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 landlords.
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 Fedor (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 Patriarchy.
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.
The reign of Boris Godunov went down in history as one of the most controversial. Godunov's career began in the years. Being a talented and far-sighted politician, Godunov was able to rise from guardsmen to close boyars of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Even during the life of Ivan the Terrible, he influenced state decisions, acting, however, reasonably and with caution.
Rise of Boris Godunov
The reign of Boris Godunov 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 eldest son of the Tsar, Fedor, kind, pious, but at the same time incapable of government. In the shortest possible time after Fedor's ascension to the throne, he was able to achieve such influence that he actually ruled the country for all fourteen years of Fedor's reign and even then proved himself to be an outstanding statesman and a skilled politician.
After the death of Ivan the Terrible, there were rumors that the cause of the death of the tsar was the poison from the hands of Godunov. The accusation was refuted by court physicians: Grozny died of natural causes.
Tsar Fyodor, not having not only the ability to rule, but also the desire to participate in solving state issues, entrusted Boris with all matters, up to the reception of foreign ambassadors (which no boyar had ever been honored with 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' decisions were aimed at strengthening and expanding Russia's borders. During the war with the Swedes, Russian troops returned the Gulf of Finland lost in the Livonian War. Through negotiations with Sweden, several cities were returned to the Russian crown. The expansion of Russian lands to the east continued: the colonization of the Volga region and Siberia expanded. Thanks to the active construction of the fortifications of Moscow, the attack of the Crimean Khan was repelled without difficulty, who was subsequently defeated by the Russian troops pursuing him. Supporting the Terek Cossacks, Godunov strengthened his influence in 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, while at the same time becoming an important political lever for the Russian ruler. This step significantly increased the authority of Russia throughout the Christian world. Another historic decision of Godunov was the strengthening of Grozny's policy of enslaving the peasants - the surest, in his opinion, way to strengthen the economic condition of the country. By decision of Boris, 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 laid. An impressive fortress wall was erected in Smolensk. Secular and ecclesiastical architecture flourished under Godunov's rule. 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.
Ascension to the throne
In 1591, the tragic death of Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible and the only heir of the childless Fyodor, took place in Uglich. This event opened the way for Godunov to the throne, at the same time forever tarnishing his image in history with suspicions of organizing the assassination of the prince. However, after the death of Tsar Fedor in 1598, it was Boris who was elected the new Tsar.
Boris Godunov became the first tsar who opened the way for enlightenment in Russia: trying to found the first university, he sent boyar sons to Europe to master the sciences.
Having become the official ruler, Boris Godunov continued to strengthen Russia's foreign policy influence. Numerous contacts with guests from Western countries, including officers, merchants, industrialists, physicians, formed a policy that was largely similar to the one that later glorified the accomplishments of Peter I. However, the reign of the tsar was associated with constant opposition to many difficult conditions. The famine that befell the country in 1601 claimed 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 on the tsar for the murder of the young Tsarevich Dmitry.
Godunov's situation was only complicated by the fact that, in the face 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 increase production and trade, freed part of the population from taxes, and during the famine years opened granaries 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 confusion
The consequences of the three-year famine and the robberies, epidemics that became more frequent against its background, the growing discontent of the boyars - became the beginning of a difficult historical period, called the Time of Troubles. Trying to regain the favor of the people, the tsar announced the distribution of alms, but this only aggravated the situation even more - the inhabitants of the surrounding areas, who moved to the capital for the sovereign's mercy, died of hunger along the way. General dissatisfaction finally shook Godunov's position and created fertile ground for the appearance of an impostor - posing as a miraculously saved prince.
The strength and health of Boris Godunov, whose last years of life were associated with severe trials, were irreversibly undermined, and in April 1605 the tsar died suddenly.
Boris Fedorovich Godunov (1552 - 1605) - Russian Tsar, who ruled the state in the periods from 1587 to 1598.
Childhood
It is believed that the Godunovs have been descended from the time of Ivan Kalita. Such information is found by scientists in the annals of the 17th-18th centuries and indicates that the distant ancestors of Boris Godunov were Moscow boyars and were considered faithful advisers to several generations of rulers at once. Boris's parents are a middle-class landowner Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov and his wife, an ordinary peasant woman.
Boris Fedorovich was born in 1552. It was not possible to establish for certain who his parents were and what they did. The only mention of the father of the ruler is contained in one of the chronicles, which refers to Fedor "Crooked". It was from here that scientists built a hypothesis that his father, a landowner, was a small figure, therefore he was not honored with any mention in state papers.
However, they talk about his own elder brother Dmitry Ivanovich Godunov. Unlike his relative, he was a larger landowner and even traded with foreign merchants, supplying the court with some exotic goods of various origins.
Very little is known about Boris Godunov's early childhood, as well as about his parents. The chronicles only testify that the baby was born strong and raised by his parents, since the financial condition of the family did not allow the child to hire a separate educator.
Youth
In 1569, Boris's father dies of severe pneumonia. The guardianship of the shocked teenager is taken by his uncle, Dmitry Ivanovich the Terrible, who moves into the house of the widow and begins to help her with the housework. In the same period, the formation of the oprichnina is observed, therefore the Godunov estate on Vyazma becomes part of the oprichnina possessions, and Dmitry receives a title at court. Thus, the financial condition of the family is evened out and is in absolute dependence on Uncle Dmitry.
The period of growing up Boris Godunov coincides with the reign of Ivan the Terrible. At the beginning of 1570, for the first time, he personally met the king and even talked to him, after which he decides to make him a friend at his own wedding. According to bibliographers, from that very moment an inextricable link was established between Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov.
Shortly after his own wedding, Boris moves even further. They grant him the title of boyar and make him almost the right hand and adviser to the current ruler. For a long time he participates in government, remaining in the shadows. Nevertheless, it is becoming clear to more and more boyars and princes who, in fact, orders are given, and it is by no means Ivan the Terrible.
And then comes what no one could have expected - Tsar Ivan the Terrible dies. In the last minutes of his life, Godunov and his faithful friend Belsky were in the room next to him. The reason for the sudden death of the king is asphyxia (suffocation), so it has not yet been established whether the young people were involved in the murder or whether the doctors simply made a mistake with the diagnosis. Nevertheless, it was Godunov and Belsky who left the room of the deceased and became the first to bring the terrible news to the people.
Administration of principalities
After the death of Ivan the Terrible, Fedor Ioannovich occupies the throne. However, from the very first days of his reign, it becomes obvious that he not only does not cope with the country, but is also unable to give clear instructions. In order to help the young tsar settle in, a regency council was created, which, according to rumors, was supposed to include Boris Godunov. Nevertheless, Fyodor Ivanovich personally grants him the title of equerry, and also appoints him the ruler of the Kazan and Astrakhan principalities.
The period of Godunov's reign is characterized as one of the most successful moments in the history of the Kazan and Astrakhan principalities. The fact is that Boris always loved religious architecture, therefore, having come to power, he tried to introduce religion into the life of the people as much as possible. In his possessions, he erected many churches and cathedrals (while some of them still exist intact and intact). It was on the initiative of Boris Godunov that such cities as Samara, Saratov, Tomsk, Belgorod, Tsarev-Borisov, Yelets and Tsaritsyno were erected.
The years 1596-1602 were especially fruitful during the reign of Boris Godunov. Thanks to him, the first water supply system appeared in Moscow, which was a pump installed near the Moscow River, raising water to a great height and delivering it to the stable yard of the Godunov Palace. In addition, along with other fortifications of the city, the Smolensk fortress wall was erected - a structure that had no equal in beauty, grandeur and, of course, protection. That is why the locals called it the "Stone Necklace of the Russian Land."
By the way, the fortifications built by Godunov served a noble mission: in 1591, Khan Kazy-Girey approached Moscow, deciding to conquer the state and enslave the local residents. However, under the guns of numerous guns, seeing the army of many thousands of Boris Godunov, Kazy-Girey in a hurry abandons his own army, carts with provisions and retreats, on the way suffering huge losses from Russian soldiers.
Ascension to the throne
On January 7, 1598, Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich dies. Since he was not married, the Rurik dynasty on him, it would seem, should have ended. But Fedor's connections with Boris Godunov played here (thanks to the skillful management of the latter, the tsar practically did not issue decrees on his own, entrusting everything to Godunov). As a result, in September of the same year, Boris Godunov was crowned king and received under his control the entire huge and actively developing state.
As with the Kazan and Astrakhan principalities, the management of Russia is more than positive. Unlike Ivan the Terrible, during whose reign the state did not have diplomatic relations with anyone, Godunov, on the contrary, opens borders and receives foreigners. Merchants, industrialists, doctors begin to gather in Russia. People of all professions want to live and work under the leadership of a skilled leader and good tactician Boris Godunov. And he, for his part, tries to cooperate as much as possible with representatives of different states: he sends messengers, appoints foreigners to public service, bestows valuable gifts.
However, Godunov's ascension to the throne, which, at first glance, went smoothly and without wrangling, was by no means such. The ruler understood that the Rurik dynasty was interrupted, and he would never have been able to claim the throne if it were not for friendly relations with the late Fyodor Ivanovich. So, from 1600, Boris Godunov becomes even more cautious and suspicious. He often arranges interrogations for his best boyars and forbids them to marry, and because of the denunciation of one of the lackeys, he summons his former best friend Bogdan Belsky. After lengthy interrogations and fiery speeches, Godunov accuses Belsky of treason and exiles him to the most distant city, depriving him of all privileges and rights.
A year later, the situation in the state only worsened. The once developing country first lost diplomatic ties, and then the great famine began. Bread prices rose several times a day, and people died before they even reached the age of 20. Boris Godunov sincerely tried to help everyone in need. He persecuted merchants who raised food prices, opened the royal granary to feed the starving. But, despite all attempts, the situation only worsened, which led to several popular riots. It was rumored that soon the "worker tsar" (as Godunov's opponents called him) would come to an end. However, on April 13, 1605, Boris Godunov died of natural causes.
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 Grozny, Tsarevich Dmitry.
boyar, brother-in-law of Tsar Fyodor I Ioannovich, in 1587-1598 the actual ruler of the state, since February 17, 1598 - the Russian Tsar
Boris Godunov
short biography
Boris Fyodorovich Godunov(1552 - April 23, 1605) - boyar, brother-in-law of Tsar Fedor 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 annals of the beginning of the 17th century. According to the sovereign genealogy of 1555, the Godunovs descended 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 in this way:
As for the person of Tsar Boris, he was a tall and portly man, with his representativeness involuntarily reminding of the obligatory obedience to his power for all; with black, although sparse hair, with regular features, he had a point-blank staring look and a strong physique.
Birth. early years
Boris Godunov was born in 1552, shortly before the conquest of Kazan, in the family of a medium-sized Vyazma landowner Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov. Almost nothing is known about Father Fyodor, except for the nickname "Crooked", which gives us an idea of \u200b\u200bthe physical appearance of Father Boris. Boris's father Fyodor and his brother Dmitry, in addition to family estates near Vyazma, from which they carried local service to the sovereign, also owned a small estate 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 ignoble Dmitry Godunov was enlisted in the oprichnina corps and soon received the high rank of head of the Bed Order at court.
nomination
The promotion of Boris Godunov begins in the 1570s. In 1570 he became a guardsman, and in 1571 he was a friend at the wedding of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with Marfa Sobakina. In the same year, Boris himself married Maria Grigoryevna Skuratova-Belskaya, daughter of Malyuta Skuratov. In 1578, Boris Godunov became a master. Two years after the marriage of his second son Fyodor to Godunov's sister Irina, Ivan the Terrible bestowed the title of boyar on Boris. Godunovs slowly but surely climbed the hierarchical ladder: in the late 1570s - early 1580s. they won several local cases at once.
Godunov was smart and cautious, trying to stay in the background for the time being. In the last year of the tsar's life, Boris Godunov gained great influence at court. Together with B. Ya. Belsky, he became one of the close people of Ivan the Terrible.
The role of Godunov in the history of the death of the tsar is not entirely clear. On March 18 (28), 1584, Grozny, according to D. Gorsei, 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 to the people about the death of the sovereign.
Fyodor Ioannovich ascended the throne. The new tsar was not able to govern the country and needed a smart adviser, 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 tsar's coronation, Boris Godunov was showered with favors: he received the rank of equerry, 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, Shuiskys, Mstislavskys. In 1584, B. Belsky was accused of treason and exiled; the following year, Nikita Yuryev died, and the aged Prince Mstislavsky was forcibly tonsured a monk. Subsequently, the hero of the defense of Pskov, IP Shuisky, also fell into disgrace. In fact, since 1585, 13 out of 14 years of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, Boris Godunov ruled Russia.
Head of government under Tsar Fedor
The activities of Godunov's board were aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of statehood. Thanks to his efforts, in 1589 the first Russian patriarch was elected, which was the Moscow Metropolitan Job. The establishment of the patriarchate testified to the increased prestige of Russia. In the domestic policy of the Godunov government, common sense and prudence prevailed. 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 city of Yelets was restored. On the Donets in 1596 the city of Belgorod was built, to the south in 1600 Tsarev-Borisov was built. The settlement and development of the lands deserted during the yoke to the south of Ryazan (the territory of the present Lipetsk region) began. 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 Russia was built - the Smolensk fortress wall, which later became known as the "stone necklace of the Russian Land." The fortress was built on the initiative of Godunov to protect the western borders of Russia from Poland.
Under him, unheard of innovations entered the life of Moscow, for example, a water pipe was built in the Kremlin, through which water rose with powerful pumps from the Moscow River through the dungeon to the Konyushenny yard. New fortifications were also built. In 1584-91, under the guidance of the architect Fyodor Saveliev, 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 made of limestone, lined with bricks and plastered. In 1592, on the site of the modern Garden Ring, another line of fortifications was built, a wooden and earthen one, nicknamed the “Skorodom” for the speed of construction.
In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey with a 1500-strong army approached Moscow, however, being at the walls of a new powerful fortress and under the guns of numerous guns, 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, abandoning the convoy. On the way to the 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 it was not he who was the main governor, but Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky): three cities in the Vazh land and the title of servant, which was considered more honorable than the boyar.
Godunov sought to alleviate the situation of the townspeople. By his decision, merchants and artisans who lived in "white" settlements (privately owned, paying taxes to large feudal lords) were included in the population of "black" settlements (paying tax - "tax" - to the state). At the same time, the size 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 on “lesson years” was issued, according to which peasants who had fled from their masters “up to this ... year in five years” were subject to investigation, trial and return “back to where someone lived.” The decree did not apply to those who fled six years ago and earlier, they were not returned to their former owners.
In foreign policy, Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat. On May 18 (28), 1595, a peace treaty was concluded 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 following the unsuccessful Livonian War.
Death of Tsarevich Dmitry
The heir to the throne during the life of Tsar Fedor was his younger brother Dmitry, the son of the seventh wife of Ivan the Terrible. On May 15 (25), 1591, the prince died under unclear circumstances in the specific city of Uglich. The official investigation was conducted by the boyar Vasily Shuisky. Trying to please Godunov, he reduced the causes of what happened to the "neglect" 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 an "epilepsy" disease (epilepsy).
The chronicle of the times of the Romanovs blames Boris Godunov for the murder, because Dmitry was the direct heir to the throne and prevented Boris from advancing to him. Isaac Massa gives the same version. However, Godunov's participation in the conspiracy to kill the tsarevich has not been proven. In 1829, the historian MP Pogodin was the first to take the risk of defending 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 true cause of the death of Ivan the Terrible's son was still an accident. However, this issue remained debatable, and opinions are expressed about the meaninglessness of the death of the tsarevich for Godunov (in particular, indicating the illegality of the son from the seventh marriage in the eyes of the church, which means that his rights to the throne are doubtful), and about Boris’s direct interest in his death (for example , because of the hypothetical revenge of Dmitry, in the event of accession to the throne, for his deportation to reign in Uglich).
Godunov on the throne
On January 7 (17), 1598, Fedor 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 queen as soon as possible, and many Muscovites shared my opinion". The only close heir to the throne was the second cousin of the deceased, who was tonsured a nun, Maria Staritskaya (1560-1611).
After attempts to appoint the widow of the deceased Tsar Irina, Boris's sister, as the ruling queen, on February 17 (27), 1598, the Zemsky Sobor (taking into account, among other things, Irina's "recommendation") elected Fyodor's brother-in-law, Boris Godunov, as king, and swore allegiance to him. On September 1 (11), 1598, Boris was married to the kingdom. A close property, which was typical for that time, outweighed the distant relationship of possible contenders for the throne. No less important was the fact that Godunov had long actually ruled the country on behalf of Fedor and was not going to let go of power after his death.
The reign of Boris was marked by the beginning of Russia's rapprochement with the West. Before there was no sovereign in Russia who would have been so kind to foreigners as Godunov. He began to invite foreigners to serve. In 1604, he sent the roundabout M.I. Tatishchev to Georgia in order to marry his daughter to the local prince.
The contacts of the Muscovite state with Europe, which began to actively develop even in the time of Ivan III, practically ceased under Ivan the Terrible. In the reign of Boris, relations with foreign countries revived again. Merchants, doctors, industrialists, military men, scientists went 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 along with knowledge, all sorts of heresies would come to Russia. European culture has penetrated Russian everyday life. This applied to 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 aspects in the policy of these two rulers of Russia, who are separated by more than 100 years: rapprochement with Europe, the transfer of Western culture to Russian soil.
Repression
The first tsar not from Rurikovich (except for such figurehead as Simeon Bekbulatovich), Godunov could not help but feel the precariousness of his position. In his suspiciousness, he was a little inferior to Grozny. Having ascended the throne, he began to settle personal scores with the boyars. According to a contemporary, " he blossomed, like a date, with the leaves of virtue, and if the thorn of envious malice had not darkened the color of his virtue, he could have become like the ancient kings. From slanderers, he vainly accepted in rage against the innocent, and therefore brought upon himself the indignation of the officials of the entire Russian land: from here many evil evils rose up against him and his beauty suddenly deposed the flourishing kingdom».
At first, this suspicion was already manifested in the oath record, but later it came to disgrace and denunciations. Princes Mstislavsky and V.I. Shuisky, who, due to the nobility of the family, could have claims to the throne, Boris did not allow them to marry. Since 1600, the suspicion of the king has increased markedly. Perhaps the news of Margeret is not without probability that already at that time dark rumors had spread that Dimitri was alive. The first victim of Boris' suspicion was Bogdan Belsky, who was commissioned by the tsar to build Tsarev-Borisov. According to the denunciation of Belsky's generosity to military people 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 remote cities.
The serf of Prince Shestunov denounced his master. The denunciation was not worthy of attention. Nevertheless, the scammer was told the tsar's word of honor in the square and announced that the tsar, for his service and zeal, would grant him an estate and orders him to serve in the children of the boyars. In 1601, the boyars Romanovs and their relatives suffered under a false denunciation. The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Theodore Nikitich, was exiled to the Siya Monastery and tonsured under the name Filaret; his wife, tonsured under the name of Martha, was exiled to the Tolvuisky Zaonezhsky churchyard, and their young son Michael (the future king) to Beloozero. Godunov's persecution aroused sympathy among the people for his victims. So the peasants of the Tolvui churchyard secretly helped the nun Martha and "visited" for her the news about Filaret.
Great Famine
The reign of Boris began successfully, but a series of disgrace gave rise to despondency, and soon a real disaster broke out. In 1601, there were long rains, and then early frosts broke out and, according to a contemporary, “ beat the scum strong all the work of human affairs in the fields". The next year, the crop failure was repeated. A famine began in the country, which lasted three years. The price of bread has increased 100 times. Feeling that faith in him as a sovereign was disappearing, Boris forbade selling bread more than a certain limit, even resorting to the persecution of those who raised prices, but did not achieve success. In an effort to help the starving, he spared no expense, widely distributing money to the poor. But bread became more expensive, and money lost its value. Boris ordered the royal barns to be opened for the starving. However, even their supplies were not enough for all the hungry, especially since, having learned about the distribution, people from all over the country reached out to Moscow, leaving the meager supplies that they still had at home. People began to think that this was God's punishment, that the reign of Boris Godunov was illegal and not blessed by God.
In 1601-1602. Godunov even went to the temporary restoration of St. George's Day. True, he did not allow the exit, but only the export of the peasants. The nobles thus saved their estates from final desolation and ruin. The permission given by the Godunovs concerned only small service people, it did not extend to the lands of members of the Boyar Duma and the clergy. But even this step did little to strengthen the king's position. Popular riots swept across the country.
Mass starvation and dissatisfaction with the establishment of "lesson years" caused a major uprising led by Khlopok (1602-1603), in which peasants, serfs and Cossacks took part. The insurrectionary movement covered about 20 districts of central Russia and the south of the country. The rebels united in large detachments that advanced towards Moscow. Against them, Boris Godunov sent an army under the command of I.F. Basmanov. In September 1603, in a fierce battle near Moscow, the rebel army of Khlopok was defeated. Basmanov died in battle, and Khlopok himself was seriously wounded, captured and executed.
However, Isaac Massa reports that " ... there were more grain reserves in the country than all the inhabitants could eat it in four years ... noble gentlemen, as well as in all monasteries and many rich people, barns were full of bread, part of it had already rotted from long-term lying, and they did not want to sell it; and by the will of God the king was so blinded, despite the fact that he could order whatever he wanted, he did not command in the strictest way that everyone should sell their bread».
Appearance of an 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. Detractors spoke unflatteringly about Godunov - "worker". At the beginning of 1604, a letter from a foreigner from Narva was intercepted, in which it was announced that Dmitry, who had miraculously escaped, was with the Cossacks, and great misfortunes would soon befall the Moscow land.
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 enthusiasm of the people on the path of "Tsarevich Dmitry". However, in January 1605, the government troops sent by Godunov at the Battle of Dobrynich defeated the impostor, who, with the few remnants of his army, was forced to leave for Putivl.
Death and offspring
The situation for Godunov was complicated due to his state of health. As early as 1599, there are references to his illnesses, and the king was often unwell in the 1600s. April 13, 1605 Boris Godunov seemed cheerful and healthy, he ate a lot and with appetite. Then he climbed the tower, from which he often surveyed Moscow. Soon he came down from there, saying that he felt faint. They called the doctor, but the king felt worse: blood began to flow from his ears and nose. The king lost his senses 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 present at the same time had already retired, leaving the king, in their opinion, in good health, which was evidenced by his good appetite at dinner, the sovereign generally liked to eat well and heartily, although now it is permissible to think that in this he even went to excess - he suddenly not only felt ill, but also felt pains in his stomach, so that, going to his bedchamber, he himself went to bed and ordered the doctors to be called (who had already managed to disperse ). But before they came to the call, the king died, having lost his tongue before his death. Shortly before his death, he, at his own request, with the greatest haste was tonsured a monastic rank, with a new name given to him.
There were rumors that Godunov 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 had often been ill before. He was buried in the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral.
The son of Boris, Fyodor, became king, an educated and extremely intelligent young man. Soon there was a rebellion in Moscow, provoked by False Dmitry. Tsar Fedor and his mother were killed, leaving only Boris's daughter Xenia alive. The bleak fate of the impostor's concubine awaited her. It was officially announced that Tsar Fyodor and his mother were poisoned. Their bodies were exposed. Then Boris's coffin was taken out of the Archangel Cathedral and reburied in the Varsonofevsky Monastery near 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 (monastic 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 Godunov dynasty were impossible to restore using anthropological reconstruction.
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