Tsarevna Xenia Borisovna was born in 1582 as the daughter of Tsar Boris Godunov and Maria Grigorievna Skuratova-Belskaya. Her younger brother became Tsar Feodor II of Russia upon the death of their father in 1605. She had several suitors for her hand. Prince Gustav of Sweden arrived in Moscow in 1600, but the engagement was reportedly broken due to his dissolute life. He had taken his mistress and their illegitimate children with him and showed them off. John, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein, arrived in Moscow in 1602 but he fell ill and died before the marriage could take place.
Thus, Xenia remained a maiden. Everything changed in 1605. Her brother succeeded their father in April, but in June he and their mother were brutally murdered in his apartment. He was just 16 years old. With Feodor’s murder, the Time of Trouble began. False Dmitriy I was one of three imposters claiming to be the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible. He had ordered the murder of Feodor and their mother. Dmitriy had spared Xenia’s life, but perhaps the alternative was not much better. Dmitriy raped her and kept her in his palace as a concubine for five months. Xenia was sent to the Voskresensky Monastery when Dmitriy’s new bride Marina Mniszech arrived. She was forced to take monastic vows and was given the name “Olga”. She was later transferred to the Assumption Princess Monastery. It was rumoured that she gave birth to a child by False Dmitriy I.
Her father was reburied in 1606, and she travelled to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius to attend this. False Dmitriy I died in 1606, but her situation did not improve. In 1616 she was moved to the even stricter Suzdal Pokrovsky Monastery. Xenia died on 30 August 1622 at the age of 40 and was buried with her family at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.
“Oooh those Russians!” (Boney M)