“False” Dmitriy I: Fake Ruler of Russia

By: Igor Charlesovich

General Information

• Lived from 1581- May 17th, 1606• Reigned over Russian for about a year (July

21st, 1605- May 17th 1606)• Real name is Grigory Otrepyev (not proven)• Country of Origin: Poland

How He Came To Be Tsar

• During the Time of Troubles in Russia, claimed to be Ivan the Terrible’s youngest son

• There actually was a Dmitriy Ivanovich, but he was killed and Grigory took his identity

• Some questioned if he was legitimate, others say he shared many of Ivan’s characteristics

How He Came To Be Tsar (Continued)

• Attracted enough followers to form a small army and rode into Russia with it

• Fought 2 battles: Won first, badly lost the second

• Tsar Boris dies and soldiers start to join False Dmitriy as he seems to be next in line for the throne

• Newly crowned Tsar, Feodor II is imprisoned and Dmitriy takes the throne

His Demise

• Married Marina Mniszech- she was not made to convert to Orthodox (unheard of at the time)

• This caused problems with the church and created him more enemies

• Conspirators stormed the Kremlin, he jumped out a window, broke his leg, and was shot dead

Fun Facts

• It is said that after his death, his ashes were shot out of a cannon back to Poland

• There were actually 2 other “False” rulers following Dmitriy (False Dmitriy II and False Dmitriy III)