Why Ivan the Terrible's daughter-in-law voluntarily renounced the crown, and what caused popular outrage

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

One of the most harmonious and problem-free marriages of Russian rulers, historians call the union of the son of Ivan the Terrible Fyodor Ioannovich and Irina Godunova. Despite the well-known paternal cruelty to numerous wives, the heir loved his spouse selflessly. Taking advantage of her husband's full disposition, Irina Fedorovna managed to become a full-fledged co-ruler of the tsar. She corresponded with the Kakhetian queen and the English queen, not hiding that she wanted power. True, she was not allowed to rule Russia.

Childhood affection for future wife and casual crown

Irina Fedorovna Godunova and her brother Boris came from a not very noble family of Kostroma nobles. However, their uncle, Dmitry Godunov, occupied a rather high position under the Moscow sovereign with the right to sit in the boyar duma. He took his nephews for education in childhood, settling in the royal court. The children grew up next to the children of Ivan IV. This explains Irina's strong connection with the Tsarevich, who inherited the Russian crown from his father in 1584.

In 1580, Irina Godunova becomes the legal wife of Fedor Ioannovich, and her brother at a fairly early age (28 years old) receives the status of a boyar. Irina's date of birth is not exactly known, although some historians point to 1557. The study of the queen's skeleton approximately confirms this date, taking into account the fact that she lived no more than 45 years. Information has reached our days that Fyodor was not very handsome, and even, possibly, mentally retarded. He was quiet, shy, and constantly smiled meekly. The crown of the heir came to him by accident and inevitably after the premature death of his brother Ivan from illness.

The ambitious queen and the de facto rulers of the Godunovs

Fyodor Ioannovich doted in his wife. He fulfilled any of her wishes, transferring his location to his brother and uncle Irina Fedorovna. 14 years of his reign are considered one of the calmest in the history of Russia. The main part of his life consisted of religion, adherence to church customs and communication with church pastors. At the same time, the brisk brother-in-law Boris was in fact in charge of all state affairs. From that period, everything in the state was ruled by the Godunov clan.

Irina clearly did not intend to correspond to the traditional image of the Russian tsarina, who does not go beyond the high fence around her own tower and is busy exclusively with children and prayer. The first sign was that, at her request, the procedure for the wedding of the king to the throne was corrected. In one of the ceremonial chambers, the windows were opened, which allowed the queen to communicate with the people. She sat on the throne in rich robes, and from the street came the shouts of praise in her honor. At the end of the official ceremony, Irina Fedorovna was given a congratulatory word to her husband, which was initiated for the first time at the royal court.

Woman in the Boyar Duma

Ignoring the murmur of the boyars, the young queen expressed a desire to attend Duma meetings, appearing there accompanied by a whole staff of bodyguards. In her chambers, Irina Fedorovna received overseas ambassadors, the wives of prominent Russian boyars, and the higher clergy. On important documents, next to the king's visa, there was often the signature of his influential wife.

Irina Godunova was in active correspondence with the Patriarch of Alexandria, and addressed the autocratic ruler of England, Queen Elizabeth, as a sister. Realizing the importance of clergy support, Irina made a lot of efforts to recognize the Russian Orthodox Church as a separate patriarchy. The establishment of a separate patriarchal see took place in the tsarina's chamber with the light hand of the distinguished guest - the patriarch of Constantinople. After the official procedure, according to historians, the first public appearance of the tsar's wife in Russian history took place.

Childless queen

And all would be fine, but the years passed, and the royal couple had no children. If pregnancy did occur, it always ended in miscarriages or stillbirth. As it turned out later, the queen had birth defects in the structure of the pelvis. Even during the life of Ivan the Terrible, there were attempts to replace the barren wife of Fyodor Ioannovich with a healthier one. But the latter showed uncharacteristic firmness, after which even the hard-hearted parent retreated.

Similar attempts were made by the nobles, dissatisfied with the childless position of the sovereign's family. But no conspiracies and appeals could separate the Rurik couple. After almost 20 years of marriage, the queen still gave birth to a daughter. On the occasion of the birth of a child, Fyodor Ioannovich pardoned almost all those sentenced to death, sent generous alms to the Palestinian monasteries. The birth of Feodosia Feodorovna became a joy for everyone. But the parental happiness turned out to be short-lived: the girl did not live even a year.

Abdication of the crown and cell instead of the throne

A few years later, Tsar Fyodor also died, leaving no heirs or will. Dying, he understood in what position he was leaving his beloved wife. He invited her to go to a monastery, fearing boyar disgrace. But the Godunovs decided otherwise, presenting the boyars with a letter with the allegedly legitimate royal will to leave Irina on the throne. The boyars did not question the document and swore allegiance to the queen. Patriarch Job, who owes his dignity to the queen, even commanded that services be held in churches in honor of the new empress.

As the chroniclers pointed out, most of the court society was outraged by the actions of the patriarch. There has never been such a thing in Russia that a woman was given such high honors. But Irina Fyodorovna was not destined to keep the throne. Moscow was noisy, a riot was brewing. Irina's strong desire to rule Russia came across a bloody threat, a complete mental rejection to see a woman on the throne. Irina's activity in state affairs was reconciled while she was an attachment to the king. Then her every decision seemed to belong to her husband. Irina Godunova was the sovereign queen for about a week. And then she went out onto the porch and announced to a huge, angry crowd her decision to get a haircut as a nun. After her, Boris Godunov took the floor, declaring himself the next ruler.

And the last of the Rurik Maria Staritskaya lived a hard life.