For modern people, the question "Who is Boris Godunov?" Is unlikely to cause difficulty. His name and place in a series of other Russian autocrats are all too well known. But the personal assessment of this bright historical character is sometimes ambiguous. Paying tribute to the state mind and the political line that preceded the reforms of Peter I for a hundred years, he is often reproached for usurping power and even infanticide. The personality of Boris Godunov has been the subject of discussion for several centuries now.
The path to power
According to legend, the Godunov clan originates from one of the many Tatar princes who, during the time of Ivan Kalita, settled in Moscow and served the Grand Duke faithfully. The future ruler of Russia himself, Boris Feodorovich Godunov, whose life story is an example of an extraordinary social take-off, was born in 1552 in the family of a small landowner of the Vyazemsky district. If not for a happy coincidence, his name would never have appeared on the pages of Russian history.
But, as you know, chance loves those who know how to use it. The young and ambitious Boris was just such a person. He took advantage of the patronage of his uncle, who during the time of Ivan the Terrible became one of the royal close associates, and, joining the ranks of the guardsmen, who left a gloomy and bloody trace in history, achieved the location of the autocrat, breaking into his inner circle. When he became the son-in-law of Malyuta Skuratov, one of the most powerful and most odious representatives of the elite of that era, his position was finally strengthened.
The death of the king, which opened up new perspectives for Boris
The next step to the top of power was the marriage of his sister Irina with the heir to the throne, the son of Ivan the Terrible, the weak-willed and weak prince Fedor. This allowed the small Vyazma landowner to become one of the most powerful people of that time. Historians agree that in the last years of his life, the willful and tyrannical king made most decisions under the influence of Godunov.
But the real time of Boris Godunov began after the death of Ivan the Terrible and the accession to the throne of his son. Having accepted the royal crown according to the law of succession, Fedor could not rule the country because of mental retardation, and a regency council was created to perform this function. The father-in-law of the young sovereign did not enter him, but by all kinds of intrigues he practically led the state during all fourteen years of the son-in-law's rule.
Works for the good of the state
This time was marked by many of his progressive endeavors. Thanks to Godunov, the Russian Orthodox Church became autocephalous. It was led by Patriarch Job, which increased the country's global prestige. Within the state over the years, the construction of cities and fortresses has expanded widely. An intelligent and prudent ruler, Godunov invited the most talented architects from abroad, which gave impetus to the development of domestic architecture.
In the capital itself, with his works, an innovation unheard of at that time was introduced - a water supply system equipped with pumps and connecting the Moscow River with the Konyushenny Dvor. In order to protect the city from Tatar invasions, Godunov initiated the construction of the nine-kilometer wall of the White City and the line of fortifications that were then on the site of the current Garden Ring. Thanks to them, the capital was saved during the raid of Khan Kazi-Girey in 1591.
Death of a minor heir to the throne
In the same year 1591, an event occurred as a result of which the question of who Boris Godunov is for Russia - a benefactor or a villain, to this day cannot receive a definite answer. The fact is that on May 11, under mysterious and still unclear circumstances, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dimitry, who rightfully was the heir to the throne, died. Everyone knew that Godunov had long dreamed of the royal throne, and therefore popular rumor declared him the culprit of a serious crime.
The conclusion of the commission of inquiry sent to Uglich, where the tragedy occurred, did not help either. In vain, its chairman, Prince Vasily Shuisky, called the cause of death an accident. This only reinforced the rumors that a conspiracy had been carried out in the palace with the aim of elevating the usurper and child killer - Boyar Godunov to the throne. Even the successes in foreign policy and the lands returned to him, lost during the Livonian war, did not change the general hostility.
A dream come true
In September 1598 (the biography of Godunov Boris Fedorovich is a direct confirmation of this), the life of this person changes dramatically - after the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich Zemsky, the Cathedral handed him the ancient hat of Monomakh. The countdown of the seven-year reign began. From the very first days, the policy of the new sovereign was oriented toward rapprochement with the West, which gives the right to find in it common features with the reign of the future autocrat Peter I, who implemented it in full.
Like the future transformer of Russia, Godunov tried to attach his subjects to the achievements of world civilization. To this end, he wrote to Moscow many foreigners, who subsequently left a noticeable mark in the history of the country. Among them, along with scientists and architects, there were also representatives of commercial circles who became the founders of famous merchant families. The Russian army also gained from this policy, replenished with many foreign military experts.
Opposition - secret and overt
But, despite all the good undertakings of the tsar, his political opponents, represented by representatives of the most ancient boyar clans, united in opposition and sought to overthrow the sovereign hated by him. They secretly and clearly tried to oppose all his actions. When a severe drought occurred in the country in 1601, which lasted three years and claimed the lives of thousands of people, the boyars spread the rumor that it was God's punishment for the blood of the innocently killed Tsarevich Dimitri.
Trying to counteract his internal enemies, Godunov was forced to resort to repression. Many boyars were executed or sent into exile in those years. But their relatives remained, who hated the king and posed a serious danger to him. They also tried to set up the dark masses against Boris.
The sad ending of life and reign
The main misfortune for him was the appearance of False Dmitry, posing as the saved Tsarevich Demetrius. The impostor everywhere spread false information about where he came from and who he was. Boris Godunov, as best he could, tried to resist him, but his attempts were in vain - the opposition did its job. The people willingly believed the spreading fables and hated it.
The biography of Tsar Boris Fedorovich Godunov holds many mysteries. One of them is the circumstances of his death on April 13, 1605. Despite the fact that the sovereign's health by this time was thoroughly undermined by overwork and nervous stress, there is reason to believe that Boris's death was violent. Some researchers see it as a voluntary departure from life.
Many issues related to this, far from ordinary, historical personality are still awaiting coverage. We only superficially know who Boris Godunov is, but what lies in the depths of his multifaceted personality is hidden from our eyes.