鮑里斯．戈都諾夫（Boris Godunov, 1598-1605）為俄國歷史上獨特的政治人物，他以費多爾沙皇的妻兄身份成為攝政長達11年。費多爾去世後因無子嗣，戈都諾夫經由國民大會選為新沙皇，民間隨即謠傳費多爾同父異母之弟季米特里仍活著，而非1591年戈都諾夫宣佈皇子在庭院中玩刀時突然跌倒，導致割破咽喉而喪生。戈都諾夫在位七年雖勵精圖治，但未獲貴族與人民的支持。俄羅斯修士格利哥里在波蘭的支持下，冒充季米特里獲得人民與貴族的承認，登上了沙皇寶座，但不及一年即被推翻。俄國民族詩人普希金於1825年完成《鮑里斯．戈都諾夫》劇本，自視為遵守歷史事實，卻又加入生動的藝術想像。本文探討歷史事實與文學虛構中的戈都諾夫，其呈現出不同面貌，人們卻多半從文學作品認識歷史人物，是否有損於人們對真實的戈都諾夫的認知？史家與文學家對人物的敘事有何不同？是否如同海登．懷特所說的「歷史是一種敘事的論述，其內容是想像／杜撰的與發現的成分參半。」？

Boris Godunov (tsar in 1598-1605) was a special figure in Russian history. Through his sister Irina, wife of Tsar Fedor, he became a regent for 11 years. Boris won the great power and wealth. Fedor' death in 1598 without heir, ended the Rurik Dynasty. The Zemskii Sobor elected Boris tsar as Tsar. Boris became more isolated and vulnerable. Profound social tensions and discontent undermined and finally destroyed the Godunovs. While rumors spread that Dmitrii had escaped death miraculously in Uglich and that Boris was a usurper. Other accounts labeled him Dmitri's murderer. Grigorii Otrepiev was a fugitive monk from Moscow' Chudov Monastery, he proclaimed himself ”Tsarevich Dmitrii”. He became the tsar who was supported by Poland. Pushkin is a great poet of Russia, he wrote Boris Godunov in 1825. A work of literary criticism and analysis, but the focus is a literary not a historical one. In fact, Pushkin frequently plays fast and loose with history, so that we cannot rely on his play for accurate information about the actual historical events. This article's theme is ”Fact and Fiction: Godunov in History and Literature”. One figure appeared diverse appearances, most people know historical figure from literary writings, is the literary writing authentic? Historical narrative is different from literary narrative, how do differentiate between them? Do the same as Hayden White said: History is a discourse of narrative, its contents include imaginational, fictionally and discoverable elements?