically, the death of Grigory Skuratov-Belsky was quite heroic. He died in January 1573 during the assault on the German fortress of Paida, located in the middle of the way from Narva to Revel (the historical name of Tallinn). The true burial place of the former royal guardsman was never established, but there is a beautiful legend on this score: When the dying Malyuta was brought to the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery, he repented of all his sins and asked to be buried at the entrance to the sacred monastery, so that everyone who enters would trample feet the ashes of a great sinner. Ivan the Terrible granted a large amount of money to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery for the remembrance of the soul of his beloved, and Skuratov's widow received a lifelong pension, which was an exceptional phenomenon at that time.

Malyuta Skuratov (real name - Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belsky). He died on January 1, 1573 in Paide (Estonia). Russian statesman, military and political figure, one of the leaders of the oprichnina, duma boyar and assistant to Ivan the Terrible.

The exact time and place of birth of Malyuta Skuratov is unknown.

Father - Lukyan Afanasyevich Belsky, had the nickname Skurat, i.e. "worn suede" (perhaps due to bad skin).

There are different versions regarding the origin of his nickname. According to one of them, "Malyuta" he was nicknamed for his small stature. On the other - for his characteristic saying "I pray to you ...".

At first, he was in minor government positions. The name of Grigory Belsky was first mentioned in the discharge books in 1567 in relation to the campaign against Livonia - he holds the position of "head" (centurion) in the oprichnina army.

Although Malyuta Skuratov is considered almost the creator of the oprichnina, in reality he did not stand at its origins. In the oprichnina, he was accepted to the lowest post - paraclesiarch (sexton).

The rise of Skuratov began later, when the oprichnina army began to act, "protecting the personal safety of the tsar" and "exterminating the sedition that nested in the Russian land, mainly among the boyars." Soon Skuratov moved into the ranks of the guardsmen closest to him. Malyuta with guardsmen raided the courts of disgraced nobles, taking away their wives and daughters "for fornication" by the royal entourage.

In 1569, Malyuta headed the oprichnina detective department - the "high police for high treason", which had not been in the state structure before. This year, the tsar instructs Belsky to arrest his cousin, the appanage prince Vladimir Andreevich Staritsky. The tsar's cousin was a contender for the throne, a "banner" for the disgruntled boyars, however, there was no direct evidence of Vladimir Staritsky's betrayal. Everything changed when the investigation was headed by Malyuta Skuratov. The main witness for the prosecution was the tsar's cook, nicknamed Molyava, who confessed that Vladimir Staritsky had instructed him to poison the tsar. The cook was found with a powder declared to be poison, and a large sum of money - 50 rubles, allegedly handed over to him by Staritsky. Molyava himself did not live to see the end of the process. On October 9, 1569, on behalf of Ivan IV, Malyuta “read the guilt” to Staritsky before his execution: “The Tsar considers him not a brother, but an enemy, because he can prove that he encroached not only on his life, but also on his reign.”

The duties of Malyuta Skuratov included the organization of total surveillance of the unreliable and listening to the "contacts". The main means of interrogation of the oprichny investigators was torture. Executions followed one after another.

It is believed that Malyuta Skuratov is the murderer of Metropolitan Philip II (in the world Fyodor Stepanovich Kolychev), known for denouncing the atrocities of the guardsmen of Ivan the Terrible.

In 1568, the deposed Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Philip, who fell into disgrace with Ivan the Terrible for exposing the atrocities of the tsar, was exiled to the Tver Otroch Monastery. A year later, the tsar passed through Tver on the way to Veliky Novgorod, and, stopping in the city, asked the prisoner for blessings and return to the throne, which Philip refused Ivan the Terrible. After that, according to the life of St. Philip, Malyuta Skuratov allegedly strangled the prisoner with a pillow.

The version of the murder of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, St. Philip of Moscow by Malyuta Skuratov, is traditional in historiography, it is supported by most domestic historians and historiographers of the 19th century, as well as theologians. Supporters of the canonization of Ivan the Terrible are trying to prove the groundlessness of this version.

At the end of 1569, he received a “tip” from Peter Volynsky that the Novgorod archbishop Pimen and the boyars wished to “give Novgorod and Pskov to the Lithuanian king, and the tsar and Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia with malicious intent to lime.” Historians believe that Volynsky forged several hundred signatures under a letter of secret agreement with King Sigismund II Augustus. In response, a punitive expedition was organized. On January 2, 1570, the oprichnina army surrounded Novgorod. Malyuta Skuratov conducted the inquiry with unheard of cruelty. It is written in the “Synodika of the Disgraced” that “one thousand four hundred and ninety people were finished off according to the Malyutinsky Novgorod parcels, and fifteen people were fired from squeakers, and you yourself, Lord, weigh them.” The people's memory has preserved the proverbs: “The tsar is not so terrible as his Malyuta”, “On the streets where you rode, Malyuta, you didn’t drink chicken” (that is, nothing alive was preserved).

By 1570, the oprichnina army already numbered more than 6,000 people and began to pose a greater danger to the state than boyar conspiracies. Omnipotence and impunity attracted, as Kurbsky put it, “bad people and filled with all sorts of wickedness,” who almost arbitrarily ruled the court.

The oprichnina became a well-organized armed structure that could break out of obedience at any moment. In its elimination, Malyuta Skuratov played a major role.

After the “Novgorod case”, an investigation was carried out against the leaders of the oprichnina Alexei Basmanov, Fyodor Basmanov, Afanasy Vyazemsky, etc. Alexei Basmanov had previously been suspended from participating in the campaign against Novgorod, since he opposed the campaign and the Novgorod archbishop Pimen was his faithful supporter.

Oprichnik Grigory Lovchikov denounced Athanasius Vyazemsky: he allegedly warned the Novgorod conspirators, giving out the secrets entrusted to him. The investigative file states that the conspirators "referred to Moscow from the boyars with Alexei Basmanov and his son with Fedor ... and with Prince Ofonasius Vyazemsky." On June 25, 1570, 300 people were brought to Red Square for execution. Right on the scaffold, the king pardoned 184 people, ordered 116 to be tortured. The execution began by Malyuta Skuratov, who cut off the ear of one of the main defendants - Duma clerk Ivan Viskovaty, head of the Ambassadorial Department, keeper of the state seal.

In 1571, after an investigation conducted by Grigory Belsky, about the reasons for the success of the devastating raid of Davlet Giray in the spring of 1571, during which Moscow was burned, the head of the oprichnina Duma, Prince Mikhail Cherkassky, and three oprichnina governors were executed.

In 1571, Ivan the Terrible, after the death of his second wife, Maria Temryukovna, chose his bride - Marfa Sobakina, a noble daughter from Kolomna, a distant relative of Skuratov. Martha's matchmakers were Skuratov's wife and his daughter Maria, and Malyuta himself played the role of boyfriend at the wedding ceremony. Kinship with the king became the most valuable reward for service. However, Martha died without becoming the wife of the king. Grozny was sure that Marfa had been poisoned, and only his own could do it.

In 1572, the oprichnina army was disbanded. By royal decree it was forbidden to use the very word "oprichnina" - the guilty were beaten with a whip.

In the early 1570s, on behalf of the tsar, he conducted important negotiations with the Crimea and Lithuania.

In the spring of 1572, during the Livonian War, Grozny undertook a campaign against the Swedes, in which Malyuta served as a yard governor, commanding the sovereign's regiment.

The decisiveness and cruelty with which Malyuta carried out all the orders of the king caused anger and condemnation among those around him. The image of an obedient and soulless executor of the inhuman orders of the tsar is revealed in the historical songs of the Russian people, who for centuries have preserved in their memory the name of the executioner and murderer Malyuta Skuratov. Some facts of his biography were overgrown with fictional legends, including about the “lack of virginity” discovered by Ivan the Terrible in Princess Dolgoruky and the tsar’s order to immediately drown the “youth”, which was supposedly unquestioningly carried out by Malyuta.

