Page 78 - All About History - Issue 12-14

HISTORY’S 10 GREATEST IMPOSTORS

“ Otrepyev was one of three
impostors who claimed to be

Ivan the Terrible’s youngest son”

HE ASSUMED THE ROLE OF IVAN THE

TERRIBLE’S SON AND BECAME TSAR

Grigory Otrepyev Russian, 1581-1606
When Ivan the Terrible’s son, tsarevitch as False Dmitriy I, succeeding in displacing
Dmitriy Ivanovich, died at the age of eight Feodor II of Russia in a palace coup to become
in 1591, it sparked a violent riot amid claims the new Tsar of Russia. ē RATING ē
he had been murdered. However, rumours Accepted because he appeared to resemble Cunning:
began to circulate that someone else had been the tsarevitch, he became Tsar for just under a Audacity:
killed by mistake and that the real Dmitriy year during what became known as the Time Media storm:
had escaped. It opened up the possibility for of Troubles – the period following the death of Success:
impostors to step forward. the last Russian Tsar of the Rurik Dynasty in
Grigory Otrepyev was only one of a total 1598 and the establishment of the Romanov
of three impostors who claimed to be Ivan Dynasty in 1613. His undoing was to try to
the Terrible’s youngest son. He assumed the convert Russia to Catholicism, rumours of
role on 21 July 1605 after assembling an army which sparked an uprising and his death in Grigory Otrepyev managed to
and fighting two battles and became known the Kremlin on 17 May 1606. become Tsar of Russia based on his
likeness to Ivan the Terrible’s son

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