Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky

Who was Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky?

Prince Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky was a Russian boyar, Voyevoda of Novgorod, and Namestnik of Ryazan.

During the Time of Troubles, he participated in the struggle against the supporters of False Dmitry II and Polish invaders. In 1607, Khovansky was sent to Mikhailov, which had been occupied by the opponents of Vasili IV of Russia, but his attacks on this city were rebuffed. In 1608, he and Prokopy Lyapunov fought against the Polish army in the Ryazan region, but was defeated by Aleksander Józef Lisowski at Zaraysk. In 1610, Khovansky fought alongside Prince Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky, who ordered him to combine forces with the Swedish army, occupy the southern part of the Tver region, and prevent the enemy from regrouping. Khovansky managed to rendezvous with the Swedes near Staritsa, capture Rzhev, and beset Bely. Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski was dispatched to aid the Polish army, but Khovansky avoided the collision and moved towards Mozhaisk in order to combine forces with Dmitry Shuisky.

Khovansky took part in the Battle of Klushino, where Shuisky suffered a severe defeat from Hetman Żółkiewski. When Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin organized a volunteer army to save Moscow from the Polish invaders, Khovansky took part in this army’s campaign against the enemy. Together with Minin, he commanded this army during its march from Yaroslavl to Rostov, while Pozharsky was in Suzdal.