Death of Malyuta Skuratov

Malyuta Skuratov received a mortal gunshot wound in battle on January 1, 1573, personally leading the assault on the Weissenstein fortress (now Paide). By order of the king, the body was taken to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery. Buried next to his father's grave. To date, the burial has not been preserved. According to other sources, he was buried in a family crypt in the Antipievskaya Church in Konyushennaya, on Volkhonka. The tsar "gave his serf according to Grigory according to Malyuta Lukyanovich Skuratov" a contribution of 150 rubles - more than for his brother Yuri or his wife Martha. In 1577, Staden wrote: "By decree of the Grand Duke, he is commemorated in churches to this day."

Personal life of Malyuta Skuratov:

Wife - Matryona.

He is known to have three daughters. He had no direct male heirs.

Prince Ivan Glinsky, the tsar's cousin, married the eldest daughter.

He is a character in the opera "The Tsar's Bride" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov based on the play of the same name by L. Mey.

The image of Malyuta Skuratov in literature:

The character of "Songs about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, a young guardsman and a daring merchant Kalashnikov" (1838) M. Yu. Lermontov.

It appears in the novel by A. K. Tolstoy "Prince Silver" (1863), where his colorful image is derived not so much from historical evidence as from folk legends. The image of the son of Malyuta Maxim is entirely fictional by the author.

One of the key characters in the play by A. N. Ostrovsky and S. A. Gedeonov "Vasilisa Melentyeva" (1867).

Appears in the historical novel by N. E. Heinze "Malyuta Skuratov" (1891), as well as in several of his other works, for example, "The First Russian Autocrat", "The Judgment Days of Veliky Novgorod").

He appears as an episodic hero in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita (1928-1940). At the great ball of Satan, where genuine criminals and slandered talents, once declared sorcerers and warlocks, mingled with cruel irony in the crowd of guests, Malyuta appears for a second.

One of the main characters in the chronicle novel by K. S. Badigin "The Corsairs of Ivan the Terrible" (1973).

Appears as an intriguer in the historical novel by V. A. Usov "Kings and Wanderers" (1988), dedicated to the war between Moscow and the Crimean Khanate in the 1570s. and the formation of Russian intelligence.

Appears as the "vampire Malyuta Skuratoff" in a series of books by Dmitry Yemets about Tanya Grotter (2000s).

The story of V. Sorokin "The Day of the Oprichnik" (2006) is dedicated to him.

Present in the fantasy novel by Ekaterina Nevolina “Thieves of Antiquities. Lord of Time” (2012), dedicated to the search for the library of Ivan the Terrible.

Malyuta Skuratov is not only an odious person in Russian history, but actually a household name. In the memory of people, he remained as a merciless punisher, a sadist, a murderer and a royal saint. The people called him the "noble executioner", and Malyuta called himself nothing more than a "bloody dog", meaning dog devotion. By the way, many historians believe that it was the influence of Malyuta that created from John that authoritarian autocrat, whose image also became canonical. Although other scholars are sure that the cruelty and atrocities of both these husbands are greatly exaggerated and exaggerated after their death.

Painting by artist Pavel Ryzhenko | LitLife

The biography of Malyuta Skuratov did not save data on the date and place of his birth. It is known that the real name of this man is Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belsky. He received his nickname "Malyuta" for his small stature and for the often repeated phrase "I pray to you", the old analogue of "I beg you." Skuratov came from a small noble family, whose members for many years were serfs of sovereigns. For the first time, his name was mentioned in the 60s of the 16th century as one of the close associates of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. But this does not mean that earlier Malyuta could not have had any significant cases. Just in 1568, by order of the king, they stopped keeping a chronicle, and many early documents were destroyed.

