History of Russia from Ancient Times. Volumes 7, 8

47 hrs. 30 min.

Language Russian

Author Sergey Solovyov

Narrator Evgeny Ternovsky

Volume 7. The reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, 1584–1598

Volume 7. Contents

Book Contents 4
Chapter 01. The internal state of Russian society in the time of Ivan IV
The Tsar title. — Customs of the new royal court. — Composition of the court. — Noblest families. — Appanages of princes. — Diminutive names. — Localism. — Feeding and service. — Strelets, gunners, foreigners. — Provisioning of the army. — The staff. — Station and guard service. — Nobility in Western Russia. — Cossacks. — Finances. — Regional administration. — Cities. — Villages. — Servants (holop). — Inorodtsy (non-Russian peoples). — Industry. — Trade. — Physical calamities. — Cities in Western Russia, peasants, industry, trade. — The Church in Eastern and Western Russia. — A new judicial code in Eastern Russia. — A new statute in the West. — Popular law. — Customs and morals in Eastern and Western Russia. — Literature. — Book printing.
Chapter 02. The reign of Fyodor Ivanovich
The position of the royal household. — Future dynasties. — Troubles during the affirmation of Fyodor to the throne. — Fyodor’s royal coronation. — The death of Boyarin Nikita Romanovich; Godunov and his struggle with the Shuiskys. — The image of the king and ruler.
Chapter 03. Continuation of Fyodor Ivanovich’s reign
The state of Poland at the beginning of Fyodor’s reign. — Izmailov’s embassy to Batory. — The embassy of Prince Troekurov and Beznin. — Rumors about the plans of the Austrian House for the Moscow throne. — The arrival in Moscow of Batory’s envoy Garaburda and his negotiations about succession. — A second embassy of Prince Troekurov to Batory. — Batory’s death. — Royal elections in Poland. — The election of Sigismund Vasa. — Relations with Sweden. — War with it. — Relations with Poland. — Peace with Sweden. — Relations with Austria. — With the Pope. — With England. — With Denmark. — With the Crimea; the khan Kazı-Girey’s invasion of Moscow. — Relations with Turkey. — Don Cossacks. — Caucasian affairs. — Negotiations with Persia. — Establishing Russians in Siberia.
Chapter 04. Continuation of Fyodor Ivanovich’s reign
Royal power. — Councils (cathedrals). — Orders (departments). — Finances. — Trade. — Cities. — Coastal service. — Cossacks. — Localism. — Strengthening of peasants. — Servants (holop). — Resettlements. — The Church. — Establishment of the patriarchate. — Morals and customs. — Art.
Chapter 05. End of Fyodor Ivanovich’s reign
Significance of the Rurikid dynasty. — The death of Tsarevich Dmitry in Uglich. — Analysis of reports about this event. — Resolution of the case in Moscow. — The people’s opinion. — The death of Tsar Fyodor.

Volume 8. From the reign of Boris Godunov to the end of the interregnum, 1598–1613

