The period of Boris Godunov's reign has gone down in history as one of the most controversial. Godunov's career began back in the years. Being a talented and far-sighted politician, Godunov was able to rise from the guardsmen to the close boyars of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Even during the life of Ivan the Terrible, he influenced government decisions, acting, however, wisely and with caution.

The Rise of Boris Godunov

The reign of Boris Godunov began long before his official assumption of the post of sovereign. After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, the throne was inherited by the Tsar’s eldest son Fedor, kind and pious, but at the same time incapable of government. In the shortest possible time after Fedor's ascension to the throne, he was able to achieve such influence that he actually ruled the country during the entire fourteen years of Fedor's reign and even then proved himself to be an outstanding statesman and skillful politician.

After the death of Ivan the Terrible, there were rumors that the cause of the tsar’s death was poison from the hands of Godunov. The accusation was refuted by court doctors: Ivan the Terrible died of natural causes.

Tsar Fedor, lacking not only the ability to rule, but also the desire to participate in resolving state issues, entrusted all matters to Boris, including the reception of foreign ambassadors (which no boyar had previously been honored with). The first important foreign policy steps of Boris Godunov were the establishment of a lasting peace with Poland and the Russian-Swedish war in 1590-1595. Boris's decisions were aimed at strengthening and expanding Russia's borders. During the war with the Swedes, Russian troops returned the Gulf of Finland, lost in the Livonian War. Through negotiations with Sweden, several cities were returned to the Russian crown. The expansion of Russian lands to the east continued: the colonization of the Volga region and Siberia expanded. Thanks to the active construction of Moscow fortifications, the attack of the Crimean Khan was repulsed without difficulty, who was subsequently defeated by the Russian troops pursuing him. By supporting the Terek Cossacks, Godunov strengthened his influence in the Caucasus.

Making all government decisions, Boris focused his efforts on strengthening statehood. One of Boris’s main historical decisions in the domestic political arena was the establishment of the patriarchate; the church gained independence from Byzantium, while simultaneously becoming an important political lever for the Russian ruler. This step significantly increased the authority of Russia throughout the Christian world. Another historic decision of Godunov was the strengthening of Grozny’s policy of enslaving the peasants - the surest, in his opinion, way to strengthen the economic condition of the country. By Boris's decision, St. George's Day was canceled.

Much attention was paid to the growth of existing cities and the emergence of new ones. On the initiative of Boris, the foundations of Samara, Saratov, Belgorod, Tsaritsyn, Tomsk, and Voronezh were founded. An impressive fortress wall was erected in Smolensk. Under Godunov's rule, secular and church architecture flourished. It was on Boris’s initiative that the first water supply system appeared in the capital, which was then considered a miracle of technology.

Ascension to the throne

In 1591, in Uglich, the tragic death of Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible and the only heir of the childless Fyodor, occurred. This event opened the way for Godunov to the throne, at the same time forever tarnishing his image in history with suspicions of organizing the murder of the prince. However, after the death of Tsar Fedor in 1598, it was Boris who was elected as the new Tsar.

Boris Godunov became the first tsar to open the way to education in Russia: trying to found the first university, he sent the boyars’ sons to Europe to master the sciences.

Having become the official ruler, Boris Godunov continued to strengthen Russia's foreign policy influence. Numerous contacts with guests from Western states, including officers, merchants, industrialists, and doctors, shaped a policy much similar to that which later glorified the achievements of Peter I. However, the reign of the Tsar was associated with constant confrontation with many difficult conditions. The famine that befell the country in 1601 over the course of three years claimed thousands of human lives, which served as a reason for the opposition boyars to spread the rumor that the plight of the people was a curse on the Tsar for the murder of the young Tsarevich Dmitry.

Godunov’s position was only complicated by the fact that, in conditions of constant confrontation, he suspected most of the boyars of conspiracies and persecuted many boyar families - forcibly sending them to monastic vows, into exile, into imprisonment or execution, often on false charges.

Despite the lack of proper education, Godunov proved himself to be a talented economist: he made decisions to strengthen production and trade, freed part of the population from taxes, and during the years of famine he opened granaries for the people and set low prices for bread. Unfortunately, in the end this did not save the people from their plight.

On the verge of troubles

The consequences of a three-year famine and the increasing frequency of robberies, epidemics, and growing discontent among the boyars became the beginning of a difficult historical period, called the Time of Troubles. Trying to regain the favor of the people, the king announced the distribution of alms, but this only further aggravated the situation - residents of the surrounding areas, who moved to the capital for the sovereign's favor, died of hunger along the way. General discontent finally shook Godunov's position and created fertile ground for the appearance of an impostor - posing as a miraculously saved prince.

The strength and health of Boris Godunov, whose last years of life were associated with difficult trials, were irreversibly undermined, and in April 1605 the king died suddenly.

The death of Fyodor Ivanovich on January 6, 1598, as well as the fact that he did not leave behind an heir, led to very sad events in Rus'. Formally, power should have passed to Irina, but she did not agree to the throne, promoting her brother Boris to it. For this she even went to a monastery. But everything turned out to be much more complicated, and Boris Godunov’s path to the kingdom was very difficult. The reign of Boris Godunov was supposed to begin immediately after Irina left for the monastery, but the Boyar Duma did not recognize him as a tsar, and the Romanovs sharply criticized Boris.

