Look at the maps in the textbook and find the following places, relative to Moscow and Warsaw, and explain in Russian why they are important to our understanding of Russian history during the Time of Troubles.

Read the questions below and find the answers in the text.

1. Why did some of the powerful noble families resist the idea of Boris Godunov as the next tsar’ after the death of Fyodor Ivanovich?
2. What did the boyars suggest instead of the rule of Boris Godunov and why did this idea not receive widespread support?
3. Who helped Boris Godunov gain the upper hand in this conflict with the boyars?
4. What did Boris Godunov do to ensure his success in this political struggle?
5. What was Boris Godunov’s relationship with the boyars?
6. What were his most important political, economic, and social goals for Russia?
7. Why did Godunov fail to achieve his goals?
8. What were the most important problems of Godunov’s reign? What information in the text points to their importance?
9. Who was the False Dmitrii and what was his role in Russian history? Who supported him?
10. What did he promise his supporters?
11. What was the False Dmitrii’s plan?
12. What was the course of the False Dmitrii’s military campaign?
13. What was the status of the leadership of Russia in 1604–1605?

1. What is the author’s attitude toward Boris Godunov and the events of the Time of Troubles? Identify words and phrases that convey implicitly or explicitly the author’s attitude or ideological perspective, bringing evidence from the text to support your argument.
2. Did the information in the text depart from what you had previously read or thought about the period discussed in this chapter?