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 most powerful of them was the former oprichnik Godunov. After Fyodor's death, Patriarch Job gathered together to elect a new sovereign. This council brought together the council of the patriarch, and the service people and the population of Moscow. The most likely candidates were two people: the Tsar's brother-in-law Boris Fedorovich Godunov and the cousin of Tsar Fedor, the eldest son of Nikita Romanovich - Fedor Nikitich Romanov.

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

Boris Godunov's reign began ambiguously. In February 1598, the Council offered the throne to Boris, but he refused. For him to agree, a procession was organized to the Maiden Monastery, where he was with his sister Boris. The future king was forced to agree to ascend the throne. Thus, the election of Godunov was nationwide. However, it was believed that he secretly resorted to threats and bribery to achieve this.

Boris was married to the throne only on September 1, having made sure of the strength of the popular election. Boris Godunov's reign throughout its entire course was distinguished by extreme caution. He was afraid of attempts on his power, eliminated all the boyars suspicious for him. His real rival was only Fyodor 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 to be the successor of Ivan the Terrible with his persecution of the nobility.

Boris Godunov's reign became a continuation of Fedor's policy, or rather what Godunov did under him. By all means, he strove to restore the people's well-being, disturbed during the era of Grozny. In foreign policy, he strove to avoid clashes, refrain from new wars. He cared about strengthening justice, he wanted to be a good sovereign for the people. He really gave a lot of benefits to the common people. Three years in a row, since 1601, there was a crop failure, the crust led to massive starvation. Boris arranged a free distribution of bread to the hungry from the tsarist treasury, began large buildings in the capital to give people a living.

The reign of Boris Godunov was accompanied by hunger, 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-styled Tsarevich Dmitry. During this struggle, Boris Godunov died unexpectedly (1605).

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

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

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, over the 7 years of Boris Godunov's rule, Russia has strengthened its influence and its own borders, but internal conflicts provoked the impostor's ascension to the throne.

Boris was born in 1552 into a landowner family who lived near the town 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 the Kostroma boyars, who over time become Vyazma landowners.

As 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 the study, so gaps in this area were not allowed. Contemporaries called the future tsar a poorly educated and nasty youth. Literacy and calligraphic handwriting were not taken into account.

Approaching the royal retinue

In 1565 he fought for undivided power, and for this he divided Russia into zemstvo and oprichnina. The latter creates its own Duma, ministries and army. The possessions of the Godunovs were on the side of the oprichnina lands, and Dmitry Ivanovich (Boris's uncle) joined the army corps. At the expense of the disgraced boyars, he increased his fortune. The tsar appreciated the merits of Dmitry and brought him closer to the court, granting him a high rank.

After the death of his parents, Irina and Boris Godunov, the uncle took custody of the children. Constant travels did not favor the full-fledged upbringing of the offspring, so Dmitry put the orphans in the Kremlin, having agreed with the autocrat. The children grew up in full allowance together with the royal heirs. Ivan the Terrible loved 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 at the tortures that Grozny subjected the rebels to. 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. I was forced to take up the instruments of torture and "have fun" together with Grozny and the guardsmen.

At the age of 18, he took the place of state bedding. The previous one was executed by impaling. Now, on duty, the young man becomes the eyes and ears of the tsar, is in charge of the Kremlin's economy and security. Headphones and backstage intrigues are now the native element of Boris, who is forced to fight with rivals.

The clever courtier took a fancy, who feared for his life and was looking for loyal allies. Malyuta gave his youngest daughter Maria to Godunov, and the eldest.

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

Career bedside staggered. Now the angry Grozny will give the order for execution at any moment. From the torture chamber, the man was rescued 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 tongue-tied courtship.

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 silly Fedor, Boris was granted the title of boyar.

During the reign of Fedor

In 1581, the tsar, in the heat of a scandal, kills his own son Ivan. Fyodor Ioannovich becomes a contender for the throne. Three years later, Grozny dies a terrible death, choking on his own blood. It was said among the people that the autocrat was strangled by the shed blood of the innocent murdered. The only heir becomes the new ruler.

Fyodor got tired of holding a gilded apple that signifies 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 included Yuryev, 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.

Popular unrest Godunov turned 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." Boyars acted by force, and Boris by intrigue and cunning.

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

Having finished with 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, having stumbled on a knife during an epileptic seizure. A specially created commission found no traces of a crime in the death of the prince. The king's brother-in-law was not accused of the murder of Dmitry, since there was no direct evidence of guilt, only circumstantial evidence.

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

“And everything is sick, and my head is spinning,
And the boys are bloody in their eyes ...
And glad to run, but nowhere ... awful!
Yes, he is pitiful who has an unclean conscience. "

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 skillful politician for 13 years ruled the country, hiding behind the name of Fyodor Ioannovich. During this period, cities, the most powerful fortresses, temples were built in Russia. Talented builders and architects were allocated money from the treasury. In Moscow, the first water supply system was created, called the Kremlin. In 1596, by order 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 now it was 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 a treaty was signed with the Swedes, which ended the Russian-Swedish war, which lasted 3 years. Korela, Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye departed under the strict guidance of the politician of Russia. At the same time, the Patriarchate was established, which allowed the Orthodox Church to move away from the Byzantine Patriarchate.

Set a time limit for the search for runaway peasants. Now the slaves were searched for for 5 years, and then freedom was declared. He freed the land of 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 family - 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 understands 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 the achievements. In 1599 he made an attempt to get closer to the West, realizing that the Russian people were lagging behind in education and medicine. The courtiers, by tsarist decree, recruit masters 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, a mass famine swept across Russia, as crop failure and early frosts affected. The royal decree lowered taxes to help the subjects. Boris took measures to save the starving, distributing money and grain from the treasury. Bread prices rose a hundredfold, but the autocrat did not punish the speculators. The treasury and barns were emptied quickly.

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

127,000 people died of hunger. Rumors begin that God is sending punishment to Russia for the illegal succession to the throne. Peasant discontent develops into a riot, led by Cotton. 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 gathered information and provided the tsar with facts that under the image of the prince hides 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 for the collection of Otrepiev's army, which was preparing to go to war for the throne. The self-proclaimed prince was also supported by the Russians, even the army in detachments passed under the banner of the impostor. A bunch of looters and bandits did not win, and "Grigory-Dmitry" fled to Putivl. The news made Godunov happy, who could hardly bear the betrayal of the courtiers and the troops.

Personal life

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

Boris Godunov and Maria Skuratova. Wax figures

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

From childhood, the boy was prepared for the throne and taught by teachers from 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 a rarity 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 constantly, worried about the future.

On April 13, 1605, the king received the English ambassadors when he suffered a stroke. Blood gushed from the man's nose and ears, and the court doctor just threw up his hands, unable to help.

The boyars, standing at the bedside of the dying man, asked about the oath to their son. The monarch said: "As it pleases God and the people." After that, he was speechless and died. Fedor is appointed successor, whose reign lasted one and a half months. Upon learning of the death of the sovereign, False Dmitry entered Moscow with an army to the cheering shouts 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 inevitably becomes the concubine of False Dmitry, who, having played enough, sent the dishonored beauty to the monastery.

Tomb of Boris Godunov

Godunov was buried in the Archangel Cathedral, but during the mutiny the coffin was pulled out and placed in the Varsonofievsky monastery. After 2 years, Vasily Shuisky ordered the reburial of the Godunov family in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

In the biography of the unlucky ruler, there is a mystery that has not yet been solved by historians. After the death of Godunov, the head of the autocrat 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 to restore the appearance of the deceased.

boyar, brother-in-law of Tsar Feodor I Ioannovich, in 1587-1598 the actual ruler of the state, from February 17, 1598 - the Russian Tsar

Boris Godunov

short biography

Boris Fedorovich Godunov (1552 - April 23, 1605) - boyar, brother-in-law of Tsar Fyodor I Ioannovich, in 1587-1598 the actual ruler of the state, from February 27, 1598 - the Russian tsar.

Origin

According to legend, the Godunovs descended from the Tatar prince Chet, who came to Russia during the time of Ivan Kalita. This legend is recorded in the chronicles of the early 17th century. According to the sovereign's genealogy of 1555, the Godunovs trace their descent from Dmitry Zern. Godunov's ancestors were boyars at the Moscow court. Boris Godunov was born in 1552. His father, Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov, nicknamed Krivoy, was a middle-class landowner in the Vyazemsky district.

The English traveler describes his appearance as follows:

As for the person of Tsar Boris, he was a tall and stout man, whose representativeness involuntarily reminded of the obligatory obedience of his power; with black, although sparse hair, with regular facial features, he had a pointed gaze and a strong physique.

Birth. early years

Boris Godunov was born in 1552, shortly before the conquest of Kazan, in the family of the middle-ranked Vyazma landowner Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov. Almost nothing is known about Fyodor's father, except for the nickname "Curve", which gives us an idea of \u200b\u200bthe physical appearance of Boris's father. Boris's father Fyodor and his brother Dmitry, in addition to the family estates near Vyazma, from which they carried out local service to the sovereign, also owned a small fiefdom in Kostroma.

After the death of the father of the Vyazma landowner Fyodor Krivoy (1569), Boris was taken into his family by his uncle Dmitry Godunov. During the years of the oprichnina, Vyazma, in which the possessions of Dmitry Godunov were located, passed to the oprichnina possessions. The ignorant Dmitry Godunov was enrolled in the oprichnina corps and soon received the high rank of the head of the Bed order at the court.

Advancing

Boris Godunov's nomination begins in the 1570s. In 1570 he became an oprichnik, and in 1571 he was a friend at the wedding of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with Martha Sobakina. In the same year, Boris himself married Maria Grigorievna Skuratova-Belskaya, the daughter of Malyuta Skuratov. In 1578 Boris Godunov becomes a kravchim. Two years after the marriage of his second son Fyodor to Godunov's sister Irina, Ivan the Terrible granted Boris the title of boyar. The Godunovs slowly but surely climbed the hierarchical ladder: in the late 1570s - early 1580s. they won several parochial cases at once.

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

The role of Godunov in the history of the Tsar's death is not entirely clear. On March 18 (28), 1584, Grozny, according to D. Horsey, was “strangled”. It is possible that a conspiracy was drawn up against the king. In any case, it was Godunov and Belsky who were next to the tsar in the last minutes of his life, and from the porch they announced the death of the sovereign to the people.

Fyodor Ioannovich ascended the throne. The new tsar was not able to govern the country and needed an intelligent advisor, so a regency council of four people was created: Bogdan Belsky, Nikita Romanovich Yuryev (Romanov), princes Ivan Fedorovich Mstislavsky and Ivan Petrovich Shuisky.

On May 31 (June 10), 1584, on the day of the coronation of the tsar, Boris Godunov was showered with favors: he received the rank of equestrian, the title of a close great boyar and governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms. However, this did not mean that Godunov had sole power - at the court there was a stubborn struggle between the boyar groups of the Godunovs, Romanovs, Shuisky, Mstislavsky. In 1584 B. Belsky was accused of treason and exiled; Nikita Yuryev died the following year, and the aged Prince Mstislavsky was forcibly tonsured into a monk. Subsequently, the hero of the defense of Pskov, I.P. Shuisky, fell into disgrace. In fact, since 1585, 13 of the 14 years of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich - Russia was ruled by Boris Godunov.

Head of government under Tsar Fedor

The activity of Godunov's board was aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of statehood. Thanks to his efforts, in 1589 the first Russian patriarch was elected, who became the Moscow Metropolitan Job. The establishment of the patriarchate testified to the increased prestige of Russia. Common sense and prudence prevailed in the internal policy of the Godunov government. An unprecedented construction of cities and fortifications unfolded.

Boris Godunov patronized talented builders and architects. Church and city construction was carried out on a grand scale. On the initiative of Godunov, the construction of fortresses began in the Wild Field - the steppe outskirts of Russia. In 1585, the Voronezh fortress was built, in 1586 - Livny. 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 town of Yelets was restored. The city of Belgorod was built on the Donets in 1596, and Tsarev-Borisov was built to the south in 1600. The settlement and development of the lands deserted during the yoke began to the south of Ryazan (the territory of the present Lipetsk region). The city of Tomsk was founded in Siberia in 1604.

In the period from 1596 to 1602, one of the most grandiose architectural structures of pre-Petrine Rus was built - the Smolensk fortress wall, which later became known as the "stone necklace of the Russian Land". The fortress was built at the initiative of Godunov to protect the western borders of Russia from Poland.

Under him, unprecedented innovations entered the life of Moscow, for example, a water pipeline was built in the Kremlin, through which water was raised with powerful pumps from the Moskva River through the underground to the Konyushenny yard. New fortifications were also built. In 1584-91, under the leadership of the architect Fyodor Savelyev, nicknamed the Horse, the walls of the White City were erected with a length of 9 km (they encircled the area enclosed within the modern Boulevard Ring). The walls and 29 towers of the White City were built of limestone, bricked and plastered. In 1592, on the site of the modern Garden Ring, another line of fortifications was built, a wooden-earthen one, nicknamed "Skorodom" for the speed of construction.

In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey with a 1,500-strong army approached Moscow, however, finding himself at the walls of a powerful new fortress and at gunpoint of numerous cannons, he did not dare to storm it. In small skirmishes with the Russians, the Khan's detachments were constantly defeated; this forced him to retreat, leaving the baggage train. On the way south, to the Crimean steppes, the Khan's army suffered heavy losses from the Russian regiments pursuing him. For the victory over Kazy-Girey, Boris Godunov received the greatest reward of all the participants in this campaign (although the main governor was not he, but Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky): three cities in the Vazhskaya land and the title of servant, which was considered more honorable than the boyar.

Godunov tried to alleviate the plight of the townspeople. By his decision, traders and artisans living in "white" settlements (private, paying taxes to large feudal lords), were ranked among the population of "black" settlements (paying tax - "tax" - to the state). At the same time, the amount of the "tax" levied on the settlement as a whole was left the same, and the share of an individual citizen in it decreased.

The economic crisis of the 1570s - early 1580s forced the establishment of serfdom. On November 24 (December 4), 1597, a decree was issued on "fixed years", according to which the peasants who fled from the masters "until the present ... year in five years" were subject to investigation, trial and return "back to where who lived." The decree did not apply to those who fled six years ago and earlier, they were not returned to their previous owners.

In foreign policy, Godunov proved to be a talented diplomat. On May 18 (28), 1595, a peace treaty was signed in Tyavzin (near Ivangorod), which ended 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. Thus, Russia regained all the lands transferred to Sweden as a result of the unsuccessful Livonian War.

Death of Tsarevich Dmitry

The heir to the throne during the life of Tsar Fyodor was his younger brother Dmitry, the son of the seventh wife of Ivan the Terrible. On May 15 (25), 1591, the tsarevich died under unclear circumstances in the specific town of Uglich. The official investigation was carried out by the boyar Vasily Shuisky. Trying to please Godunov, he reduced the reasons for the incident to the "negligence" of the Nagikh boyars, as a result of which Dmitry accidentally stabbed himself with a knife while playing with his peers. The prince, according to rumors, was sick with epilepsy (epilepsy).

The chronicle of the times of the Romanovs accuses of the murder of Boris Godunov, because Dmitry was the direct heir to the throne and prevented Boris from advancing to him. Isaac Massa gives the same version. Nevertheless, the participation of Godunov in the conspiracy for the life of the tsarevich has not been proven. In 1829, the historian M.P. Pogodin was the first to venture to defend Boris's innocence. The original of the 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 (S.F. Platonov, R.G. Skrynnikov) that the real cause of the death of Ivan the Terrible's son was still an accident. However, this issue remained controversial, opinions are expressed about the senselessness for Godunov of the death of the tsarevich (in particular, with an indication of the illegality of his son from the seventh marriage in the eyes of the church, which means that his rights to the throne are doubtful), and about Boris' direct interest in his death (for example , because of the hypothetical revenge of Dmitry, in the event of accession to the throne, for his expulsion to reign in Uglich).

Godunov on the throne

On January 7 (17), 1598 Fyodor Ivanovich died, and the male line of the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty was cut short. Isaac Massa writes: “ i am firmly convinced that Boris hastened his death with the assistance and at the request of his wife, who wanted to become a queen as soon as possible, and many Muscovites shared my opinion". The only close heiress to the throne was the second cousin of the deceased, tonsured as a nun Maria Staritskaya (1560-1611).

After attempts to appoint the widow of the deceased Tsar Irina, Boris' sister, as the ruling queen, on February 17 (27), 1598, the Zemsky Sobor (including Irina's “recommendation”) elected Fyodor's brother-in-law, Boris Godunov, as tsar, and took an oath of allegiance to him. On September 1 (11), 1598, Boris was crowned king. A close affinity that was characteristic of that time outweighed the distant kinship of possible contenders for the throne. No less important was the fact that Godunov had actually ruled the country for a long time on behalf of Fyodor and was not going to let go of power after his death.

Boris's reign was marked by the beginning of the rapprochement between Russia and the West. There has never been a sovereign in Russia who had such a favor for foreigners as Godunov. He began to invite foreigners to the service. In 1604 he sent roundabout MI Tatishchev to Georgia in order to marry his daughter to the local prince.

The contacts of the Moscow state with Europe, which began to develop actively during the time of Ivan III, practically ceased under Ivan the Terrible. During the reign of Boris, ties with abroad revived again. Merchants, doctors, industrialists, military men and scientists traveled to Moscow. They received positions, good salaries, land with peasants. Tsar Boris had an intention to open a university in Moscow, but this was prevented by the conservative clergy, who feared that all sorts of heresies would come to Russia along with knowledge. European culture has penetrated into Russian everyday life. This included clothing, housing, social ceremonies, and even things like shaving beards. Boris sent Russian people to study abroad, but they, as a rule, did not want to return to their homeland; however, Peter the Great also had problems with this. We can also note other common sides in the policy of these two rulers of Russia, which are separated by more than 100 years: rapprochement with Europe, the transfer of Western culture to Russian land.

Repression

The first tsar not from the Rurikovich (except for such a figurehead as Simeon Bekbulatovich), Godunov could not help but feel the precariousness of his position. In his suspicion, he was slightly inferior to Grozny. Having ascended the throne, he began to settle personal scores with the boyars. According to a contemporary, “ he bloomed like a date, with the foliage of virtue, and if the thorn of envious malice did not darken the color of his virtue, he could become like the ancient kings. From the slanderers, he was vainly accepting the answers to the innocent in a rage, and therefore incurred the indignation of the officials of the entire Russian land: from here many evil anger rebelled against him and his prosperous kingdom was suddenly deposed».

At first, this suspicion was already shown in the oath record, but later it came to disgrace and denunciations. The princes Mstislavsky and V.I. Shuisky, who, due to the nobility of the family, could have claims to the throne, Boris did not allow to marry. Since 1600, the tsar's suspicion has increased markedly. Perhaps the news of Margeret is not devoid of probability that already at that time dark rumors spread that Dimitri was alive. The first victim of Boris's suspicion was Bogdan Belsky, who was commissioned by the tsar to build Tsarev-Borisov. According to the denunciation of Belsky's generosity to the military men and careless words: “ Boris is the Tsar in Moscow, and I am in Borisov"- Belsky was summoned to Moscow, subjected to various insults and exiled to one of the distant cities.

The slave of Prince Shestunov denounced his master. The denunciation was not worthy of attention. Nevertheless, the informer was told the tsar's word of honor in the square and announced that the tsar, for his service and joy, bestows upon him the estate and orders him to serve in the boyars' children. In 1601, the boyars Romanovs and their relatives suffered from false denunciation. The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Theodor Nikitich, was exiled to the Siya monastery and tonsured under the name of Filaret; his wife, having tonsured her hair under the name of Martha, was exiled to the Tolvuisky Zaonezhsky churchyard, and their young son Mikhail (the future tsar) to Beloozero. Persecution by Godunov aroused sympathy among the people for his victims. So the peasants of the Tolvuysky churchyard secretly helped the nun Martha and "checked out" news about Filaret for her.

Great hunger

Boris's reign began successfully, but a series of opals gave rise to despondency, and soon a real catastrophe broke out. In 1601, there were long rains, and then early frosts struck and, according to a contemporary, “ beat the scum strong all work of human affairs in the field". The next year, the crop failure was repeated. A famine began in the country that lasted for three years. The price of bread has grown 100 times. Feeling that faith in him as a sovereign was disappearing, Boris forbade the sale of bread more expensive than a certain limit, even resorting to persecution of those who hiked prices, but did not succeed. In an effort to help the hungry, he spared no expense, widely distributing money to the poor. But bread was becoming more expensive and money was losing value. Boris ordered the tsar's barns to be opened for the starving. 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 those meager reserves 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.

In 1601-1602. Godunov even went to the temporary restoration of St. George's Day. True, he allowed not an exit, but only the removal of the peasants. Thus, the nobles saved their estates from final desolation and ruin. The permission given by Godunov concerned only small service people; it did not apply to the lands of the Boyar Duma members and the clergy. But even this step did little to strengthen the position of the king. Popular riots swept across the country.

Mass hunger and dissatisfaction with the establishment of "fixed years" caused a major uprising under the leadership of Khlopok (1602-1603), in which peasants, serfs and Cossacks participated. The insurrectionary movement covered about 20 counties of central Russia and the south of the country. The insurgents united into large detachments that advanced towards Moscow. Against them, Boris Godunov sent an army under the command of IF Basmanov. In September 1603, in a fierce battle near Moscow, Khlopok's rebel army was defeated. Basmanov died in battle, and Khlopok himself was seriously wounded, captured and executed.

At the same time, Isaac Massa reports that “ ... there were more grain reserves in the country than all the inhabitants could have eaten in four years ... the noble gentlemen, as well as in all monasteries and many rich people had barns full of bread, some of it had already rotted from lying for many years, and they did not want sell it; and by the will of God the king was so blinded, in spite of the fact that he could order whatever he wanted, he did not command in the strictest manner that everyone should sell his bread».

The appearance of the impostor

Rumors began to circulate throughout the country that the "born sovereign", Tsarevich Dmitry, was alive. Godunov was frightened by the threat looming over him. The detractors spoke of Godunov unflatteringly - "worker". At the beginning of 1604, a letter from a foreigner from Narva was intercepted, in which it was announced that the Cossacks had miraculously escaped Dmitry, and great misfortunes would soon befall the Moscow land.

On October 16 (26), 1604, False Dmitry I with a handful of Poles and Cossacks moved to 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, the government troops sent by Godunov defeated the impostor at the Battle of Dobrynichi, who, with a few remnants of his army, was forced to leave for Putivl.

Death and offspring

The situation for Godunov was complicated by the state of his health. Already in 1599, mentions of his illnesses appear, and the tsar often did not feel well in the 1600s. April 13, 1605 Boris Godunov seemed cheerful and healthy, ate a lot and with appetite. Then he climbed the tower, from which he often surveyed Moscow. Soon I got out of there, saying that he felt sick. They called a doctor, but the king felt worse: blood began to flow from his ears and nose. The king fainted and soon died at the age of 53.

The death of Tsar Boris happened quite suddenly and, moreover, under very strange circumstances. Some two hours after dinner, when, as usual, the doctors who were present at the time had already left, leaving the tsar, in their opinion, in good health, which was also evidenced by his good appetite at dinner, the tsar generally liked to eat well and densely, although now it is permissible to think that in this he even reached the point of excess - he suddenly not only felt sick, but also felt pains in his stomach, so that, going into his bedchamber, he went to bed and ordered to call the doctors (who had already dispersed ). But before they came to the call, the king died, having lost his tongue before his death. Shortly before his death, at his own request, with the greatest haste, he was tonsured into the monastic rank, with a new name given to him.

It was rumored that Godunov had poisoned himself in a fit of despair. According to another version, he was poisoned by his political opponents; the version of natural death is more likely, since Godunov was often ill before. They buried him in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral.

The son of Boris, Fedor, became the king, an educated and extremely intelligent young man. Soon there was a rebellion in Moscow, provoked by False Dmitry. Tsar Fyodor and his mother were killed, leaving only Boris's daughter, Xenia, alive. The dismal fate of the impostor's concubine awaited her. It was officially announced that Tsar Fyodor and his mother were poisoned. Their bodies were on display. Then the coffin of Boris was taken out of the Archangel Cathedral and reburied in the Varsonofievsky monastery near the Lubyanka. His family was also buried there: without a funeral service, like suicides.

Under Tsar Vasily Shuisky, the remains of Boris, his wife and son were transferred to the Trinity Monastery and buried in a sitting position at the northwestern corner of the Assumption Cathedral. On July 30 (August 9), 1622, Xenia (in monasticism Olga) was buried in the same place. In 1782, a tomb was built over the tombs.

In 1945, the tomb of the Godunovs was opened by the anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov, but the burial was previously disturbed by robbers - the bones and contents of the coffins were mixed, the skulls were not preserved and the faces of the representatives of the Godunovs' dynasty by the method of anthropological reconstruction were impossible to restore.

The reign of Boris Godunov went 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 Grozny, he influenced government decisions, however, acting wisely and with caution.

The rise of Boris Godunov

Boris Godunov's reign began long before his official accession to the post of sovereign. After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, the throne was succeeded by the tsar's eldest son, Theodor, who was kind, pious, but at the same time incapable of government. In the shortest possible time after Fyodor's ascension to the throne, he was able to achieve such influence that he actually ruled the country for all fourteen years of Fyodor's reign and even then showed himself as an outstanding statesman and a skillful politician.

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

Tsar Fedor, not having not only the ability to rule, but also the desire to participate in solving state issues, entrusted all affairs to Boris, up to the reception of foreign ambassadors (which no boyar had ever received before). 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 the borders of Russia. 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 fortifications in Moscow, the attack of the Crimean Khan was easily repulsed, which was later defeated by the Russian troops pursuing him. Supporting the Terek Cossacks, Godunov strengthened his influence on the territory of the Caucasus.

Taking all state decisions, Boris concentrated his efforts on strengthening statehood. One of the main historical decisions of Boris in the domestic political arena was the establishment of the patriarchate, the church gained independence from Byzantium, at the same time becoming an important political lever for the Russian ruler. This step has 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 most faithful, in his opinion, way to strengthen the economic state 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, Samara, Saratov, Belgorod, Tsaritsyn, Tomsk, Voronezh were founded. An impressive fortress wall was erected in Smolensk. Secular and church architecture flourished under the power of Godunov. It was on the initiative of Boris that the first water supply system appeared in the capital, which was then considered a miracle of technology.

Accession 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 Fedor, took place. This event opened the way for Godunov to the throne, at the same time forever staining his image in history with suspicions of organizing the murder of the prince. However, after the death of Tsar Fyodor in 1598, it was Boris who was elected the new Tsar.

Boris Godunov became the first tsar to open the way for enlightenment in Russia: trying to found the first university, he sent his boyar sons to Europe to master the sciences.

Becoming the official ruler, Boris Godunov continued to strengthen Russia's foreign policy influence. Numerous contacts with guests from Western states, including officers, merchants, industrialists, doctors, formed a policy much similar to the one that later glorified the achievements of Peter I. However, the tsar's reign was associated with constant opposition to many difficult conditions. The famine that befell the country in 1601 took thousands of human lives for three years, which served as an excuse for the opposition boyars to spread the rumor that the plight of the people was a curse to 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, exile, imprisonment or execution, often on false charges.

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

On the verge of trouble

The consequences of the three-year famine and the more frequent robberies, epidemics, and the growing discontent of the boyars on its background 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 exacerbated the situation - the inhabitants of the surrounding places, who followed the sovereign's favor to the capital, died of hunger along the way. The general discontent finally shook Godunov's position and created fertile ground for the emergence of an impostor - who pretended to be a miraculously escaped prince.

The strength and health of Boris Godunov, the last years of his life were associated with ordeals, were irreversibly undermined, and in April 1605 the tsar died suddenly.

Boris Godunov message on history will tell you a lot of useful information about the great tyrant and murderer of tsarist Russia. Also, a report about Boris Godunov will help you prepare for the lesson and deepen your knowledge of history.

The message about Boris Godunov

Where was Boris Godunov born?

Boris Godunov was born in 1552 near the city of Vyazma in the family of a landowner. He received an education worthy of a provincial nobleman. The only thing he did not study was the Holy Scriptures. At that time, ignorance of church books was considered a fundamental component of the study. Therefore, Godunov's contemporaries considered him a bad youth and poorly educated. Then calligraphic handwriting and literacy were not taken into account.

When his parents died, his uncle took custody of him. But he was constantly on the road, and could not deal with children. Therefore, he gave them to the Kremlin, having agreed with the autocrat Ivan the Terrible. Boris Godunov grew up with the tsar's heirs on full allowance. The king loved to have conversations with him and allowed him to write down his thoughts. When Godunov was 18 years old, he took up the post of state bedding. He was in charge of the Kremlin security and economy.

The coming to power of Boris Godunov

In 1581, tragedy struck: Ivan the Terrible had a row with his son Ivan and kills him in the heat. The king himself dies after 3 years. The throne was occupied by the only heir, Fyodor Ioannovich. He created a regency council consisting of Yuryev, Belsky, Mstislavsky, Shuisky and Godunov. The newly-made king suffered from dementia. The boyars took advantage of this and began a fierce struggle for power in the country.

Boris Godunov began to act with cunning and intrigue, accusing rivals of crimes and eliminating enemies instantly. He coped with this instantly. The only obstacle remained in the person of the contender for the throne - Tsarevich Dmitry. But he died in 1591, having stumbled upon a knife during epilepsy. But they say that it was a rigged murder on the orders of Godunov. However, the special commission did not find direct evidence of guilt.

Since Fyodor Ioannovich could not rule the country because of his dementia, the skillful intriguer Boris Godunov coped with the role of the ruler just fine, covering all his actions with the name of Fyodor. Thanks to his actions, the first water supply system was built in Moscow, and in 1596 the Smolensk fortress wall was erected to protect it from the Poles.

In 1595 Godunov signed a treaty with the Swedes that ended the Russian-Swedish war, which lasted 3 years. A Patriarchate was also established, which allowed the Orthodox Church to secede from the Byzantine Patriarchate.

Boris Godunov set a time frame for finding runaway peasants. The slaves were searched for him for 5 years, after which they were declared free. The intriguer freed the landowners from land taxes. In January 1598, the last Rurikovich, Fedor, died. The widow of Ivan the Terrible, Irina, was appointed temporary ruler. The road to the throne became open for Godunov. At the Zemsky Sobor, he was unanimously elected ruler. Not the least role was played by the fact that he skillfully ruled the state against the background of the nominal figure of Fyodor Ioannovich.

The first 3 years of Godunov's reign were marked by the flourishing of Russia. Then the Time of Troubles began. In 1599, he made an attempt to get closer to the West, and a year later the ruler came up with the idea of \u200b\u200bopening a higher educational institution in Moscow, in which foreign teachers would teach. To this end, he sent young gifted people to Austria, France, England to gain experience.

In 1601, a mass famine began in Russia. The king issued a decree on tax cuts in order to help his subjects. He distributed grain and money from the treasury. At the same time, the prices for bread have risen 100 times. The barns and the treasury were emptied very quickly. A lot of people died of hunger. There were rumors among the people that it was God who sent punishment to Russia for the fact that an illegal heir had taken the throne. The peasants staged riots. They began to say that Tsarevich Dmitry was alive and False Dmitry appeared in the arena.

Godunov, enlisting the support of the Poles, drove False Dmitry to Putivl. But the joy of victory overshadowed the burden of understanding that he was betrayed by Russian troops and courtiers.

Was Boris Godunov married?

The wife of the king was Maria Skuratova. Little is known about her. Women were his faithful companion. For 10 years, the couple could not have children. Godunov discharged a doctor from England, and after 2 years Maria gave birth to a daughter, Xenia, and a son, Fyodor. Boris Godunov prepared his son for the throne, so he was taught by the best teachers in Moscow and Russia.

How did Boris Godunov die?

After the famine, Boris Godunov stopped believing the boyars and retinue. He saw enemies everywhere except his family. During the reception of ambassadors from England on April 13, 1605, the king suffered an apoplectic stroke: blood gushed from his ears and nose. Doctors could not help him in any way, which led to death.

Interesting facts about Boris Godunov

• For a long time he suffered from severe migraines and urolithiasis.
• Has earned a reputation as an insidious poisoner.
• Descended from the Tatar family.
• He was the first Nerurik ruler in the last 700 years.

We hope that the message about Boris Godunov helped you find out more about the ruler of the Time of Troubles. And you can leave your story about Boris Godunov through the comments form below.