Among the Russian autocrats, there is hardly a person whose image has left such a controversial trace in history. Gifted with a truly state mind, he devoted himself entirely to the good of Russia. The political line pursued by almost a century preceded the glorious deeds of Peter I. But, having become a victim of a fatal combination of circumstances and the oppression of his own passions, he remained in the minds of the people as a child-killer and usurper of power. His name is Boris Godunov.

History of ascension to the throne

The future sovereign of all Russia, Boris Fedorovich Godunov, descended from one of the Tatar princes who settled in Moscow lands in the 14th century. He was born in 1552 in the family of a poor landowner in the Vyazemsky district, and if it were not for the case, this man, who went down in history as Tsar Boris Godunov, would have remained unknown.

His biography after the death of his father takes a sharp turn. While still a young man, he ended up in the family of his uncle, who made a brilliant career at the court of Ivan the Terrible during the oprichnina. A smart and ambitious nephew, he took full advantage of the opportunities that opened up before him. Having become an oprichnik himself, he managed to break into the inner circle of the king 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.

Death of Ivan the Terrible and further strengthening of Godunov

After some time, Godunov manages to arrange the marriage of his 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 person, Boris tries to stay in the background, which does not prevent him, however, at the end of Ivan the Terrible's life from exerting a significant influence on the adoption of many government decisions.

When Ivan the Terrible died on March 18, 1584, with the accession to the throne of his son Fyodor, a new stage began on Godunov's path to supreme power. Fedor became tsar by the law of succession, 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 in his own hands.

Most researchers argue that during the fourteen years of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, Boris Godunov was the actual ruler of Russia. The biography of his those years paints the image of an outstanding political figure.

Strengthening the country and the growth of cities

Having concentrated all the supreme power in his hands, he directed it to the comprehensive strengthening of the Russian statehood. As a result of his labors, in 1589 the Russian Orthodox Church acquired its own 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 was the heyday of Russian church and secular architecture. The most talented architects enjoyed comprehensive 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 laying of the fortresses of Voronezh and Liven is also the fruit of his state thought. To protect against possible aggression from Poland, a grandiose defensive structure was erected - the Smolensk fortress wall. And at the head of all these undertakings was Boris Godunov.

Briefly about other deeds 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 Moskva River, with the help of specially made pumps, water was supplied 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 undertaking - the nine-kilometer walls of the White City were built. Built of limestone and lined with brick, they were fortified with twenty-nine watchtowers.

A little 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, one should first of all mention the peace treaty he concluded with Sweden, which ended the war, which lasted more than three years. Godunov took advantage of the difficult situation that developed within Sweden, and as a result of an agreement favorable to Moscow, he 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.

The death of a young prince

In May 1591, an event took place that in many ways overshadowed the historical image of Boris Godunov. In the specific city of Uglich, under very mysterious circumstances, the legitimate 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, the general rumor hastened to accuse him of organizing the murder.

The official investigation, headed by the boyar Vasily Shuisky, and establishing the cause of death as an accident, was seen as an attempt to cover up the crime. This largely undermined Godunov's authority among the people, which his political opponents did not fail to take advantage of.

Ascension 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. The reign of Boris Godunov from the first days was marked by a trend 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 the military, merchants, doctors and industrialists. All of them were invited by Boris Godunov. His biography during this period is marked by acts similar to the future accomplishments of Peter the Great.

Strengthening of the boyar opposition

But it was not destined for the new sovereign to rule Russia calmly and serenely. In 1601, a famine began in the country, caused by the death of the crop due to severe weather conditions. It lasted three years and claimed many human lives. Boris' 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 to the murderous king for the death of the rightful heir to the throne.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that Godunov, suspicious and inclined to see treason everywhere, having ascended the throne, disgraced many boyar families. They became his main enemies. When the first news appeared of the approaching False Dmitry, who pretended to be the 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 ascents through the ranks of power, at the end of his life found himself in political isolation, deprived of all support and a district ring of ill-wishers. He died on April 13, 1605. His sudden death gave rise to rumors of poisoning and even suicide.

Boris Godunov (1552-1605) has an unenviable place in Russian history. It is believed that it was during his reign that the Great Troubles began, during which Russia almost lost its statehood. Yes, and on a personal level, historians do not favor Tsar Boris: he either tortured Tsarevich Dmitry, or ordered to torture him, and intrigued countless, and did not favor political opponents.

Boris Godunov also got it from the masters of art. Even a person ignorant of history must have read or heard in the cinema a replica of Bulgakov’s Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible: “What Boris the Tsar? Boriska?! Boris for the kingdom? .. So he, the evil one, paid the tsar for the most kind! .. He himself wanted to reign and rule over everything! .. Guilty of death! Just a few words, but the image of Godunov - insidious, cunning and vile is already ready. Only now Ivan the Terrible, whose closest associates included Godunov, did not and could not say such a thing. And Bulgakov took these words from Andrei Kurbsky's correspondence with the Terrible, moreover, from Kurbsky's letter.

In the tragedy of the same name by Pushkin, the image of Boris Godunov is shown with sufficient certainty. True, Pushkin's Boris is tormented by doubts whether Tsarevich Dmitry is really dead, and too much attention is paid to the enslavement of the peasants, but on the whole, Pushkin's Godunov turned out to be similar to the original.

Scene from M. Mussorgsky's opera based on A. Pushkin's tragedy "Boris Godunov"

How did the tsar who ruled Russia at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries live and die:

1. There is almost no information about the origin and childhood of Boris. It is known that he was the son of a Kostroma landowner, who, in turn, was the son of a nobleman. The Godunovs themselves were descended from a Tatar prince. The conclusion about the literacy of Boris Godunov is made on the basis of a deed of deed written by him. Tsars, by tradition, did not stain their hands with ink.

2. Boris's parents died early, he and his sister were taken care of by boyar Dmitry Godunov, who was close to Ivan the Terrible, who was their uncle. Dmitry, despite his "artificiality", made a brilliant career in the guardsmen. Under the tsar, he occupied approximately the same place as Malyuta Skuratov. Quite naturally, Skuratov's middle daughter Maria became the wife of Boris Godunov.

3. Already at the age of 19, Boris was the groom's friend at the wedding of Ivan the Terrible with Marfa Sobakina, that is, the tsar had already managed to appreciate the young man. Godunov performed the same position as a friend when the tsar married for the fifth time.

Wedding of Ivan the Terrible and Martha Sobakina

4. Boris Godunov's sister Irina was married to Ivan the Terrible's son Fyodor, who later inherited his father's throne. 9 days after the death of her husband, Irina became a nun. The queen-nun died in 1603.

5. On the day when Fyodor Ivanovich was married to the kingdom (May 31, 1584), he awarded Godunov the rank of equerry. At that time, the stable boyar belonged to the circle closest to the tsar. However, no matter how Ivan the Terrible broke the tribal principle, it was not possible to completely eradicate it, and even after the crowning of the kingdom, representatives of the older clans called Godunov “worker tsar”. Such was autocracy.

Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich

6. Fyodor Ivanovich was a very pious person (of course, historians of the 19th century considered this property of the soul, if not insanity, then certainly a form of dementia for sure - the tsar prayed a lot, went on a pilgrimage once a week, is it a joke). Godunov slowly began to solve administrative cases. Large construction projects began, the salaries of the sovereign's servants were raised, and bribe-takers began to be caught and punished.

7. Under Boris Godunov, a patriarch first appeared in Russia. In 1588, Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah II arrived in Moscow. At first, the post of Russian patriarch was offered to him, but Jeremiah refused, citing the opinion of his clerics. Then the Consecrated Council was convened, which put forward three candidates. Of these (in strict accordance with the procedure adopted in Constantinople), Boris, who was then in charge of the affairs of the state, chose Metropolitan Job. His enthronement took place on January 26, 1589.

First Russian Patriarch Job

8. Two years later, the Russian army under the command of Godunov and Fyodor Mstislavsky put the Crimean horde to flight. To understand the danger of the Crimean raids, a few lines from the annals are enough, in which it is proudly reported that the Russians pursued the Tatars "as far as Tula."

9. In 1595, Godunov concluded a peace treaty with the Swedes, which was successful for Russia, according to which the lands lost in the unsuccessful debut of the Livonian War were returned to Russia.

10. Andrey Chokhov cast the Tsar Cannon at the direction of Godunov. They were not going to shoot from it - the gun does not even have a seed hole. They created a tool as a symbol of the power of the state. Chokhov also made the Tsar Bell, but it has not survived to this day.

11. Beginning with Karamzin and Kostomarov, historians accuse Godunov of terrible intrigue. According to them, he consistently discredited and removed several members of the Board of Trustees from Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. But even an acquaintance with the events as presented by these historians shows that the well-born boyars wanted Tsar Fedor to divorce Irina Godunova. Fedor loved his wife, and Boris defended his sister with all his might. Messrs. Shuisky, Mstislavsky and Romanov had to go to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

12. Under Godunov, Russia impressively grew Siberia. Khan Kuchum was finally defeated, Tyumen, Tobolsk, Berezov, Surgut, Tara, Tomsk were founded. Godunov demanded to deal with the local tribes with "weasel". This attitude laid a good foundation for the next half century, when the Russians came to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Russia under Boris Godunov

13. Historians have long been breaking spears over the "Uglich case" - the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry in Uglich. For a very long time, it was Godunov who was considered the main culprit and beneficiary of the murder. Karamzin directly stated that Godunov was separated from the throne only by a small boy. The venerable and overly emotional historian did not take into account several more factors: at least 8 more years lay between Boris and the throne (the tsarevich was killed in 1591, and Boris was elected tsar only in 1598) and the actual election of Godunov as tsar at the Zemsky Sobor.

The murder of Tsarevich Dmitry

14. After the death of Tsar Fyodor, Godunov retired to a monastery and for a month after the tonsure of Irina, the ruler was absent from the state. Only on February 17, 1598, the Zemsky Sobor elected Godunov to the kingdom, and on September 1 Godunov was crowned king.

15. The first days after the crowning of the kingdom turned out to be rich in rewards and benefits. Boris Godunov doubled the salaries of all employees. Merchants were exempted from duties for two years, and farmers from taxes for a year. There was a general amnesty. Widows and orphans were given considerable money. Foreigners were freed from yasak for a year. Hundreds of people were promoted in ranks and ranks.

16. The first students sent abroad did not appear at all under Peter the Great, but under Boris Godunov. As well as the first "defectors" appeared not under the Soviet regime, but under Godunov - out of a dozen youths sent to study, only one returned to Russia.

17. The Russian Time of Troubles, which the country barely survived, did not begin because of the weakness or bad rule of Boris Godunov. It did not even begin when the Pretender appeared on the western outskirts of the state. It began when part of the boyars saw benefits for themselves in the appearance of the Pretender and the weakening of the royal power, and began to secretly support False Dmitry.

18. In 1601-1603 Russia was struck by a terrible famine. Its initial cause was a natural disaster - the eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano (!!!) in Peru provoked the Little Ice Age. The air temperature dropped, and cultivated plants did not have time to ripen. But the crisis of governance exacerbated the famine. Tsar Boris began distributing money to the starving, and hundreds of thousands of people rushed to Moscow. At the same time, the price of bread increased 100 times. Boyars and monasteries (not all, of course, but very many) held back bread in anticipation of even higher prices. As a result, tens of thousands of people died of starvation. People ate rats, mice and even dung. A terrible blow was dealt not only to the country's economy, but also to the authority of Boris Godunov. After such a catastrophe, any words that punishment was sent to people for the sins of "Boriska" seemed to be the true truth.

