Sofya Alekseevna's board (part 2)

co-ruler

Sofya Alekseevna's board (part 2). Sophia was regent for her underage brothers for 7 years. Her name appears on government documents already in 1682. Two years later, her image appears on coins. And two years later they began to call her an autocrat.

Sophia became the first woman in Russia to chair the meetings of the Boyar Duma.

Prince Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn was her most important associate.

There were rumors among foreign ambassadors about their intimate relationship. Sophia often wrote letters to the prince, calling him a dear and close person, but contemporaries do not confirm such rumors.

Sophia was a very religious person, and Golitsyn had a family. This made such a relationship between them impossible. In the letters it was more about spiritual love.

During the reign of her predecessors, many tasks were set before the country, and Princess Sophia had to solve them.

Domestic political activity

Domestic policy during the years of her reign did not undergo any special changes, compared with previous periods.

The actions of the schismatics led to increased persecution against them. In special decrees of 1682 and 1684, it was ordered to seek and execute anyone who did not attend official churches.

In the document "12 articles", published by Sophia in 1685, punishments for schismatics were listed, which did not exclude the burning of apostates

The “burnout epidemic” that flared up in the country, when the Old Believers burned themselves not only with their families, but also with entire settlements, was a response to these decisions.

Even under Fyodor Alekseevich, in 1681, a rather powerful uprising of the Bashkirs began, associated with their forced Christianization. The government of Sophia managed to successfully negotiate with the leaders of the Bashkirs and cancel the forced Christianization in 1684. The uprising was stopped.

Sophia, like her predecessors, took care of the development of trade and the creation of manufactory production. To this end, she approved a unified system of measures and weights. Foreign entrepreneurs received great benefits in Russia, so they were more active in trade and business activities here.

Land surveying in favor of the nobility, supporting the royal power, which was begun by her brother Fyodor Alekseevich, was continued under her. The difference between the estate and the estate gradually disappeared. Fugitive peasants were not searched so actively. Serfdom for debts was toned down.

In the field of military affairs, the policy of the previous period was also continued: the regiments of the new system gradually gained leading positions. But there were no officers. Therefore, it was necessary to invite foreigners to these positions, as before.

But the archers were unhappy with Sophia. Constant absences from home due to military campaigns and drills did not allow them to engage in trade and crafts, which were their main occupation.

In 1687, an important event took place in the culture of the country: the opening of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, which marked the beginning of higher education.

Representatives of various classes were taken into it for training.

Sophia continued the course towards the gradual Europeanization of the country, begun by her father and brother.

Foreign specialists were still invited, especially teachers. A small number of children of boyars and nobles were sent to study abroad.

However, Sophia did not accept the principles of the activity of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, already approved by Fedor Alekseevich, which provided for her complete independence and independence, including in political life.

By decision of Sophia and with the participation of Golitsyn, the All Saints stone bridge was finally built. His project has been collecting dust in one of the orders for several decades.

Moscow was gradually changing: stone buildings were built more and more often, and the city began to burn out less during fires.

Sophia, who received an excellent education, was a trendsetter in the field of cultural leisure of the capital: music lessons and writing poetry are becoming commonplace in the homes of the capital's nobility.

The life of women in the royal chambers changed: the princesses began to live in their own courtyards, became interested in Polish fashion, and made trips to the city.

Foreign policy activity

The foreign policy of Sofya Alekseevna was quite active, and Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn was here in the first roles.

In 1686, "Eternal Peace" was signed with the Commonwealth. It led to the recognition of Russia's conquests in the west, both in the Left-Bank Ukraine and in Chernigov and Smolensk.

But this treaty obliged Russia to join the anti-Turkish military-political union of Austria, Venice and the Commonwealth, which was called the Holy League.

To help the allies, Sophia promised to conduct a military campaign against the Crimean Khanate.

Indeed, in 1687 and 1689 such campaigns were organized by Prince Golitsyn.

For the Russian army, the consequences of the campaigns were sad. She suffered significant losses from advancing across the waterless steppe, the death of horses, lack of food and water, and wrong decisions of the command. But the decisive battle with the Turks did not happen

Unsuccessful campaigns undermined the authority of both Sofia Alekseevna and Vasily Golitsyn.

Nevertheless, these unsuccessful campaigns raised the country's prestige in the international arena, because in this way it attracted the attention of the main Crimean Turkish forces. This made it possible for the allies to win a number of victories over Turkey in their directions and stop its advance into Europe.

In 1689, the last major international document under Sophia's reign was signed: the Treaty of Nerchinsk with China.

For the first time, a partial border was drawn between the two countries. However, Russia lost the Amur region and the Albazin fortress along it. This was a completely expected result, because Russia had nothing to oppose to the Manchurian-Chinese army stationed near Nerchinsk: the country had no large military forces in this region, which China was well aware of.

Although the treaty was unsuccessful for Russia, Sophia decided to reward the negotiators with special award coins.

Relationship with brothers

Taking advantage of the infancy of the brothers, Sophia ruled almost autocratically for 7 years.

Young kings were invited only to important meetings with ambassadors or to holidays.

A special throne was designed and created for the brothers, in the back of which there was an opening covered with a curtain. Through him, Sophia helped them to have a conversation with foreign ambassadors.

During these years, Peter and his mother, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, were in the suburban royal residences: Preobrazhensky, Vorobyov, Kolomenskoye, Izmailovo, and indulged in war games with passion. Ivan was ill and did not deal with state affairs. Therefore, real power was concentrated in the hands of Sophia.

