Welcome to Russian History Retold. Episode 192, the Regency of Sophia.

Last time we recounted the life in times of the greatest general in Russian history, Alexander Suvorov. Today we begin to talk about the

rulers of Russia again heading backwards in time. Our focus in this episode is on the Regency of Sophia Alexievna.

Sophia was born on September 27th, 1657 in Moscow

as the third surviving daughter of Zara Alexis and his first wife Maria

Milos Loveskaya. Her mother gave birth to 13 children,

three of whom died in infancy.

Eight of the children were female, which was not seen as being very helpful in keeping the

Romano flying intact, as only males were considered possible errors. The first

crown prince, Dimitri, died in infancy, the next one Alexi died at the age of 15

but the third one, Fyodor, was to eventually succeed to the throne.

Unfortunately, Fyodor was not a healthy young man as he was somewhat disabled and disfigured by what many historians believed to have been caused by scurvy.

This may explain what happened to the fourth boy, Ivan, was eventually becoming the co-ruler of Russia,

as he was also sickly and mentally disabled.

Maria was to die six days after the birth of Yevdokia, the 13th child, who only lasted a day.

Not satisfied with all those children, especially Fyodor and Ivan.

Alexis was really concerned here because the young child had real serious mental and

physical disabilities, which caused a lot of concern at the Kremlin.

Now Alexis was to remarry a 19-year-old woman named Natalia Karelovna Narashkina.

She was to bear the saw three children, two daughters and one boy.

The boy was named Peter.

This remarriage and the appearance of a new heir would cause a rift between the families of the two wives of Alexis, the Miloslavsky's and the Naryshtans.

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