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PETER I: THE STRELTSI REVOLT |
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According
to the established rules, after the death of Theodor III the
throne should have gone to his natural brother, son of czar
Alexis and Maria Miloslavskaya, 15 years old Ivan. It seemed
the more so probable that it was during the reign of Theodor
that the Miloslavskies achieved the biggest influence, while
the Naryshkins, together with the widow czarina Natalie and
her 10 years old then son Peter, were shunned into the shadow.
Of course, the state of the matters was, as usual, more
complex, and the the complications were rooted deeply in the
social contradictions. The conflict between two rival
families, the Miloslavskies and the Naryshkins,
directly played, of course, the decisive role, but it
ought
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to be
perceived and understood on a broader background of
the growing resentment of the lower social classes.
The resentment was universal, but in Moscow it
acquired particularly sharp forms. In the capital
everything was acuter and subsequently the reaction to
many phenomena was stormier. High-ranking officials'
corruption, the gap between the people and the central
administration, and especially the treatment of
soldiers and streltsi,
unpaid or underpaid and abused by their commanders, who used
to steal without limits - all that was bound to cause an
break-out. The unrest
among the streltsi
could already be noticed during the reign of Theodor, when the
question of succession was not present - the sure sign that
the moods were inflamed not just by the rivalry of the noble
families. Czar's death only augmented streltsi
moods; the unrest was suppressed quickly but not for long. The
elder successor, Ivan, was a boy burdened by many physical
ailments; also his mental health, frankly speaking, could wish
better. The younger, Peter, contrary, was a rare example of
health, fitness and temperament, coupled with an extraordinary
mind. Therefore, appropriate pressure, exercised by the
Naryshkins and supported by the patriarch Joachim, made Peter
the main successor to the throne. Whereas streltsi
were appeased partly by money give-aways, and partly by
punishing or sacking of some particularly hated commanders.
The Muscovites caught the general mood - Peter's name was
shouted in the streets and bazaars, and eventually he was
elevated to the throne.
However, czarina Natalie, who ruled in the name of her 10
years old son, enjoyed her power only three weeks. Once again
resentful moods, generously paid by the Miloslavskies, spread
among streltsi. And
then on the political scenes appeared the female
representative of the Miloslavskies - Sophia. In her age of 25
she was very ambitious and smart, while her smartness coupled
with thorough education, among others under the tutelage of
Semeon Polotskiy. It was her, who agitated the moods among streltsi,
whose unrest grew by day, approaching open mutiny. The
Miloslavskies had also attracted to their cause some
influential boyars,
including prince Ivan Khovanskiy, an old (date of birth
unknown; 1610?) veteran of many wars, in the past also having
occupied a number of offices in the royal administration.
During the aforementioned events he was the head of the Streletskiy
Prikaz. It happened that Khovanskiy enjoyed a big
authority among the streltsi
and decided to gamble it - probably expecting that that would
elevate him even higher.
The unrest reached its peak when gossips spread around Moscow
that the Naryshkins reportedly "exterminated" prince
Ivan. On 15 May 1682 streltsi
stormed the Kremlin and demanded giving away alleged
assassins. Of course, nobody was given away, since nobody even
thought about an assassination, and czarina Natalie appeared
on the porch with both princes, Ivan and Peter. But that did
not avert the bloody climax that followed; the days of horror
started. It might, perhaps, not have happened if one of the boyars,
Mikhail Dolgoruki, had not started swearing at the streltsi.
He was killed that instant. Also Artamon Matveyev had a
horrible death - he was thrown from the porch onto the tips of
pikes. (Artamon Matveyev had just returned to Moscow from
six-years exile.) Also was killed an outstanding military
commander, prince Grigoriy Romodanovskiy, as well as many
other boyars.
Streltsi chased their victims in all the chambers and
cathedrals of the Kremlin. Then the mutiny spilled into the
city, where it got the support of out-of-town settlers, urban
paupers and serfs from nearby villages. The riots continued
all the night; among others the crowd demolished the Streletskiy
and Judicial Prikaz,
and burnt their archives.
On 17 may streltsi
appeared in the Kremlin again, demanding that the father and
brother of the czarina, Kirill and Ivan, be given away.
Czarina managed to save the life of her father under the oath
that she would retire to a monastery, but her brother had to
face the crowd. He was cruelly killed after excruciating
tortures. The streltsi
revolt decided about the succession of the throne after
Theodor: Ivan and Peter had to reign together, with Ivan, as
the elder brother, the "first" czar, while Sophia
become the regentess of the two juvenile czars. It is quite
possible that Khovanskiy also thought about being the regent,
but he did not rally enough supporters, who would champion his
predicaments. Anyway, the dispute over the regency caused a
conflict between Sophia and himself, which eventually led to
Khovanskiy's fall. Sophia ordered about paying lagging
payments to the streltsi,
as well as fulfilling some of their demands. In return streltsi
suppressed riots among the lower classes with the same cruelty
they uttered when they used to kill the boyars.
Thus ceased the anti-feudal factor of the streltsi
revolt of 1682 - it lasted only 12 days. |
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