"Quiet" and Maria Ilyinichna, daughter of the boyar ID Miloslavsky, one of the most educated rulers of Russia.
Born May 30, 1661 in Moscow. From childhood he was weak and painful, but already at the age of 12 he was officially declared the heir to the throne. His first teacher was Pamphil Belyaninov, a priest of the Ambassadorial order, then he was replaced by Simeon Polotsky, who became his spiritual mentor. He taught him Polish, Ancient Greek and Latin, instilled respect and interest in Western life. The tsar was versed in painting and church music, had "a great art in poetry and hefted verses", taught the basics of versification, made a poetic translation of psalms for the "Psalter" of Polotsk. The appearance of the tsar makes it possible to present a parsuna (portrait) made by Bogdan Saltanov in 1685.
After the death of his father, at the age of 15, he was crowned king in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral on June 18, 1676. At first, her stepmother, N.K. Naryshkina, tried to lead the country, but Fyodor's relatives managed to remove her from business, sending her together with her son Peter (future Peter I) to "voluntary exile" to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow. Friends and relatives of the young tsar, boyar I.F. Miloslavsky, pr. Yu.A. Dolgorukov and Ya.N. Odoevskaya, who were replaced in 1679 by the bed-room I.M. Yazykov, the stolnichy M.T. Likhachev and the prince. V.V. Golitsyn , "People educated, capable and conscientious", close to the tsar and having influence on him, energetically began to create a capable government. Their influence can be explained by the transfer of the center of gravity in the making of state decisions to the Boyar Duma under Fedor, the number of members of which under him increased from 66 to 99. The tsar was also inclined to personally take part in government, but without despotism and cruelty, which were characteristic of his successor and brother Peter I.
In 1678-1679, Fyodor's government carried out a population census, canceled the decree of Alexei Mikhailovich on the non-extradition of fugitives who enrolled in military service, introduced household taxation (this immediately replenished the treasury, but increased serfdom). In 1679-1680, an attempt was made to mitigate criminal penalties in the Western manner, in particular, the cutting off of hands for theft was abolished. Thanks to the construction of defensive structures in the south of Russia (Wild Field), it became possible to widely endow the nobles who sought to increase land holdings, estates and estates. In 1681, the provincial and local command administration was introduced - an important preparatory measure for the provincial reform of Peter I.
The main of the internal political reforms was the destruction of parochialism in the "emergency seat" of the Zemsky Sobor on January 12, 1682 - the rules according to which everyone received ranks in accordance with the place occupied by the ancestors of the appointed person in the state apparatus. At the same time, rank books were burned with lists of positions as the "main culprits" of local disputes and claims. In place of the discharge ones, it was ordered to start the Pedigree Book. All high-born and noble people were included in it, but without specifying their place in the Duma.
Under Fedor, a project was being prepared for the introduction of ranks in Russia - a prototype of Peter's Ranking tables,who should have shared civil and military power. To centralize management, some orders were combined and transferred under the management of I.F. Miloslavsky. Discontent with the abuses of officials, the oppression of the archers led to an uprising of the urban lower classes, supported by the archers, in 1682.
Having received the basics of a secular education, Fyodor was opposed to the intervention of the church and Patriarch Joachim in secular affairs, established increased rates of fees from church estates, thereby starting the process that ended under Peter I with the liquidation of the patriarchate. During the reign of Fyodor, not only palace churches were built, but also secular buildings (orders, chambers), new gardens were laid out, the first general system sewerage of the Kremlin.
Understanding the need to spread knowledge, Fyodor invited foreigners to teach in Moscow, was one of the initiators of the creation of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, although the academy itself was established later, in 1687.
In foreign policy, he tried to return to Russia access to the Baltic Sea, which was lost during the Livonian War. Much more attention than Alexei Mikhailovich paid to the regiments of the "new order", staffed and trained in the Western manner. However, the solution of the "Baltic problem" was hampered by the raids of the Crimean and Tatars and Turks from the south. Therefore, Fedor's major foreign policy action was the successful russian-Turkish war 1676-1681, ending with the Bakhchisarai Peace Treaty, which secured the unification of the Left-Bank Ukraine with Russia. Russia received Kiev even earlier under an agreement with Poland in 1678 in exchange for Nevel, Sebezh and Velizh. During the war of 1676-1681 in the south of the country, the Izyum rasp was created. (400 versts), later connected with Belgorod.
