Ivan Tsykler

Ivan Yeliseevich Tsykler (Tsikler) (Template:Lang-ru, before 1660 — 20 February [O.S. 4 March] 1697) was a Russian nobleman of the 17th century, who was dismembered in 1697 on charges of conspiracy against Peter I.

Son of a colonel from foreign order regiment, Tsykler was recorded into military service in 1671, and eight years later he was appointed as stolnik. Since 1682, being Strelets sub-colonel, he becomes companion of statesmen Fyodor Shaklovity and Ivan Miloslavskiy and fellow campaigner of Sophia of Russia who trusted in him as her most faithful adherent. In 1687–1688, Tsykler had taken part in the first Crimean campaign of Vasily Galitzine. In 1689 after the revolt of Peter I against Sophia he notified Peter about Sophia's conspiracy; for this he was elevated to the rank of the Duma nobleman and was sent as voivode to Verkhoturie. In 1696 he was called back to Moscow and commanded to build fortresses on the shore of the Azov sea.

On the one hand, this appointment was being considered then as an honorable exile, on the other hand, increasing cruelty of Peter I to opponents of his reforms motivated Tsykler to plot against him; participants of this plot were okolnichiy Alexei Sokovnin and stolnik Matvei Pushkin. In February of 1697 two Streletses Yelizariev and Silin notified Peter about Tsykler's intention to burn the house in which the tsar was residing and to kill him during the fire. Peter immediately came to the place where the conspirators were gathering, personally arrested them and put them on trial.

During the trial, under torture, Tsykler explained that he was motivated to such intent by Peter's reproaches of friendship with Miloslavsky and partially incriminated Sophia, whereupon she was tonsured in Novodevichy Convent, and exhumed corpse of Miloslavsky, who dead as far back as in 1685, has been put under the scaffold during the execution of conspirators. Head of executed on 20 February [O.S. 4 March] 1697 Tsykler (as well as his accomplices' heads) was being exhibited on a pike on the Red Square for several days; his two sons were exiled to Kursk without permission to turn back to Moscow up to special tsar's decree.

John Perry, who came to Russia soon after Tsykler's conspiracy, mention that it was a demonstration of indignation of opposition grandees. Otto Pleyer, Austrian resident in Moscow, attaches particular importance to the plot, stating that it was aimed against Peter, royal family, tsar's campaigners and all the foreigners in general. Such circumstance that a plot allegedly aimed against foreigners was being directed by the son of a foreigner is not usually mentioned.

Sources

• Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary. Циклер, Иван Елисеевич (in Russian).