Russia in the 16th century: politics, development

The 16th century in Russia is the time of the formation of a centralized Russian state. It is during this period that feudal fragmentation, a process characterizing the natural development of feudalism, is overcome. The cities are growing, the population is increasing, trade and foreign policy ties are developing. Changes in socio-economic character lead to imminent intensive exploitation of peasants and their subsequent enslavement.

The history of Russia in the 16th and 17th centuries is not easy - it is a period of the formation of statehood, the formation of the foundations. Bloody events, wars, attempts to defend themselves against the echoes of the Golden Horde and the Time of Troubles that followed them demanded a rigid hand of government, rallying the people.

The formation of a centralized state

The prerequisites for the reunification of Rus and the overcoming of feudal disunity were already outlined in the 13th century. This was especially noticeable in the Vladimir principality, located in the north-east. The development was interrupted by the invasion of the Tatar-Mongol, which not only hindered the unification process, but also caused considerable damage to the Russian people. The revival began only in the 14th century: the restoration of agriculture, the construction of cities, the establishment of economic ties. The Moscow princedom and Moscow gained more and more weight, the territory of which gradually grew. The development of Russia in the 16th century was on the way to increasing class contradictions. In order to subdue the peasants, the feudal lords had to act together, use new forms of political ties, and strengthen the central apparatus.

The second factor that contributed to the unification of the principalities and the centralization of power is a vulnerable foreign policy position. To fight against foreign invaders and the Golden Horde, it was necessary to unite all. Only in this way did the Russians succeed in winning the Kulikovo field and in the late 15th century. Finally cast off the Tatar-Mongol oppression, which lasted more than two hundred years.

The process of formation of a unified state was expressed first of all in the unification of territories of previously independent states into one great Moscow principality and in the changing political organization of society, the character of statehood. From the geographical point of view, the process was completed by the beginning of the 16th century, but the political apparatus was formed only to the second half.

Vasily III

It can be said that the 16th century in the history of Russia began with the reign of Basil III, who ascended the throne in 1505 at the age of 26. He was the second son of Ivan III the Great. The sovereign of all Russia was married twice. For the first time on the representative of the old boyar family Solomoniya Saburova (in the photo below - the reconstruction of the face on the skull). The wedding took place on 04.09.1505, but for 20 years of marriage she never gave birth to him an heir. The troubled prince demanded a divorce. He quickly received the consent of the church and boyar Duma. Such a case of official divorce with the subsequent reference of the wife to the monastery is unprecedented in the history of Russia.

The second wife of the monarch was Elena Glinskaya, coming from an old Lithuanian clan. She gave birth to two sons. Widowed in 1533, she literally made a coup d'etat at court, and Russia in the 16th century was the first to receive a ruler, however, not very popular among the boyars and the people.

The external and internal policy of Basil III, in fact, was a natural continuation of his father's actions, which were entirely aimed at centralizing power and strengthening the authority of the church.

Domestic policy

Vasily III advocated unlimited power of the sovereign. In the struggle against the feudal fragmentation of Russia and its supporters actively enjoyed the support of the church. With someone who was unsuccessful, it was easily dealt with, sending to exile or executing execution. The despotic character that was noticeable even in the years of his youth was fully manifested. In the years of his reign, the importance of the boyars at the court declines significantly, but the landed gentry increases. When implementing church policy, he preferred Josephis.

In 1497, Vasily III adopted a new Code of Law, based on the Russian Truth, Charter and Judicial Certificates, judgments on certain categories of issues. It was a code of laws and was created with the aim of systematizing and streamlining the then existing legal norms and was an important measure on the way to centralizing power. The Emperor actively supported the construction, during his reign, the Archangel Cathedral, the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Kolomenskoye, new settlements, fortresses and fortifications were erected. In addition, he actively, like his father, continued to "collect" Russian lands, adding the Pskov republic, Ryazan.

Relations with the Kazan Khanate under Vasily III

Russia's foreign policy in the 16th century, or rather, in the first half of it, is largely a reflection of the internal. The tsar sought to unite as many lands as possible, to subordinate them to the central government, which, in fact, can be regarded as the conquest of new territories. Having finished the Golden Horde, Russia almost immediately launched an offensive against the Khanate formed as a result of its disintegration. Turkey and the Crimean Khanate showed interest in Kazan, which was of great importance for Russia in connection with the fertility of lands and their successful strategic location, and also because of the constant threat of raids. In anticipation of the death of Ivan III in 1505, the Kazan khan began a sudden war, which lasted until 1507. After several defeats, the Russians were forced to retreat, and then make peace. History was repeated in 1522-1523, and then in 1530-1531. The Kazan Khanate did not give in until Ivan the Terrible entered the throne.

The Russian-Lithuanian War

The main reason for the military conflict is the desire of the Moscow prince to conquer and take control of all Russian lands, as well as Lithuania's attempt to take revenge for the last defeat in 1500-1503, which cost her a loss of 1-3 parts of all territories. Russia in the 16th century, after coming to power of Basil III, was in a rather complicated foreign policy situation. Defeated by the Kazan Khanate, she was forced to resist the Lithuanian principality, which signed an anti-Russian agreement with the Crimean Khan.

The war began as a result of Vasily III's refusal to fulfill the ultimatum (return of land) in the summer of 1507 after the attack on the Chernigov and Bryansk lands of the army of Lithuania and on the Verkhovsky princes - the Crimean Tatars. In 1508 the rulers began negotiations and concluded a peace agreement, according to which Lublich and the surrounding area were returned to the Lithuanian principality.

