Boris Godunov

play by Pushkin

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Article History

Boris Godunov, historical blank verse drama in 23 scenes by Russian poet and playwright Aleksandr Pushkin, written in 1824–25, published in 1831, and considered one of the most important plays of the early 19th century. Its theme is the tragic guilt and inexorable fate of a great hero, Boris Fyodorovich Godunov, who reigned as tsar from 1598 to 1605. Pushkin’s masterly development of the dramatic action on two planes—one political and historical, the other psychological—is set against a background of turbulent events and ruthless ambitions.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.