The biography of Ivan the Terrible, at least by hearsay, is known to almost everyone, not only Russians, but also foreigners. This historical figure attracts special attention of researchers, ordinary people, and artists.
The first Russian Tsar, Prince of Moscow and All Russia Ivan IV was born on August 25, 1530. His mother, Princess Glinskaya, gave birth to a son in Kolomenskoye. The father of Ivan the Terrible, Prince Vasily III, came from the Rurik dynasty. The king's parents died when he was still a child. At the age of 3, Ivan was proclaimed king.
The biography of Ivan the Terrible as a tsar began difficult. He was a child, so all power was in the hands of his mother and the Boyar Duma. The boyars actually ruled until 1548. Ivan's childhood passed in an unfavorable environment. Intrigues unfolded before his eyes, coups were carried out, there was a tough struggle for power (between Shuisky and Belsky). Considering Ivan a child, the boyars did not pay attention to him, did not listen to his opinion, killed his friends andkept the king in poverty. The child grew up aggressive, early learned to torture animals. Already at that time, suspicion and vindictiveness appeared in him.
A brief biography of Ivan the Terrible comes down, rather, to his portrait image than to a description of the events that accompanied his life. He was highly educated and had an excellent memory. Since childhood, he was tormented by his position and dreamed of true power. It was her that he put above everything, including any laws of morality.
1547 was the year when the biography of Ivan the Terrible as an autocrat began. On January 16, his wedding to reign took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. He became the first king who concentrated power in the entire state in one hand. Previously, before him, there was no autocracy in Russia. Now everyone, including the boyars, had to obey the will of the king. However, the specific princes, who until recently were independent rulers in their own principalities, opposed this. As a result, Ivan IV introduced the oprichnina - a tough and radical measure to combat the aristocracy.
Grozny's foreign policy was not particularly successful. During 1558-1583, the Livonian War continued, ending with the defeat of Moscow and the loss of part of the Russian lands.
The history of Ivan the Terrible has become a special period for the Russian state. The results of his reign for the country were quite controversial. On the one hand, he was able to centralize the state, which is important in strengthening the consciousnesspeople as citizens of one country. On the other hand, this period was very difficult for the people. Oprichnina had a negative impact on the economy, a lot of land was simply devastated. Under Ivan the Terrible, serfdom was strengthened. In 1581, he introduced "Reserved Summers" - a ban on peasants on St. George's Day to leave their owners. In 1578, the king stopped the executions, and in 1579 he repented of his own cruelty.
The biography of Ivan the Terrible would be incomplete without mentioning that the tsar had 7 wives. From the first, Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yuryeva, he had two sons, and one son from the last, Maria Fedorovna Nagoy. He also had three daughters: Anna, Maria and Evdokia.
The last years of his life the king was sick, before his death he could not walk. March 18, 1584 Ivan the Terrible died. It is believed that he was poisoned. Ivan the Terrible was buried next to his son Ivan, who was killed by him, in the Archangel Cathedral. The Rurik dynasty was cut short, because Fedor Ivanovich, the youngest son of the tsar, was on the throne for a very short time and left no offspring. The Time of Troubles has begun.
