Describing Bolotnikov, Paul Avrich states, "Contemporaries depict him as a tall and powerfully-built, and an intelligent and energetic leader."

Bolotnikov was a slave of Prince Andrei Teliatevsky, before running away to join the Cossacks along the steppe frontier between Muscovy and the Crimean Khanate.

Molochanov was part of the group who had murdered Feodor Godunov, and subsequently a confederate of Grigori Shakhovskoi, plotting a revolt against Moscow via a new pseudo-Dmitri.

Ivan Bolotnikov used this opportunity to muster a small army of runaway kholops, peasants, outlaws, and vagabonds, disgruntled with social and economic situation in Russia.

"[1] On 15 November, Liapunov, after being offered higher rank, a seat on the boyar council, and much silver, went over to the tsar with his Riazin militia.

On 2 December, Skopin-Shuisky attacked Kolomenskoe and Zaborie, forcing Bolotnikov to retreat southwards to Serpkhov, then onwards to Kaluga, where he underwent a siege for the next six months.

[1] In the spring of 1607, another imposter by the name of False Peter (also known as Ileyka Muromets; he claimed to be the son of Feodor I of Russia) came to Tula with a whole mob of robbers to meet with Prince Grigory Shakhovskoy.