The precise dates of some of the events in Irina's life are uncertain. Most sources indicate that she was picked by
Ivan the Terrible to be the wife of the tsarevich Feodor in 1580 or 1581, although some sources say this occurred as early as 1574. At 23 or 24 (assuming the latter dates), she would have been considered old for a bride in
Muscovy, where the common age for marriage was in the mid-teens, and it is not certain why she married so relatively late in life. Her marriage was arranged by her brother in 1575, who successfully managed to secure a place in the Tsar's inner circle and the status of boyar through his sister's marriage. but still she did not bear a child until 1592 — a daughter named Feodosia Fedorovna who died less than two years later in January 1594. With the death of Dmitry under strange circumstances in
Uglich, north of Moscow, on 15 May 1591, Irina was placed under increasing pressure to produce an heir. If she failed and Feodor died without a son, the Rurikid dynasty that had ruled Rus and Muscovy since the ninth century would become extinct, likely resulting in a
bloody succession struggle. The couple remained barren for more than a decade, although whether this was due to Feodor's poor health or to infertility on Irina's part is uncertain. Tsaritsa Irina had great influence during the reign of Feodor and participated in state affairs, to a degree that exceeded the expected limits of a Russian tsaritsa and a monarch's wife in general. Initially she did so discreetly without advertising her influence. Soon, however, she began participating in government more directly, frequently placing her own name on Feodor's decrees. Irina also became well known abroad, corresponding with Queen
Elizabeth I of England and Patriarch Meletis Pigasos of Alexandria. Feodor trusted Irina, deferred to her, did not wish to exalt himself at her expense, trusted her to handle the affairs of state for him and relied on her advice. In one version, the tsar named a new fortress
Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd) after her to strengthen her authority. to the
Novodevichy Monastery (Convent) on the south side of Moscow, where she took monastic vows under the name Aleksandra. In fact, it was at the monastery that Boris Godunov was asked by
Patriarch Job of Moscow and the
Zemsky Sobor to become tsar. Despite that, Irina continued to sign official decrees until the day in February 1598 when Boris was acclaimed as tsar by the
Boyar Duma. Upon the wish of her brother, her name always preceded any other member of the imperial family in the church prayers until her death. Irina died on 26 October 1603 (others sources give the date 26 September, still others the year 1604) in the Novodevichy Monastery. Like all queens, she was buried in the
Ascension Convent of the
Moscow Kremlin.
Legacy Several embroideries created by Irina are in the collection of the
State Historical Museum on Red Square (along with similar work by
Sophia Palaiologina, the wife of
Ivan III, and Anastasia, the first wife of Ivan the Terrible.) ==References==