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For other individuals called the same, see Ivan the Terrible (disambiguation).
Ivan IV
Ivan the Terrible
Grand Prince of Moscow
Czar of all Russia

Portrait of Ivan IV by Viktor Vasnetsov, 1897 (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow)
Reign 3 December 1533 - 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584
Coronation 16 January 1547
Born 25 August 1530(1530-08-25)
Birthplace Moscow
Died 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584 (aged 53)
Place of death Moscow
Predecessor Vasili III
Feodor I
Successor Feodor I
Consort Anastasia of Russia
Issue Feodor I
Dynasty Rurik
Father Vasili III
Mother Elena Glinskaya

Ivan IV Vasilyevich (Russian: Ива́н Четвёртый, Васи́льевич), best known as Ivan the Terrible (August 25, 1530, Moscow – 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584[1], Moscow) was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов ( Lop'jal, May 15 ( N The State Tretyakov Gallery (Государственная Третьяковская Галерея ГТГ in Moscow, Russia, is the foremost depository Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Vasili III Ivanovich (Василий III Иванович, also Basil) ( March 25[[ 479]] – December 3[[ 533]] Moscow was the Grand Prince of Moscow Fyodor I Ivanovich (Фёдор I Иванович (31 May 1557 - 16/17 January (NS 1598 was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia (1584 - 1598 son Fyodor I Ivanovich (Фёдор I Иванович (31 May 1557 - 16/17 January (NS 1598 was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia (1584 - 1598 son For the Romanov Grand Duchess see Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Fyodor I Ivanovich (Фёдор I Иванович (31 May 1557 - 16/17 January (NS 1598 was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia (1584 - 1598 son Rurik or Riurik (Рюрик; Old East Norse: Rørik, meaning "famous ruler" c Vasili III Ivanovich (Василий III Иванович, also Basil) ( March 25[[ 479]] – December 3[[ 533]] Moscow was the Grand Prince of Moscow Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya (Елена Васильевна Глинская in Russian) (? - April 4 (13 Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and

The Grand Prince Ivan having achieved much overseeing numerous changes in the transition from a mere local medieval nation state to a small empire and emerging regional power, became acknowledged as the first Tsar (or czar) of a new more powerful nation, became "Tsar of All Russia" from 1547. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that In International relations, a regional power is a State that has power within a geographic Region. Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation.

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Ivan was strong minded, devout, and impulsive; given to rages, and according to the suspicions of some, probably had episodic outbreaks of mental disorder. One notable outburst resulted in the death of his groomed and chosen heir—Ivan Ivanovich—resulting in the passing of the Tsardom to a less than ideal younger son—the mentally retarded[2] Feodor I of Russia. Fyodor I Ivanovich (Фёдор I Иванович (31 May 1557 - 16/17 January (NS 1598 was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia (1584 - 1598 son

His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Sibir, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state. Multi-ethnic societies, in contrast to single ethnic societies integrate different Ethnic groups irrespective of differences in culture race and history under a common He is traditionally known in Russian as Ivan Grozny (Russian: Ива́н Гро́зный listen (help·info)), which is typically translated into English as Ivan the Terrible, but is more correctly translated is Ivan the Threatening. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages

The Tsardom of Rus' (Russian: Царство Русское) was the official[3] name for the Russian state between Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor) in 1547 and Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721. Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Year 1721 ( MDCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The name originated from the fact that it contained all of the Rus lands that were at the time free of foreign states domination. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan

Some Western sources refer to this little known or understood state as Muscovite Russia or Muscovy, the term originally applied in Western and Central Europe to its medieval predecessor, the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and Diverse researchers consider the propagation of this term in Western Europe as a result of political interests and active diplomacy of Poland[3], the strongest international power in Northern-eastern Europe of the dawning Early Modern era. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Power in international relations is defined in several different ways The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe)