War of 1512-1522 years. Became a natural continuation of previous conflicts over the territory. Despite the concluded peace, relations between the sides were extremely tense, robberies continued, skirmishes on the borders continued. The reason for the active actions was the death of the Grand Duchess of Lithuania and her sister Vasily III Helena Ivanovna. The Lithuanian principality concluded another union with the Crimean Khanate, after which the latter began to make numerous raids in 1512. The Russian prince declared Sigismund I the war and put his main forces on Smolensk. In the following years a number of campaigns were carried out with varying success. One of the largest battles took place near Orsha on September 8, 1514. In 1521, both sides had different foreign policy problems, and they were forced to make peace for 5 years. According to the agreement, in the 16th century Russia received Smolensk lands, but at the same time refused to Vitebsk, Polotsk and Kiev, as well as from the return of prisoners of war.

Ivan IV (Grozny)

Vasily III died of the disease when his eldest son was only 3 years old. Foreseeing his imminent demise and the subsequent struggle for the throne (at that time the Emperor had two younger brothers Andrew Staritsky and Yuri Dmitrovsky), he formed a "seven-number" commission of the boyars. They were supposed to save Ivan before the 15th anniversary. In fact, the guardian council was in power for about a year, and then began to fall apart. Russia in the 16th century (1545) received a full-fledged ruler and first king in its history in the person of Ivan IV, known to the whole world under the name of Grozny. In the photo above - reconstruction of the shape of the skull.

It is impossible not to mention his family. Historians vary in numbers, naming the names of 6 or 7 women, who were considered the wives of the king. Some died a mysterious death, others were exiled to a monastery. Ivan the Terrible had three children. The elders (Ivan and Fedor) were born from the first wife, and the youngest (Dmitri Uglitsky) from the latter - MF Naga, who played a big role in the history of the country during the troubled times.

Reforms of Ivan the Terrible

Russia's domestic policy in the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible continued to focus on centralizing power, as well as building important state institutions. With this purpose in conjunction with the "Elected Rada" the tsar carried out a series of reforms. The most significant are the following.

• Organization of the Zemsky Sobor in 1549 as the highest estate-representative institution. All the estates were represented in it except for the peasantry.
• Adoption of a new judicial in 1550, which continued the policy of the previous regulatory act, and also for the first time legalized a unitary measure of taxes for all.
• Lip and Zemstvo reforms in the early fifties of the 16th century.
• The formation of a system of orders, including Chelobitny, Streletsky, Printed, etc.

The foreign policy of Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible developed in three directions: the southern one - the struggle against the Crimean Khanate, the eastern one - the expansion of the state borders and the western one - the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea.

In the east

After the collapse of the Golden Horde, the Astrakhan and Kazan khanates created a constant threat to Russian lands, the Volga trade route was concentrated in their hands . In total I. Grozny undertook three campaigns to Kazan, as a result of the latter, it was taken by storm (1552). Four years later, Astrakhan was annexed, in 1557 a large part of Bashkiria and Chuvashia joined the Russian state, and then the Nogai Horde recognized its dependence. Thus ended the bloody story. Russia at the end of the 16th century opened its way to Siberia. Rich industrialists, who received letters from the tsar to own land on the river Tobol, were equipped with their own money by a detachment of free Cossacks, led by Ermak.

In the West

In an attempt to gain access to the Baltic Sea for 25 years (1558-1583), Ivan IV waged a grueling Livonian War. Its beginning was accompanied by successful for Russian campaigns, 20 cities were taken, including Narva and Dorpat, the troops were approaching Tallinn and Riga. The Livonian order was defeated, but the war acquired a protracted character, as several European states were drawn into it. Great importance was played by the unification of Lithuania and Poland in Rzeczpospolita. The situation turned in the opposite direction and after a long confrontation in 1582 a truce was signed for 10 years. A year later, the Plyus truce was concluded, according to which Russia lost Livonia, but returned all the captured cities except Polotsk.

On South

In the south, the Crimean Khanate, still formed after the collapse of the Golden Horde, still did not give rest. The main task of the state in this direction was to strengthen the borders from the raids of the Crimean Tatars. For these purposes, actions have been taken to develop the Wild Field. Began to appear the first zasechnye features, i.e. defensive lines from the debris of the forest, in the intervals of which stood wooden forts (fortresses), in particular, Tula and Belgorod.

Tsar Feodor I

Ivan the Terrible died on March 18, 1584. The circumstances of the tsar's illness are being questioned by historians to this day. On the throne his son Fyodor Ioannovich ascended , having obtained this right after the death of Ivan's eldest son. According to Grozny himself, he was, more likely, a hermit and a fast, more suitable for church service, rather than for reign. Historians tend to believe that he was weak in health and intelligence. In the government of the new king participated little. He was under the care of first boyars and nobles, and then his enterprising brother-in-law Boris Godunov. The first reigned, and the second - ruled, and everyone knew it. Fedor I died on January 7, 1598, leaving no offspring and interrupting the Moscow Rurik dynasty itself.

Russia at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries was experiencing a deep socioeconomic and political crisis, the growth of which was facilitated by the protracted Livonian War, the Oprichnina and the Tatar invasion. All these circumstances eventually led to the Time of Troubles, which began with the struggle for the emptied royal throne.