The famous painting by the artist Vasily Surikov "Boyarynya Morozova" depicts a woman in black clothes, who sits on the wood. She is being taken to prison in front of a crowd of people. This is the heroine of the picture - Theodosia Morozova. You can see from the boyaryn's face that she understands that she is doomed to torment. But thanks to a proud spirit and strong will, he is not afraid of suffering. I am ready to bear them for the sake of faith, from which I will not give up … But we do not know what was hidden in the very depths of a woman's heart. Who is the only one she truly loved? After all, a woman cannot but love …
Met my eyes
… Feodosia Sokovnina by the age of 17 was already a marriageable bride. Her father, boyar Procopius Sokovnin, was one of the close associates of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (XVII century). He did not possess much wealth, but he had the respect of the sovereign. And, of course, he wanted a noble groom for his eldest daughter.
Happiness overwhelmed him when he learned that the uncle of Tsar Ivan's younger brother Gleb Morozov wanted to get married to Feodosia. He did this on the advice of his older brother Boris, who was the educator of Alexei Mikhailovich.
By the age of 50, Gleb was already a widower, but had no children. He turned out to be a profitable game for Theodosia Sokovnina. And he was lucky - the young girl was a miracle how beautiful herself, and a kind and meek disposition. Theodosia's parents were glad that the wedding of the eldest daughter opened an equally profitable future for her younger ones - sister Evdokia and brothers Fedor and Alexei.
The matchmaking turned out to be colorful, as if from a fairy tale. 12 beautiful purebred horses were carrying a large gilded carriage. Dressed up Gleb Morozov was sitting in it. One coat made of valuable fur was worth what. Frankly, he didn't really want all these public ceremonies and wedding paraphernalia. Still, the groom is not the first freshness … In the sense that he was once married.
The boyar's carriage was accompanied by more than a hundred servants. Needless to say, it was impressive! The heart of the inexperienced Theodosia was beating in trembling excitement, often, often. Although she married “blindly,” not knowing her future husband in advance, she could not help but understand that from now on she would live in wealth.
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From childhood, Feodosia was distinguished by the fact that she never dared to disobey her mother and father. Therefore, she did not oppose their consent to give her in marriage to the boyar Morozov. Until then, she did not fall in love with anyone, she was completely absorbed in the life of the parental family. Moreover, her mother was a domineering nature. Perhaps that is why in the future rebellion will appear in the character of Feodosia …
The Morozovs' estate was located in Zyuzin, near Moscow. The main building was a stunning palace, decorated and painted in the latest fashion of the time. It was there that the wedding took place.
So that all the nobility looked at the new darling of Morozov, the wedding festivities lasted a whole week. On the third day of the celebration, the royal couple came to the estate of the Morozovs: the young Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with his wife Maria Ilyinichna.
It was from this moment, according to some chroniclers, that the tragic story of boyarynya Morozova began, which made her immortal …
… The young and handsome tsar met the eyes of the young Feodosia and for a long time could not take his eyes off. Something hooked him about this girl. As soon as the week of wedding celebrations at the Morozovs ended, he ordered the spouses to come to him for an audience.
Since then, the young attractive noblewoman has become close to the court. She herself came to the royal chambers, and Alexei visited her husband's estate from time to time. He liked to communicate with the precocious and mature Theodosia, who had her own opinion on everything. Surprisingly, she knew history quite well, understood politics.
Hard times
The people immediately started talking about the fact that the sovereign and the boyar had relations that went beyond business and even friendly. When a year after the wedding, a boy was born to the Morozov couple, who was named Ivan, there was little doubt that this was the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and not her lawful spouse Gleb. Moreover, the same blue-eyed and fair-haired.
In addition, it has long been rumored that both Morozov brothers are not capable of having offspring. Neither Boris nor his older brother Gleb had children. True, the tsar hardly needed such a relationship, with a likely claim to the throne. Therefore, he would never officially recognize him in the world. But it turned out even worse …
If boyar Morozov had stayed alive, maybe Feodosia would not have gone the way that turned out to be disastrous for her. But in 1662, both Morozov brothers died one after another. First Boris, and then Gleb. Gleb's inheritance, according to the law, passed to his son Ivan. But since he was still a minor (12 years old), Theodosia was appointed manager of the estate. And a woman without a husband and even in power seems to many to be potentially dangerous.
The noblewoman became bolder in her statements and actions. And in Russia at that time there were riots, Romanov had fewer supporters, he was nervous …
After the death of Patriarch Joseph, the church authority changed, which began to advocate for changes in the likeness of the Catholic Church, where all power is with the Pope. It was then that the three fingers were introduced, although until then all believers made the sign of the cross with two fingers.
Patriarch Nikon
The new patriarch Nikon insisted on changing the appearance of the cross: from eight-pointed to four-pointed. The tsar did not contradict the patriarch. At that time, he saw in him the only force that could influence the people and calm them down.
Feodosia and the patriarch immediately developed mutual hostility. The new church changes were not to her heart. She did not want to follow them. A feud began between them. And it turned out that the scared to death Tsar Alexei was ready for the betrayal of a loved one. The tsar did not defend Theodosia. He disowned her.
At first, he stopped communicating, avoided meetings. And as soon as his wife Maria died, he soon married a young Natalya Naryshkina. All this time the noblewoman preached the old faith, helped the poor, communicated with like-minded people.
I did not go to the wedding of Tsar Morozov.
Then Alexei Mikhailovich got angry in earnest. In addition, he had long been dissatisfied with the fact that she was making friends with the Archpriest Avvakum, who was a true adherent of the old faith and urged the people not to renounce it. Then Romanov ordered the archimandrite of the Chudov Monastery, Joachim, to arrest the noblewoman Morozov.
Iron collar
… There was a loud knock on the house of Theodosia. Joachim, who appeared on the threshold, announced the order of the tsar for arrest. But to make everything more reliable, he conducted a "preliminary investigation". The archimandrite demanded that Theodosia show how she makes the sign of the cross. She, proudly throwing up her head, crossed herself with two fingers. After her, her own sister Evdokia did the same, who spent the night that night at Theodosia.
Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov
Joachim laughed loudly and said: “You did not know how to be submissive. Therefore, at the royal command, you should be expelled from your own home. The noblewoman did not budge. Then the servants forcibly carried her and her sister out of the house, put them in leg shackles and threw them into the basement. In a couple of days they were to be taken to the Kremlin for interrogation.
The sisters were interrogated by Joachim and Metropolitan Pavel Krutitsky. Obedience was sought from Morozova. And, had she admitted her “mistake” and obedience to the king, she would probably have been released in peace. But the noblewoman was adamant, called the representatives of the sovereign heretics.
The next morning, iron collars closed around the necks of Feodosia and Evdokia, to which thick chains were attached. It was decided to separate the sisters and take them to different monasteries. Morozova was sent to the former courtyard of the Pskov-Pechersky monastery. On the logs she made her way through the Kremlin, past the royal chambers.
A large crowd gathered to see this. How, the boyaryn herself is being taken! Once she was an entrance to the king, and now she is an ordinary prisoner. One of the moments of Morozova's journey, when she raises her hand to the royal windows, thinking that the sovereign will see her, most likely, is shown in Surikov's painting.
… For more than half a year, the boyaryn was languishing in prison, when the news reached her, which was conveyed to her with special gloating at the behest of the tsar - her son Vanya died … She was crying for a whole week. She howled like a wounded wolf. Her moans seemed to be heard in every nook and cranny of the monastery. She never felt as bad as in those terrible days.
Some people from the tsar's entourage assumed that Ivan died not without the participation of the sovereign. After all, while the younger Morozov was alive, all the wealth that belonged to him by inheritance was inaccessible to the tsar. And after Vanya's death, everything went to the royal treasury. But the bullying of the one with whom Alexey Mikhailovich once closely communicated did not stop there …
Probably, the king hoped that the death of his only son would undermine the strength of the boyar and she would surrender her positions. Will accept a new faith. Will repent. But she didn't.
Hell's torment
It was ordered to subject Morozova, her sister Evdokia and another of their associates Maria, also arrested, to cruel torture - being raised on a rack. It was a terrible frost. Almost all their clothes were stripped off the women, leaving them naked to the waist. Hands were tied behind my back, wrists tied. And on their tied hands they raised to a great height from the ground. Theodosia shouted about the inhumanity of the torturers. They hung for at least forty minutes. The rough ropes frayed the skin of the wrists. Blood oozed from the wounds …
But the atrocities did not end there. Feodosia, Evdokia and Maria were thrown into the snow and began to be whipped. The pain was terrible. It seemed that this horror would never end. But finally everything calmed down, and the half-dead prisoners were taken away, each to their own place of confinement.
After some time, Morozova was transferred first to the Novodevichy Convent, and later to the Khamovnicheskaya Sloboda.
No matter how hard some of his associates tried to persuade the tsar to take pity on the boyaryn at last, he only stamped his feet and shouted: “Don't you dare interfere! I don't want to hear about her! In general, I will take it out of the world, since you remind me of her! Well, right all over to dad, as they say - an apple from an apple tree …
And his promise immediately after what was said began to be fulfilled. Feodosia, and then Evdokia, was immediately transported to the small town of Borovsk (the supposed place of an earthen pit), where they were locked up in a prison. At first, it seemed that fate took a little pity on the emaciated women in captivity. They were given food and prayer.
The punishing hand (hand, palm - approx. "I want to know everything") appeared to courageous sisters in the person of clerk Bessonov. He, being sent by the king to bring the matter "to the mind and a just end," ordered to put both Old Believers in a deep earthen hole and not give them food or water. Dirt, cold, hunger, thirst …
It became obvious that the days of Theodosia and Evdokia were numbered … The younger sister could not stand it first. Dying, she asked Theodosia to sing prayers over her. Her lifeless body was wrapped in matting and buried in the courtyard of the prison.
A few days later, the noblewoman felt that her turn was about to come and say goodbye to the world. It's funny to say, but she was only 43 years old. By today's standards - a woman in the juice, who has a lot of chances to start all over again. Including in his personal life.
But then, in the 17th century, she was already considered almost an old woman. And even more so after the ordeal, it was even more impossible to look at her without tears. Gray hair, wrinkles of suffering … Only a subtle gleam of defiance remained in Theodosia's eyes until the last breath. And … the beat of a loving heart.
Borovsk chapel at the site of the death of Boyarynya Morozova
She remembered the goodness of her venerable deceased husband, she felt grateful to Habakkuk … And, of course, she did not hold a grudge against Alexei Mikhailovich, despite the fact that he was the culprit of all her torments. She forgave him, because "he did not know what he was doing."
But whom was the noblewoman loved most of all, whose image is forever imprinted in history? Whether it is true or not, there is evidence that in some historical documents her words are recorded: "I love Christ even more than my own son."
On November 12, 1675, Theodosia Prokopyevna Morozova passed away.