Feodor I of Russia: Difference between revisions

| name = Feodor I<br/>{{nobold|Фёдор I Иванович}}

| image = Fedor I the Blessed engraving.jpg

| caption = Engraving of Feodor, 1580s

| succession = [[Tsar of all Russia]]

| reign = 28 March 1584 – 17 January 1598

| coronation = 31 May 1584

| cor-type = [[Coronation of the Russian monarch|Coronation]]

| predecessor = [[Ivan the Terrible|Ivan IV the Terrible]]

| successor = [[Boris Godunov]]<br />[[Irina Godunova]] (disputed)

| spouse = [[Irina Godunova|Irina Feodorovna Godunova]]

| issue = Tsarevna Feodosia Feodorovna of Russia

| full name = Feodor Ivanovich

| house = [[Rurik Dynasty|Rurik]]

| house-type = Dynasty

| father = [[Ivan IV of Russia]]

| mother = [[Anastasia Romanovna]]

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1557|05|31}}

| birth_place = [[Moscow]], Russia

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1598|01|17|1557|05|31}}

| death_place = [[Moscow]], Russia

| burial_date =

| burial_place = [[Archangel Cathedral]], [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]]

| religion = [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]]

Overall he was considered a good-natured, simple-minded man who took little interest in politics. By some reports, and by one of the possible translations of his nickname (Блаженный) he may have had either an [[intellectual disability]] or a [[learning disability]]. He has been characterized as feeble-minded, butpossibly thisdue mayto havecongenital beensyphilis, a misinterpretationdisease that was ravaging Europe at the time. <ref>Sean Martin - A Short History of Disease- Plagues, Poxes and Civilisations (2019, p. 113)</ref> These characterizations might be criticised as misinterpretations of his nature and behavior.

In 1580, Feodor married [[Irina Godunova|Irina (Alexandra) Feodorovna Godunova]] (1557 – 26 October/23 November 1603), sister of Ivan's minister, [[Boris Godunov]]. Although the marriage was arranged by the Tsar and the couple knew nothing of each other before their wedding day, they went on to have a strong marriage. The lonely Feodor soon grew extremely close to his wife, to a degree that was unusual for that period and [[milieu]]. Husband and wife shared a relationship of warmth and trust which was the support of Feodor's life for as long as he lived. He entrusted her to handle tsarist responsibilities, including signing decrees in his name.<ref name="Natalia Pushkareva">Natalia Pushkareva, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=8sfJb6nFFmUC Women in Russian History: From the Tenth to the Twentieth Century]''</ref>

However, Feodor and Irina's marriage did not immediately produce children, and may not have even been consummated for some years. It was only in 1592, after almost twelve years of marriage and numerous attempts by the court to cure her perceived barrenness (at the time, the wife was always blamed for the infertility of a couple), that Tsaritsa Irina gave birth to a daughter, who was named Feodosia (29 May, 1592 – 25 January, 1594) after her father. Feodor and his wife doted on their daughter, who however died aged two in 1594. There were no other children from the marriage. [[Boyar]] families rival to the Godunov clan attempted to convince Feodor to divorce and remarry, but he always rejected the idea.<ref name="Natalia Pushkareva"/>

Unlike his father, Feodor had no enthusiasm for maintaining exclusive trading rights with the [[Kingdom of England]]. Feodor declared his kingdom open to all foreigners, and dismissed the English ambassador [[Sir Jerome Bowes]], whose pomposity had been tolerated by Feodor's father. [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] sent a new ambassador, [[Giles Fletcher, the Elder]], to demand of [[Boris Godunov]] that he convince the tsar to reconsider. The negotiations failed because Fletcher addressed Feodor with two of his titles omitted. Even after this setback, Elizabeth continued to address Feodor on that topic in half appealing, half reproachful letters.<ref>See {{Cite book |last=Hume |first=David |year= 1983 |title= The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688|volume= IV |edition= 1778 |publisher= LibertyClassics |publication-date=1983 |publication-place= IndianopolisIndianapolis, IN |pages=376 |via= Online Library of Liberty |url=http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/hume-the-history-of-england-vol-4}}</ref> She proposed an alliance between Russia and England, something which she had refused to do when it had been sought by Feodor's father, but he turned her down.<ref>''Russia and Britain'' by Crankshaw, Edward, published by Collins, 126 p. ''The Nations and Britain'' series</ref>

[[Category:EasternRussian Orthodoxroyalty monarchsand nobility with disabilities]]