History of Russia from Ancient Times. Volumes 13, 14

44 hrs. 35 min.

Language Russian

Author Sergey Solovyov

Narrator Evgeny Ternovsky

Volume 13. From the reign of Feodor Alekseyevich to the Moscow turmoil of 1682

Volume 13. Contents

Book contents 7
Chapter 01. Russia before the era of transformations
General overview of the course of ancient Russian history. — Differences between Eastern and Western Europe. — The nature of North-Eastern Russia. — Moscow, its character. — The great sovereign. — Cases when he appeared before his subjects, departures and campaigns. — His family celebrations. — Dinners at the palace. — Service of the great sovereign. — Service held on the porch, and service held in the front room. — Their interests. — Local precedence (mestnichestvo). — The chamber and reports. — Sitting of the [great] sovereign with the boyars on matters. — Cathedrals. — Landowners. — The new army. — Military settlements. — Cossacks and streltsy. — Feeding military people. — Feeding from affairs. — Orders. — Feeding by cities. — View of an ancient Russian city. — The voivode. — The head of the губная (local) office. — The zemstvo head. — The main interests of townspeople. — Taxes. — Services of townspeople. — Feeding the voivode and clerks. — Clashes between townspeople and voivodes and zemstvo heads. — Struggle between the best and lesser people. — Relations to the supreme government. — Fate of Ordyn-Nashchokin’s transformations in Pskov. — Trade regulations (statute). — Rural population. — Meaning of the attachment of peasants. — Peasants’ drive to create their own worlds separate from the city. — Sad condition of the peasants. — Need for a coup. — New teachers. — Schism. — Accusations. — Church councils. — Difficult position of the clergy. — Significance of the Nikon affair. — Joseph of Kolomna. — Confessor Savinov. — Church estates. — The question of the children of the white clergy — Morals and customs. — Turn onto a new path. — Theater. — Literature.
Chapter 02. The reign of Feodor Alekseyevich
Differences in reform activity among the successors of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. — Children of Tsar Alexei from both marriages. — Polish and German influence. — News about Feodor’s accession. — Matveev’s exile. — Exile of the confessor Andrew Savinov. — Worsening of Nikon’s fate. — Favorites of the tsar: Yazykov, Likhachevs. — Feodor’s marriage to Agafya Semyonovna Grushetskaya. — Rapid rise of Yazykov and Likhachev. — Prince V. V. Vasilchikov Golitsyn. — End of the case with Doroshenko. — Affairs of Roslavets and Adamovich. — Doroshenko in Moscow. — Manifesto of Yuri Khmelnitsky. — Correspondence with the hetman Samoylovich about Serke and Doroshenko. — Exiles of Roslavets and Adamovich. — First Chigirin campaign. — Opinions of Romodanovsky and Samoylovich about Chigirin. — Zaporizhian matters and an embassy to Turkey. — Second Chigirin campaign. — Relations with Poland. — Peace negotiations with Turkey. — Negotiations in Crimea and peace with the sultan and khan. — Doroshenko the voivode. — Death of Serke. — Swedish, Danish, Austrian affairs. — Kalmyks and Cossacks. — Riots of the Bashkirs. — Struggle against the Kyrgyz, Nenets (Samoyeds), Yakuts, and Tungus in Siberia; abuses by local officials there. — Internal government activity under Tsar Feodor. — The question of silk trade with Armenians. — Decree on trade with the Greeks. — Mitigation of punishments for criminal offenses. — New form of petitions. — Schism. — Church council of 1681. — Conversion of nonbelievers to Christianity. — Decrees regarding voivodes. — Financial measures. — Elimination of local precedence (mestnichestvo). — Project to separate civil offices from military ones. — Project for an academy. — Death of Tsarina Agafya and Tsarevich Ilya. — Second marriage of the tsar and his death. — Death of Nikon. — Easing of Matveev’s fate.
Chapter 03. The Moscow turmoil of 1682
Motivation for choosing Peter as tsar bypassing Ivan. — Ivan’s party and its movements. — Scenes at the burial of Tsar Feodor. — Disturbances of the streltsy and soldiers. — Weakness of the government and the streltsy’s unruliness. — Miloslavsky’s conspiracy. — Matveev’s arrival. — Streltsy uprising. — Dual power and the rule of Sophia. — Awkward position of the streltsy. — The pillar in Red Square to justify the uprising. — The movement of the dissenters (schismatics). — Khovansky supports them. — The schismatics’ turmoil of 5 July. — The streltsy fall behind the schismatics, and the latter’s case is lost. — Continuation of streltsy unrest. — The court leaves Moscow. — Execution of the Khovanskys. — Calling up the noble militia. — Unrest and terror among the streltsy and soldiers. — They ask the tsars for pardon. — Terms of pardon. — The streltsy acknowledge themselves as insurgents. — Destruction of the pillar in Red Square. — Return of the court to Moscow. — Shaklovity — head of the Streltsy Order, his steadfastness. — Measures against the investigation of the rebellion. — Turmoils in Little Russia and on the Don. — Removal of dangerous streltsy from Moscow.
Supplement to Volume 13

