Dmitri of Uglich and the Three False Dmitris: One of the Most Bizarre Episodes in Russian History

Dmitri (Dmitry) of Uglich, known also as Tsarevich Dmitri or Dmitri Ivanovich, was the youngest son of the first Tsar of All the Russias, Ivan IV Vasilyevich, more commonly known as Ivan Grozny or Ivan the Terrible. There is not much that can be said about the life of Dmitri of Uglich, as he died at the extremely young age of eight. Nevertheless, it is his ‘afterlife’ that contributed to one of the most bizarre episodes in Russian history.

Three False Dmitris

About a decade and a half after the young Tsarevich’s death (be it due to murder or by accident), not one, but three pretenders appeared within a short period of ten years. Each of these imposters claimed to be the murdered Tsarevich, and with that identity, laid claim to the Russian throne as well. These pretenders are known today as False Dmitri I, False Dmitri II and False Dmitri III respectively.