After the death of Ivan the Terrible, his feeble-minded son Fyodor was elevated to the throne. Under him, all power was in the hands of the regency council created during the life of Ivan IV.

In the struggle of the boyars for the leading role under the new tsar, Boris Fedorovich Godunov emerged victorious, eliminating his rivals. From 1585, he ruled Russia for 13 years on behalf of Tsar Feodor.

Boris Godunov's wife was Maria Grigorievna Skuratova-Belskaya, daughter of the famous Malyuta Skuratov. A profitable marriage helped Boris rise to the heights of power.

The personality of Boris Godunov emerged as an energetic politician and talented diplomat. He renegotiated a truce with Poland and returned positions near the Gulf of Finland that had been taken away as a result of the Russian-Swedish war. Concerns continued about Russian colonization and the consolidation of the conquered regions of the Volga region and Western Siberia by the Moscow state. Under Godunov, Russia's ties with Georgia are expanding.

The years of Boris Godunov's reign were marked by the scale of urban and church construction. For these purposes, foreign architects and builders were invited. Among the fortresses built under Boris Godunov, the most grandiose structure is called the Smolensk fortress wall to protect the west of Russia from Poland.

In internal affairs, the most prominent place belongs to the establishment of the patriarchate, which increased the prestige of Russia and allowed the Russian Orthodox Church to separate from the Byzantine Patriarchate. Godunov in 1588 ensured that Metropolitan Job was appointed patriarch.

With his church reform, Boris Godunov gained strong support from the Russian Church in the person of Patriarch Job, who supported Godunov’s policies. Having support in the clergy, Boris Fedorovich also won over the military class.

Boris Godunov's domestic policy was aimed at strengthening the feudal state and satisfying the interests of the nobility, to whom lands were generously distributed.

The way out of the economic crisis of the 1570s and early 1580s. Godunov saw the strengthening of serfdom. To assign peasants to their owners, a number of measures were carried out: a population census was carried out, scribe books were opened, which received the value of an enslavement document, and decrees were issued.

Decrees of Boris Godunov:

Decree of 1592 prohibiting the exit of peasants (cancellation of “St. George’s Day”)
Decree November 1597 according to which fugitive peasants were subject to search and return to the owner within 5 years (“pre-term summers”)
Special Code (April 1597) on indentured servants.

In the cities, so-called “townsman constructions” were carried out, which spread serfdom. Members of the townsman community were assigned to the tax. Boris Godunov's urban reform exacerbated social contradictions.

On May 15, 1591, Fyodor Ivanovich’s younger brother Dmitry died in Uglich. Then other members of the royal family die. Popular rumor accused Godunov of murder and even attributed to him the poisoning of Tsar Feodor himself on January 7, 1598.

In February 1598, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris Godunov as royal successor, and on September 1, 1599, his coronation took place.

Boris Godunov began his reign with an attempt at rapprochement with the West, realizing the backwardness of the Russian people in education compared to the peoples of Western Europe. He ordered the recruitment of doctors and various craftsmen abroad. The Tsar even thought about establishing a higher school in Moscow with foreign teachers, but, not having time to put his idea into execution, he sent several young people to study in England, France, and Austria. This attempt was unsuccessful, and all the students remained there. Apparently, because of the Time of Troubles that followed.

Boris Godunov's foreign policy was, one might say, timid. At that time, enmity began between Poland and Sweden, but Boris did not take advantage of such favorable circumstances to acquire at least part of Livonia, for which so much effort had been given. Instead of vigorous measures, he resorted to useless negotiations.

In his zeal to become related to the European royal houses, Godunov diligently searched for a bride for his son Fyodor and a groom for his daughter Ksenia. But all efforts to ensure the strength of their dynasty on the Moscow throne were in vain.

Fearing intrigues from his former rivals, Boris Godunov encouraged espionage and denunciations. The disgrace, torture, exile and even executions that began (contrary to the promise made during the royal wedding) deprived the king of popular favor.

In 1601-1603, the country suffered from crop failures, which led to terrible famine and epidemics. Entire villages, towns and suburbs died out. Bread speculation began. Not all feudal lords could feed their servants, which is why the government allowed the peasants to move and in 1603 announced the release of slaves.

