On this day May 19th, 1606; the pretender Dmitry Ivanovich—known as the first False Dmitry—was killed in Moscow.
He had claimed to be the son of Tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), who had died mysteriously as a child in 1591. Dmitry rose to power after the death of Tsar Boris Godunov in 1605, but his reign was short-lived.
His favoritism toward Polish allies and disregard for Muscovite court traditions alienated Russian nobles.
In May 1606, boyar Vasily Shuysky led a coup d’état, assassinating Dmitry and seizing the throne. His death marked a turning point in Russia’s Time of Troubles, and rumors persisted of other pretenders being groomed for the czardom.
