1629 - 1676 (46 years)
Has more than 100 ancestors and 47 descendants in this family tree.
1627 - 1679 (51 years)
Birth |
22 Apr 1627 |
Died |
8 Feb 1679 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1628 - 1629 (0 years)
Birth |
20 Apr 1628 |
Died |
25 Jan 1629 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1629 - 1676 (46 years)
Birth |
20 Mar 1629 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Died |
9 Feb 1676 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Family 1 |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
| 1. Dmitri Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1648 |
| 2. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1650 |
| 3. Marfa Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1652 |
| 4. Alexei Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1654 |
| 5. Anna Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1655 |
| 6. Tsaar Fjodor III Romanoff, b. 1656 |
| 7. Sophia Romanoff, b. 1657 |
| 8. Ekaterina Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1658 |
| 9. Maria Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1660 |
| 10. Feodosia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1662 |
| 11. Simeon ( Romanoff, b. 1665 |
+ | 12. Tsaar Iwan V Romanoff, b. 27 Aug 1666 |
| 13. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1669 |
|
|
Family 2 |
Natalia Narishkine, b. 1 Sep 1651 |
Married |
1 Feb 1671 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
+ | 1. Tsaar Peter I "de grote" Romanoff, b. 9 Jun 1672, Moskva, Rossiya |
| 2. Natalya Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1673 |
| 3. Fyodora Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1674 |
|
|
1626 - 1669 (43 years)
Birth |
1626 |
Died |
14 Mar 1669 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Family |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
| 1. Dmitri Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1648 |
| 2. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1650 |
| 3. Marfa Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1652 |
| 4. Alexei Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1654 |
| 5. Anna Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1655 |
| 6. Tsaar Fjodor III Romanoff, b. 1656 |
| 7. Sophia Romanoff, b. 1657 |
| 8. Ekaterina Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1658 |
| 9. Maria Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1660 |
| 10. Feodosia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1662 |
| 11. Simeon ( Romanoff, b. 1665 |
+ | 12. Tsaar Iwan V Romanoff, b. 27 Aug 1666 |
| 13. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1669 |
|
|
1651 - 1694 (42 years)
Birth |
1 Sep 1651 |
Died |
4 Feb 1694 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Father |
Kirill Poleukhtevitch Narishkine |
Mother |
Anna Leontievna Leontieff |
|
Family |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Married |
1 Feb 1671 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
+ | 1. Tsaar Peter I "de grote" Romanoff, b. 9 Jun 1672, Moskva, Rossiya |
| 2. Natalya Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1673 |
| 3. Fyodora Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1674 |
|
|
1631 - 1676 (45 years)
Birth |
14 Aug 1631 |
Died |
29 Sep 1676 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1629 - 1676 (46 years)
Birth |
9 May 1629 |
Died |
29 Jan 1676 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1633 - 1639 (5 years)
Birth |
1 Jun 1633 |
Died |
10 Jan 1639 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1634 - 1636 (1 year)
Birth |
14 Sep 1634 |
Died |
23 Apr 1636 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1636 - 1706 (70 years)
Birth |
5 Jan 1636 |
Died |
23 Aug 1706 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1637 - 1637 (0 years)
Birth |
1637 |
Died |
10 Feb 1637 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1639 - 1639 (0 years)
Birth |
1638-1639 |
Died |
25 Mar 1639 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1596 - 1645 (49 years)
Birth |
23 Jul 1596 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Died |
23 Jul 1645 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Father |
Erzbischof Feodor Nikitich Romanov, b. Abt 1550 |
Mother |
Ksenia Ivanovna Shestova |
|
Family 1 |
Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, b. 1601 |
Married |
Oct 1624 |
Children |
| 1. NN Romanoff, b. Jan 1725 |
|
|
Family 2 |
Evdokia Stryeshneff, b. 1608 |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
| 1. Irina Mikhailovna Romanoff, b. 22 Apr 1627 |
| 2. Pelagiya Romanoff, b. 20 Apr 1628 |
+ | 3. Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
| 4. Anna Romanoff, b. 14 Aug 1631 |
| 5. Marfa Romanoff, b. 9 May 1629 |
| 6. Ivan Romanoff, b. 1 Jun 1633 |
| 7. Sofiya Romanoff, b. 14 Sep 1634 |
| 8. Tatyana Romanoff, b. 5 Jan 1636 |
| 9. Yevdokiya Romanoff, b. 1637 |
| 10. Vasily Romanoff, b. 1638-1639 |
|
|
1608 - 1645 (37 years)
Birth |
1608 |
Died |
28 Aug 1645 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Father |
Loukiane Stepanovitch Stryeshneff |
Mother |
Anna Constantinovna Yushkoff |
|
Family |
Tsaar Mikhail Fodorowitsj Romanoff, b. 23 Jul 1596, Moskva, Rossiya |
Married |
15 Feb 1626 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
| 1. Irina Mikhailovna Romanoff, b. 22 Apr 1627 |
| 2. Pelagiya Romanoff, b. 20 Apr 1628 |
+ | 3. Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
| 4. Anna Romanoff, b. 14 Aug 1631 |
| 5. Marfa Romanoff, b. 9 May 1629 |
| 6. Ivan Romanoff, b. 1 Jun 1633 |
| 7. Sofiya Romanoff, b. 14 Sep 1634 |
| 8. Tatyana Romanoff, b. 5 Jan 1636 |
| 9. Yevdokiya Romanoff, b. 1637 |
| 10. Vasily Romanoff, b. 1638-1639 |
|
|
1626 - 1669 (43 years)
Birth |
1626 |
Died |
14 Mar 1669 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Family |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
| 1. Dmitri Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1648 |
| 2. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1650 |
| 3. Marfa Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1652 |
| 4. Alexei Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1654 |
| 5. Anna Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1655 |
| 6. Tsaar Fjodor III Romanoff, b. 1656 |
| 7. Sophia Romanoff, b. 1657 |
| 8. Ekaterina Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1658 |
| 9. Maria Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1660 |
| 10. Feodosia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1662 |
| 11. Simeon ( Romanoff, b. 1665 |
+ | 12. Tsaar Iwan V Romanoff, b. 27 Aug 1666 |
| 13. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1669 |
|
|
1648 - 1649 (1 year)
Birth |
1648 |
Died |
1649 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1650 - 1712 (62 years)
Birth |
1650 |
Died |
1712 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1652 - 1707 (55 years)
Birth |
1652 |
Died |
1707 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1654 - 1670 (16 years)
Birth |
1654 |
Died |
1670 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1655 - 1659 (4 years)
Birth |
1655 |
Died |
1659 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1656 - 1682 (26 years)
Birth |
1656 |
Died |
1682 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1657 - 1714 (57 years)
Birth |
1657 |
Died |
1714 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1658 - 1718 (60 years)
Birth |
1658 |
Died |
1718 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1660 - 1723 (63 years)
Birth |
1660 |
Died |
1723 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1662 - 1713 (51 years)
Birth |
1662 |
Died |
1713 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1665 - 1669 (4 years)
Birth |
1665 |
Died |
1669 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1666 - 1696 (29 years)
Birth |
27 Aug 1666 |
Died |
29 Jan 1696 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Family |
Praskowja Saltykowa, b. 12 Oct 1664 |
Children |
| 1. Maria Ivanovna Romanoff, b. 1689 |
| 2. Feodosia Ivanovna Romanoff, b. 1690 |
+ | 3. Prinzessin Ekaterina Iwanowna Romanoff, b. Jul 1692 |
| 4. Tsarin Anna Iwanowna Romanoff, b. 28 Jan 1693 |
| 5. Praskovia Ivanovna Romanoff, b. 1694 |
|
|
1669 - 1669 (0 years)
Birth |
1669 |
Died |
1669 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 |
Married |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1651 - 1694 (42 years)
Birth |
1 Sep 1651 |
Died |
4 Feb 1694 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Father |
Kirill Poleukhtevitch Narishkine |
Mother |
Anna Leontievna Leontieff |
|
Family |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Married |
1 Feb 1671 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
+ | 1. Tsaar Peter I "de grote" Romanoff, b. 9 Jun 1672, Moskva, Rossiya |
| 2. Natalya Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1673 |
| 3. Fyodora Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1674 |
|
|
1672 - 1725 (52 years)
Nickname |
de grote |
Birth |
9 Jun 1672 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Died |
8 Feb 1725 |
St. Petersburg, Rossiya |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Natalia Narishkine, b. 1 Sep 1651 |
Married |
1 Feb 1671 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
Family 1 |
Eudoxia Lapoetchina, b. 9 Aug 1669, Moskva, Rossiya |