There were rumors among the people that the reign of Boris Godunov was lawless, not blessed by God, and therefore God's punishment fell on the country for the murder of the legitimate heir to the throne.

The sharp deterioration in the situation of the masses became the main reason for the peasant uprisings. One of these uprisings took place in 1603 under the leadership of Ataman Khlopki Kosolap. The tsarist army suppressed the uprising. Voivode Ivan Basmanov died, and Khlopko was captured and hanged.

The Time of Troubles that began under Boris Godunov significantly undermined the strength of his throne. Godunov died on April 13, 1605 in the midst of the struggle against False Dmitry. His young son Fedor was proclaimed tsar, but in the same year during a rebellion he was killed along with his mother.

The main result of Boris Godunov's reign was the expansion of Russia's access to the Baltic Sea. But he failed to stabilize the situation in the country and overcome the consequences of the oprichnina.

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

The Rise of Boris Godunov

The reign of Boris Godunov began long before his official assumption of the post of sovereign. After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, the throne was inherited by the Tsar’s eldest son Fedor, kind and 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 throughout the entire fourteen years of Fedor’s reign and even then proved himself to be an outstanding statesman and skillful politician.

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

Tsar Fedor, lacking not only the ability to rule, but also the desire to participate in resolving state issues, entrusted all matters to Boris, including the reception of foreign ambassadors (which no boyar had previously been honored with). 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's 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 Moscow fortifications, the attack of the Crimean Khan was repulsed without difficulty, who was subsequently defeated by the Russian troops pursuing him. By supporting the Terek Cossacks, Godunov strengthened his influence in the Caucasus.

Making all government decisions, Boris focused his efforts on strengthening statehood. One of Boris’s main historical decisions in the domestic political arena was the establishment of the patriarchate; the church gained independence from Byzantium, while simultaneously 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 Boris's decision, 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, the foundations of Samara, Saratov, Belgorod, Tsaritsyn, Tomsk, and Voronezh were founded. An impressive fortress wall was erected in Smolensk. Under Godunov's rule, secular and church architecture flourished. It was on Boris’s initiative that the first water supply system appeared in the capital, which was then considered a miracle of technology.

Ascension to the throne

In 1591, in Uglich, the tragic death of Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible and the only heir of the childless Fyodor, occurred. 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 murder of the prince. However, after the death of Tsar Fedor in 1598, it was Boris who was elected as the new Tsar.

Boris Godunov became the first tsar to open the way to education in Russia: trying to found the first university, he sent the boyars’ 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 states, including officers, merchants, industrialists, and doctors, shaped a policy much similar to that which later glorified the achievements of Peter I. However, the reign of the Tsar was associated with constant confrontation with many difficult conditions. The famine that befell the country in 1601 over the course of three years claimed thousands of human lives, which served as a reason for the opposition boyars to spread the rumor that the plight of the people was a curse on the Tsar for the murder of the young Tsarevich Dmitry.

Godunov’s position was only complicated by the fact that, in conditions of constant confrontation, he suspected most of the boyars of conspiracies and persecuted many boyar families - forcibly sending them to monastic vows, into exile, into imprisonment or execution, often on false charges.

Despite the lack of proper education, Godunov proved himself to be a talented economist: he made decisions to strengthen production and trade, freed part of the population from taxes, and during the years of famine he opened granaries for the people and set low prices for bread. Unfortunately, in the end this did not save the people from their plight.

On the verge of troubles

The consequences of a three-year famine and the increasing frequency of robberies, epidemics, and growing discontent among 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 further aggravated the situation - residents of the surrounding areas, who moved to the capital for the sovereign's favor, died of hunger along the way. General discontent 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 difficult trials, were irreversibly undermined, and in April 1605 the king died suddenly.

The reign of Boris Godunov (briefly)

The death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584 marked the beginning of an intense struggle for the throne among the boyars. The reason for this struggle was the heir to the throne, Fedor, who was weak, weak-willed and unable to rule the state with a firm hand. This is what prompted Ivan the Terrible to create a regency council to govern the state during his lifetime.

Among this circle of boyars is the former oprichnik, a strong-willed personality, Boris Godunov, who gradually removed other competitors from power, and also using family ties, became the de facto ruler of the country.

