- Also called:
- Pseudo-demetrius
- Russian:
- Lzhedmitry, orDmitry Samozvanets
False Dmitry
-
Who were the False Dmitrys?
The moniker "False Dmitry" refers to multiple pretenders, not a single person, who claimed to be Dmitry Ivanovich, the deceased son of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. The real Dmitry died mysteriously in 1591.
The first False Dmitry appeared after the death of Fyodor I, the last tsar of the Rurik dynasty, and challenged the right to the throne of Boris Godunov, who had succeeded Fyodor. With the support of Polish and Lithuanian nobles and the Jesuits, he invaded Russia in 1604 and seized the throne after Boris's death. However, he alienated his supporters and was murdered in a coup in 1606.
Rumors of Dmitry's survival led to a second False Dmitry, who garnered a large following and established a rival government at Tushino. He was eventually killed by one of his own followers. A third False Dmitry emerged in 1611, gaining support from Cossacks and the inhabitants of Pskov, but was later betrayed and executed. These events occurred during the Time of Troubles, a period of political crisis in Russia.
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Why did people pretend to be Dmitry Ivanovich in Russia?
During Russia's Time of Troubles (1598–1613), several individuals falsely claimed to be Dmitry Ivanovich, son of Ivan the Terrible, who had died mysteriously in 1591.
Driven by political instability and a power vacuum after the Rurik dynasty ended, these False Dmitrys aimed to seize the throne. The first, likely Grigory Otrepyev, gained significant support and even became tsar before being overthrown. Despite his death, rumors of Dmitry's survival fueled the emergence of subsequent pretenders, each seeking to capitalize on the belief that the rightful heir lived. These claims stirred unrest and challenged the legitimacy of rulers like Boris Godunov and Vasily Shuysky.
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How many False Dmitrys were there?
The moniker "False Dmitry" refers to multiple individuals, not just one. During the Time of Troubles (1598–1613), three different pretenders claimed to be Dmitry Ivanovich, the son of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, who had died mysteriously in 1591.
The first False Dmitry gained support and invaded Russia in 1604, seizing the throne. However, he was killed in a coup. The second False Dmitry appeared in 1607, gaining a large following and establishing a court outside Moscow before fleeing and eventually being killed by one of his own followers. A third False Dmitry surfaced in 1611 but was betrayed and executed in Moscow.
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What was the Time of Troubles in Russia?
The Time of Troubles in Russia (1598–1613) was a period of political crisis following the end of the Rurik dynasty and ending with the establishment of the Romanov dynasty.
This era was marked by foreign intervention, peasant uprisings, and pretenders to the throne, threatening the Russian state. The crisis began after the death of Fyodor, the last Rurik tsar, and the succession of Boris Godunov. A Polish-supported pretender, False Dmitry, challenged Godunov, claiming to be the legitimate heir to the throne.
After Godunov's death, False Dmitry briefly took the throne before being assassinated. This event started a period of revolts and more pretenders, including the Second False Dmitry, who set up a rival government. Ultimately, Russian forces rallied against Polish intervention, leading to the election of Michael Romanov as the new tsar in 1613.
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How did the False Dmitrys affect Russian politics and society?
The False Dmitrys significantly impacted Russian politics and society during the Time of Troubles (1598–1613). These pretenders, claiming to be the deceased son of Ivan the Terrible, disrupted the existing order and fueled instability after the Rurik dynasty's demise.
The emergence of False Dmitry I led to Boris Godunov's downfall and exposed deep social and political divisions. His unorthodox customs and reliance on Polish support alienated many, resulting in his assassination. The subsequent appearances of False Dmitry II and False Dmitry III further destabilized the country, contributing to peasant uprisings, foreign intervention, and a general sense of chaos.
These events ultimately threatened to destroy the Russian state and caused major social and economic disruptions. The turmoil ended with the election of Michael Romanov in 1613, establishing a new dynasty.
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What eventually happened to the people who claimed to be False Dmitry?
Several individuals falsely claimed to be Dmitry Ivanovich, son of Ivan the Terrible, during the Time of Troubles (1598–1613).
The Fates of the False Dmiritys:
- False Dmitry I: He garnered support, invaded Russia, and was declared tsar in 1605. However, he lost support due to his unorthodox customs and preferential treatment of Poles. He was murdered in a coup d’état led by Vasily Shuysky in May 1606.
- False Dmitry II: This pretender gained a large following and established a court in Tushino. He was later forced to flee and was eventually killed by one of his own followers in December 1610.
- False Dmitry III: He emerged in 1611, gaining allegiance from Cossacks and Pskov inhabitants, but was betrayed and executed in Moscow.
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False Dmitry, any of three different pretenders to the Muscovite throne who, during the Time of Troubles (1598–1613), claimed to be Dmitry Ivanovich, the son of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible (reigned 1533–84) who had died mysteriously in 1591 while still a child.
After Fyodor I (reigned 1584–98), the last tsar of the Rurik dynasty, died and his brother-in-law Boris Godunov succeeded him, the first False Dmitry appeared and challenged Godunov’s right to the throne. The first pretender is considered by many historians to have been Grigory (Yury) Bogdanovich Otrepyev, a member of the gentry who had frequented the house of the Romanovs before becoming the monk Grigory and who apparently sincerely believed he was the legitimate heir to the throne. He claimed to be Prince Dmitry while living in Moscow (1601–02); but, when he was threatened with banishment, he fled to Lithuania, where in 1603 he began to solicit support for a campaign to acquire the Muscovite throne.
Aided by individual Lithuanian and Polish nobles, as well as by the Jesuits, the False Dmitry gathered an army of Cossacks and adventurers and invaded Russia in the fall of 1604. His forces were defeated militarily, but he attracted followers throughout southern Russia. When Tsar Boris suddenly died in April 1605, the government army shifted its support to the pretender; Muscovite boyars murdered Boris’ infant son and heir, and the False Dmitry triumphantly entered Moscow in June 1605 and was proclaimed tsar.
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Dmitry, however, alienated his supporters by failing to observe the traditions and customs of the Muscovite court, by favouring the Poles who had accompanied him and Marina Mniszek (a Polish nobleman’s daughter who became Dmitry’s wife) to Moscow, and by attempting to engage Muscovy in an elaborate Christian alliance to drive the Turks out of Europe. In May 1606 Vasily Shuysky, one of the boyars who had turned against him, led a coup d’état, murdered the first False Dmitry, and succeeded him as tsar.
Rumours spread that Dmitry had survived the coup d’état, and in August 1607 another pretender appeared at Starodub claiming to be the recently deposed tsar. Although the second False Dmitry bore no physical resemblance to the first, he gathered a large following among Cossacks, Poles, Lithuanians, and rebels who had already risen against Shuysky. He gained control of southern Russia, marched toward Moscow, and established his headquarters (including a full court and government administration) at the village of Tushino (spring 1608).
Known thereafter as the Thief of Tushino, the second False Dmitry sent his bands to ravage northern Russia, and, after Marina Mniszek formally claimed him as her husband, he wielded authority that rivaled Shuysky’s. In the spring of 1610, however, Shuysky, aided by Swedish troops, ejected the Thief of Tushino from northern Russia and forced him to flee to Kaluga. The second False Dmitry continued to contend for the Muscovite throne until one of his own followers fatally wounded him in December 1610.
In March 1611 a third False Dmitry, who has been identified as a deacon called Sidorka, appeared at Ivangorod. He gained the allegiance of the Cossacks (March 1612), who were ravaging the environs of Moscow, and of the inhabitants of Pskov, thus acquiring the nickname Thief of Pskov. In May 1612 he was betrayed and later executed in Moscow.
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