19. As soon as the famine ended, False Dmitry appeared. For all the absurdity of his appearance, he represented a considerable danger, which Godunov recognized too late. Yes, and it was difficult for a pious person in those days to assume that even high-ranking boyars, who knew perfectly well that the real Dmitry had been dead for many years, and who kissed the cross while swearing an oath to Godunov, could betray Godunov so easily.

Boris Fedorovich Godunov (short biography)
Years of life: 1552-1605
Reign: 1598-1605
Boyarin, brother-in-law of the tsar, in 1587-1598. the actual ruler of the state, from February 17, 1598 - the king 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 genealogy of 1555, the Godunovs descended from Dmitry Zern.

Brief Biography of Boris Godunov

He was born into an aristocratic noble family of a Vyazma landowner. After his father's death, he was brought up by his uncle. He was literate, began court service under the supervision of his uncle, who was one of the most trusted persons of the Terrible Tsar. and together with him was awarded the boyar title. Strengthening the position of Boris Godunov at court was facilitated in 1569 by his marriage to his daughter, the royal favorite.

From the beginning of the 1570s, the rise of the Godunovs began. In the late 1570s and early 1580s, they won several local cases, thus occupying a strong position among the Moscow nobility.

Boris Godunov was a smart and cautious person and tried to stay in the background for the time being. His sister Irina Godunova was married to the king's son,. 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 gained great influence at court. Together with B.Ya.Belsky, they became close people. Until now, their role in the history of the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible remains unclear. According to D. Gorsey, on March 18, 1584, Grozny was “suffocated”, 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, writers, including N. Karamzin, V. Klyuchevsky, S. Solovyov, S. Platonov, A.S. Pushkin.

It is difficult to say what the fate of Russia would have been if he had lived longer. Perhaps, by defeating the impostor, he could strengthen his power and curb turmoil. 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 throughout his life.

The reign of Boris Godunov went down in history as one of the most controversial. Godunov's career began in the years. Being a talented and far-sighted politician, Godunov was able to rise from guardsmen to close boyars of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Even during the life of Ivan the Terrible, he influenced state decisions, acting, however, reasonably and with caution.

Rise of Boris Godunov

The reign of Boris Godunov began long before his official accession to the post of sovereign. After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, the throne was succeeded by the eldest son of the Tsar, Fedor, kind, pious, but at the same time incapable of government. In the shortest possible time after Fedor's ascension to the throne, he was able to achieve such influence that he actually ruled the country for all fourteen years of Fedor's reign and even then proved himself to be an outstanding statesman and a skilled politician.

After the death of Ivan the Terrible, there were rumors that the cause of the death of the tsar was the poison from the hands of Godunov. The accusation was refuted by court physicians: Grozny died of natural causes.

Tsar Fyodor, not having not only the ability to rule, but also the desire to participate in solving state issues, entrusted Boris with all matters, up to the reception of foreign ambassadors (which no boyar had ever been honored with before). The first important foreign policy steps of Boris Godunov were the establishment of a lasting peace with Poland and the Russian-Swedish war in 1590-1595. Boris' decisions were aimed at strengthening and expanding Russia's borders. During the war with the Swedes, Russian troops returned the Gulf of Finland lost in the Livonian War. Through negotiations with Sweden, several cities were returned to the Russian crown. The expansion of Russian lands to the east continued: the colonization of the Volga region and Siberia expanded. Thanks to the active construction of the fortifications of Moscow, the attack of the Crimean Khan was repelled without difficulty, who was subsequently defeated by the Russian troops pursuing him. Supporting the Terek Cossacks, Godunov strengthened his influence in the Caucasus.

Taking all state decisions, Boris concentrated his efforts on strengthening statehood. One of the main historical decisions of Boris in the domestic political arena was the establishment of the patriarchate, the church gained independence from Byzantium, 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, doctors, 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 a pretext for the opposition boyars to spread the rumor that the plight of the people was a curse on the tsar for the murder of 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 he 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 king 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 "low-born" 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 Muscovite kingdom.