See Also

Ivan IV of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy Muscovy

Muscovy is a traditional Western name for the Russia [i]n state that existed from the 14th century [i] ... 

 from 1533 to 1547 and was the first ruler of Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

 to assume the title of tsar Tsar

Tsar , occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English [i] ... 

. His long reign saw the conquest of Tartary and Siberia Siberia

Siberia is a vast region of Russia [i] constituting almost all of Northern Asia [i]. ... 

 and subsequent transformation of Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state. This tsar retains his place in the Russian tradition simply as Ivan Grozny . He is commonly referred to in English as Ivan the Terrible.

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Timeline

1530   Born

1533   Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

, Ivan IV Ivan IV of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy [i] from 1533 [i] to 1547 [i] and was the first ruler ... 

 succeeds his father Vasili III Vasili III of Russia

Vasili III Ivanovich was the Grand Prince [i] of Moscow [i] from 1505 [i] to 1533 [i]. ... 

 as Grand Prince of Muscovy at 3 years old.

1547   Grand Duke Ivan IV Ivan IV of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy [i] from 1533 [i] to 1547 [i] and was the first ruler ... 

 of Muscovy becomes the first Tsar Tsar

Tsar , occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English [i] ... 

 of Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

.

1552   Khanate of Kazan Khanate of Kazan

The Kazan Khanate was a medieval Tatar [i] state which occipied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria [i] ... 

 falls to troops Russo-Kazan Wars

The Russo-Kazan Wars was a series of wars fought between the Khanate of Kazan [i] and Muscovite Russia [i] ... 

 of Ivan IV of Russia.

1556   Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy [i] from 1533 [i] to 1547 [i] and was the first ruler ... 

 conquers Astrakhan Astrakhan

Astrakhan, a major city in southern European Russia [i] and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast [i] ... 

, opening the Volga River Volga River

The Volga, widely viewed as the national river of Russia [i], flows through the western part of the coun ... 

 to Russian traffic and trade

1584   Feodor I Feodor I of Russia

Feodor I Ivanovich was the last Rurikid [i] Tsar [i] of Russia [i], son of Ivan the Terrible [i] ... 

 succeeds his father Ivan IV Ivan IV of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy [i] from 1533 [i] to 1547 [i] and was the first ruler ... 

 as Tsar of Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

1584   Died



Encyclopedia


Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy Muscovy

Muscovy is a traditional Western name for the Russia [i]n state that existed from the 14th century [i] ... 

 from 1533 to 1547 and was the first ruler of Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

 to assume the title of tsar Tsar

Tsar , occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English [i] ... 

. His long reign saw the conquest of Tartary and Siberia Siberia

Siberia is a vast region of Russia [i] constituting almost all of Northern Asia [i]. ... 

 and subsequent transformation of Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state. This tsar retains his place in the Russian tradition simply as Ivan Grozny . He is commonly referred to in English as Ivan the Terrible.

Early reign


Ivan was a long-awaited son of Vasili III Vasili III of Russia

Vasili III Ivanovich was the Grand Prince [i] of Moscow [i] from 1505 [i] to 1533 [i]. ... 

. Upon his father's death, he formally came to the throne at the age of three, but his minority was dominated by regents. Initially his mother Elena Glinskaya acted as regent, but she died when Ivan was only eight. She was replaced as regent by boyars Boyar

A boyar or bolyarin was a member of the highest rank of the feudal [i] Russia [i]n, Romania [i]n ... 

 from the Shuisky Shuisky

Princes Shuisky were a Rurikid [i] family of boyar [i]s descending from Grand Duke [i] Dmitry Konstantinovich [i]... 

 family until Ivan assumed power in 1544. According to his own letters, Ivan customarily felt neglected and offended by the mighty boyars from the Shuisky and Belsky families. These traumatic experiences doubtlessly contributed to his hatred of the boyars and to his mental instability. He was known to throw cats and dogs out of the Kremlin Kremlin

Kremlin is the Russian [i] word for "fortress", "citadel", or "castle" and refers to a ... 

 windows, among other cruel acts.

