Patriarch Filaret of Moscow

Patriarch Filaret of Moscow (Fyodor Nikitich Romanov) was head of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1619 to 1633 and father of Tsar Michael I. He shared power with his son during the early Romanov reign.

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Michael I of Russia: The first Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty, reigning from 1613 to 1645. Filaret’s son, Michael ruled alongside him after Filaret returned from Polish captivity.
Russian Orthodox Church: The autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in Russia, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow. Filaret’s patriarchate placed him at the head of this institution while he exercised political authority.
Time of Troubles: A period of political crisis, famine, foreign intervention, and dynastic conflict in Russia from 1598 to 1613. Filaret’s rise and captivity unfolded amid this crisis of Russian sovereignty.
Romanov dynasty: The dynasty that ruled Russia from Michael Romanov’s accession in 1613 until the monarchy’s abolition in 1917. Filaret’s son founded the dynasty, while Filaret helped secure its early rule.
Boris Godunov: Tsar of Russia from 1598 to 1605, whose disputed succession preceded the Time of Troubles. Godunov’s rise marginalized the Romanov family and helped shape Filaret’s early political fortunes.
Patriarch of Moscow: The title of the primate who heads the Russian Orthodox Church. Filaret held this office, giving his political partnership with Michael an ecclesiastical foundation.
Polish–Muscovite War (1609–1618): A war between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia that ended with the Truce of Deulino. Filaret was captured during the conflict and released as part of the negotiations that concluded it.
Treaty of Polyanovka: The 1634 peace treaty between Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that ended their war of 1632–1634. Filaret died before this later settlement, but his policies helped define the strained relations it addressed.
Vasili IV of Russia: Tsar of Russia from 1606 to 1610, amid the succession crises of the Time of Troubles. Filaret served as a political envoy during Vasili’s reign before becoming a claimant in the succession struggle.
Zemsky Sobor: An assembly of representatives of Russian estates convened by the tsar to address major state matters. The assembly elected Michael in 1613, before Filaret returned and joined his son’s government.