Prince Michael Vorotynsky, the town of Novosil and the wrath of the tsar

Introduction. The events of the second half of the XVI century, which unfolded around the town of Novosil, have a close connection with both the domestic and foreign policy situation that was relevant at that time. They were also connected with a number of not quite obvious aspects of the financial, administrative, status position of Prince Michael Vorotynsky. Tsar John Vasilyevich perceived him negatively, feared him as a potential "troublemaker", despite the obvious loyalty of the prince. This had a significant impact on the fate of this outstanding Russian politician and military commander and, as it seems, was closely connected with the fate of the family heritage of the Novosilsk lords. Materials and methods. The texts of the wills of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich and Prince Michael Vorotynsky, the messages to the prince and the tsar's reply messages on behalf of the prince to the leaders of Poland and Lithuania, information from Russian chronicles, data on the formation of military contingents, information of a historical and linguistic nature and the results of research on the era in question were used as source materials for the study. In this work, comparative-historical and system-analytical methods were used using an interdisciplinary approach. Results. The transfer of family lands into the possession of Michael Vorotynsky, issued as a "land exchange" with the sovereign, combined with the confiscation of property and the need to restore fortifications, as well as maintaining their combat readiness in the conditions of Crimean Tatar activity and the Livonian War, led to the actual ruin of the prince. The analysis of the published epistolary heritage of the epoch makes it possible to identify flaws in the generally accepted translation of the "correspondence of Ivan the Terrible" and to evaluate the semantic shades conveyed in it closely related to the city of Novosil in a slightly different way. Conclusions. The transfer, restoration and maintenance of the fortress of Novosilsk and a number of other fortifications at nonstate expense, the strengthening of the defense capability of the southern borders and the subsequent foreign policy epistolary registration of the status associated with them were part of a long intrigue against Prince Michael Vorotynsky, the author of which could be the Tsar of Russia Ivan Vasilyevich.