Early reign

Ivan was the long awaited son of Vasili III, who had divorced his first wife in the 1520s on the grounds that she was barren (he charged her with sorcery and had her forcibly tonsured a nun before marrying Elena Glinskaya, Ivan's mother. Vasili III Ivanovich (Василий III Иванович, also Basil) ( March 25[[ 479]] – December 3[[ 533]] Moscow was the Grand Prince of Moscow ) When Ivan was just three years old his father died from a boil and inflammation on his leg which developed into blood poisoning. Boil or furuncle is a skin disease caused by the infection of Hair follicles resulting in the localized accumulation of Pus and dead tissue Ivan was proclaimed the Grand Prince of Moscow at his father’s request. The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and At first, his mother Yelena Glinskaya acted as a regent, but she died when Ivan was merely eight years old. She was replaced as regent by boyars from the Shuisky family until Ivan assumed power in 1544. This article refers to the aristocratic title of boyar. For the Boyar caste of India, see Boyar (caste. The Princes Shuisky (Шуйские were a Rurikid family of Boyars descending from Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Vladimir-Suzdal According to his own letters, Ivan customarily felt neglected and offended by the mighty boyars from the Shuisky and Belsky families. Belsky (Бельский, pl Бельские also spelled Bielski, was the name of two long-extinct princely families of Muscovite Russia. (These traumatic experiences may have contributed to his hatred of the boyars and to his mental instability. Alternatively, the negative feelings revealed in his letters may have been a reflection of his disagreeable temperament. )

Ivan IV, parsuna, 16th-century (National Museum of Denmark).
Ivan IV, parsuna, 16th-century (National Museum of Denmark). The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark’s central museum of cultural History, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures alike

Ivan was crowned king with Monomakh's Cap at the Cathedral of the Dormition at age sixteen on January 16, 1547. Monomakh's Cap ( Russian: Шапка Мономаха Shapka Monomakha) also called the Golden Cap ( Shapka Zolotaya) is one of the symbols The Cathedral of the Dormition (Успенский Собор Uspensky Sobor) is the Mother church of Muscovite Russia. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Despite calamities triggered by the Great Fire of 1547, the early part of his reign was one of peaceful reforms and modernization. The great fire of Moscow in 1547 destroyed sections of Moscow which had been built almost entirely of wood Ivan revised the law code (known as the sudebnik), created a standing army (the streltsy),[4] established the Zemsky Sobor or assembly of the land, a public, consensus-building assembly, the council of the nobles (known as the Chosen Council), 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. Sudebnik of tsar Ivan IV (Судебник a revised code of laws instituted by his grandfather Ivan the Great. A standing army is an Army composed of full time career Soldiers who 'stand over' in other words who do not disband during times of peace Streltsy (Стрельцы were the units of Russian guardsmen ( sl The zemsky sobor (зе́мский собо́р was the first Russian Parliament of the feudal Estates type in the 16th and 17th centuries The Stoglavy Sobor (Стоглавый Собор (translated variously as Hundred Chapter Synod, Council of a Hundred Chapters, etc He introduced the local self-management in rural regions, mainly in the Northeast of Russia, populated by the state peasantry. During his reign the first printing press was introduced to Russia (although the first Russian printers Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets had to flee from Moscow to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania). A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth thereby transferring an image Ivan Fedorov (later changed to Fedorovych (Ива́н Фёдоров i'van 'fʲodɘrɘf (born around 1510 died December 14, 1583 in Lviv) was one of Pyotr Timofeyevich Mstislavets (Timofeyev (Пётра Мсьціславец Пётр Тимофеевич Мстиславец (Тимофеев in Russian) was a Russian Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje

In 1547 Hans Schlitte, the agent of Ivan, employed handicraftsmen in Germany for work in Russia. For other uses of the word Agent see Agent (disambiguation This is correct An Agent in Commercial Law is a person who is authorised However all these handicraftsmen were arrested in Lübeck at the request of Poland and Livonia. Lübeck ( is the second largest City in Schleswig-Holstein, in Northern Germany, and one of the major Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland The German merchant companies ignored the new port built by Ivan on the river Narva in 1550 and continued to deliver goods in the Baltic ports owned by Livonia. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Narva or Narova is a River which drains the Lake Peipus, flowing on the Border of Estonia and Russia. Russia remained isolated from sea trade.