The private life of the king was unhappy. The first marriage with Agafya Grushetskaya (1680) ended a year later, the queen died in childbirth along with her newborn son Fyodor. According to rumors, the tsarina had a strong influence on her husband, according to her "suggestion" men in Moscow began to cut their hair, shave their beards, wear Polish sabers and kuntushi. The tsar's new marriage was arranged by his friend I.M. Yazykov. On February 14, 1682 Fyodor was married to Martha Apraksina, but two months after the wedding, on April 27, the tsar suddenly died in Moscow at the age of 21, leaving no heir. Two of his brothers, Ivan and Peter Alekseevich, were proclaimed tsars. Fyodor was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
The most important source on the history of the reign of Fedor Alekseevich is Contemplation of years 7190, 7191 and 7192compiled by the famous contemporary of the king, writer Sylvester Medvedev.
Lev Pushkarev, Natalia Pushkareva
Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov (1661-1682) ruled in 1676-1682. He ascended the throne as a 15-year-old teenager after the death of his father Alexei Mikhailovich. He was in poor health from birth. It happened that the young man did not leave the palace for weeks or months, suffering from ailments. To his own coronation, held on June 28, 1676, the young sovereign was brought on a stretcher.
However, the attacks passed, and the young king was transformed. He became energetic, lively and extremely active. He passionately loved horses, which he knew very well. He received an excellent education at home, knew Latin perfectly, gravitated towards reading and music.
His hobbies were horse riding, falconry, and archery. Even before accession to the kingdom, he had his own small amusing squad, armed with toy guns.
The tsar's personal library consisted of several hundred volumes, and all of them were read. We can say that the spiritual state of Fyodor Alekseevich fully met the requirements of that time. But this was the Renaissance, and Europe was on the verge of great changes.
A great contribution to the formation of the views of the ruler was made by his teacher Simeon Polotsky. He was an outstanding philosopher, church leader and poet. It was he who instilled in the sovereign a penchant for everything European.
State activity of Fyodor Alekseevich
Was the young king independent in his actions and deeds? At first, the sovereign did little to do business, as he was very ill. Therefore, the country was ruled by people close to the throne. These were Patriarch Joachim, Ivan Mikhailovich Miloslavsky (the tsar's mother was from the Miloslavsky family) and Matveyev Artamon Sergeevich.
Some time after the coronation, the sovereign felt much better and quickly took power into his own hands. First of all, he sent Matveyev into exile, since he expressed obvious sympathy for the very little Peter, who came from the Naryshkin family. The Miloslavskys, who saw in Matveyev a threat to their well-being, contributed to the disgrace.
The main task of any ruler is the ability to select intelligent advisors and executors. A clever sovereign is not afraid to put professionals in key positions. It was to such a cohort that the young man belonged, on whose head they put the cap of Monomakh. He gathered around him competent people who subsequently showed themselves excellently in the implementation of the reforms of Peter I. That is, we can say that under Fyodor Alekseevich the foundation was laid for further cardinal transformations in Russia.
Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov loved horses and falconry
From the first days of his reign, the tsar began an active struggle against parochialism. Prior to this, people received high government and military posts depending on their origin. The more noble a person was, the higher the post he received. The young sovereign advocated that promotion was carried out on the basis of personal abilities. Therefore, he ordered the burning of bit books, which was done in 1682.
The capital of the Russian state at that time was mostly wooden, and if there were fires, whole areas burned out. Therefore, the young sovereign ordered to provide Muscovites with preferential loans for the construction of stone houses. Under him, Moscow streets began to be paving, and the city began to get rid of the eternal dirt. The first sewerage system was also installed, and the shopping arcade was removed from Red Square.
For people to remember and honor their ancestors, special genealogical books were introduced. A printing house was opened at the Printing House. They began to print in it scientific works, books of secular content, as well as translated from Latin.
The young sovereign planned to create an Academy following the example of European universities. He personally drew up a project called "Privilege". But that was never realized. But the young ruler managed to found a Slavic-Latin school, which became the first stage of secular education.
At the same time, repressions against the Old Believers continued. By the personal order of the sovereign, Archpriest Avvakum was burned. Many of his closest associates were also burned. But the disgraced Patriarch Nikon, who was passing his days in a distant monastery, was forgiven and allowed to live near Moscow. But he never took advantage of his freedom, as he died.
At the royal court, more and more people began to appear without beards, dressed in newfangled European costumes. Western novelties began to enter everyday life. Painters began to move from icon painting to realistic painting. As a result, portraits of people appeared.
