The early Romanovs are weak rulers.

Under Mikhail, state affairs are in the hands of the tsar's father, Filaret, who in 1619 becomes patriarch of the Orthodox Church.

Later, Mikhail's son Aleksey (r. 1645-76) relies on a boyar, Boris Morozov, to run his government.

Morozov abuses his position by exploiting the populace, and in 1648 Aleksey dismisses him in the wake of a popular uprising in Moscow.

The autocracy survives the Time of Troubles and the rule of weak or corrupt tsars because of the strength of the government's central bureaucracy.

Government functionaries continue to serve, regardless of the ruler's legitimacy or the boyar faction controlling the throne.

In the seventeenth century, the bureaucracy expands dramatically.

The number of government departments (prikazy; sing., prikaz) increases from twenty-two in 1613 to eighty by mid-century.

Although the departments often have overlapping and conflicting jurisdictions, the central government, through provincial governors, is able to control and regulate all social groups, as well as trade, manufacturing, and even the Orthodox Church.

Muscovy enters a period of continuous chaos.

The Time of Troubles includes a civil war in which a struggle over the throne is complicated by the machinations of rival boyar factions, the intervention of regional powers Poland and Sweden, and intense popular discontent.

The first False Dmitriy and his Polish garrison are overthrown, and a boyar, Vasiliy Shuyskiy, is proclaimed tsar in 1606.

In his attempt to retain the throne, Shuyskiy allies himself with the Swedes.

A second False Dmitriy, allied with the Poles, appears.

In 1610 this heir apparent is proclaimed tsar, and the Poles occupy Moscow.

The Polish presence leads to a patriotic revival among the Russians, and a new army, financed by northern merchants and blessed by the Orthodox Church, drives the Poles out.

In 1613 a new zemskiy sobor proclaims the boyar Mikhail Romanov as tsar, beginning the three-hundred-year reign of the Romanov family.

Muscovy is in chaos for more than a decade, but the institution of the autocracy remains intact.

Despite the tsar's persecution of the boyars, the townspeople's dissatisfaction, and the gradual enserfment of the peasantry, efforts at restricting the power of the tsar are only halfhearted.

Finding no institutional alternative to the autocracy, discontented Russians rally behind various pretenders to the throne.

During that period, the goal of political activity is to gain influence over the sitting autocrat or to place one's own candidate on the throne.

The boyars fight among themselves, the lower classes revolt blindly, and foreign armies occupy the Kremlin in Moscow, prompting many to accept tsarist absolutism as a necessary means to restoring order and unity in Muscovy.

Żółkiewski and the second False Dmitry, formerly reluctant allies, have begun to part ways.

The second False Dmitry has lost much of his influence over the Polish court, and Żółkiewski will eventually try to drive Dmitriy from the capital.

Żółkiewski soon begins maneuvering for a tsar of Polish origin, particularly the 15-year old Prince Władysław.

Previously during the Time of Troubles, the boyars had offered the throne to Władysław at least twice, in the hopes of having the liberal Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth end the despotic rule of their current tsars.

Through Żółkiewski's work, the pro-Polish factions among the boyars (composed of knyazes Fyodor Mstislavsky, Vasily Galitzine, Fyodor Sheremetev, Daniil Mezetsky and diaks Vasily Telepnyov and Tomiło Łagowski gain dominance and once again a majority of the boyars say that they will support Władysław for the throne, if he converts to Orthodoxy and if Poland–Lithuania returns the fortresses that they had captured in the war.

However, Sigismund, supported by some of the more devout szlachta, is completely opposed to the conversion of the prince.

From this point the planned Polish-Lithuanian-Muscovite union begins to fall apart.

Offended and angered by Sigismund, the boyars drag their feet on supporting Władysław–they are divided between electing Vasily Galitzine, Michael Romanov (also fifteen years old), or the second False Dmitriy.

Żółkiewski acts quickly, making promises without the consent of the still-absent king, and the boyars elects Władysław as the new tsar.

Żółkiewski has the most prominent of the opponents, Fyodor Romanov, Michael's father and the patriarch of Moscow, exiled from Russia in order to secure Polish support.

Vasli IV, the last male line Rurikid to rule Russia, is shaved as a monk and eventually transported to Warsaw by Zolkiewski.

He will die a prisoner in the castle of Gostynin, near Warsaw, in 1612.

East Europe (1612–1623 CE): Restoration of Stability and the Romanov Ascendancy

Political and Military Developments

End of the Time of Troubles

From 1612 to 1623 CE, Muscovy emerged from the chaotic "Time of Troubles," marked by the expulsion of foreign forces and restoration efforts by national militia led by Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin. The political crisis gradually subsided, paving the way for renewed stability.

Ascension of the Romanov Dynasty

In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land) elected Michael Romanov as tsar, establishing the Romanov dynasty. This event marked a significant turning point, ushering in an era of political stabilization, administrative reforms, and central authority reinforcement.