As a result, Boris moved to the Novodevichy Convent. From January 20 to February 10, 1598, processions organized by Patriarch Job went to him there. Those who came asked Boris for the kingdom. Boris set a condition - to convene a Zemsky Sobor. By the way, this is what Godunov is all about - outwardly he says: “No, I don’t want to be elected only by a narrow circle, I want to be elected at the Zemsky Sobor.” He understood perfectly well that he would never be elected in a narrow circle, so he needed to convene a wide Zemsky Sobor, and at it, beat the Boyar Duma.

Zemsky Sobor against the Boyar Duma

On February 17, the Zemsky Sobor met and elected Boris Godunov to the throne. But that didn't mean anything yet. Because the Boyar Duma was supposed to register this, but it refused to do so. That is, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris, and the Boyar Duma rejected his candidacy. She proposed introducing Boyar rule in the country (in other words, an oligarchy), but the Zemsky Sobor opposed this.

The split at the top led to the issue of succession to the throne being taken to the streets. And here Godunov had an advantage, because while controlling political investigation, he had a lot of agents who began actively campaigning for him on the streets.

On February 20, a procession was organized to Boris and Irina so that Boris would take the throne. But Godunov categorically refused. He tied a scarf around his head, saying that he would rather hang himself than become an illegally elected king.

On February 21, the demonstration was repeated, and, finally, Godunov gave his consent. However, the Duma stood its ground and on February 26, Boris returned to Moscow and Job blessed him to reign. Formally, the reign of Boris Godunov began, but the Duma still remained silent. That is, it turns out that Godunov is still an illegal tsar. As a result, Boris again leaves for the Novodevichy Convent.

Godunov's trick in the fight against the Duma

Members of the Boyar Duma began to weave a new intrigue. They decided to bet on Simeon Bekbulatovich. Let me remind you that at some point Ivan the Terrible installed Simeon Bekbulatovich, a baptized Tatar, as the Grand Duke of Moscow. At the time of the beginning of the Time of Troubles, he was already a completely old man, but the Boyar Duma (maybe because of this) relied on him. And then Godunov came up with a very interesting move (the fact that it was a move that I slept later). Suddenly the messengers galloped up and said: “The Crimean threat. The Crimeans are going to Moscow!” Godunov began to gather an army for a campaign. Since ancient times, Rus' has had such an order - all prominent representatives of the boyar duma automatically became military commanders. And all the military leaders before the start of the campaign took an oath of allegiance to the king. If you do not take the oath of allegiance to the king before a military campaign, then you are a traitor and automatically: either exile or the chopping block. Since Boris Godunov was blessed by the patriarch and the Zemsky Sobor to reign, the Boyar Duma had to kiss the cross and swear allegiance to Godunov. The Cossack army marched to the Oka, but there were no Crimeans there. So Godunov outplayed the Boyar Duma. After returning from the “campaign,” they were again forced to kiss Boris’s cross, and then the real inauguration of the Tsar took place.

Boris Godunov secretly gave lunch to the boyars for 5 years not to shed blood under any circumstances, no matter what they did. The young king understood that the future of his dynasty depended on the nobility. Therefore, he sought to show the boyars that he was their king. He returned to the Boyar Duma those who suffered from the Oprichnina, and tried to make them a counterweight to the Shuiskys and Romanovs. After all, at that time the Shuiskys and Romanovs acted as allies.

Personality of Boris Godunov

Being a sickly and superstitious person, Godunov was very afraid of damage. It seemed to him that his opponents were casting a spell on him. And since there was mistrust on both sides, sooner or later this “abscess” had to break out. And it broke. Bogdan Bilsky was the first to fall. He was put in the pillory, his entire beard was plucked out one hair at a time, and he was sent into exile in Nizhny Novgorod. Then, in October 1600, the Romanovs were accused of malicious intent regarding the life of the Tsar. Opponents of the Romanovs from among the noble boyars were specially selected for the Duma commission to solve this problem. Why were the noble boyars chosen? Because from the point of view of the table of ranks, the Godunovs stood much higher than the Romanovs. Fyodor, the leader of the Romanov clan, was tonsured a monk under the name Filoret (the father of Mikhail Romanov, the future Russian Tsar), and his three brothers were sent to Siberia, where they all died in difficult conditions.

It must be said that Boris, for all his merits, was a very suspicious person. He was afraid of assassination attempts and damage, taking this very seriously.

Klyuchevsky

What can we say about Boris himself? Contemporaries, even those who were not favorable to him, wrote that he had a very good face, that he had very good manners and friendly speeches. Boris had an indestructible will, which he hid under the guise of a soft, doubtful and hesitant person. He was a very good actor, was a great speaker and was a very good family man. Godunov was the first Russian Tsar who sent the children of the boyars to study abroad. He sent 10 people to study - not a single one returned. It is even known that one of these “children” later became a pastor in Scotland. Under him, a water supply system appeared in the Kremlin, new bridges and stone benches were built. Therefore, even Boris’s opponents say that if he had been a little luckier and had a little more time at his disposal, he could have done a lot of good things.

But Godunov was unlucky. The fact is that his main strategy was “undercover games”. There he was a real master. “Under the carpet” he feels very good, but the problem is that the king also needs to act “above the carpet”. Intrigues alone are not enough. Sometimes you need to go out to people and instill in them respect, trust and veneration. Boris couldn't do this. His personality brilliantly corresponded to the era that preceded the Time of Troubles, but when the Time of Troubles had already begun in Russia, Godunov could not be the king of the people. He was rather weak for the turmoil, because here the games were already over, and it was necessary to be ready for the battle for the throne. He was unprepared.

Domestic and foreign policy of Godunov

The main stages of Russian domestic policy during the reign of Boris Godunov are as follows:

1. "Tax amnesty". All debts to the state were forgiven to the population.
2. The death penalty was abolished for 5 years (it is noteworthy that Godunov’s reign itself lasted a little more than 5 years).
3. Improvement of the Kremlin and Moscow. Construction of fortresses in the south of the country.
4. Education of boyar children in Europe (a failed idea).
5. Attempts to open mass educational institutions for everyone. The attempt was unsuccessful.

Difficulties of Godunov's reign

What was working against Godunov then? It seemed like everything. The reign of Boris Godunov was marked by a severe famine in 1601-1602. That's what led to this. At the beginning of the 17th century, the “Little Ice Age” began in Europe. This is due to many factors, ranging from systematic volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ocean, which continued throughout the second half of the 16th century, to more serious climate movements. In Russia, the summer of 1601 was cold and rainy. In the spring of 1602 frosts struck, which destroyed the seed fund. As a result, 1602 and 1603 saw a severe crop shortage. If at the end of the 16th century bread was sold for 3-4 kopecks per “Quarter”, then already in 1603 for 3-4 rubles. As a result, the population began to die en masse from hunger.

Godunov tried to solve the problems - he expanded construction work and organized the distribution of grain. In the context of the famine of 1601-1602, he announced the temporary restoration of St. George's Day. Why was this done? So that the peasants who were considered poor by landowners could move to those who were richer, in order to simply survive the famine. But as a result, Godunov, with this decision, turned against himself that part of the nobles who were poor. That is, Godunov found himself in a very difficult situation when he had no useful steps. In chess this is called "zugzwang". He makes 1 move, solves one problem, but it creates another (sometimes several). As a result, in 1603 Godunov reversed his decision regarding the peasants. Now the peasants are dissatisfied because they cannot go to work for a rich landowner. That is, the socio-economic situation in the country was deteriorating sharply.

The fight against False Dmitry 1

The army of False Dmitry was weak. After the first serious skirmish that ended in a draw on the banks of the Desna in December 1604, the Poles, the famous Polish hussars, decided that it would not be an easy walk here, and let False Dmitry go further on his own. On January 21, 1605, the Battle of Dobrynichi took place. In it, the royal troops defeated the troops of the impostor. Moreover, False Dmitry himself acted very bravely. He distinguished himself in the battle, but the outcome was decided by the royal infantry. A third of the impostor’s army died, and he himself fled (they initially thought that he had died and only later found out that he had fled). The Russian governors were convinced that this had solved the problem of False Dmitry and won the final victory.

Boris Godunov ordered, however, to continue hostilities and his governors Sheremetyev, Shuisky, Mstislavsky began the siege of the city of Kromy. The Allied army settled in Kromy, which consisted of 200 people and 500 Cossacks. Only 700 people. They were surrounded by an army of 80 thousand, which could not break the resistance of the besieged. The army and governors did not want to fight so much. Therefore, this army began to disintegrate, which also led to another source of distrust in Godunov.

The end of the reign of Boris Godunov

In fact, after this, the reign of Boris Godunov was over. New uprisings began in the country in the southern regions, in the Bryansk region, and the Cossacks played a special role in this. Godunov regularly received messages that the fighting was not going as it should. As a result, the king was greatly demoralized. He was not the kind of person who could make complex, strong-willed decisions in a difficult situation. He became indifferent to everything. On April 13, 1605, he stood up from the table and began bleeding from his nose, ears and throat. Just 2 hours later he died, having managed to bless his son Fedor for the kingdom.

Answers to readers' questions

We invite you to familiarize yourself with brief answers to the main questions from readers that most often come to our website:

• What opportunities opened up for the country during the reign of Boris Godunov? The reign of this tsar did not provide great prospects for Russia. This is due to the fact that the popular movements were too strong, as a result of which great efforts had to be spent on pacifying the situation. The dubiousness of this tsar's claims to the Russian throne ultimately led to the loss of ordinary people.
• What new features appeared in state life for the country during the reign of this king? Among the new features that began to appear in Russia under Godunov, it is necessary to highlight the softening of attitudes towards their subjects. In fact, Godunov refused to pursue a policy of intimidation, which consists of mass repressions. It is also necessary to highlight that it was under this tsar that active uprisings began in Russia, which were largely directed against Tsar Boris.
• Was Boris Godunov involved in the death of Tsarevich Dmitry? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. The commission that investigated the death of the prince came to the conclusion that Dmitry, while playing with a knife, stabbed himself. This is an absurd assumption, which in no way explains how the wound was received in the form of a deep and long cut in the neck area. Moreover, Dmitry was a legitimate contender for the Russian throne and only his death opened the way there for Godunov. Of course, today it is difficult to find evidence of the involvement of other persons in the death of the young prince, since Godunov himself led the investigation, and his relatives were subordinate to him. It is noteworthy that the residents of Uglich (the place where the tragedy occurred) without trial or investigation killed the officials whom Boris sent to the cities to spy on Dmitry.
• Assess the domestic and foreign policies of Tsar Godunov. The main section of the current article describes in detail the features of domestic and foreign policy in Russia during this period.

A great tyrant and murderer who subjected the state to a terrible famine and involved it in the chaos of the Time of Troubles. At the same time, during the 7 years of Boris Godunov’s reign, Russia strengthened its influence and its own borders, but internal conflicts provoked the ascension of an impostor to the throne.

Boris was born in 1552 into the family of a landowner who lived near the city of Vyazma. The Godunovs' pedigree goes back to the Tatar Chet-Murza, who settled in Rus' during the reign of. Boris's ancestors are Kostroma boyars, who over time become Vyazma landowners.

Being a provincial nobleman, the young man received an education, but did not become familiar with the Holy Scriptures. The study of church books was considered a fundamental component of study, so gaps in this area were not allowed. Contemporaries called the future king a poorly educated and nasty youth. Literacy and calligraphic handwriting were not taken into account.

Approaching the royal retinue

In 1565 he fights for undivided power, and for this he divides Rus' into zemshchina and oprichnina. The latter creates its own Duma, ministries and army. The Godunovs' possessions turned out to be on the side of the oprichnina lands, and Dmitry Ivanovich (Boris's uncle) enlisted in the military corps. At the expense of the disgraced boyars he increased his fortune. The Tsar appreciated Dmitry’s merits and brought him closer to the court, granting him a high rank.

After the death of their parents, Irina and Boris Godunov, their uncle took custody of the children. Constant travel was not conducive to the full upbringing of his offspring, so Dmitry settled the orphans in the Kremlin, having agreed with the autocrat. The children grew up in complete comfort along with the royal heirs. Ivan the Terrible loved to talk with the younger Godunov and even ordered him to write down his own wise thoughts.

The young man was attracted by power and court luxury, but was amazed by the torture to which Ivan the Terrible subjected the rebels. While in the state retinue, he was forced to observe the executions and torture of the disgraced. The boy quickly realized that he would not survive in the bloody court if he did not learn to control pity and emotions. He was forced to pick up instruments of torture and “have fun” together with Grozny and the guardsmen.

At the age of 18 he took the place of state bed guard. The previous one was executed by being impaled. Now, due to his duty, the young man becomes the eyes and ears of the tsar, in charge of the Kremlin household and security. Hypocrisy and behind-the-scenes intrigue are now the native element of Boris, who is forced to fight his rivals.

I liked the smart courtier, who feared for his life and was looking for loyal allies. Malyuta gave Godunov his youngest daughter Maria as his wife, and his eldest daughter.

In 1571, a young courtier betrothed Ivan the Terrible’s son to a relative, Evdokia Saburova. The autocrat did not like the daughter-in-law, who accused the girl of disrespect and sent her to a monastery. Boris learned that the lustful father-in-law was harassing the young beauty and became angry after a categorical refusal. Godunov shared his opinion with a friend, who immediately conveyed the information to the king.

The bed-maid's career was shaken. Now the angry Grozny will give the order for execution at any moment. The man was rescued from the torture chamber by his beloved sister Irina, who persuaded Fyodor (the Tsar’s son) to resolve the issue of pardon. The girl was famous for her intelligence, literacy and beauty. Fyodor liked the charming Irina since childhood, but did not pay attention to the tongue-tied advances.

The beauty loved to read, enjoyed learning to read and write and showed success in mathematics. When a terrible danger loomed over her brother, Irina rushed to the royal son with prayers, and he convinced his father to spare the Godunov family. In gratitude, the girl had to marry the idiotic Fyodor, Boris was awarded the title of boyar.

During the reign of Feodor

In 1581, the tsar, in the heat of a scandal, kills his own son Ivan. Fyodor Ioannovich becomes a contender for the throne. After 3 years, Grozny dies a terrible death, choking on his own blood. People said that the autocrat was strangled by the shed blood of the innocently killed. The only heir becomes the new ruler.

Fedor got tired of holding the gilded apple, denoting the power, and gave the symbol to Godunov. These events, according to the courtiers, become historical. A regency council is urgently created in the Kremlin, which includes Yuriev, Belsky, Mstislavsky, Shuisky and Godunov. The boyars understood that this king was not capable of ruling the country, and a fierce struggle for the throne began at court.

Godunov turned popular unrest in a favorable direction, accusing Velsky of executions, torture and abuse of his subjects. The former favorite was sent into exile. This was followed by a difficult struggle with the boyar families, who were not going to share power with the “rootless upstart.” The boyars acted by force, and Boris acted with intrigue and cunning.

Fyodor Chaliapin in the title role in the opera "Boris Godunov"

Having dealt with his opponents, the future king decided to eliminate the last contender for the throne. Grozny still had one more descendant - Tsarevich Dmitry, exiled with his mother to Uglich. The child died in 1591 after stumbling upon a knife during an epileptic attack. A specially created commission found no traces of crime in the death of the prince. The Tsar's brother-in-law was not accused of killing Dmitry, since there was no direct evidence of guilt, only indirect evidence.

This moment of the biography was wonderfully expressed in the tragedy “Boris Godunov” with a poetic line:

“And everything feels nauseous and my head is spinning,
And the boys have bloody eyes...
And I’m glad to run, but there’s nowhere... terrible!
Yes, pitiful is the one whose conscience is unclean.”

In 1869, the composer Mussorgsky, impressed by the poem, wrote an opera of the same name, in which he showed in detail the relationship between the people and the ruler.

Reforms

A rare intriguer and skillful politician ruled the country for 13 years, hiding behind the name of Fyodor Ioannovich. During this period, cities, powerful fortresses, and temples were built in Rus'. Talented builders and architects were allocated money from the treasury. The first water supply system, called the Kremlin, was created in Moscow. In 1596, by decree of Godunov, the Smolensk fortress wall was erected, protecting the western borders of Rus' from the Poles.

Boris entrusted Fyodor Savelyev with the construction of the outer wall encircling the White City. Foreigners who visited Moscow wrote in their diaries that it was now impossible to take the city by storm. The Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey only confirmed the opinion of foreigners, since he was afraid to besiege the fortress walls. For this, the royal governor was awarded the title “Tsar's Servant,” which was considered an honorary title.

Thanks to Godunov, in 1595 an agreement was signed with the Swedes, which ended the Russian-Swedish war, which lasted 3 years. Under the strict leadership of the Russian politician, Korela, Ivangorod, Yam, and Koporye withdrew. At the same time, the Patriarchate was established, which allowed the Orthodox Church to move away from the Byzantine Patriarchate.

Set a deadline for searching for fugitive peasants. Now slaves were searched for for 5 years, and then freedom was declared. He exempted from taxes the lands of landowners who cultivated arable land with their own hands, without resorting to hiring workers.

Reign

January 1598 was marked by the death of the last of the Rurik family - Fedor. The widow of the sovereign, Irina, was appointed temporary ruler. There are no direct heirs to the throne, so the road to the kingdom is clear for Godunov. The convened Zemsky Sobor unanimously elected a ruler. A significant role was played by the fact that the late tsar was considered a figurehead, and only Boris ruled the state.

Having taken the throne, a man understands that a hat is a heavy burden. If the first three years of the reign are marked by the heyday of Rus', then subsequent events nullify the achievements. In 1599, he made an attempt to rapprochement with the West, realizing that the Russian people were lagging behind in education and medicine. The courtiers, by royal decree, recruit craftsmen and doctors abroad, with each of whom Boris talks personally.

A year later, the sovereign decided to open a higher educational institution in Moscow, where foreign teachers would work. To implement the project, he sends gifted young people to France, England, and Austria to gain experience in teaching.

In 1601, a massive famine swept across Rus' due to crop failure and early frosts. By royal decree, taxes were reduced to help his subjects. Boris took measures to save the starving, distributing money and grain from the treasury. Bread prices rose a hundred times, but the autocrat did not punish the speculators. The treasury and barns were quickly emptied.

The peasants ate quinoa, dogs, and cats. Incidents of cannibalism have become more frequent. Moscow streets were filled with corpses, which the archers threw into skudelnitsa (common graves). Godunov appealed to the people with a request to remain calm. The masses were stirred up by such an appeal; the peasants considered this speech to be the sovereign’s weakness.

127,000 people died from famine. Rumors begin that God is sending punishment to Rus' for illegal succession to the throne. Peasant discontent develops into a revolt led by Cotton. The rebel forces were defeated by the army under the city walls. After this, the situation did not stabilize, as rumors appeared that Tsarevich Dmitry was alive.

False Dmitry

Boris Godunov understands that False Dmitry’s position is much stronger than his own, because people consider the impostor the son of Ivan the Terrible. Trusted people collected information and provided the Tsar with facts that under the image of the Tsarevich was hiding an extremely unpleasant person - the defrocked monk Grigory Otrepiev. The Russian people believed that a true heir had come who would save them from hunger and cold.

The Poles allocated money to raise the army of Otrepiev, who was preparing to go to war for the throne. The self-proclaimed prince was also supported by the Russians, even the army in detachments went under the banner of the impostor. The gathering of marauders and bandits did not win, and “Grigory-Dmitry” fled to Putivl. The news pleased Godunov, who had a hard time enduring the betrayal of his courtiers and troops.

Personal life

She became the wife of the first elected king. Few facts have been preserved about the girl. But those that are known present Mary in a flattering light. A well-mannered, submissive beauty becomes her husband's faithful companion. For 10 years of marriage, the couple did not have a single baby, and the doctors only shrugged their shoulders, citing the woman’s natural childlessness.

Boris Godunov and Maria Skuratova. Wax figures

The desperate husband sent a famous doctor from England, who managed to improve the girl’s health. Two years later, two children appeared in the family - son Fedor and daughter Ksenia. Godunov whiled away his free time with his family and said that he only fully rested in the presence of loved ones. The ruler saw the future of his own dynasty in his own children, so he provided both with a first-class education.

From childhood, the boy was prepared for the throne and taught by teachers in Europe and Moscow. said that Fedor is “the first fruit of European education in Russia.” The English ambassador Jerome Horsey described in his diaries that the autocrat’s family maintained warm family relationships, which was considered a rarity in Rus'.

Death

Boris Godunov suffered from urolithiasis and severe migraines for a long time. Towards the end of his life he stopped trusting his retinue and boyars, seeing enemies everywhere except his family. He kept his son with him constantly, worrying about the future.

On April 13, 1605, the king was receiving English ambassadors when he suffered from apoplexy. Blood gushed from the man’s nose and ears, and the court doctor only shrugged his shoulders, unable to help.

The boyars standing at the bedside of the dying man asked about the oath to their son. The monarch said: “As God and the people please.” After this he became speechless and died. Fedor is appointed successor, whose reign lasted one and a half months. Having learned about the death of the sovereign, False Dmitry entered Moscow with an army to the jubilant cries of the crowd.

On the same day, by order of Golitsyn, the archers strangled the Godunov family, leaving only Ksenia alive, who fainted. The pardoned girl involuntarily becomes the concubine of False Dmitry, who, having played enough, exiled the dishonored beauty to a monastery.

Tomb of Boris Godunov

Godunov was buried in the Archangel Cathedral, but during the rebellion the coffin was pulled out and placed in the Varsonofevsky Monastery. After 2 years, Vasily Shuisky ordered the Godunov family to be reburied in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

There is a mystery in the biography of the unsuccessful ruler that has not yet been solved by historians. After Godunov’s death, the autocrat’s head mysteriously disappeared. It is also not clear during which burial the skull was separated from the body. This was discovered thanks to the anthropologist Gerasimov, who opened the crypt with the remains to restore the appearance of the deceased.

The reign of Boris Godunov is briefly assessed by historians only from the negative side as a whole. But if you look at this issue in detail, consider Godunov’s policy more deeply, it will become clear that not all the initiatives of the elected tsar were negative. On the contrary, it becomes clear that many of Boris Godunov’s undertakings were very promising.

The official date of Boris's reign is 1598-1604, but he was in power much longer. After his son ascended the throne, Godunov found himself among those close to the new king. Gradually he gained more trust and power, eventually becoming regent under Tsar Fyodor, who was weak-minded. In fact, his power was unlimited by anyone.

The reign of Boris Godunov

The reign of Boris Godunov became a golden period for him. It’s worth remembering a little about where the Godunov family came from in Rus'. The ancestor of the Godunovs was the Tatar Murza Cheta. He was a defector and left the Horde under Ivan Kalita. On the territory of Rus', he was baptized, and later founded the Ipatiev Monastery - later famous. In addition, Chet became the founder of several families at once. These were names such as:

• Godunovs;
• Saburovs and others;

Boris himself was considered handsome. Despite the fact that his height was short, his figure was dense, but there was also frailty. Boris was probably capable of persuasion, had a good command of speech and could make people listen to himself, despite the fact that his education left much to be desired. The most important thing is that he was a purposeful person; not for a minute did he give up trying to get closer to the top management.

His career path was as follows:

1. 1581 - Boris Godunov boyar;
2. Since 1584, Godunov began to have several titles, such as:
   • Equerry;
   • Near Great Boyar;
   • Governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms.
3. In 1594, the royal charter granted him the title of ruler, despite the fact that Fedor was still king at that time. It’s interesting that a year later, Boris Godunov’s son was officially named ruler.

Boris Godunov was born in 1552, in the family of the middle-class Vyazma landowner Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov. Boris's father Fedor and his brother Dmitry, in addition to family estates near Vyazma, from which they carried out local service to the sovereign, also owned a small estate in Kostroma.

After the death of his father, Boris was taken into his family by his uncle, Dmitry Godunov. During the years of the oprichnina, Vyazma, in which Dmitry Godunov’s possessions were located, passed to the oprichnina’s possessions. The ignorant Dmitry Godunov was enrolled in the oprichnina corps and soon received the high rank of head of the Bed Order at court.

And then Boris himself became a guardsman in 1570, and in 1571 he was a groomsman (the groom’s representative) at the wedding of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with Marfa Sobakina. In the same year, Boris himself married Maria Grigorievna Skuratova-Belskaya, daughter of Malyuta Skuratov.

In 1578, Boris Godunov became kravchim (a court rank responsible for the steward serving food and drinks). Two years later, Ivan the Terrible, after the marriage of his son Fyodor to Godunov’s sister Irina, granted Boris the title of boyar. The Godunovs slowly but surely climbed the hierarchical ladder.

Godunov was smart and careful, trying for the time being to stay in the shadows. In the last year of the Tsar's life, Boris Godunov gained great influence at court. Together with Bogdan Belsky, he became one of the closest people to Ivan the Terrible.

On March 28, 1984, Ivan the Terrible died, and Fyodor Ioannovich “The Blessed” ascended the throne. The new tsar was unable to rule the country and needed a smart adviser, so a regency council of four people was created: Bogdan Belsky, Nikita Romanovich Yuryev, princes Ivan Fedorovich Mstislavsky and Ivan Petrovich Shuisky. Boris Godunov himself, on the day of Fedor’s coronation, was showered with favors - he received the rank of equerry (this rank was considered one of the most prestigious at court - it was given only to boyars), the title of close great boyar and governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms.

Death of the heir Dmitry

While Tsar Fedor was alive, Boris's power seemed firmly secured. However, if Fedor died childless, the boy Dmitry became a potential contender for the Moscow throne. If Dmitry became king, his relatives would seize real power.

As stated in the chronicles of the Romanov times, Boris Godunov was to blame for the death of Dmitry, because Dmitry was the direct heir to the throne and prevented Boris from advancing to him. Isaac Massa (Dutch diplomat) gives the same version. However, Godunov’s participation in the conspiracy to kill the prince has not been proven.

