The beginning of the Polish invasion
Using as a pretext the conclusion of the Russian-Swedish alliance against the Tushins, the Polish king Sigismund III, who claimed the throne of Sweden, usurped by his younger brother Charles IX, declared war on Russia. But this was not enough for the Polish king, and he came up with a "legal" way to seize the Russian throne. The king ordered Chancellor Lubensky to draw up a manifesto, which highlighted the following argument: that once the Polish king Boleslav II put Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavovich on the Kiev throne (even earlier Boleslav I returned the throne to Svyatopolk Vladimirovich). True, Boleslav and Izyaslav were quickly kicked out by the Russians, but they did not remember it. The main thing he put on the throne means that the Russian princes became vassals of the Polish kings. And since the family of these vassals was cut short, Sigismund has the right to dispose of "escheat property". Thus, a legal basis was laid for the complete conquest of the Russian kingdom. One of the king's confidants, Palchevsky, even published a work where it was substantiated that Russia should become for the Poles a kind of "New World", a huge colony. Russian "heretics" were to be baptized and converted into slaves, like the Spaniards of the Indians. The Polish lords then behaved in a similar way in the Western Russian lands (modern Belarus and Ukraine).
The campaign against the Russian kingdom was conceived by the Polish king even before the conclusion of the Vyborg Treaty between the Russians and the Swedes. Back in January 1609, the senators gave the king their consent to prepare for intervention within the Russian state. After the failure of the Tushinites to seize Moscow and the major defeats of the troops of Sapieha, Khmelevsky and Rozhinsky, the Polish elite clearly understood that they would not be able to achieve their goals of conquering the Russian kingdom with the help of False Dmitry II. Then they went to open intervention, deciding to use the extreme weakening of Russia and hoping to win in a lightning campaign, without dragging out the war. The Roman throne, the then "command post" of Western civilization, attached great importance to the Polish intervention against Russia-Russia. It is no coincidence that Pope Paul V, according to the custom of the Crusades, blessed the sword and helmet of the Polish king sent to Rome before the start of the campaign.
For Poland at that moment, favorable foreign policy conditions were formed so that she could start a war with the Russian state. The Lithuanian hetman Chodkevich, the best commander of the Commonwealth, with only a few thousand fighters, to smithereens crushed the 8-thousandth Swedish corps in the Baltic States, almost capturing King Charles IX. And Sweden agreed to a truce. In the southern strategic direction, the Ottoman Empire was associated with a war with Persia. Thus, Poland received a free hand.
The Polish leadership pondered two invasion plans. The crown hetman Zolkiewski proposed to attack the Severshchina, weakened by the rebellions (from where the first impostor began the invasion). And the Lithuanian Chancellor Lev Sapega, the uncle of Jan who fought in Russia, and the former ambassador, the Velizh mayor Gonsevsky, urged them to go to Smolensk and further to Moscow. Here personal selfish considerations also played a role - the Smolensk region adjoined their possessions and would have gone to the Lithuanian masters. In addition, intelligence reports received that most of the Smolensk fighters went to Skopin, only 1 of the 4 rifle orders remained, and the city was practically left without protection and would have to surrender without a fight. And the way through Smolensk to Moscow was shorter. The Polish lords hoped for a quick campaign, believed that many Russian cities themselves would open the gates to the king, as they had previously submitted to impostors, and the boyars would prefer him to the unpopular Vasily Shuisky and side with the strong.
True, there were problems with the collection of troops. There was little money to hire numerous mercenaries. The most violent gentry had already gone to Russia to the impostor, and the rest were in no hurry to serve. And the king was able to perform at the end of the summer, initially recruiting only 12, 5 thousand soldiers. But the Polish command traditionally overestimated its forces and underestimated the enemy, it was believed that a demonstration of force would be enough and the Russians themselves surrender, including the most powerful fortress in the west - Smolensk. Therefore, Sigismund III ordered his troops, concentrated near Orsha, to cross the Russian border and lay siege to Smolensk. On September 9, 1609, the Polish army of King Sigismund crossed the Russian border. On September 13, Krasny was captured, and on September 16, the siege of Smolensk began. Smolensk, contrary to expectations, could not take on the move and a long siege began.
Polish army. Siege of Smolensk. Painting by artist Juliusz Kossak
Battle on the Karin field
Meanwhile, Skopin was able to defeat the Tushins and liberate Moscow. Having completed the formation of the army, Skopin-Shuisky continued the liberation campaign and on October 9 took the strategically important Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda. The Polish garrison abandoned by Hetman Sapieha fled to the Tushino army, which was besieging the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Having occupied the former royal residence, Skopin-Shuisky was able to directly threaten the troops of the Polish hetman.
