Years of life : 1551 - April 13, 1605 .
Years of reign: Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus' (February 21, 1598 - April 13, 1605).
Born around 1551, ascended the throne on February 21, 1598, died on April 13, 1605. The Godunov family, together with the Saburovs and Velyaminov-Zernovs, descends according to genealogy from the Tatar Murza Chet, baptized Zechariah, who left the Horde to the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Danilovich Kalita and built the Kostroma-Ipatiev Monastery. The eldest line of Chet's descendants, the Saburovs, at the end of the 15th century had already taken their place among the noblest families of the Moscow boyars, while the younger, the Godunovs, emerged a century later under Grozny, during the oprichnina. Boris began serving at the court of Grozny: in 1570 he was mentioned in the Serpukhov campaign by a bell with the royal saadak (bow and arrows). In 1571, Boris was a groomsman at the Tsar’s wedding to Marfa Vasilievna Sobakina. Around 1571, Boris strengthened his position at court by marrying the daughter of Malyuta Skuratov-Belsky, Marya Grigorievna. In 1578, Boris was already handsome, and when in 1580 Grozny chose Boris’s sister, Irina, as the wife of Tsarevich Fyodor, Boris was granted a boyar status. In 1581, the tsar, in a fit of anger, fatally struck his eldest son Ivan. There is news that Godunov stood up for the prince and was wounded by Ivan the Terrible; Boris's opponents informed the Tsar that Boris was only pretending to be sick, but Tsar Ivan, having visited the sick man at home, found out the truth and punished the slanderers. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, with his weak successor, the boyars gained great importance, the largest figures in which were Nikita Romanovich Yuryev, Fedor’s uncle on his mother’s side, the well-born but narrow-minded Prince Ivan Feodorovich Mstislavsky, Prince Ivan Petrovich Shuisky, famous for the defense of Pskov from Batory, and a close V Lately Grozny Bogdan Yakovlevich Belsky, to whom, as they say, John entrusted the guardianship of his youngest son Dimitri; they were not unanimous; a hidden struggle of the first three against Belsky began. Fearing intrigues in favor of Tsarevich Dimitri, the rulers immediately after the death of Grozny removed the young prince with his mother and her Nagimi relatives to Uglich, assigned to Dimitri as an inheritance by his father. Some kind of popular movement in April, directed against Belsky, served as a reason for his expulsion: he was sent as a governor to Nizhny Novgorod.
Boris, the tsar's brother-in-law, was showered with favors at the royal wedding on May 31, 1584: he received the noble rank of equerry, the title of close great boyar and governor of the kingdoms of Kazan and Astrakhan, land along the river. Volga, meadows on the banks of the river. Moscow, as well as various government fees. But he did not yet enjoy much influence at that time. Only when (in August 1584) Nikita Romanovich fell dangerously ill, and in next year and died, entrusting his children to the care of Boris and taking an oath from him to be in a “testamentary union of friendship” with the Romanovs, Boris moved to the fore. Having businessmen on his side - the Shchelkalovs and the new palace nobility - the Godunovs and Romanovs with their circle, Boris found himself at the head of a strong party. Princes Ivan Fedorovich Mstislavsky, Shuisky, Vorotynsky, boyar families Kolychev, Golovin and others formed a party hostile to Boris. The struggle went on for a long time, but victory leaned towards Boris. Since the end of 1584, the Golovins fell into disgrace; in the summer of 1585, the old Prince Mstislavsky was forcibly tonsured in the Kirillov Monastery. The Shuisky princes remained at the head of the opposition. In order to cut at the root the power of Boris, they, having on their side Metropolitan Dionysius, part of the boyars, nobles and many Moscow merchants, gathered to submit (in 1587) a petition to the Tsar for a divorce from the childless Irina and entering into a new marriage “for the sake of the Tsar’s childbearing” . The Tsar, who loved Irina very much, who, moreover, was not barren, was greatly offended. The matter ended with the exile of the Shuiskys, the overthrow of Metropolitan Dionysius and the general disgrace of their supporters. In place of Dionysius, Rostov Archbishop Job, a man devoted to Boris, was ordained metropolitan.
The elder Shuiskys - Ivan Petrovich and Andrei Ivanovich - died (or were killed) in exile. Now Boris had no more rivals: he achieved such power that none of his subjects had. Everything that was done by the Moscow government was done according to the will of Boris; With royal pomp and ceremony, he received foreign ambassadors, corresponded and exchanged gifts with foreign sovereigns: the Caesar (Emperor of Austria), the Queen of England, the Crimean Khan, etc. The right to communicate with foreign sovereigns was officially given to Boris by resolutions of the Duma of 1588 and 1589. He became the real ruler of the state and, with his characteristic foresight, forced his boy son to take part in receptions of ambassadors, etc., as if trying to show him as the heir to his power. Foreign policy During the reign of Boris, it was distinguished by caution and a predominantly peaceful direction, since Boris by his nature did not like risky enterprises, and the country after Grozny needed peace. With Poland, from which they suffered heavy defeats during the previous reign, they tried to maintain peace, albeit through truces, and in 1586, when King Stefan Batory died, an attempt was made, however, unsuccessful, to arrange the election of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich to the Polish king . With Sweden in 1590, when they were convinced that Poland would not help it, they started a war, and the tsar himself went on a campaign, accompanied by Boris and Fyodor Nikitich Romanov. Thanks to this war, the cities taken by the Swedes under Ivan the Terrible were returned: Yam, Ivan-Gorod and Koporye, and in the peace of 1595 Korela, and half of Lapland was obtained. Active relations were carried out with Austria, which was assisted against Poland and the Turks. Relationship to Crimean Tatars were tense due to their frequent raids on the southern outskirts. In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey with a horde of one and a half hundred thousand approached Moscow itself, but, having failed in minor skirmishes with Moscow troops, retreated, and abandoned the entire convoy; Dear Khan suffered heavy losses from the Russian troops pursuing him. For repelling the khan, Boris, although the main governor was not he, but Prince F. Mstislavsky, received the greatest rewards of all the participants in the campaign: three cities in the Vazhsky land and the title of servant, which was considered more honorable than that of a boyar. The Tatars repaid for this unsuccessful campaign in the next 1592 with an attack on the Kashira, Ryazan and Tula lands, and took away many prisoners. In 1594, peace was concluded with the khan, but relations remained uncertain. The Moscow government tried to maintain as good relations as possible with Turkey, although it acted contrary to Turkish interests: it supported a party hostile to Turkey in the Crimea, tried to incite the Shah of Persia against Turkey, and sent subsidies to the Tsar’s court in money and furs for the war with the Turks.
In 1586, the Kakhetian Tsar Alexander, pressed on the one hand by the Turks and on the other by the Persians, surrendered under the protection of Russia. They sent him priests, icon painters, and firearms, and they restored the fortress on the Terek, built under Grozny; They provided assistance against the Tarkov ruler who was hostile to Alexander, but did not dare to defend against the Turks. The English, who enjoyed the special favor of Boris, were allowed to trade duty-free free trade in Russia in 1587, but at the same time their request to prohibit other foreigners from trading in Russia was denied. Boris’s activities in relation to the outskirts of the Moscow state as a colonizer and city builder are extremely remarkable. In the land of the Cheremis, pacified at the beginning of the reign of Theodore, to prevent uprisings in the future, a number of cities inhabited by Russian people were built: Tsivilsk, Urzhum, Tsarev, the city on Kokshaga, Sanchursk, etc. The Lower Volga, where the Nogai posed a danger, was provided with construction Samara, Saratov and Tsaritsyn, as well as the construction of a stone fortress in Astrakhan in 1589. A city was also built in the distant Yaik (Ural) region. To protect against the devastating raids of the Crimeans, Boris erected fortresses on the southern steppe outskirts: Kursk (renewed), Livny, Kromy, Voronezh, Belgorod, Oskol, Valuiki, under the cover of which Russian colonization could only go south. How unpleasant these fortifications were for the Tatars can be seen from the letter of the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey, in which the khan, pretending to be a well-wisher of the Moscow government, urges not to build cities in the steppe, since they, being close to the Turkish and Tatar borders, can be attacked all the more easily. both from the Turks and the Tatars. In Siberia, where after the death of Ermak (August 6, 1584) and after the Cossack squad left the Urals, the Russian cause seemed lost, the government of Fyodor Ivanovich restored Russian rule. And here Russian colonization was strengthened by the construction of cities: Tyumen, Tobolsk, Pelym, Berezov, Surgut, Tara, Narym, Ketsky fort and the transfer of settlers from Russia, mainly northeastern. During the reign of Boris, the fortification of Moscow was also strengthened by the construction of the White City (in 1586), and the stone walls of Smolensk were erected in 1596, which served great service in Time of Troubles.
The establishment of the patriarchate (1589) dates back to the reign of Boris, which equalized the high priest of the Russian Church with the ecumenical eastern patriarchs and gave him primacy over the Metropolitan of Kyiv. At the same time, 4 archdioceses were elevated to the dignity of metropolises: Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov and Krutitsa; 6 bishops became archbishops, and it was proposed to reopen 8 bishoprics. The internal policy of the intelligent ruler was aimed at establishing order and justice, restoring power and prosperity. The country was already beginning to “be comforted from great sorrow and live quietly and serenely.” In the mutual struggle of classes, Boris sided with the petty service people. Contemporaries speak of the “annoyances” of his “greatest.” This was manifested in the political sphere - Boris gave way to "noble" businessmen and service people, removing the "noble" ones - and in the economic sphere. Decrees of 1586 and 1597 on the need to formally strengthen the rights to slaves created some obstacle to the growth of boyar “courts”. The already established consolidation of the peasantry made the landowner's economy more durable and secure, and the decree of 1597 established a 5-year period for claims of fugitives. In 1591 an event took place that had a huge impact on the fate of Boris: on May 15, Tsarevich Dimitri died in Uglich, and the residents of Uglich killed the people they suspected of killing the Tsarevich. The investigative commission found that the prince, who suffered from epilepsy, while playing poke, fell on a knife in a fit and stabbed himself. Popular rumor accused Boris of murder. Whether Boris is to blame for the premature death of the prince remains unclear, but there are already many voices in historiography that do not blame him. After the Uglitsky incident, slander more than once covered Boris’s ink, accusing him of various atrocities and often interpreting best actions him in a bad way. Soon after the death of Demetrius (in June of the same 1591), a strong fire broke out in Moscow, destroying the entire White City. Boris tried to provide all possible assistance to the fire victims, and then a rumor spread that he deliberately ordered Moscow to be set on fire in order to attract its inhabitants with favors. The invasion of the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey near Moscow in the summer of 1591 was also attributed to Boris, who allegedly wanted to divert the attention of the people from the death of Demetrius. They did not spare Boris even from accusations of the death of Tsar Theodore, and even after the death of his desired fiancé Xenia, Prince John. After the death of Theodore (died January 7, 1598), the last king of the Rurik dynasty, everyone swore allegiance to Queen Irina in order to avoid an interregnum, but she, alien to the lust for power, on the 9th day after the death of her husband retired to the Moscow Novodevichy Convent, where she took monastic vows under the name Alexandra. Irina was followed to the monastery by her brother. Governance of the state passes into the hands of the patriarch and the Boyar Duma, and government documents are issued on behalf of Tsarina Irina.
The government was headed by Patriarch Job, whose actions were guided not just by devotion to Boris, but also by the deep conviction that Boris was the person most worthy to take the throne, and that his election as king would ensure order and tranquility in the state. In addition to his relationship with the late king, what spoke most in favor of the election of Boris was his reasonable governance under Theodore, and Theodore’s reign was considered by his contemporaries as a happy reign. Moreover, the long-term use of supreme power gave Boris and his relatives enormous funds and linked the interests of the administration of the Moscow state with his interests. From the very beginning, the patriarch proposes Boris as king and, accompanied by the boyars, clergy and people, asks Boris to accept the kingdom, but receives a decisive refusal from him. To break Boris's stubbornness, a Zemsky Sobor is convened. On February 17, members of the cathedral gathered to the patriarch, numbering over 500; most of them consisted of the clergy, submissive to the patriarch, and service people, supporters of Boris. After Job’s speech glorifying Boris, the Zemsky Sobor unanimously decided to “beat Boris Feodorovich with his forehead and not look for anyone else for the state besides him.” On February 21, after many beggings, and threatened with excommunication, Boris agreed to fulfill the request of the zemstvo people. These repeated refusals on the part of Boris are explained not only by Russian custom, which required any honor, even a simple treat, not to be accepted at the first invitation, but also even more by the desire to strengthen his position by “national” election. In the pre-election struggle, the candidacies of Fyodor Romanov, Bogdan Belsky and even the elderly “Tsar” Simeon Bekbulatovich were named and found supporters, whose “reluctance” to the throne was then directly inserted into Boris’s cross-kissing record. On April 30, Boris moved from the Novodevichy Convent to the Kremlin and settled with his family in the royal palace. Rumors about the invasion of the Crimeans forced Boris to soon (May 2) set out from Moscow at the head of a huge army and stop in Serpukhov, but instead of the horde, ambassadors from the khan appeared with peace proposals. In the camp near Serpukhov, Boris treated the serving people to feasts, gave them gifts, and they were very pleased with the new king; “I hope to continue to receive such a salary from him.” From this campaign the tsar returned to Moscow in triumph, as if after a great victory. On September 1, New Year's Day, Boris was crowned king. During the wedding, under the influence of a joyful feeling, the cautious, restrained Boris burst out with words that amazed his contemporaries: “Father, great patriarch Job! God is my witness to this, no one will be poor or poor in my kingdom!” Shaking his shirt by the collar, the king added: “And I will share this last one with everyone.” The royal wedding, in addition to feasts in the palace, treats for the people, awards to ranks, was accompanied by extraordinary favors: service people were given a double annual salary, merchants were given the right to duty-free trade for two years; farmers were exempted from taxes for a year; there is news that it was determined how much the peasants had to work for the landowners and pay them; money was distributed to widows and orphans food supplies; prisoners in prisons were released and received assistance; foreigners were freed from taxes for a year.
The first years of Boris's reign were, as it were, a continuation of the reign of Feodor Ivanovich, which is very natural, since power remained in the same hands. Contemporaries praise Boris, saying that “he flourished in splendor, surpassed all people in appearance and intelligence; he was a wonderful and sweet-tongued man, he created many praiseworthy things in the Russian state, he hated bribery, tried to eradicate robbery, theft, kompany, but could not eradicate; bright-hearted and merciful and loving of the poor!" In 1601, Boris allowed the transfer of peasants throughout Russia, except for the Moscow district, but only from small owners to small ones. As an intelligent man, Boris was aware of the backwardness of the Russian people in education compared to other peoples Western Europe, understood the benefits of science for the state. There is news that Boris wanted to open a higher school in Moscow where foreigners would teach, but he encountered obstacles from the clergy. Boris was the first to decide to send several young men to study in Western Europe: to Lubeck, England, France and Austria. This first sending of Russian students abroad was unsuccessful: they all remained there. Boris sent to Lubeck to invite doctors, ore miners, cloth workers and various craftsmen to the royal service. The Tsar received Germans from Livonia and Germany who came to Moscow very kindly, assigned them good salaries and awarded them estates with the peasants. Foreign merchants enjoyed the patronage of Boris. A special detachment of the royal guard was formed from foreigners, mainly Livonian Germans. Under Boris there were 6 foreign doctors who received huge remuneration. The Germans were allowed to build a Lutheran church in Moscow. There is news that some of the Russians, wanting to imitate foreigners in appearance and thereby please the Tsar, began to shave their beards. Boris's passion for foreigners even aroused displeasure among the Russian people. Foreign policy was even more peaceful than under Theodore. From Ivan the Terrible, Boris inherited the idea of the need to annex Livonia in order to, having in his hands harbors on the Baltic Sea, enter into communication with the peoples of Western Europe. Open hostility between Poland and Sweden made it possible to realize this dream, if only one could act decisively, taking the side of one of the warring states. But Boris tried to annex Livonia through diplomatic means and achieved nothing. Imitating Ivan the Terrible, Boris thought to make a vassal kingdom out of Livonia and for this purpose (in 1599) summoned to Moscow the rival of the sovereigns of Sweden and Poland, the Swedish prince Gustav, the son of the deposed Swedish king Eric XIV, who was wandering around Europe as an exile. At the same time, the tsar thought to marry Gustav to his daughter Xenia, but Gustav, with his frivolous behavior, incurred the wrath of Boris, was deprived of Kaluga, which had been assigned to him before the acquisition of Livonia, and was exiled to Uglich. Boris had desire to become related to European royal houses in order to elevate one’s own family. In 1600, A. Vlasyev conducted secret negotiations in Vienna about the marriage of Xenia with Maximilian; British Queen Elizabeth is trying to find a bride for Theodore. During negotiations with Denmark over the Russian-Norwegian border in Lapland, the king’s desire to have a Danish prince as his son-in-law was stated. In Denmark, this proposal was readily accepted, and Prince John, brother of King Christian IV, came to Moscow, but soon after his arrival he became dangerously ill and died (in October 1602) to the great grief of Boris and Xenia.
In 1604, negotiations began on the marriage of Xenia with one of the Dukes of Schleswig, but were interrupted by the death of Boris. The king was looking for a groom for his daughter and a bride for his son also among the same-religious owners of Georgia. - Relations with Crimea were favorable, since the khan was forced to participate in the Sultan’s wars, and, in addition, was constrained by the construction of fortresses in the steppe. In Transcaucasia, Russian policy failed in a clash with the powerful Turks and Persians. Although Shah Abbas had friendly relations with Boris, he overthrew the Kakheti king Alexander, allegedly for relations with the Turks, but in fact for relations with Moscow. In Dagestan, the Russians were driven out of Tarok by the Turks and cut off by the Kumyks during their retreat; Moscow's dominion disappeared in this country. On trade matters there were relations with the Hanseatic cities: Boris fulfilled the request of 59 cities and gave them a charter for trade; At the same time, residents of Lübeck were reduced to half the duty. In Siberia, after the death of Kuchum, Russian colonization continued, and cities were built: Verkhoturye (1598), Mangazeya (1601), Turinsk (1601), Tomsk (1601). Boris had the intelligence to reach the throne, but no less intelligence, and perhaps even happiness, was needed to remain on the throne. The noble boyars considered themselves humiliated as a result of his accession, and just as they fought against him during his election, they were in opposition afterwards and were not averse to intrigue against the hated “slave-tsar.” And Boris, a very suspicious man, could not rise to the consciousness that he was an elected zemstvo tsar, whom the will of the people, despite his origin, had elevated to the throne, should rise above all accounts with the boyars, especially since in his personal merits he was superior their. This is what contemporaries say about the main shortcoming of Boris as a tsar: “He blossomed like a date with the leaves of virtue, and if the thorns of envious malice had not darkened the color of his virtue, he could have become like the ancient tsars. In rage, he vainly accepted slanderers against the innocent, and therefore he brought upon himself the indignation of the officials of the entire Russian land: from here many insatiable evils arose against him and the flourishing beauty of his kingdom was suddenly overthrown.” This suspicion was already evident at first in the oath, 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 him to marry. From 1600, the king's suspicion increased noticeably.
Perhaps Margeret's news is not without probability that at that time dark rumors began that Demetrius was alive. The first victim of Boris's suspicion was Bogdan Belsky, whom the tsar instructed to build Boris' city. Based on a denunciation of Belsky’s generosity to 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 remote cities. Prince Shestunov's servant denounced his master. The denunciation turned out to be unworthy of attention. Nevertheless, the informer was told the king's favor in the square and announced that the king, for his service and zeal, would grant him an estate and order him to serve as a child boyar. This encouragement of denunciations had a terrible effect: informers appeared in large numbers. In 1601, the Romanovs and their relatives suffered due to denunciation. The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Feodor Nikitich, was exiled to the Siysky monastery and tonsured under the name of Philaret; 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 king) was exiled to Beloozero. Physical disasters were added to the despondency produced by disgrace, torture and intrigues. Since 1601, three years in a row there were crop failures, and a terrible famine began, so that, as they say, they even ate human flesh. To help the starving, Boris began construction in Moscow and distributed money. This measure caused even greater evil, since people flocked to Moscow in large numbers and died in large numbers from hunger and pestilence in the streets and on the roads. Only the harvest of 1604 ended the famine. Famine and pestilence were followed by robberies. Robber gangs were composed mainly of slaves released by their masters during famine, as well as slaves of disgraced boyars. The brave chieftain Cotton Kosolap appeared near Moscow, but after a stubborn battle he was defeated by the tsarist troops (in 1604). At the beginning of 1604, it became reliably known in Moscow that a man had appeared in Lithuania calling himself Tsarevich Dimitri, and in October of the same year the Pretender entered the Moscow state, finding followers everywhere. Although on January 21, 1605 the Pretender was defeated at Dobrynichi, he again gathered an army. The matter was in an indecisive situation when, on April 13, 1605, Boris died suddenly, having accepted the schema. Boris's policy deprived him of support among the ruling class - the boyars, aroused hostility towards him from the lower class - the peasants, and service people and free tax workers had not yet learned to defend their defenders. And after the death of Boris, his family found itself in a tragic situation: without strength, in the face of a formidable enemy. True, Moscow swore allegiance to Boris's son, Theodore, to whom his father tried to give the best possible upbringing, and whom all modern evidence showers with great praise. But the young king, after a very short reign, died a violent death together with his mother. Princess Xenia, distinguished by her beauty, was spared for the amusement of the impostor; subsequently she took her hair and died in 1622. The ashes of Tsar Boris, removed from the Archangel Cathedral under the Pretender, were transported to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra under Mikhail Feodorovich, where they now rest; The ashes of Boris’s family also rest there.
Russian Biographical Dictionary / www.rulex.ru / 86-volume Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron (1890-1907);
New Encyclopedic Dictionary (1910-1916).
Literature. Except general works book Shcherbatov vol. VI, Karamzin X - XI, Artsybyshev book. V, Buturlin “History of the Time of Troubles” vol. I, Solovyov vols. VII and VIII, Kostomarov “Time of Troubles” vol. I (separately and in “Monographs”) and “Russian history in biographies” vol. I, cf. K.N. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, “Review of events from the death of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich to the election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the throne” (Journal of the Ministry of Public Education, 1887, July - August); Pavlov, “On the historical significance of the reign of Boris Godunov” (M., 1850, 2nd ed. 1863); S.F. Platonov, “Old Russian Tales and Stories about the Time of Troubles” (St. Petersburg, 1888); "Letters from K.N. Bestuzhev-Ryumin about the Time of Troubles" (St. Petersburg, 1898); IN. Klyuchevsky, “Composition of representation at zemstvo councils” (“Russian Thought”, January books of 1890, 1891, 1892) and “Course of Russian History”, parts II and III; DI. Ilovaisky, "History of Russia", volumes III and IV; "Archivum Domus Sapiehanae, ed. Dr. A. Prochaska" (Lvov, 1892); Le P. Pierling, "La Russie et le Saint-siege", II and III (P., 1897 and 1901; III volume was recently translated into Russian under the title "Dimitri the Pretender"; M., 1912); S.F. Platonov, “Essays on the history of the Troubles in the Moscow State of the 16th - 17th centuries” (St. Petersburg, 1899; 2nd ed. 1901); S.F. Platonov, “Boris Feodorovich Godunov” (in the collection “People of the Time of Troubles”, St. Petersburg, 1905); K. Waliszewski, "Les origines de la Russie moderne. La Crise revolutionnaire 1584 - 1614" (P., 1906); there is a Russian translation edited by Shchepkina: “Time of Troubles”, (St. Petersburg, 1911); Russian Biographical Dictionary - "Boris Feodorovich (Godunov)", art. K.N. Bestuzhev-Ryumina and S.P. (in the volume "Betancourt-Byakster"; St. Petersburg, 1908). Sources are named in these works; recently published by G.S. Sheremetev, “Greek Affairs” (in the collection “Sergei Fedorovich Platonov’s students, friends and admirers”, St. Petersburg, 1911); "Materials on the Time of Troubles in Rus' in the 17th century", collected. Professor V.N. Aleksandrenko ("Antiquity and Novelty", book XIV, M., 1911); "The Journey of His Princely Highness Duke Hans of Schleswig-Holstein to Russia in 1602"; Yu.N. Shcherbachev ("Readings in the Society of History and Antiquities", 1911, book III). P. Lyubomirov.
Tsar and Grand Duke of Moscow and All Rus' (1598-1605).
Boris Fedorovich Godunov was born in 1549 or 1552 in the family of the boyar Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov (d. in the late 1560s). According to legend, the Godunovs descended from the Tatar prince Chet, who arrived from the Golden Horde around 1330. According to the “Sovereign Genealogy” of 1555, the Godunovs trace their origins to the Kostroma patrimonial landowner Dmitry Zern. Probably, the clan really had Horde roots, since the ancestors of its individual branches bore names of Tatar origin.
The first mention of B.F. Godunov dates back to 1567, when he was a member of the Tsar's Oprichnina Court. His rise is associated with his marriage to his daughter Maria (around 1570) and the marriage of the prince to B.F. Godunov’s sister Irina (around 1574).
In 1577, B.F. Godunov received the rank of clerk, and in 1580 he became a boyar. At the wedding of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible with Maria Naga (November 1580), he was the queen’s “friend.”
The death of Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich in 1581, which made his brother Fyodor Ivanovich heir to the throne, contributed to the further rise of the latter's brother-in-law, B.F. Godunov. By 1584, he entered the circle of people close to Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. From that time on, he could influence the course of court affairs that affected the interests of the Godunov clan. In the last year of the Tsar’s life, B.F. Godunov gained especially great influence at court, and together with B.Ya. Belsky he became one of the closest advisers to Ivan IV the Terrible. It was B.F. Godunov and B.Ya. Belsky who were next to the tsar on March 18 (27), 1584, in the last minutes of his life, and they announced to the people from the porch about the death of the sovereign.
With the accession to the throne of Feodor I Ivanovich, who was unable to rule the country, a sharp struggle broke out among the court for influence on the monarch, from which B. F. Godunov emerged victorious. During the entire reign of his son Ivan IV the Terrible, he was the de facto ruler of the state, and in 1587 he received from the tsar the right to independent diplomatic relations.
The activities of the government of B.F. Godunov were aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of the state. Thanks to his efforts, in 1588 the first Russian patriarch was elected, who became the Metropolitan of Moscow. In domestic policy, B.F. Godunov was guided by common sense and calculation, and sought to overcome economic devastation. The crisis of the 1570s - early 1580s forced the government to establish serfdom. In 1580-1590, a gross census was carried out, in 1584 church tarkhans were abolished, and in 1592-1593 “St. George’s Day” was established. In 1597, a decree was issued on “preparatory years”, according to which peasants who fled from their masters “before this... year for five years” were subject to investigation, trial and return “back to where someone lived.” Those who fled six years ago or earlier were not covered by the decree; they were not returned to their previous owners. In order to support the farms of small and medium-sized landowners, their arable land was “whitewashed”. The Code of 1597 regulated the position of slaves, especially indentured servants. “Posad construction” was carried out in the cities, which satisfied some of the interests of the townspeople. The “white settlements”, whose population did not pay taxes, were liquidated. Thus, the number of tax-paying people has increased. The increase in treasury revenues allowed for the active construction of cities and fortifications. Church construction was carried out on a large scale. B.F. Godunov effectively encouraged the colonization of Siberia and the southern regions of the country.
In foreign policy, B.F. Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat. He managed to partially eliminate the consequences of the Livonian War of 1558-1583. On May 18 (27), 1595, a peace treaty was concluded between Sweden and Tyavzino in the village of Tyavzino. Taking advantage of the difficult internal political situation in Sweden, B.F. Godunov managed to return to Russia, Yam,. In the 1580-1590s, Russian positions in the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Trans-Volga region strengthened, and the volume of foreign trade through and along the Volga increased sharply.
The mysterious death of the potential heir to the throne - the half-brother of Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich Tsarevich, which happened on May 15 (24), 1591, cast a shadow of involvement in this death on B.F. Godunov.
The death of the childless Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich on January 6 (15), 1598 marked the beginning of a dynastic crisis in the Russian state. Tsarina Irina Fedorovna renounced her reign, and on February 17 (26), 1598, the Zemsky Sobor elected her brother B.F. Godunov to the throne. The election of Tsar Boris Fedorovich was accompanied by the provision of a number of benefits, primarily to the district nobility.
The beginning of the reign of Boris Godunov was marked by a number of progressive measures in domestic policy (especially in the field of education). However, the main direction of the government's activities was the fight against the economic crisis that was gradually gripping the country. Many of the king's undertakings were interrupted by the famine of 1601-1603, which had catastrophic consequences for the country.
The misfortunes of the population and the ineffectiveness of the measures taken by the government led public opinion to the conviction that the reign of Boris Godunov “is not blessed by God” because it is lawless and achieved through untruth. Mass famine caused popular unrest and riots, the largest of which was the uprising led by Ataman Khlopok (1603).
The arrival from Poland in 1604 of an impostor who declared himself the “miraculously saved” Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich, finally undermined the position of Boris Godunov. The seeds of unrest fell on the well-prepared soil of popular discontent. The weakness of the government of Boris Godunov was revealed in the inability to cope with the growing movement of the masses, on the one hand, and the nobility of the southern regions of the country, on the other.
On April 13 (23), 1605, Tsar Boris Fedorovich died suddenly in the Moscow Kremlin in the midst of the fight against False Dmitry I. He was buried in the Kremlin
Among Russian autocrats there is hardly a person whose image has left such a controversial mark on history. Gifted with a truly statesmanlike mind, he devoted himself entirely to the good of Russia. The political line pursued preceded the glorious deeds of Peter I by almost a century. But, having become a victim of a fatal combination of circumstances and the oppression of his own passions, he remained in the consciousness of the people as a child killer and a usurper of power. His name is Boris Godunov.
History of the ascension to the throne
The future sovereign of all Rus', Boris Fedorovich Godunov, was descended from one of the Tatar princes who settled in Moscow lands in the 14th century. He was born in 1552 into the family of a poor landowner of the Vyazemsky district, and if not for chance, this man, who went down in history as Tsar Boris Godunov, would have remained unknown to anyone.
His biography takes a sharp turn after the death of his father. While still a young man, he found himself in the family of his uncle, who during the oprichnina made a brilliant career at the court of Ivan the Terrible. Smart and ambitious nephew in to the fullest took advantage of the opportunities that opened before him. Having become a guardsman himself, he managed to break into the tsar’s inner circle and win his favor. His position was finally strengthened after his marriage to the daughter of one of the most powerful people of that time - Malyuta Skuratov.
The death of Ivan the Terrible and the further strengthening of Godunov
After some time, Godunov manages to arrange his marriage sister Irina with the son of Ivan the Terrible Fedor. Having thus become related to the sovereign himself and received the title of boyar, the former Vyazma landowner became one of the highest state elite. But, being a cautious and far-sighted man, Boris tries to stay in the shadows, which does not prevent him, however, at the end of Ivan the Terrible’s life from exerting a significant influence on many government decisions.
When Ivan the Terrible died on March 18, 1584, then with the accession to the throne of his son Fedor began new stage on Godunov's path to supreme power. Fedor became king according to the law of succession to the throne, but due to his mental limitations he could not lead the country. For this reason, a regency council was created, consisting of the four most eminent boyars. Godunov was not one of them, but in a short time, through intrigue, he managed to completely seize power into his own hands.
Most researchers argue that during the fourteen years of Fyodor Ioannovich’s reign, Boris Godunov was the de facto ruler of Russia. His biography of those years paints the image of an outstanding political figure.
Strengthening the country and growing cities
Having concentrated all supreme power in his hands, he directed it towards the comprehensive strengthening of Russian statehood. As a result of his labors in 1589, the Russian Orthodox Church found its patriarch and became autocephalous, which increased the prestige of Russia and strengthened its influence in the world. At the same time, his domestic policy was distinguished by intelligence and prudence. During the reign of Godunov, the construction of cities and fortifications began on an unprecedented scale throughout the country.
The reign of Boris Godunov became the heyday of Russian church and secular architecture. The most talented architects enjoyed full support. Many of them were invited from abroad. It was on Godunov’s initiative that the cities of Samara, Tsaritsyn, Saratov, Belgorod, Tomsk and many others were founded. The foundation of the fortresses of Voronezh and Liven is also the fruit of his statesmanship. To protect against possible aggression from Poland, a grandiose defensive structure was erected - the Smolensk fortress wall. And at the head of all these endeavors was Boris Godunov.
Briefly about other actions of the ruler
During this period, in Moscow, at the direction of Godunov, the first water supply system in Russia was built - an unheard of thing at that time. From the Moscow River, using specially made pumps, water flowed to the Konyushenny Yard. At the end of the 16th century, this was a real technical breakthrough. In addition, the reign of Boris Godunov was marked by another important initiative - the nine-kilometer walls of the White City were built. Constructed of limestone and lined with brick, they were fortified with twenty-nine watchtowers.
Somewhat later, another line of fortifications was built. It was located where the Garden Ring passes today. As a result of such large-scale work on the construction of defensive structures, the army of the Tatar Khan Kazy-Girey, who approached Moscow in 1591, was forced to abandon attempts to storm the city and retreated. Subsequently, it was completely defeated by the Russian troops pursuing it.
Foreign policy of Boris Godunov
Briefly describing his achievements in the field of diplomacy, we should first of all mention the peace treaty he concluded with Sweden, which ended a war that lasted more than three years. Godunov took advantage difficult situation, which had developed within Sweden, and as a result of a treaty favorable to Moscow, managed to return all the lands lost as a result of the Livonian War. Thanks to his talent and ability to negotiate, Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye and a number of other cities again became part of Russia.
Death of the young prince
In May 1591, an event occurred that largely overshadowed the historical image of Boris Godunov. In the appanage city of Uglich, under very mysterious circumstances, the legal heir to the throne, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, the young Tsarevich Dmitry, died. Since his death opened the way for Godunov to reign, general rumor hastened to accuse him of organizing the murder.
The official investigation, headed by boyar Vasily Shuisky and establishing the cause of death as an accident, was perceived as an attempt to hide the crime. This largely undermined Godunov’s authority among the people, which his political opponents did not fail to take advantage of.
Accession to the throne
After the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris Godunov to the kingdom. The date of his ascension to the throne is September 11, 1598. According to the customs of those years, everyone - from the supreme boyars to the small service people - kissed the cross, taking an oath of allegiance to it. From the first days, the reign of Boris Godunov was marked by a tendency towards rapprochement with the West. In those years, many foreigners came to Russia, who subsequently left a noticeable mark on the development of the country. Among them were military men, merchants, doctors and industrialists. Boris Godunov invited them all. His biography during this period is marked by acts similar to the future achievements of Peter the Great.
Strengthening the boyar opposition
But the new sovereign was not destined to rule Russia calmly and serenely. In 1601, a famine began in the country, caused by the loss of crops due to severe weather conditions. It lasted three years and claimed many lives. Boris's opponents took advantage of this. They in every possible way contributed to the spread of rumors among the people that the disasters that befell the country were God's punishment for the murderer king for the death of the legitimate heir to the throne.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that Godunov, suspicious and inclined to see treason everywhere, having ascended the throne, brought many boyar families into disgrace. They became his main enemies. When the first news appeared about the approaching False Dmitry, posing as a prince who had escaped death, Godunov’s position became critical.
The end of Godunov's life
Constant nervous stress and overwork undermined his health. Boris Godunov, whose biography until then had been a chain of continuous ascensions through the ranks of power, at the end of his life found himself in political isolation, deprived of all support and surrounded by a ring of ill-wishers. He died on April 13, 1605. His sudden death gave rise to rumors of poisoning and even suicide.
Boris Fedorovich Godunov (brief biography)
Years of life: 1552-1605
Reign: 1598-1605
Boyar, brother-in-law of the Tsar, in 1587-1598. the actual ruler of the state, since February 17, 1598 - the Tsar of Russia.
The son of Fyodor Nikitich Godunov, a representative of the family of the Tatar prince Chet (according to legend), and according to the sovereign's genealogy of 1555, the Godunovs traced their origins to Dmitry Zern.
Brief Biography of Boris Godunov
Born into a noble noble family of a Vyazma landowner. After his father's death, he was raised by his uncle. He was literate, began court service under the command of his uncle, who was one of the most trusted persons of the Terrible Tsar. and together with him he was awarded the boyar title. The strengthening of Boris Godunov's position at court in 1569 was facilitated by his marriage to his daughter, the tsar's favorite.
From the beginning of the 1570s, the rise of the Godunovs began. In the late 1570s and early 1580s they won several parochial cases, thereby gaining a strong position among the Moscow nobility.
Boris Godunov was an intelligent and cautious man and tried to keep a low profile for the time being. The Tsar's son was married to his sister Irina Godunova. After the death of Ivan, the son of the Terrible, in 1581, Fedor became the heir to the throne.
In the last year of the Tsar's life, Boris Godunov acquired great influence at court. Together with B.Ya. Belsky they became close people. Their role in the history of the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible still remains unclear. According to D. Gorsey, on March 18, 1584, Grozny was “strangled,” and it was Godunov and Belsky who were next to him in the last minutes of his life.
- (1589-10.06.1605);
- (1582-1622).
The tragic fate of Boris and his family attracted the attention of many researchers, historians, and writers, including N. Karamzin, V. Klyuchevsky, S. Soloviev, S. Platonov, A. S. Pushkin.
It is difficult to say what the fate of Russia would have been like if he had lived longer. Perhaps, having defeated the impostor, he could strengthen power and curb the unrest. But it is also possible that fate was merciful to him to the end, and he died just in time so as not to see the collapse of all the undertakings and ideas that he created and embodied during his life.
Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus'; born about 1551; married to the kingdom on September 1, 1598, † April 13, 1605. The Godunov family, together with the Saburovs and Velyaminov-Zernovs, descends from the Tatar Murza Chet, baptized Zechariah, who in 1329 left the Horde to the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Danilovich Kalita and built the Kostroma-Ipatiev Monastery. The eldest line of Chet's descendants, the Saburovs, at the end of the 15th century had already taken a place among the noblest families of the Moscow boyars, while the younger line, the Godunovs, emerged a century later, under Grozny, during the oprichnina. Boris began serving at the court of Grozny: in 1570 he was mentioned in the Serpukhov campaign as being attached to the royal saadok (bow and arrow), i.e., one of the king’s squires. In 1571, Boris was a groomsman at the Tsar’s wedding to Marfa Vasilievna Sobakina. Around 1571, B. strengthened his position at court by marrying the daughter of the Tsar’s favorite, the famous guardsman Malyuta Skuratov-Belsky, Marya Grigorievna. From 1576 to 1579 B. held the position of clerk. In 1580, Grozny chose Boris's sister Irina as the wife of Tsarevich Theodore; At the same time, B. was granted a boyar status. In 1581, the tsar, in a fit of anger, struck his eldest son Ivan with a mortal blow, and Fedor became heir to the throne. Thanks to his intelligence, B. was able not only to maintain his position, but also to gain the trust of the Terrible Tsar, who, dying († March 17, 1584), appointed B. one of the guardians to Theodore, since he, although he ascended the throne, was of age (27 years old), was an infant in ability. These guardians, or members of the Supreme Duma, which was supposed to help Theodore in governing the state, were, in addition to B.: Nikita Romanovich Yuryev, Theodore’s uncle on his mother’s side, Prince. Iv. Feud. Mstislavsky, book. Iv. Petrovich Shuisky, famous for the defense of Pskov from Batory, and Bogdan Yakovlevich Belsky. To the latter, as they say, John entrusted the guardianship of his youngest son Demetrius, born from his fifth married wife, Maria Nagaya. The reign of Theodore began with unrest in favor of Tsarevich Demetrius, the consequence of which was the exile of the young prince with his mother and her relatives to Uglich, the inheritance assigned to Demetrius by his father. Belsky, considered the secret culprit of this unrest, was removed to Nizhny Novgorod. At the royal wedding on May 31, 1584, B., as the brother-in-law of the new tsar, was showered with favors: he received the noble rank of equerry, the title of close great boyar and governor of the kingdoms of Kazan and Astrakhan. In addition to these ranks, B. was granted lands along the river. Vage, meadows on the banks of the Moscow River, as well as various government fees. At first, B.'s importance among Theodore's advisers was weakened by the influence on the affairs of the boyar Nikita Romanovich, but soon (in August 1584) Nikita Romanovich became dangerously ill, and died the following year. The death of the royal uncle gave B. the opportunity to come to the fore. B.'s power-hungry plans met with opposition from those people who, due to their nobility of origin, recognized great rights to stand at the helm of government.
Princes Iv. Fed. The Mstislavsky, Shuisky, Vorotynsky, boyar families of the Kolychevs, Golovins and others formed a party hostile to B.. Metropolitan Dionysius was also against B., who tried in vain to reconcile B. with his rivals and considered it his duty to grieve before the king for B.’s persecuted people. In order to cut off B.'s power at the root, a party hostile to him, having many Moscow merchants on its side, decided to submit a petition to the Tsar for a divorce from the childless Irina and entering into a new marriage “for the sake of the Tsar’s childbearing.” But B., with his influence on the tsar and the latter’s love for Irina, as well as thanks to his dexterity, overpowered his opponents, and the matter ended with the tonsure of the prince. I.F. Mstislavsky, the exile of the Shuiskys, including Ivan Petrovich, the overthrow of Metropolitan Dionysius and the general disgrace of their supporters. In place of Dionysius, Rostov Archbishop Job, a completely devoted man, was ordained metropolitan. Now B. had no more rivals: he achieved such power that none of his subjects had. Everything that was done by the Moscow government was done at the will of B., he received foreign ambassadors, corresponded and transferred gifts with foreign sovereigns: the Caesar (Emperor of Austria), the Queen of England, the Khan of the Crimea (permission to communicate with foreign sovereigns was officially given to B. in 1587 .). Foreign policy during B.'s reign was distinguished by caution and a predominantly peaceful direction, since B. himself was inexperienced in military matters and by his nature did not like risky enterprises. With Poland, from which they suffered heavy defeats during the previous reign, they tried to maintain peace, albeit through truces, and in 1586, when King Stefan Batory died, an attempt was made, however, unsuccessful, to arrange the election of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich to the Polish king or Maximilian, Archduke of Austria. With Sweden in 1590, when they were convinced that Poland would not help it, they started a war, and the tsar himself went on a campaign, accompanied by B. and Fyodor Nikitich Romanov. Thanks to this war, the cities taken by the Swedes under Ivan the Terrible were returned: Yam, Ivan-Gorod, Koporye and Corella (the last one in 1595).
Relations with the Crimean Tatars were strained due to their frequent raids on the southern outskirts. In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey with a horde of one and a half thousand approached Moscow itself, but, having failed in minor skirmishes with Moscow troops, retreated, and abandoned the entire convoy; Dear Khan suffered heavy losses from the Russian troops pursuing him. For repelling Khan, B. received three cities in the Vazhsky land and the title of servant, which was considered more honorable than that of a boyar. The Tatars repaid for this unsuccessful campaign in the next 1592 with an attack on the Kashira, Ryazan and Tula lands, and took away many prisoners.
The Moscow government tried to maintain as good relations as possible with Turkey, although it acted contrary to Turkish interests: it supported a party hostile to Turkey in the Crimea, tried to incite the Shah of Persia against Turkey, and sent subsidies to the Tsar’s court in money and furs for the war with the Turks. In 1586, the Kakhetian Tsar Alexander, pressed on one side by the Turks and on the other by the Persians, surrendered under the protection of Russia. They sent him priests, icon painters, and firearms, and they restored the fortress on the Terek, built under Grozny; They provided assistance against the Tarkov ruler who was hostile to Alexander, but did not dare to defend against the Turks. The English, who enjoyed the special favor of B., in 1587 were allowed to trade in Russia duty-free, free trade, but at the same time their request to prohibit other foreigners from trading in Russia was denied. B.'s activity in relation to the outskirts of the Moscow state as a colonizer and city builder is extremely remarkable. In the land of the Cheremis, pacified at the beginning of the reign of Theodore to avoid uprisings in the future, a number of cities inhabited by Russian people were built: Tsivilsk, Urzhum, Tsarev, the city on Kokshaga, Sanchursk, etc. The Lower Volga, where the Nogai posed a danger, was provided with construction Samara, Saratov and Tsaritsyn, as well as the construction of a stone fortress in Astrakhan in 1589. A city was also built in the distant Yaik (Ural) region. To protect against the devastating raids of the Crimeans, B. erected fortresses on the southern steppe outskirts: Kursk (renewed), Livny, Kromy Voronezh, Belgorad, Oskol, Valuiki, under the cover of which Russian colonization could only go south. How unpleasant these fortifications were for the Tatars can be seen from the letter of the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey, in which the khan, pretending to be a well-wisher of the Moscow government, urges not to build cities in the steppe, since they, being close to the Turkish and Tatar borders, can be attacked all the more easily as from both the Turks and the Tatars. In Siberia, where after the death of Ermak (killed on the night of August 5-6, 1584 and after the Cossack squad left the Urals) the Russian cause seemed lost, the government of Feodor Ivanovich restored Russian rule. And here Russian colonization was strengthened by the construction of cities: Tyumen, Tobolsk, Pelym, Berezov, Surgut, Tara, Narym, Ketsky fort and the transfer of settlers from Russia, mainly northeastern. During B.'s administration, the fortification of Moscow was also strengthened with the construction of the White City (in 1586). ) and the stone walls of Smolensk were erected, which served great service in the Time of Troubles.
The establishment of the patriarchate (1589) dates back to the reign of B., which equalized the high priest of the Russian church with the ecumenical eastern patriarchs and gave him primacy over the metropolitan of Kyiv. At the same time, 4 archdioceses were elevated to the dignity of metropolises: Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov and Krutitsa; 6 bishops became archbishops and 8 bishoprics appeared again. Another important event in the internal history of Russia was the abolition of B. Yuriev's day, i.e., the right of free transfer of peasants from one owner to another.
From the decree of Tsar Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky we learn that “Tsar Theodore, at the instigation of B. Godunov, without listening to the advice of the oldest boyars, ordered the peasants to leave.” The decree of attachment has not survived, but it must have referred to the first years of Theodore's reign, as can be seen from the royal decree of 1597. The purpose of the attachment was to provide public service landowners and the payment of duties, and this required a firm settlement of the agricultural class. The attachment was made in the interests of small service people, who, with the right of free movement, could not withstand competition with large secular landowners, as well as with spiritual ones (metropolitan, bishops, monasteries), who attracted peasants to their lands with more preferential conditions. The decree prohibiting the transition does not allow, however, to consider B. the founder of serfdom, since it was created by life, and not by legislative act. In 1591, an event took place that had a huge impact on the fate of B.: on May 15, Tsarevich Dimitri died in Uglich, and the residents of Uglich killed the people they suspected of killing the prince. An investigation carried out on the spot by a special commission sent from Moscow found that the prince, who suffered from epilepsy, was not killed, but, while playing poke with a knife, fell on the knife in a fit and stabbed himself to death. Popular rumor accused B. of the murder. How truly B. is to blame for the premature death of the prince remains unclear. B.'s accusation of murder is based mainly on the consideration that Demetrius's death was in B.'s interests: it not only saved him from disgrace in the future, but also cleared the way to the throne. After the Uglitsky incident, slander more than once attacked B., accusing him of various atrocities and often interpreting his best actions in a bad way. Soon after the death of Demetrius (in June of the same 1591), a strong fire broke out in Moscow, destroying the entire White City. B. tried to provide all possible assistance to the fire victims, and then a rumor spread that he deliberately ordered Moscow to be set on fire in order to attract its inhabitants with favors. The invasion of the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey near Moscow in the summer of 1593 was also attributed to B., who allegedly wanted to divert the attention of the people from the death of Demetrius. They did not spare B. even from being accused of the death of Tsar Theodore, whose descendantless death put B., who had many enemies, in a tragic position. B. had one of two options: either achieving the throne, or falling, which in best case scenario would lead him to the monastery. Not only for the sake of ambition, but also for the sake of self-preservation, he chose the first. After the death of Theodore († January 7, 1598), the last king of the Rurik dynasty, everyone swore allegiance to Queen Irina in order to avoid an interregnum, but she, alien to the love of power, on the 9th day after the death of her husband retired to the Moscow Novodevichy Convent, where she took monastic vows. named after Alexandra. Irina was followed to the monastery by her brother. Administration of the state passes into the hands of the patriarch and the Boyar Duma, and government documents are issued by decree of Tsarina Irina. The government was headed by Patriarch Job, whose actions were guided not just by devotion to B., but by the deep conviction that B. was the person most worthy to take the throne, and that his election as king would ensure order and tranquility in the state. In addition to his relationship with the late king, what spoke most in favor of B.’s election was the long-term use of royal power under Theodore, and Theodore’s reign was considered by his contemporaries as a happy reign. Moreover, the long-term use of supreme power gave B. and his relatives enormous funds and linked with his interests the interests of the entire then administration of the Moscow State. From the very beginning, the patriarch proposes B. as king and, accompanied by the boyars, clergy and people, asks B. to accept the kingdom, but receives a decisive refusal from him. To break B.'s stubbornness, a Zemsky Sobor is convened. On February 17, the elected representatives gathered to the patriarch, numbering over 450; most of them consisted of the clergy, submissive to the patriarch, and service people, supporters of B. After Job’s speech, glorifying B., the Zemsky Council unanimously decided to “beat B. Feodorovich with his forehead and not look for anyone else for the state.” On February 21, after many beggings, threatened with excommunication, Boris agreed to fulfill the request of the zemstvo people. These repeated refusals on the part of Boris are explained first by the expectation of election from the Zemsky Sobor, and then by Russian custom, which required that any honor, even a simple treat, not be accepted at the first invitation. On April 30, Boris moved from the Novodevichy Convent to the Kremlin and settled with his family in the royal palace. Rumors about the invasion of the Crimeans forced Boris to soon (May 2) set out from Moscow at the head of a huge army and stop in Serpukhov, but instead of the horde, ambassadors from the khan appeared with peace proposals. In the camp near Serpukhov, Boris treated the serving people to feasts, gave them gifts, and they were very pleased with the new king; “I hope to continue to receive such a salary from him.” From this campaign the tsar returned to Moscow in triumph, as if after a great victory. On September 1, New Year's Day, Boris was crowned king. During the wedding, under the influence of a joyful feeling, the cautious, restrained Boris burst out words that amazed his contemporaries: “Father, great Patriarch Job! God is my witness to this, no one will be poor or poor in my kingdom!” Shaking the collar of his shirt, the king added: “And I will share this last one with everyone.” The royal wedding, in addition to feasts in the palace, treats for the people, and awards to ranks, was accompanied by extraordinary favors: service people were given a double annual salary, merchants were given the right to duty-free trade for two years; farmers are exempt from taxes for a year; there is news that it was determined how much the peasants had to work for the landowners and pay them; money and food supplies were distributed to widows and orphans; prisoners in prison were released and received assistance; nonresidents were also exempted from taxes for a year. The first years of Boris's reign were, as it were, a continuation of the reign of Feodor Ivanovich, which is very natural, since power remained in the same hands. Contemporaries praise Boris, saying that “he flourished in splendor, surpassed all people in appearance and intelligence; he was a wonderful and sweet-tongued man, he created many praiseworthy things in the Russian state, he hated bribery, tried to eradicate robbery, theft, kompany, but could not eradicate; bright-hearted and merciful and loving of the poor!"
In 1601, Boris again allowed the transfer of peasants throughout Russia, except for the Moscow district, but only from small owners to small ones. As an intelligent man, Boris was aware of the backwardness of the Russian people in education compared to the peoples of Western Europe, and understood the benefits of science for the state. There is news that Boris wanted to open a higher school in Moscow where foreigners would teach, but he encountered obstacles from the clergy. Boris was the first to decide to send several young men to study in Western Europe: to Lubeck, England, France and Austria. This first sending of Russian students abroad was unsuccessful: they all remained there. Boris sent to Lubeck to invite doctors, ore miners, cloth workers and various craftsmen to the royal service. The Tsar received Germans from Livonia and Germany who came to Moscow very kindly, assigned them good salaries and awarded them estates with the peasants. Foreign merchants enjoyed the patronage of Boris. A special detachment of the royal guard was formed from foreigners, mainly Livonian Germans. Under Boris there were 6 foreign doctors who received huge remuneration. The Germans were allowed to build a Lutheran church in Moscow. There is news that some Russians, wanting to imitate foreigners in appearance, began to shave their beards. Boris's passion for foreigners even aroused displeasure among the Russian people.
Foreign policy was even more peaceful than under Theodore, since Boris was afraid of some military failure to overshadow his reign, but this very timidity prevented him from acquiring military glory, which is so useful for the founders of new dynasties. From Ivan the Terrible, Boris inherited the idea of the need to annex Livonia in order to, having in his hands harbors on the Baltic Sea, enter into communication with the peoples of Western Europe. Open hostility between Poland and Sweden made it possible to realize this dream, if only one could act decisively, taking the side of one of the warring states. But Boris tried to annex Livonia through diplomatic means and, of course, achieved nothing. Imitating Ivan the Terrible, Boris thought to make a vassal kingdom out of Livonia and for this purpose (in 1599) summoned to Moscow the Swedish prince Gustav, the son of the deposed Swedish king Eric XIV, who was wandering around Europe as an exile. At the same time, the tsar thought to marry Gustav to his daughter Xenia, but Gustav, with his frivolous behavior, incurred the wrath of Boris, was deprived of Kaluga, which had been assigned to him before the acquisition of Livonia, and was exiled to Uglich. Boris had a strong desire to become related to the European royal houses in order to elevate his own family. During negotiations with Denmark from across the Russian-Norwegian border in Lapland, the king’s desire to have a Danish prince as his son-in-law was stated. In Denmark, this proposal was readily accepted, and Prince John, brother of King Christian IV, came to Moscow, but soon after his arrival he became dangerously ill and died (in October 1602) to the great grief of Boris and Xenia. In 1604, negotiations began on the marriage of Xenia with one of the Dukes of Schleswig, but were interrupted by the death of Boris. The king was looking for a groom for his daughter and a bride for his son also among the same-religious owners of Georgia. - Relations with Crimea were favorable, since the khan was forced to participate in the Sultan’s wars, and in addition was constrained by the construction of fortresses in the steppe. In Transcaucasia, Russian policy failed in the clash with the powerful Turks and Persians. Although Shah Abbas had friendly relations with Boris, he overthrew the Kakheti king Alexander, allegedly for relations with the Turks, but in fact for relations with Moscow. In Dagestan, the Russians were driven out of Tarok by the Turks and cut off by the Kumyks during their retreat; Moscow's dominion disappeared in this country. On trade matters there were relations with the Hanseatic cities: Boris fulfilled the request of 59 cities and gave them a charter for trade; At the same time, residents of Lübeck had their duty reduced to half. In Siberia, after the death of Kuchum, Russian colonization continued and cities were built: Verkhoturye (1598), Mangazeya (1601), Turinsk (1601), Tomsk (1601). Boris had the intelligence to reach the throne, but no less intelligence, and perhaps even happiness, was needed to remain on the throne. The noble boyars considered themselves humiliated as a result of his accession. Despite his undoubted intelligence and dexterity, Boris had one flaw that greatly harmed him, inherited from the times of Ivan the Terrible: terrible suspicion. Boris could not rise to the consciousness that he was an elected zemstvo tsar, whom the will of the people, regardless of origin, elevated to the throne, should rise above all accounts with the boyars, especially since in his personal merits he was superior to them.
This is what contemporaries say about the main shortcoming of Boris as a tsar: “he blossomed like a date with the leaves of virtue and, if the thorns of envious malice had not darkened the color of his virtue, he could have become like the ancient tsars. In rage, he vainly accepted slanderers against the innocent, and therefore brought upon himself the indignation of the officials of the entire Russian land: from here many insatiable evils arose against him and the flourishing beauty of his kingdom was suddenly overthrown.” This suspicion was already evident at first in the oath record, but later it came to disgrace and denunciations. Princes Mstislavsky and V.I. Shuisky, who, due to the nobility of their family, could have claims to the throne, Boris did not allow them to marry. From 1600, the king's suspicion increased noticeably. Perhaps Margeret's news is not without probability that at that time dark rumors began that Demetrius was alive. The first victim of Boris's suspicion was Bogdan Belsky, whom the tsar instructed to build Boris' city. Based on a denunciation of Belsky’s generosity to military men and careless words: “Boris is the Tsar in Moscow, and also in Borisov,” Belsky was summoned to Moscow, subjected to various insults and exiled to one of the remote cities. Prince Shestunov's servant denounced his master. The denunciation turned out to be unworthy of attention. Nevertheless, the informer was told the tsar's favor in the square and announced that the tsar, for his service and zeal, would grant him an estate and order him to serve as a child boyar. This encouragement of denunciations had a terrible effect: informers appeared in large numbers. In 1601, the Romanovs and their relatives suffered due to a false denunciation. The eldest of the Romanov brothers, Feodor Nikitich, was exiled to the Siysky monastery and tonsured under the name of Philaret; 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 king) to Beloozero. Physical disasters were added to the despondency produced by the opals, torture and intrigues. Since 1601, there were three consecutive years of poor harvests, and a terrible famine began, so that, as they say, they even ate human flesh. To help the starving, Boris began construction in Moscow and distributed money. This measure caused even greater evil, since people flocked to Moscow in large numbers and died in large numbers from hunger and pestilence in the streets and on the roads. Only the harvest of 1604 ended the famine. Famine and pestilence were followed by robberies. The robber gangs were composed mainly of slaves released by their masters during famine, as well as slaves of disgraced boyars. The brave chieftain Cotton Kosolap appeared near Moscow, but after a stubborn battle he was defeated by the tsarist troops (in 1604). At the beginning of 1604, it became reliably known in Moscow that a man had appeared in Lithuania calling himself Tsarevich Dimitri, and in October of the same year the Pretender entered the Moscow state, finding followers everywhere. Although 21 Jan. 1605 The impostor was defeated at Dobrynitsy, but again gathered an army. The matter was in an indecisive situation when, on April 13, 1605, Boris died suddenly, having adopted the schema. Moscow swore allegiance to Boris's son, Theodore, to whom his father tried to give the best possible upbringing and whom all modern evidence showers with great praise. But Feodor Borisovich, after a very short reign, together with his mother, had to die a violent death. Princess Xenia, distinguished by her beauty, was spared for the amusement of the impostor; she subsequently cut her hair and † in 1622. The ashes of Tsar Boris, removed from the Archangel Cathedral under the Pretender, were transported to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra under Mikhail Feodorovich, where they now rest; The ashes of Boris’s family also rest there. In addition to the general sources of Karamzin, Artsybashev, Solovyov (vols. VII and VIII), Kostomarov: “Russian history in biographies” (vol. I), cf. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, “Review of events from the death of Tsar Ivan Vas. to the election of Mich. Fed. Romanov to the throne” (J. M. N. Pr. 1887, July); Pavlov, “On the historical significance of the reign of Boris Godunov” (2nd ed. 1863); Belov, “On the death of Tsarevich Dimitri” (“J. M. N. Pr.”, 1873, t. 168); Platonov, “Tales and Legends of the Time of Troubles” (St. Petersburg, 1888); Sergeevich, “Legal Antiquities” (I. St. Petersburg, 1890).
A. Voronov
(Brockhaus)
Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus', b. in 1551. The first news about B.G. dates back to 1571, when he was appointed to serve under the royal “saadak” on a campaign against Crimea. Khan Devlet-Girey. Having married the daughter of the famous Malyuta Skuratov, B.G. was enrolled in the guardsmen. In 1572, during a campaign against the Swedes, he was “in the bells” under the princes and was granted the title of “kravchi,” and in 1580, after the wedding of his sister Irina with Tsarevich Fedor, he was elevated to the rank of boyar. Having not received any education, - and according to the testimony of one of his contemporaries, “he is not versed in literate teaching, as if he were not familiar with simple letters,” - B. G., thanks to his natural mind, rare gift of words, was enormous. endurance and surprise. the ability to use people and societies to achieve their goals, managed to acquire unlimited. trust of Tsar Ivan. Using this throughout the long “era of executions” of Grozny, B. at the same time knew how to position himself in such a way that popular rumor never associated his name with either Tsar Ivan’s brutal reprisal of the boyars or with the horrors of the oprichnina. Since Tsarevich Fyodor, in the words of the chronicler, “became noble from his mother’s womb” and “escaped worldly boredom, thought only about heavenly things,” then Tsar Ivan, concerned about the fate of his kingdom and realizing that his son Fyodor could not reign independently , shortly before his death, established a special leadership. a Duma of 5 boyars, who were entrusted with “the breech of their children” and governing the state. Among them were B.G., as well as Fedor’s uncle, Nikita Roman. Yuryev, book. Iv. Feodor. Mstislavsky, book. Iv. Peter. Shuisky and Bogd. Yak. Velsky. Although among these nobles. and strong boyar B.G. occupied the last place, but he soon reached the point where he became the only one. "guardian" of Tsar Fedor and seized control of the entire state into his own hands. Having received the title of “stable” and “close boyar” and the title of governor of the kingdoms of Kazan and Astrakhan, B.G., being only the ruler of the kingdom, soon completely overshadowed the sick. and weak-willed. Tsar Feodor, on whom he had unlimited rights. influence. All govt. cases were resolved individually by G. Thanks to his great wealth (he could put 100,000 warriors at his own expense), B. furnished his life with royal luxury. Foreign The ambassadors who came to Moscow to the court of Tsar Fedor sought, as a special honor, to receive a personal audience with G., to be invited to his table and even to be admitted to his hand. B. conducted personal correspondence with foreigners. statesmen, and English. Queen Elizabeth called him “a kind and beloved relative” in her letters. Having removed Tsar Fedor from control, G. He used all his abilities to earn the love and favor of the people. In external In his affairs he strove to preserve peace and friendship. relations with neighbors, with special energy he tried to strengthen the trades that arose during Grozny. relations with England and for this purpose provided the English. merchants have a number of privileges for the import and export of goods. However, when Elizabeth invited him to provide English. bidding company has a monopoly in the maritime industry. trade in Arkhangelsk, then G. answered will decide. refusal, explaining that “the road God has made, the great sea, the ocean, how to shut it up.” G.'s constant concern for maintaining peace did not prevent him, however, from starting a war in those cases when the interests of the Russian state required it. For 14 l. During the reign of Fyodor G. it was necessary to wage war. actions on all borders of Rus': on p. - against the Swedes, in the south. - Tatars, on v. - Cheremisov and beyond the Urals - Nagaev and Sibirsk. foreigners. Under him, the conquest of Siberia was completed. In 1586, the Kakhetian Tsar Alexander, pressed by the Turks and Persians, turned to the Tsar for help, asking him to accept his citizenship. G. immediately sent governor Khvorostinin with an army to Kakheti and supplied Tsar Alexander with a firearm. shells, guns and money. Will decide. Through the actions of Khvorostinin, the Terek region was cleared of the enemy and from that time on the title of Rus. kings was included: "Sovereign of the Iveron land, Georgian kings, Kabardian land, Circassian and Mountain princes." Also in 1586 sudden death Polish King Stephen Batory almost led to a war with Poland. Shortly before his death, Batory invited G. to conclude a secret. an agreement by virtue of which, in the event of the childless death of Batory or Tsar Fyodor, Rus. kingdom and Poland. the kingdom would be united under one scepter, which would ensure eternal life. peace between both powers. On Sept. In 1588, a congress for the decision took place in Grodno. conclusions on this issue. At the congress, this idea met with strong opposition from the Zamoyski and Zborowski parties. At this time the core died. Stephen. Candidates for Polish The throne was put up by Tsar Feodor, a Swede. Ave. Sigismund Vasa and Austrian erzg. Maximilian. Tsar Fedor was supported by the party of Lev Sapieha. The resolution of the issue was hampered by the hesitation of B.G., who delayed sending money to Lev Sapega, who demanded it to buy votes at the Sejm. Meanwhile, when it became known that Tsar Fedor would not change his faith, the Swedish party gained the upper hand, and Cor. Sigismund III was elected. Having learned that Ch. B. G., a Swede, opposes the election of Sigismund. cor. John III declared war on Rus'. In 1590, not expecting a Swedish invasion. troops within our borders, B. G. quickly moved a strong army to the Swedes. borders. Fedor himself was with the army, and B.G. was one of the chiefs. voivode Although an attempt to take the crepe by storm. Narva ended in failure, but governor Khvorostinin managed to completely defeat 20 thousand. a detachment of Swedes and occupy the city of Yam. Then Swedish. cor. proposed to conclude a truce, agreeing to cede Yam, Koporye, Ivangorod and all of Karelia. In 1591 a truce was signed. However, the war soon resumed. To the south region of Rus', the Crimean Khan was preparing for an attack; Dnieper. and constipated. The Cossacks again launched predatory raids on the Russians. cities. Thinking of taking advantage of the opportunity, John moved his troops to Karelia and, having defeated the Russians. detachments of Dolgorukov and Sheremetyev, again captured Yam and Koporye: the Russians ravaged Finland near Vyborg and Abo. The war was fought with changes. success, sluggishly and indecisively. Meanwhile, John died. New Swede. cor. Charles hastened to make peace with Russia in 1595. Above has been conquered before. cities Russia received half of Lapland. Then B.G. directed all his attention to protecting the Russian borders with the south. and in., where the Tatars, Nogai and our other neighbors, who constantly caused devastation, posed a great danger in the eyes of B.G. raids. For this purpose, many new ones were built on his orders. Ukrainian cities. whose residents were given various privileges and assistance was provided with money, supplies and weapons. In 1591, incited by the tour. Sult., Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey with a huge horde approached Moscow itself. Rus. army, under general the superiors of the prince. Feud. Mstislavsky (G. was in the detachment under the prince), gathered at Serpukhov and camped near the village. Kolomenskogo, bl. Moscow. After 3 days, the Tatars crossed the river. Oka between Serpukhov and Kashira and defeated the advance detachment of the prince. Bakhteyarov-Rostovsky. But then the Russians managed to stop the invasion; Kazy-Girey, having learned that reinforcements were coming to the Russians, abandoned the convoy and retreated so hastily that the pursuit overtook the rear detachments of the Crimeans only near Tula. The unexpected and easy victory over the formidable enemy was solemnly celebrated in Moscow, and B. G. arranged a treat for the entire army at his own expense. facilities. Next year Kazy-Girey, having undertaken a new campaign, devastated the Ryazan, Tula and Kashira lands. - In 1591, an event occurred that had a fatal impact on the fate of B.G. On May 15, in the city of Uglich, Tsarevich Dimitri was found with his throat cut. The investigation carried out by B.G. on this occasion, carried out by Prince. You. Iv. Shuisky, found out that the prince, in a fit of epileptic illness, accidentally stumbled upon a knife and caused his own death. wound. Despite the fact that these investigations were immediately made public and that, it would seem, there was no reason to doubt their reliability, since the investigation was led by V.I. Shuisky - a notorious pr-k B.G. - arose among the people the legend that Tsarevich Dimitri was killed on the orders of G. This legend for a long time found many supporters in history. science, but later research showed that the accusation of G. in the murder of Tsarevich Dimitri does not have sufficient grounds. In 1598, Tsar Feodor died without leaving any offspring; The Rurik dynasty ended. The boyars swore allegiance to Queen Irina, but she evaded power and retired to a monastery, where she took monastic vows. Then a Zemsky Sobor was convened, which decided to “beat G. with his forehead and, besides him, not look for anyone for the state.” Apr 30 Tsar B. solemnly entered the Kremlin, and two days later, in view of rumors about a new invasion of the Crimea. Tatars, was forced to march to Serpukhov. This campaign soon ended without bloodshed: ambassadors from the khan came to G.’s camp in peace. This did not stop G. from organizing a great celebration and generous entertainment for the people in Serpukhov and Moscow on the occasion of the “great victory over the Tatars.” On New Year's Day, September 1, B.G. was crowned king. Ext. and internal The policy under Tsar B.B. is the same as under Fyodor. Without feeling a calling to the military. business and fearing to overshadow his reign was unsuccessful. During the war, B. tried to resolve all misunderstandings as a diplomat. way, and he managed to consolidate friendships. relations with all neighbors. Only in Transcaucasia did the Russians have to lead the actions against the Persians and Turks. Our troops were forced to clear Dagestan. In constant concerns about the development of trade, B. concluded a number of bargains. treaties and, by the way, gave a charter to the Hanseatic cities. He intensively summoned foreigners to Russia. craftsmen, doctors and artists, generously rewarding them. Under G. there was the first attempt to send to the West. Europe Russian young people to study the sciences and arts. But none of the students returned back. G. dreamed of transforming Russian. army on the European model. and for this purpose, he formed a special exemplary detachment of the Tsarist Guard from the Livonian Germans in Moscow. The first years of G.’s reign, according to even his enemies, were a bright era for Rus', when “Russian people began to console themselves from their former sorrow and live quietly and serenely.” But soon dark rumors began to circulate that Tsarevich Dimitri was supposedly alive and gathering regiments in Poland, Lithuania and the Don in order to go to claim the throne of his father. G. became suspicious. Denunciations began, followed by “searches with passion” and punishment. From 1601, for 3 years, there was a complete crop failure in Rus' and famine began. G. began to distribute money to the hungry in Moscow, opened grain reserves, organized the purchase of bread at his own expense, and began large constructions with the goal of allowing those in need to earn money. This led to the fact that people from all sides began to flock to Moscow in huge crowds. Since there was not enough money or bread for everyone, a pestilence spread among the starving people in Moscow. The people died in large numbers not only from hunger, but also from the plague. Robber gangs began to appear everywhere. The chieftain of one of the gangs, Cotton Kosolap, moved towards Moscow, but was defeated. Only in 1604, after a rare harvest, did the famine and plague cease. But at this time reliable news was received that from Lithuania with huge. A man calling himself the son of Ivan the Terrible, Dimitri, is marching towards Moscow. Although the impostor’s militia was defeated at Dobrynichi by the governors Sheremetyev and Mstislavsky, the events recent years G. was so shocked that on April 13. In 1605 he died suddenly, having adopted the schema under the name Bogolep before his death. His body now rests in the Trinity Lavra. Controlling the fate of all of Rus' - first as a ruler, and later as an autocrat - B.G. showed the intelligence and abilities of undeniably states. person, because all his activities in the external. and internal the policy was answered substantially. interests of Russia were further logical. development of historical tasks rus. state
(Military enc.)
(Polovtsov)
(1551-1605) - Russian Tsar (from 1598). He descended from a Tatar native of the 14th century, who became one of the “free servants” of the Moscow princes. He had a great mind, although he was “bookless” - he was little read in the theological literature of his time. At the age of 20, B. married his daughter Malyuta Skuratov-Belsky(see), which helped him get closer to Ivan the Terrible and make a brilliant career: by the age of 30 he was already a boyar. His position was especially strengthened after the marriage of Tsarevich Fyodor Ivanovich to his sister Irina. During the reign of Feodor, B. became the ruler of the state and concentrated enormous wealth in his hands. After the death of Fyodor, the last Rurikovich, the Zemsky Sobor elected B. as tsar. Like Grozny, B. was a noble tsar. In the interests of the middle and small nobility, B. took measures to eliminate the export of peasants by large landowners from small and medium-sized ones. The extensive colonization activities of B., who built a number of cities in the south. the outskirts of the state, in the Volga region and Siberia, created new funds for local distributions and at the same time secured trade routes to Asia and the south. In order to ensure the sowing. entering the European market, B. contributed to the development of Arkhangelsk trade, attracting Dutch, Danish and other merchants. B., like Ivan the Terrible, was friendly towards the British, but, nevertheless, did not restore their trade monopoly. In a successful war with Sweden of 1590-93, Yam, Ivangorod and Koporye were returned, and at the same time access to the Baltic Sea. B. refrained from war with Poland, but built a powerful fortress in Smolensk. In the field of church politics, a very significant event was the establishment of the patriarchate in 1589, in the kingdom. Fedora. The noble Tsar B. aroused against himself, on the one hand, the boyars, on the other, the peasants, serfs and the small service people of the south close to them in position. outskirts of the state. This explains the triumph of the named Demetrius.
Biographical Dictionary
- (c. 1551/1552 – 13 IV 1605) – king, author of messages, letters. B.G. belonged to a noble family that became influential under Ivan the Terrible (the Godunovs considered their Tatar ancestor Murza Chet, who served with the Moscow greats, as their ancestor... ... Dictionary of scribes and bookishness of Ancient Rus'
Boris I Fedorovich Boris Godunov 4th Tsar of Russia ... Wikipedia
Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus', born around 1551, crowned on September 1, 1598, † April 13, 1605. The Godunov family, together with the Saburovs and Velyaminov Zernovs, descends from the Tatar Murza Chet, baptized Zechariah, who in 1329 ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
