BASEES Annual Conference 2026

Gifts for the Groom: Tsar Boris Godunov’s Presents for Johan of Denmark-Norway in 1602

Sun12 Apr09:20am(20 mins)
Where:
Muirhead Tower 429
Presenter:

Authors

Earl Hodil11 Pomona College, Department of History, United States

Discussion

This article examines the many gifts presented to Duke Johan of Denmark-Norway by Tsar Boris Godunov in 1602 when the former arrived in Moscow to wed the latter's daughter, Ksenia. These gifts included cloth and clothing, jewelry, horses, a fine saber, bedding, and a Russian grammar, to name a few. Beyond the physical wealth they represented in sum, each individual gift was carefully calculated to transform Johan from a Danish prince into a Muscovite kniaz'. These presents reinforced the written conditions of his betrothal to Ksenia, which Boris designed to achieve the duke's absorption into the nascent Godunov dynasty. Johan was to strengthen the tsar's ruling clan and to do so he needed to adopt the outward appearance of a Muscovite elite. Indeed, some of the gifts offered to him hinted at a particularly exalted status, second only to Tsarevich Feodor, Boris' son and heir. Though Johan died only a few weeks after his arrival in Moscow, the tsar continued to dote on him, providing a funeral befitting a king’s son. Altogether, in life and death, the presents Johan received from Boris demonstrated the importance of his marriage to the troubled ruler’s program of dynastic security. They also offer insight into the material culture and fashion of the Muscovite court at the turn of the seventeenth century.

Hosted By

BASEES

Get the App

Get this event information on your mobile by
going to the Apple or Google Store and search for 'myEventflo'
iPhone App
Android App
www.myeventflo.com/2548