The Romanovs' First Tsar: Michael and the Zemsky Sobor of 1613

In 1613, after decades of chaos known as the Time of Troubles, a desperate Zemsky Sobor assembled in Moscow to elect a new tsar. Their choice fell on a shy sixteen-year-old boy, Mikhail Romanov, whose family was linked to the old Rurikid dynasty through marriage. But the election was far from straightforward. Cossacks, boyars, and foreign claimants all jostled for power. This episode follows the dramatic negotiations, the role of the Cossack host, the pressure from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the political genius of Mikhail's mother, Xenia Shestova (later nun Marfa). We explore how the Romanov dynasty was born not in glory but in compromise, and how the Zemsky Sobor — a proto-parliament — wielded real power in shaping Russia's future. Along the way, we meet figures like the boyar Fyodor Sheremetev, the Cossack ataman, and the Polish prince Władysław. A story of survival, faith, and the fragile birth of a dynasty that would rule for three centuries. #Romanov #ZemskySobor #MikhailRomanov #TimeOfTroubles #Smuta #Cossacks #Boyars #MarfaRomanova #FyodorSheremetev #WladyslawIV #PolishCommonwealth #1613 #RussianHistory #TsardomOfRussia #Election #Dynasty #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo