Boris Godunov

Interesting Facts

• The work is written in the genre of historical drama and is based on real events in Russian history at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries.
• The main character, Boris Godunov, was a real historical figure who became the Tsar of Russia after the death of Fyodor Ioannovich.
• Pushkin used chronicles and historical documents to create an authentic depiction of the era and its characters.
• The play raises themes of power, betrayal, fate, and moral responsibility.
• The work is written in verse, giving it a special artistic expressiveness.
• The play was banned from being staged during Pushkin's lifetime and was first performed only in 1870, more than 30 years after it was written.
• One of the key characters is the impostor Grigory Otrepyev, who posed as Tsarevich Dmitry, the son of Ivan the Terrible.
• Pushkin employed Shakespearean tragedy techniques, such as monologues and the psychological depth of characters.