This Time, Moscow Rather Than Prussia
Almost everyone has heard of the events that took place in Kraków in April 1525. It was then that Albert of Hohenzollern, the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, paid homage to the Polish king, Sigismund I the Old. As a result, the Duchy of Prussia became a fief of the Polish Crown, while Albert became both Duke of Prussia and a vassal of the Polish monarch. These events became known as the Prussian Homage and remain a familiar part of school history curricula. The year 1525 is still remembered as one of the most significant dates in Polish history.
Far less well known is a similar ceremony that took place in Warsaw 86 years later. This is unfortunate, as it reminds us that, alongside the many painful chapters of Poland’s past, there were also moments that reflected the strength and prestige of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. That event took place in Warsaw on 29 October 1611, when the former Tsar of Russia and members of his closest entourage paid homage to Sigismund III Vasa, King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
A Victor’s Procession… and Several Defeated Captives
At about 10 o’clock, a detachment of cavalry in full ceremonial dress appeared, escorting the senators and the hetman, who rode in a magnificent carriage drawn by six white horses. Behind him, in another carriage, also drawn by six horses, sat the hetman’s three distinguished prisoners: Tsar Vasili Shuisky and his brothers, Dmitry – the unfortunate commander defeated at Klushino – and Ivan. Behind the tsar’s family rode another detachment of cavalry, bringing the procession to its close. The gathered townspeople and nobles cheered the victor, church bells rang out, and arquebuses and muskets were fired in salute.
Leszek Podhorodecki, Famous Hetmans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Warsaw, 1994)
Thus began a great celebration. The hetman referred to in the account was, of course, Stanisław Żółkiewski, one of the greatest Polish military commanders of the early 17th century. It was he who, on 4 July 1610, commanded the Polish forces at the Battle of Klushino. There, they not only defeated but decisively routed the combined Muscovite and Swedish army marching to relieve Smolensk, which had been under Muscovite control for almost a century after being seized from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was also Stanisław Żółkiewski who stood behind the agreement concluded with the boyars, under which the troops of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth entered Moscow in September 1610 and, on 9 October, occupied the Moscow Kremlin. The new tsar was to be Prince Władysław (later King of the Commonwealth, Władysław IV Vasa). Ultimately, it was into his custody that the boyars handed the imprisoned and deposed Tsar Vasili IV of Russia, together with his closest entourage – his brothers Ivan and Dmitry (the commander from Klushino) – and Yekaterina Grigoryevna, Dmitry’s wife.
A year after these events, the time came for a triumphant procession through Warsaw. Its final destination was the Senate Chamber at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. As well as Vasyl and his family, the procession along Krakowskie Przedmieście was also attended by Mikhail Shein (commander of the defence of Smolensk, who finally surrendered on 13 June 1611), Archbishop Sergei of Smolensk, and Patriarch Filaret of Moscow and All Russia.
Face to Face
Awaiting them in the castle were King Sigismund III Vasa, together with the assembled senators and envoys (a session of the Sejm was then in progress). After the prisoners had been brought before the monarch seated on the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, speeches were delivered. First, Stanisław Żółkiewski spoke, followed by the Crown Deputy Chancellor Feliks Kryski, who addressed the assembly on behalf of the King. Upon hearing them, the captives bowed before Sigismund, kissed his hand, and rendered homage. In doing so, they pledged obedience to him and guaranteed the inviolability of the border between the Commonwealth and Muscovy.
In this way, the Commonwealth demonstrated that, despite periods of crisis, it remained a state to be reckoned with. Although the success proved short-lived, as by 1612 the Poles were forced to withdraw from Moscow, and in 1667 they once again lost Smolensk, the event retained its symbolic importance. Moreover, at the time of the homage, Vasili Shuisky was no longer formally tsar, meaning the entire ceremony was purely symbolic in nature. Nevertheless, it continues to demonstrate to this day that the history of the Commonwealth is not only one of suffering, but also of great victories.
Piotr Bosko
Translated from Polish by Małgorzata Giełzakowska