In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry dies in Uglich under tragic circumstances, and there is a rumor among the people about Godunov’s involvement in this event.

Over the entire period of his activity, Godunov was able to prove himself as a reformer and a talented politician. Being a supporter of hard power, he understood all the negative aspects of the power of Ivan the Terrible, but continued his policy of enslaving the peasants, as he believed that this was the only way out of the state of desolation.

In 1597, a decree was issued according to which the so-called “lesson summers” were introduced, which were a five-year period for searching for fugitive peasants, during which they could be returned to the master. The dependence of slaves was significantly increased. Thus, they lost the right to redeem their own freedom, remaining dependent until the death of the master. Those who served as free servants, after a six-month period of service with the owner, were converted to serfs.

Tsar Boris sought to generalize the ruling class. His entire domestic policy was entirely aimed at balancing the situation within the state. To this end, in 1589 he carried out a reform of the patriarchate, as a result of which the Russian church became independent of the Patriarch of Constantinople, but came under the complete control of the tsar.

Under Godunov, many new cities appeared (Voronezh, Tsaritsyn, Samara, Saratov, etc.).

Everyone involved in trade and crafts is united into townspeople communities, which are subject to the same state tax.

However, lean years (1601 - 1603) caused famine in Rus'. Starving people flocked to Moscow from all over the country, and Godunov tried to provide the starving people with bread and work.

In 1603, an uprising broke out, after which the authority of the king fell.

Foreign policy of Boris Godunov 10-03-2018, 13:02 |

Foreign policy of Boris Godunov

The foreign policy of Boris Godunov is his activity, first of all, as a diplomat. The personality of Boris Godunov is very extraordinary. Both in domestic and foreign policy, he showed that he could be a wise leader, and that his decisions could produce positive results for the political development of the state as a whole.

Boris Godunov was an excellent diplomat. Even before his accession to the throne in 1598, he himself led and controlled the entire foreign policy of the state. He also conducted personal diplomatic correspondence, which, by the way, has been preserved and is located in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts.

Boris Fedorovich Godunov

Boris Fedorovich Godunov differed from his other contemporaries in that he brought bold, extraordinary ideas into politics, including in foreign policy. Unfortunately, at that time his original concepts of the foreign policy development of the state were not in demand. Perhaps this is his personal fault. Boris Fedorovich combined the features of a major statesman who thought in the interests of his state, but at the same time he himself was an ambitious person and always strived for power, and then directly for the royal throne.

As you know, all the tragic events were completed in 1618 with the signing of the Deulin Truce. The situation then was even more terrible than the situation, for example, in 1610. Many contemporaries blamed Boris Godunov for the current situation. And some historians are inclined to the same opinion. But it is not so. Boris Fedorovich’s policy was nevertheless aimed at strengthening the country’s security. He built many fortresses on the western and southern borders:

The Smolensk Fortress has been reconstructed;
Voronezh;
Livny.

So, even before the end of his reign, Boris concluded such important agreements on the cessation of hostilities with all neighboring countries. But, nevertheless, all these actions did not save either him and his family, or Russia.

We can say that Godunov’s fate was tragic; interest in his personality continues to this day. A lot of historians have devoted their works to studying the personality and politics of Boris Godunov. His image in these works is very contradictory. In addition, practically no one has deeply researched the biography of Godunov. Only Platonov did this in his work “Tsar Boris”.

Foreign policy of Boris Godunov

The foreign policy of Boris Godunov during his reign was traditionally, as under his predecessors, carried out personally by the Grand Duke, the Sovereign of All Rus'. This was the case even under Ivan III. But he naturally did not control foreign policy alone. He had assistants - a staff of people who implemented and controlled the directions of foreign policy. These were mainly representatives of the Boyar Duma.

Under Ivan IV, a special body was finally formed that led foreign policy - this is the Ambassadorial Prikaz. Its functions were as follows:

Foreign Policy Management;
Preparation of instructions that were sent to embassies;
Directed receptions for foreign embassies;
Preparation of international government treaties.

All these functions were controlled by the head of the Ambassadorial Prikaz - the Ambassadorial clerk. The first leader was Ivan Viskovaty, who was a member of the so-called Chosen Rada. You can read about her policies.

After the death of Ivan IV, Russia's position in the foreign policy arena was unstable. Only recently was the Yam-Zapolsky Peace Treaty concluded with Poland. The Livonian War was actually lost by Russia. All conquests in the Baltic states and the Principality of Lithuania were lost.

Foreign policy table of Boris Godunov

The son of Ivan IV, Fyodor Ivanovich, became the new tsar. You can read more about his reign here. The Emperor and his brother-in-law Boris Godunov (his sister Irina was Fedor’s wife) were faced with the problem of prolonging peace with Poland. This need arose in connection with the accession of a new king to the throne. It was necessary to do this because the Moscow state was absolutely not ready to wage a new war.

Here Godunov’s talent as a diplomat first appeared. He knew for sure that the Principality of Lithuania, which was part of Poland, was not ready for war, either morally or physically. Boris, unlike Boris, knew how to calculate the situation and turn it in his favor.

After Fedor’s accession, the behavior of the representatives of Russia and the Tsar in their receptions changed. Fyodor participated in all the receptions of the ambassadors, but did not do it as lively as his father had done before. Foreigners immediately noticed a significant difference between the kings. Ivan IV was an extraordinary personality, he made smart speeches for many hours, but Fyodor did not do this at all.

Gradually, Boris Fedorovich personally began to manage the entire foreign policy. His assistant was the clerk of the embassy department A. Shchelkavy. This tandem worked until 1594. Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuryev was also constantly involved in diplomatic negotiations. But he soon died. And Boris's brother Stepan Godunov. Below you will be presented with a table of the foreign policy of Boris Fedorovich Godunov.

Main events of the foreign policy of Boris Fedorovich Godunov

Initially until 1586, at this time Boris finally mastered the foreign policy of the Russian state. The external features of his policy were as follows:

To prevent a new conflict with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, to try to preserve the Yam-Zapolsky truce;
Prevent the creation of a coalition between Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against Muscovite Rus'
Neutralize the threat from the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire

At that time, the Russian state was surrounded by the enemy. All border states were not included in the group of even potential allies. Only trade relations with England and Iran were planned. The activities of British diplomats were very active at that time. Gradually, Godunov's authority grew. He established diplomatic correspondence with politicians of Poland and the Principality of Lithuania.

Godunov sought to prevent the ascension to the throne of the heir to the Polish throne, Sigismund Vaz. Given this situation, there was a high probability of a unification of Poland and Sweden against Russia. As a result, two kings were elected simultaneously in Poland. Boris Fedorovich was counting on internecine wars within the country. But then only Vasa remained king, the Poles decided to observe the truce with Russia.

Boris Fedrovich decided to start a war with Sweden (1590-1595), it ended with the signing of the Tyavzin Peace, Russia regained the following territories:

Kaporier;
Ivangorod;
Korela.

During this period, two important events occurred in the Msooka state that undermined the internal political stability in the country. In 1591, Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich died in Uglich under strange circumstances. Read more about his death. And the main contender for the Crimean throne, Murat Giray, died in Astrakhan. After the death of the heir, the Crimean Khan had every right to start a war against Russia, which he did. The attack of the Crimean Khanate was repulsed with great difficulty.

Foreign policy of Tsar Boris Fedorovich Godunov

1591 -1598 - Complete control of Boris Godunov over the foreign policy of the Russian state. The flourishing of Boris's correspondence with other monarchs. 1594 - a peace treaty was concluded with the Crimean Khan.

Since 1598, a new stage in Godunov’s political career, he concluded peace treaties with Poland and Crimea, and the massive construction of border fortresses. In 1601, Godunov became king; the period of climatic and political cataclysms that fell during his reign was approaching.

Having become king, he could not negotiate peace himself; he was forced to trust this to others. All of Godunov's confidants are gradually being replaced by a new generation. There is a feud with the Romanovs and the forced tonsure of Fyodor Nikitich as a monk. The matrimonial policy did not produce results. He failed to arrange the marriages of his daughter Ksenia and son Fyodor.

