What historical period does Aleksandr Pushkin’s drama Boris Godunov portray?

Aleksandr Pushkin’s historical tragedy Boris Godunov is set in Russia during a period of intense political and social instability at the turn of the 17th century.1

The drama portrays the era surrounding the reign of Boris Godunov (1598–1605) and the subsequent onset of the Time of Troubles—a tumultuous period in Russian history characterized by civil war, foreign intervention, and the collapse of the Rurik dynasty. Pushkin’s work explores the moral and political tensions between the ruling classes and the masses, focusing on the tragic fate of Boris Godunov as he navigates the challenges of famine, boyar opposition, and the emergence of a pretender known as the False Dmitry.213