In this regard, it is worth recalling the report of the Swedish agent in Russia, Peter Petrey, that when "the Moscow authorities and the common people decided to send the Grand Duchess to a monastery" and even chose a certain girl in her place (a relative of one of the most noble boyars, F. I. Mstislavsky), Boris Godunov persuaded the "patriarch" to divorce him [5]. Whom did Petreius have in mind when he spoke of the "patriarch"? If Metropolitan Dionysius, then, as the eminent Soviet historian A. A. Zimin rightly remarked, "the position of the metropolitan is obviously set forth incorrectly," although "the basis of the story is very plausible." If we are talking about Patriarch Joachim, then the attention of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov to his personality receives a very convincing explanation.

In any case, the arrival of the patriarch helped to put Dionysius "in his place." Since the Metropolitan of Moscow avoided a direct meeting with the Patriarch of Antioch, Joachim was sent to the Dormition Cathedral directly from the royal audience. As we remember, there was an embarrassment: taking advantage of the notions widespread in Russian society since the fall of Constantinople that the "Greeks" had lost true piety, while Russian piety was the highest and most perfect in the whole world, Dionysius publicly expressed his contempt for the Patriarch and the superiority of the First Hierarch of Moscow. The next move of the secular authorities was worthy of Godunov. The proposal to establish a patriarchate in Moscow clearly and definitely testified that it was with the rank of patriarch that the highest authority in the Orthodox Church was associated. It is not surprising that it was Tsarina Irina Feodorovna who took part in the plan to establish a patriarchal throne in Moscow, that Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, who was attached to her, supported the "idea", and Boris Godunov energetically negotiated with Joachim.

In this respect, the historical and journalistic legend is quite reliable. After the installation of Job by the Patriarch of Moscow, when this work was created, there was no need to invent the events of 1586, but it was possible to describe them with due praise to Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, noting the pious roles of Tsarina Irina and Boris Godunov. The refrain-sounding idea of the need to receive the blessing of all the authorities of the Orthodox East seems somewhat careless, but given that Job eventually received such a blessing, it is difficult to find sedition here.

And in 1586 it was unreasonable to demand the immediate installation of the Moscow Patriarch – after all, the metropolitan was Dionysius. Godunov did not even go so far as to officially appeal to the Eastern patriarchs, so there is no mention of the desire to have a patriarch in Moscow. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, the Ambassadorial Order was controlled by a powerful administrative businessman A. Y. Shchelkalov, a zemstvo clerk, who, together with N. R. Yuriev in 1584, "considered themselves tsars", because "after the death of the tsar, they seized the main administration".

Godunov had reason to assume that the clerk, who belonged to the zemshchina, but for many years in a row did the dirty deeds of Ivan the Terrible, would eventually become his ally. "An unusually cunning, clever and evil man", "a notorious scoundrel... A thin and two-faced fox... the most cunning Scythian who ever lived," as foreigners said about Shchelkalov, eventually became Boris Godunov's faithful dog (and, of course, betrayed his patron). But Malyuta's son-in-law had no reason to sing the praises of the clerk such as: "I have not heard of such a man, I believe that the whole world would be small for him. It would be fitting for this man to serve Alexander the Great!"

The favorites of the Terrible Tsar - the oprichnik Godunov and the zemstvo Shchelkalov - were still opponents. At the beginning of July 1586, in the midst of negotiations with the Patriarch of Antioch, Boris Fyodorovich even received as a grant the vast and lucrative volost of Vaga, which had previously been ruled by Shchelkalov. It is not surprising that the article list of the Ambassadorial Order described in detail the humiliation of Godunov's creature in the Assumption Cathedral!

Boris Godunov was not mistaken in preferring to act in the Orthodox East through Patriarch Joachim, with whom he had established mutually beneficial relations, rather than through the Ambassadorial Department. In addition, it had to be borne in mind that the desire to establish a patriarchate in Moscow, which was widely declared in the course of the struggle against Metropolitan Dionysius, could not be realized before it was possible to get rid of Dionysius himself. Too quick a positive response from the East could put Boris and Irina Fyodorovna in a very delicate position.

Joachim apparently carried out Godunov's instructions exactly. Exactly a year later, the amazed Shchelkalov heard during the interrogation in the Ambassadorial Department literally the following words of the Greek Nikolai, who arrived from abroad through Chernihiv:

"The patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch sent him away from Constantinople, and with him they sent gramatas about him to the emperor, to beat the emperor's forehead for alms. Let the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch punish him with a word: what the Emperor had ordered them to establish a Patriarch in Russia, and they, the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch, having received the Patriarch of Constantinople and Antioch, sent the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Alexandria, and ordered them to come to Constantinople, and they wanted to be unctioned about the matter, which the Emperor had ordered, and from the Council they wanted to send the Patriarch of Jerusalem and punished him about it, How to Unction and Make a Patriarch."

К этому времени А. Я. Щелкалов был уже не опасен Борису Годунову, одержавшему решительную победу в борьбе за власть. Осенью 1586 г. были сведены со своих престолов митрополит Дионисий и епископ Варлаам; их сторонники среди духовенства также не избежали опалы. Московским митрополитом стал Иона, которого вскоре (в последних числах года) сменил близкий к Годунову Иов.

Опалы на бояр начались с Ф. В. Шереметева, владения которого были конфискованы. Не случайно приехавшего в Москву Иоакима поместили в бывшем доме Шереметева, определенно показывая, чьей козырной картой был Антиохийский патриарх! Один за другим были обвинены и сосланы Шуйские. Годунов не спешил с окончательным расчетом, но, казалось, помнил предсказание казненного им купца. 16 ноября 1588 г. Иван Петрович Шуйский был в ссылке задушен дымом; в 1589 г. был убит боярин и воевода Андрей Иванович Шуйский.

За Шуйскими последовало множество их сторонников: бояр, окольничих и думных дворян, а также детей боярских (младший дворянский чин) и купцов. Борис Годунов действовал решительно и безжалостно. По обвинению «в неправдах многих перед государем» подозрительных правителю «царских дворян, и служилых людей, и приказных, и гостей, и воинских людей… разослаша в Поморские городы, и в Сибирь, и на Волгу, и на Терек, и в Пермь Великую, в темницы и в пустые места».

Вспыхнувшие было по разным городам волнения были подавлены. Удовлетворенное политикой Годунова дворянство поддерживало правителя. Придворные спешили перейти на его сторону. С реализацией замысла иметь в Москве патриарха можно было не торопиться, но Годунов не оставил совсем эту мысль, пришедшую в пылу борьбы за власть.

Престол для Иова