Tsarevich Ilya (Elijah) was the only child of Tsar Feodor III of Russia, but for unknown reasons he died after just ten days. Supposing his father dies on schedule, how different might things be if Ilya survived and became Tsar?
Aunt Sofia is probably regent as OTL, other than that i'm not sure what would happen. Maybe Peter's family tries to overthrow Ilya.
I don't think there would be a problem with his succession provided he was healthy and expected to live into adulthood. Of the other alternatives, Ivan was too frail and Peter was still only a boy of 10. I think the Miloslavsky's were an ambitious family who would have done everything possible to ensure Ilya's smooth succession and his aunt Sophia - who I believe did provide quite a bit of support to Fyodor during his reign - would have made sure that his son was secure on the throne and probably would have tried to act as regent during his minority.
What's really interesting is what would have happened to Russia's progression to a more western orientated state if Ilya had been Tsar. I think Fyodor wanted Russia to become a more European state and Ilya might well have tried to continue his father's work as he became older - though whether he would have made the sweeping reforms Peter the Great made is debatable.
Russia wasn't exactly on great terms with Sweden so, in my honest opinion, Hedwig Sophia is out of the question. I am not sure about relations between Austria and Russia during the time period so I can't comment on the archduchesses.As for who Ilya might marry, I've searched and I can't find a single Russian noblewoman who was born on, just before or just after 1681. The only foreign choices I found were Hedwig Sophia of Sweden, Archduchesses Maria Elisabeth and Maria Anna of Austria, and Sophia Hedwig of Denmark.
As for who Ilya might marry, I've searched and I can't find a single Russian noblewoman who was born on, just before or just after 1681. The only foreign choices I found were Hedwig Sophia of Sweden, Archduchesses Maria Elisabeth and Maria Anna of Austria, and Sophia Hedwig of Denmark.
Caroline of Ansbash? Unlikely she'll convert.
In fact, the consequences of Ilya surviving the birth mean that his father will live a bit longer, in OTL he pretty much lost the will to live after death of both his wife AND his son. So, 1682 may become "the year nothing of importance happens", and with surviving heir the Miloslavski clan will lose their positions in favor of the relatives of Feodor's wife and second wife (providing he still marries Marfa Apraxina).
One of consequences of stable 1682 will be a small scale purge of Streltsy, who have became too Janissari-like. In fact with a stable father-to-son succession the tradition of palace guards setting the rulers may not even be stable in Russia.
As for Peter, he was groomed to be a military commander. Providing the stepfamily of Ilya has a good deal of influence (Marfa Apraxina was a nobody, while her brothers were genuinely good statesmen), he MAY be allowed to marry, but not until Ilya is married with a heir of his own (so he'll marry circa 1698-1700, and likely a woman of his own choise). Ivan will likely stay single (in Apollinis & Dianae TL he entered the dynastic marriage with Georgian princess, depending how the wars on Caucasus go, the same girl may end up married to Ivan or Peter), unless something life-threatening happens to Ilya in 1680ies-early 1690ies, forcing the marriage of Ivan in order to produce a spare to the throne.
Agreed. If she wouldn't convert to Catholicism IOTL, there's less chance she'd convert to Russian Orthodoxy.
Really? I always thought it was the disability/disease which had crippled Feodor since childhood that finished him off.
Again, assuming Ilya survives his regency and Peter does not try to use the Strelsy himself.
The only plausible Georgian princess I could find for this time period was Princess Darejan/Darya of Imereti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Darejan_of_Imereti), assuming she and her family still flee to Russia. She never married IOTL, though I could see Peter marrying her, if Feodor or Ilya decides to get involved in Georgian/Persian affairs.
The disability was the major cause, but losing the will to life greatly contributed to the unwillingness to combat this, mental trauma in addition to physical ones. In more stable state he'll maybe live till circa 1685, but no longer than that.
The Naryshkins will be in interesting position, since stepmom of Ilya will be from family that was at least friendly to them. But "uncle trying to usurp nephew" lacked precedents in Russian history so far, especially when said nephew directly succeeded his father.
And I was thinking about Darya, used her in my TL.