Ivan the Terrible is one of the most extraordinary personalities in Russian history. Possessing tremendous intellectual abilities and memory, he, nevertheless, often acted intuitively and under the influence of strong emotions.
Having left his parents early and faced with cruelty, he grew up into a vindictive and merciless man, which affected his attitude to relatives and his people.
But perhaps it was precisely these qualities that helped him rule Russia in difficult times and expand its territory through wars with neighbors.
We present you 10 interesting facts about Ivan the Terrible: stories from the life of the first king of Russia. Biography of a cruel, but smart ruler.
10. In honor of the birth, the Ascension Church in Kolomensky
According to existing legend, Vasily III was so glad that he had an heir that he made the decision to build a church in Kolomensky right on his birthday - August 25, 1530.
It is known that the church was already ready by 1532, and therefore some historians doubt that at that time such a monumental structure could be built so quickly. According to an alternative version, the church was founded 2 years before the birth of Grozny as a place where his parents could pray for “childbirth”.
It is curious that it was the Ascension Church that opened the so-called "tent" churches for the country, which were then built in Russia until the Nikon reform in the 17th century.
9. He became a ruler in 3 years
Basil III did not have long to raise an heir so long-awaited for himself - already in 1533 he died from blood poisoning. Before his death, he managed to appoint 3-year-old Ivan the official ruler, adding as many as 7 guardians to his assistants. But the boy’s mother didn’t like such conditions - in fact, she ruled the state herself, having suspended both these persons and her young son.
But she was not destined to linger on the throne for a long time: having survived her husband for 5 years, she died from poisoning. Ivan remained an orphan at the age of 8 and hard times began for him.
Boyars built intrigues around the throne, humiliating Vanya and his 6-year-old brother in every possible way. Sometimes the boys were even left without food. This could not but affect the character of the teenager - even then Ivan became closed, resentful and vindictive.
8. Conducted reforms aimed at centralizing the state.
Ivan the Terrible took a special place in the history of the country thanks to his reforms, which took place in the 1550s. He ordered the life of Russian people in all areas - from military affairs to finance.
In 1549, on his initiative, the first Zemsky Sobor began work, the purpose of which was to solve the most important cases of state significance. The central authorities of the kingdom were orders - Razryadny, Streletsky and others. On the ground, zemstvo elders and city clerks who were elected by voting were responsible for working with the population.
The trend towards centralization of the country was supported by the unified code of laws introduced in 1551 - Sudebnik. All these efforts led to the fact that the importance of the king in the life of the people has seriously increased. But Ivan himself was unhappy with the turmoil and rebellion among the feudal nobility, who did not want to recognize the new order of things.
7. Introduced Oprichnina in the country
By 1565, Ivan the Terrible initiated the creation of a special body - the Oprichniny. According to his idea, the members of this monastic order were to fight with the traitors of the tsar throughout Russia.
By this time, after the unsuccessful Livonian war, Grozny was sure that his governors were plotting with the boyars against him. Allegedly, the closest advisers prophesy in his place Prince Vladimir Staritsky. In order to protect himself from the machinations of imaginary ill-wishers, Ivan acquired special warriors - the guardsmen.
But from the modern variation of “bodyguards” these mercenaries quickly turned into bandits - all the terror attributed to Grozny was created by his people. They robbed innocent residents, burned their homes and killed.
The tsar saw all the failure of such an army only in 1571, when the Crimean khan attacked Russia, and the guardsmen of the simple did not appear on the battlefield.
6. There were 6 or 7 wives, 5 sons and 3 daughters
The family life of the first Russian Tsar was saturated no less than the state. Sources provide different versions - according to some reports, Grozny had either 6 or 7 wives.
The first wife - Anastasia Zakharyina-Yuryeva - gave birth to 6 children, of which only two boys survived. Marriages with the second and third wives did not last long, and Ivan completely imprisoned the fourth wife in the monastery.
The fate of the fifth companion of the king was even sadder - having learned that she was not innocent, her husband drowned her in a pond. The sixth woman also ended up in the monastery, and the seventh wife, Maria Nagaya, outlived her husband and became the mother of False Dmitry.
As for children, then, according to the official version, all in Grozny had 3 daughters and 5 sons.
5. One of the most educated people of his time, had a phenomenal memory
The uneasy character of Grozny was combined with a remarkable intellect. Experts noted that in the state he was considered one of the most educated people. The king’s drawback was that he often changed his beliefs under the influence of passions or advice from outside, not following his rational thoughts, which were logical.
4. The first king of all Russia
Left without parents at the age of 8 and having lived the following years in constant anxiety for his life, Ivan ascended the throne at the age of 16. Unlike his predecessors, who thus received the grand-ducal title, the young man desired to marry the kingdom. Such a desire, in the eyes of historians, reflected Grozny's well-thought-out intentions to strengthen ties with the Byzantine tradition.
This was of considerable importance for Russian statehood. The wedding rank, adopted then, will last the next 350 years before the emergence of the Russian Empire.
3. Formally ruled 50 years and 105 days
Ivan the Terrible set another record - he stayed on the Russian throne for more than 50 years (to be precise, 50 years and 105 days). No other king, prince and monarch could stay longer in power.
Of course, such a duration is only formal, because the countdown began with the death of his father Basil III. But then young Ivan was only 3 years old, and he could not fully lead the “fallen” state on him. He was married to the throne only 13 years later.
A general unhealthy lifestyle, constant nervous experiences turned Grozny into an old man by the age of 50. Researchers claim that problems with his joints have become so intense that for the past few years he has been unable to walk independently and has been moved on a stretcher.
Despite the abundance of diagnoses, there are still versions that the king’s death at 53 was violent, but there is no convincing evidence for this.
2. During the reign, the growth of the territory of the state amounted to almost 100%
Perhaps, never like in the time of Ivan the Terrible, the territory of Russia did not increase in size. At first, he wanted to diplomatically subjugate the Kazan Khanate, but his wishes turned out to be a failure. Then he sent an army to Kazan, which was able to capture it.
With the accession of Astrakhan, the state owned the entire Volga region, which had a positive effect on trade relations.
A little later, the territory of the country expanded due to Chuvashia, Bashkiria and Western Siberia. All this led to the fact that Russia increased in size by almost 100% and became the largest state in Europe.
Only the plans of Ivan the Terrible to develop access to the Baltic Sea did not materialize. The Livonian war was lost, and he had to give Poland and Sweden all the conquered lands, as well as the Baltic states.
1. According to the 2016 FOM survey, 71% of Russians positively assess the king’s role in history
Despite the fact that Ivan the Terrible received his nickname for the terrible atrocities that were happening to people at that time on his orders, now, after 7 centuries, the vast majority of Russians respond positively to his activities. Such data was obtained by FOM by conducting a survey.
71% of respondents admitted that the king brought a lot to the country's policy and determined its further development. Moreover, most of all those who agree with the radical position of Grozny are young people from 18 to 35 years old.