Kuzma Minin
Kuzma Minin (Russian Кузьма Минин ) ( † 1616) was a Russian merchant from Nizhny Novgorod and along with Prince Dmitry Pozharsky leader of a Russian popular uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian occupation during the Smuta mentioned turmoil beginning of the 17th century.
Life
Little is known about the origin and early years Minin. He was originally from Balakhna, where his family probably worked in the salt industry. There are unconfirmed allegations that he was a baptized Tatar, originally Kirischa Minibajew said.
1610 tried the Polish king Sigismund III. Władysław IV Vasa his son to be raised to the Tsar 's throne and establish the Catholic faith in Russia. 1611 therefore sent the Patriarch of Moscow Germogen or the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius a call to defend the faith and to resist the Polish / Lithuanian occupation of a number of Russian cities. Kuzma Minin supported this call in Nizhny Novgorod and began to collect money and trailers. When they had enough money come together, he suggested the Prince Pozharsky in front of a military leader. This agreed, but demanded that Minin should continue to be responsible for the logistical part of the survey.
It joined them soon other cities. Beginning of April 1612 was formed in Yaroslavl, a people's army with Pozharsky and Minin at the top, which in August 1612 initially proposed the Polish army under Hetman Chodkiewicz. The following October, the Polish garrison of Moscow had to surrender. In July 1613, Mikhail Romanov was crowned Tsar and just one day later he rose Minin to the peerage. Minin had the confidence of the Tsar. This was also reflected in the fact that he was entrusted in 1615 the leadership of Moscow, while the Tsar was on a trip to the Trinity Monastery.
He died in 1616 near Kazan during an uprising of Tatars and Mari, and was buried in the Kremlin in Nizhny Novgorod in the Archangel Michael Cathedral.
To him and the second leader of the uprising, the Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square remembers directly front of St. Basil 's Cathedral in Moscow.