Ivan formed new trading connections, opening up the White Sea and the port of Arkhangelsk to the Muscovy Company of English merchants. The White Sea (Бе́лое мо́ре Vienanmeri is an Inlet of the Barents Sea on the northwest coast of Russia. Arkhangelsk (Арха́нгельск formerly called Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast The Muscovy Company (also called Russian Company or Muscovy Trading Company, Russian: Московская компания) was a England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland In 1552 he defeated the Kazan Khanate, whose armies had repeatedly devastated the Northeast of Russia,[5] and annexed its territory. The Kazan Khanate (Казан ханлыгы|Qazan xanlığı|قازان خانليغى Russian: Казанское ханство tr: Kazanskoe khanstvo Khanate or Chanat is a Turkic origined word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. In 1556, he annexed the Astrakhan Khanate and destroyed the largest slave market on the river Volga. The Khanate of Astrakhan ( Xacitarxan Khanate) was a Tatar Feudal state that appeared after the collapse of the As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another These conquests complicated the migration of the aggressive nomadic hordes from Asia to Europe through Volga and transformed Russia into a multinational and multiconfessional state. Human migration denotes any movement by Humans from one locality to another sometimes over long distances or Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that He had St. Basil's Cathedral constructed in Moscow to commemorate the seizure of Kazan. The Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat (Собор Покрова что на Рву - The Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God, or simply Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Kazan (Каза́нь Казан tt Qazan) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities Legend has it that he was so impressed with the structure that he had the architect, Postnik Yakovlev, blinded, so that he could never design anything as beautiful again. Postnik Yakovlev (Постник Яковлев is most famous as the architect and builder of Saint Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow (built In fact, it is known that Yakovlev designed several churches and the kremlin walls in Kazan itself in the early 1560s, as well as the chapel over St. Vasilii's grave that was added to St. Basil's Cathedral in 1588, several years after Ivan's death, indicating that he had not, in fact, been blinded by the tsar years earlier.

Ivan the Terrible at the deathbed of his first and most-beloved wife, Anastasia Romanovna. Ivan married seven times, sometimes divorcing a wife a week after the marriage. Painting by Georgiy Sedov, 1875.
Ivan the Terrible at the deathbed of his first and most-beloved wife, Anastasia Romanovna. For the Romanov Grand Duchess see Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Ivan married seven times, sometimes divorcing a wife a week after the marriage. Painting by Georgiy Sedov, 1875. Georgiy Yakovlevich Sedov (Георгий Яковлевич Седов ( April 23 ( May 5) 1877 &mdash February 20 ( March 5) 1914 was

Other events of this period include the introduction of the first laws restricting the mobility of the peasants, which would eventually lead to serfdom, and change in Ivan's personality, traditionally linked to his near-fatal illness in 1553 and the death of his first wife, Anastasia Romanovna in 1560. A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground For the Romanov Grand Duchess see Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Ivan suspected boyars of poisoning his wife and of plotting to replace him on the throne with his cousin, Vladimir of Staritsa. Vladimir Andreyevich ( 1533 - October 9, 1569) was the last Appanage Russian 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 assassinations, including those of Metropolitan Philip and Prince Alexander Gorbatyi-Shuisky. Saint Philip II of Moscow ( 1507 - December 12, 1569) was a Russian Orthodox Monk, who became Metropolitan of Moscow Prince Alexander Borisovich Gorbatyi-Shuisky was probably the most celebrated and popular general of Ivan the Terrible.

The 1565 formation of the Oprichnina was also significant. The Oprichnina (Опричнина formed the domestic portion of Russian territory ruled directly by Ivan the Terrible. The Oprichnina was the section of Russia (mainly the Northeast) directly ruled by Ivan and policed by his personal servicemen, the Oprichniki. An Oprichnik (опричник (plural Oprichniki) was a member of an organization established by Tsar Ivan the Terrible to govern the division This system of Oprichnina has been viewed by some historians as a tool against the omnipotent hereditary nobility of Russia (boyars) 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. This article refers to the aristocratic title of boyar. For the Boyar caste of India, see Boyar (caste. Paranoia is a disturbed thought process characterized by excessive Anxiety or Fear, often to the point of Irrationality and Delusion.

Later reign

Ivan the Terrible killing his son by Ilya Repin (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow).
Ivan the Terrible killing his son by Ilya Repin (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow). Ilya Yefimovich Repin (Илья́ Ефи́мович Ре́пин Ілля Юхимович Рєпін ( Chuhuiv, Russian Empire (now in Ukraine The State Tretyakov Gallery (Государственная Третьяковская Галерея ГТГ in Moscow, Russia, is the foremost depository Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of

The later half of Ivan's reign was far less successful. Although Khan Devlet I Giray of Crimea repeatedly devastated the Moscow region and even set Moscow on fire in 1571, the Czar supported Yermak's conquest of Tatar Siberia, 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, Lithuanians, Poles, and the Livonian Teutonic Knights. Devlet I Giray (I Devlet Geray|۱دولت گراى Taht Alğan Devlet Geray|تخت آلغان دولت گراى (1512&ndash1577 was a khan of the Crimean Khanate Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым The Fire of Moscow (1571 occurred in May of that year when the forces of the Crimean khan Devlet I Giray raided the city. Yermak redirects here For the ship see Icebreaker Yermak. Yermak Timofeyevich ( Russian: Ерма́к Тимофе́евич Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving In Political science, empire-building refers to the tendency of countries and nations to acquire resources land and economic influence outside of their borders in order Sweden was between 1611 and 1718 one of the Great powers of Europe Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order.

For twenty-four years the Livonian War dragged on, damaging the Russian economy and military and failing to gain any territory for Russia. The Livonian War of 1558–1582 was a lengthy military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and variable coalition of Denmark–Norway, Grand Duchy of In the 1560s the combination of drought and famine, Polish-Lithuanian raids, Tatar invasions, and the sea-trading blockade carried out by the Swedes, Poles and the Hanseatic League devastated Russia. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply A famine is a widespread shortage of food that may apply to any Faunal species which phenomenon is usually accompanied by regional Malnutrition, Starvation The Mongol invasion of Europe from the east took place over the course of three centuries from the Middle Ages to the Early modern period The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade The price of grain increased by a factor of ten. Epidemics of the plague killed 10,000 in Novgorod. In 1570 the plague killed 600-1000 in Moscow daily. [6] One of Ivan's advisors, Prince Andrei Kurbsky, defected to the Lithuanians, headed the Lithuanian troops and devastated the Russian region of Velikiye Luki. Knyaz Andrey Mikhailovich Kurbsky ( Андрей Михайлович Курбский in Russian) (1528-1583 was an intimate friend and then a leading Velikiye Luki (Вели́кие Лу́ки name also romanized as Velikie Luki, is a city on the meandering Lovat River in the southern This treachery deeply hurt 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 anguished 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. Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belskiy (Григорий Лукьянович Скуратов-Бельский better known as Malyuta Skuratov (ru Малюта Скуратов 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, Ivan ordered the Oprichniks to murder inhabitants of this city, which was never to regain its former prosperity. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod His followers burned and pillaged the city and villages. [7] As many as 60,000 might have been killed during the infamous Massacre of Novgorod in 1570;[8][7][9] many others were deported elsewhere. The Massacre of Novgorod was an attack by tsarist forces on the city of Novgorod, Russia that lasted from about January 9 to February 12 1570. Deportation, not to be confused with Extradition, generally means the expulsion of someone from a place or Country. [9] Yet the official death toll named 1,500 of Novgorod big people (nobility) and only mentioned about the same number of smaller people. This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Many modern researchers estimate number of victims between two and three thousand. (After the famine and epidemics of 1560s the population of Novgorod perhaps did not exceed 10,000-20,000. A pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people is an Epidemic of Infectious disease that spreads through )[10]

Ivan the Terrible and Harsey
Ivan the Terrible and Harsey

Having rejected peace proposals from his enemies, Ivan IV found himself in a difficult position by 1579, when Crimean Khanate devastated Muscovian territories and even burnt down Moscow (see Russo-Crimean Wars). The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea (Qırım Hanlığı|قريم خانلغى Крымское ханство - Krymskoye khanstvo; Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Russo-Crimean Wars were fought between the forces of the Muscovy and the invading Tatars of the Crimean Khanate. The dislocations in population fleeing the war compounded the effects of the concurrently occurring drought and exacerbated war engendered epidemics causing much loss of population. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a

All together, the prolonged war had near fatally affected the economy, Oprichnina had thoroughly disrupted the government, while The Grand Principality of Lithuania had united with The Kingdom of Poland and acquired an energetic leader, Stefan Batory, who was supported by Russia's southern enemy, The Ottoman Empire (1576). The Oprichnina (Опричнина formed the domestic portion of Russian territory ruled directly by Ivan the Terrible. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to This article is about the ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Ivan's realm was now squeezed by two great powers of the day.

With the failure of negotiations, Stefan Batory replied with a series of three offensives against Muscovy in each campaign seasons of 1579–1581, trying to cut The Kingdom of Livonia from Muscovian territories. The Kingdom of Livonia was a nominally declared state by Ivan IV during the Livonian War.

During his first offensive in 1579 with 22,000 men he retook Polotsk, during the second, in 1580, with 29,000-strong army he took Velikie Luki, and in 1581 with a 100,000-strong army he started the Siege of Pskov. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Velikiye Luki (Вели́кие Лу́ки name also romanized as Velikie Luki, is a city on the meandering Lovat River in the southern The Siege of Pskov, known as the Pskov Defense in Russia ( оборона Пскова in Russian) took place between August of 1581

Frederick II had trouble continuing the fight against Muscovy unlike Sweden and Poland. Frederick II ( 1 July 1534 &ndash 4 April 1588) King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. He came to an agreement with John III in 1580 giving him the titles in Livonia. That war would last from 1577 to 1582. Muscovy recognized Polish-Lithuanian control of Ducatus Ultradunensis only in 1582. After Magnus von Lyffland died in 1583, Poland invaded his territories in The Duchy of Courland and Frederick II decided to sell his rights of inheritance. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. Except for the island of Œsel, Denmark was out of the Baltic by 1585. Saaremaa, Œselia, Œsel was an Ancient Estonian independent county The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Baltic Seven Islandsgif|right|thumb|330px|A contemporary transnational Euroregion encompasses the islands of the Baltic countries As of 1598 Inflanty was divided onto:

In 1581, Ivan beat his pregnant daughter-in-law for wearing immodest clothing, which may have caused a miscarriage. Wenden Voivodeship (Województwo wendeńskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Cēsis ( is a Town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme central upland The Dorpat Voivodeship (Województwo dorpackie or województwo derpskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, Tartu is the second largest City of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual The Parnawa Voivodeship (Województwo parnawskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Pärnu (Pernau Пярну formerly Пернов Parnawa is a City in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay an inlet of the Gulf of Riga His son, also named Ivan, upon learning of this, engaged in a heated argument with his father, which resulted in Ivan striking his son in the head with his pointed staff, causing his son's (accidental) death. This event is depicted in the famous painting by Ilya Repin, Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on Friday, November 16, 1581 better known as Ivan the Terrible killing his son. Ilya Yefimovich Repin (Илья́ Ефи́мович Ре́пин Ілля Юхимович Рєпін ( Chuhuiv, Russian Empire (now in Ukraine

Death and legacy

Ivan the Terrible meditating at the deathbed of his son. Ivan's murder of his son brought about the extinction of the Rurik Dynasty and the Time of Troubles. Painting by Vyacheslav Grigorievich Schwarz (1861).
Ivan the Terrible meditating at the deathbed of his son. Ivan's murder of his son brought about the extinction of the Rurik Dynasty and the Time of Troubles. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 For the Dungeons & Dragons plotline see Time of Troubles (Forgotten Realms. Painting by Vyacheslav Grigorievich Schwarz (1861).

Although it is thought by many that Ivan died while setting up a chess board, it is more likely that he died while playing chess with Bogdan Belsky on March 18, 1584. Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. Bogdan Yakovlevich Belsky (Богдан Яковлевич Бельский (? - 1611 was a Russian Statesman and a close associate of Ivan the Terrible Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor When Ivan's tomb was opened during renovations in the 1960s, his remains were examined and discovered to contain very high amounts of mercury, indicating a high probability that he was poisoned. Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum Modern suspicion falls on his advisors Belsky and Boris Godunov (who became tsar in 1598). Boris Fyodorovich Godunov (Бори́с Фёдорович Годуно́в (c Three days earlier, Ivan had allegedly attempted to rape Irina, Godunov's sister and Feodor's wife. Her cries attracted Godunov and Belsky to the noise, whereupon Ivan let Irina go, but Belsky 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, which it is speculated that Ivan had. Syphilis is a Sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal Bacterium Treponema pallidum pallidum. This same investigation revealed that Ivan had also suffered many years from rheumatoid arthritis, which also was treated with mercurials. It is well known that one of the end stages of syphilis (Tertiary Syphilis) many times results in severe disseminated arthritis. Not only can heavy metal (mercury) poisoning lead to violent mood swings, but so does Tertiary Syphilis. Upon Ivan's death, the ravaged kingdom was left to his unfit and childless son Feodor. Fyodor I Ivanovich (Фёдор I Иванович (31 May 1557 - 16/17 January (NS 1598 was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia (1584 - 1598 son

Epistles

Ivan's repentance: he asks a father superior of the Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery to let him take the tonsure at his monastery. Painting by Klavdiy Lebedev.
Ivan's repentance: he asks a father superior of the Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery to let him take the tonsure at his monastery. Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery or The Pskovo-Pechersky Dormition Monastery or Pskov-Caves Dormition Monastery (Пско́во-Печ́ерский Успе́нский Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches mystics Buddhist novices and Monks and some Hindu temples of cutting the Hair from the This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Painting by Klavdiy Lebedev. Klavdy Vasiliyevich Lebedev (Клавдий Васильевич Лебедев ( October 16 (28 1852 &ndash September 21 ( N

D.S. Mirsky called Ivan "a pamphleteer of genius". DS Mirsky is the English pen-name of Dmitry Petrovich Svyatopolk-Mirsky (Дми́трий Петро́вич Святопо́лк-Ми́рский (&ndash June 6 The epistles attributed to him are the masterpieces of old Russian (perhaps all Russian) political journalism. The word " Epistle " is from the Greek word epistolos which means a written " letter " addressed to a recipient or recipients Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people They may be too full of texts from the Scriptures and the Fathers, and their Church Slavonic is not always correct. Church Slavonic (also Church Slavic, Old Bulgarian) is the Liturgical language of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Orthodox 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 the runaway prince Kurbsky with 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. Polemics (pəˈlɛmɪks/ /poʊ- is the practice of disputing or controverting religious, philosophical, or political matters "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". [11] These letters are often the only source we have on Ivan's personality and provide crucial information on his reign, but Harvard professor Edward Keenan has argued that these letters are seventeenth century forgeries. This contention, however, has not been widely accepted, and other scholars, such as John Fennell and Ruslan Skrynnikov continued to argue for their authenticity. Recent archival discoveries of sixteenth century copies of the letters strengthen the argument for their authenticity. [12]

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, 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. Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (Кирилло-Белозерский монастырь loosely translated in English as the St His picture of their luxurious life in the citadel of ascetism is a masterpiece of trenchant sarcasm.

Sobriquet

The English word terrible is usually used to translate the Russian 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. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Grozny's meaning is closer to the original usage of terrible—inspiring fear or terror, dangerous (as in Old English in one's danger), formidable, threatening, or awesome. Perhaps a translation closer to the intended sense would be Ivan the Fearsome, or Ivan the Formidable.

Preceded by
Vasili III		 Grand Prince of Moscow
1533–1547		 Succeeded by
became Tsar
Preceded by
None		 Tsar of Russia
1547–1584		 Succeeded by
Feodor I
Preceded by
Yury		 Heir to the Russian Throne
1530–1533		 Succeeded by
Yuri Vasilyevich

See also

Notes

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ History International Channel coverage, 14:00-15:00 EDST on 10 June 2008
  3. ^ a b "В некотором царстве, в некотором государстве..." Sigurd Shmidt, Doctor of history sciences, academician of RAN, Journal "Rodina", Nr. The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 The Russian Academy of Sciences (Российская Академия Наук Rossi'iskaya Akade'miya Nau'k, shortened to PAH RAN) consists of the National 12/2004
  4. ^ Michael C. Paul, "The Military Revolution in Russia 1550-1682," The Journal of Military History 68 No. 1 (January 2004): 9-45, esp. pp. 20-22.
  5. ^ Russian chronicles record about forty attacks of Kazan Khans on the Russian territories (mainly the regions of Nizhniy Novgorod, Murom, Vyatka, Vladimir, Kostroma, and Galich) in the first half of the 16th century. Nizhny Novgorod (Ни́жний Но́вгород Nižnij Novgorod) colloquially shortened as Nizhny, is the fourth largest city in Russia Murom (Му́ром Finnish: Muromi, Old Norse: Moramar) is a historic city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls Vyatka may refer to Vyatka River, a river in Russia Vyatka, former name of the city of Kirov, Kirov Oblast Russia Vladimir (Влади́мир) is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway Kostroma (Кострома́ is an historic city in central Russia, the administrative centre of Kostroma Oblast. In 1521, the combined forces of Khan Muhamed Giray and his Crimean allies attacked Russia and captured more than 150,000 slaves. The Full Collection of the Russian Annals, vol. 13, SPb, 1904
  6. ^ R. Skrynnikov, "Ivan Grosny", M. , AST, 2001
  7. ^ a b Novgorod, Russia (Capital)
  8. ^ Ivan the Terrible, Russia, (r.1533-84)
  9. ^ a b According to the Third Novgorod Chronicle, the massacre lasted for five weeks. Almost every day 500 or 600 people were killed or drowned. The First Pskov Chronicle estimates the number of victims at 60,000.
  10. ^ Having investigated the report of Maljuta Skuratov and commemoration lists (sinodiki), R. Skrynnikov considers, that the number of victims was 2,000-3,000. (Skrynnikov R. G. , "Ivan Grosny", M. , AST, 2001)
  11. ^ D.S. Mirsky. DS Mirsky is the English pen-name of Dmitry Petrovich Svyatopolk-Mirsky (Дми́трий Петро́вич Святопо́лк-Ми́рский (&ndash June 6 A History of Russian Literature. Northwestern University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8101-1679-0. Page 21.
  12. ^ Edward L. Keenan, The Kurbskii-Groznyi Apocrypha the 17th-Century Genesis of the "Correspondence" Attributed to Prince A. M. Kurbskii and Tsar Ivan IV (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971); Janet Martin, Medieval Russia 980-1584 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), 328-329.

References

Further reading

External links


Persondata
NAME Ivan IV Vasilyevich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ivan the Terrible
SHORT DESCRIPTION Czar of Russia
DATE OF BIRTH August 25, 1530
PLACE OF BIRTH Moscow, Russia
DATE OF DEATH March 18, 1584
PLACE OF DEATH Moscow, Russia

Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
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