An edict is issued prescribing the most vigorous measures for the recovery of fugitive serfs.
Death of Feodor, last of the Ruriks. Boris Godunov is elected to succeed him, first by the Council of Boyars (douma) and then by a General Assembly (Sob6r).
THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
A terrible famine, accompanied by pestilence, devastates Russia. Boris causes immense quantities of provisions to be distributed in Moscow, whither multitudes
flock from all the provinces. Five hundred thousand are said to have perished in Moscow alone, which had become a city of cannibals.
Dmitri the Impostor invades Russia and is victorious on the Desna.
Dmitri is defeated on the plain of Dobrinitchi, not far from Ord. Godunov dies.
His son Feodor is proclaimed his successor. Basmanov, commander of the army, proclaims Dmitri. Feodor and his mother are strangled and Dmitri enters Moscow.
A rebellion breaks out under Vasili Shuiski. Dmitri is killed. Shuishi is proclaimed
emperor.
A second false Dmftri defeats Shuiski's army near Volkhov, but fails in an attack on
the Troitsa monastery, near Moscow. He is murdered by one of his followers in 1610.
The Poles invade Russia and lay siege to Smolensk.
Shuiski is defeated at Klushino and Wladislaw, son of the Polish king, is crowned
czar.
Revolt of the patriots led by Minin and Prince Pojarski.
The Poles are driven out of Moscow.
Michael Romanov is chosen czar.
Wladislaw appears with an army under the walls of Moscow, but is repulsed. The
Treaty of Stolbovna is brought about by the mediation of England and Holland: the Russians give up Kexholm, Karelia and Ingria to Sweden, and receive in return Novgorod, which was lost during the Troublous Period.
Wladislaw consents to abandon his claim to the Russian throne, the czar gives up
his claims to Livonia, Tchernigov and Smolensk, and an armistice is concluded for fourteen years.
Philarete, the father of Czar Michael, comes back from the Polish captivity, is elected
patriarch, and becomes his son's associate in the government of the country. 1627 The Cossacks of the Don conquer Azov, which they offer to the czar. After convoking a sobor, which shows little enthusiasm for the enterprise, the czar orders the Cossacks to evacuate it.
War with Lithuania.
Peace of Polianovka: the czar surrenders all claims to Livonia and all the country
that once belonged to the Order, as well as to Smolensk, Tchernigov and Seversk. The Polish king abandons his claim to the Russian throne. 1645 Death of Michael. He is succeeded by Alexis.
1648 Revolt at Moscow against misgovernment of the czar's favorites, particularly Morosov, and depreciation of the coinage. This revolt led to a new codification of the laws (the tJlozhenie), which was based on the preceding codes of Ivan III and IV, and was sanctioned by a sobor convoked at Moscow. A new police institution, the " chamber of secret affairs," is created for the prevention and suppression of popular uprisings. The Cossacks of the Ukraine revolt from Poland under the leadership of Bogdan Chmielnicki. 1649-50 Khabarov occupies the course of the Amur.
The Ukraine becomes a Russian protectorate. War with Poland.
Outbreak of war between Sweden and Poland. The Russians occupy Vilna and
join the Swedes in their march upon Warsaw.
Truce with Poland. The Russian arms are turned against Sweden. At first they
were successful, and Narva, Dorpat and other places in Esthonia were taken, Livonia was conquered, but Riga was besieged in vain, and after many losses all the conquests are restored.
1655-56 The patriarch Nicon calls two councils of the church for the purpose of revising the Bible and service-books. In consequence of this change a great schism takes place in the Russian church. The adherents of the old books are known as Ras- kolniki, and are to this day subjects of persecution. 1667 Peace of Andrussov with Poland: Little Russia east of the Dnieper, including Smolensk, Kiev, Seversk, Vitebsk, and Polotsk are acquired by Russia. Thus the territory which had been taken by the Lithuanians and annexed to Poland by Treaty of Lublin (1569) became Russian again.
Rebellion of Stenka Kazin. He takes Tzaritzin, Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara, Nijni-
Novgorod, Tambov, and Penza.
Stenka Radzin is defeated near Simbirsk and executed at Moscow.
1676 Death of Alexis. He is succeeded by hb eldest son, Feodor. During his reign the books of pedigrees (razviadnie Knigi), which determines the rank of each family and the office to which it was entitled (mestnichestvo), were destroyed. 1682 Death of Feodor. After a sanguinary outbreak of the Strelitz, which lasted three days, Ivan and Peter were declared joint sovereigns, and their sister Sophia was to act as regent during their minority. 1689 Treaty of Nertchinsk: the fertile region of the Amur, conquered by a handful of Cossacks, is restored to the Chinese, and the fortress Albazin is rased, н. w. — vol. xvn. 2u
1696 Peter takes from the Turks the fort of Azov, situated at the mouth of the Don, and converts it into a naval port. In its vicinity he commences the building of the ritvr town of Taganrog. 1697-98 Peter makes his first journey through Europe.
The Strelitz break out into open revolt, which is suppressed with great bloodshed.
Their corps is dissolved.
Peter forms a coalition with Poland and Denmark against Sweden.
Beginning of the Northern War. The Russian forces sustain a severe defeat at
Narva. The beginning of the new Russian year is changed from the first of September to the first of January.
THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
1703 Peter begins the building of St. Petersburg.
The Cossacks of the Don revolt.
The secret marriage of Peter with Catherine takes place.
Mazeppa, hetman of the Little-Russian Cossacks revolts. Battle of Pultowa.
Turkey declares war against Russia.
The old supreme council of boyars (douma) is replaced by the senate, into which
merit and' service might obtain admission independently of noble origin. By the terms of the Treaty of the Pruth Peter surrenders to the Turks his artillery, gives back Azov, and undertakes to rase Taganrog. 1714 The Russians gain over the Swedes the important naval victory of Aland or Hankul. Peter becomes master of Finland.
Peter makes a second tour through Europe. A general police, modelled on that of
France, is instituted.
Peter's eldest son, Alexis, is executed. The old prikaz is replaced by colleges for for
eign affairs, finance, justice, and commerce.
The Russians ravage Sweden almost up to the gates of Stockholm.
The Russians renew their devastation of Sweden, notwithstanding the presence of
an English fleet.
Treaty of Nystad with Sweden: Peter is left master of Livonia, Esthonia, Ingria,
and the districts of Viborg and Kexholm in Finland. Peter promulgates an ukase (afterwards abrogated by Paul) that the sovereign has the right of naming his successor. The Patriarchate is abolished and its income united to the public revenue. In its place the holy synod is established for the supreme direction of church affairs.
The tchin is established: whoever enters the service of that state becomes a gentle
man. The exporting of merchandise through Archangel is prohibited in favor of St. Petersburg.
1722-24 War with Persia. The provinces of Ghilan, Mazandaran, and Astrabad (Astara-
bath) are annexed to Russia. 1725 Death of Peter. He is succeeded by his second wife, Catherine 1726-27 The St. Petersburg Academy of Science founded.
1727 Death of Catherine. She is succeeded by Peter II, son of Alexis. Menshikov, who
was the real ruler of Russia under Catherine, is banished to Siberia. 1730 Death of Peter H. Anna, daughter of Ivan, the brother of Peter the Great, is chosen his successor after submitting to the terms dictated by the great nobles—terms intended to convert the government into an oligarchy. 1733-35 War of the Polish Succession: Russia intervenes on behalf of the elector of Saxony, Augustine III, and defeats the French attempt to replace Stanislaus Leszfzynski on the throne of Poland. 1735 Russia surrenders her Persian possessions in return for extensive trading privileges to Russian merchants.