Xenia Shestova
Encyclopedia
Boyar
inya Kseniya Ioannovna (Ivanovna) Shestova was a spouse of Fyodor Romanov and the mother of Mikhail Romanov. The origin of Xeniya Ivanovna has been disputed by genealogists for centuries. It is currently accepted that her surname was Shestova (Шестова; rather than Shastunova, as was previously believed) and that her grandfather was Timofey Gryaznoy, a rich landowner from Uglich
.
During Boris Godunov
's repressions against the Romanovs, she was forced to take the veil, changing her name to Martha (Russian: Marfa). After several years of exile at Tolvuyskiy pogost
, she settled with her son in Kostroma
. It was there that the ambassadors arrived to inform Mikhail about his election to the Russian throne in 1613. As the previous tsars had been either killed or disgraced, Marfa at first declined to bless her son and let him go to Moscow.
During the first years of his reign, Marfa (or the "great nun" as she came to be known) exerted great influence on her moribund and listless son. She placed her relatives, the Saltykovs, at the important posts in the government, leading to widespread corruption. The return of her husband from Poland in 1619 put an end to their (and her own) influence at court. She died on 27 January 1631 and was buried in Novospassky Monastery
.
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
inya Kseniya Ioannovna (Ivanovna) Shestova was a spouse of Fyodor Romanov and the mother of Mikhail Romanov. The origin of Xeniya Ivanovna has been disputed by genealogists for centuries. It is currently accepted that her surname was Shestova (Шестова; rather than Shastunova, as was previously believed) and that her grandfather was Timofey Gryaznoy, a rich landowner from Uglich
Uglich
Uglich is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, which stands on the Volga River. Population: A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. It was first documented in 1148 as Ugliche Pole...
.
During 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:...
's repressions against the Romanovs, she was forced to take the veil, changing her name to Martha (Russian: Marfa). After several years of exile at Tolvuyskiy pogost
Pogost
Pogost is a historical term with several meanings in the Russian language. It has also been borrowed into Latvian and Finnish , with specific meanings....
, she settled with her son in Kostroma
Kostroma
Kostroma is a historic city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russian towns, it is located at the confluence of the Volga and Kostroma Rivers...
. It was there that the ambassadors arrived to inform Mikhail about his election to the Russian throne in 1613. As the previous tsars had been either killed or disgraced, Marfa at first declined to bless her son and let him go to Moscow.
During the first years of his reign, Marfa (or the "great nun" as she came to be known) exerted great influence on her moribund and listless son. She placed her relatives, the Saltykovs, at the important posts in the government, leading to widespread corruption. The return of her husband from Poland in 1619 put an end to their (and her own) influence at court. She died on 27 January 1631 and was buried in Novospassky Monastery
Novospassky Monastery
Novospassky Monastery is one of the fortified monasteries surrounding Moscow from south-east.It was the first monastery to be founded in Moscow in the early 14th century. The Saviour Church was its original katholikon...
.
External links
- Xenia Ivanovna Romanova in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic DictionaryBrockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic DictionaryThe Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary is, in its scope and style, the Russian counterpart to the Encyclopædia Britannica. It contains 121,240 articles, 7,800 images, and 235 maps...
(in Russian)