Marinka the Witch & The Romanov Curse

 

 Marinka the Witch & The Romanov Curse 

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 Marina Mniszech, also known in Russian lore as Marinka the Witch, was a Polish noblewoman who became the Tsaritsa of Russia during the 'Time of Troubles'.

Born in 1588 from a prominent noble family, Marina was given a fairly good education.
She could read, write, sing, and dance.

Marina’s parents and her nine siblings lived a nice life, until a Russian imposter popped up.....

 This imposter pretended to be Dmitry Ivanovich, the son of Ivan IV and Maria Nagaya.
Dmitry was supposed to have died at the age of eight.

This 'False Dmitry' claimed he was heir to the Russian throne, and was supported by Marina’s brother-in-law.

This is how Marina met him.

Now bear with me, there are a few 'false Dmitrys' in this story 

 'False Dmitry' number one, fell madly in love with Marina.
She was very beautiful, and Dmitry really wanted to marry her.

Marina's family did all they could to make sure that their marriage would take place.
To marry Marina, they told Dmitry to promise to convert to Catholicism - he willingly agreed.

 Marina and 'False Dmitry' married in 1605 in Krakow.
Strangely, Maria Nagaya - the mother of the original Dmitry - recognised the False Dmitry as her son.

The church accepted Marina and Dmitry’s marriage, which was good news for the new royal couple.

Marina was crowned Tsarita in May of 1606.
She wore a traditional Polish wedding dress, while Dmitry wore a Polish hussar’s armour.

 False Dmitry and Marina enjoyed a very short period of happiness.
On the morning of 17th May 1606, about two weeks after the coronation, False Dmitry was assassinated.

Marina was imprisoned, and many other members of their Polish retinue were murdered.

 Marina now had to give up her title of Tsaritsa, which she didn't want to do.
Enter 'False Dmitry II'.

With the hope of becoming Tsaritsa again - Marina married another man pretending to be Dmitry.

This False Dmitry II was also murdered in December of 1610.
Marina gave birth to his son, named Ivan Dmitryevich, the next month.

Are you managing to keep up?

 Marina now had two murdered husbands, who claimed to be Dmitry.
Luckily she had survived them both - but she needed a new husband for some protection.

Marina married, not another false Dmitry, but a man named Ivan Zarutsky.
Ivan Zarutsky tried to promote Marina’s son, Ivan Dmitryevich, as the new Tsar.

Michael Romanov was chosen instead.

 To avoid being imprisoned, Marina gathered up her son and husband number three, and fled.

The Cossacks soon caught up with them, and they were handed over to Tsar Michael Romanov.

Marina’s son and husband were murdered in 1614.
Marina died in prison, from possible strangulation, at the age of twenty-six.

 Marina is known in Russian lore as Marinka the Witch.
The legend goes that she cursed the Romanov tsar-

“In the Ipatiev’s you started, in the Ipatiev’s you will
end!
You began with the death of a tsarevich, you will
end with the death of a tsarevich!”

 Centuries later, the Romanov dynasty ended with the exEcution of the last of the Romanovs, including Tsarevich Alexei - in Ipatiev House!
Was this Marina's curse coming true?

Was this her way of getting back at the Romanovs for having her son, Ivan Dmitryevich, eXecuted?

Possibly.
Maybe.....

The Tudor Intruders (and more)
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 Source - theroyalwomen/marina-Mniszech
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 A rare 19th C Portrait of Marina Mniszech. Jean-François Villain.