Rethinking the Canonical Text of Pushkin’s Boris Godunov

Abstract

O f all the magnificent poetry and prose written by Alexander Pushkin, his personal favorite was Boris Godunov-an historical drama set in early modern Russia's darkest hour, the of Troubles (1598-1613).1 Boris Godunov was Pushkin's most ambitiously planned and most carefully executed work, and it was considered by the poet to be his magnum opus. Although the play is generally considered to be one of the great masterpieces of Russian drama, it puzzled many of Pushkin's contemporaries and is still considered to be problematic if not downright incomprehensible by leading scholars and critics.2 How then can we explain Pushkin's own strong attachment to the play? This article will attempt to provide some answers by focusing on the original version of Boris Godunov, completed in 1825, which greatly pleased and excited Pushkin's contemporaries, rather than the far less popular censored version published in 1831-the text usually studied by scholars. To this day Pushkin's original play remains virtually unknown and has generally been ignored even by critics and scholars aware of its existence. Careful examination of the original play, Pushkin's own historical perspective on the events of the Time of Troubles, and the peculiar circumstances in which he wrote Boris Godunov will not only help explain why it was the poet's favorite work but also demonstrate the need to rethink some basic