Anastasia of Russia

This article refers to the 16th century Russian tsarina. For the 20th century Russian princess, see Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia.

Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina (died August 7, 1560) was the first wife of the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible and the first Russian tsarina. She was the daughter of boyar Roman Zakharyin, who gave his name to the Romanov Dynasty of Russian monarchs.

Ivan IV at the deathbed of his wife.

She was selected as the best bride for Ivan from a large number of suitable mates, brought to the Kremlin specifically for the selection process. All the noble familes throughout Russia were given an invitation to present their eligible daughters for this purpose (it is said that there were between 500 and 1500 girls to choose from). Anastasia and Ivan's marriage took place on February 3, 1547 at the Cathedral of the Annunciation. She gave birth to a total of six children (Anna, Maria, Dmitri, Ivan, Evodokia, and Feodor).

It is widely believed that Anastasia had an assuaging influence on Ivan's volatile character. In the summer of 1560, she fell ill to a lingering illness. In consequence to these events, Ivan suffered a severe emotional collapse suspecting that his wife had been a victim of malicious actions and had been poisoned by the Boyars. Although he had no evidence of such crimes, he had a number of them tortured and executed. He had already had a strong dislike for the Boyars due to their abusive actions toward him during his childhood.

Further examination of the bone remains of Anastasia in the late 20th Century by archeologists and forensics experts have been able to provide evidence that could actually sustain her husband's claim.

Anastasia's brother Nikita Romanovich was the father of Feodor, the first to take the surname Romanov. In other words, Feodor Romanov was the first cousin of the last Rurikid tsar, Feodor I. This connection with the derelict dynasty facilitated the election of Feodor's son Mikhail Romanov to the throne after the Time of Troubles.