Michael Romanov becomes tsar of all Russia
A reluctant teenager is placed on a troubled throne
At daYn on /arch 161 , a teenage bo[ and his mother Yere accosted b[ a throng of 1rthodoZ bishops and aristocrats outside the +patiev monaster[ in -ostroma, some 200 miles north-east of /oscoY. 6he adolescent Yas onl[ 16 [ears old, but he Yould have doubtlessl[ recognised some of the hol[ relics in the group’s possession s not least the (eodorovsMa[a +con of the /other of )od, Yhich Yas sacred to his famil[. (or this Yas no ordinar[ teenager, but the [oung noble /ichael ([odorovich 4omanov, and the delegation Yas there to inform him that he Yas noY tsar and grand prince of all 4ussia: neYs that immediatel[ sent him into a deep shocM.
6he decision to appoint 4omanov hadn’t happened overnight, hoYever. # feY YeeMs earlier, representatives from across 4ussia’s social classes had gathered in /oscoY to form a council MnoYn as the ;et it Yasn’t that simple. 6he delegates, meanYhile, denounced the foreign candidates and proposed 4omanov instead. In the end, the bo[ Yon the 5obor’s vote: his father, ([odor, Yas respected among the clerg[, and s as a relative of man[ of the bo[ars that attended the 5obor s his nomination seemed liMe the best choice. $etter [et, his ineZperience and the fact his father Yas currentl[ imprisoned in 2oland meant that he Yould also maMe an eZcellent puppet ruler, Yilling to bend to the bo[ars’ Yishes. 4omanov’s initial refusal to accept the appointment Yas supported b[ his mother: the 4ussian throne Yas perilous, and she reminded the delegates that the last 1 [ears had seen multiple tsars betra[ed b[ their courtiers. 0evertheless, the teen Yas croYned in the -remlin four months later, founding a d[nast[ that Yould go on to rule 4ussia for the neZt 0 [ears.