The Story of the Victories of the Moscow State (Russian: Повесть о победах Московского государства), also known as The Tale of the Victories of the Moscow State, is a Russian literary work of the 17th century, a historical tale of the events of the Time of Troubles, mainly about the campaigns of the Smolensk noble militia and the struggle of the Smolensk nobles with Poles and supporters of False Dmitry.
The full title, "A Reliable Story About the Victories of the Moscow State, About How Many Misfortunes for the Multiplication of our Sins We Took from the Internecine War, from the Infidel Poles and from Lithuanians, and from Russian Rebels, and How the All-Merciful Lord God Saved Us from so Many Troubles with His Philanthropy and the Prayers of His Most Holy Mother and, for the Sake of All Saints, Brought Us Back with his Philanthropy to Its Original State".
During this campaign, a certain Afanasy Loginovich Varishkin was able to deliver a convoy with food from the Alexander Sloboda to besieged Moscow and personally met with Tsar Vasily Shuisky.
The Tale further describes the defense of Smolensk in 1609–1611, the capture of Tsar Vasily Shuisky and the events of the Interregnum, the liberation campaign of Minin and Pozharsky to Moscow in 1612, the election of Tsar Mikhail Romanov in 1613, unsuccessful campaigns near Smolensk in 1613–1617, the siege of Moscow by the Poles in 1618, the exchange of prisoners and the return to the homeland of Filaret Romanov in 1619, the arrival of Christ's Robe in 1626.
A distinctive feature of the story is the high appreciation of Tsar Vasily Shuisky as a righteous sovereign, as well as the exaltation of the role of the Smolensk nobility in the events of the Time of Troubles.
The activity of Athanasius during the years of the interregnum is unknown, probably, like other Smolensk nobles, he participated in the militia of Minin and Pozharsky from 1611–12 and in the liberation of Moscow from the Poles.