(1645 – 1676)
After the death of Mikhail Fedorovich, Russia swore allegiance to his 16-year-old son, Alexei Mikhailovich. In the first years of the reign, he obeyed the influence of his tutor boyar Morozov, who became his closest adviser.
The influence grew even more when Morozov became related to the tsar. Alexei Mikhailovich married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, and a few days later Morozov married her sister.
Morozov was not honest and used his position to satisfy his personal interests.
The internal state of the state has not yet settled, the people suffered under the weight of taxes. The tax on salt and displeasure against Miloslavsky, who distributed advantageous places to his relatives, who oppressed the people with their covetousness, caused a rebellion (1640). The consequence of this insurrection was the removal from Morozov’s deeds and the reference to the Kirillov monastery.
In 1649 the Zemsky Sobor was convened in Moscow, the result of which was the publication of a new set of laws known as the “Cathedral Code”.
In 1648, Nikon was appointed Novgorod Metropolitan, and in 1652 – Patriarch. The Tsar gave him unlimited confidence and entrusted the management of the state during absences.
The most important thing of his patriarchate was the correction of liturgical books. In 1666, at the cathedral, at the suggestion of Nikon, it was decided to fix the liturgical books on ancient manuscripts.
Part of the clergy, displeased with Nikon for severity, rebelled and called these corrections a violation of the past. Individuals who disagree with Nikon’s reform, were called schismatics.
In 1666, Nikon was convicted, deprived of his rank and imprisoned in the Belozero Ferapontov Monastery at the spiritual cathedral, for unauthorized excommunication from the patriarchate, and also for antics against the tsar, the patriarchs and boyars. This same council approved all the books corrected by him.
The year 1652 was a revolt in Moscow because of financial difficulties.
From 1668 to 1671 – the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich was marked by a huge insurgency, in which Cossacks and peasants participated, led by Cossack Stenka Razin.
1654 – the famous uprising of the Ukrainian Cossacks against the Polish aristocracy ended in the deposition of Little Russia from Poland and its annexation to Moscow. The leader of this insurrection was Bogdan Khmelnitsky.
For the possession of Little Russia Alexei Mikhailovich had to wage two wars with Poland. The first war, from 1654 to 1656, the second – from 1658 to 1667.
In 1657 Bogdan Khmelnitsky died.
In 1661, the Cardisian world ended the war with the Swedes.
For his kindness, Alexei Mikhailovich got the name “Quiet”.
He was married twice. From Mary Miloslavskaya there were two sons, Fedor and John, and several daughters. From the marriage with Natalia Naryshkina was born in 1672, the son of Peter.