Dmitry Pozharsky
Dmitry Mikhaylovich Pozharsky entered the world on the 1st of November 1578 in Klin County. His family belonged to a branch of the Rurik dynasty that once ruled Starodub-on-the-Klyazma near Suzdal. The estate burned down during the fifteenth century, forcing the family to adopt the name Pozharsky from the Russian word for conflagration. He carried two Christian names throughout his life. Kuz'ma served as his baptismal name after Saints Cosmas and Damian, while Dmitry remained his public identity. His mother Maria Feodorovna came from the Beklemishev family. Records of his early career remain silent until the death of Tsar Feodor I in 1598. He participated in the Zemsky Sobor which elected Boris Godunov as Tsar of Russia. Four years later he held the title of stolnik. This position placed him close to the throne among Russia's nobility.
The Polish-Muscovite War broke out in 1605 and drew Pozharsky into active service. He defended Kolomna in 1608 against invading forces. Later that year he helped Vasily IV during the siege of Moscow. In 1609 he routed rebellious Cossacks led by Ivan Bolotnikov at the Pekhorka River. By 1610 he commanded defenses at Zaraysk against False Dmitry II. Popular indignation grew against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth due to abuses by their army. King Sigismund III lost support among pro-Polish boyars. Prokopy Lyapunov rallied the First Volunteer Army in Ryazan. Pozharsky joined this uprising and took a prominent part in events within Moscow. On the 19th of March 1611 he was wounded while defending his house at Lubyanka Square. Adherents transported him to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius for convalescence.
Autumn 1611 found Pozharsky recuperating at his Puretsky patrimony near Suzdal. A delegation approached him with an offer to command the Second Volunteer Army. This force gathered in Nizhny Novgorod to oust Polish occupiers. He agreed on condition that Kuzma Minin assisted him. Minin represented the merchants of Nizhny Novgorod and was instrumental in founding the corps. The volunteer army aimed to clear invaders from Moscow but marched toward Yaroslavl first. They resided there for half a year before moving forward. Pozharsky vacillated until opportunities for rapid action disappeared. He prayed fervently before Our Lady of Kazan, one of Russia's holiest icons. Religious ceremonies in Rostov slowed their progress further. Paying homage to ancestral graves in Suzdal added months to the journey. Authorities at the Trinity ineffectually sought to accelerate the forces' movement.
On the 18th of August 1612 the Volunteer Army encamped within five versts from Moscow. Hetman Chodkiewicz arrived with provisions to relieve the Polish garrison barricaded inside the Kremlin. The very next day Pozharsky advanced to the Arbat Gate of the city. Two days later he engaged Chodkiewicz's contingent in a four-day battle. Prince Dmitry Trubetskoy captured provisions intended for Poles quartered in the Kremlin. A famine broke out among the besieged Poles who had to surrender in October. They were guaranteed safe passage and humane treatment by Pozharsky and Trubetskoy. Most Poles were slaughtered upon exiting the Kremlin despite these guarantees. Few survived captivity after the fighting ended. Soldiers under Pozharsky and Minin observed obligations while Cossacks attacked prisoners and robbed them.
Pozharsky and Trubetskoy presided over the Muscovite government for half a year until a new tsar was elected. He became a boyar following this period of shared rule. Minor risings continued to plague Russia long after the main conflict ended. In 1615 he operated against the Lisowczycy forces. Three years later he fell upon troops led by Vladislaus IV. The conservative system of mestnichestvo prevented him from taking supreme command in these engagements. He governed Novgorod between 1628 and 1630. Fortifications against expected Crimean Tatar attacks occurred in Moscow during 1637. His final battle experience came during the ill-fated Smolensk campaign where he held secondary roles. Peace restoration brought enviable posts within the Muscovite administration. He managed the Order of Transport in 1619 and the Order of Police from 1621 to 1628. Later he directed the Order of Moscow Judges during two separate periods ending in 1642.
Extensive estates around Moscow were granted to Pozharsky as recognition of his services. He commissioned several churches interpreted retrospectively as monuments to victory. A tent-like church survives today at his suburban estate of Medvedkovo. Another structure was the Kazan Cathedral adjoining Red Square from the north-east. This direction marked where his army arrived to salvage Muscovites in 1612. Shortly before his death he drew up a last will and testament. Income derived from alcohol sales known as kabaks remained separate from property bequeathed to churches. He owned a large number of horses carefully listed in the document. Prince Pozharsky married twice and had three sons. The princely line became extinct with the death of his grandson in 1685. His granddaughter later married a famous Russian commander of that era.
The Romanov dynasty cherished Pozharsky's memory due to their ownership of the crown. Patriotic feelings rose during the Napoleonic Wars leading to a bronze Monument on Red Square. The day when Pozharsky and Minin entered the Kremlin as liberators reestablished itself as a national holiday in 2005. During Euro 2012 group games between Russia and Poland fans unfurled banners bearing his image. Professional historians opposing the Romanov version of history view him as a strong unifying figure. Professor Andrei Fursov spoke about the illegitimacy of Mikhail's election by armed Cossacks. Boyars could console themselves that Misha Romanov was young and obedient. They did not like Pozharsky because he did not become tsar himself. Moscow boyars were guided by selfish class interest and swore allegiance to Vladislav. When the Kremlin was taken Pozharsky made a huge mistake regarding justice for traitors.
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Common questions
When was Dmitry Pozharsky born and where?
Dmitry Mikhaylovich Pozharsky entered the world on the 1st of November 1578 in Klin County. His family belonged to a branch of the Rurik dynasty that once ruled Starodub-on-the-Klyazma near Suzdal.
What role did Dmitry Pozharsky play during the Polish-Muscovite War?
Dmitry Pozharsky defended Kolomna in 1608 against invading forces and later helped Vasily IV during the siege of Moscow. He commanded defenses at Zaraysk against False Dmitry II by 1610 and joined the First Volunteer Army to take part in events within Moscow.
How did Dmitry Pozharsky liberate Moscow from Polish occupiers?
On the 18th of August 1612 the Volunteer Army encamped within five versts from Moscow before advancing to the Arbat Gate of the city. The army engaged Hetman Chodkiewicz's contingent in a four-day battle, leading to the surrender of besieged Poles in October.
Which government positions did Dmitry Pozharsky hold after the war?
He governed Novgorod between 1628 and 1630 and managed the Order of Transport in 1619. Later he directed the Order of Moscow Judges during two separate periods ending in 1642.
When did the line of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky become extinct?
The princely line became extinct with the death of his grandson in 1685. His granddaughter later married a famous Russian commander of that era.