Background
Kuzma Minin was born in Russia.
Kuzma Minin was born in Russia.
Minin was a prosperous tradesman in the city of Nizhni-Novgorod, and was an elder in the municipal council. During the smutnoe vremya, or "time of troubles, " when there was no czar and central Russia was overrun by Poles and Lithuanians, there was danger of a subversion of the Orthodox faith by Roman Catholicism and of Russia becoming a Polish possession. In September 1611, in a rousing speech to the council, Minin urged his colleagues to contribute a fund to raise an army of defense. He offered all he possessed to the fund and invited others to subscribe at least one fifth of their wealth. Having gathered an impressive amount of gold, he called for volunteers and named Prince Pozharsky to lead them. Messengers were sent to the chief towns, churches, and monasteries, inviting them to follow the example of Nizhni-Novgorod. The response both in money and men was overwhelming. With Pozharsky as leader and Minin as paymaster, the army set off for Moscow by way of Yaroslavl and other contributing cities, gaining reinforcements all the way. Near Moscow it joined another army under Prince Trubetskoy. In August and September 1612 Pozharsky and Minin led a daring attack upon Polish and Lithuanian forces converging on Moscow. In November the Polish troops occupying the Kremlin surrendered and their prisoners--including Michael Romanov--were freed. In 1613 Michael was made czar and Minin was ennobled.