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The first Russian tsar of Romanov dynasty Mikhail Feodorovich born
On July 12 (22), 1596 in Boyar Romanov family which occupied a notable place at the Grand Duke and Tsar court, was born the founder of the Russian ruling dynasty Mikhail Feodorovich. His father, Feodor Nikitich, was a cousin of the last ruler from Rurikovich dynasty, Tsar Feodor Ivanovich, his mother, Xenia Ivanovna Shestova, originated from a Kostroma noble family.
In 1601 Romanovs fell into disgrace. Under the order of Tsar Boris Godunov the parents of Mikhail were forced to take the monastic vows. Owing to the events of Time of Trouble, Romanovs returned to active political life: in 1605 Mikhail was conferred a title of stolnik (steward), and his father, monk Filaret, became Moscow metropolitan. During the Polish occupation of Moscow Mikhail had been taken prisoner and kept in Moscow Kremlin. The second Zemstvo volunteer corps liberated him in 1612.
In January of 1613 in Moscow Zemsky Sobor (the first Russian parliament) was summoned to resolve the issue of a new tsar election. On the initiative and under the pressure of “free Cossacks” the candidature of Mikhail Feodorovich was approved. On February 21 (March 3), 1613 the official election of the new tsar took place. On May 2 (12) Mikhail Feodorovich solemnly entered Moscow. In 21 (July 11) of 1613 he was crowned in the Moscow Kremlin Dormition Cathedral.
The situation of the new monarch had been indefinite for a long time. However gradually he became a symbol of the national and state revival which united around itself different sections of the population. During the first years of his reign the young monarch solved the majority of state and foreign policy affairs in conference with his father who became the Russian patriarch in 1619. After Filaret’s death in 1633 Mikhail found support in person of the heads of the Chief Offices – prince I. B. Cherkassky and Boyar F. I. Sheremetev.
The main objective of Mikhail Feodorovich’s reign was to stabilize the external and internal state of the country after the Time of Trouble. In February (in March) of 1617 Russia succeeded to conclude the Treaty of Stolbovo with Sweden, in December of 1618 – Truce of Deulino with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and in June of 1634 as a result of Smolensk War the Treaty of Polyanovka was signed under which Polish King Vladislav IV abandoned his claims for the Russian throne. During the reign of Mikhail Feodorovich diplomatic relations with Holland, Austria, Denmark, Turkey and Persia were established. From the second half of 1630s the restoration and building of new fortification lines at the southern frontiers began which enabled to expand the Russian borders and enrich the national economy with vast massifs of black earth lands.
In the reign of Mikhail Feodorovich the state power centralized and as a result the system of voivode governing established locally; departmental system was restored and developed. In 1620 new cadastres and patrol registers were composed. The measures regarding the improvement of army organization were taken (a new statutes adopted, regiments of foreign type formed).
Mikhail Feodorovich died on July 13 (23), 1645 in Moscow and was buried in the Cathedral of the Archangel in the Moscow Kremlin.
Lit.: Львов Г. В. Призвание на престол всероссийский Михаила Феодоровича Романова. СПб., 1843; Морозова Л. Е. Михаил Фёдорович // Вопросы истории. 1992. № 1. С. 32-47; Платонов С. Ф. Московское государство при первых Романовых // Платонов С. Ф. Статьи по русской истории. СПб., 1912; Призвание на Престол Всероссийский Михаила Федоровича Романова. СПб., 1843; Сташевский Е. Д. Очерки по истории царствования Михаила Фёдоровича. Ч. 1. Киев, 1913; Шостацкий Е. К. Первый царь из Дома Романовых Михаил Феодорович. СПб., 1913.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: