Tsarist Russia was ruled by three dynasties: the Rurikovichs, the Godunovs and the Romanovs. The reign of the Rurikovichs and the Romanovs is calculated for centuries, while the Godunovs reigned for only 7 years. Why was the founder of the dynasty, Boris Godunov, unable to secure the Muscovite state for his descendants? The answer to this question lies in his biography.

Image from the Royal Titular

Godunov Boris Fedorovich (years of life: 1551/1552-1605) belonged to the Kostroma noble family. His ancestors served at the Moscow court since the time of Ivan Kalita (14th century). The Godunov family had a very interesting genealogical legend linking their origin with the Tatar Murza Chet. According to family tradition, this Murza converted to Orthodoxy and founded the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery. Most historians are critical of this legend, noting that it was beneficial for the Godunovs to embellish their initial history with a noble ancestor - the "prince" of the Golden Horde.

The patronymic of Boris Godunov is Fedorovich. But his father Fyodor did not distinguish himself with a high rank, and he died quite early. The pedigree of Stepanida Ivanovna's mother is generally unknown. It is unlikely that Boris would have got to the capital's court without relatives who took him in for education. The boy grew up in the house of his uncle Dmitry Godunov, a bed keeper, and later a boyar under Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Service at court

At court, Boris Godunov began to serve in 1567. Three years later, Maria Grigorievna Skuratova-Belskaya, the daughter of the head of the guardsmen Malyuta Skuratov, became his wife. A successful marriage strengthens the position of Boris, he soon becomes a boyar.

True, Godunov became a prominent political figure only after Fyodor Ivanovich (1584-1598) came to power. Godunov's sister Irina was the wife of the Tsar. Largely due to this, Boris began to occupy a special position among the courtiers. In the struggle for influence on the king, he defeated even such influential rivals as the Shuiskys and Mstislavskys.

Under Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov was a kind of top manager. It was he who contributed to the establishment of the patriarchate in Moscow, headed by Archbishop Job. This church reform led to the independence of the Russian church from the Greek. No less successful was his economic policy, which was facilitated by the scribe's descriptions of the lands. The colonization of the outskirts and the strengthening of the country's borders continued.

However, in 1591 an event occurred that is still directly associated with Boris Godunov. The youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dmitry, died. According to investigative documents that have come down to our time, the death occurred as a result of an epileptic seizure. However, some contemporaries stated that it was a murder beneficial to Godunov.

The question of Godunov's involvement in the death is still open. The accusers of the courtier say that the murder of Dmitry saved Boris from possible disgrace and opened the way to the throne. Direct evidence of this was not found, but the Uglich case caused irreparable damage to Godunov. Until the end of his days, he had to answer for the death of Dmitry.

accession

The election of Boris Godunov to the kingdom was an unprecedented event. It happened a few weeks after the death of Fyodor Ivanovich. During this period, meetings of the Boyar Duma and the Zemsky Sobor were held. Godunov left the Kremlin at that time, citing mourning for the deceased tsar. Unusual in accession was the fact that he refused to become a ruler.

According to the official point of view, the powerful courtier wanted the problem of succession to be resolved as legitimately as possible. But Godunov's opponents considered his behavior to be hypocrisy.

And they had reasons, because, despite the absence of Godunov, a full-fledged "agitation" for his election to the kingdom unfolded in Moscow. Everything was used - from bribery and flattery to exhortations and intimidation. The apogee of all this was the campaign of Muscovites to the Novodevichy Convent in order to "beg" him to take power. As a result, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris as king, and September 1, 1598 was the date of his wedding to the kingdom.

Reign (1598-1605)

The beginning of the reign of Boris Godunov did not at all portend the imminent collapse of the new dynasty. In the first two years of his reign, circumstances favored him. The country recognized the new king.

Domestic politics

First of all, Godunov did everything possible to strengthen his position. The beginning of his reign is associated with the issuance of letters of commendation to the nobles and the provision of tax benefits. Especially for royal awards, a golden gold piece was issued. The front side of this coin was decorated with the image of a ruler in royal attire.

The colonization of Siberia continued. The emergence of cities such as Turinsk, Mangazeya and Tomsk, the merit of Godunov. The new king encouraged stone building and such innovations as printing.

But very soon he ran into a problem that became one of the main reasons for dissatisfaction with his rule. Fatal for the new dynasty was the famine of 1601-1603, provoked by natural disasters and crop failure. In the eyes of people with a medieval consciousness, all this could mean only one thing - the newly elected king "is not pleasing to God." Therefore, social tension grew every day, foreshadowing imminent turmoil.

It is worth noting that it was in 1601 that Godunov began direct persecution against the Romanovs, whom he considered his main rivals in the struggle for the Russian throne. Then, together with his father and mother, the future Tsar Mikhail Romanov was sent into exile. However, the overthrow of the Godunov dynasty was provoked not by this ancient boyar family, but by a man whose identity researchers still argue about.

Foreign policy

Godunov's reign began with a successful campaign against the Crimean Khan. Then a truce was concluded with the Commonwealth. Russia's contacts with the West were among the main directions of foreign policy. The tsar invited foreign industrialists, scientists, military men and doctors to the country, and sent Russian people to study abroad.

How did the reign of Boris Godunov end?

The main reason for the failures of Godunov, and then his son, was the appearance of an impostor posing as the deceased Tsarevich Dmitry. He went down in history as False Dmitry I. In October 1604, he appeared on the territory of Russia along with an armed army. The impostor received support from Polish magnates.

Despite the victory over the impostor at Dobrynich in January 1605, it was not possible to suppress the flaring anti-government movement. April 13, 1605 Boris Godunov died unexpectedly for everyone. According to eyewitnesses, he had a "hit", in which blood gushed from his mouth, nose and ears. Rumors about his death were very different, some spoke of murder, others of suicide.

Like other Russian crowned bearers, Boris was originally buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. But soon False Dmitry ordered his remains to be transferred to the Varsonofiev Monastery. In the end, his family burial vault in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery became his grave.

The fate of Godunov's children was also very sad. His son Fyodor stayed in power for only a month and a half, after which he was killed without trial. Daughter Ksenia was tonsured a nun, rumor said that before that, False Dmitry had dishonored her.

Tomb of the Godunovs in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

How do historians assess the personality of Boris Godunov?

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the image of this figure was mostly negative. Suffice it to recall at least the drama "Boris Godunov", written by Alexander Pushkin. Historians of that time also did not favor Boris, for example, Tatishchev called him a "saint-killer" and a "worker tsar." But there were also those who found positive features in his work, for example, M. Pogodin.

Soviet historiography largely justified Boris Godunov by focusing on his state activities. In modern historiography, there is a widespread view that after being elected king, Godunov could well have become a successful ruler, if not for a number of unforeseen circumstances. So, if not for the terrible famine, the results of Boris's reign could well have been different.

To give an unambiguous assessment of the historical portrait of Boris Godunov is as difficult as any other prominent one. That is why the series of historians investigating various aspects of his biography does not stop.

February 14, 2018

Boris Godunov fell to rule the country at one of the most difficult stages in the history of Russia. The interruption of the Rurik dynasty greatly affected the authority of the monarch, and Godunov himself had to regularly fight against impostors and uprisings. Despite the complexity of the domestic political situation, Godunov carried out several important reforms that had an impact on the subsequent history of the country. In addition, the new ruler tried to eliminate the horrific consequences of the unreasonable rule of his predecessor, but all these measures were drowned in a maelstrom of popular discontent.

In 1598, with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the royal Rurik dynasty was interrupted, the hoop that pulled together all the warring groups of the nobility, all the discontented sections of the population, disappeared. The deep contradictions of society were immediately exposed - within the nobility itself, between the enslaved people and the authorities, between the former guardsmen and their victims, between the elite of society, princes and boyars, and the middle and small nobility.

It was during this most difficult transitional time that the boyar Boris Godunov was elected to the Russian throne, who tried already at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries. establish a new dynasty in Russia.

The young boyar began the struggle for power immediately after the death of Ivan the Terrible. At first, he was on the sidelines - he only watched how two clans grappled with each other - the Romanovs and the Miloslavskys. At the decisive moment, feeling the strength of the Romanov boyars, Godunov entered into an alliance with them and struck first at the princes Miloslavsky, having achieved disgrace from the tsar for Ivan Fedorovich Miloslavsky, who was forcibly tonsured a monk and exiled to a distant northern monastery, then - at the Shuisky boyars.

