Michael of Russia

Michael I was the first Tsar of the House of Romanov. He ruled Russia from 1613 until his death in 1645. His reign marked the end of a chaotic era known as the Time of Troubles. Before Michael, the Rurik dynasty had ruled the land. The Romanov family succeeded them and would lead Russia for many years.

Michael's path to the throne began with a special election. In February 1613, a large council called the Zemsky Sobor met to choose a leader. This council included 700 delegates. They needed a compromise candidate to bring stability to the country. After considering several other princes from Poland, Austria, and Sweden, they chose Michael.

At the time, he was only sixteen years old. The delegates found him at the Ipatiev Monastery near Kostroma. His mother, Xenia Shestova, initially protested his election. She believed he was too young for such a difficult job.

Life for Michael and his family had been quite difficult. When he was a young boy, he and his mother were exiled to Beloozero. This happened because Boris Godunov, who became Tsar in 1598, accused Michael's father of treason. Michael's father, Feodor Nikitich Romanov, was later held as a prisoner in Poland. This captivity influenced the patriotic mood of the Russian elite. Eventually, peace treaties changed the course of Michael's reign.

Michael had to manage several wars to secure Russia's borders. In 1617, the Peace of Stolbovo ended the Ingrian War with Sweden. Russia lost territories like Ingria and parts of Karelia. However, Sweden officially recognized Michael as the rightful Tsar. In 1618, the Truce of Deulino ended the Polish–Muscovite War. This treaty was very important because it released Michael's father from Polish captivity.

Although Russia lost the city of Smolensk, the Polish king Władysław IV Vasa finally gave up his claim to the Russian throne. This was confirmed later by the Treaty of Polyanovka in 1634.

Upon his return, Michael's father became Patriarch Filaret. He was a very powerful religious and political leader. Filaret acted as the effective ruler of Russia until his death in 1633. He helped manage several important government offices, known as prikazes. One was the Posolsky Prikaz, which handled foreign affairs. Another was the Razryadny Prikaz, which managed administration and the military.

These offices were often run by professional clerks called dyaki to prevent power struggles between noble families.

While fighting wars in the west, Russia also expanded toward the east. During Michael's reign, the conquest of Siberia grew rapidly. This expansion was driven by Cossacks and funded by the Stroganov merchant family. In 1638, Michael appointed Pyotr Golovin as the first governor of Lensky Ostrog. This was a frontier fortress in what is now the Sakha Republic. By the end of his reign, Russian explorers had even reached the Sea of Okhotsk in the Pacific Ocean.

Michael's personal life was marked by both tragedy and large family growth. He was married three times. His first two wives died shortly after their marriages. His third wife, Eudoxia Streshneva, lived much longer. They had ten children together, though only four reached adulthood. These included the future Tsar Alexis and three daughters named Irina, Anna, and Tatyana. Michael's health declined toward the end of his life due to a leg injury from a horse accident. He died in July 1645 after suffering from several illnesses. His son, Alexis, succeeded him as Tsar.