Alexei
Mikhailovich Romanov (Russian: Алексей Михайлович) (March 9, 1629 (O.S.) – January 29,
1676 (O.S.)) was the Tsar of Russia during some of the most eventful decades of
the mid-17th century. On the eve of his death in 1676, the Tsardom of Russia
spanned almost 2 billion acres (8 million square kilometers).
Silver kopeck - pre the Copper Riot
(the Moscow Uprising of 1662).
RARE
0.46 gr
The Copper
Riot, also known as the Moscow Uprising of 1662 (Russian: Медный бунт, Московское восстание 1662 года) was a major riot in Moscow, which
took place on July 25 of 1662.
The riot was
preceded by a gradual deterioration of the Russian economy due to the wars with
Poland and Sweden and sharp rise in taxes. In 1654, the Russian government
decided to begin issuing copper money in large quantities, equating them with
silver money. This government measure caused the devaluation of copper money,
which, in turn, would provoke profiteering on top priority goods and mass
production of counterfeit copper money with the involvement of some top
officials. By 1662, Russia had already been experiencing an acute financial
crisis.
A few days
before the riot, there had already been rumors about the so called vorovskiye
listki (воровские листки, or black lists), which contained the names
of those responsible for economic misfortunes. These lists would suddenly
appear posted in several neighborhoods of Moscow on the night of July 25. They
included the names of the "traitors", such as boyars Miloslavsky,
okolnichys Fyodor Rtishchev and Bogdan Khitrovo, diak D.M. Bashmakov, merchants
V.G. Shorin, S. Zadorin and others. All these people were accused of causing
economic collapse after the introduction of copper money and having secret ties
with Catholic Poland.
The Copper Riot
began on the early morning of July 25 and continued until afternoon. Up to
10,000 people took part in the civil unrest, mostly Muscovites (posad people,
soldiers, reiters, some of the streltsy from the Moscow garrison, kholops, and
peasants). After having read their proclamation, the insurgents made their way
to Kolomenskoye to meet with tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. They demanded to
surrender the "traitors" to the people and take steps towards
stabilizing of the economy. The tsar and boyars promised to lower the taxes and
conduct an investigation in accordance with the demands of the petition and
proclamation, presented by the angry crowd. The insurgents took the tsar’s word
for it and rushed back to Moscow, where, in the meanwhile, people were destroying
the households of the most hated merchants. After meeting halfway between
Moscow and Kolomenskoye, the two groups of insurgents went back to the tsar’s
residence to stand their ground. By the time they reached Kolomenskoye, a large
military force (6,000 to 10,000 soldiers) had already been assembled to counter
the rebels. Alexei Mikhailovich ordered a merciless suppression of the unrest.
As a result, up to 1,000 men were killed, hanged, or drowned in the Moscow
River. Several thousand people were arrested and later exiled after a brutal
investigation.
Despite the
fact that the Copper Riot lasted for only a day, it would cause perplexity and
fear among the top government officials. In 1663, copper coinage was abolished.
Assessment
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.
Auction guideline evaluation: $ 175.
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01042021.5