Married |
1689 |
Divorced |
1698 |
Children |
+ | 1. Alexej Petrowitsch Romanoff, b. 18 Feb 1690 |
| 2. Alexander Petrovich Romanoff, b. 13 Oct 1691 |
| 3. Paul Petrovich Romanoff, b. 1693 |
|
|
Family 2 |
Ekaterina I, b. 24 Feb 1684, Dorpat, Esthonia |
Married |
1 Mar 1712 |
Warsaw |
Children |
| 1. Pavel Romanoff, b. 1704 |
| 2. Peter Romanoff, b. 1705 |
| 3. Catherine Romanoff, b. 7 Feb 1707 |
+ | 4. Anna Petrowna Romanoff, b. 7 Feb 1708, Moskva, Rossiya |
| 5. Tsarin Elizabeth Petrovna Romanoff, b. 18 Dec 1709 |
| 6. Peter Romanoff, b. 1715 |
| 7. Maria Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1713 |
| 8. Margarita Romanoff, b. 19 Sep 1714 |
| 9. Peter Romanoff, b. 15 Nov 1715 |
| 10. Pavel Romanoff, b. 13 Jan 1717 |
| 11. Natalia Romanoff, b. 31 Aug 1718 |
| 12. NN Romanoff, b. 1720 |
| 13. Peter Romanoff, b. 7 Oct 1723 |
|
|
1673 - 1716 (43 years)
Birth |
1673 |
Died |
1716 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Natalia Narishkine, b. 1 Sep 1651 |
Married |
1 Feb 1671 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
1674 - 1677 (3 years)
Birth |
1674 |
Died |
1677 |
|
Father |
Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya |
Mother |
Natalia Narishkine, b. 1 Sep 1651 |
Married |
1 Feb 1671 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
|
-
Name |
Alexei Romanoff |
Prefix |
Tsaar |
Birth |
20 Mar 1629 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Gender |
Male |
Death |
9 Feb 1676 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Siblings |
9 Siblings |
| 1. Irina Mikhailovna Romanoff, b. 22 Apr 1627 d. 8 Feb 1679 (Age 51 years) | | 2. Pelagiya Romanoff, b. 20 Apr 1628 d. 25 Jan 1629 (Age 0 years) | + | 3. Tsaar Alexei Romanoff, b. 20 Mar 1629, Moskva, Rossiya d. 9 Feb 1676, Moskva, Rossiya (Age 46 years) ▻ Anna Miloslawskaja, m. 26 Jan 1648 ; Natalia Narishkine, m. 1 Feb 1671 | | 4. Anna Romanoff, b. 14 Aug 1631 d. 29 Sep 1676 (Age 45 years) | | 5. Marfa Romanoff, b. 9 May 1629 d. 29 Jan 1676 (Age 46 years) | | 6. Ivan Romanoff, b. 1 Jun 1633 d. 10 Jan 1639 (Age 5 years) | | 7. Sofiya Romanoff, b. 14 Sep 1634 d. 23 Apr 1636 (Age 1 year) | | 8. Tatyana Romanoff, b. 5 Jan 1636 d. 23 Aug 1706 (Age 70 years) | | 9. Yevdokiya Romanoff, b. 1637 d. 10 Feb 1637 (Age 0 years) | | 10. Vasily Romanoff, b. 1638-1639 d. 25 Mar 1639 (Age 0 years) | |
Person ID |
I10732 |
Geneagraphie |
Last Modified |
16 Sep 2009 |
Family 1 |
Anna Miloslawskaja, b. 1626 d. 14 Mar 1669, Moskva, Rossiya (Age 43 years) |
Marriage |
26 Jan 1648 |
Moskva, Rossiya |
Children |
| 1. Dmitri Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1648 d. 1649 (Age 1 year) |
| 2. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1650 d. 1712 (Age 62 years) |
| 3. Marfa Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1652 d. 1707 (Age 55 years) |
| 4. Alexei Alexeevich Romanoff, b. 1654 d. 1670 (Age 16 years) |
| 5. Anna Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1655 d. 1659 (Age 4 years) |
| 6. Tsaar Fjodor III Romanoff, b. 1656 d. 1682 (Age 26 years) |
| 7. Sophia Romanoff, b. 1657 d. 1714 (Age 57 years) |
| 8. Ekaterina Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1658 d. 1718 (Age 60 years) |
| 9. Maria Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1660 d. 1723 (Age 63 years) |
| 10. Feodosia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1662 d. 1713 (Age 51 years) |
| 11. Simeon ( Romanoff, b. 1665 d. 1669 (Age 4 years) |
+ | 12. Tsaar Iwan V Romanoff, b. 27 Aug 1666 d. 29 Jan 1696 (Age 29 years) |
| 13. Yevdokia Alexeevna Romanoff, b. 1669 d. 1669 (Age 0 years) |
|
Family ID |
F4043 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Last Modified |
29 Aug 2000 |
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Notes |
- Tsaar van Rusland, 1645-1676
Alexei acceded to the throne at the age of sixteen after his father's death on 12 July 1645. He was committed to the care of the boyar Boris Morozov , a shrewd and sensible guardian sufficiently enlightened to recognize the needs of his country, and by no means inaccessible to Western ideas.
Morozov's foreign policy was pacificatory. He secured a truce with Poland and carefully avoided complications with the Ottoman Empire . His domestic policy was scrupulously fair and aimed at relieving the public burdens by limiting the privileges of foreign traders and abolishing a great many useless and expensive court offices. On 17 January 1648 Morozov procured the marriage of the tsar with Maria Miloslavskaya , himself marrying her sister, Anna, ten days later, both daughters of Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky (1594 - 1668).
