Top 10 Facts about Ivan the Terrible

Photo by Nikolai Nevrev – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Ivan the Terrible

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the first Russian Tsar who reigned between 1547 and 1584. His father was Vasili III who ruled the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

Ivan was known by several titles such as Ivan the Terrible, Ivan the formidable and Ivan the fearsome. After the death of his father, he became the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547.

When he became of age, he was crowned as the Tsar of all Russia. Ivan was 16 years old when he became a Tsar. He is the one that made Moscow the capital of Russia.

As the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible brought a lot of transformation to the country. Unfortunately, this came at a cost to the people and the economy of the country.    

As his name depicts, Ivan was one of the cruellest leaders Russia has ever had. Find out more about Ivan the Terrible in the top 10 facts below.

1. Ivan the Terrible was the first Tsar of Russia

Photo by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov – Wikimedia

Ivan was crowned a Tsar in 1547 when he legally became of age. He was in charge of the entire Russian territory. This was the first time Russia had a Tsar.

Before Ivan became the Tsar, all the leaders including his father were known as grand princes. It is alleged that this title was a self-appointed title.

Ivan the Terrible believed that his power came directly from God. The title also gave him leverage before the European monarchs.

He was recognized by Queen Elizabeth I, Emperor Maximilian II from Rome among several others. Ivan even went ahead and proposed to Queen Elizabeth I, she, unfortunately, turned down his proposal.  

2. Ivan the Terrible lost his dad when he was a baby

Ivan’s dad, Vasili, died three years after he was born. Neither of them got the chance to know the other well. Vasili got injured while hunting.  

Unfortunately, 16th-century medicine could not make his hip any better. The infection spread and he lost his life. At the age of three, Ivan was declared the grand prince of Moscow.

Since he was too young to rule, his mother was appointed as his proxy. She died in 1538 and speculations around her death is that she was poisoned.

Ivan and his younger brother were left under the protection of their wards. The country was ruled by the Glinsky clan and the Belsky family.

Like most orphans, Ivan and his brother were neglected. They had little food to eat and barely any food to eat. It is believed this treatment greatly influenced his cruel leadership.  

3. Ivan the Terrible’s childhood was unpleasant

Photo by Katherine Chase on Unsplash

Ivan was orphaned at a very young age, this left him under the mercies of his ward. The ward did not care for him as required, he left Ivan with the bare minimum basic needs.

He was also not allowed to socialize with other children leaving him without friends. His extended family did pay attention to him either instead they were more focused on brewing family feuds.

To pass time, Ivan buried his head in books and tortured little animals. He also played the trombone, drank beer and killing anyone that crossed him.

Ivan carried this rage with him to his Tsar-ship earning him the name Ivan the Terrible.

4. Ivan the Terrible was a devout Christian despite his cruelty

By Alexander Litovchenko – Wikimedia

This may come as a surprise but Ivan was a staunch Christian. He ensured that the entire Russian territory practised Christianity. 

Ivan attended Sunday service regularly and always confessed his sins. He also contributed to the well-being of priests and monasteries. However, several priests were killed on his orders.

He believed that he was God’s representative on Earth and punished people. Ivan had people drowned and burnt alive. 

Having spent most of his childhood alone and reading books, Ivan sought to have children learn to read and write.

He got assisted by a Danish book printer and established the first printing house in Moscow. Religious leaders organized schools where the children attended.

5. Ivan the Terrible had several wives

Portrait if Ivan the Terrible with his 6th wife. Photo by Grigory Sedov – Wikimedia

Despite being a devoted Christian, Ivan contravened the church laws by marrying more than one wife. He was married to seven wives.

Ivan was still contemplating on adding an 8^th wife, Mary Hastings, a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

He ordered Metropolitan Philip to be executed for treason subsequently overthrowing Novgorod Archbishop Pimen. Several priests were murdered during this massacre.

Ivan had eight children, his oldest died in 1581. It is believed that he accidentally killed his own son.

6. Ivan the Terrible murdered his son and grandson

Ivan the Terrible holding his son. Photo by By Ilya Repin – Wikimedia

Ivan lived a life that looked like a scripted Hollywood thriller. He had three sons and five daughters.

One day, he argued with his older son and he struck him on the head out of anger. He used a heavy iron rod, killing him instantly.

Ivan’s second son had mental health problems and was considered unfit to take after his father. The third son died at a tender age; the cause of death remains unknown. 

A painting at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow is depicted Ivan clutching the lifeless body of his son, sitting on the floor.

That was not the only unfortunate event, Ivan argued with his son’s wife. Despite her being heavily pregnant, Ivan beat her and she suffered a miscarriage. 

7. Ivan the Terrible centralized the Russian government

After Ivan rose to power, he changed the structure of the Russian government. He modernised the political system in Russia.

He also formed an agency called Oprichnina which was only answerable to him. The agency acted as his security detail and changed the traditional hierarchy of power.

This meant that all power and authority was bestowed upon the Tsar. He also appointed his supporters to powerful positions in the government.

Although foreign, his style of leadership proved to be practical and flexible. Having inherited a broken government, Ivan the Terrible introduced taxes to save the crumbling economy.

He also established close business ties with England for trading and military alliances. His efforts saw the revival of the Russian economy.

8. Ivan the Terrible portraits may not be accurate

By Alexander Litovchenko – Wikimedia

As much as Ivan was known for his cruelty, very little is known about his appearance. There is no portrait of him that was done when he was alive. Most of the existing portraits were done after his demise.

He is however described as having been tall, stout, big eyes, red thick beards and energetic. Ivan was bald as was demanded by the Russian customs back then.

His son-in-law described him as having an unfriendly face with a crooked nose.

Paintings of the Tsar show a man that looks like a villain. These paintings may not be true to life representation of Ivan the Terrible.

9. Ivan the Terrible fought several wars during his reign

Ivan spent his entire reign fighting his neighbours in a quest to enlarge his territory. He defeated the Khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan and made them a Russian territory.

All did not go his way, Ivan lost the Livonian War against Sweden and Poland in 1583. Russia could therefore not access the Baltic sea.

10. Ivan the Terrible’s cause of death is still unknown

Photo by Vyacheslav Schwarz – Wikimedia

Interesting video about Yvan the Terrible:

Ivan the Terrible died in March 1584. His death was not due to natural causes. It is believed that he was poisoned by his adversaries.

He had a heart attack while playing chess, fell backwards. His servicemen carried him to his private chambers where he died.