Godunov did not resort to mass executions, but mercilessly removed rivals, and then secretly organized their murders. Behind him began to stretch a train of terrible rumors. Links, secret reprisals - all this was associated with the name of the hated Godunov. The growth of taxes, which increased in the 1580s, was identified with his name. 1.5 times.

Since 1588, the decade of the actual reign of Boris began. Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich granted him the title of ruler, unprecedented until that time in Russia. Boris received the right of independent intercourse with foreign states, which he used to gain popularity in Europe. Under his patronage, English and other foreign merchants acquired great benefits in Russia.

In 1589, Godunov helped his henchman, Metropolitan Job, to acquire the title of Patriarch. The strengthened Russian Orthodox Church became its strong support.

But as if evil fate pursued the almighty boyar. And the decree on lesson years, which fettered the freedom of the peasants, and the laws of 1597, which aggravated the fate of the serfs, the people, like previous troubles, increasingly associated with the name of the all-powerful favorite. In addition, popular rumor accused Boris Godunov of the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, the only survivor, except for the fading Fyodor, the son of Ivan the Terrible.

People noticed how Boris removed his enemies - first he sent them out of Moscow, and then destroyed them with the help of his henchmen.

With the death of Fyodor Ivanovich in January 1598, the contradictions between the top of the boyars and Godunov escalated.

Boris sought at first to transfer the throne to his sister, Tsaritsa Irina. This failed, and then Boris Godunov began an open struggle for the royal throne. Who were his opponents? The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Fyodor Nikitich, and a distant relative of Ivan III, Fyodor Ivanovich Mstislavsky, could claim the royal crown, but they did not put forward their candidacies.

There was a situation when the suppression of the Rurik dynasty opened up the opportunity to move from autocratic rule of the country to collective government. The boyars decided that power in the country should be transferred to the Boyar Duma. For the sake of this, the Romanovs, Mstislavskys, Golitsyns and other glorious Russian boyar and princely families sacrificed their claims to the throne.

The meeting of the boyars in the Kremlin demanded that the people swear allegiance to the Boyar Duma. Boris Godunov stood for the old order. He dreamed of a royal crown, that his son Fyodor would succeed him and continue the Godunov dynasty.

Therefore, simultaneously with the meeting of the Boyar Duma, Patriarch Job convened another meeting in his chambers - the Council, which proposed Godunov as king. This proposal was enthusiastically accepted.

In essence, two authorities were formed in the country - the Boyar Duma and the Cathedral. This led to the split of the country.

Political passions ran high.

Then the Patriarch organized a people's procession with icons to the Novodevichy Convent, where Godunov had retired, who tearfully asked Godunov to take the throne. But Boris pretended to refuse.

A second procession followed, and Boris agreed. Here, in the cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent, the Patriarch named Godunov the Russian Tsar. In the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the Patriarch declared Godunov tsar for the second time. But the boyars refused to swear allegiance to him. Only two months later, the general oath to Godunov began, which continued all summer. Godunov was solemnly proclaimed tsar for the third time.

Politics of Boris Godunov

In the very first days of his reign, Boris Godunov swore that he would rule justly and mercifully: “God is my witness to this, no one will be poor or poor in my kingdom. More than once in conversations with people, he touched the collar of the shirt and declared: And I will share this last one with everyone.

In an effort to win over the nobles, Boris Godunov arranged for the distribution of their salaries, which had been delayed before. He promoted many in ranks. To alleviate the fate of ordinary people, the new king canceled all tax arrears and eased the tax burden. Godunov encouraged trade in every possible way, endowed the merchants with privileges, and the Church with taxable privileges.

Godunov sought to support the economy of the middle service class of the nobles, exalted the humble, but capable people, opposing them to the well-born boyars.

This was the first Russian tsar who, attacking bribery, raised his hand against dishonest officials and corrupt judges. A clerk convicted of taking bribes was taken around the city and flogged with a whip, and a bag with a bribe was hung on his chest, whether it was money, furs, or some kind of goods. Godunov also found the worst opponents in the person of the clerical deaconship.

Boris Godunov was a passionate champion of education, highly appreciating Western culture. Under him, the German settlement in Moscow flourished - Kokuy, where a Protestant church was built.

