Sofya Alekseevna Romanova (born September 17 (27), 1657 - death July 3 (14, 1704) - princess, ruler-regent of the Russian kingdom. Daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his first wife, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya.
Early years. Character
More and more often, courtiers and numerous nannies noticed Sophia’s unyielding and impudent character. When the Tsar was informed about the difficult disposition of the 7-year-old princess, he not only did not get angry, but also ordered the serious education of his daughter, hiring the best mentors and teachers for this. So, by the age of 10, the girl was able to master literacy, reading, science, history and foreign languages.
Rumors about the extraordinary princess spread outside the palace, and the king was proud of his daughter and even, despite everything, began to take her on his trips around the country. Those close to her bowed before the mind and wisdom of the young princess, unprecedented legends were told about her erudition and insight, and men, it seemed, even stopped attaching importance to the fact that the young girl could not boast of regular facial features and a stately figure. On the contrary, she was a little plump, with sharp, angular movements and a strong, far from feminine physique. At the same time, Sophia aroused sincere curiosity and sympathy in men, but her heart was silent.
Background to the rise to power
Her teacher was Simeon of Polotsk. Sophia was never married and had no children. Her only passion was the desire to rule. After the death of Fyodor Alekseevich, Peter 1 was elected to the throne (1682). As a result, the Naryshkin family, relatives and adherents of the mother of Peter I, Natalya Kirillovna, rose in power. The Miloslavsky family, relatives of the first wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, headed by Princess Sofya Alekseevna, took advantage of the then-occurring streltsy unrest to exterminate the main representatives of the Naryshkin family and paralyze Natalya Kirillovna’s influence on state affairs. The result was the proclamation on May 23, 1682 of two tsars, John and Peter Alekseevich, who were to rule jointly, with John remaining the first tsar and Peter the second.
Regency
On May 29, at the request of the archers, due to the minority of both princes, Princess Sophia was proclaimed ruler of the state. From that time until 1687, she essentially became the ruler of the state. They even tried to proclaim her queen, but she did not find sympathy among the archers.
Calming the riots
First of all, Sophia pacified the excitement raised by the schismatics, who, under the leadership of Nikita Pustosvyat, began to seek the restoration of the “old piety.” By order of Sophia, the main leaders of the schismatics were captured; Nikita Pustosvyat was executed. Severe measures were taken against the schismatics: they began to persecute them, beat them with a whip, and the most stubborn were burned.
Sophia continued the fight against the “schism” at the legislative level, adopting the famous “12 Articles” in 1685, on the basis of which thousands of schismatics were executed.
After the schismatics, the archers were pacified. The head of the Streltsy Order, Prince Khovansky, who was very popular among the Streltsy and showed at every step his arrogance not only towards the boyars, but also towards Sophia, was captured and executed. The Sagittarius resigned themselves. Duma clerk Shaklovity was appointed head of the Streltsy order.
Foreign and domestic policy
Sofya Alekseevna concluded the “Eternal Peace” with Poland, which was beneficial for Russia, and the Nerchinsk Treaty with China. Russia received Kyiv and Smolensk forever, but for this Russia took upon itself the obligation to start a war with the Crimean Khanate, because the Crimean Tatars devastated the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Poland). Poland finally abandoned left-bank Little Russia.
1687 - Prince V.V. Golitsyn led the Russian army on a campaign to Crimea. The army reached the tributary of the Dnieper, meanwhile the Tatars set fire to the steppe, and the Russians had no choice but to turn back.
1689 - Golitsyn went on a second campaign to the Crimea. The Russian army reached Perekop. However, they could not take it and returned ingloriously. These failures dealt a strong blow to the prestige of ruler Sophia. Many of the princess's followers lost faith in her.
1687 - the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was opened in Moscow - this is the first secular institution of higher education in Russia. 1755 - it was transformed into the Imperial Moscow University.
1687, July 21 - the first Russian embassy arrived in Paris.
Loss of power
1689, August - a coup took place in Moscow. Peter came to power, and Princess Sophia was imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent; From there she never ceased to maintain contact in various possible ways with the archers, who were dissatisfied with their service. Sophia's life in the monastery was at first calm and even happy. A nurse and maids lived with her. Good food and various delicacies were sent to her from the royal kitchen. Visitors were allowed to Sophia at any time; she had the opportunity to walk throughout the entire territory of the monastery at will. Only at the gate stood a guard of soldiers loyal to Peter.
1698 - when Peter was abroad, the archers rebelled, with the goal of entrusting the reign to Princess Sophia again. The Streltsy revolt ended in failure; the leaders were executed. Peter returned from abroad. Executions resumed.
Monastic tonsure
After Peter's personal interrogation, Sofya Alekseevna was forcibly tonsured into monasticism under the name of Susanna. She was placed under strict supervision. More than a thousand archers were executed, the tsar ordered 195 of them to be hanged in front of their sister’s windows in the Novodevichy Convent. The bodies of those executed, as a warning, hung there all winter.
Sophia's sister, Martha, was tonsured under the name of Margarita and was sent to the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, to the Assumption Monastery. Sophia remained in the Novodevichy Convent. The sisters were forbidden to see her except for Easter and the temple holiday in the Novodevichy Convent. For another five years, her imprisonment in the monastery lasted under the vigilant supervision of guards. Queen Sophia died in 1704. She was buried in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow.
