Maria Nagaya Last wife of Ivan IV. Country: Russia

1. Biography of Maria Nagaya
2. Marriage and Exile
3. Return to Moscow
4. The Seventh Wife of Ivan the Terrible
5. A Witness to Tragedy

Biography of Maria Nagaya

Maria Nagaya (born around 1612), also known as Marfa during her time as a nun (since 1592), was the last wife of Ivan IV. She was the daughter of the courtier Fedor Fedorovich Nagoy and a Moscow noblewoman.

Marriage and Exile

Maria Nagaya entered into marriage with Ivan IV in 1581 and gave birth to their son Dmitry the following year. After Ivan IV's death in 1584, Maria Nagaya, along with her son and brothers, were exiled to Uglich, where they lived until Dmitry's death in 1591. Maria Nagaya and her relatives were accused of neglecting the possible heir to the throne, resulting in her brothers' imprisonment and Maria herself being forced to become a nun in the Vyksa Monastery. Boris Godunov, who came to power in 1598, called for Maria Nagaya's release but soon sent her back to the monastery.

Return to Moscow

After the impostor Dmitry I took control of Moscow in 1605, Maria Nagaya was forced, under the threat of death, to acknowledge him as her son. She entered Moscow triumphantly and resided in the Voznesensky Monastery. All members of her family were granted freedom, reinstated ranks, and had their confiscated properties returned to them. However, after Dmitry I's assassination in 1606, Maria Nagaya renounced him as her son.

The Seventh Wife of Ivan the Terrible

Once again, Ivan indulged in debauchery, orgies, and excessive drinking until he heard about the extraordinarily beautiful and graceful daughter of the disgraced boyar Fedor Nagoy. Ivan immediately ordered the return of Nagoy and his entire family to Moscow. When he saw Fedor's daughter Maria, his heart raced wildly. Maria was tall and slender, with a beauty that was unmatched. Her ash-blonde hair, thick and heavy, fell below her waist, and her large gray eyes gazed tenderly, revealing the intelligence and kind soul of the young woman. Ivan said, "Maria Fedorovna will be the Tsarina of Moscow." Upon hearing these words, the bride fainted. Nagoy had no choice but to claim that his daughter had lost consciousness from unexpected happiness, not from the sight of the bent and balding yellow-green old man.

A Witness to Tragedy

Maria Nagaya became a witness to a truly deep tragedy in the Tsar's life. In November 1581, Ivan IV killed his eldest son and heir, Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich. Different versions of the murder circulate, but in popular memory, the story goes that the 28-year-old Tsarevich defended his pregnant wife Elena Sheremeteva, who was his third wife (the first two wives having long been in monasteries). Unable to bear any objections, Ivan struck his firstborn son on the temple with a staff in a fit of rage. According to one version, the Tsarevich died instantly, while another claims he died two days later, and yet another says it was ten days later. However, the date of Ivan Ivanovich's death is known for certain - November 19.

The Tsar had no intention of killing his heir and son, and he nearly died of grief. After his son's burial, he took a long time to recover - crying, praying, and seemingly losing all strength and desire to sin. But as soon as he felt a slight improvement, he immediately returned to his old ways. One day, overcome by unrestrained desire, he grabbed the hand of his son's wife, Irina, who was sitting next to him, and tried to force her onto the bed, but Irina managed to escape.