Alexis of Russia
Second Romanov tsar who expanded Russia and codified its laws.
Alexei Mikhailovich, known as Alexis, was the second Russian tsar of the House of Romanov, reigning from 1645 until his death in 1676. He was the first tsar to issue laws on his own authority, and his council enacted the Sobornoye Ulozheniye of 1649, which tightened the link between autocracy and the lower nobility. In religious matters, he strongly supported Patriarch Nikon during the schism in the Russian Orthodox Church, which introduced unpopular liturgical reforms. His reign saw both foreign successes and internal turmoil. Wars were fought against Iran, Poland, and Sweden; from Poland, Russia annexed left-bank Ukraine and Smolensk. Domestically, there were the Salt Riot in Moscow and the Cossack revolt led by Stenka Razin in the south. At his death, Russia’s territory had expanded considerably.
Born in Moscow to Tsar Michael and Eudoxia Streshneva, Alexis ascended the throne at sixteen after his father’s death. His tutor, Boris Morozov, a boyar open to Western ideas, initially guided policy. Morozov sought peace with Poland and the Ottoman Empire while limiting foreign traders’ privileges. He arranged Alexis’s marriage to Maria Miloslavskaya and married her sister himself. However, Morozov’s tax increases, including demanding arrears, sparked the Salt Riot in 1648, forcing Alexis to exile him temporarily. This unrest contributed to the 1649 legal code.
Later, Alexis reformed the army by creating New Order Regiments—Reiters, Soldiers, Dragoons, and Hussars—hiring many European specialists after the Thirty Years’ War. He faced further rebellions in Pskov and Novgorod in 1650, and the Copper Riot in 1662, caused by devaluation from minting copper coins. The Razin rebellion from 1669 to 1671 saw the Cossack leader capture Astrakhan and towns along the Volga, but he was defeated at Simbirsk and executed. In foreign affairs, a conflict with Safavid Iran over fortifications in the North Caucasus was resolved peacefully. The war with Poland began in 1653, leading to the capture of Smolensk and the Treaty of Pereyaslav, which brought the Cossack Hetmanate under Russian dominance.
- field
- Monarchy
- nationality
- Russian
Lore & Background
Alexis, the second Romanov tsar, was a ruler whose reign was marked by both centralizing reform and violent upheaval. He was the first tsar to personally authorize laws, and his government enacted the Sobornoye Ulozheniye of 1649, a legal code that tightened the bond between the autocracy and the lower nobility. In religious affairs, he strongly supported Patriarch Nikon during the schism in the Russian Orthodox Church, which imposed unpopular liturgical changes. His foreign policy was aggressive, resulting in wars against Iran, Poland, and Sweden; from Poland, Russia annexed left-bank Ukraine and Smolensk. Domestically, his reign was plagued by instability, including the Salt Riot in Moscow, the Copper Riot, and a major Cossack revolt led by Stenka Razin in the south. To modernize the army, Alexis began creating New Order Regiments—Reiters, Soldiers, Dragoons, and Hussars—staffed by European military specialists hired after the Thirty Years' War. His early rule was heavily influenced by his tutor, the boyar Boris Morozov, who arranged Alexis’s marriage to Maria Miloslavskaya. Morozov’s heavy tax policies, however, sparked the Salt Riot, forcing Alexis to temporarily exile him. At the time of his death, the Russian state had expanded to cover an immense territory.
Reader's Guide
Alexis's reign marked a pivotal expansion of Russian territory and state authority. He annexed left-bank Ukraine and Smolensk from Poland, and secured a truce with Iran after a border conflict. His support for Patriarch Nikon's liturgical reforms caused the schism with Old Believers. By his death, Russia spanned nearly 8.1 million km². His response to the English Civil War—breaking relations with England after Charles I's execution—reflected his conservative religious and monarchical stance.
Did You Know?
- Alexis was not the first Russian tsar to sign laws on his own authority; earlier tsars, such as Ivan IV, also did so.
- His reign saw the Cossack revolt of Stenka Razin, who was drawn and quartered in Moscow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What major wars and uprisings defined Alexis of Russia's reign?
His thirty-year rule saw armed conflicts against Poland, Sweden, and Iran alongside serious domestic unrest in the Salt Riot and the Copper Riot. These struggles tested his authority and shaped the social and economic tensions of seventeenth-century Russia.
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