Marina (Marianna) Mniszek is a noble Polish young lady, "political lady of the Middle Ages" who played a significant role in the history of Russia. And it was a difficult time for our country.
Childhood
Marina Mniszek was born in 1588 in the Polish town of Sombor. Her father was the Polish voivode Jerzy (or in Russian Yuri) Mnishek. The father was a vain man, dreamed of power, and his character most likely passed on to his daughter. Nothing is known about Marina's mother.
When the girl Mnishek was sixteen years old, a young man arrived in the place where they lived, who played a key role in both Marina's life and the history of Russia. It was Grigory Otrepiev, later named False Dmitry I.
The young people immediately liked each other, and Marina's father had a plan. He decided to help elevate False Dmitry to the throne and make him his son-in-law.
Personal life of Marina Mnishek
Marina Mnishek and False Dmitry were the first to get married in the Catholic Church, and the young husband went to conquer Moscow. Calling himself Tsarevich Dmitry, who was considered dead, the swindler entered the royal throne. After him a few days later came the future queen Marina, who was greeted with honors.
But the Polish customs of the newly-made royal couple over time began to irritate the Russian boyars. A noteworthy fact - Marina Mnishek for the first time brought to Russia … a plug. The boyars, seeing the queen at the table with this "damn tool with teeth," were extremely indignant. A conspiracy against False Dmitry began to mature among them. And a few months later, a group of boyars led by Vasily Shuisky killed False Dmitry I.
Marina Mnishek tried to escape, but did not have time, she was seized and sent into custody in Yaroslavl. And Vasily Shuisky became the Russian tsar.
But the adventures of Marina Mnishek did not end there. News came from Kaluga about the appearance of a new prince - False Dmitry II. Historians argue about his origin - either it was the son of Prince Kurbsky, or the priest's son Matvey Verevkin, or the son of a Jew from the city of Shklov. In any case, this man was a wayward character, an unpleasant appearance, a drunkard and a rowdy. Marina Mnishek was asked to recognize her husband in exchange for the Moscow throne. And Marina agreed, for having learned the taste of the royal power, she could no longer forget it.
The new husband often behaved indecently, but Marina put up with him, hoping to move to Moscow again. However, in Russia it was restless, after the removal from the throne of Vasily Shuisky, the Polish king Sigismund III claimed the throne. Marina tried to negotiate with him, but the Polish monarch did not want to give up the throne to a powerful and cunning compatriot. Mnishek had to spend time in Kaluga in the company of her hated husband. True, there was talk about the connection of the liar with the famous voivode Zarutsky, an aggressive and domineering man.
End of political career
In 1610 False Dmitry II died while hunting. Marina soon had a child, a son, Ivan, and Mnishek, with his help, again tried to claim the Russian throne. But the boyars, who knew about Marina's connection with Zarutsky, refused to serve as a deceiver. And in 1613 Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov became the Russian tsar, and the "time of troubles" ended.
