The Story in Brief
The action of the opera takes place in Russia at the end of the sixteenth century. Boris Godunov, an advisor of Ivan the Terrible, paves his own ascent to Russia's throne by murdering Dimitri, the Czar's son, and rigging an election. Several years into Boris's reign, a young monk named Grigory leaves the church and claims to be Dimitri, the true heir. The impostor raises an army to attack Boris. Tormented by his own conscience, Boris is unable to secure either peace for Russia or happiness for his own children. The hallucinating Boris dies as Grigory approaches Moscow.
Before the Story
Several years before the action begins, Boris Godunov, brother-in-law and advisor to Ivan the Terrible's weak son Feodor, had Ivan's youngest son, Dimitri, murdered. When Feodor died, Boris became the most powerful man in Russia.
Scene 1. Courtyard of the Novodievichy monastery
Police in Boris's pay force a confused crowd of peasants to demand that Boris, who has taken refuge within the monastery, accept the crown. Boris refuses. The police tell the crowd to assemble the next day outside the Kremlin.
Scene 2. The Kremlin
Feigning reluctance, Boris agrees to mount the throne. The people of Russia salute their new Czar.
Scene 3. A monastery cell
Twelve years later, Pimen, an old monk, is completing his history of Russia. A young monk, Grigory, wakes from a nightmare. Pimen tells Grigory how Boris had Dimitri assassinated at the age of seven and points out that had he lived, Dimitri would be Grigory's age and would be Czar. Grigory vows to destroy Boris.
Scene 4. An inn on the Lithuanian border
Grigory enters with two vagabond monks, Varlaam and Missail, who drink and make merry. The hostess tells Grigory that although it isn't far to Lithuania, the roads are blocked; the police, hoping to find a renegade monk who has fled Moscow, are interrogating all passers-by. When the police arrive at the inn, they eye Varlaam suspiciously, but being illiterate, they cannot read the description of the man they are to apprehend. Grigory volunteers to read it for them, but instead describes Varlaam. Varlaam takes it from him and reads it. It describes Grigory, who flees.
Scene 5. The Czar's chambers in Moscow
Boris Godunov's daughter, Xenia, mourns the death of her fiance, and her nurse and little brother Feodor try to cheer her up. Boris comforts his daughter and speaks fondly with his son, but he himself is troubled. Despite the prosperity of his reign, his guilt over how he achieved supreme power allows him no peace. He worries that the superstitious people will blame the recent famine and plague on his crime. Shuisky, a boyar and advisor to Boris, enters with disturbing news: in Lithuania, an army is gathering under someone who calls himself Dimitri. Boris asks Shuisky what happened to the real Dimitri, who was murdered at the age of seven. Shuisky remembers that amidst the spectacle of gruesome slaughter, the boy's body and clothes disintegrated, yet his face miraculously maintained an angelic purity. Shuisky leaves and Boris is tormented by a vision of the bloody child.
Scene 6. Outside St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow
A group of boys tease and torment a Holy Fool. As Boris and his boyars exit the Cathedral, the Holy Fool begs Boris to kill the boys who have harassed him "as you killed Dimitri." Boris asks the Holy Fool to pray for him, but the Holy Fool refuses to pray for a child murderer. The Holy Fool laments the fate of Russia.
Scene 7. The Kremlin
The boyars are debating how to deal with the pretender Dimitri when Shuisky enters, followed by the raving Boris, who is waving his arms and crying, "Begone, child!" When Boris has regained control, Shuisky admits Pimen, who tells the Czar of an old shepherd, miraculously cured of his blindness when he prayed at Dimitri's tomb. The story throws Boris into a panic and brings on a heart attack. He cries out that he is dying. He calls for the monk's robe traditionally worn by the Czar at the moment of death, proclaims his son the new Czar, and dies with the words "Forgive me."