Fyodor Ivanovich Sheremetev (russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Шереме́тев, c. 1570–1650) was a Russian statesman in Tsar Mikhail's times, head of government in 1613–18 and 1642–46.

Life

Sheremetev descended from the same old Moscow milieu as the

Romanovs The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to t ...

; he was their relative and supporter. In 1605 he was made a boyar by

False Dmitry I False Dmitry I ( rus, Лжедмитрий I, Lzhedmitriy I) (or Pseudo-Demetrius I) reigned as the Tsar of Russia from 10 June 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dmitriy Ivanovich ( rus, Дмитрий Иванович). A ...

, in 1610 became one of the so-called

Seven Boyars The Seven Boyars (russian: link=no, Семибоярщина, the Russian term indicating "Rule of the Seven Boyars" or "the Deeds of the Seven Boyars") were a group of Russian nobles who deposed Tsar Vasily Shuisky on 17 July 1610 and, later that ...

- a self-appointed provisional government. Sheremetev took an active part in the

Zemsky Sobor The Zemsky Sobor ( rus, зе́мский собо́р, p=ˈzʲemskʲɪj sɐˈbor, t=assembly of the land) was a parliament of the Tsardom of Russia's estates of the realm active during the 16th and 17th centuries. The assembly represented Russi ...

of 1613; he's ascribed famous words (in a letter to prince Golitsyn, perhaps apocryphal): "Let's elect Misha Romanov, he is young and stupid, he will be obedient to us". Since 1613 he was informal head of government. In 1618 took part in bringing forth Treaty of Deulino. Patriarch Filaret, after his return from captivity in 1619, pushed Sheremetev aside from state affairs, for the latter disapproved Filaret's straightforward anti-Polish policy. After Filaret's death in 1633 Sheremetev came back to politics. In 1634 he was a head of Russian delegation (together with

Alexey Lvov Prince Alexey Mikhaylovich Lvov (Russian ''Алексей Михайлович Львов'', 158?-1653 or 1654) was a Russian Court Marshal for 20 years, and one of the most influential members of Michael of Russia's government. Lvov began his ...

) in Russo-Polish negotiations and signed the

Treaty of Polyanovka The Treaty of Polyanovka ( pl, Polanów, also known as the ''Peace of Polyanovka / Polanów'') was a peace treaty signed on 14 June 1634 between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia in the village of Semlevo located near ...

. After

Ivan Cherkassky Prince Ivan Borisovich Cherkassky (Rus. ''Ива́н Бори́сович Черка́сский''; c. 1580 – 4 April 1642) was a Russian statesman who served as the head of government for 20 years under his cousin Tsar Mikhail, the first Tsar of ...

's death in 1642 Sheremetev was appointed head of Russian government, but his power was feeble: court marshal Alexey Lvov had more influence, and Sheremetev was disliked by

Prikaz A prikaz (russian: прика́з, ''prikaz''; , plural: ) was an administrative, judicial, territorial, or executive office functioning on behalf of palace, civil, military, or church authorities in Muscovy and in Russia from the 15th to the 1 ...

dyaks. His weak position was reflected in a contemporary chronicler's remark: "This Fedor was evil-tempered and unskillful in affairs". In 1646, as Boris Morozov came to power, Sheremetev retired.

References

* Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона. * Козляков В. Михаил Федорович. М., 2004. Russian nobility Tsardom of Russia people 17th-century Russian diplomats 1650 deaths Year of birth uncertain {{Russia-diplomat-stub