Skopin-Shuisky turned the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda into his temporary support base, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements: the detachment of Fyodor Sheremetev from Astrakhan and the regiments of Ivan Kurakin and Boris Lykov-Obolensky from Moscow. The number of Skopin's army increased to 20-25 thousand soldiers.
Anticipating the possibility of an attack by Sapieha's troops, Skopin-Shuisky applied the tactics that had already led to success: he ordered the construction of field fortifications - slingshots, nadolby, notches and outposts. At the same time, Skopin took measures to ease the pressure of the Tushin people on the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. The commander sent several flying troops under the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which now and then attacked Sapieha's army from different sides and threatened to break through its siege ring. So, on October 11, the Russian detachment went under Dmitrov, and on October 12, the Russian cavalry appeared 20 versts from the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, causing a commotion in the siege army of Sapieha. On October 16, the siege ring was temporarily torn apart and 300 Russian horsemen, led by D. Zherebtsov, were able to break into the besieged fortress to help the garrison.
Thus, the commander of the Polish-Tushino army, hetman Sapega found himself in a difficult position. The hetman had to attack the army of Shuisky again, but he could not lead the entire army to the battle with Skopin, since in that case he would have to leave the siege of the Trinity-Sergius monastery, where the besiegers spent a lot of time and effort. He had to split his army, leaving considerable forces at the monastery. Sapega was joined by hetman Rozhinsky from Tushino with 2 thousand hussars, as well as Colonel Stravinsky from Suzdal. The total number of the Polish-Lithuanian cavalry was 10 thousand people, and together with the infantry, the army was about 20 thousand people.
On October 28, 1609, the troops of Sapieha and Rozhinsky attacked Skopin's advanced cavalry hundreds, crushed them and drove them to the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda. However, continuing the attack, the Tushins ran into the field fortifications of the Russian army and were forced to stop, falling under the fire of the Russian archers. When the Tushins fled, they were attacked by the noble cavalry, cutting down the rear ranks. The hussars attacked again, and their onslaught crashed against gouges and notches. The battle lasted all day. The enemy cavalry was powerless over the tactics of the Russian commander. The Polish hetmans Sapega and Rozhinsky were never able to break through the Russian fortifications and, having suffered serious losses, by the evening ordered their troops to retreat. Sapega went to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Rozhinsky again left for Tushino.
This victory further increased the authority of the young commander, and caused jubilation in besieged Moscow. Skopin became the main hope of the city dwellers suffering from hunger and deprivation for salvation. As noted by the historian S. M. Soloviev: “The confused, shaken in its foundations Russian society suffered from the absence of a fulcrum, from the absence of a person to whom one could become attached, around whom one could concentrate. At last, Prince Skopin was such a person."
Skopin-Shuisky was even offered to become king himself. One of the leaders of the Ryazan nobles, Prokopy Lyapunov, a former associate of Bolotnikov, sent Skopin a letter in which he denounced Vasily Shuisky, hated by the people, and even offered help to the young commander, whom he extolled to heaven, in seizing the throne. Skopin, according to the chronicle, without having finished reading, tore the paper and even threatened to hand over Lyapunov's people to the tsar, but then relented and did not tell his uncle anything. Apparently, he did not want to deal with the adventurer Lyapunov, and he did not need his support.
Apparently, Skopin was not going to claim the throne and climb into the snake tangle of intrigues of that time. However, Tsar Vasily found out about what had happened and was clearly worried. Even more alarmed was Dmitry Shuisky, who hoped to inherit the crown in the event of the death of Vasily, who had no heirs and, moreover, greatly envied Skopin's military glory, since he himself had only defeats to his account. Thus, the military successes of Skopin saved the Russian kingdom and at the same time brought the death of the noble warrior closer.
Prince Skopin-Shuisky tears apart the diploma of the ambassadors of Lyapunov about the vocation to the kingdom. 19th century engraving
The collapse of the Tushino camp
After this victory, the detachments of Skopin-Shuisky began to blockade Hetman Sapieha in his own camp. The garrison of the monastery was strengthened and sorties began again from the fortress. In one of the sorties, the archers set fire to the wooden fortifications of the enemy camp. Sapega ordered to lift the siege. On January 22, 1610, the Polish-Tushino detachments withdrew from the monastery in the direction of Dmitrov.