Nikolay Ge. Boris Godunov and Queen Martha, summoned to Moscow for questioning about Tsarevich Dmitry upon news of the appearance of an impostor

In 1829, historian M.P. Pogodin was the first to risk speaking out in defense of Boris’s innocence. The original criminal case of the Shuisky commission, discovered in the archives, became the decisive argument in the dispute. He convinced many historians of the 20th century that the true cause of the death of Ivan the Terrible’s son was, after all, an accident - Tsarevich Dmitry suffered from epilepsy and suffered from extremely severe seizures. On Saturday, May 15, 1591, at about noon, Dmitry was amusing himself outside the palace with four other boys, his usual partners, playing a game of knives (poke). As the nanny later told the investigative commission sent from Moscow, Dmitry unexpectedly suffered a severe epileptic seizure. “And he stabbed himself with a knife, and she took him in her arms, and he walked away in her arms.” The boys confirmed her words.

News of Dmitry's death and the riots that broke out in Uglich after his death reached Moscow the evening of the next day. It was immediately decided to send a commission of inquiry and a detachment of archers to Uglich to suppress the rebellion. The commission was headed by Prince Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky. With the arrival of the commission, the unrest in Uglich ceased.

The commission's task was not to draw any conclusions of its own; it was only to question witnesses and participants in the events and submit a report of its investigation to the government. Witnesses gave different testimonies regarding the death of the prince. The information of those who claimed that Dmitry was killed was not hidden. In addition to investigating the circumstances of Dmitry's death, the commission also collected information about the role of the Nagikh in the rebellion and the nature of the revolt of the townspeople.

On May 24, Moscow was shocked by terrible fires that started simultaneously in different parts of the city. The chronicle, written after the canonization of Tsarevich Dmitry, explained the fires as God's punishment for the murder of the Tsarevich. But in reality, the fires were the result of arsonists. Their leaders were captured, and they told the boyars that they were paid for this by the people of Afanasy Alexandrovich Nagoy (uncle of Queen Maria Nagoy, mother of Dmitry), and that Afanasy sent his people to organize arson in many other cities, including Chusovaya in the Urals .

Dmitry's mother, Queen Maria, took monastic vows under the name of Martha and was sent to a monastery near Beloozero. None of the Naked were executed, but were exiled to distant cities and imprisoned. Their property was confiscated. The Uglitsky townspeople, who took an active part in the rebellion, were sent to Siberia to settle in the newly founded city of Pelym.

The reign of Boris Godunov under Tsar Feodor

The activities of Godunov's reign were aimed at comprehensively strengthening statehood. Thanks to his efforts, even during the reign of Tsar Fedor, the first Russian patriarch was elected in 1589, who became Metropolitan Job of Moscow. The establishment of the patriarchate testified to the increased prestige of Russia.

An unprecedented construction of cities and fortifications began. The Voronezh fortress was built in 1585, and Livny in 1586. To ensure the safety of the waterway from Kazan to Astrakhan, cities were built on the Volga - Samara (1586), Tsaritsyn (1589), Saratov (1590). In 1592, the city of Yelets was restored. The city of Belgorod was built on the Donets in 1596.

In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey with one and a half hundred thousand troops approached Moscow, however, finding himself at the walls of a new powerful fortress and under the guns of numerous guns, he did not dare to storm it. In minor skirmishes with the Russians, the khan's troops were constantly defeated; this forced him to retreat, abandoning his baggage train. On the way to the south, to the Crimean steppes, the khan's army suffered heavy losses from the Russian regiments pursuing him.

In foreign policy, Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat. On May 28, 1595, a peace treaty was concluded in Tyavzin (near Ivangorod), ending the Russian-Swedish war of 1590-1595. Godunov managed to take advantage of the difficult internal political situation in Sweden, and the Russian kingdom, according to the agreement, received Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye and Korela (in return, Boris left Narva to the Swedes as compensation). Thus, Russia regained all the lands transferred to Sweden as a result of the unsuccessful Livonian War.

Election of Boris Godunov as Tsar

In mid-June 1592, Tsarina Irina gave birth to a daughter, christened Theodosia, this raised hopes that Tsar Fedor would not die without an heir. The event strengthened the position of Boris Godunov. In the event of Tsar Fedor's premature death, Boris could rule on behalf of his daughter. But on January 25, 1594, the young princess died. No other children followed. Four years later, on January 7, 1598, Tsar Feodor died.

Some boyars wanted to declare the Boyar Duma the interim government of Muscovy. The patriarch, bishops and other boyars asked Irina to retain the title of queen and transfer actual power to her brother Boris. Boris understood perfectly well that in order to be recognized as a ruler, he needed more serious reasons than just his sister’s blessing. A new king had to be elected.

Patriarch Job immediately began preparations. There were three contenders for the crown: Boris Godunov, the de facto ruler of the kingdom in the last decade of Tsar Fyodor’s reign, Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky, a senior member of the Boyar Duma, and boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov. Mstislavsky was inferior in popularity to Fyodor Romanov. And Boris’s position was much stronger, since he had been at the pinnacle of power for several years and was known as an experienced and gifted ruler. To many it seemed safer not to change the established order. In addition, Boris had more supporters among the nobles than Fyodor Romanov and had more votes.

Boris Godunov is informed of his election to the throne

The Elective Council met on February 17, 1598. When Patriarch Job was pleased to discover that the overwhelming majority was in favor of Boris Godunov, he convinced the others to accept Boris as Tsar in order to achieve a unanimous vote. And so it was done. But when Boris was informed of his election, he refused to accept the throne. He explained to the Patriarch that he wanted special guarantees that he was not only elected Tsar, but also recognized as the founder of a new dynasty.

