Artamon Matveev
Encyclopedia
Artamon Sergeyevich Matveyev (Артамон Сергеевич Матвеев in Russian
) (1625–1682) was a Russian statesman
, diplomat
and reformer
.
Because his father - Sergey Matveyev - was a notable diplomat, Artamon Matveyev was brought up at the royal court since the age of thirteen, where he would become close friends with Alexius I. Matveyev started his career as a government official, who worked in Ukraine
and took part in some of Russia's wars with Poland
. He was a member of the Russian delegation
at the conclusion of the Treaty of Pereyaslav
in 1654 and Russian diplomatic mission
to Poland in 1656-1657. As the head of the Streltsy Department
, Matveyev participated in suppression of the Copper Riot
in 1662. Seven years later, he was put in charge of the Malorossiysky Prikaz, i.e. Ministry of the Ukrainian Affairs, and in 1671 - head of the Posolsky Prikaz (foreign affairs
office) and other ministries. Matveyev was known to have considered unification of Ukraine and Russia as the most important issue of the Russian foreign policy
. He once said that it was even possible to temporarily forget about the struggle with the Swedes
for the Baltic Sea
for the sake of unification with Ukraine. In 1672, Matveyev managed to secure Kiev
for Russia during the talks with Poland.
In 1671, the tsar
Alexius I and Artamon were already on intimate terms, and, on the retirement of Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin
, Matveyev became the tsar's chief counselor. It was at his house that Alexius, after the death of his first consort Maria Miloslavskaya
, met Matveyev's ward and favorite student, the beautiful Natalia Naryshkina
, whom he married on January 22, 1671. At the end of the year Matveyev was raised to the rank of okolnichy
, and on September 1, 1674 attained the still higher dignity of boyar
. The deplorable physical condition of Alexius's immediate successor, Feodor III
, suggested to Matveyev the desirability of elevating to the throne the sturdy little tsarevich Peter
, then in his fourth year. He purchased the allegiance of the Streltsy
and then, summoning the boyars of the council, earnestly represented to them that Feodor was unable to reign and urged the substitution of little Peter. But the reactionary
boyars, among whom were the near kinsmen of Feodor, proclaimed him tsar and Matveyev was banished to Pustozyorsk
, where he remained till Feodor's death on May 7, 1682. Immediately afterwards Peter was proclaimed tsar by Patriarch Joachim, and the first ukaz issued in Peter's name summoned Matveyev to return to the capital and act as chief adviser to the tsaritsa
Natalia. Matveyev came to Moscow
on May 11, and four days later had to meet with the rebellious Streltsy
, who had been instigated to rebel by the anti-Petrine faction. He had already succeeded in partially pacifying them, when one of their colonel
s began to abuse the still hesitating and suspicious musketeers. Infuriated, they seized Matveyev and hacked him to pieces.
Matveyev was a very educated and versatile individual for his time. He organized a publishing house on the premises of the Posolsky Prikaz and compiled the so-called Book of Titles (Царский титулярник), an illustrated reference book about title
s of the Russian tsar and foreign rulers, with some information on Russian history, pictures of different coats of arms, stamps, monarch
s and patriarch
s. Matveyev was also a collector of rare books and had a huge library
. He decorated his house with pieces of fine art, optical devices and models of different ships. Matveyev was the one to introduce theater to the court by organizing a group of actors who staged various plays. He was also one of the organizers of the first apothecary in Moscow
. His son Andrey Matveev was made a count and served as the first President of Justice Collegium.
----
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
) (1625–1682) was a Russian statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and reformer
Reform movement
A reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental changes...
.
Because his father - Sergey Matveyev - was a notable diplomat, Artamon Matveyev was brought up at the royal court since the age of thirteen, where he would become close friends with Alexius I. Matveyev started his career as a government official, who worked in Ukraine
Zaporozhian Host
The Zaporozhian Cossacks or simply Zaporozhians were Ukrainian Cossacks who lived beyond the rapids of the Dnieper river, the land also known as the Great Meadow in Central Ukraine...
and took part in some of Russia's wars with Poland
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
. He was a member of the Russian delegation
Delegation
Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities. However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e...
at the conclusion of the Treaty of Pereyaslav
Treaty of Pereyaslav
The Treaty of Pereyaslav is known in history more as the Council of Pereiaslav.Council of Pereyalslav was a meeting between the representative of the Russian Tsar, Prince Vasili Baturlin who presented a royal decree, and Bohdan Khmelnytsky as the leader of Cossack Hetmanate. During the council...
in 1654 and Russian diplomatic mission
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
to Poland in 1656-1657. As the head of the Streltsy Department
Streltsy Department
Streltsy Department or Streletsky Prikaz was one of the main governmental bodies in Russia in 16th and 17th centuries....
