It is rather difficult to create a historical portrait of Boris Godunov . This is a very controversial person, a politician. Among Russian and foreign historians, Boris Godunov constantly receives attention. He has been closely associated with the history of the country for 18 years. He, as a man, and his deeds cause praise and condemnation. But it is obvious that Boris Godunov is a person in the history of Russia.
Characteristic features of Godunov
We will try to give a brief historical portrait of Boris Godunov in this article. He was outwardly handsome, smart, prudent, skillfully mastering the word, the gift of persuasion, but very selfish and selfish. Everything that he did was purely for his own interests, led to enrichment, to strengthen his power, to promote his own kind. But name at least one of the greatest politicians in the world who would not have these qualities.
The historical portrait of Boris Godunov can replenish other features. He was very cunning and prudent: he knew how to wait, use the right moment, then staying in the shade, then acting decisively, show himself virtuous and inspire trust in people. His judiciousness boiled down to the fact that he never committed rash acts without first understanding the current situation.
Boris Godunov through the eyes of contemporaries
The historical portrait of Boris Godunov, as, perhaps, of any person, has a dual characteristic. It has both positive and negative traits. Contemporaries indicated that Boris was virtuous, but the “thorn of envious malice” overshadowed this quality. This is a belief in denunciations and slanderers, as a result of which a large number of innocent people have suffered. This caused indignation of the "officials" of the Russian land, who rebelled against him and deposed.
You can also read from the memoirs of contemporaries that he was magnificent, excelled everyone in appearance and intelligence, “a wonderful and sweet-spoken husband”, he arranged many things in the Russian state worthy of praise: he did not like bribery, he fought against robberies, theft, but could not get rid of Korchestvo, was pure in heart, merciful and loved to eat plentifully.
Historical portrait of Boris Godunov given by Russian historians
The historian N. Karamzin wrote about Boris Godunov that if he were born in a family of monarchs, he would become the best ruler of the world. According to a prominent historian who saw the ruler of the country only as a legitimate autocrat, who seized power by killing a child was doomed to inglorious death.
A.S. Pushkin, studying materials, saw the tsar in a different light, he believed that the tragedy of Godunov lies in the attitude of the Russian people towards him, who turned his back on him. Klyuchevsky V.O., accusing him of a multitude of bloody crimes, presented him as a clever and undoubtedly talented man, whom contemporaries suspected of duplicity, but in fact he was an insidious and heartless man.
Soloviev, referring to him as a tyrant and a villain, spoke of him as an intelligent and talented politician. The Russian historian Platonov S.F. had a different opinion. He denied the involvement of Boris Godunov in the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, in his presentation he was an advocate of the interests of the state, expressing the aspirations of the middle class. He believed that in Russian history there are no documents that could prove his involvement in infanticide. All rumors and unfounded accusations blacken him in the eyes of posterity. As you can see, making a historical portrait of Boris Godunov is quite difficult.
Appearance at the Moscow throne
The entry of Boris Godunov into power is full of tragic events. He appeared at the court of Tsar Ivan the Terrible as an oprichnik and made a swift career. At first he was a friend of Ivan the Terrible at his wedding with Maria Sobakina, then he married the daughter of Tsar Malyuta Skuratov’s favorite. His sister Irina became the wife of the weak-minded prince Fedor.
Due to his character and family ties with the tsar’s family, Godunov makes a dizzying career at court. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, who, in the opinion of the Englishman D. Gorsey, was strangled, he becomes regent under the demented king. Many historians do not exclude the version that there was a conspiracy against Grozny. It was Boris and B. Belsky who were at the bedside of the dying man.
Regent
After the death of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Fyodor, suffering from dementia, and the young Dmitry with his mother Martha, the legitimate wife of Grozny, became direct applicants to the throne. Two warring parties were formed: on the one hand, Godunov, N. Romanov, princes I. Miloslavsky and P. Shuysky, on the other hand, B. Belsky, the tutor of Dmitry, and the boyars of Nagy.
After the announcement of the death of Grozny, an internecine struggle began between the two groups. Belsky tried to raise the people of Moscow by announcing that if Fedor Ivanovich was elected to the throne, other people would rule the country. Godunov, going ahead, sends Tsaritsa and Tsarevich Dmitry from Moscow to Uglich, and then he deals with Nagimi. Belsky, an active participant in the turmoil, Boris Godunov saves from death and sends to exile.
After a year and a half, he sent to the monastery of Miloslavsky, exiles and kills Shuisky and becomes the sovereign regent under the demented Tsar Fedor. Godunov was actually the sovereign ruler for 13 years. After the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, who, according to many historians, was strangled, he becomes king.
The reign of Tsar Boris
With the accession to the throne, the “Rurevechev crossing” takes place, the historical portrait of Boris Godunov has been replenished with another touch that his contemporaries blame him. With his coronation the line of descendants, counting down from the Rurikovich, was interrupted. According to clerk Ivan Timofeev, only because of this was God's punishment followed and the time of Troubles came to Russia.
As regent and on the throne, Boris Godunov did a lot for the Russian state. Under him, the first water supply system was built in Moscow; construction of fortresses in the Wild Field in southern Russia began. Subsequently, these cities became: Samara, Tsaritsyno, Saratov, Voronezh, Livny, Belgorod. The city of Tomsk was founded in Siberia. New fortifications were built in Moscow, which made it possible to repel the invasion of Khan Giray.
During the reign of Godunov, enslavement of the peasants took place, in 1597 a decree was issued on the “lesson years,” according to which serfs who had fled before 5 years were ordered to catch and pass to the landlords.
Especially much has been done for Russia in foreign policy. The conclusion of the Russian-Swedish peace treaty allowed Russia to return Korela, Koporye and Yam lost to the Livonian War. Foreigners traveled to Russia, its authority was strengthened.
Great hunger and death of Boris Godunov
Today, young people make up a historical portrait of Boris Godunov in the 7th grade, but it is unlikely that at this age you can appreciate the whole tragedy of the Russian people in the Time of Troubles, which began with the reign of this king, and give him an objective description.
During his reign, the difficult situation in foreign policy was decided in favor of Russia, trade developed, cities were built, the first industrial enterprises appeared. Therefore, it is difficult to judge by those rumors and speculations, denunciations of foreign agents who were interested in a weak and fragmented Russia.
The Russian people turned their backs on him, who, exhausted by the great famine that struck Russia, lasting 3 years (1601-1604), by constant rumors of Godunov's atrocities, for which God sent terrible punishment to Russia, believed this. Godunov could not do anything about it, although he helped the starving people in every way. The revolt led by the Clap, the appearance of False Dmitry - all this undermined his strength.
We should not forget about the Poles and Swedes, who pursued a policy of undermining Russia. Therefore, it is difficult to give an objective characterization to this ruler, who died suddenly at the age of 53 for an unknown reason. Following the report of the English embassy, his death was strange. His wife and son Fyodor, who took the throne after him, was killed, daughter Xenia was put into a concubine by the impostor False Dmitry, and Russia plunged into the abyss of terrible unrest.