“THE MALFUL BORIS!”: RECEPTION OF THE PERSONALITY OF BORIS GODUNOV IN RUSSIAN CULTURAL TRADITION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the examination of the artistic image of Mr. Boris Godunov in Russian literature and cinematography. The author analyzes the prosaic and dramatic historical works of the XIX-XXI centuries, as well as feature films and historical series. The analysis was based on the idea of the guilt / innocence of Boris Godunov in the murder of the young Tsarevich Dmitry. This prince was the heir to the Russian throne. As a result of the study, conclusions were drawn about the determining influence on the ideological position of the authors of works of art and films from the point of view of the court historian Karamzin. This view was a reflection of the official ideology of the Romanov dynasty. For the Romanovs, Godunov was a political intriguer and a ruthless infanticide. This opinion prevailed in Russian historiography for more than three hundred years. Despite the emergence of new scientific studies that refute the official point of view on the issue of the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, the historical myth of the cruel and bloodthirsty Tsar Boris continues to exist in the Russian cultural tradition. This myth is reflected in numerous literary works about Godunov and the Time of Troubles. Authors of historical novels and short stories, tragedies and ballads, films and television films consider Godunov a professional politician. But for them he is a killer. An exception is the novel of the representative of emigrant literature, Henri Trois, completely rehabilitating Godunov as a ruler and as a person.

Keywords

• godunov boris
• time of troubles
• historical prose
• historical tragedy
• historical film
• historical myth