Sophia Alekseyevna

The court was not open to women before Sophia entered our politics, which she did after the death of Alexis which brought her brother Feodor to the throne. He ruled under her thumb but as his health declined, so did her power as more people tried to take advantage of the sickly Tsar. At Feodor's death, Sophia two brothers were crowned senior Tsar and junior Tsar, with her to govern in their place as Ivan had both physical and mental disabilities while Peter, only nine years old at the time, was deemed too young to properly rule. By attending Feodor's funeral she formally entered the political scene and planned to secure the throne for herself with the help of connections, allies and capable politicians such as Prince Vasily Galitzine which she deftly utilized. It caused quite a commotion as women were kept from involvement in politics but Sophia managed to secure the throne with the help of the Streltsy, a military troop, and the uprising they took part of after Feodor's death. During the time she spent at Feodor's side, Sophia has acquired a good education and a political savvy that convinced the nobles and patriarch of her capacities to rule. Though she haven't governed the country for long, Sophia has shown that if she takes the throne, she will rule with a firm and heavy fist. She has already started preparations to further the organization of the military and to create an institution of higher learning.