1682 Princess Sophia, daughter of the late Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, became regent under her brother Ivan V (16 years old) and half-brother Peter I (10 years old). Ivan V was approved by the Zemsky Sobor as the “first” tsar, and Peter began to be considered the “second” tsar.
Sophia had an amazing mind. She was drawn to sciences of any nature. From an early age, Sophia was set as an example to her sisters and spoke flatteringly about her intelligence. All this only led to greater mania for herself as a queen. Sophia was not satisfied with the old Russian customs, which decided the fate of all the daughters in the royal family. The fate of the young queens had long been ruined; they were locked in their chambers and only came out to confess to the priest. And at a young age they were tonsured as nuns in a monastery, where they spent all their remaining years. Getting married was an impossible task for them. Russian suitors were not worthy of them, and foreigners professed other faiths. Sophia did not want such a fate. Becoming a nun for Sophia meant ruining her mind and not realizing her cherished dream - to become a queen.
Sophia understood perfectly well that she would be able to achieve this goal almost immediately after her father’s death. The sick Fyodor, the feeble-minded John and the sisters completely subordinate to her could not prevent her from ascending the throne. But only one thing stood in her way - little Peter, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich’s second wife, and Sophia had to overcome this obstacle immediately after the death of the elder Fedor.
In 1682, Tsar Fedor died without leaving an heir. Of the two crown princes, the eldest John was weak-minded, and Peter was just a child. According to the long-established successor tradition, John should become king, but his elevation to the throne would have brought on the need for guardianship for the entire duration of his reign. Which meant the transfer of power to other hands, which Princess Sophia so wanted. After her father’s death, she communicated closely with the boyars, participated in Duma meetings and even took part in resolving the most important issues.
The death of Fyodor opened the path to the throne for the intelligent princess. And on the day of his death, as soon as the sound of the bell announced to Moscow the death of Tsar Feodor, the boyars gathered in the Kremlin to resolve the issue of a successor. Most of the boyars were inclined to elect Peter as Tsar, while a minority, including Sophia, were inclined to favor John. Explicit supporters of Peter were the Golitsyn brothers (Boris and Ivan), the four Dolgoruky brothers (Yakov, Luka, Boris and Grigory), the Odoevskys, Sheremetevs, Kurakin, Urusov and others, who arrived in armor, fearing unrest.
Patriarch Joachim presided over the council of these spiritual and secular dignitaries, as the most honorable person after the king. He called for an immediate choice between two brothers - the “sorrowful leader” John and the youth Peter. But the council did not decide, then the patriarch proposed to elect the tsar with the consent of all Moscow officials. Immediately they all came to the Kremlin Square. Knowing about John's dementia, they naturally chose Peter.
The newly elected tsar was at that time near the body of the late Feodor. The Patriarch and the saints went to his mansion, named him king and blessed him. And after that, the boyars, nobles and people of other ranks took the oath to him, congratulated him on his accession to the throne and approached the royal hand. Sophia and her sisters also congratulated Peter.
The next day, quarrels began between Sophia and Natalya Kirillovna, the mother of the young Tsar. The queen's relatives, the Naryshkins, immediately raised their heads. Especially the Tsaritsyn's brother Ivan Naryshkin, he was awarded the boyar title, and he was appointed gunsmith, which caused great discontent among the boyars.
Best of the day
It was difficult for Sophia to challenge the legitimacy of Peter's reign. She understood that the will of the people could only be changed through rebellion. Sophia decided to use the strongest and most formidable force against the Naryshkins - the rifle regiments. Unrest in the Streltsy regiments began during the reign of Fedor. The Streltsy were dissatisfied with their colonels, who forced them to work for themselves, to buy elegant clothes with their salaries, although the costs of these purchases came from the treasury, delayed salaries, transferred them against their will from city to city, and so on. In addition, the princess promised to reverse the changes that Nikon made in church books. For greater confidence, they were told that it was the Naryshkins who destroyed the entire royal family, and on the orders of Natalya, Tsar Fedor was poisoned.
The Sagittarius realized that they would soon be needed by one of the warring parties. They filed a petition against their superiors - all the colonels and one major general. If they refused, they threatened to deal with their offenders themselves.
To please the Streltsy, the Naryshkins removed the colonels they hated and appointed others pleasing to the Streltsy to their posts. The accused were alone with the archers to punish and establish the truth. The colonels were beaten on the legs until the archers said enough. This celebration lasted eight days. Some colonels, on whom the archers were most angry, beat them two and three times.
The Sagittarius felt permissiveness and were ready for riots. Sophia and her supporters decided to take advantage of this circumstance to deal with the Naryshkins. The main instigators were boyar Ivan Mikhailovich Miloslavsky and Prince Ivan Khovansky. Khovansky called on influential archers and said that the Naryshkins were ready to execute the dissatisfied. A rumor was spread as if Ivan Naryshkin was trying to strangle Tsarevich John.
The patience of the archers ran out along with the gossip, and they rebelled. Archers with weapons, with unfurled banners, accompanying the beating of drums, moved towards the Kremlin. Once in the Kremlin, the archers demanded that the Naryshkins be handed over to them.
Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, on the advice of the patriarch, went out, accompanied by the boyars, onto the Red Porch, holding the hands of John and Peter. The Sagittarius were surprised that John was alive, but did not reduce their ardor. The Streltsy burst into the Kremlin. Everyone they didn’t like was hired to spear, sometimes completely innocent ones.
Then all the violence gradually moved into the city and lasted for three days. Murders, robberies and arson continued throughout the days. At night, the archers set up guards so that the “infidels” could not escape. After terrible torture, the archers killed Ivan Naryshkin. The queen managed to save the life of her father, and he was tonsured and sent to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.
Princess Sophia, who decided to end the rebellion, invited elected archers to her place, awarded them and announced the payment of delayed salaries, which amounted to 240,000 rubles. After which Sophia persuaded not to kill anyone anymore. To be sure, Prince Khovansky was appointed head of the Streltsy, whom the Streltsy called “father.”
Now Sophia has concentrated in her hands a formidable and brute force. But she couldn’t achieve what the riot was for. Peter, as before, was on the throne.
At the request of Khovansky, who acted in favor of Sofia, the archers brought a petition to the princess, not only from themselves, but also from many officials of Moscow. The petition expressed a wish for John and Peter to reign on the throne; in case of refusal, the archers intended to take up arms again and start a riot. Sophia, having read it, handed over the petition to the boyar duma. The Duma, in turn, sentenced the brothers to be on the throne and John to be given seniority.
The archers did not keep themselves waiting long and after three days they submitted a new petition to the boyars, which spoke about the small years of the kings, and that the rule of the state should be handed over to Princess Sofya Alekseevna. The boyars, still remembering the past rebellion, transferred the rule to Sophia due to the minority of the sovereigns.
In 1682, after the election of Peter the Tsar, Sophia became the head of the Miloslavsky party in order to prevent the influence of her stepmother, Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna and the Naryshkins. With the help of the archers, Sophia achieved the proclamation of John and Peter as kings. She became a ruler herself. In 1686, Sophia concluded an eternal peace with Poland, which abandoned Kyiv, but obliged Russia to fight Turkey.
Both campaigns of Prince Golitsyn to Crimea were unsuccessful. Under the Treaty of Nerchinsk, the banks of the Amur River were acquired from China.
In 1689, when Peter was 17 years old, boyar Shaklovity tried in vain to raise the archers to support the ruler Sophia. The young Tsar Peter I executed and exiled his sister's friends. Sophia was sent to the Novodevichy Monastery.
In 1698, Sophia was tonsured a nun under the name of Susanna.
SOFIA ALEKSEEVNA(1657–1704) - ruler of Russia from May 29, 1682 to September 7, 1689 with the title “Great Empress, Blessed Tsarina and Grand Duchess”, the eldest daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from her first marriage to Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna, née Miloslavskaya.
Born on September 17, 1657 in Moscow. She received a good education at home, knew Latin, spoke fluent Polish, wrote poetry, read a lot, and had beautiful handwriting. Her teachers were Simeon of Polotsk, Karion Istomin, Sylvester Medvedev, who from childhood instilled in her respect for the Byzantine princess Pulcheria (396–453), who achieved power under her sick brother Theodosius II. Trying to appear God-fearing and humble in public, Sophia in reality from her youth strove for complete power. A good education and natural tenacity of mind helped her win the trust of her father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Having lost her mother at the age of 14 (1671), she painfully experienced her father’s imminent second marriage to Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina and the birth of her half-brother Peter (future Tsar Peter I). After the death of her father (1676), she began to become interested in state affairs: the country was ruled in 1676–1682 by her brother, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, on whom she had a strong influence. Sick, fond of poetry and church music, four years younger than his 19-year-old sister, Fyodor was not independent in his actions. Therefore, at first, the widowed Tsarina Naryshkina tried to manage the country, but the relatives and sympathizers of Fyodor and Sophia managed to moderate her activity for a while, sending her and her son Peter into “voluntary exile” to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow.
Sophia perceived the sudden death of Fyodor on April 27, 1682 as a sign and signal for active action. The attempt of Patriarch Joachim to proclaim Sophia's 10-year-old half-brother, Tsarevich Peter, king, and to remove 16-year-old Ivan V Alekseevich, the last male representative of the Romanov family from his marriage to M.I. Miloslavskaya, from the throne, was challenged by Sophia and her like-minded people. Taking advantage of the uprising of the Streltsy on May 15–17, 1682, who rebelled against burdensome taxes, Sophia managed to achieve the proclamation of two brothers as heirs to the throne - Ivan V and Peter (May 26, 1682) with Ivan’s “primacy”. This gave Sophia the reason to be “shouted out” by the regent on May 29, 1682 - “so that the government, for the sake of the young years of both sovereigns, would be handed over to their sister.” The kings were crowned a month later, on June 25, 1682.