As for foreign policy, from 1676 to 1681 there was a war with the Turks and the Crimean Khanate. It ended with the signing of the Bakhchisarai Peace. According to him Ottoman Empire recognized Kiev and the left-bank Ukraine as Russian lands.
Moscow Kremlin at the end of the 17th century
(painting by A. Vasnetsov)
Family life
In 1680, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov chose the beautiful and educated Agafya Semyonovna Grushetskaya (1663-1681) from among many contenders. The young wife was from Smolensk, but by birth she was Polish. But family life quickly ended. The young wife died 3 days after giving birth from childbirth fever. Soon the baby named Ilya also died.
In February 1682, a new wedding was played in the royal palace. This time, the chosen one of the sovereign was Marfa Matveevna Apraksina (1664-1715). However, at the end of April, the young wife became a widow. The young sovereign died in the 6th year of his reign, not having reached the age of 21 a month. He died without leaving a will, which put the royal court in a very difficult position.
Alexey Starikov
The name of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov is not as widely known today as the names of his father Aleksei Mikhailovich and his younger brother Pyotr Alekseevich. And in vain.
Having received from her father a strengthened, perked up after troubles and civil wars country, Fedor Alekseevich became the forerunner of many reforms and transformations, which we today associate with the name of Peter. Everyone knows that history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. And, nevertheless, it can be assumed that if Fyodor Alekseevich had not died so early, today we would be talking about the great reformer and reformer of Russia, Tsar Fyodor III.
Short life and short reign
Fedor was the second son of Alexei Mikhailovich and his first wife Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. In a marriage with Miloslavskaya, Alexei Mikhailovich had 13 children, four of them are sons. Almost all of Maria Ilyinichna's daughters were strong and healthy, but her sons were born weak. The eldest son Alexei died at the age of 15, Simeon lived to be only three years old. Two sons of Mary reigned: Ivan Alekseevich, who was co-ruler of Peter I, and did not differ in health or intelligence, and Fyodor, who, although he was as weak in health as his brothers, but had all the makings of a statesman.
He was born on May 30, 1661. His tutor was the monk Simeon of Polotsk - one of the most educated people of his time, spiritual writer, theologian, poet and translator. He instilled in Fedor an interest in western culture in its Polish version. Under the guidance of Simeon of Polotsk, the prince learned Polish, latin languages, was able to get acquainted with the works of European scientists and philosophers.
The reign of Fyodor began in 1676, after Alexei Mikhailovich died. During the first months of his reign, Fedor was seriously ill, he suffered from "scrobut" - scurvy. The state was actually ruled by a friend of the late Alexei Mikhailovich Artamon Matveyev - godfather of the second wife of the late Emperor Natalia Naryshkina, a relative of his first wife Ivan Miloslavsky and Patriarch Joachim. However, getting to his feet, Fyodor harshly took power into his own hands and began by sending into exile Matveyev, who was too sympathetic to little Pyotr Alekseevich.
The short reign of Fedor lasted only 6 years, in 1682 he died. But during this time, the young emperor managed to do quite a lot.
Basic transformations of Fedor Alekseevich
Among the main merits of the young tsar should be attributed the abolition of parochialism - the order of occupying positions based not on the personal qualities of the applicant, but on what post his ancestors held. Localism was a real burden for the Russian state, preventing the appointment of truly capable people, and drowning any undertaking in disputes on the topic of who should obey whom. Fyodor ordered to burn all the discharge books, which indicated the positions held by representatives of noble families. Instead, he introduced genealogical books, where only genealogy was recorded.
The next important step was to care for the education of Russia. A printing house was opened at the Printing House, where they began to publish books: liturgical literature, scientific works, works of secular content, translations from Latin. Fedor Alekseevich developed the project educational institution, which was discovered after his death, and received the name of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy.
Under Fedor Alekseevich, units of the army received a new development, which were staffed and armed according to the European model and were called "regiments of a foreign system."
The young tsar was also engaged in reforming the state apparatus: he abolished a number of orders, combining orders that were similar in function.
In 1678, a general population census was carried out, a year later household taxes were introduced. This increased the tax burden, but it caused an inflow of funds into the state treasury.
Fedor achieved considerable success in foreign policy: the next war against the Ottoman ports and the Crimean Khanate ended in victory. Turkey and Poland were forced to recognize the Left-Bank Ukraine and Kiev for Russia. Fedor Alekseevich tried to return and access to the Baltic Sea, but to no avail. His younger brother Peter was able to fulfill this task.