The position of False Dmitry II near Moscow became hopeless. The Tushino camp was falling apart before our eyes. The Commonwealth entered the war with Russia; in September 1609, King Sigismund III laid siege to Smolensk. Tushino Poles at first perceived this with irritation, offered to form a confederation against the king and demand that he leave the country, which they already considered their own. However, hetman Sapega did not join them and demanded negotiations with the king. His position turned out to be the most significant. For his part, the Polish king sent commissars to Tushino, headed by Stanislav Stadnitsky. He demanded help from the Tushins, both from his subjects, and offered them extensive rewards both at the expense of Russia and in Poland. The Tushin Russians were promised the preservation of their faith and all customs and also rich rewards. Tushino Poles were seduced like many Russians. The impostor's attempt to remind himself and his “rights” provoked the following rebuff from Rozhinsky: “What is it to you, why did the commissars come to me? God knows who you are? We have shed enough blood for you, but we see no benefit. The hetman threatened the Tushino thief with reprisals.
December 10, 1609False Dmitry with loyal Cossacks tried to escape, but was captured and taken under actual arrest by Rozhinsky. However, at the end of December 1609, the impostor, Marina Mnishek and the Cossack ataman Ivan Zarutsky, with a small detachment, nevertheless secretly fled to Kaluga. A new camp was created there, but already of a patriotic, national color. False Dmitry II began to play an independent role. No longer wishing to be a toy in the hands of Polish mercenaries, the impostor was already appealing to the Russian people, frightening them with the king's desire to seize Russia and establish Catholicism. The Kaluga thief swore that he would not give up an inch of Russian land to the Poles, but that he would die together with all the people for the Orthodox faith. This appeal resonated with many. False Dmitry II again attracted many supporters, gathered an army and waged war with two sovereigns: Tsar Basil and King Sigismund III. Many cities swore allegiance to him again. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past, False Dmitry II closely watched that in his army there were twice as many Russians as foreigners.
The movement of False Dmitry II began to take on a national character, so it is no coincidence that many ardent supporters of the impostor later became active leaders of the First and Second militias. As in Tushino, Kaluga created its own state apparatus. The Kaluga "tsar" ordered to seize the Poles on the lands subject to him, and send all their property to Kaluga. Thus, the impostor and his government in the shortest possible time were able to improve their financial situation, expropriating the property plundered in the Russian kingdom by "Lithuania". And the dungeons were filled with foreign hostages, whom the Kaluga "thief" later ordered to execute, which was fair, given the totality of their crimes in Russia.
The Poles remaining in Tushino finally submitted to the king. On February 4, 1610, near Smolensk, the Tushino patriarch Filaret and the boyars concluded an agreement with Sigismund III, according to which the king's son Vladislav Zhigimontovich was to become the Russian tsar. A prerequisite was the acceptance of Orthodoxy by the prince. The Zemsky Sobor and the Boyar Duma received the rights of an independent legislative branch, while the Duma - and the judiciary. Tushino ambassadors swore: "As long as God gives us sovereign Vladislav for the Muscovite state", "to serve and direct and wish his sovereign father, the current most poignant king of Poland and the grand duke of Lithuania Zhigimont Ivanovich." Acting on behalf of Vladislav, Sigismund III generously granted the Tushins lands that did not belong to him.
The Tushino camp itself was soon lost. In the south, in Kaluga, troops loyal to False Dmitry II were concentrated; in the north, near Dmitrov, Skopin-Shuisky and the Swedes, who were hardly restrained by the Tushins, were pressing. In such conditions, Hetman Rozhinsky decided to withdraw to Volokolamsk. On March 6, the army set fire to the Tushino camp and set out on a campaign. The siege of Moscow finally ended. Rozhinsky soon died of "exhaustion", and his detachment disintegrated. Most of the Poles joined the king's army, and the Russians fled in all directions.
Arrival of Dmitry the Pretender (Tushinsky thief) to Kaluga after fleeing from Tushino. Painting by Russian artist Dmitriev-Orenburgsky.