Volume 8. Contents

Chapter 01. The reign of Boris Godunov
The election of Godunov. — Unofficial reports about this election. — The entry of the new tsar into Moscow. — The oath-record under the cross. — Rumor of the khan’s invasion. — Boris leads the army out of Moscow. — Triumph without a feat. — Measures to secure Boris on the throne. — Boris’s royal coronation. — Favours. — Good relations with neighbors. — The embassy of Lev Sapega to Moscow. — The embassy of Saltykov to Lithuania. — Godunov’s relations with the Livonian dissatisfied. — Calling Swedish prince Gustav to Russia. — Danish prince John, fiancé of Tsarevna Xenia; his death. — Relations with Austria, England, Hanseatic cities, Italy, the Crimea. — Failures of the Russians beyond the Caucasus. — Successes beyond the Ural Mountains. — Internal arrangements of Boris.
Chapter 02. Continuation of the reign of Boris Godunov
Causes of the Time of Troubles. — The case of Bogdan Belsky. — Informers’ reports. — The disgrace of the Romanovs. — The tsar’s attitude toward other nobles. — The imposed prayer at the toast cup. — Famine. — Plague and robbery. — Rumors about the impostor. — Examination of opinions about the impostor. — Outings of Otrepyev. — Accusations against him from Moscow. — The tsar and patriarch’s measures against the impostor. — The entry of the False Dmitry into Moscow’s territories. — The surrender of Putivl. — Battle near Novgorod-Seversky. — Battle at Dobrynichi. — Inactivity of the tsar’s commanders and uprising throughout the south. — The Bолотников uprising near Moscow. — The retreat of nobles from Bolotnikov. — Defeat and flight of Bolotnikov. — The advancing movement of Shuiskу. — The enabling charter of the patriarchs Iov and Germogen. — Bolotnikov and the impostor Petr in Tula. — Victory of the tsar’s troops. — Shuisky besieges Tula. — The appearance of the second impostor. — Taking Tula by the tsar. — Composition of the army of the second False Dmitry: Rozhinsky, Zarutsky. — New impostors. — Unease in Moscow. — The impostor rushes to Moscow. — Shuisky’s peace with Poland. — The impostor in Tushino. — His war with Shuisky. — Marina and her father in Tushino. — The Polish punishment for the second impostor.
Chapter 03. The reign of False Dmitry
Letters of False Dmitry. — The oath-record. — The tsar’s entry into Moscow. — The actions of Prince Shuisky against the new tsar. — Patriarch Ignatius. — The arrival of Tsarina Marfa in Moscow. — The government activities of the tsar. — The behavior of the Poles he brought to Moscow. — New customs. — Accusers. — Relations with Poland. — Relations with Rome. — The tsar’s marriage to Marina Mniszech. — The impostor Petr. — Discontent in Moscow with the tsar. — New accusers. — The Shuisky conspiracy. — The death of False Dmitry. — The election of Prince Vasily Shuisky as tsar.
Chapter 04. The reign of Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky
A charter of the new tsar about his election. — Limitation of royal power. — Tsarist charters by regions. — Shuisky’s royal coronation. — Patriarch Germogen and his relations with the tsar. — Causes for the appearance of the second impostor. — Mолчанов. — Revolt in the Ukraine. — Unrest in Moscow. — Bolotnikov. — Defeat of the tsar’s army and widespread uprising in the south. Lyapunovs. — Bolotnikov near Moscow. — The retreat of the nobility from Bolotnikov. — Defeat and flight of Bolotnikov. — Shuisky’s offensive movement. — The granting charter of patriarchs Iov and Germogen. — Bolotnikov and the impostor Petr in Tula. — Victory of the royal troops. — Shuisky besieges Tula. — The appearance of the second impostor. — Taking Tula by the tsar. — The composition of the army of the second False Dmitry: Rozhinsky, Zarutsky. — New impostors. — Unease in Moscow. — The impostor hastens to Moscow. — Shuisky’s peace with Poland. — The impostor in Tushino. — His war with Shuisky. — Marina and her father in Tushino. — The Polish punishment for the second impostor.
Chapter 05. Continuation of the reign of Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky
The Swedish king offers his help to Shuisky. — Shuisky’s royal nephew Prince Skopin-Shuisky goes to Novgorod to conclude an alliance with Sweden. — Struggle in Pskov between major and minor people. — Pskov kisses the cross to the impostor. — Shuisky sits in siege in Moscow. — The Tushino court. — Siege of the Trinity Monastery. — The Tushinites capture northern cities by surprise. — Dispatches between the last. — The ferocity of the Tushinites. — Revolt against them. — Shuisky’s position in Moscow; failure of uprisings against him. — War between Moscow and Tushino. — The treaty of Tsar Vasily with the Swedish king. — The campaign of Skopin-Shuisky with the Swedes to liberate Moscow.
Chapter 06. End of the reign of Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky
The Polish king Sigismund lays siege to Smolensk. — Troubles in Tushino because of this. — The impostor flees from Tushino to Kaluga. — Envoys from the Russian Tushinites to King Sigismund propose the Russian throne to his son Vladislav. — Conditions for Vladislav’s election. — Marina’s position in Tushino. — The impostor’s position in Kaluga. — Marina escapes from Tushino. — The Poles leave Tushino. — People’s love for Prince Skopin. — His solemn entry into Moscow. — The difficult position of King Sigismund. — Skopin’s death. — Lyapunov rises against Tsar Vasily. — Victory of the Polish hetman Zholkiewski over the Russians near Klushino. — Zholkiewski’s march on Moscow. — The impostor near Moscow. — Overthrowing Shuisky. — Government orders during Shuisky’s reign.
Chapter 07. Interregnum
Oath to the boyars. — Charters by regions about deposing Shuisky. — Candidates for the throne. — Relations between the boyars and Hetman Zholkiewski. — Actions of the impostor. — Treaty with Zholkiewski about electing the royal prince Vladislav. — Oath to Vladislav. — King Sigismund wants to be king in Moscow himself. — Zholkiewski drives the impostor away from Moscow. — Embassy of Metropolitan Filaret and Prince Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn to the king near Smolensk. — The impostor in Kaluga. — Polish troops are brought into Moscow. — Zholkiewski leaves Moscow. — Councils of the great envoys with the lords near Smolensk. — The actions of Saltykov and Andronov in Moscow in favor of the king. — Kazan and Vyatka swear to the impostor. — The death of the impostor.
Chapter 08. End of the interregnum
Movement in Moscow against the Poles due to the death of the impostor. — The uprising of Lyapunov. — Correspondence of cities. — The first militia against the Poles; reasons for its failure. — Negotiations of the great envoys with the lords near Smolensk. — Burning of Moscow. — The Russian militia besieges the Poles within it. — Sending the great envoys deep into Polish territories. — The capture of Smolensk. — Vasily Shuisky with brothers in Warsaw. — Three-rulers (troika-heads) in the militia near Moscow. — The death of Lyapunov. — Veliky Novgorod taken by the Swedes. — Continued struggle of the best people with the lesser ones in Pskov. — Disorder among the Poles in Moscow and in the Russian encampment near Moscow. — Recruitment charters from the Trinity Monastery. — Archimandrite Dionysius. — Signs of a popular cleansing. — Activities of Minin in Nizhny Novgorod. — Prince Pozharsky. — The second militia to liberate Moscow. — The halt of the militia in Yaroslavl. — Its relations with Veliky Novgorod. — The militia’s march on Moscow. — Its attitude toward the Cossacks. — Battle with the Poles. — Cleansing of Moscow. — The march of King Sigismund on Moscow. — His return. — Election of Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov.
Comments on volumes 7 and 8