Fedor did a lot for the improvement of Moscow. Here, streets began to be paved, the first sewerage system was installed, and shopping malls were removed from Red Square. In addition, the sovereign created a system of loans for Muscovites who lost their homes as a result of fires, which were very frequent in the wooden capital.
Finally, it was under Fedor Alekseevich that Russian aristocrats began to wear European clothes. Young boyars began to shave their beards, cut their hair in the Polish manner, and dress in the Polish fashion. It was forbidden to appear at court in single-row and ohabnya. Under Fedor Alekseevich, the first periodical - "Chimes". It was a handwritten "digest" of news from European newspapers, which was read out to the Tsar and the Boyar Duma by the clerks of the Posolsky Prikaz. At this time, foreign fashions penetrated into painting, artists began to paint portraits in the European style, they were called "parsuns".
Fyodor Alekseevich abolished mutilating executions, such as cutting off hands, ears, cutting off the tongue, and, in general, thought about the humanization of punishments. This, however, did not prevent him from ordering the burning of the main ideologue of the Old Believers, Archpriest Avvakum Petrov. They say that the reason for this decision was the fact that Habakkuk insulted his father in letters to his supporters.
Fedor took care of the upbringing of his younger brothers - Ivan and Peter, subscribed to books, globes, ship models and other manuals for them.
A lot was done, but even more projects remained projects, since in 1682 Fyodor Alekseevich died.
The question of succession
Fyodor Alekseevich was married twice. His first wife, a Polish noblewoman from Smolensk, Agafya Grushetskaya, gave birth to him in 1681, a son who was named Ilya. The boy died on the 10th day of his life, and Queen Agafya soon died. The second marriage with Martha Apraksina lasted just over two months. The sovereign died at the age of 20.
He did not manage to give any orders regarding the heir, therefore a dynastic crisis arose, which caused an aggravation of the struggle between the supporters of Tsarevich Ivan and Tsarevich Peter. The unrest ended in a compromise decision: to make the brothers co-rulers, appointing Princess Sophia as regent.
340 years ago, on January 30, 1676, Fyodor III Alekseevich ascended the throne. The son of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna, nee Miloslavskaya. He ascended the throne at the age of 14 after the death of his father. In childhood and adolescence, Fedor received a good education, studied ancient Greek, Latin and Polish, had a rich personal library, knew painting, was well versed in music, and even composed several chants himself. However, he was a sickly young man, and the most important state affairs were resolved with the participation of his close associates: I.M. Miloslavsky, I.M. Yazykov, A.T. Likhachev, and others. Big influence the tutor of the tsar Simeon of Polotsk and the Moscow Patriarch Joachim also provided assistance.
Fedor Alekseevich was the third son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The first child in the royal family was Dmitry, but he did not survive infancy. The second son, Aleksey Alekseevich, was considered the heir to the throne. He showed great promise, received a good education. But in January 1670 he died unexpectedly. Fedor was declared heir. Born May 31, 1661 At the time of his accession to the throne, he was not yet 15 years old.
Some kind of fate or a serious hereditary disease (there is a version that the heirs were deliberately persecuted) pursued the sons of Alexei Mikhailovich. Simeon, who was born in 1665, died in 1669. Ivan, born in 1666, was crowned king in 1682, but at the same time suffered from dementia and died in 1696.
Fedor Alekseevich also did not differ in health, was of a weak constitution, but was distinguished by clarity of mind, which he developed by reading books. According to some sources, his tutor was the theologian Simeon Polotsky. As a result, the tsar knew Latin and Polish. True, the problem is that this was not the best educator for the future king. A graduate of the Vilna Jesuit Academy, a member of the Greek Catholic Order of St. Basil the Great, Simeon of Polotsk did not know and did not like Russian and Russian traditions. He did not have an independent mind, being an ordinary compiler and translator of European spiritual literature. Apparently, this very clever and resourceful man, who could speak beautifully, and who became the teacher of Tsarevich Alexei and Fedor, was an agent of Western influence in Russia. The students of the Jesuit schools have long been skilled spies.
However, Simeon could not fully form the consciousness of the future king. There were other people among his entourage. Thus, Fyodor Alekseevich was keenly interested in Russian history. Having become king, he ordered the learned clerks to compile a book of the history of Russia. And such work was carried out, unfortunately, the book has not reached our days. Among the people who dealt with this problem, there was another mentor to the princes Alexei Timofeevich Likhachev. At the beginning of Fyodor's reign, he had the rank of "solicitor with a key", in 1680 he was elevated to the okolnichi.
The fact that the tsar attached great educational importance to Russian history is also evidenced by his choice of the clerk of the petty order Nikita Zotov as the teacher of his underage half-brother Pyotr Alekseevich. Apparently, the king was well aware of the danger of his illness and the fragility of his life. Therefore, I tried to prepare a successor. Many signs indicate that he saw a successor in Peter.
Fyodor Alekseevich was married twice. The first marriage of the tsar with the daughter of a Smolensk nobleman Agafya Grushetskaya was concluded on July 18, 1680. On July 11, 1681, the only son of the tsar was born, the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Ilya Fedorovich, who died on July 21, 1681 shortly after his birth. Queen Agafya died on July 14, 1681. The second marriage was concluded on February 15, 1682, with Martha Matveyevna Apraksina, sister of the future famous admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin. The tsar did not have children from this marriage, which lasted just over two months.
Fyodor Alekseevich died on April 27, 1682 at the age of 20, without making an order regarding the succession to the throne. He reigned for only a little over 6 years. However, his short reign was eventful.
The first significant act of Fyodor Alekseevich was the attempt to return the Baltic lands - Ingermanlandia and part of Livonia, which belonged to Russia before the Time of Troubles, after the coronation, which took place on June 18 (28), 1676. Since ancient times, these lands belonged to the Russian state, and the distance from the Baltic had a detrimental effect on the country's economy. Negotiations began with the Swedes. Russia was ready to be content with the return of Narva and Izhora land, but the Swedes rejected this just demand. Moscow was ready to start a war for the return of the seized territory, but the military threat from Turkey forced these plans to be postponed.
The war with Turkey and the Crimean Khanate for the Right-Bank part of Little Russia has been fought since 1672. In the summer of 1677, the Turks and crimean Tatars attempted to seize the capital of the hetman autonomy, Chigirin. Moscow sent additional troops to Little Russia. The small garrison of Chigirin withstood the siege of a huge enemy army (60 thousand Turkish army, 40 thousand Crimean cavalry and 20 thousand auxiliary corps of Moldavians and Vlachs) until the arrival of 49 thousand. Russian army Romodanovsky. In a battle on the banks of the Dnieper on August 27 and 28, the Russian regiments inflicted a heavy defeat on the Turkish-Crimean army. Throwing away artillery and carts, the enemy fled.
Wanting to stop the war, Fyodor III Alekseevich sent at the end of 1677 to Constantinople an envoy, Athanasius Porosukov. However, Moscow received news about the preparation of a new campaign of the Turkish army in Little Russia. Russia began to prepare for war. To supply the army, the young tsar ordered to collect a ruble from each court. For the same purpose, at the beginning of 1678, a census of people began. Chigirin again became the center of opposition in the summer of 1678.
In fact, there was a confrontation between Turkey and Russia for control over Little Russia. Fyodor Alekseevich was ready to make peace with the Turks on the condition that Chigirin remained with Russia. But this fortress was also needed by Turkey, as it had strategic importance (control over the Dnieper and Zadneprovye). Therefore, the Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV, having familiarized himself with the proposals of Moscow, which Afanasy Porosukov brought, ordered to write to Moscow that he agreed to an armistice on condition that Russia ceded Chigirin to Turkey and the Dnieper possessions of Hetman Doroshenko. The Russian tsar was in a difficult situation: on the one hand, peace was necessary for Russia, exhausted by the war; on the other hand, Moscow could not cede the hetman capital Chigirin under any circumstances. Therefore, the tsar ordered the commander of the Russian troops in Little Russia, voivode Grigory Romodanovsky and his son Kiev voivode Mikhail Romodanovsky, to make every effort to hold the fortress and destroy it if they could not keep it.
As a result, the heroic defense of Chigirin ended with his fall. Part of the garrison perished when the Turks broke into the fortress, blowing up the powder depots, others fell through to Romodanovsky's army. The Russian voivode defeated the enemy's advanced units, but did not advance further to support the bleeding garrison. He carried out the order of Moscow to destroy the city, which was an obstacle to the conclusion of peace. Fighting continued until the end of the year. Then began two years of peace negotiations. On March 4, 1681, an agreement was signed on a 20-year truce between Russia, on the one hand, and Turkey and the Crimean Khanate, on the other. The border between Turkey and Russia was established along the Dnieper, the sultan and khan pledged not to help the enemies of Russia. Russia annexed the left-bank lands of the Dnieper and Kiev with the okrug. Zaporozhye was formally becoming independent.