Territorial Management and Security

Muscovy strengthened its military defenses and administrative controls over regions destabilized during previous conflicts. Security measures were enhanced, and diplomatic relations with neighboring states, especially Poland-Lithuania and Sweden, were cautiously managed to avoid further conflicts.

Economic and Technological Developments

Economic Recovery and Trade Revival

Economic conditions improved significantly as stability returned. Trade routes reopened, and commerce revitalized urban economies, notably in Moscow and other significant trade hubs. Efforts were made to rehabilitate agricultural productivity and infrastructure.

Military and Infrastructure Innovations

Technological advancements, particularly in military fortifications and infrastructure, continued to enhance regional security and territorial control. Military tactics and siege capabilities were refined to prevent future instability.

Cultural and Artistic Developments

Cultural Revival and Patronage

Cultural activities regained momentum, benefiting from renewed royal and aristocratic patronage. Architectural projects flourished, and religious and secular arts experienced a resurgence, contributing to Muscovy’s renewed cultural vitality.

Intellectual and Literary Productivity

Intellectual activities, including chronicling and scholarly documentation, flourished during this recovery period. These endeavors recorded and analyzed political and social developments, reinforcing historical identity and cultural continuity.

Settlement Patterns and Urban Development

Urban Regeneration and Expansion

Cities, particularly Moscow, underwent significant regeneration and expansion, supported by strategic urban planning and improved infrastructure. Population growth resumed, and administrative effectiveness improved.

Strengthening Urban Fortifications

Efforts continued to strengthen and expand urban fortifications, providing robust security and stability essential for urban recovery and growth.

Social and Religious Developments

Restoring Social Cohesion

Societal cohesion steadily improved as political stability returned. Integration of diverse ethnic groups continued, facilitating administrative effectiveness and social harmony.

Orthodox Church’s Role in Rebuilding

The Orthodox Church played a critical role in rebuilding efforts, guiding moral recovery, supporting educational initiatives, and strengthening community structures, significantly aiding societal stability and cultural restoration.

Long-Term Consequences and Historical Significance

The era from 1612 to 1623 CE represented a significant recovery period for Muscovy, marked by the establishment of the Romanov dynasty and renewed political and social stability. These developments laid essential foundations for future territorial expansion, administrative reforms, and cultural flourishing in Russia.

The Russian boyars call a zemsky sobor (national council) in 1613 and on February 21 unanimously elect to offer the throne of the tsars to Ivan IV’s grandnephew, sixteen-year-old Michael Fyodorovich Romanov, a grandson of Ivan’s first wife’s brother Nikita.

Michael’s father, Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, is in Polish captivity.

Xenia Ivanovna Shestova, Michael’s mother, had been forced during Boris Godunov's repressions against the Romanovs to take a veil, changing her name to Martha (Russian: Marfa).

After several years of exile at Tolvuyskiy pogost, she had settled with her son at the Ipatiev Monastery near Kostroma.

Not until March 24 do the delegates of the council discover the young Tsar and his mother here, sending ambassadors to inform Mikhail about his election to the Russian throne.

As the previous tsars had been either killed or disgraced, Marfa at first opposes to bless her son and let him go to Moscow, protesting that her son is too young and tender for so difficult an office in such troublesome times.

At the last moment, however, Michael consents to accept the throne, but not till the weeping boyars had solemnly declared that if he persisted in his refusal they would hold him responsible to God for the utter destruction of Russia.

Marfa at last relents and blesses Michael with the icon Our Lady of St. Theodore, which is to become the palladium of the Romanov dynasty.

The young King Gustavus Adolphus, after succeeding to the Swedish throne in 1611, had decided to press his brother's claim to the Russian throne even after the Poles had been expelled from Moscow by the patriotic uprising of 1612 and Mikhail Romanov had been elected the new tsar.

While the Swedish statesmen envisage the creation of a Trans-Baltic dominion extending northwards to Archangelsk and eastwards to Vologda, Jacob De la Gardie, appointed Privy Councilor in 1613, and other Swedish soldiers, still holding Novgorod and Ingria, see the war as a reaction for their forces not receiving payment for their succor during the De la Gardie Campaign of July 1610.

The Swedish forces advance towards Tikhvin in 1613 and lay siege to the city, but are repulsed.

The Russian counter-offensive fails to regain Novgorod, however.

The Russian tsar refuses to commit his troops to battle and the war lumbers on.

In so dilapidated a condition is the Russian capital at this time that Michael has had to wait for several weeks at the Troitsa monastery, seventy-five miles (one hundred and twenty-one kilometers) from Moscow, before decent accommodation can be provided for him in the city.

Crowned on July 22, 1613, his first task is to clear the land of the robbers infesting it.

Marfa (or the "great nun" as she will come to be known) exerts great influence on her moribund and listless son.

She places her relatives, the Saltykovs, at the important posts in the government, which will lead to widespread corruption.

The Don Cossacks (who have figured in the Time of Troubles, chiefly as bandits and mercenary soldiers), the most numerous of the Cossack groups, swear allegiance to the new tsar in 1614 but remain largely independent under the government of their elected ataman.