Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina was the Tsaritsa of Russia from 1671–1676 as the second spouse of Tsar Alexei I of Russia, and mother of Tsar Peter I of Russia.
Background
Coming from a noble family, daughter of Kirill Poluektovich Naryshkin (1623–1691) and wife Anna Leontyevna Leontyeva (d 1706, daughter of Leonty Dimitriyevich Leontyev and spouse Praskovya Ivanovna Rayevskaya who died in 1641), she was brought up in the house of the great Western-leaning boyar Artamon Matveyev.
Career
She was given a freer and more Western-influenced upbringing than most Russian women of the time. On 1 February 1671 she became the second spouse of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. They had three children, the future Emperor Peter I (1672–1725).
Tsarevna Natalya who founded the first public theatre in Russia, writing a number of its plays herself.
And Tsarevna Theodora (Feodora). She became widowed in 1676.
A son from the Tsar"s previous marriage ascended the throne as Feodor III. When Feodor died in 1682, her 10-year-old son became tsar. Feodor"s elder sister, Sofia Alekseyevna replaced her as regent.
In August 1689, Peter overthrew Sofia, and he and his half-brother Ivan continued to be co-tsars.
Natalya was back as nominal leader in the court. Her brother, Lev Naryshkin, was appointed minister of foreign affairs and a de facto prime minister. When the Patriarch Joachim died in 1690, Peter wanted to appoint Marcellus, Bishop of Pskov, who had travelled overseas and spoke several languages, as the new patriarch.