Maria of Livonia
Encyclopedia
Maria Vladimirovna of Staritsa(ca 1560, Staritsa
– 13 May 1610) was a Russian princess
. She was the daughter of Prince
Vladimir of Staritsa
and his wife, Princess Evdokiya Odoyevskaya, and, through her father, descended from Zoe Palaiologina (being her last known descendant).
On 12 April 1574, in Novgorod, she married Magnus
of Livonia
. They had two children:
Upon her husband's death, Jerome Horsey
escorted Maria from the Bishopric of Courland
to the court of Boris Godunov
. Although Horsey proposed to marry her, Godunov was anxious to get rid of a potential claimant to the throne. As a result, Maria was forced to take the veil
and entered a convent
adjacent to the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
.
In 1609, she entered into correspondence
with her false cousin, False Dmitry II
, who had proclaimed himself Tsar. Her subsequent fate is not documented.
Staritsa
Staritsa is a town and the administrative center of Staritsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River, from Tver. Population: -History:...
– 13 May 1610) was a Russian princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
. She was the daughter of Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
Vladimir of Staritsa
Vladimir of Staritsa
Vladimir Andreyevich was the last appanage Russian prince. His complicated relationship with his cousin, Ivan the Terrible, was dramatized in Sergei Eisenstein's movie Ivan the Terrible....
and his wife, Princess Evdokiya Odoyevskaya, and, through her father, descended from Zoe Palaiologina (being her last known descendant).
On 12 April 1574, in Novgorod, she married Magnus
Magnus of Livonia
Magnus of Holstein was a Prince of Denmark and a member of the House of Oldenburg. As a vassal of Ivan IV of Russia, he was the titular King of Livonia from 1570 to 1578.-Early life:...
of Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
. They had two children:
- Marie of Oldenburg (ca July 1580 – ca 1597).
- Eudoxia of Oldenburg (ca 1581 – ca 1588).
Upon her husband's death, Jerome Horsey
Jerome Horsey
Sir Jerome Horsey , of Great Kimble, Buckinghamshire, was an English explorer, diplomat and politician in the 16th and 17th centuries....
escorted Maria from the Bishopric of Courland
Bishopric of Courland
The Bishopric of Courland was the second smallest ecclesiastical state in the Livonian Confederation founded in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade...
to the court of Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov
Boris Fyodorovich Godunov was de facto regent of Russia from c. 1585 to 1598 and then the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. The end of his reign saw Russia descend into the Time of Troubles.-Early years:...
. Although Horsey proposed to marry her, Godunov was anxious to get rid of a potential claimant to the throne. As a result, Maria was forced to take the veil
Veil
A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face.One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space...
and entered a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
adjacent to the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to...
.
In 1609, she entered into correspondence
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
with her false cousin, False Dmitry II
False Dmitry II
False Dmitry II , also called the rebel of Tushino, was the second of three pretenders to the Russian throne who claimed to be Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich of Russia, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible...
, who had proclaimed himself Tsar. Her subsequent fate is not documented.