Godunov, Boris (1551?-1605), was czar of Russia from 1598 to 1605. His brief rule was marked by famine and unrest, and it led to a period of upheaval in Russia called the Time of Troubles.
Boris Feodorovich Godunov served in the court of Czar Ivan IV, also called Ivan the Terrible. After the death of Ivan in 1584, Ivan’s son Fedor became czar. He was a weak ruler, however. Godunov, who was Fedor’s brother-in-law and one of his advisers, became the real ruler of Russia. After Fedor died in 1598, Godunov had himself elected czar by the zemskiy sobor (land council), a kind of parliament with little power.
In 1601, heavy rain followed by frosts destroyed Russia’s crops, and famine resulted. Crop failures and famine continued until 1603 and led to unrest among the people. Rumors spread that Godunov had plotted the assassination of Fedor’s younger brother, Dmitriy, and that Russia was being punished for Godunov’s actions. Young Dmitriy had died in 1591, apparently as the result of an accident.
In 1604, a man claiming to be Dmitriy invaded Russia to take the throne. Godunov called the man an impostor but died suddenly in 1605. Godunov’s son succeeded him as Fedor II but was murdered a few weeks later. The invader then became czar, but he was killed by rebels in 1606. His invasion marked the beginning of the Time of Troubles. During this period, which lasted until 1613, Russia was torn by civil war, invasion, and political confusion.
Godunov’s career is the subject of a drama by Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky wrote an opera based on Pushkin’s play.
