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False Dmitry I

Type Figure Region Russia Time c. 1582–1606 Also known as Tsar False Dmitry

False Dmitry I was an impostor during Russia's Time of Troubles who claimed to be Ivan IV's young son Dmitry Ivanovich; born c.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1582–1603Border regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth · Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthOperating within the Polish-Lithuanian sphere of influence, he claimed to be Tsar Ivan IV's son Dmitry, gaining support from some Polish nobles and Jesuits, and built up strength for his later advance on Moscow.
  2. 1604–1605Moscow · RussiaLeading Polish auxiliary troops and Cossacks southward, he defeated Feodor, son of Boris Godunov, in 1605, entered Moscow, and was recognized by the nobility as the lawful tsar.
  3. 1605–1606Moscow Kremlin · MoscowAfter his coronation he pursued pro-Catholic and pro-Poland policies, married Marina Mniszech, and allowed Poles into the city, provoking strong resentment among the nobility and populace and laying the groundwork for the coup the following year.
  4. 1606Moscow · RussiaIn May 1606 Vasily Shuisky launched a coup and the Moscow populace rose in revolt; False Dmitry was shot dead in the Kremlin, his body put on public display, and his rule came to an end.

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