In the first scene, the commoners beg Boris Godunov to assume the role of Tsar. They say to him, “Why are you abandoning us? We are your helpless orphans”. Their rhetoric positions the Godunov as a father, and themselves as his children. This initial familial imagery reminded me of the Domostroi’s rules for familial behavior, and I referenced the Domostroi to see is this family lived by its regulations. I examined the costumes through this lens, and noticed their coloring first. The wealthy wore bright reds and oranges and were lavishly decorated, while the poor wore beige, ragged, dirty clothing. According to the Domostroi, “golden velvet” is a mark of celebration and wealth, as it should be a part of wedding rituals. These costumes correspond to the codes of the Domostroi. The evil wore dark, ominous looking clothing for a theatrical effect. The police were dressed in awfully festive, elf-like costumes that aren’t explained in the Domostroi. As per the instructions of the Domostroi, the peasant women covered their hair, while wealthy Marina, a romantic object, wore her hair exposed, intensifying her sexualisation. Feodor’s son wore white, as a mark of purity and innocence. I also saw a similarity between the religious rhetoric in the Domostroi and the opera. Feodor’s last words of wisdom to his son included, “honor god’s saints” and the “heavenly powers, guardians of the eternal throne” in addition to advice about the political side of being a Tsar. The role of a the tsar is defined by the nature of a divine right political position. As the Domostroi expressed it, “If you serve the earthly kind righteously and fear him, you will learn to fear the Heavenly Kind also”. This tenet permeates the opera; the commoners treat the Tsar as a religious deity and the Tsar sees his own political rule as one that is deeply intertwined with religiosity. Both the religious guidelines and the regulations on dress in the Domostroi play active roles in this opera.