Reconciliation with Turkey and the Crimean Khanate was beneficial to Russia and became one of the greatest achievements of Fyodor's rule. However, the war showed significant shortcomings in the organization of the Russian army. The main one was associated with parochialism, that is, with the old custom of appointing certain persons to command positions depending on the family and service status of their family. Localism hindered the development of the state, since the nobility often put their interests above general interests. The confused nature of parochial relations created the basis for constant strife and became one of the prerequisites for the Troubles. It is not surprising that the tsars, starting with Ivan the Terrible, attempted to limit parochialism. On January 12, 1682, a conciliar act was issued on the abolition of parochialism.
The historian Ivan Boltin wrote about this reform of Tsar Fyodor: “By the destruction of parochialism, the dishonest and harmful right to acquire honors and ranks without merit and dignity has been destroyed, and from this the resulting strife and hatred between the nobles and even between single courtiers, harming the public good and in the affairs of state disorder , slowness, omission. The breed then took the place of virtues and abilities: the merits of a father or grandfather inflated an unworthy son or grandson with pride and robbed him of the desire to learn, work and take care of getting himself distinguished. By the abolition of this laughter worthy of vanity, service has been encouraged, dignity has been restored to its preference, and honor to merit; all abuses of breed-specific benefits have been suppressed.
Apparently, the rejection of parochialism was to be the beginning of a radical reform of the public service system. This is indicated by the draft statute on the seniority of the boyars, okolnich and Duma people in 34 degrees, drawn up in late 1681 - early 1682.The draft assumed that specific positions would correspond to ranks and that it was the rank, not the origin, that would determine the status of a person. consisting of public service.
IN last year During the reign of Fedor, another document, important for the development of the state, was drawn up - a bill on the establishment of an academy in Moscow. As a result, in March 1681, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich became one of the founders of the Printing School at the Zaikonospassky Monastery - the forerunner of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy.
In addition, the young king was preparing land, tax and diocesan reforms. A system of measures for the socialization of the poor and the poor was developed and began to be implemented in practice. In the fall of 1681, a decree was issued "On the charity of the poor and the reduction of the poor." It was also planned to create special courtyards for teaching beggar children to different crafts - "whoever wants it." At the same time, it was proposed to send children to home schooling for masters, and begging girls - in monasteries "for learning." Upon reaching the age of majority and acquiring a profession, they had to be released. For families, it was allowed to purchase households at the expense of the state.
The death of the young tsar was a great loss for Russian society. The reaction to the death of the merciful sovereign was sincere universal grief. In general, the board of Fedor III Alekseevich in many ways anticipated many of the reforms of the era of Peter the Great. Two main directions of Russian foreign policy were identified - the Baltic and Black Sea regions, the need for structural reforms and modernization of the country was shown.
Fedor Alekseevich (1661-1682), Russian tsar (since 1676) from the Romanov dynasty.
Born June 9, 1661 in Moscow. Son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his first wife Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. The enlightened reformer, a student of Simeon of Polotsk, was fond of the sciences, arts, horse breeding and archery. He suffered from hereditary vitamin deficiency, which chained him to the palace chambers for a couple of months a year.
Fyodor Alekseevich married Agafya Simeonovna Gruzhevskaya, the daughter of the Smolensk nobleman (1680), by his own choice, and after her death from childbirth, the equally plain beauty Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1682).
On the basis of the general population census (1678), the tsar carried out a tax reform, replacing many taxes with a single household taxation (1679). Approved a unified system of measures and uniform schedule work of all government agencies... He doubled the central state apparatus, unified the functions of departments-orders, and created a permanent government - the Chamber of Discipline (1680). On the ground, the governor established autocracy, taking away their financial functions. Eliminated "feeding" - the system according to which the governor received a salary ("fed") at the expense of local residents.
In 1679 he began to create a regular army, leaving only the Cossacks outside of it, and obliged all the nobles to serve in the regiments.
In the fall of 1681 - in the winter of 1682 he abolished parochialism - a custom according to which ranks in the state were given in accordance with the degree of nobility.
He opened a secular Upper Printing House in Moscow, nursing homes for the disabled, an orphanage with literacy and crafts training. He signed the "Privilege of the Moscow Academy" - the principles of the organization of an all-class educational institution for the formation of a cadre of enlightened government officials.
He tried to introduce European clothing at the court, encouraged new trends in literature and painting.
He concluded after the war of 1673-1681. peace with Turkey, according to which the latter recognized the Left-Bank Ukraine as the possession of Russia. He died on May 7, 1682 in Moscow.
His death caused popular unrest in the capital - the rebels accused the courtiers of killing the king.