He contributed to the development of book printing in the country, the construction of printing houses, dreamed of creating schools and even opening a university. The first of the Russian tsars, Boris Godunov, began to send noble children abroad for training.

Construction was a special passion of the new king. By his order, the first stone trading shops in Moscow and a stone bridge across the Neglinka River were erected. His name is associated with the construction of the bell tower of Ivan the Great, on which even now there is an inscription with the name of its creator - Boris Godunov. The king took care of the improvement of the capital. Under him, new pavements were laid. For the first time, water supply was installed in the Kremlin.

The country gradually began to revive, the mood of the people, especially its middle strata, changed in favor of the new king. This was facilitated by his manner of dealing with people. He was always even, affable, friendly. But behind this gentleness there was a huge will, ambition and an insatiable thirst for power. Good beginnings and thoughts constantly struggled in his soul with dark passions. Feeling the enmity of the boyars and the deacon, Godunov became extremely suspicious. Soon the Romanov boyars became victims of this suspicion.

Boris sought to remove these very rich and popular boyars from his path. Fyodor Nikitich was tonsured a monk under the name Filaret, his little children, Mikhail and Tatyana, were thrown into prison.

Table: pros and cons of Boris Godunov

	pros	Minuses
Personal qualities	A major statesman, a talented politician, caution and perseverance. He knew several foreign languages, had an excellent library. He was a stranger to inertia and prejudice. He hoped to establish peace and prosperity. He sought to eliminate the cultural gap between Russia and the West, sensitively reacted to many new trends of the era. He strove to be an "ideal tsar", who cared about the stability of society as a whole, about the interests of the state.	Moved forward as a favorite of Ivan IV, a clever courtier. His political views bore a clear imprint of the oprichnina and after the oprichnina times. He encouraged denunciations, started intrigues, and often resorted to repression. Exile and forced monastic vows are the favorite methods. The main argument is a reference to tradition (medieval society is not very receptive to innovations). Turned out to be unclaimed. Persistent rumors about involvement in the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry
	He was ruined by the exhausting struggle to preserve and strengthen his own power:
	The loss of a favorite of his high position in those days meant, most likely, not only the death of himself, but also severe trials, dishonor for all his numerous relatives.	The “artistic” Godunov showed an extraordinary art of intrigue, the desire to rule alone in spite of everything. The extermination of the Shuisky and Belsky clans.
Domestic politics	Rejection of the policy of mass terror; The desire to consolidate the entire class of landowners; Measures during a famine: Permission to transfer peasants from one owner to another Release of serfs whom the landowner could not feed Free distribution of bread Organization of work paid for by bread Fixed prices, punishment of speculators He supported the townspeople, facilitated the situation of those who were engaged in crafts and trade. He did everything possible to revive the catastrophically fallen crafts and trade. Widespread construction of cities in the Volga region He supported the liberation of the Orthodox Church from formal dependence on Constantinople; 1589 - the establishment of the patriarchate.	Use of repression for political purposes; Further enslavement of the peasantry. The dependence of serfs was strengthened. Bonded serfs lost the right to receive freedom by paying the debt, and remained dependent until the death of their master. A free man who went to work for hire, after six months of service, turned into a real serf; 1601-1603 - famine. Only in Moscow, 127 thousand people died. In total, about 1/3 of the population died out; He did not achieve mass support, he constantly felt the fragility of the situation; He overestimated the capabilities of the apparatus and underestimated the power of passive resistance of the aristocracy to any innovations that were dubious or harmful from their point of view.
Foreign policy	Strengthened and expanded the borders of the country. Improved the defensive structures of Moscow and Smolensk. The Solovetsky Monastery became an impregnable fortress. The international prestige of Russia has increased. Avoided wars with neighbors (15-year truce with Poland). Russia received Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, access to the Baltic Sea. Expansion of international relations.	Repressions: A painful and shameful public punishment (a beard was pulled out by a hair). Then they exiled. Link 5 Romanov brothers (only Filaret survived).
	A far-sighted and cautious policy aimed at reviving the economy and raising Russia's international prestige made it possible to postpone the conflict, but not prevent it. He got the hardest task - overcoming the terrible consequences of the oprichnina (economic crisis, disunity of the population). An unprecedented step - sending abroad 18 noble children to study. Widely opened the door to foreign specialists (the first attempt at modernization).	The desire to single-handedly rule in spite of everything did not allow B. Godunov to avoid the crisis in time. He did not justify the hopes placed on him. Disappointment quickly turned into hatred.

Tsar Boris Godunov is a bright and controversial personality of the Time of Troubles. His relatively long reign marked the beginning of one of the most dramatic periods in Russian history. The strong and cunning ruler failed to completely eliminate the consequences of the dynastic crisis. Having achieved important successes in domestic and foreign policy, he nevertheless could not overcome to create for himself the authority necessary for the autocrat of Russia. Distrust of the "low-born" tsar did not allow the Godunovs to gain a foothold on the Russian throne for a long time and became one of the reasons for further civil confrontation in the Muscovite kingdom.

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

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

Being a provincial nobleman, the young man received an education, but did not familiarize himself 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 bad boy. Literacy and calligraphic handwriting were not taken into account.

Approach to the royal retinue

In 1565, he fights for undivided power, and for this he divides Russia into zemshchina and oprichnina. The latter creates its own Duma, ministries and troops. 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. Due to the disgraced boyars, he increased his fortune. The tsar appreciated the merits of Dmitry and brought him closer to the court, providing a dignitary rank.

After the death of their parents, Irina and Boris Godunov, the uncle took custody of the children. Constant traveling did not favor the full-fledged upbringing of the offspring, so Dmitry attached the orphans to the Kremlin, having agreed with the autocrat. Children grew up in full contentment along with the royal heirs. Ivan the Terrible liked to talk with the younger Godunov and even ordered to write down his own wise thoughts.

The young man was attracted by power and court luxury, but he was amazed by the tortures to which Grozny subjected the rebels. Being in the state retinue, he was forced to observe the executions and tortures of the disgraced. The boy quickly realized that he would not survive in a bloody court if he did not learn to control pity and emotions. He was forced to take instruments of torture into his hands and "had fun" together with Grozny and the guardsmen.

At the age of 18, he took the place of the state bedkeeper. The previous one was executed by impalement. Now, on duty, the young man becomes the eyes and ears of the tsar, in charge of the Kremlin economy and security. Trickery and behind-the-scenes intrigues are now the natural element of Boris, who is forced to fight with rivals.

The smart courtier liked him, who feared for his life and was looking for loyal allies. Malyuta married Godunov his youngest daughter Maria, and his eldest.

In 1571, a young courtier betrothed a relative, Yevdokia Saburov, to the son of Ivan the Terrible. The daughter-in-law did not like the autocrat, who accused the girl of disrespect and exiled her to a monastery. Boris learned that the lustful father-in-law harassed the young beauty and became angry after a categorical refusal. Godunov shared his opinion with a friend, who immediately conveyed the information to the tsar.

The career of the bed-keeper was shaken. Now the angry Grozny will order the execution at any moment. From the torture chamber, the man was rescued by his beloved sister Irina, who persuaded Fyodor (the royal son) to resolve the issue with a pardon. The girl was famous for her intelligence, literacy and beauty. Charming Irina liked Fyodor from childhood, but did not pay attention to tongue-tied courtship.

The beauty loved to read, learned to read and write with pleasure and showed success in mathematics. When a terrible danger loomed over her brother, Irina rushed to the royal offspring with prayers, and he convinced her father to spare the Godunov family. In gratitude, the girl had to marry the silly Fedor, Boris was granted the title of boyar.

During the reign of Fedor

In 1581, in the heat of a scandal, the tsar 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. The people said that the autocrat was strangled by the spilled blood of the innocently killed. The sole heir becomes the new ruler.

Fyodor got tired of holding a gilded apple, denoting a state, and gave the symbol to Godunov. These events, according to the courtiers, become historical. A regency council was urgently created in the Kremlin, which included Yuryev, Belsky, Mstislavsky, Shuisky and Godunov. The boyars understood that this tsar was not capable of governing the country, and a fierce struggle for the throne began at the 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 hard struggle with the boyar families, who were not going to share power with the "rootless upstart". The boyars acted by force, and Boris by intrigue and cunning.

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

Having finished with the opponents, the future king decided to eliminate the last contender for the throne. Ivan the Terrible had one more descendant - Tsarevich Dmitry, who was exiled with his mother to Uglich. The child died in 1591, having stumbled upon a knife during an epileptic attack. A specially created commission found no traces of a 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 circumstantial evidence.

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

“And everything is sick, and the head is spinning,
And the boys are bloody in the eyes...
And I'm glad to run away, but there's nowhere ... terrible!
Yes, pitiful is the one in whom the conscience is not clear.

In 1869, the composer Mussorgsky, being 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 a skilled 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 Russia. Talented builders and architects were allocated money from the treasury. In Moscow, they created the first water supply system, called the Kremlin. In 1596, by decree of Godunov, the Smolensk fortress wall was erected, protecting the western borders of Russia 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, as he was afraid to besiege the fortress walls. For this, the royal governor was awarded the title of "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 guidance of the politician of Russia, Korela, Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye retreated. At the same time, the Patriarchate was established, which allowed the Orthodox Church to move away from the Byzantine Patriarchate.

He set a deadline for searching for runaway peasants. Now the serfs were searched for for 5 years, and after that freedom was declared. He freed landowners from taxes, who cultivated arable land with their own hands, without resorting to hiring workers.

Reign

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

Having taken the throne, the man realizes that the hat is a heavy burden. If the first three years of the reign are marked by the flourishing of Russia, then subsequent events nullify achievements. In 1599, he made an attempt to rapprochement with the West, realizing that the Russian people were lagging behind in education and medicine. 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, Austria so that they gain experience in teaching.

In 1601, mass famine swept through Russia, as crop failure and early frosts affected. By royal decree, taxes were reduced to help the subjects. Boris took measures to save the starving by 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 empty quickly.

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 of people were stirred up by such an appeal, the peasants considered this speech the sovereign's weakness.

127,000 people died of starvation. Rumors begin that God sends punishment to Russia for illegal succession to the throne. Peasant discontent develops into a revolt led by Cotton. The detachments of the rebels under the city walls were defeated by the army. After that, the situation did not stabilize, as there were rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry was alive.

False Dmitry

Boris Godunov understands that the position of False Dmitry is much stronger than his own, because people consider the impostor to be the son of Ivan the Terrible. Trusted people collected information and provided the tsar with the facts that under the image of the tsarevich hides an exceptionally unpleasant person - the monk-defrocked Grigory Otrepyev. The Russian people believed that the 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 tsarevich was also supported by the Russians, even the army in detachments passed under the banner of the impostor. A bunch of marauders and bandits did not win, and "Grigory-Dmitry" fled to Putivl. The news delighted Godunov, who had a hard time enduring the betrayal of the courtiers and troops.

Personal life

She became the wife of the first elected king. Little is known about the girl. But those that are known present Mary in a flattering light. A well-bred, submissive beauty becomes a faithful companion of her husband. For 10 years of marriage, not a single baby was born to the couple, and the doctors only shrugged, referring to the natural childlessness of the woman.

Boris Godunov and Maria Skuratova. Wax figures

The desperate husband ordered an eminent 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 in the family circle and said that he fully rested only in the presence of loved ones. The ruler saw the future of his own dynasty in his own children, so he provided both with 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 warm family relations were maintained in the autocrat's family, which was considered rare in Russia.

Death

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

On April 13, 1605, the tsar received the English ambassadors when he suffered an apoplexy. Blood gushed from the nose and ears of the man, and the court physician only shrugged, unable to help.

The boyars, who were standing at the bedside of the dying man, asked about the oath to his son. The monarch said: "As pleasing to God and the people." After that, he was speechless and died. Fedor is appointed successor, whose reign lasted a month and a half. Upon learning of the death of the sovereign, False Dmitry entered Moscow with an army to the jubilant cries of the crowd.

On the same day, on the orders 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 reburial of the Godunov family in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

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

Board of Boris Godunov (briefly)

Board of Boris Godunov (briefly)

The death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584 was the beginning of a sharp struggle for the throne among the boyars. The reason for this struggle was the heir to the throne, Fedor, who was weak, weak-willed and unable to rule the state with a firm hand. It was this that prompted Grozny to create a regency council during his lifetime to govern the state.

Among this circle of boyars is the former oprichnik, strong-willed personality Boris Godunov, who gradually removed other competitors from power, and also using family ties, becomes the de facto ruler of the country.