Having essentially usurped supreme power, Sophia became the head of the country. The leading role in her government was played by experienced courtiers close to the Miloslavskys - F.L. Shaklovity and especially Prince. V.V. Golitsyn is an intelligent, European-educated and courteous handsome man, at the age of 40, experienced in dealing with women. The status of a married man (he remarried in 1685 to the boyar E.I. Streshneva, the same age as Sophia), did not prevent him from becoming the favorite of the 24-year-old princess. However, in the way of the reforms conceived by this government were adherents of the “old faith” (Old Believers), of whom there were many among the Streltsy who elevated Sophia to the heights of power. They were patronized by Prince Ivan Khovansky, who became the head of the Court Order in June 1682 and had deceptive hopes for a political career. The Old Believers wanted to achieve equality in matters of doctrine and insisted on opening a “debate on faith,” to which Sophia, educated and confident in her intellectual superiority, agreed. The debate opened on July 5, 1682 in the Kremlin chambers in the presence of Sophia, Patriarch Joachim and a number of high-ranking clergy. The main opponent of the official church in the person of Patriarch Joachim and Sophia was the “schismatic teacher” Nikita Pustosvyat, who suffered a shameful defeat.
The regent immediately showed decisiveness: she ordered the execution of Pustosvyat and his supporters (some of them were beaten with whips, the most stubborn were burned). Then she set to work on Khovansky, who, with his lust for power, arrogance and vain hopes for the throne for himself or his son, alienated not only the “Miloslavsky party”, but also the entire aristocratic elite. Since rumors spread among the archers he led about the inadmissibility of women on the Russian throne (“It’s high time to join the monastery!”, “Enough of stirring up the state!”), Sophia, along with her entourage, left Moscow for the village of Vozdvizhenskoye near the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Rumors about Khovansky's intention to exterminate the royal family forced her to save the princes: on August 20, 1682, Ivan V and Peter were taken to Kolomenskoye, and then to the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery near Zvenigorod. By agreement with the boyars, Khovansky was summoned along with his son to Vozdvizhenskoye. Having obeyed, he arrived, not knowing that he was already doomed. On September 5 (17), 1682, the execution of Khovansky and his son put an end to the “Khovanshchina.”
However, the situation in the capital stabilized only by November. Sophia and her court returned to Moscow and finally took power into her own hands. She placed Shaklovity at the head of the Streletsky order to eliminate the possibility of riots. Small concessions were made to the Sagittarius regarding everyday life (the prohibition of separating husband and wife when paying off a debt, the cancellation of debts from widows and orphans, the replacement of the death penalty for “outrageous words” with exile and whipping).
Having strengthened her position, Sophia, with the support of Golitsyn, took up foreign policy issues, regularly attending meetings of the Boyar Duma. In May 1684, Italian ambassadors arrived in Moscow. After talking with them, Sophia - unexpectedly for many adherents of antiquity and the true faith - “granted freedom” of religion to the Jesuits living in Moscow, thereby causing discontent of the patriarch. However, a flexible approach to foreign Catholics was required by the interests of foreign policy: guided by her teacher, the “pro-Westernist” S. Polotsky and with the support of Golitsyn, Sophia ordered the preparation of confirmation of the previously concluded Kardis peace with Sweden, and on August 10, 1684 she concluded a similar peace with Denmark. Considering Russia's main task to be the fight against Turkey and the Crimean Khanate, in February-April 1686 Sophia sent Golitsyn to defend the country's interests in negotiations with Poland. They ended with the signing of the “Eternal Peace” with her on May 6 (16), 1686, which assigned Left Bank Ukraine, Kyiv and Smolensk to Russia. This peace, which granted freedom of Orthodox religion in Poland, conditioned all concessions on Russia's entry into the war with Turkey, which threatened the southern Polish lands.
Bound by the obligation to start a war in 1687, the government of Sophia issued a decree on the start of the Crimean campaign. In February 1687, troops under the command of Golitsyn (who was appointed field marshal) went to the Crimea, but the campaign against Turkey’s ally, the Crimean Khanate, was unsuccessful. In June 1687, Russian troops turned back.
The failures of the military campaign were compensated by the successes of the cultural and ideological plan: in September 1687, the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy opened in Moscow - the first higher educational institution in Russia, which gave Sophia the status of an educated and enlightened ruler. The Tsar's court began to turn into the center of scientific and cultural life in Moscow. Construction revived, the Kremlin walls were updated, and the construction of the Big Stone Bridge near the Kremlin across the Moscow River began.
In February 1689, Sophia again gave the order to begin a campaign against the Crimeans, which also turned out to be inglorious. Despite another failure, Sophia Golitsyn’s favorite was rewarded for him “above all merit” - a gilded cup, a caftan with sables, a patrimony and a monetary gift of 300 rubles in gold. And yet, the failure of the Crimean campaigns became the beginning of his fall, and with it the entire government of Sophia. The far-sighted Shaklovity advised the regent to immediately take radical measures (first of all, kill Peter), but Sophia did not dare to take them.
Peter, who turned 17 on May 30, 1689, refused to recognize Golitsyn’s campaign as successful. He accused him of “negligence” during the Crimean campaigns and condemned him for submitting reports to Sophia alone, bypassing the co-ruler kings. This fact became the beginning of an open confrontation between Peter and Sophia.
In August 1689, Golitsyn, sensing the approach of an imminent outcome, hid in his estate near Moscow and thereby betrayed Sophia. She tried to gather the forces of the Streltsy army, while Peter, together with the Naryshkins, took refuge under the protection of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Patriarch Joachim, sent by Sophia, went over to his side (who did not forgive her for allowing the Jesuits into the capital), and then the archers handed over Shaklovity to Peter (he was soon executed). (16) September tried to repent and declare his loyalty to Sophia’s half-brother and her former “heart friend” Golitsyn, but was not accepted by Peter. The next day, September 7, 1689, Sophia's government fell, her name was excluded from the royal title, and she herself was sent to the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow - however, without being tonsured as a nun. Two centuries later I.E. Repin portrayed her as formidable in anger and ready to resist ( Princess Sophia in the Novodevichy Convent, 1879): in the painting he depicts a gray-haired old woman, although she was only 32 years old at that time.
Peter exiled Sophia Golitsyn's favorite with his family to the Arkhangelsk region, where he died in 1714. But even in his absence, the princess was not going to give up. She looked for supporters and found them. However, attempts to organize real resistance to Peter I failed: denunciations and surveillance of her in the monastery ruled out success. In 1691, among the executed supporters of Sophia was the last student of S. Polotsk - Sylvester Medvedev. In March 1697, another Streltsy conspiracy in her favor, led by Ivan Tsykler, failed. In January 1698, taking advantage of the absence of Peter in the capital, who had left for Europe as part of the Great Embassy, Sophia (who was 41 years old at that time) again tried to return to the throne. Taking advantage of the discontent of the archers, who complained about the burdensomeness of Peter’s Azov campaigns in 1695–1696, as well as about the conditions of service in the border cities, she called on them to disobey their superiors and promised to free them from all hardships if she was elevated to the throne.
Peter received news of the conspiracy while in Western Europe. Urgently returning to Moscow, he sent an army against the archers led by P.I. Gordon, which defeated the conspirators near the New Jerusalem Monastery on June 18, 1698.
On October 21, 1698, Sophia was forcibly tonsured a nun under the name of Susanna. She died in captivity on July 3, 1704, having adopted the schema under the name of Sophia before her death. She was buried in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent.
Having never been married and having no children, she remained in the memories of her contemporaries as a person of “great intelligence and the most tender insight, a maiden full of more masculine intelligence.” According to Voltaire (1694–1778), she “had a lot of intelligence, composed poetry, wrote and spoke well, and combined many talents with a beautiful appearance, but all of them were overshadowed by her enormous ambition.” No real portraits of Sophia have survived, with the exception of an engraving created by order of Shaklovity. On it Sophia is depicted in royal vestments, with a scepter and orb in her hands.
Assessments of Sophia's personality vary greatly. Peter I and his admirers consider her a retrograde, although the state abilities of Peter's half-sister were noted already in the historiography of the 18th - early 20th centuries. – G.F. Miller, N.M. Karamzin, N.A. Polev, N.V. Ustryalov and I.E. Zabelin saw in her the embodiment of the Byzantine ideal of an autocrat, S.M. Solovyov considered her a “hero-princess” , who, with the inner freedom of her personality, liberated all Russian women from prison seclusion, who tragically did not find support in society. Other historians (N.A. Aristov, E.F. Shmurlo, some Soviet scientists) were also inclined to this assessment. Foreign researchers consider her “the most decisive and capable woman who has ever ruled in Russia” (S.V.O. Brian, B. Lincoln, L. Hughes, etc.).
Natalia Pushkareva
Moscow
Moscow
Biography
early years
Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna was born into the family of Alexei Mikhailovich and his first wife, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, and was the sixth child and fourth daughter among the sixteen children of Alexei Mikhailovich. She received the traditional princely name “Sofya”, which was also the name of her early deceased aunt - Princess Sofya Mikhailovna.
Streltsy riot of 1682 and rise to power
Regency
Sophia ruled, relying on her favorite Vasily Golitsyn. De la Neuville and Kurakin cite later rumors that there was a carnal relationship between Sophia and Golitsyn. However, neither Sophia’s correspondence with her favorite nor the evidence from her reign confirms this. “The diplomats did not see anything in their relationship other than Sophia’s favor towards the prince, and did not find an indispensable erotic shade in them.”
The princess continued the fight against the “schism” at the legislative level, adopting the “12 Articles” in 1685, on the basis of which thousands of people accused of the “schism” were executed.
Deposition
The imprisonment of Princess Sophia in the Novodevichy Convent in 1689. Miniature from the 1st half manuscript. 18th century "History of Peter I", op. P. Krekshina. Collection of A. Baryatinsky. State Historical Museum.
On May 30, 1689, Peter I turned 17 years old. By this time, at the insistence of his mother, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, he married Evdokia Lopukhina, and, according to the customs of that time, entered the age of majority. The elder Tsar Ivan was also married. Thus, there were no formal grounds left for Sophia Alekseevna’s regency (the childhood of the kings), but she continued to hold the reins of government in her hands. Peter made attempts to insist on his rights, but to no avail: the Streltsy chiefs and orderly dignitaries, who received their positions from the hands of Sophia, still carried out only her orders.
An atmosphere of hostility and mistrust established between the Kremlin (Sophia's residence) and Peter's court in Preobrazhenskoye. Each side suspected the other of intending to resolve the confrontation by force and bloody means.
On the night of August 7-8, several archers arrived in Preobrazhenskoye and reported to the Tsar about the impending attempt on his life. Peter was very frightened and on horseback, accompanied by several bodyguards, immediately rode off to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. On the morning of the next day, Queen Natalya and Queen Evdokia went there, accompanied by the entire amusing army, which by that time constituted an impressive military force capable of withstanding a long siege within the Trinity walls.
In Moscow, the news of the tsar’s flight from Preobrazhenskoye made a stunning impression: everyone understood that civil strife had begun, threatening great bloodshed. Sophia begged Patriarch Joachim to go to Trinity to persuade Peter to negotiate, but the patriarch did not return to Moscow and declared Peter a full-fledged autocrat.
On August 27, a royal decree, signed by Peter, came from Trinity, demanding that all Streltsy colonels appear at the disposal of the Tsar, accompanied by Streltsy electors, 10 people from each regiment, for failure to comply - the death penalty. Sophia, for her part, forbade the archers to leave Moscow, also on pain of death.
Some rifle commanders and privates began to leave for Trinity. Sophia felt that time was working against her, and decided to personally come to an agreement with her younger brother, for which she went to Trinity, accompanied by a small guard, but in the village of Vozdvizhenskoye she was detained by a rifle squad, and the steward I. Buturlin, and then the boyar, prince, who were sent to meet her The Troekurovs told her that the tsar would not accept her, and if she tried to continue on her way to Trinity, force would be used against her. Sophia returned to Moscow with nothing.
This failure of Sophia became widely known, and the flight of boyars, clerks and archers from Moscow increased. At Trinity they were greeted favorably by Prince Boris Golitsyn, the former uncle tsar, who at this time became Peter's chief adviser and manager at his headquarters. He personally brought a glass to the newly arrived high-ranking dignitaries and rifle chiefs and, on behalf of the Tsar, thanked them for their faithful service. Ordinary archers were also given vodka and awards.
Peter at Trinity led the exemplary life of the Moscow Tsar: he was present at all divine services, spent the remaining time in councils with members of the boyar duma and in conversations with church hierarchs, rested only with his family, wore Russian dress, Germans did not accept, which was strikingly different from the lifestyle that he led in Preobrazhenskoe and which was disapproved by most of all layers of Russian society - noisy and scandalous feasts and fun, classes with amusing people, in which he often acted as a junior officer, or even private, frequent visits to Kukui, and, in particular, the fact that the king with Germans behaved as if he were his equals, while even the most noble and dignified Russians, when addressing him, according to etiquette, had to call themselves his slaves And slaves.
Meanwhile, Sophia's power was steadily crumbling: at the beginning of September, mercenary foreign infantry, the most combat-ready part of the Russian army, left for Trinity, led by General P. Gordon. There she swore allegiance to the king, who personally came out to meet her. The highest dignitary of the government of Sofia, "royal great seals and state great embassy affairs guardian", Vasily Golitsyn went to his Medvedkovo estate near Moscow, and withdrew from the political struggle. Only the head of the Streltsy Prikaz, Fyodor Shaklovity, actively supported the ruler, who tried by all means to keep the Streltsy in Moscow.
A new decree came from the king - grab(arrest) Shaklovity and take him to Trinity in the glands(in chains) for detective(investigations) in the case of the assassination attempt on the Tsar, and everyone who supports Shaklovity will share his fate. The archers who remained in Moscow demanded that Sophia hand over Shaklovity. She initially refused, but was forced to give in. Shaklovity was taken to Trinity, confessed under torture and was beheaded. One of the last to appear at Trinity was Prince Vasily Golitsyn, where he was not allowed to see the tsar, and was exiled with his family to Pinega, in the Arkhangelsk region.
The ruler had no followers left who were willing to risk their heads for her interests, and when Peter demanded that Sophia retire to the Holy Spirit Monastery in Putivl, she had to obey. Soon Peter decided that it was unsafe to keep her away and transferred her to the Novodevichy Convent. In the monastery, guards were assigned to her.
Life in a monastery, death
Video on the topic
In art
- Ivan Lazhechnikov. "The Last Novik". Historical novel about the fictional son of Sophia and Golitsyn
- Apollo Maykov. " ". 1867
- E. P. Karnovich. “At the Height and at the Valley: Princess Sofya Alekseevna” (1879)
- A. N. Tolstoy. "Peter the Great" (1934)
- N. M. Moleva, “The Empress - Ruler Sophia” (2000)
- R. R. Gordin, “The Game of Fate” (2001)
- T. T. Napolova, “The Queen Stepmother” (2006)
- V. S. Solovyov, “The Tsar Maiden” (1878)
Cinema
- Natalya Bondarchuk - “The Youth of Peter” (1980).
- Vanessa Redgrave "Peter the Great", (1986).
- Alexandra Cherkasova - “Split”, (2011).
- Irina Zheryakova - “The Romanovs. Film Second" ().
Notes
The “Women's Century” in Russian history is considered to be the 18th century, when four empresses were on the Russian throne at once - Catherine I, Anna Ioannovna,Elizaveta Petrovna And Catherine II. However, the period of female rule began a little earlier, when at the end of the 17th century, for several years, the princess became the de facto head of Russia Sofya Alekseevna.
About my sister Peter I, primarily thanks to feature films and books, an idea was formed as an out-and-out reactionary who opposed her brother-reformer. In reality, everything was much more complicated.
Sofya Alekseevna was born on September 27, 1657, she was the sixth child and fourth daughter of the Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich.
In the pre-Petrine era, the daughters of Russian tsars were not given much choice - first life in the women's half of the palace, and then a monastery. Time Yaroslav the Wise, when princely daughters were married to foreign princes, they were far behind - it was believed that life within the monastery walls for girls was better than converting to another faith.
Humility and obedience were considered the virtues of princesses, but it quickly became clear that little Sophia had her own opinion on everything. By the age of 7, mothers and nannies ran to complain about the girl directly to the royal father.
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich acted unexpectedly - instead of punishment, he ordered good teachers to be found for Sophia. As a result, the girl received an excellent education, mastered foreign languages, and soon foreign ambassadors began to report to their countries about amazing changes at the Russian court: the Tsar’s daughter no longer sits at embroidery, but participates in government affairs.
Sofya Alekseevna. Photo: Public Domain
Features of the political struggle of the 17th century
Sophia had no illusions that this would continue. The girl, through foreigners who served at the Russian court, established contacts with the German principalities, trying to find a groom there who would suit her father. But Alexey Mikhailovich was not going to go that far without giving his daughter the opportunity to move abroad.
Alexey Mikhailovich died when Sophia was 19 years old. The princess's brother ascended the throne Fedor Alekseevich.
Just like his namesake Fedor Ioannovich, this Russian Tsar was not in good health and was unable to produce an heir.
There was a rather complicated situation with the succession to the throne. Next in line was the brother of Fyodor and Sophia Ivan Alekseevich, however, he was also often sick and also showed signs of dementia. And the next heir was the still very young Pyotr Alekseevich.
At that time, the highest Russian nobility was conditionally divided into two opposing parties. The first group included relatives of Alexei Mikhailovich’s first wife Maria Miloslavskaya and their supporters, to the second - relatives of the king’s second wife Natalia Naryshkina and their like-minded people.
Fyodor, Ivan and Sophia were the children of Maria Miloslavskaya, Pyotr - Natalya Naryshkina.
Supporters of the Miloslavskys, who maintained their positions under Fyodor Alekseevich, understood how precarious the situation would become in the event of his death. Moreover, at the time of his father’s death, Ivan was only 10 years old, and Peter was only four, so in the event of their accession to the throne, the question of a regent arose.
For Sophia, this political alignment looked very promising. She began to be considered as a candidate for regent. In Russia, despite all its patriarchy, the coming to power of a woman did not cause shock or horror. Duchess Olga, who ruled at the dawn of Russian statehood and became the first Christian among the rulers of Rus', left quite positive impressions of such an experience.
The path to power was opened by rebellion
On May 7, 1682, Fyodor Alekseevich passed away, and a fierce struggle unfolded for the throne. The Naryshkins made the first move - managing to win over to their side Patriarch Joachim, they declared Peter the new king.
The Miloslavskys had an ace up their sleeve for this occasion - the Streltsy army, always dissatisfied and ready to revolt. Preparatory work with the archers had been going on for a long time, and on May 25 a rumor was started that the Naryshkins were killing Tsarevich Ivan in the Kremlin. A riot began and the crowd moved towards the Kremlin.
The Naryshkins began to panic. Natalya Naryshkina, trying to extinguish passions, brought Ivan and Peter to the archers, but this did not calm the rebels. Naryshkin supporters began to be killed right in front of the eyes of 9-year-old Peter. This reprisal subsequently affected both the king’s psyche and his attitude towards the archers.
A scene from the history of the Streletsky revolt in 1682: Ivan Naryshkin falls into the hands of the rebels. Peter I's mother Natalya Kirillovna, sister of Ivan Naryshkin, is wailing on her knees. 10-year-old Peter consoles her. Peter I's sister Sophia watches the events with satisfaction. Photo: Public Domain
The Naryshkins actually capitulated. Under pressure from the Streltsy, a unique decision was made - both Ivan and Peter were elevated to the throne at once, and Sofya Alekseevna was confirmed as their regent. At the same time, Peter was called the “second king”, insisting on his removal together with his mother to Preobrazhenskoye.
So at the age of 25, on June 8, 1682, Sofya Alekseevna became the ruler of Russia with the title “Great Empress Princess and Grand Duchess.”
Crowning of Ivan and Peter. Photo: Public Domain
Reformer by necessity
Sophia, who did not shine with external beauty, in addition to a sharp mind, had enormous ambition. She understood perfectly well that she had no chance of retaining power without taking any measures, without trying to move the development of the state forward.
At the same time, her less than stable position in power did not allow her to take too drastic steps, as her brother later did. However, under Sophia, reform of the army and the tax system of the state began, trade with foreign powers began to be encouraged, and foreign specialists were actively invited.
In foreign policy, Sophia managed to conclude a profitable peace treaty with Poland, the first treaty with China, and relations with European countries actively developed.
Under Sophia, the first higher educational institution in Russia was opened - the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy.