Oprichnik

By the end of the 60s, Ivan the Terrible lived in constant fear of rebellion, conspiracy and regicide. Therefore, he ordered the creation of a powerful military unit - the oprichnina detective agency, which by modern standards can be considered a kind of secret police or state security service. Contrary to popular belief, the oprichnik Malyuta Skuratov did not at all stand at the origins of this department, but he managed to reach heights precisely in this service. He conducted inquiries, and often - with the help of cruel torture. Also, on the orders of Malyuta, nobles and boyars were executed, the lands were transferred to the king, and property - to the main guardsman.

Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov. Artist G.S. Sedov | LitLife

Fully Skuratov "cleared up" during the pogroms in Torzhok, Tver and Novgorod, when the ferocity of the detective department led to the death of many city residents. It should be noted that the guardsmen did not look for evidence of high treason, denunciations were enough. And as after many centuries, the “troikas” - on the spot brought the sentence to execution. It was Malyuta that Ivan the Terrible ordered to arrest his cousin, Prince Vladimir Staritsky, who was accused of wanting to take the throne.

Death of Metropolitan Philip. Artist AN Novoskoltsev | LitLife

In 1956, the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, Saint Philip, refused to bless the pogroms and accused the tsar of unnecessary cruelty, after which he was found dead. For many centuries, it is believed that Metropolitan Malyuta Skuratov personally killed, strangling him with a pillow. Although, it is clear that there is no evidence and historically confirmed facts of this atrocity. But even a brief biography of Malyuta Skuratov will be incomplete if it is not noted that this man was not only a court spy, but also took part in hostilities. For example, as a governor, he went on campaigns during the Livonian War, and also, as an ambassador, negotiated with the Crimean Khanate and with the Commonwealth.

Personal life

Little is known about the personal life of Malyuta Skuratov, at least much less than about the personal life of his children. According to official data, he was married only once, his wife's name was Marya, and this woman took an active part in palace life. By the way, Skuratov was not only close to the king, but to some extent his relatives. When the autocrat's second wife, Maria Temryukovna, died, Malyuta hurried to marry him to his distant relative Marfa Sobakina, and Skuratov acted as a friend at the wedding. However, Martha stayed as queen for only 15 days, after which she was poisoned.

Maria, daughter of Malyuta Skuratov, wife of Tsar Boris Godunov | Omutninskiye Vesti

It is known that the chief guardsman had three daughters, each of whom he very successfully married. The eldest son-in-law of Malyuta Skuratov was the tsar's cousin Ivan Glinsky, the middle daughter Maria married the notorious Boris Godunov, and the younger Ekaterina became the wife of Prince Vasily Shuisky. The second and third sons-in-law of Malyuta Skuratov subsequently visited the royal throne. According to the official chronicles, the oprichnik had no sons, and the Skuratov family was interrupted. Although in the novel “Prince Silver. The Tale of the Times of Ivan the Terrible" mentions that allegedly Malyuta still had a son, Maxim Skuratov.

Death

Skuratov remained in the memory of the public as a villain and a cruel executioner, but ironically, he died a completely heroic death. On the first day of 1573, the guardsman took part in the assault on the German fortress of Weissenstein, where he received a mortal gunshot wound. By order of the Tsar, Malyuta was taken to the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery and buried next to the grave of his father.

According to legend, a senior oprichnik was buried at the entrance to the Joseph-Volotsky Monastery | LitLife

It is known that Ivan the Terrible, in memory of the soul of the deceased, granted an amount that far exceeded the funds that he donated after the death of his brothers and wives. The tsar also ordered to pay Skuratov's widow a lifetime pension, which at that time was an unprecedented precedent. Due to the fact that the grave of Malyuta was not preserved, a legend appeared among the people that the guardsman lived to arrive at the monastery, where he repented of all terrible sins and persuaded him to be buried at the entrance to the sacred monastery. And allegedly since then, the ashes of the great sinner have been trampled under the feet of everyone who enters.