Vasily and Andrey Shchelkalov
Encyclopedia
Vasily Yakovlevich Shchelkalov (Василий Яковлевич Щелкалов in Russian
) (? – 1610 or 1611) and Andrey Yakovlevich Shchelkalov (Андрей Яковлевич Щелкалов) (? - c.
1597) were two influential diplomat
s and heads of the Posolsky Prikaz during the reigns of Ivan the Terrible, Feodor I
, and Boris Godunov
in Russia.
information on noble Muscovite families (1070 people altogether, hence, the name of the book) and their land allotments around Moscow
. In 1560, Andrey Shchelkalov was assigned to the Lithuania
n ambassador
s as a police officer
. Two years later, he became a dyak
(government official). In 1566, Andrey Shchelkalov was promoted to the rank of duma dyak (the lowest rank in the Boyar Duma). He also took part in the Zemsky Sobor
that same year and put his signature under its resolutions.
Andrey Shchelkalov rose to power during the Oprichnina
period of mass executions of well-known government officials in the summer of 1570. He was appointed head of the Posolsky Prikaz (foreign affairs
), Razryadny Prikaz (dealt with the service class people
, military affairs, and southern cities of Russia), Pomestny Prikaz (land distribution), Kazan Palace Prikaz (administrative, judicial and financial affairs of the Russian Southeast) and one of the regional offices of the Chetvertnoy Prikaz (administrative, judicial, fiscal, and financial affairs of the taxpayers). In 1581, Andrey Shchelkalov conducted negotiations with a papal legate
Antonio Possevino
, and with the English
ambassador Jeremiah Baus in 1583, which would write in a personal letter from August 12, 1584 that Andrey Shchelkalov and Nikita Romanov
(a boyar
, who started the Romanov
bloodline) "considered themselves the tsar
s". Foreign envoys, especially the English ones, didn’t like Andrey Shchelkalov, as well as his brother Vasili Yakovlevich, for their constant striving to eliminate trade
privilege
s for foreign merchant
s. Boris Godunov praised Andrey Yakovlevich for his wit and diplomatic dexterity.
However, Andrey Shchelkalov would soon fall into disgrace for his willfulness. Andrey and Vasili were known to have misrepresented family records of noble families and influenced the local administrative hierarchy
. Andrey Shchelkalov left diplomatic service in 1594, took monastic vows and assumed the name of Theodosius.
with Sigismund II of Poland. Later on, Vasili Shchelkalov was put in charge of the Razboyny Prikaz (prosecution and court hearings) in the 1560s, Razryadny Prikaz (1576-1594), Chetvertnoy Prikaz of Nizhny Novgorod
(1570-1601), Kazansky Prikaz, and Streletsky Prikaz. He was then appointed head of the Posolsky Prikaz in the mid-1594 and tsar’s stamp bearer in 1595. In 1601, Vasili Yakovlevich fell into disgrace for his willfulness and retired. He was rehabilitated
during the reign of False Dmitriy I
, who made him his okolnichiy (event manager).
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...
) (? – 1610 or 1611) and Andrey Yakovlevich Shchelkalov (Андрей Яковлевич Щелкалов) (? - c.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1597) were two influential 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...
s and heads of the Posolsky Prikaz during the reigns of Ivan the Terrible, Feodor I
Feodor I of Russia
Fyodor I Ivanovich 1598) was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia , son of Ivan IV and Anastasia Romanovna. In English he is sometimes called Feodor the Bellringer in consequence of his strong faith and inclination to travel the land and ring the bells at churches. However, in Russian the name...
, and Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov
Boris Fyodorovich Godunov was de facto regent of Russia from c. 1585 to 1598 and then the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. The end of his reign saw Russia descend into the Time of Troubles.-Early years:...
in Russia.
Andrey Yakovlevich Shchelkalov
The name of Andrey Yakovlevich Shchelkalov first appeared in 1550, when he was entered in the so-called Book of a Thousand (Тысячная книга, or Tysyachnaya kniga). The book contained genealogicalGenealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
information on noble Muscovite families (1070 people altogether, hence, the name of the book) and their land allotments around 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...
