Boris Godounov

Boris Fedorovitch Godounov , in Russian БорисФёдоровичГодунов (v. 1551 - Moscow, April 13rd 1605), tsar of Russia (1598 - 1605).

He marries Maria Malyouta-Skouratov (1551-1605) who gave him two children: Fédor II (1589-1605) and Xénia (dead in 1662 in Troïtsa).

One knows few things on the Godounov family: the rare preserved documents indicate that Boris was of remote ascent tatare. One of its distances ancestors, the prince tatar Tchet, made build at the 14th century the orthodoxe monastery Saint-Hypatius (or Monastère Ipatiev).

Its great-grandfather was Zacharie Godounov; wire of Theodore Godounov, Boris will have a sister, Irene Godounov (dead on October 26th 1603), wife of the tsar Fédor I {{er}} and an younger brother, Ivan Godounov (death in 1610), husband of Irene Romanov.

An animated reign

Boris Godounov starts by being a chamberlain of Ivan IV the Terrible one, ordering guard of the palate then, starting from 1588 exerts regency for Fédor I {{er}}, wire of this last, and his brother-in-law.

In 1598, Fédor dies without heir, putting thus fine at the long dynasty Riourikides. Dimitri Ivanovitch, his brother, relegated to Ouglitch, dies there mysteriously: during several centuries, the historians showed Boris Godounov of this crime; it seems however that this last is innocent of this crime: Dimitri, epileptic, would have killed themselves accidentally with a knife, during a crisis of epilepsy.

A new dynasty

When, on January 7th, 1598, the tsar Fédor Ier dies, the line rurikide dies out with him; several high families (Galitsine, Romanov) can claim with the throne but none makes application form because the aristocracy was weakened by the capacity tsarist, under the reign of Ivan IV then under that of Fédor Ist.

Brother-in-law of the late tsar, Prime Minister, Boris Godounov does not have a difficulty of being made elect tsar by a Zemski sobor , assembled including/understanding the Boïard S, the Clergé and the communes. Meeting a resistance within the duma of the boïards, Boris is pressed on the nobility and the people; chaired by the orthodoxe patriarch Job, Boris is elected tsar but required that one lend oath with the palate not to him, like wanted it the use, but in the cathedral of the Assumption, in Moscow.

He is crowned in this same church in September 1598.

Historical legitimacy lack (he is only one elected tsar), Boris tries to link his family at the European royal Houses. He thus sought to marry his daughter Xénia with the prince Gustave of Sweden, wire exiled of Erik XIV: the attempt failed in front of the refusal of the prince to convert with orthodoxy; the duke Jean of Denmark accepted, him, all the requirements but died suddenly, struck down by a disease.

Its reign

According to the historians, its reign is one peaceful period, after the era of Ivan the Terrible.

It follows a policy of independence of the Russia, creating in 1589 the patriarchate of Moscow (Russia becomes Autocéphale then), guerroyant against the Sweden (1590 - 1595), organizing the colonization of the Siberia.

It tries to bring the country closer to the Occident and to reinforce the capacity of the tsar with on the Boyard S. Thus it depends sends in Occident, at ends of instruction, a group of young noble boys: six in England, six in France and six in Prussia; the experiment was a failure since all, except for two of them, refused to return to Russia.

Boris cannot however face the disorders which remain latent since the death of Ivan IV. Those found a catalyst in the great famine, which bursts in 1601 and lasts 3 years. In 1602, several thousands of deaths are counted in Moscow and, if the government tries to cure the situation, it must give up it soon vis-a-vis the vastness of the territory, then leaving free course with the disorders and plunderings.

October 13rd 1604, Grégori Otrepiev (Gricha Otrepjov) - défroqué monk having succeeded in being made recognize by the king of Poland like the tsarévitch Dimitri, survivor of his assassination - enters to Russia to the head of an army of Polish and Lithuanian mercenaries. Boris Godounov issues the general mobilization then but its troops are defeats by that of Otrepiev, on December 21st, 1604 with Novgorod-Severski; January 21st, 1605, on the other hand, the fate of the weapons is favorable to the troops of the tsar and sees the escape of Otrepiev.

Made dissatisfied by the famine, the peasants rejoin the camp of Otrepiev.

Boris Godounov dies however, suddenly, on April 1st 1605 in Moscow: one spoke then about poisoning or suicide. He is buried with the monastery of Serguiev Possad, close to Moscow. He leaves for successor his son, Fédor II and his wife Maliouta Skouratov.

Personality

Jerome Gorsey describes the Godounov tsar thus: “it of appearance pleasant, beautiful, gracious, is related to the black magic (sic), old of forty-five years; it misses instruction but with the sharp spirit, it has gifts of eloquence and control well its voice; he is crafty one, very impulsive, rancorous, not very inclined with the luxury, moderated in his dietary habits but he has the taste of the ceremonies; he offers sumptuous receptions the abroads, addresses rich person present at the sovereigns of the other regions.”

According to the Russian historian Nikolai Kostomarov: “All its action aimed at supporting its personal interest, its own enrichment, the reinforcement of its capacity, the rise in its line… This man was ready to make the good, for little that did not génât its aimings but served them on the contrary; in the same way, no evil, no fixed price could stop it if it considered it useful to its interests.”

Others

The life of Boris Godounov inspired:

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