But Sophia understood that she was only a regent, and with the coming of age of the young kings, she would have to transfer power to them.

Fyodor Shaklovity, a very devoted person to Sophia, in 1687 tried to transfer power completely into her hands. He, being the head of the Streltsy order, persuaded the archers to a coup d'état, in every possible way denigrating the Naryshkins and Peter. But the idea was supported by only 5 people. The plan failed.

Sophia really wanted to keep the throne for the Miloslavskys. For the sake of this, she married her brother Ivan in 1684 to the beautiful Praskovya Saltykova, whose main task was to give birth to a son. This plan also failed. The marriage produced 5 girls.

Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna also understood the importance of the birth of a grandson. And she hurried to marry 16-year-old Peter to the pious and quiet beauty Evdokia Lopukhina. Nobody asked Peter's wish. In this marriage, a boy and heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei, was soon born.

The married brothers officially became adults, which means they no longer needed a regent: Sophia had to leave. Both Peter and herself understood this. But how she did not want to leave!

July 8, 1689 there was the first open quarrel between them. On this day, according to tradition, a religious procession took place in the Kazan Cathedral with the participation of both kings and Sophia. However, this time Peter sent an order to his sister not to attend the event. Sophia ignored the letter. Then Peter did not come to the procession, leaving the capital

Soon there was another collision. When Sophia rewarded the participants in the disastrous second Crimean campaign, Peter was strongly against it, since there was nothing to reward. Therefore, he did not accept the delegation that came to thank the king for the awards.

overthrow

At this time, a letter was planted in the princess's apartment, warning Sophia about the performance of the amusing Peter against the Miloslavskys.

Fyodor Shaklovity strengthened the protection of the Kremlin and again began to call on the archers to depose Peter. Later there were rumors that the letter was planted on them. But the archers again did not support this plan. And two even managed to escape at night to Peter to warn of the danger.

Peter galloped off at night to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Behind him went his wife, mother, boyars devoted to him and amusing regiments, which had already become some real force in the state. There, Peter issued an order obliging the entire archery command to come to him.

Sophia was in despair. She tried to reconcile with her brother. A delegation from the boyars was sent to him for negotiations. The king sent them away with nothing. The patriarch, on whom she counted, remained with Peter. She went to her brother herself. He ordered her to return home.

Peter demanded to extradite the organizers of the conspiracy and, first of all, the head of the Streltsy order, Fyodor Shaklovity. Sophia spoke to the archers and townspeople and promised a reward for loyalty. She also reminded that the families of those who fled to Peter remained in the capital, which means that they were in her power.

Foreigners serving in Moscow supported Peter. The archers began to threaten Sofya if she did not betray Shaklovity to Peter. She had to comply. Her last hope was Prince Golitsyn, but Peter did not accept him either.

Shaklovity was tortured and confessed to everything. He called Prince Golitsyn his accomplice in the conspiracy. However, the prince's brother, Boris, was close to the king. Therefore, Prince Vasily lost only the boyar rank, saving his head, and was expelled from the capital.

Shaklovity was executed. Sophia was sent to the Novodevichy Convent. Peter wrote a letter to his brother and co-ruler Ivan, in which he promised to honor him as a father and rule jointly.

At the Novodevichy Convent

The living conditions in the monastery for the princess were very decent. She was allowed to move throughout the territory of the monastery. However, the entrance from the monastery was closed to her. The guard at the gate kept a vigilant eye on this.

Relatives had no restrictions on visiting her. And even food was delivered to her every day from the palace kitchen. She was left with servants and instead of a cramped cell, she was given a large room.

In 1697, just before the departure of Peter I to Europe with the Great Embassy, ​​a conspiracy of a small group of archers against the tsar was discovered. None of them mentioned Sophia during the interrogation. However, her security was strengthened.

While the tsar was away, the archers, dissatisfied with the service far from home, left the service and went to Moscow, putting forward their demands.

Their performance was suppressed. The organizers of the performance were executed. The rest are sent under guard to monasteries or prisons.

But Peter I interrupted his trip to Europe and in 1698 returned to Moscow to personally conduct an investigation.

The surviving rebels were taken to the capital from all prisons. The purpose of the inquiry was to discover the connection of the rebels with Princess Sophia. The torture forced some to talk about a letter allegedly written by Sophia, which spoke of the overthrow of Peter. But the letter itself was never found, and Sophia did not admit guilt.

The last executions of the rebels ended in February 1699. And to intimidate his sister under the windows of her cell, Peter I ordered 195 rebels to be hanged and forbade the removal of the bodies of the murdered throughout Moscow until spring.

Sophia was forcibly tonsured to a monastery, giving her a new name - Susanna. Since that time, she has been under relentless control. The sisters could now visit her only at Easter.

On July 3, 1704, she died quietly in her cell.

conclusions

As a result of an analysis of the reign of Sofya Alekseevna, it is clearly seen that she was not at all an opponent of the policy of Peter I. On the contrary, he continued many of her undertakings.

But, unlike Peter I, who received a European education through Simeon of Polotsk and was brought up in deep respect for domestic traditions, Sophia tried to bring elements of European culture into Russian reality gently and without violence. But it was a slow path.

The scale of Sophia's personality was such that even Peter I, not loving his sister, recognized her merits. After the end of the last meeting with her in the Novodevichy Convent, he said this about her.