Research Article

Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682

Volume: 14 May 12, 2026
EN TR

Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682

Abstract

This study examines the Moscow Crisis of 1682 as a multi-layered struggle for power shaped by the interaction of military forces, religious movements, and competing court factions. It analyzes the succession crisis that followed the death of Tsar Feodor III, the rivalry between the Miloslavsky and Naryshkin families, and the politicization of the streltsy in this process. The study also explores the religious mobilization of the Old Believers (Raskolniki) and the strategies through which Sofia Alekseyevna utilized these forces to consolidate power. It argues that the events of 1682 should be understood not merely as a palace coup, but as a broader crisis that exposed structural weaknesses within the Russian state. Finally, it suggests that this crisis laid the groundwork for the centralizing reforms of Peter I and that these reforms also played a decisive role in shaping Russia’s long-term geopolitical orientation toward the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Keywords

References

  1. Аристов Н. Я. 1871, Московские смуты в правление царевны Софьи Алексеевны. Варшава.
  2. Балдин А. В. 1915, Очерки по истории России XVII века: О причинах возникновения первого стрелецкого бунта (15 мая 1682 г.), Вып. 1. Петроград.
  3. Бергман В. 1840, История Петра Великого. Санкт-Петербург.
  4. Бобровский П. О. 1900, История лейб-гвардии Преображенского полка. Санкт-Петербург.
  5. Богословский М. М. 1940, Пётр I: Материалы для биографии, Т. 1. Ленинград.
  6. Бринкер А. Г. 1882, История Петра Великого, Т. 1. Санкт-Петербург.
  7. Буровский А. М. 2008, Пётр Первый – проклятый император. Москва.
  8. Валишевский К. Ф. 2005, Пётр Великий, Т. 1. Новгород.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Political History (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 12, 2026

Submission Date

April 7, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 29, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 14

APA
Aslan, M. (2026). Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682. Cedrus, 14, 25-46. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20137059
AMA
1.Aslan M. Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682. Cedrus. 2026;14:25-46. doi:10.5281/zenodo.20137059
Chicago
Aslan, Mahir. 2026. “Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682”. Cedrus 14 (May): 25-46. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20137059.
EndNote
Aslan M (May 1, 2026) Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682. Cedrus 14 25–46.
IEEE
[1]M. Aslan, “Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682”, Cedrus, vol. 14, pp. 25–46, May 2026, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.20137059.
ISNAD
Aslan, Mahir. “Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682”. Cedrus 14 (May 1, 2026): 25-46. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20137059.
JAMA
1.Aslan M. Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682. Cedrus. 2026;14:25–46.
MLA
Aslan, Mahir. “Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682”. Cedrus, vol. 14, May 2026, pp. 25-46, doi:10.5281/zenodo.20137059.
Vancouver
1.Mahir Aslan. Military, Religion, and Power: Power Struggles in Russia in the Context of the Moscow Crisis of 1682. Cedrus. 2026 May 1;14:25-46. doi:10.5281/zenodo.20137059

Our journal has decided to continue its publication under the Continuous Publication Model as of January 1, 2026. A maximum of 15 articles will be published in the relevant annual volume. As of October 2024, Cedrus accepts articles only in foreign languages.