On the date of Ivan IV Vasilyevich was born to Grand Prince Vasily III and his second wife Elena Glinskaya. Only three years later, on , the Grand Prince died of infection. Ivan would be the next ruler at the age of fifteen with Elena as his regent. [1] [2] This order lasted only four years when on she was poisoned by boyars in a successful bid for power. [3] Ivan, despite his royalty, was neglected and abused during the boyar's control.
As the rivalry in the Palace for the power of Russia escalated into a bloody feud, Ivan witnessed horrible things. Living in poverty he watched and heard murders, beatings, and verbal and physical abuse regularly. The boyars alternately neglected or molested him; Ivan and his deaf-mute brother Yuri often went about hungry... [1]
This traumatic mistreatment by the boyars resulted a resentment that explains his later actions. [4] Even as a young child his cruel nature was visible as in response to his trauma Ivan tortured and maimed small animals. On Ivan sized power in a characteristically brutal fashion. He called a surprise meeting with the boyars in which their leader Prince Andrew Shuiksy was thrown alive to a pack of hungry dogs. [1] [5]
Ivan was crowned Tsar of all Russia. Soon after his coronation Ivan married Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yurieva, a member of the Romanov family. The royal title is significant because it's was a statement that Ivan was the divine Ceaser of the new Russian autocracy. This cemented the idea that Moscow was the "Third Rome," following from the previous center of Orthodox Christianity, Constantinople. [5] [6] This "Emperor" title shifts power into his sole control. At first, administrative roles were held by two of Ivan's uncles. After these were abused, he no longer trusted others to administer the nation. [1]
In 1550, there was a legal reform with clearly defined laws and punishments meant to be applied to everyone (except the Tsar) [5].
Ivan received his nickname—"Terrible"—after a military victory over Kazan. It's Russian form "Grozny" is more accurately translated as "terrifying"; however, his popular English moniker is an apt one. [7]
After the death of his uniquely cherished wife Anastasia died of illness on , Ivan emotionally collapsed and fell into paranoia. Some time after (1565), he formed the oprichnina along with the Oprichniki after threatening to abdicate the throne; it was a condition of his continuing to rule. the oprichnina was disparate land that Ivan chose to have exclusive control over and where he dispatched his guards (Oprichniki) which thieved, murdered, and raped with impunity. [5]
In 1570, on the basis of unproved accusations of treason, Ivan massacred the 60,000 citizens of Novgorod with his Oprichniki. Novgorod's archbishop was first sewn up in a bearskin and then hunted to death by a pack of hounds. Men, women and children were tied to sleighs, which were then run into the freezing waters of the Volkhov River. The mass of corpses made it flood its banks. In the same year, there were mass public executions in Moscow. [1]
After the Crimean Tartar's successful attack on Moscow, the Oprichniki were disbanded and severely punished [5]. Ivan then abdicated in favor of a Tartar general.
In response to his daughter-in-law's immodest dress, Ivan beat her to the point of miscarriage. He met his son's defense with Ivan's violence: Ivan bludgeoned his son Ivan Ivanovich in the head until he died. [1] [5]
On Ivan died of a heart attack.
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S. Haarman, “Absolute Terror: Ivan the Terrible,” Mu.edu, 2019. https://academic.mu.edu/meissnerd/ivan-terrible.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6
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Wikipedia Contributors, “Vasili III of Russia,” Wikipedia, Mar. 19, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasili_III_of_Russia#Death (accessed Mar. 21, 2025). ↩
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Wikipedia Contributors, “Elena Glinskaya,” Wikipedia, Mar. 21, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_Glinskaya (accessed Mar. 21, 2025). ↩
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Andreyev, N. (2025, March 14). Ivan the Terrible. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivan-the-Terrible ↩
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Biographics, “Ivan the Terrible: The First Stalin,” YouTube. Sep. 26, 2019. Accessed: Mar. 21, 2025. [YouTube Video]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqSONHVilTM ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6
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S. Bell, “Why Is Moscow Sometimes Called The Third Rome?,” Scientific Origin, Apr. 11, 2024. https://scientificorigin.com/why-is-moscow-sometimes-called-the-third-rome (accessed Mar. 21, 2025). ↩
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“Ivan the Terrible,” Wikipedia, Oct. 16, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_the_Terrible#Nickname ↩