Morozov was very unpopular however, regarded as a typical self-seeking 17th-century boyar, and was generally detested and accused of sorcery and witchcraft . In May 1648 the people of Moscow rose against them in the so-called Salt Riot , and the young Tsar was compelled to dismiss them and exile Boris to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery . Suffering from the forced separation, Alexei sent many tender letters to his mentor, and urged the guards to treat him as civilly as possible.
The successful issue of the Moscow riots was the occasion of disquieting disturbances all over the tsardom culminating in dangerous rebellions at Pskov and Great Novgorod , with which the government was so unable to cope that they surrendered, practically granting the malcontents their own terms. One man only had displayed equal tact and courage at Great Novgorod, the metropolitan Nikon , who in consequence became in 1651 the Tsar's chief minister.
In 1653 the weakness and disorder of Poland, which had just emerged from the Khmelnytsky Uprising , encouraged Alexei to attempt to annex from her rival the old Rus' lands. On 1 October 1653 a national assembly met at Moscow to sanction the war and find the means of carrying it out, and in April 1654 the army was blessed by Nikon (now patriarch). The campaign of 1654 was an uninterrupted triumph, and scores of towns, including the important fortress of Smolensk , fell into the hands of the Russians. It was also during this war that Ukrainian Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky appealed to Tsar Alexei for protection from the Poles, and got it in the form of the Treaty of Pereyaslav which brought about Russian dominance of the Cossack Hetmanate in Left-Bank Ukraine .
In January 1655 the rout of Akhmatov arrested their progress; but in the summer of the same year, the sudden invasion by Charles X of Sweden for the moment swept the Polish state out of existence; the Russians, unopposed, quickly appropriated nearly everything which was not already occupied by the Swedes, and when at last the Poles offered to negotiate, the whole grand-duchy of Lithuania was the least of the demands of Alexei. Fortunately for Poland, the Tsar and the king of Sweden now quarrelled over the apportionment of the spoils, and at the end of May 1656 Alexei, encouraged by the Habsburg emperor and the other enemies of Sweden, declared war .
Great things were expected of the Swedish war, but nothing came of it. Dorpat was taken, but countless multitudes were lost in vain before Riga . In the meantime Poland had so far recovered herself as to become a much more dangerous foe than Sweden, and, as it was impossible to wage war with both simultaneously, the Tsar resolved to rid himself of the Swedes first. This he did by the Peace of Kardis ( 2 July 1661), whereby Russia retroceded all her conquests. The Polish war dragged on for six years longer and was then concluded by a truce, nominally for thirteen years, which proved the most durable of treaties.
By the Treaty of Andrusovo ( 11 February 1667) Vitebsk , Polotsk and Polish Livonia were restored to Poland, but the infinitely more important Smolensk and Kiev remained in the hands of Russia together with the whole eastern bank of the Dnieper River. This truce was the achievement of Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin , the first Russian chancellor and diplomat in the modern sense, who after the disgrace of Nikon became the Tsar's first minister till 1670, when he was superseded by the equally able Artamon Matveyev , whose beneficent influence prevailed to the end of Alexei's reign.
When Charles I of England was beheaded by the Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell in 1649, an outraged Alexei broke off diplomatic relations with England and accepted Royalist refugees in Moscow. He also banned all English merchants from his country and provided financial assistance to "the disconsolate widow of that glorious martyr, King Charles I."
It is the crowning merit of the Tsar Alexei that he discovered so many great men (like Fyodor Rtishchev , Ordin, Matveyev, the best of Peter's precursors) and suitably employed them. He was not a man of superior strength of character, or he would never have submitted to the dictation of Nikon. But, on the other hand, he was naturally, if timorously, progressive, or he would never have encouraged the great reforming boyar Matveyev. His last years, notwithstanding the terrible rebellion of Stenka Razin , were deservedly tranquil.
Alexei's letters have earned him a place in the history of Russian literature , as assessed by D.S. Mirsky :
A few private letters and an instruction to his falconers is all we have of him. But it is sufficient for Sergey Platonov to proclaim him the most attractive of Russian monarchs. He acquired the moniker Tishayshy, which means "most quiet" or "most peaceful". Certain aspects of Russian Orthodoxy , not its most purely spiritual, but its aesthetic and worldly aspects, found in him their most complete expression. The essence of Alexei's personality is a certain spiritual Epicureanism , manifested in an optimistic Christian faith, in a profound, but unfanatical, attachment to the traditions and ritual of the Church, in a desire to see everyone round him happy and at peace, and in a highly developed capacity to extract a quiet and mellow enjoyment from all things
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