But all these miscalculations in foreign policy cannot be compared with the fact that Boris was unable to stop the invasion of the first impostor into Russian territory. You can read more about impostors. The situation is very strange, as evidenced by the following contradictory facts:

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia are in a state of truce (for 12 years);
Poland is actively helping to assemble an army for the impostor False Dmitry I to invade the territory of the Moscow state.

But it is worth noting that the official government and the king denied their personal participation in the training of the impostor’s troops. False Dmitry was helped by the Polish magnate Mniszek and according to the laws he had the right to do so.

The results of Boris Godunov's policy

Boris gradually loses his grip, he gets sick. At the same time, the country has experienced crop failure and famine for several years in a row, and the people are losing confidence in their sovereign. Many are increasingly inclined to believe that it is better for Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich to ascend the throne. As you know, he became the first successful impostor in. The Tsar died in April 1604, and at the beginning of June False Dmitry I entered Moscow.

Tsar Boris Godunov, despite all the positive aspects of his policy, did not leave a good memory of himself to his contemporaries. Perhaps this was done intentionally; sources underestimate his role in Russian history, but still many recognized that his contribution to Russian politics at that time was very important.

Foreign policy of Boris Godunov video

The death of Fyodor Ivanovich on January 6, 1598, as well as the fact that he did not leave behind an heir, led to very sad events in Rus'. Formally, power should have passed to Irina, but she did not agree to the throne, promoting her brother Boris to it. For this she even went to a monastery. But everything turned out to be much more complicated, and Boris Godunov’s path to the kingdom was very difficult. The reign of Boris Godunov was supposed to begin immediately after Irina left for the monastery, but the Boyar Duma did not recognize him as a tsar, and the Romanovs sharply criticized Boris.

As a result, Boris moved to the Novodevichy Convent. From January 20 to February 10, 1598, processions organized by Patriarch Job went to him there. Those who came asked Boris for the kingdom. Boris set a condition - to convene a Zemsky Sobor. By the way, this is what Godunov is all about - outwardly he says: “No, I don’t want to be elected only by a narrow circle, I want to be elected at the Zemsky Sobor.” He understood perfectly well that he would never be elected in a narrow circle, so he needed to convene a wide Zemsky Sobor, and at it, beat the Boyar Duma.

Zemsky Sobor against the Boyar Duma

On February 17, the Zemsky Sobor met and elected Boris Godunov to the throne. But that didn't mean anything yet. Because the Boyar Duma was supposed to register this, but it refused to do so. That is, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris, and the Boyar Duma rejected his candidacy. She proposed introducing Boyar rule in the country (in other words, an oligarchy), but the Zemsky Sobor opposed this.

The split at the top led to the issue of succession to the throne being taken to the streets. And here Godunov had an advantage, because while controlling political investigation, he had a lot of agents who began actively campaigning for him on the streets.

On February 20, a procession was organized to Boris and Irina so that Boris would take the throne. But Godunov categorically refused. He tied a scarf around his head, saying that he would rather hang himself than become an illegally elected king.

On February 21, the demonstration was repeated, and, finally, Godunov gave his consent. However, the Duma stood its ground and on February 26, Boris returned to Moscow and Job blessed him to reign. Formally, the reign of Boris Godunov began, but the Duma still remained silent. That is, it turns out that Godunov is still an illegal tsar. As a result, Boris again leaves for the Novodevichy Convent.

Godunov's trick in the fight against the Duma

Members of the Boyar Duma began to weave a new intrigue. They decided to bet on Simeon Bekbulatovich. Let me remind you that at some point Ivan the Terrible installed Simeon Bekbulatovich, a baptized Tatar, as the Grand Duke of Moscow. At the time of the beginning of the Time of Troubles, he was already a completely old man, but the Boyar Duma (maybe because of this) relied on him. And then Godunov came up with a very interesting move (the fact that it was a move that I slept later). Suddenly the messengers galloped up and said: “The Crimean threat. The Crimeans are going to Moscow!” Godunov began to gather an army for a campaign. Since ancient times, Rus' has had such an order - all prominent representatives of the boyar duma automatically became military commanders. And all the military leaders before the start of the campaign took an oath of allegiance to the king. If you do not take the oath of allegiance to the king before a military campaign, then you are a traitor and automatically: either exile or the chopping block. Since Boris Godunov was blessed by the patriarch and the Zemsky Sobor to reign, the Boyar Duma had to kiss the cross and swear allegiance to Godunov. The Cossack army marched to the Oka, but there were no Crimeans there. So Godunov outplayed the Boyar Duma. After returning from the “campaign,” they were again forced to kiss Boris’s cross, and then the real inauguration of the Tsar took place.

