Service People of the Border Fortress on the Volga at the Beginning of Mikhail Romanov’s Reign

Abstract

The Volga cities played an important role during the Time of Troubles, but the history of Samara has not been studied enough. There is practically no information about the voivodes and the garrison of Samara from 1602 to 1614. Newly discovered sources allow to correct this gap in historiography. It is known that there were 300 gunmen in Samara and 205 gunmen came to Samara from the destroyed Saratov. Despite the frequent change of power in Moscow, Samara remained loyal to the central authorities, particularly to Tsar Mikhail Romanov elected in 1613. False Dmitry II and his son Ivan (“Vorionok”) from Marina Mnishek, who failed to gain recognition in Moscow, did not receive support in Samara. The consistent identification of the Samara garrison and its commanders with the supreme authority served as a defense against internal unrest. In the face of an external threat, this factor saved Samara from the fate of Saratov and Tsaritsyn that disappeared during the Time of Troubles. Also the courage of the defenders of Samara was supported by the prophecy of Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, stated that the enemy would never capture this city. The article shows that in the Time of Troubles, the Samara fortress continued to be a reliable outpost on the southeastern border of Russia. The fortress had to play an important role, first of all, in the fight against internal enemies. After the liberation of Moscow from the invaders and the election of Mikhail Romanov as the Tsar ataman Zarutsky made the last serious attempt to struggle against the new dynasty in the Volga region. Before the government army went on the offensive in 1614, the rebel movement was restrained by the Samara garrison and by its voivode D. P. Pozharsky-Lopata. They also contributed to ensuring ties with the countries of the East, to the restoration of the Volga route, and eventually to the revival of national statehood. After 1614 the Samara authorities returned to “routine” duties to protect trade routes from robbers instead of fighting against the dangerous anti-government movement.