Irina Godunova

Irina Feodorovna Godunova (; 1557 – 29 October 1603), also known by her monastic name Alexandra, was the tsaritsa consort of all Russia by marriage to Feodor I from 1584 until his death on . As her husband died childless, she was the de facto ruler of Russia until she retired to Novodevichy Convent nine days later. She remained the nominal ruler of Russia until her brother Boris Godunov was elected tsar on . Life The precise dates of some of the events in Irina's life are uncertain. Most sources indicate that she was picked by Ivan the Terrible to be the wife of the tsarevich Feodor in 1580 or 1581, although some sources say this occurred as early as 1574. At 23 or 24 (assuming the latter dates), she would have been considered old for a bride in Muscovy, where the common age for marriage was in the mid-teens, and it is not certain why she married so relatively late in life. Her marriage was arranged by her brother, who successfully managed to secure a place in the Tsar's inner circle and the status of boyar through his sister's marriage. Irina reportedly surpassed her spouse in intelligence, education and sophistication, and she quickly acquired influence over Feodor, and learned to navigate in court affairs. Feodor was reportedly mentally underdeveloped and physically weak and the marriage was childless, but Tsar Ivan did not interfere in their marriage. She became tsaritsa upon the coronation of her husband in 1584.