Boris Godunov secretly gave lunch to the boyars for 5 years not to shed blood under any circumstances, no matter what they did. The young king understood that the future of his dynasty depended on the nobility. Therefore, he sought to show the boyars that he was their king. He returned to the Boyar Duma those who suffered from the Oprichnina, and tried to make them a counterweight to the Shuiskys and Romanovs. After all, at that time the Shuiskys and Romanovs acted as allies.

Personality of Boris Godunov

Being a sickly and superstitious person, Godunov was very afraid of damage. It seemed to him that his opponents were casting a spell on him. And since there was mistrust on both sides, sooner or later this “abscess” had to break out. And it broke. Bogdan Bilsky was the first to fall. He was put in the pillory, his entire beard was plucked out one hair at a time, and he was sent into exile in Nizhny Novgorod. Then, in October 1600, the Romanovs were accused of malicious intent regarding the life of the Tsar. Opponents of the Romanovs from among the noble boyars were specially selected for the Duma commission to solve this problem. Why were the noble boyars chosen? Because from the point of view of the table of ranks, the Godunovs stood much higher than the Romanovs. Fyodor, the leader of the Romanov clan, was tonsured a monk under the name Filoret (the father of Mikhail Romanov, the future Russian Tsar), and his three brothers were sent to Siberia, where they all died in difficult conditions.

It must be said that Boris, for all his merits, was a very suspicious person. He was afraid of assassination attempts and damage, taking this very seriously.
Klyuchevsky

What can we say about Boris himself? Contemporaries, even those who were not favorable to him, wrote that he had a very good face, that he had very good manners and friendly speeches. Boris had an indestructible will, which he hid under the guise of a soft, doubtful and hesitant person. He was a very good actor, was a great speaker and was a very good family man. Godunov was the first Russian Tsar who sent the children of the boyars to study abroad. He sent 10 people to study - not a single one returned. It is even known that one of these “children” later became a pastor in Scotland. Under him, a water supply system appeared in the Kremlin, new bridges and stone benches were built. Therefore, even Boris’s opponents say that if he had been a little luckier and had a little more time at his disposal, he could have done a lot of good things.

But Godunov was unlucky. The fact is that his main strategy was “undercover games”. There he was a real master. “Under the carpet” he feels very good, but the problem is that the king also needs to act “above the carpet”. Intrigues alone are not enough. Sometimes you need to go out to people and instill in them respect, trust and veneration. Boris couldn't do this. His personality brilliantly corresponded to the era that preceded the Time of Troubles, but when the Time of Troubles had already begun in Russia, Godunov could not be the king of the people. He was rather weak for the turmoil, because here the games were already over, and it was necessary to be ready for the battle for the throne. He was unprepared.

Domestic and foreign policy of Godunov

The main stages of Russian domestic policy during the reign of Boris Godunov are as follows:

"Tax amnesty". All debts to the state were forgiven to the population.
The death penalty was abolished for 5 years (it is noteworthy that Godunov’s reign itself lasted a little more than 5 years).
Improvement of the Kremlin and Moscow. Construction of fortresses in the south of the country.
Education of boyar children in Europe (a failed idea).
Attempts to open mass educational institutions for everyone. Unsuccessful attempt.

Difficulties of Godunov's reign

What was working against Godunov then? It seemed like everything. The reign of Boris Godunov was marked by a severe famine in 1601-1602. Here's what led to it. At the beginning of the 17th century, the “Little Ice Age” began in Europe. This is due to many factors, ranging from systematic volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ocean, which continued throughout the second half of the 16th century, to more serious climate movements. In Russia, the summer of 1601 was cold and rainy. In the spring of 1602 frosts struck, which destroyed the seed fund. As a result, 1602 and 1603 saw a severe crop shortage. If at the end of the 16th century bread was sold for 3-4 kopecks per “Quarter”, then already in 1603 for 3-4 rubles. As a result, the population began to die en masse from hunger.

