Godunov Boris Fedorovich
Boris Fedorovich Godunov was a boyar, since 1585 the de facto ruler of the Russian Empire under Tsar Fedor I Ioannovich, and from February 17 (27), 1598 to April 13 (23), 1605, the tsar, the first of the Godunov dynasty.
Years of life: August 2 (12), 1552 — April 13 (23), 1605
How he rose to power
He began his service at the court of Ivan the Terrible.
In 1571, he married Malyuta Skuratov's daughter.
His sister Irina became the wife of Tsarevich Fyodor Ivanovich; this greatly strengthened Godunov's position.
After the death of Ivan the Terrible (1584) and the accession of Fyodor Ioannovich, Godunov's role at court grew rapidly: he received the rank of equerry, the title of a nearby great boyar and governor of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms.
By 1585, he had actually taken control of the country into his own hands.
What he did during his reign
In the spiritual sphere. In 1589, he succeeded in establishing the Moscow Patriarchate: Job became the first patriarch. This consolidated the independence of the Russian Church.
In foreign policy. He was able to partially compensate for the losses of the Livonian War: following the results of the Russian-Swedish War of 1590-1595, Russia returned the fortresses of Korela, Koporye and lands on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. He maintained diplomatic contacts with Europe and invited foreign specialists.
In the development of territories. The advance into Siberia continued, new cities and fortresses were built (including the strengthening of defenses on the southern borders). Tomsk appeared in Siberia.
In urban planning and infrastructure. Fortifications were being built in Moscow (in particular, the walls of the White City), and a water supply system appeared in the Kremlin.
In social policy. He strengthened the position of the service nobility; under Godunov, the enslavement of peasants was tightened step by step (including the introduction of "fixed summers" for the search for fugitives).
Recent years and the crisis
In 1601-1603, the country was struck by a terrible famine due to crop failures. Godunov tried to mitigate the disasters (he organized bread distributions), but failed to cope with the scale of the crisis.
Against the background of hunger and discontent, rumors spread about the "miraculous salvation" of Tsarevich Dmitry (who died in Uglich in 1591); False Dmitry I appeared.
Boris Godunov died in 1605; soon after, a Time of Troubles unfolded in the country.
The image in culture
Godunov's personality has become firmly embedded in Russian culture:
"Boris Godunov" is a tragedy by A. S. Pushkin, where the tsar is shown both as a strong ruler and as a man tormented by guilt. Based on it, M. P. Mussorgsky wrote the famous opera Boris Godunov.
In painting and graphics, the image of Godunov is found in various artists; his figure often finds itself in the center of plots about the Time of Troubles.
In movies and TV series, the role of Boris Godunov was played by various actors; for example, in the TV series "Godunov" (2018), he was played by Sergey Bezrukov.
Boris Godunov went from boyar to tsar, strengthened the state (established the patriarchate, returned lands in the northwest, developed cities and defenses), but his rule ended amid famine and the appearance of False Dmitry ‑ this became the prologue of the Time of Troubles.