Ivan was crowned tsar with Monomakh's Cap Monomakh's Cap

Monomakh's Cap is one of the symbols of Russia [i]n autocracy [i], currently exhibited at the Kremlin Armoury [i] ... 

 at the Cathedral of the Dormition Cathedral of the Dormition

The Cathedral of the Dormition is the name of several cathedrals in the world.
... 

 at age sixteen on January 16 1547. Despite calamities triggered by the Great Fire of 1547, the early part of his reign was one of peaceful reforms and modernization. Ivan revised the law code , created a standing army , established the Zemsky Sobor Zemsky Sobor

The zemsky sobor was the first Russia [i]n parliament [i] of the feudal Estates type, in the 16th [i]... 

, the council of the nobles , and confirmed the position of the Church with the Council of the Hundred Chapters, which unified the rituals and ecclesiastical regulations of the entire country. During his reign the first printing press Printing press

The printing press is a mechanical printing [i] device for making copies of identical text [i] on multip... 

 was introduced to Russia .

In 1547 Hans Schlitte, the agent of tsar Ivan, employed handicraftsmen in Germany for work in Russia. However all these handicraftsmen were arrested in Lübeck Lübeck

Lbeck is the second largest city [i] in Schleswig-Holstein [i], in northern Germany [i]. ... 

 at the request of Poland and Livonia. The German merchant companies ignored the new port built by tsar Ivan on the river Narva in 1550 and delivered the goods still in the Baltic ports owned by Livonia. Russia remained isolated from sea trade.

Ivan formed new trading connections, opening up the White Sea White Sea

The White Sea is an inlet [i] of the Barents Sea [i] on the northwest coast of Russia [i]. ... 

 and the port of Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk, formerly called Archangel in English [i] , is a city in and the admi ... 

 to the Muscovy Company Muscovy Company

The Muscovy Company, was a trading company [i] chartered in 1555. ... 

 of English England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 merchants. He also annexed the Kazan Khanate of Kazan

The Kazan Khanate was a medieval Tatar [i] state which occipied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria [i] ... 

 and Astrakhan Astrakhan Khanate

The Khanate [i] of Astrakhan [i] was a Tatar [i] feudal [i] state that appeared after the collapse of th... 

 Khanate Khan

Khan is a title with many meanings, originally commander, leader or ruler, in Mongolian [i]... 

s to the east, thus transforming Russia into a multinational and multiconfessional state. He had St. Basil's Cathedral Saint Basil's Cathedral

he Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat is a multi-tented church [i] on the ... 

 constructed in Moscow Moscow

Moscow is the capital [i] of Russia [i] and the country's principal political, economic, financial, edu ... 

 to commemorate the seizure of Kazan. Legend has it that he was so impressed with the structure that he had the architects blinded, so that they could never design anything as beautiful again.


Other less positive aspects of this period include the introduction of the first laws restricting the mobility of the peasant Peasant

A peasant, from 15th century [i] French pasant meaning one from the pays, the countryside [i] ... 

s, which would eventually lead to serf Serfdom

Serfdom refers to the legal and economic status of some peasant [i]s under feudalism [i], specifically i ... 

dom. The dramatic change in Ivan's personality is traditionally linked to his near-fatal illness in 1553 and the death of his first wife, Anastasia Romanovna Anastasia of Russia

Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina was the first wife of the Russian [i] Tsar [i] Ivan the Terrible [i] ... 

. Ivan suspected boyars of poisoning his wife and of plotting to replace him on the throne with his cousin, Vladimir of Staritsa Vladimir of Staritsa

Vladimir Andreyevich was the last appanage Russia [i]n prince. ... 

. In addition, during that illness Ivan had asked the boyars to swear an oath of allegiance to his eldest son, an infant at the time. Many boyars refused, deeming the tsar's health too hopeless to survive. This angered Ivan and added to his distrust of the boyars. There followed brutal reprisals and mass murders of innocent people, including Metropolitan Philip Metropolitan Philip

Saint Philip II of Moscow was one of a few Metropolitans of Moscow [i] ... 

 and Prince Alexander Gorbatyi-Shuisky.