. In 1560, Andrey Shchelkalov was assigned to the Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
n ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
s as a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
. Two years later, he became a dyak
Dyak (clerk)
Dyak is a historical Russian bureaucratic occupation whose meaning varied over time and approximately corresponded to the notions of "chief clerk" or "chief of office department"....
(government official). In 1566, Andrey Shchelkalov was promoted to the rank of duma dyak (the lowest rank in the Boyar Duma). He also took part in the Zemsky Sobor
Zemsky Sobor
The zemsky sobor was the first Russian parliament of the feudal Estates type, in the 16th and 17th centuries. The term roughly means assembly of the land. It could be summoned either by tsar, or patriarch, or the Boyar Duma...
that same year and put his signature under its resolutions.
Andrey Shchelkalov rose to power during the Oprichnina
Oprichnina
The oprichnina is the period of Russian history between Tsar Ivan the Terrible's 1565 initiation and his 1572 disbanding of a domestic policy of secret police, mass repressions, public executions, and confiscation of land from Russian aristocrats...
period of mass executions of well-known government officials in the summer of 1570. He was appointed 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...
), Razryadny Prikaz (dealt with the service class people
Service class people
Service class people were persons bound by obligations of service, especially military service, to the Muscovite Russian state.In early Siberia, service-men and promyshleniks were the two main classes of the Russian population. Service-men were nominally servants of the tsar, had certain legal...
, military affairs, and southern cities of Russia), Pomestny Prikaz (land distribution), Kazan Palace Prikaz (administrative, judicial and financial affairs of the Russian Southeast) and one of the regional offices of the Chetvertnoy Prikaz (administrative, judicial, fiscal, and financial affairs of the taxpayers). In 1581, Andrey Shchelkalov conducted negotiations with a papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
Antonio Possevino
Antonio Possevino
Antonio Possevino was a Jesuit protagonist of Counter Reformation as a papal diplomat and a Jesuit controversialist, encyclopedist and bibliographer...
, and with the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
ambassador Jeremiah Baus in 1583, which would write in a personal letter from August 12, 1584 that Andrey Shchelkalov and Nikita Romanov
Nikita Romanov
Nikita Ivanovich Romanov was a son of Ivan Romanov and a cousin of Tsar Michael. He was the last Romanov of an unroyal line.-Life:...
(a 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....
, who started the Romanov
Romanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
bloodline) "considered themselves 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...
s". Foreign envoys, especially the English ones, didn’t like Andrey Shchelkalov, as well as his brother Vasili Yakovlevich, for their constant striving to eliminate trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
privilege
Privilege
A privilege is a special entitlement to immunity granted by the state or another authority to a restricted group, either by birth or on a conditional basis. It can be revoked in certain circumstances. In modern democratic states, a privilege is conditional and granted only after birth...
s for foreign merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s. Boris Godunov praised Andrey Yakovlevich for his wit and diplomatic dexterity.
However, Andrey Shchelkalov would soon fall into disgrace for his willfulness. Andrey and Vasili were known to have misrepresented family records of noble families and influenced the local administrative hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
. Andrey Shchelkalov left diplomatic service in 1594, took monastic vows and assumed the name of Theodosius.
Vasily Yakovlevich Shchelkalov
In 1566, Vasili Yakovlevich took part in the Zemsky Sobor. A year later, he was sent by Ivan the Terrible to sign a peace treatyPeace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
with Sigismund II of Poland. Later on, Vasili Shchelkalov was put in charge of the Razboyny Prikaz (prosecution and court hearings) in the 1560s, Razryadny Prikaz (1576-1594), Chetvertnoy Prikaz of Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
(1570-1601), Kazansky Prikaz, and Streletsky Prikaz. He was then appointed head of the Posolsky Prikaz in the mid-1594 and tsar’s stamp bearer in 1595. In 1601, Vasili Yakovlevich fell into disgrace for his willfulness and retired. He was rehabilitated
Political rehabilitation
Political rehabilitation is the process by which a member of a political organization or government who has fallen into disgrace, is restored to public life. It is usually applied to leaders or other prominent individuals who regain their prominence after a period in which they have no influence or...
during the reign of False Dmitriy I
False Dmitriy I
False Dmitriy I was the Tsar of Russia from 21 July 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dimitriy Ioannovich . He is sometimes referred to under the usurped title of Dmitriy II...
, who made him his okolnichiy (event manager).