Volume 14. From the reign of Tsarevna Sophia to the beginning of the reign of Peter I Alekseyevich. (1682–1703)

Volume 14. Contents

Chapter 01. The rule of Tsarevna Sophia
Polish intrigues to incite unrest in Little Russia. — Prince V. V. Golitsyn and his policy. — Sacred alliance against the Turks. — Russia is invited to join it. — Eternal peace with Poland and entry into the Sacred League. — Subordination of the Kiev metropolitan to the Moscow patriarch. — Contact with the hetman Ivan Samoylovich on this matter. — The election of Prince Gedeon Chetvertinsky as Kiev metropolitan. — Correspondence with Eastern patriarchs regarding the subordination of the Kiev metropolis to the Moscow patriarch. — First Crimean campaign. — Shaklovity’s embassy to the regiments. The fall of Samoylovich, and the election of Mazepa as hetman. — Lazary Baranovich. — Encouragement of Turkish Christians to resume hostilities. — Second Crimean campaign. — Relations with European and Asian states during Sophia’s reign. — The Nerchinsk treaty with China. — Internal government activity.
Chapter 02. Sophia’s fall. The tsar’s activity up to the first Azov campaign
The significance of Peter and the coup he carried out. — Peter’s upbringing. — Foreign teachers. — Shipbuilding. — Peter’s marriage. — Clash with the regent. — Sophia’s intention to be crowned as tsarina. — Sophia’s hostility toward Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna. — V. V. Golitsyn and Shaklovity. — Useless effort to raise the streltsy. — Peter’s displeasures. — Gathering of the streltsy in the Kremlin on August 7. — Peter’s flight to the Trinity Monastery. — Sophia’s futile attempts to reconcile with her brother. The streltsy force her to hand over Shaklovity. — Search for Shaklovity; exile of the Golitsyns. Feud among people close to Peter over the Golitsyns. — Execution of Shaklovity with his associates. — New denunciations against Prince V. V. Golitsyn and worsening of his fate. — Search for and execution of Medvedev. — Sophia removed from government and confined to a monastery. — Continuation of denunciations. — New government. — A quarrel between Prince Boris Golitsyn and the Dolgorukys. — Lefort. — Royal amusements. — The company/enterprise. — Society’s condition. — Little Russian affairs. — The position of Russians in Polish territories. — Mazepa and Palyey. — Affairs concerning tax farming (the lease of revenues).
Chapter 03. The end of dual power. The reign of Peter I Alekseyevich
End of amusements. — Peter’s plans for naval enterprises. — The role of Lefort. — Greek clergy asks for an active continuation of the war against the Turks. — First Azov campaign. — Voronezh fleet. — Death of Tsar Ivan Alekseyevich. — Second campaign and capture of Azov. — The impression this event made in Moscow and Poland. — Triumphal entry of the victors into Moscow. — Shipbuilding by private “kumpanstvos” (joint-stock-like associations). — Sending young people abroad to study. — Peter’s intention to go abroad himself. — Displeasures. — Search for the monk Avramy. — Search for Tsykler and Sokolnin. — Peter’s departure abroad. — Displeasure in Riga. — Staying in Prussia. — Polish affairs. — Peter’s meeting with two electresses; their assessment of him. — Peter in Holland, in England, in Vienna. — Streltsy uprising. — Peter’s return to Moscow. — Cutting of the beards. — Streltsy investigation and executions. — Tonsuring of the princesses and Tsarina Yevdokiya. — Peter’s irritation. — Menshikov’s favorite. — Peter’s trip to Voronezh. — New searches and executions upon his return to Moscow. — Raids. — Abuses by voivodes. — Establishment of town mayors (burmisters). — Aleksei Kurbatov. — Seal paper. — Decree on trade by companies. — Measures to improve the situation in Siberia. — Affairs in the border regions (ukrainas). — The case of Petr Artemyev.
Chapter 04. Continuation of the reign of Peter I Alekseyevich
New reckoning of time. — Causes of the Northern War. — Peter’s meeting with the Polish king Augustus and friendship with him. — Voznitsyn at the Carlovitz Congress. — Ukrainians in Constantinople. — Truce with the Turks. — Alliance of three powers against Sweden. — Charles XII. — Peace of Travendahl. — Russians lay siege to Narva. — Defeat of the Russian army by Charles XII. — Winner and defeated. — Activity of Vinius. — Movement of Sheremetev. — Peter’s meeting with King Augustus in the Bourses. — Russian war and the Saxon general. — Defeat of the Saxons and Russians on the Dvina; its consequences. — The Erestfer victory of Sheremetev. — Displeasure of the Little Russian army. — Matters concerning Zaporizhzhia. — Advice of King Augustus to ravage Livonia. — Carrying out the advice. — Apraksin’s actions in Ingria. — Peter in Arkhangelsk. — His arrival and actions in Ingria. — The sea. — Founding of St. Petersburg.
Addendum to Volume 14
Comments on Volumes 13 and 14