On February 18, Patriarch Job convened a new meeting of the elective Council in the Assumption Cathedral. At this Council, it was decided to consider as a traitor every Muscovite who recognizes as his sovereign any other person except Boris, his son Fedor and their descendants. Every Muscovite who knew about such a traitor had to expose him before the Patriarch and the Council. The Patriarch had to excommunicate him and hand him over to the authorities for trial.

On February 26, the patriarch, clergy and people brought Tsar Boris into the Assumption Cathedral for a thanksgiving service. After which Boris returned to his cell in the Novodevichy Convent and spent Lent and Easter there. Only on April 30 did he settle in the royal palace. But the coronation, according to his wishes, was postponed to September 1. The cathedral continued its work until this date.

Boris's reign was marked by the beginning of Russia's rapprochement with the West. Contacts between the Moscow state and Europe, which began to actively develop during the time of Ivan III, practically ceased under Ivan the Terrible. During the reign of Boris, relations with foreign countries revived again. Merchants, doctors, industrialists, military men, and scientists traveled to Moscow. They received positions, good salaries, land with peasants. Tsar Boris had the intention of opening a university in Moscow, but this was prevented by the conservative clergy, who were afraid that along with knowledge all sorts of heresies would come to Rus'. European culture penetrated into Russian everyday life. This applied to clothing, housing, social ceremonies, and even such things as shaving beards. Boris sent Russian people to study abroad, but they, as a rule, did not want to return to their homeland.

Under him, unheard-of innovations entered the life of Moscow, for example, a water supply system was built in the Kremlin, through which water was raised by powerful pumps from the Moskva River underground to the Konyushenny Yard. Tsarev-Borisov was built in 1600. The settlement and development of lands deserted during the yoke to the south of Ryazan began. In Siberia in 1604 the city of Tomsk was founded. In the period from 1596 to 1602, one of the most grandiose architectural structures of Rus' was built - the Smolensk fortress wall, which later became known as the “stone necklace of the Russian Land”. The fortress was built to protect the western borders of Russia from Poland.

Great Famine of 1601-1603

In 1601 there were long rains, and then early frosts struck. According to modern scientists, prolonged weather anomalies were the result of the eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano in Spanish Peru and the massive release of ash into the atmosphere. The next year, 1602, the cold and crop failures recurred. A famine began in the country and lasted three years. The price of bread has increased 100 times. Boris prohibited the sale of bread above a certain limit, even resorting to persecution of those who inflated prices, but did not achieve success. In an effort to help the hungry, he spared no expense, widely distributing money to the poor. But bread became more expensive, and money lost value. Boris ordered the royal barns to be opened for the hungry. However, even their reserves were not enough for all the hungry, especially since, having learned about the distribution, people from all over the country flocked to Moscow, abandoning the meager supplies that they still had at home. People began to think that this was God's punishment, that the reign of Boris Godunov was illegal and not blessed by God.

Mass hunger and dissatisfaction with the establishment of “lesson years” became the cause of a major uprising led by Khlopok (1602-1603), in which peasants, serfs and Cossacks participated. The insurgency spread to about 20 districts of central Russia and the south of the country. The rebels united into large detachments that advanced towards Moscow. Boris Godunov sent an army against them under the command of I.F. Basmanov. In September 1603, in a fierce battle near Moscow, the rebel army of Khlopok was defeated. Basmanov died in battle, and Khlopok himself was seriously wounded, captured and executed.

At the same time, Isaac Massa reports that “... the reserves of bread in the country were greater than all the inhabitants could eat in four years... noble gentlemen, as well as all monasteries and many rich people had barns full of bread, some of it already rotted from being left for many years, and they did not want to sell it; and by the will of God the king was so blinded, despite the fact that he could order everything he wanted, he did not command in the strictest way that everyone sell their grain.”

Death of Boris Godunov

In such a difficult situation, rumors began to circulate throughout the country that the born sovereign, Tsarevich Dmitry, was alive. Godunov was frightened by this threat hanging over him. They began to call Godunov a worker. And at the beginning of 1604, a letter from a foreigner from Narva was intercepted, in which it was announced that the Cossacks had Dmitry, who had miraculously escaped, and that great misfortunes would soon befall the Moscow land.

On October 26, 1604, False Dmitry I with a handful of Poles and Cossacks moved towards Moscow. Even the curses of the Moscow Patriarch did not cool the people’s enthusiasm on the path of “Tsarevich Dmitry.” However, in January 1605, government troops sent by Godunov defeated the impostor at the Battle of Dobrynichi, who, with the few remnants of his army, was forced to leave for Putivl.

The situation for Godunov was also complicated by his state of health. Already in 1599, references to his illnesses appeared in chronicles; the king was often unwell in the 1600s.

On April 13, 1605, Boris Godunov seemed cheerful and healthy, he ate a lot and with appetite. Then he climbed the tower, from which he often overlooked Moscow. He soon left there, saying that he felt faint. They called a doctor, but the king became worse: blood began to flow from his ears and nose. The king fainted and soon died at the age of 53.

There were rumors that Godunov, unable to cope with the situation in the country and the invasion of False Dmitry, poisoned himself in a fit of despair. According to another version, he was poisoned by his political opponents. To edit this text, double-click on it.

Tomb of the Godunovs in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra