Dimitri II

Peregrinations

The biography of Dimitri II is roughly known today. It is known today that he was only one impostor of the name of Grégori Otrepiev; many questions remain today unanswered and the enigma of the False-Dimitri is not completely elucidated.

Born in 1582, Gregori Otrepiev is with the service of the family Romanov. In 1600, when Boris Godounov made imprison Romanov, Grégori took the dress of monk and was exiled in a monastery, far from Moscow.

It reappears soon in the Kremlin: on the recommendation of his grandfather Elizari Zamiatnia, it is accepted with the convent of the Miracle. Initially serving as the Zamiatnia monk, then of the archimandrite and deacon, it is attached soon to the court of the Patriarch. He flees then of Moscow to reappear with the monastery of the Caves, with Kiev. There, the Zaporogue S help it to come into contact with the cossacks of the Gift.

From there, it leaves towards Poland, where it is placed under the protection of the Jésuite Claudio Rangoni, nuncio of the pope at the court of Sigismond III. It comes then into contact with prince Adam Wisniewiecki, and convinces it that he is the son of Ivan IV the Terrible one; Wisniewiecki then carries out it near Georges Mniszek, with the castle of Sambor. This one then grants to him the hand of his/her fourth daughter, Marina Mniszek.

Georges Mniszeck organizes then a meeting between Grégori Otrepiev, Claudio Rangoni and Sigismond III of Poland, at the end which Grégori receives the support of the Polish king, against the commitment to convert Russia with Catholicism.

Tsar of Russia

In 1604 Grégori - renamed Dimitri following the example tsarévitch Dimitri, wire of Ivan IV and mysteriously died in Ouglicht - walk on Moscow. It rejoins with him all the social layers, dissatisfied with the government of the tsar Boris Godounov and especially wearied by the famine which prevails since 1601.

After various military setbacks, it enters victorious to Moscow on June 30th, 1605 after, Boris Godounov suddenly died, his widow Maliouta and his son Fédor II were assassinated. Proclaimed tsar under the name of Dimitri II , it continues the policy followed by Ivan the Terrible but, in order not to dissatisfy its partisans, does not require particular privileges for the Catholic church.

July 18th 1605, it is recognized by its " mère" , the tsarina Maria Nagoï, last wife of Ivan IV then it is crowned by the patriarch Ignace, on July 30th, in the cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow.

Reforming tsar

On the orders of Dimitri II, one undertakes the drafting of a general code of the laws, founded on the Soudiebnik of Ivan IV, including the law in particular allowing the peasants to leave their owner the day of the Saint-Georges: Dimitri thinks, indeed, of restoring this right to them.

The Duma of the boïars is renamed Sénat and is composed of four social categories:

- clergy: the patriarch, four Métropolite S, six Archbishop S, two bishop S;

- boïars: 32 members resulting from the former families;

- private advisers: 17 people;

- the noble ones of the court: 6 people.

It was surrounded by its " maternelle" family; , Nagoï and of the Romanov family, parents of the first woman of Ivan IV.

On the internal plan, it strongly stimulates the trade in Russia: merchants come from Poland, of Germany, of Italy and England. If it is undeniable, recognize the historians, that it has the project to found in Russia the freedom of the trade and to support the instruction, it runs up however against many obstacles.

It considers the formation from a university in Moscow.

Disputed tsar

Strongly impregnated by the catholic practices, it runs up against the orthodoxe Russian nobility, which reproaches him moreover for being an impostor. Its lifestyle is opposed indeed to the Russian traditions.

Its reforming action causes, in addition, of strong dissatisfactions in the Boyard S and the ecclesiastics; those join the party of Vassili Chouiski, related with the dynasty of the Riourikides, which patiently weaves a plot against the young tsar.

In addition, the king Sigismond III of Poland is dissatisfied with the attitude of Dimitri, who is long in holding his promises to yield certain Russian territories to him, as much as converting Russia with Catholicism.

April 24th 1606, Marina Mniszek enters to Moscow, in the middle of a procession which appears, with the eyes of the Muscovites, like a provocation. For the Russians, it seems an invasion of the Russian Empire by foreigners, the more so as certain Polish soldiers let themselves go to exactions. The marriage of Dimitri II and Marina takes place the May 8th 1606.

Dimitri II dies assassinated the May 17th 1606, at six o'clock in the morning. Its body is cut up and its ashes are drawn with the gun in direction from the occident.

Its " mère" , Maria Nagoï, recognized her imposture and the Jura that his/her true son had died in Ouglitch, thus posing the problem of the validity of her testimony. In June 1606, late the tsarévitch Dimitri was canonized and his ashes transported to Moscow.

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