Tsarina Maria Skuratova - wife of Boris Godunov and worthy daughter of Malyuta Skuratov

Tsarina Maria Skuratova - wife of Boris Godunov 

Tsarina Maria Skuratova - wife of Boris Godunov and worthy daughter of Malyuta Skuratov. Clever, ambitious and ambitious Maria became for Boris Godunov not only a faithful wife, but also an assistant. And even, one might say, a “grey eminence” - he made many of his decisions at the instigation of his wife. Cruel, prudent and decisive - she was a worthy daughter of her bloody father, Malyuta Skuratov.

Origin

Known for his ruthlessness, cruelty, and blind faith in the Tsar, his beloved oprichnikMalyuta Skuratov for the family was a caring and loving person. For his three daughters, he not only made a large dowry, but also gave a good education, which later became very useful to Mary.

And he successfully married off each daughter, of course, using the patronage of the king. Particularly lucky was the middle one, Mary, who later became the wife of the king.

Portraits of Mary and even descriptions of her appearance have not been preserved. But judging by the fact that her daughter,Ksenia Godunova , was one of the beauties of her time, she herself was probably also very good.

Married to Godunov

Whether there was love between Maria and Boris Godunov, and indeed, whether they knew each other before the matchmaking, is not known for certain. Taking advantage of his position as one of the closest people to Ivan the Terrible, Skuratov could have found a spouse from a more noble family for his daughter, which he did for his other daughters. But this marriage was beneficial to both parties.

Godunov was, although not very distinguished - just from the landowners of the middle class, but an active, active and promising statesman. In addition, he was the nephew of the royal bed-keeper Dmitry Godunov and the brother-in-law of the princeFedor Ioanovich . Malyuta Skuratov through this marriage became not only the closest associate of the king, but also his relatives. And Godunov further strengthened his position under the tsar.

The Godunovs had three children: daughter Ksenia, son Ivan, who died in early childhood from a cold, and the heir, son Fedor. Parents tried to give their children a good education, invited the best teachers, including foreign ones, and paid great attention to the spiritual development of their children.

Like her father, Maria Skuratova was a loving mother and a good wife. But, judging by the few descriptions of contemporaries, she was distinguished by cunning, lust for power and rigidity in relations with others.

Her dream was to become a queen. And her ambition and ambition helped Boris to take the royal throne.

Queen

And in the years when her husband was close to Ivan the Terrible, and when he became regent under Fedor Ioanovich, and then, when he achieved the pinnacle of power, Maria was her husband's faithful and, even, necessary assistant.

Boris Godunov was gifted by nature with a good memory, flexible mind and cunning. This helped him to break through to the top and successfully fulfill his duties. But he could not read and write well. And here Mary was of great help. And being aware of all state affairs, she not only helped her husband with wise advice, but, at times, played her game behind his back.

The traveler and merchant Isaac Mass describes the relationship between.

Godunov valued his wife's opinion and often turned to her for advice, attracted her to some cases. Maria was even present at some of the inquests. So, when rumors began to spread about the miraculous salvation of Tsarevich Dmitry, his mother was brought to Moscow,Maria Nagaya , imprisoned in a monastery under the name Martha. The stubborn woman did not want to answer Godunov's questions, despite the presence of Patriarch Job. Then Maria Skuratova, who was present at the interrogation, snatched out a burning candle, sharply brought it to Nagoya's eyes, almost depriving her of her vision: “Well, say what you know!” The husband had to intercede for the old woman Martha, which saved her eyes. But it also made me speak. Still, the blood of Malyuta Skuratov often guided her actions.

Maria herself was a good leader and organizer - however, she, as a woman, had nowhere to turn around at that time. But she managed the work of the workshops of the palace, where the girls were engaged in sewing and embroidery. She personally controlled the quality of products and strictly asked the workers. With her, products that went beyond the limits of the workshop became real works of art and looked simply luxurious, sometimes not inferior in beauty and filigree execution to jewelry.

tragic end

After the death of Boris Godunov, the throne passed to his 16-year-old son Fyodor, and his mother was crowned as regent. But she reigned for only 48 days.

A civil war broke out in the country. The people recognized in the impostor Tsarevich Dmitry, who approached Moscow with a large army. False Dmitry set a condition: he would ascend the throne only if the Godunovs were executed. And they were all betrayed. Even Mary's cousin,Bohdan Belsky , defected to the sideFalse Dmitry .

Fedor and Maria Godunov were strangled, moreover, by their own traitors, the boyars. The people were told that they themselves had drunk the poison and put the corpses on display. Rope marks were clearly visible on the bodies. The people remembered the atrocities of her father, so the death of Mary, in revenge, was even welcomed. Althoughthe death of his son and the bitter fate of his daughter aroused sympathy among many.

The bodies of Fedor and Maria Godunov did not even begin to bury with dignity - after all, they were officially declared suicides. Moreover, the remains of Boris Godunov were pulled out of the burial place in the Archangel Cathedral and desecrated. All three bodies were buried near the fence of the Varsonofevsky nunnery - where the beggars were buried.

In 1606, when False Dmitry was killed and Vasily Shuisky ascended the Russian throne, the remains of the Godunovs were reburied in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.