Also problematic was the 1565 formation of the Oprichnina. The Oprichnina was the section of Russia directly ruled by Ivan and policed by his personal servicemen, the Oprichniki Oprichnik

Oprichnik was a member of a private army devoted to the service of tsar [i] Ivan the Terrible [i] during... 

. This whole system of Oprichnina has been viewed by some historians as a tool against the omnipotent hereditary nobility of Russia who opposed the absolutist drive of the tsar, while others have interpreted it as a sign of the paranoia and mental deterioration of the tsar.

Later reign

The latter half of Ivan's reign was far less successful. Although Khan Khan

Khan is a title with many meanings, originally commander, leader or ruler, in Mongolian [i]... 

 Devlet I Giray of Crimea Crimea

Crimea /kra?'mia/ or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous republic [i] of Ukraine [i] ... 

 repeatedly devastated Moscow region and even set Moscow on fire in 1571, the tsar supported Yermak Yermak Timofeyevich

Yermak Timofeyevich, Cossack [i] leader and explorer of Siberia [i]. ... 

's conquest of Tatar Siberia Siberia

Siberia is a vast region of Russia [i] constituting almost all of Northern Asia [i]. ... 

, adopting a policy of empire-building, which led him to launch a victorious war of seaward expansion to the west, only to find himself fighting the Swedes Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country [i] in Scandinavia [i]. ... 

, Lithuanians Lithuania

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe.... 

, Poles Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country located in Central Europe [i]. ... 

, and the Livonian Livonia

Livonia once was the land of the Finnic [i] Livonians [i], but came in the Middle Ages to designate a m ... 

 Teutonic Knights Teutonic Knights

The Teutonic Knights or Teutonic Order is a German [i] Roman Catholic religious order [i] ... 

.

For twenty-four years the Livonian War dragged on, damaging the Russian economy and military but winning it no territory. Ivan's best friend and closest advisor, Prince Andrei Kurbsky, defected to the Poles, deeply hurting Ivan. As the Oprichnina continued, Ivan became mentally unstable and physically disabled. In one week, he could easily pass from the most depraved orgies to prayers and fasting in a remote northern monastery.


Because he gradually grew unbalanced and violent, the Oprichniks under Malyuta Skuratov soon got out of hand and became murderous thugs. They massacred nobles and peasants, and conscripted men to fight the war in Livonia. Depopulation and famine ensued. What had been by far the richest area of Russia became the poorest. In a dispute with the wealthy city of Novgorod Velikiy Novgorod

Velikiy Novgorod is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia [i]. ... 

, Ivan ordered the Oprichniks to murder inhabitants of this city, which was never to regain its former prosperity. Between thirty and forty thousand might have been killed during the infamous Massacre of Novgorod in 1570; many others were deported elsewhere. Yet the official death toll named 1,500 of Novgorod Velikiy Novgorod

Velikiy Novgorod is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia [i]. ... 

 big people and only mentioned about the same number of smaller people.

In 1581, Ivan beat his pregnant daughter-in-law for wearing immodest clothing, causing a miscarriage. His son, also named Ivan, upon learning of this, engaged in a heated argument with his father which resulted in the son's death. This event is depicted in the famous painting by Ilya Repin Ilya Yefimovich Repin

Ily Yefmovich Rpin was a leading Russian [i] painter [i] and sculptor [i] of the Peredvizhniki [i] ... 

, Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on Friday, November 16, 1581 better known as Ivan the Terrible killing his son.

Death and legacy



Ivan died while playing chess Chess

Chess is an abstract strategy [i] board game [i] and mental sport [i] for two pl ... 

 with Bogdan Belsky on March 18 1584. When Ivan's tomb was opened during renovations in the 1960s 1960s

The 1960s decade [i] refers to the years from 1960 [i] to 1969 [i], inclusive. ... 

, his remains were examined and discovered to contain very high amounts of mercury, indicating a high probability that he was poisoned. Modern suspicion falls on his advisors Belsky and Boris Godunov Boris Godunov

Boris Feodorovich Godunov was de facto regent of Russia from 1584 [i] to 1598 [i] and then the first n... 

 . Three days earlier, Ivan had allegedly attempted to rape Irina, Godunov's sister and Fyodor's wife. Her cries attracted Godunov and Belsky to the noise, whereupon Ivan let Irina go, but Belski and Godunov considered themselves marked for death. The tradition says that they either poisoned or strangled Ivan in fear for their own lives. The mercury found in Ivan's remains may also be related to treatment for syphilis Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection [i] caused by a spirochaete [i] bacterium [i], Treponema pallidum [i] ... 

, which it is speculated that Ivan had. Upon Ivan's death, the ravaged kingdom was left to his unfit and childless son Feodor Feodor I of Russia

Feodor I Ivanovich was the last Rurikid [i] Tsar [i] of Russia [i], son of Ivan the Terrible [i] ... 

.

Epistles



D.S. Mirsky D. S. Mirsky

D.S. Mirsky is the English pen-name of Dmitry Petrovich Mirsky, a Russia [i]n political and litera ... 

 called Ivan "a pamphleteer of genius". His epistles are the masterpieces of old Russian political journalism. They may be too full of texts from the Scriptures and the Fathers, and their Church Slavonic is not always correct. But they are full of cruel irony, expressed in pointedly forcible terms.

The shameless bully and the great polemicist are seen together in a flash when he taunts runaway Kurbsky by the question: "If you are so sure of your righteousness, why did you run away and not prefer martyrdom at my hands?" Such strokes were well calculated to drive his correspondent into a rage. "The part of the cruel tyrant elaborately upbraiding an escaped victim while he continues torturing those in his reach may be detestable, but Ivan plays it with truly Shakespearian breadth of imagination"..

Besides his letters to Kurbsky he wrote other satirical invectives to men in his power. The best is his letter to the abbot of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery

The Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, properly translated in English as the Assumption monastery of St Cyr... 

, where he pours out all the poison of his grim irony on the unascetic life of the boyars, shorn monks, and those exiled by his order. His picture of their luxurious life in the citadel of ascetism is a masterpiece of trenchant sarcasm.

Sobriquet 

The English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 word terrible is usually used to translate the Russian Russian language

Russian is the most widely spoken language of Eurasia [i] and the most widespread of the Slavic languages [i] ... 

 word grozny in Ivan's nickname, but the modern English usage of terrible, with a pejorative connotation of bad or evil, does not precisely represent the intended meaning. Grozny's meaning is closer to the original usage of terrible—inspiring fear or terror, dangerous , formidable, threatening, or awesome. Perhaps a translation closer to the intended sense would be Ivan the Fearsome. The Russian people gave Ivan this nickname after he seized Kazan.

See also

  • Ivan the Terrible - the film by Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Eisenstein

    Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein was a revolutionary Soviet [i] film director [i] and film theorist [i] ... 

    .
  • - the film by Leonid Gaidai Leonid Gaidai

    Leonid Iovich Gaidai is one of the most popular Soviet comedy directors, enjoying immense popularity and... 



Notes


References

  • Troyat, H. Ivan the Terrible, Weidenfeld & Nicolson history, 2001. ISBN 1-84212-419-6
  • Bobrick, B. Ivan the Terrible, Canongate Books Ltd, 1990. ISBN 0-86241-288-9
  • Payne, R. and Romanoff, N. Ivan the Terrible, Cooper Square Press, 2002. ISBN 0-8154-1229-0
  • De Madariaga, Isabel. Ivan the Terrible. First Tsar of Russia, 2005. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09757-3
  • Ivan IV, World Book Inc, 2000. World Book Encyclopedia

External links