In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry dies in Uglich under tragic circumstances, and there is a rumor among the people about Godunov's involvement in this event.

Over the entire period of his activity, Godunov was able to prove himself as a reformer and a talented politician. Being a supporter of strict power, he understood all the negative aspects of the power of Ivan the Terrible, but continued his policy of enslaving the peasants, as he believed that this was the only way out of the state of desolation.

In 1597, a decree was issued, according to which the so-called "lesson years" were introduced, which are a five-year period for detecting fugitive peasants, in which they could be returned to their master. The dependence of serfs was significantly increased. Thus, they lost the right to redeem their own freedom, remaining dependent until the death of their master. Those who served as freelancers, after a six-month term of service with the owner, were turned into serfs.

Tsar Boris sought to generalize the ruling class. All his domestic policy was completely aimed at balancing the situation within the state. For this purpose, in 1589, he carried out a reform of the patriarchate, as a result of which the Russian church became independent of the patriarch of Constantinople, but fell under the complete control of the tsar.

Under Godunov, many new cities arose (Voronezh, Tsaritsyn, Samara, Saratov, etc.).

All those involved in trade and crafts are united in township communities, which were subject to one state tax.

However, the lean years (1601-1603) caused famine in Russia. Starving people flocked to Moscow from all over the country, and Godunov tried to provide the starving with bread and work.

In 1603, an uprising broke out, after which the authority of the king fell.

In the "stateless" time after the death of Ivan the Terrible, with the sick and weak Fedor, the boyars began an open struggle for power. The strongest of them was the former oprichnik Godunov. After the death of Theodore, Patriarch Job gathered for the election of a new sovereign. At this council, the council of the patriarch, and service people and the population of Moscow, gathered. The most likely candidates were two people: the tsar's brother-in-law Boris Fyodorovich Godunov and the cousin of Tsar Fyodor, the eldest son of Nikita Romanovich - Fyodor Nikitich Romanov.

The years of Boris Godunov's reign came at a difficult time in the history of the Russian state. This was the period from 1598 to 1605. In fact, the future tsar was in power already under the sick son of Ivan the Terrible - Fedor.

The reign of Boris Godunov began ambiguously. In February 1598, the Council offered the throne to Boris, but he refused. In order for him to agree, a religious procession was organized to the Maiden Convent, where Boris was staying with his sister. The future king was forced to agree to ascend the throne. Thus, the election of Godunov was popular. However, there was an opinion that he secretly resorted to threats and bribery in order to achieve this.

Boris was crowned king only on September 1, convinced of the strength of the people's election. The reign of Boris Godunov throughout its entire length was distinguished by extreme caution. He was afraid of attempts on his power, eliminated all boyars suspicious of him. His real rival was only Fedor Nikitich Romanov, as a result of which all the Romanovs were put on trial on charges of conspiracy against the sovereign. The boyars did not like the tsar, considering him the successor of Grozny with his persecution of the nobility.

The reign of Boris Godunov was a continuation of Fedor's policy, or rather what Godunov did under him. By all means, he sought to restore the people's well-being, violated in the era of Grozny. In foreign policy, he sought to avoid clashes, to refrain from new wars. He cared about the strengthening of justice, he wanted to be a good sovereign for the people. He really gave many benefits to the common people. Three years in a row, from 1601, there was a crop failure, which led to massive starvation deaths. Boris arranged a free distribution of bread to the hungry from the royal treasury, started large buildings in the capital to give people income.

The reign of Boris Godunov was accompanied by famine, robbery, but this was not his fault. However, this contributed to the growth of dissatisfaction with the king. The famine was followed by a second misfortune - a popular uprising for the self-proclaimed Tsarevich Dmitry. During this struggle, Boris Godunov died unexpectedly (1605).

Godunov attached great importance to European education. The king communicated with foreign specialists in the field of technology and medicine, willingly took them to the public service. He sent young people to foreign countries, planned to arrange Moscow schools in a foreign way. He formed a military detachment of Germans according to a foreign model. Under Godunov, the inclination of the Moscow government towards closer contacts with the enlightened West and the assimilation of European knowledge was clearly visible.

This is how the reign of Boris Godunov is briefly described by most historians. Many doubt how legally he got power, believing that his handiwork was the murder in Uglich of the youngest son of the Terrible - Tsarevich Dmitry.