Godunov tried to solve the problems - he expanded construction work and organized the distribution of grain. In the context of the famine of 1601-1602, he announced the temporary restoration of St. George's Day. What was it for? So that the peasants who were considered poor by landowners could move to those who were richer, in order to simply survive the famine. But as a result, Godunov, with this decision, turned against himself that part of the nobles who were poor. That is, Godunov found himself in a very difficult situation when he had no useful steps. In chess this is called "zugzwang". He makes 1 move, solves one problem, but it creates another (sometimes several). As a result, in 1603 Godunov reversed his decision regarding the peasants. Now the peasants are dissatisfied because they cannot go to work for a rich landowner. That is, the socio-economic situation in the country was deteriorating sharply.

Fight with False Dmitry 1

The army of False Dmitry was weak. After the first serious skirmish that ended in a draw on the banks of the Desna in December 1604, the Poles, the famous Polish hussars, decided that it would not be an easy walk here, and let False Dmitry go further on his own. On January 21, 1605, the Battle of Dobrynichi took place. In it, the royal troops defeated the troops of the impostor. Moreover, False Dmitry himself acted very bravely. He distinguished himself in the battle, but the outcome was decided by the royal infantry. A third of the impostor’s army died, and he himself fled (they initially thought that he had died and only later found out that he had fled). The Russian governors were convinced that this had solved the problem of False Dmitry and won a final victory.

Boris Godunov ordered, however, to continue hostilities and his governors Sheremetyev, Shuisky, Mstislavsky began the siege of the city of Kromy. The Allied army settled in Kromy, which consisted of 200 people and 500 Cossacks. Only 700 people. They were surrounded by an army of 80 thousand, which could not break the resistance of the besieged. The army and governors did not want to fight so much. Therefore, this army began to disintegrate, which also led to another source of distrust in Godunov.

The end of the reign of Boris Godunov

In fact, after this, the reign of Boris Godunov was over. New uprisings began in the country in the southern regions, in the Bryansk region, and the Cossacks played a special role in this. Godunov regularly received messages that the fighting was not going as it should. As a result, the king was greatly demoralized. He was not the kind of person who could make complex, strong-willed decisions in a difficult situation. He became indifferent to everything. On April 13, 1605, he stood up from the table and began bleeding from his nose, ears and throat. Just 2 hours later he died, having managed to bless his son Fedor for the kingdom.

Answers to readers' questions

We invite you to familiarize yourself with brief answers to the main questions from readers that most often come to our website:

What opportunities opened up for the country during the reign of Boris Godunov? The reign of this tsar did not provide great prospects for Russia. This is due to the fact that the popular movements were too strong, as a result of which great efforts had to be spent on pacifying the situation. The dubiousness of this tsar's claims to the Russian throne ultimately led to the loss of ordinary people.
What new features appeared in state life for the country during the reign of this king? Among the new features that began to appear in Russia under Godunov, it is necessary to highlight the softening of attitudes towards their subjects. In fact, Godunov refused to pursue a policy of intimidation, which consists of mass repressions. It is also necessary to highlight that it was under this tsar that active uprisings began in Russia, which were largely directed against Tsar Boris.
Was Boris Godunov involved in the death of Tsarevich Dmitry? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. The commission that investigated the death of the prince came to the conclusion that Dmitry, while playing with a knife, stabbed himself. This is an absurd assumption, which in no way explains how the wound was received in the form of a deep and long cut in the neck area. Moreover, Dmitry was a legitimate contender for the Russian throne and only his death opened the way there for Godunov. Of course, today it is difficult to find evidence of the involvement of other persons in the death of the young prince, since Godunov himself led the investigation, and his relatives were subordinate to him. It is noteworthy that the residents of Uglich (the place where the tragedy occurred) without trial or investigation killed the officials whom Boris sent to the cities to spy on Dmitry.
Assess the domestic and foreign policies of Tsar Godunov. The main section of the current article describes in detail the features of domestic and foreign policy in Russia during this period.