Marfa Sobakina

Marfa Vasilevna Sobakina (Russian: Марфа Васильевна Собакина; 1552–1571), was Tsaritsa of the Tsardom of Russia and was the third wife of Ivan the Terrible.

Marfa Sobakina
Forensic facial reconstruction
Tsaritsa of All Russia
Tenure	28 October 1571 – 13 November 1571
Born	1552
Died	13 November 1571 (aged 18–19)
Burial	Ascension Convent, Kolomenskoye Archangel Cathedral, Kremlin (1929)
Spouse	Ivan IV of Russia
Full name Marfa Vasilevna Sobakina
Dynasty	Rurik
Father	Vasiliy Sobakin
Religion	Eastern Orthodox

Life

The daughter of a Novgorod based merchant Vasiliy Sobakin, Marfa was selected by Ivan among twelve marriage finalists. A few days after her selection, Marfa began to succumb to a mysterious ailment. It was rumoured that she was unintentionally poisoned by her mother, who gave her a potion supposedly meant to increase her fertility. Despite rapidly losing weight and barely standing, Marfa was nonetheless married to Ivan on 28 October 1571 in Aleksandrovska Sloboda. Marfa died a few days later.[1]

Her death increased her husband's paranoia, because she died in what was meant to be an impregnable fortress filled with loyal subjects. Ivan, remembering the death of his first wife, immediately suspected poison and put to death many of his subjects, including Mikail Temrjuk (brother to the Tsar's previous wife) who was impaled.[1]

Legacy

The story of Marfa's selection and death is the base of the historical verse drama The Tsar's Bride by Lev Mei. The opera by the same name by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is repertory opera in Russia.

References

1. Manaev, G. (14 June 2019). "The fascinating, boring lives of Russian tsarinas". Russia Beyond the Headlines. Retrieved 19 February 2020.

• Troyat, Henri Ivan le Terrible. Flammarion, Paris, 1982
• de Madariaga, Isabel Ivan the Terrible. Giulio Einaudi editore, 2005