Prince Dmitry Mikhaylovich Pozharsky is well-known as a military commander and a politician, the head of People’s Volunteer Force, which restored the Russian statehood. 

Dmitry was a descendant of Vasily Pozharsky, who was from the dynasty of Starodubsky Princes of Suzdal, descending from the Grand Prince Vladimir Yuryevich, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow. Dmitry Pozharsky went down in history of Russia as the participant of the first people’s volunteer corps and revolt against the Polish-Lithuanian interventionists in Moscow in 1611, in the Time of Troubles. 
 

From the end of October, 1611 Dmitry Pozharsky was one of the leaders of the second people’s militia. In 1612 together with the Nizhny Novgorod merchant Minin he developed and carried out the plan of liberating Moscow from Polish interventionists. 

  

The highlights of Dmitry Pozharsky’s life were associated with protection of Russia in the Time of Troubles at the turn of the 16th -17th centuries. The failure of the first people’s militia afflicted, but didn't discourage Russian people. A new movement for organization of new volunteer campaign to Moscow soon started in Russian towns again. This time the starting point and the center of liberating movement was Nizhny Novgorod led by the well-known head of the local Zemstvo (elective district council) Kuzma Minin. 
 

Dmitry Pozharsky, being a capable military leader and a person with spotless reputation, was invited to command the people’s volunteer corps. Kuzma Minin elected by all the people was in charge of the economic and financial side. At the end of July the volunteer corps started off from Yaroslavl to Moscow. In August they approached Moscow where they rebuffed the army of the Polish hetman Hodkevich that was going to support the Polish garrison. On October 22 Cossacks started an attack and took by storm Kitai Gorod, the central part of Moscow. The provisional government of Trubetskoy and Pozharsky called to Moscow delegates from all cities and all ranks for electing the district council and the head of the state. After a lot of debate the electorate agreed on the candidacy of the 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov. Zemstvo unanimously voted for Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov and proclaimed him the tsar on February 21, 1613. 
 

Dmitry Mikhaylovich Pozharsky died in Moscow on April 30, 1642. His ashes were kept in the family burial vault in Spaso-Evfimiyev Monastery in Suzdal.