Sophia also has a favorite - Prince Vasily Golitsyn, who actually turned into the head of the Russian government.
In an effort to strengthen her authority with military successes, Sophia organized two campaigns against the Crimean Tatars in 1687 and 1689, which were led, of course, by Vasily Golitsyn. These campaigns were favorably received by the participants in the European anti-Ottoman coalition, but did not bring real success, resulting in high costs and heavy losses.
Prince Vasily Golitsyn with the text of “eternal peace” between Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, signed with his active participation, and with the “sovereign gold” on his chest - a military award received for commanding the 1687 campaign against the Crimean Khanate. Photo: Public Domain
Ghost of Troubles
Meanwhile, Peter was growing up, and in January 1689, at less than 17 years old, at the insistence of his mother, he married Evdokia Lopukhina.
This was a very strong move on the part of the Naryshkin party. It was assumed that Sophia would remain regent until the brothers came of age, and according to Russian tradition, a married young man was considered an adult. Ivan married even earlier, and Sophia no longer had legal grounds for maintaining power.
Peter tried to take power into his own hands, but in key positions there remained people appointed by Sophia, who reported only to her.
Nobody wanted to give in. Around Sophia there was talk that “Peter’s problem” needed to be solved radically.
On the night of August 7-8, 1689, several archers appeared in Preobrazhenskoye, reporting that an assassination attempt was being prepared on the Tsar. Without hesitating for a second, Peter ran under the protection of the powerful walls of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The next day his mother and wife went there, accompanied by a “funny army.” By that time, this army had long been “amusing” only in name, in reality representing a very formidable force, capable of defending the monastery for a long time in an attempt to storm it.
When Moscow learned about Peter's flight, fermentation began among the people. All this was very reminiscent of the beginning of a new Time of Troubles, and memories of the consequences of the previous one were still fresh in my memory.
Arrest of Sofia Alekseevna. Artist Konstantin Vershilov. Photo: Public Domain
Deprived of power
Meanwhile, Peter began to send orders to the Streltsy regiments to leave Moscow and arrive at the Lavra, threatening death for disobedience. The law in this case was clearly on the side of Peter, and not his sister, and, after weighing all the pros and cons, the archers began to leave in regiments to the king. The boyars, who only yesterday had sworn allegiance to Sophia, followed suit.
The princess understood that time was playing against her. To persuade her brother to reconcile, she convinced the patriarch to go on a peacekeeping mission, but he remained with Peter.
In the monastery itself, Peter diligently portrayed the “correct tsar” - he wore Russian dress, went to church, minimized communication with foreigners and gained popularity.
Sophia made one last attempt - she herself went to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery to negotiate with her brother, but she was turned around on the way and ordered to return to Moscow.
The last supporter of Sophia, the head of the Streletsky order Fedor Shaklovity, were betrayed to Peter by his own confidants. He was soon executed.
It was announced to the princess that Ivan and Peter would take all power into their own hands, and she should go to the Holy Spirit Monastery in Putivl. Then Peter, deciding that Sophia should remain nearby, transferred her to the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow.
Grand Duchess Sophia in the Novodevichy Convent. Artist Ilya Repin. Photo: Public Domain
last try
Sophia was not tonsured a nun; she was given several richly decorated cells, an entire staff of servants was assigned to her, but she was prohibited from leaving the monastery and communicating with the outside world.
The princess would not be herself if she had not tried to take revenge. She observed the situation in the country and corresponded with her supporters. Peter's tough style and radical reforms contributed to the growth of the number of dissatisfied people.
In 1698, when Peter was abroad with the Great Embassy, a new Streltsy revolt broke out. Its participants, relying on rumors, stated that the real Tsar Peter had died and had been replaced by a foreign “double” who wanted to destroy Russia and the Orthodox faith. The Sagittarius intended to free Sophia and restore her to power.
On June 18, 1698, the rebels were defeated by government troops 40 versts west of Moscow.
The first executions of riot participants took place just a few days after the defeat of the Streltsy. 130 people were hanged, 140 people were whipped and exiled, 1965 people were sent to cities and monasteries.
This, however, was just the beginning. Having urgently returned from a trip to Europe, Peter headed a new investigation, after which new executions followed in October 1698. In total, about 2,000 streltsy were executed, 601 were beaten, branded, and exiled. The persecution of the riot participants continued for another ten years, and the streltsy regiments themselves were soon disbanded.
During interrogations, the archers were asked to testify about the connection between the rebels and Sophia, but none of them betrayed the princess.
This, however, did not save her from new harsh measures from her brother. This time she was forcibly tonsured into a nun under the name Susanna, establishing an almost prison regime for the princess.
Sophia was not destined to gain freedom. She died on July 14, 1704 at the age of 46 and was buried in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent.
There is a legend among Old Believers that the princess managed to escape along with 12 faithful archers and hide on the Volga. In the Old Believer skete of Sharpan there is a burial place of a certain “shema-montress Praskovya” surrounded by 12 unmarked graves. According to legend, these are the graves of Sophia and her associates.
It is difficult to believe this, if only because during her reign, Sophia tightened the laws under which the Old Believers were persecuted, and it is unlikely that representatives of this religious movement would shelter her. But people love beautiful legends...