Battle of Dmitrov. Arrival in Moscow and death of Skopin
Preparing for the final part and goal of his liberation campaign - the liberation of Moscow, Skopin-Shuisky, in a cold and snowy winter, formed flying squads of skiers of several thousand people from the warriors of the northern and Pomor cities, which even surpassed cavalry in maneuverability. They were the first to approach Dmitrov and defeated the strong outpost of Sapieha. The skiers did not dare to open battle in the field with the Lithuanian cavalry, but remained close to the city, blocking all roads. Sapieha's attempts to eliminate the blockade of the city with the help of his cavalry were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the main forces of the Skopin-Shuisky army approached the city. Since the assault on the city, fortified by a wooden-earthen Kremlin, could lead to large losses and foreign mercenaries refused to participate in it, Skopin-Shuisky chose to start a siege. Sapega could not be under siege for a long time. The Tushino camp collapsed, and no help could be expected from False Dmitry and Rozhinsky, just like Lisovsky, who went to the king. Sapega was forced to either seek his fortune in an open battle or flee.
On February 20, 1610, the battle of Dmitrov took place. Skopin's troops attacked the Sapieha Tushin Cossacks in Dmitrovsky Posad. The blow was so unexpected and strong that the fortifications were broken through and the Cossacks were defeated. Sapega moved Polish companies from the Kremlin to help, but it was too late. The Cossacks fled in panic, abandoning all guns, ammunition and all property, and crushed the Poles. Polish companies also suffered heavy losses and retreated to the Kremlin. In one day, the hetman lost most of his troops. The small Polish garrison that remained in Dmitrov, although it could defend the city walls, was no longer a serious danger. Soon the remnants of Sapieha's army left Dmitrov.
Skopin occupied Staritsa and Rzhev. He has already begun to prepare for the spring campaign. But at this time, Tsar Vasily ordered him to appear in Moscow to pay honors. Sensing unkindness, De la Gardie, who was friends with Skopin, dissuaded him from going, but the refusal looked like a mutiny. On March 12, 1610 Skopin solemnly entered the capital. The next sensible step of the Moscow government was to lift the siege of the Polish army from Smolensk, which had been holding the defenses for many months.
The townspeople enthusiastically greeted the winner of the Poles and Tushin people, prostrated themselves in front of him, kissed his clothes. The "Tale of the Victories of the Moscow State" says: "And there was great joy in Moscow, and in all the churches they began to ring the bells and send prayers to God, and all the great joys were filled with great joy. The people of the city of Moscow all praised the wise kind mind, and the good deeds, and the courage of Mikhail Vasilyevich Skopin-Shuisky. " Then the envious and narrow-minded Dmitry Shuisky seemed to have shouted: "Here comes my rival!" The growing popularity of Skopin aroused envy and apprehension among the tsar and the boyars. Among the people, many wanted to see the victorious Skopin-Shuisky on the royal throne, and not the hated Vasily Shuisky, especially since the Skopin-Shuisky family was an older branch of the Rurikids. Particularly unfriendly to Skopin-Shuisky was the talentless brother of the tsar Dmitry Shuisky, who was considered the heir of Vasily.
Entry of Shuisky and De la Gardie to Moscow. Artist V. Schwartz
At the feast at Prince Vorotynsky's, Dmitry's wife (daughter of Malyuta Skuratov) brought a cup of wine, after drinking from which Skopin-Shuisky felt unwell, blood gushed from his nose (Boris Godunov was eliminated in a similar way). After two weeks of torment, he died on the night of April 24, 1610. The crowd almost tore Dmitry Shuisky to pieces, but a detachment sent by the tsar saved his brother. The great Russian commander, who was only 23 years old, was buried in the new chapel of the Archangel Cathedral.
Many contemporaries and chroniclers directly blamed Vasily Shuisky and Skuratovna for the death. Foreigner Martin Behr, who was in Moscow, wrote: “The brave Skopin, who saved Russia, received poison from Vasily Shuisky as a reward. The tsar ordered him to be poisoned, annoyed that the Muscovites respected Skopin for his intelligence and courage more than himself. All Moscow plunged into sadness upon learning of the death of the great husband. Prokopy Lyapunov, a man knowledgeable in those matters, blamed the brothers in the eyes of the poisoning of Prince Mikhail - and went to False Dmitry II.
Thus, the Shuisky dynasty itself killed and buried its future. If Skopin-Shuisky had commanded in the battle of Klushino, where the talentless tsar's brother Dmitry suffered a complete defeat, his outcome would certainly have been different. But it was this military catastrophe that led to the collapse of the throne of Vasily Shuisky, complete anarchy began again in the state, Russia began to be torn apart. The Poles entered Moscow and took the Shuisky dynasty prisoner. All this, perhaps, could have been avoided in the event of the victory of the Russian army over the Poles.
Osprey trampling on the Polish-Lithuanian banners - a monument to Skopin-Shuisky in Kalyazin
