Summary
Highlights
The early 17th century saw Russia engulfed in the Great Troubles, a period of chaos following the death of the last Rurikovich Tsar. This led to internal strife and foreign intervention, pushing Russia to the brink of collapse. Salvation lay in unity, faith, and courage.
In 1598, Boris Godunov became Tsar, ending the Rurikovich dynasty. He was a strong ruler, promoting education and peaceful foreign policy. However, a devastating famine in 1601-1604, believed by many to be divine punishment, fueled discontent. In 1604, rumors spread of the legitimate heir, Tsarevich Dmitry, being alive, challenging Godunov's rule.
The story of Tsarevich Dmitry's death in 1591, attributed to an accidental self-inflicted wound during an epileptic fit, was questioned. A young man appeared in Poland in 1603, claiming to be Dmitry, miraculously saved. Despite being an impostor (likely Grigory Otrepyev), he gained Polish support, promising land and religious influence. His army crossed into Russia in 1604, where he was met with jubilation due to widespread discontent with Godunov. Godunov’s death in 1605 paved the way for False Dmitry I to enter Moscow and be crowned Tsar.
False Dmitry I, despite initially being accepted, alienated the nobility and the populace with his lavish lifestyle and pro-Catholic policies, especially after his marriage to Marina Mnishek. A conspiracy led by Prince Vasily Shuisky erupted. On May 17, 1606, False Dmitry I was killed, and Vasily Shuisky was enthroned as the new Tsar. However, the troubles were far from over.
Outside Moscow, many refused to believe in False Dmitry I's death. New impostors, including False Dmitry II, emerged. False Dmitry II, an unknown individual, appeared in Poland and gathered support from disaffected nobles, Cossacks, and brigands, forming an army. By 1608, his forces besieged Moscow, establishing a camp in Tushino, creating a dual government and two patriarchs. Tsar Vasily Shuisky, desperate, allied with Sweden, promising territory in exchange for military aid, which led to a victorious advance against False Dmitry II.
Poland, under King Sigismund III, seeing the Swedish intervention, decided to enter the conflict, aiming to reclaim lost territories and potentially conquer Moscow. In the summer of 1609, Sigismund III's forces laid siege to Smolensk, a strong fortress commanded by Voivode Mikhail Shein. Shein, a seasoned military leader, prepared the city for a prolonged defense, burning surrounding settlements and imposing strict discipline. The city, with its powerful walls and underground passages, prepared for a long siege against a numerically superior Polish army, including the legendary Winged Hussars.
The Poles, despite their impressive cavalry, found Smolensk's defenses formidable. Their initial assaults failed, and the focus shifted to underground mining operations, which the Russians effectively countered using their 'rumors' (underground tunnels). A personal tragedy struck Moscow when the successful commander Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky, a nephew of the Tsar, was poisoned, leading to his less capable brother Dmitry Shuisky taking over. In June 1610, Dmitry's Russian-Swedish army was decisively defeated at the Battle of Klushino, largely due to Swedish mercenaries switching sides and Dmitry's poor leadership. This defeat opened the road to Moscow for the Polish forces.
Following the defeat at Klushino, Tsar Vasily Shuisky was overthrown by boyars, who formed the 'Seven Boyars' government. They invited Polish Prince Władysław to become Tsar and allowed a Polish-Lithuanian garrison to occupy the Kremlin. False Dmitry II still commanded significant support due to his opposition to the Poles, but was assassinated during a hunt. Meanwhile, Smolensk continued its heroic defense. Despite heavy bombardment and several breaches in its walls by July 1610, the defenders, including ordinary citizens, repelled Polish assaults. Despite diplomatic attempts and threats, Smolensk refused to surrender. Depleted by hunger and disease, its defenders, under Shein, continued to resist, even blowing up a powder magazine under the Assumption Cathedral to prevent the Poles from gaining a foothold.
On June 3, 1611, after a long and brutal siege, Smolensk fell. Shein was captured and taken to Poland, where he was tortured but remained defiant. His stubborn defense exhausted the Polish forces and prevented them from reinforcing their garrison in Moscow. In October 1612, the Second Militia, led by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, liberated Moscow from the Polish garrison. This marked the beginning of the end of the Time of Troubles. In 1613, Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov was elected Tsar, establishing the Romanov dynasty. While Russia lost Smolensk for decades and some northern territories to Sweden, the defense of Smolensk was a crucial act of heroism that gave hope to the Russian people and allowed for national recovery. Shein was eventually released in 1619, tried, and executed after a failed attempt to retake Smolensk. Smolensk was finally returned to Russia in 1654, 76 years after the siege.