, Matveyev participated in suppression of the Copper Riot
Copper Riot
The Copper Riot, also known as the Moscow Uprising of 1662 was a major riot in Moscow, which took place on July 25 of 1662.-The beginning:...
in 1662. Seven years later, he was put in charge of the Malorossiysky Prikaz, i.e. Ministry of the Ukrainian Affairs, and in 1671 - head of the Posolsky Prikaz (foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
office) and other ministries. Matveyev was known to have considered unification of Ukraine and Russia as the most important issue of the Russian foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
. He once said that it was even possible to temporarily forget about the struggle with the Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
for the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
for the sake of unification with Ukraine. In 1672, Matveyev managed to secure Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
for Russia during the talks with Poland.
In 1671, the tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexius I and Artamon were already on intimate terms, and, on the retirement of Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin
Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin
Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin-Naschokin was one of the greatest Russian statesmen of the 17th century. His career is quite unprecedented in Russian history, as he was the first petty noble to attain the boyar title and highest offices of state owing not to family connections but due to his personal...
, Matveyev became the tsar's chief counselor. It was at his house that Alexius, after the death of his first consort Maria Miloslavskaya
Maria Miloslavskaya
Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya was the first wife of tsar Alexis of Russia and mother of the tsars Feodor III of Russia and Ivan V of Russia, as well as regent princess Sophia Alekseyevna.-Biography:...
, met Matveyev's ward and favorite student, the beautiful Natalia Naryshkina
Natalia Naryshkina
Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina was the Tsaritsa of Russia from 1671 to 1676 as the second spouse of tsar Alexei I of Russia.-Biography:Coming from a petty noble family, daughter of Kirill Poluektovich Naryshkin and wife Anna Leontyevna Leontyeva Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina was the Tsaritsa of...
, whom he married on January 22, 1671. At the end of the year Matveyev was raised to the rank of okolnichy
Okolnichy
Okolnichy was an old rank and a position at the court of Moscow rulers from the Mongol invasion of Rus' until the government reform undertaken by Peter the Great...
, and on September 1, 1674 attained the still higher dignity of boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
. The deplorable physical condition of Alexius's immediate successor, Feodor III
Feodor III of Russia
Feodor III Alexeevich of Russia was the Tsar of all Russia between 1676 and 1682....
, suggested to Matveyev the desirability of elevating to the throne the sturdy little tsarevich Peter
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
, then in his fourth year. He purchased the allegiance of the Streltsy
Streltsy
Streltsy were the units of Russian guardsmen in the 16th - early 18th centuries, armed with firearms. They are also collectively known as Marksman Troops .- Origins and organization :...
and then, summoning the boyars of the council, earnestly represented to them that Feodor was unable to reign and urged the substitution of little Peter. But the reactionary
Reactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
boyars, among whom were the near kinsmen of Feodor, proclaimed him tsar and Matveyev was banished to Pustozyorsk
Pustozyorsk
Pustozyorsk was the administrative center of Yugra and Pechora krais of Muscovy and Imperial Russia. It was situated in what is today Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia....
, where he remained till Feodor's death on May 7, 1682. Immediately afterwards Peter was proclaimed tsar by Patriarch Joachim, and the first ukaz issued in Peter's name summoned Matveyev to return to the capital and act as chief adviser to the tsaritsa
Tsaritsa
Tsaritsa , formerly spelled czaritsa , is the title of a female autocratic ruler of Bulgaria or Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife....
Natalia. Matveyev came to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on May 11, and four days later had to meet with the rebellious Streltsy
Moscow Uprising of 1682
Moscow Uprising of 1682, also known as Streltsy Uprising of 1682 , was an uprising of the Moscow Streltsy regiments which resulted in supreme power being devolved on Sophia Alekseyevna...
, who had been instigated to rebel by the anti-Petrine faction. He had already succeeded in partially pacifying them, when one of their colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
s began to abuse the still hesitating and suspicious musketeers. Infuriated, they seized Matveyev and hacked him to pieces.
Matveyev was a very educated and versatile individual for his time. He organized a publishing house on the premises of the Posolsky Prikaz and compiled the so-called Book of Titles (Царский титулярник), an illustrated reference book about title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
s of the Russian tsar and foreign rulers, with some information on Russian history, pictures of different coats of arms, stamps, monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
s and patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
s. Matveyev was also a collector of rare books and had a huge library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. He decorated his house with pieces of fine art, optical devices and models of different ships. Matveyev was the one to introduce theater to the court by organizing a group of actors who staged various plays. He was also one of the organizers of the first apothecary in Moscow
State Historical Museum
The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum of Russian history wedged between Red Square and Manege Square in Moscow. Its exhibitions range from relics of the prehistoric tribes inhabiting present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty...
. His son Andrey Matveev was made a count and served as the first President of Justice Collegium.
----