Tsarevna Irina Mikhailovna of Russia

Tsarevna Irina Mikhailovna (Russian: Ирина Михайловна; 22 April 1627 – 8 February 1679), was the eldest daughter of Tsar Michael of Russia from his second marriage to Eudoxia Streshneva, a noblewoman from Mozhaysk. She was the elder sister of Alexis of Russia.

Biography

Irina was baptized in the Chudov Monastery by her grandfather Patriarch Filaret. In 1640, Irina was engaged to marry Prince Valdemar Christian of Denmark.

Valdemar arrived in Russia for the wedding in 1644, but after arriving in Russia he refused to convert to the Orthodox faith. Valdemar was imprisoned until 1645, when he was allowed to leave Russia. Irina never married.

Irina was close to her brother, Tsar Alexis, who mentions her before his wife and children in his letters and seem to have regarded her as the first lady of the family. She exerted some degree of influence over him, but their relationship cooled down during Alexis' second marriage in 1671, and after this, she spent more time on an estate which she had inherited outside of Moscow.

She devoted her later life mainly on her estate, and also showed support for the religious conservatives, whom she on several occasions saved from execution. In 1672, she was present at the baptism of Peter the Great.

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