The calling of Boris Godudov to the kingdom for a year. Election of Boris Godudov to the throne. During the reign of Fedor

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 of an impostor to the throne.

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

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

Approach to the royal retinue

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

After the death of their parents, Irina and Boris Godunov, the uncle took custody of the children. Constant trips 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.

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

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

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

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

reforms

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

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

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

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

Reign

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

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

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

In 1601, mass famine swept through Russia, as crop failure and early frosts affected. By royal decree, taxes were reduced to help the subjects. Boris took measures to save the starving by distributing money and grain from the treasury. Bread prices rose a hundred times, but the autocrat did not punish the speculators. The treasury and barns were empty quickly.

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

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

False Dmitry

Boris Godunov understands that the position of False Dmitry is much stronger than his own, because people consider the impostor to be the son of Ivan the Terrible. Trusted people collected information and provided the tsar with the facts that under the image of the tsarevich hides an exceptionally unpleasant person - the monk-defrocked Grigory Otrepyev. The Russian people believed that the true heir had come, who would save them from hunger and cold.

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

Personal life

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

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.

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.

Boris Godunov elected Russian Tsar

On February 17 (27), 1598 in Moscow, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris Fyodorovich Godunov to the kingdom.

According to the sovereign genealogy of 1555, the Godunovs descended from the original Kostroma boyars, who had served the Moscow princes since ancient times, but were not among the highest nobility of the Moscow state. The future Moscow Tsar Boris Godunov was born in the family of the boyar Fyodor Godunov. The first mention of Boris as a member of the Oprichny court dates back to 1567.

The rise of Boris Godunov began from the time of his entry into the oprichnina and rapprochement with Ivan the Terrible's favorite, Malyuta Skuratov, under whose patronage he was able to receive the court ranks, first as a solicitor under the tsar, and then as a bed keeper (he was in charge of the personal property of the sovereign, his personal office). Godunov's friendly relations with the chief tsar's oprichnik provided him with favorable conditions for promotion: around 1570, he married Skuratov's daughter, Maria. Somewhat later, Boris's sister, Irina, married the tsar's son, Fyodor Ioannovich. This strengthened Godunov's position at court and guaranteed him a boyar rank (1580).

In the late 1570s - early 1580s. The Godunovs occupied a strong position at the top of the Moscow nobility. After the death of Tsarevich Ivan in November 1581, Fyodor Ioannovich became the heir to the throne, which contributed to the further rise of his brother-in-law, Boris Godunov, who became a close boyar, governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates, received large land holdings, exclusive rights to collect various state taxes. Gradually, his influence on the policy of the Muscovite state grew and strengthened: from 1584 he entered the circle of people close to the tsar. In the last year of the life of Ivan IV, Boris Godunov gained great influence at court. Together with M. Skuratov's nephew B. Ya. Belsky, he became one of the closest advisers to Ivan the Terrible.

In March 1584, Ivan the Terrible's son Fyodor ascended the throne. However, the new king was not able to independently rule the country. A sharp struggle flared up for the right to be the spokesman for the interests of the new monarch, from which Boris Godunov emerged victorious. Under Fyodor Ioannovich, he became in fact the sole ruler of the Russian state, received the right to independent diplomatic relations.

The activities of the Godunov government were aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of the state. Thanks to his efforts, in 1589 he was elected first Russian patriarch, which was Metropolitan Job. In domestic politics, Godunov sought to overcome economic devastation. In 1580-1590. a gross census was carried out, and in 1597 was published decree on "lesson years", according to which the peasants who fled from the masters "until this ... year in five years" were subject to investigation, trial and return back.

In the cities, "white settlements" were liquidated, the population of which did not pay taxes. Now everyone who was engaged in trade and crafts had to become part of the township communities and participate in the payment of duties to the treasury (“pull the tax”). The growth of revenues to the treasury made it possible to deploy the active construction of cities, fortifications; churches were built on a grand scale. Godunov also effectively encouraged the colonization of Siberia and the southern regions of the country.

In foreign policy, Boris Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat. In May 1595, a peace treaty was concluded between Russia and Sweden in Tyavzin (near Ivangorod). Taking advantage of the difficult internal political situation in Sweden, he managed to return Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, Korela to Russia. In the 1580-1590s. Russian positions in the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Trans-Volga region were strengthened, the volume of foreign trade through Arkhangelsk and along the Volga increased.

The threat to the sole power of Godunov existed in the person of Tsarevich Dmitry, the half-brother of Tsar Fyodor. In 1584, young Dmitry with his mother Maria Nagoya, his closest relatives and retinue were exiled to the inheritance bequeathed by his father - the city of Uglich. Here in May 1591, under unclear circumstances, he died. The investigation team led by the boyar V. I. Shuisky came to the conclusion that the death of the prince as a result of an accident, but the people talked about a political assassination.

In January 1598, the childless Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich died. A dynastic crisis broke out. Tsarina Irina refused to be married to the kingdom and took the veil as a nun. In February of the same year, the Zemsky Sobor elected her brother Boris Godunov to the kingdom. On the occasion of his accession to the Russian throne, great festivities were held in the capital, a general amnesty was declared; privileges were granted to the county nobility. For some time, all executions were stopped in the country. The beginning of the reign of Boris Godunov was marked by the rapprochement between Russia and the West. The sovereign invited foreigners to Russian service, exempting them from taxes.

The year 1601 turned out to be unusually rainy, frosts hit early. The next year, the crop failure was repeated. The bread was frozen on the vine due to late frosts. The country was filled with crowds of the hungry and the poor. The mass famine lasted three years. Despite the opening of the royal barns for the starving, tension in society continued to grow. In 1601-1602. Godunov went to the temporary restoration of St. George's Day, allowing not an exit, but only the export of peasants.

The massive famine caused popular unrest and riots, the largest of which was the uprising led by Ataman Khlopok, which broke out in 1603. The tsarist troops were able to defeat the rebels, but they failed to calm the country. Of particular danger were rumors that Tsarevich Dmitry was still alive. At the beginning of 1604, a letter from a foreigner from Narva was intercepted on the Russian-Swedish border, in which it was reported that the son of Ivan the Terrible Dmitry was not killed, but miraculously escaped, was with the Cossacks and was soon going to Moscow with a large army. The search showed that the monk of the Chudov Monastery Grigory (in the world - Yuri) Otrepyev, who had fled to Poland in 1602, who had fled to Poland in 1602, called himself Dmitry, who came from Galician nobles.

In October 1604, False Dmitry, with a small number of Poles and Cossacks, moved to Moscow. Dissatisfied with the rule of Godunov joined him everywhere. However, in January 1605, not far from the city of Sevsk, government troops utterly defeated the army of the impostor, who was forced to leave for Putivl. At this time, Tsar Boris himself changed dramatically and began to move more and more away from state affairs. In addition, his chronic disease, gout, made itself felt more and more often. Those around the sovereign began to notice his irritability and suspiciousness.

On April 13 (23), 1605, Boris Fyodorovich Godunov died under unclear circumstances in his Kremlin palace. According to the official version, the king died of apoplexy. He was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin.

The new king was the son of Boris Godunov - Fedor. But in June 1605, a revolt of supporters of False Dmitry broke out in Moscow. Fyodor Godunov and his mother were killed, leaving only Boris's daughter Xenia alive. Soon, the coffin with the body of Boris Godunov was taken out of the Archangel Cathedral and reburied in the Varsonofevsky Monastery near Lubyanka.

Lit .: Bestuzhev-Ryumin K. N. Review of events from the death of Tsar John Vasilyevich to the election to the throne of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov // Journal of the Ministry of National Education. July. 1887; Bokhanov A.N. Boris Godunov. M., 2012; Zimin A. A. On the eve of formidable upheavals. M., 1986; Mertsalov A.E. Boris Godunov. 1584-1605. (Experience characteristics) // Historical Bulletin. 1893. V. 54. No. 11. S. 460-475; Morozova L. E. Two Tsars: Fedor and Boris. M., 2001; Pavlov A.P. Sovereign court and political struggle under Boris Godunov (1584-1605). SPb., 1992; Platonov S. F. Boris Godunov. The sage and the criminal. M., 2006; He is. Tales and legends about troubled times. SPb., 1888; Pogodin M.P. On the participation of Godunov in the murder of Tsarevich Dimitri // Moscow Bulletin. 1829; Skrynnikov R. G. Ivan the Terrible. Boris Godunov. Vasily Shuisky. M., 2005; He is. Russia on the Eve of the Time of Troubles. M., 1980; He is. Socio-political struggle in the Russian state at the beginning of the 17th century. L., 1935; Florya B. N. Boris Feodorovich Godunov [Electronic resource] // Orthodox Encyclopedia. 1998-2012. URL: ;

Boris Godunov was born in 1552, in the family of a medium-sized Vyazma landowner Fyodor Ivanovich Godunov. 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 his father, 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.

And then Boris himself became an oprichnik in 1570, and in 1571 he was a friend (representative of the groom) 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 kravchim (a court rank in charge of stewards serving food and drinks). Two years later, Ivan the Terrible, after the marriage of his son Fyodor to Godunov's sister, Irina, granted Boris the title of boyar. The Godunovs slowly but surely climbed the hierarchical ladder.

Godunov was smart and 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 Bogdan Belsky, he became one of the closest people to Ivan the Terrible.

On March 28, 1984, Ivan the Terrible died, Fedor Ioannovich “Blessed” 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, princes Ivan Fedorovich Mstislavsky and Ivan Petrovich Shuisky. Boris Godunov himself, on the day of Fedor's coronation, was showered with favors - he received the rank of equerry (this rank was considered one of the most prestigious at court - only boyars were given), the title of a close great boyar and governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms.

Death of Dmitry's heir

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

As stated in the annals of the times of the Romanovs, Boris Godunov was guilty of the death of Dmitry, because Dmitry was the direct heir to the throne and prevented Boris from advancing to him. Isaac Massa (Dutch diplomat) gives the same version. However, Godunov's participation in the conspiracy to kill the tsarevich has not been proven.

Nicholas Ge. Boris Godunov and Tsarina Marfa, summoned to Moscow for interrogation about Tsarevich Dmitry at the news of the appearance of an impostor

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 that the true cause of the death of Ivan the Terrible's son was still an accident - Tsarevich Dmitry suffered from epilepsy, he experienced exceptionally severe seizures. On Saturday, May 15, 1591, at about noon, Dmitry was amused at the palace with four other boys, his usual partners, playing knives (poking). As the nanny of the commission of inquiry sent from Moscow later told, Dmitry suddenly had a severe epileptic seizure. "And he stabbed himself with a knife, and she took him in her arms, and he went away in her arms." The boys confirmed her words.

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

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

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

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

The reign of Boris Godunov under Tsar Fedor

The activities of Godunov's board were aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of statehood. Thanks to his efforts, even during the reign of Tsar Fedor, 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.

Unprecedented construction of cities and fortifications unfolded. 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.

In the summer of 1591, the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey approached Moscow with a 1500-strong army, 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.

In foreign policy, Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat. On May 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 (in return, Boris left Narva to the Swedes as compensation). Thus, Russia regained all the lands transferred to Sweden following the unsuccessful Livonian War.

Election of Boris Godunov as Tsar

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

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

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

Boris Godunov is informed of his election to the kingdom

The elective Council met on February 17, 1598. When Patriarch Job found with satisfaction that the overwhelming majority favored Boris Godunov, he persuaded the rest to accept Boris as tsar in order to achieve a unanimous vote. And so it was done. But when Boris was informed of his election, he refused to accept the throne. He explained to the patriarch that he wanted special guarantees that he would not only be elected Tsar, but would also be recognized as the founder of a new dynasty.

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

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

The reign of Boris was marked by the beginning of Russia's rapprochement with the West. 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.

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. In 1600 Tsarev-Borisov was built. The settlement and development of the lands deserted during the yoke to the south of Ryazan 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 Russia was built - the Smolensk fortress wall, which later became known as the "stone necklace of the Russian Land." The fortress was built to protect the western borders of Russia from Poland.

Great Famine of 1601-1603

In 1601 there were long rains, and then early frosts broke out. According to modern scientists, prolonged weather anomalies were the result of the eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano in Spanish Peru and a massive release of ash into the atmosphere. The following year, 1602, cold weather and crop failures recurred. A famine began in the country, which lasted three years. The price of bread has increased 100 times. Boris forbade selling bread more than a certain limit, even resorting to the persecution of those who inflated prices, but he 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.

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.

At the same time, 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, some of it was already rotted from years of lying, and they didn't 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.

Death of Boris Godunov

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

October 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.

The situation for Godunov was further complicated by the state of his health. As early as 1599, references to his illnesses appeared in the annals, 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.

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

Tomb of the Godunovs in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Political passions ran high.

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

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

Politics of Boris Godunov

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Table: pros and cons of Boris Godunov

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