Ivan the Terrible

Imagine a group of men, wearing long, black caftans, astride on black horses with dogs’ heads and brooms tied to their saddles coming towards you. Is this a nightmare that you’re having? Perhaps you’re stuck in one of Dante’s circles of hell?

No. You’re living in sixteenth century Moscow, during the reign of one of Russia’s most notorious rulers and her first official czar, Ivan the Fourth. He’s commonly referred to as Ivan “Grozny” or Ivan the Terrible. A more accurate translation of the word “grozny” is formidable or fearsome and “grozny” better describes the ruthless and strict manner in which Ivan ruled from 1547 to 1584. Indeed, these were turbulent times.

How did Ivan morph into such a formidable leader? It all started when Ivan was very young. At the age of five, Ivan became an orphan and the ruling nobility of Russia called the Boyars constantly maltreated him.

Ivan was an intelligent, strong-willed boy, but grew up sans a mother’s nurturing and developed a cold heart. His life became an unrelenting power struggle with the Boyars.

Ivan asserted himself at the age of 16 when he announced to the Boyars that he was marrying Anastasia Romanova. Shortly after their marriage on January 16, 1547, Ivan took the title of czar.

Ivan became focused on unifying the Russian state by issuing reforms, organizing Russia’s first official army, and focusing on the expansion of Russia by adding the lands of Siberia and Kazan. During his reign, Russia fought numerous wars, including the Livonian which raged for 25 years. In those days, access to the open seas was key and Ivan secured the path to the Baltic Sea which opened another trade route.

It was after the victory of Kazan over the Mongolian Tatars who had plagued Russia for four centuries that he built the beautiful St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. This architectural marvel is known for its colorful onion shaped domes. It’s breathtaking.

Although Ivan married seven times, it was his first wife, Anastasia, that proved to be a good influence on Ivan and bore him multiple children. Two sons, Ivan and Fedor, survived to adulthood.

What were some of the key events that transformed Ivan into a despot? For one, after a near fatal illness when Ivan discovered that the Boyars would not follow his wishes of succession for his infant son Dmitri, he created the oprichniki guard to ensure that his wishes would be followed to a t. He would not tolerate betrayal or treachery of any kind.

The oprichniki were frightening: they wore black caftans and rode black horses with dogs’ heads and brooms tied to the saddles. The message was that the traitors to the czar would be found and eliminated. Unfortunately, their actions were extended to the innocent who were also robbed and killed. Their reign was one of terror.

The death of Ivan’s beloved wife Anastasia in 1560 was a turning point for Ivan. He became even more paranoid and suspected everyone of plotting against him. The end result of Ivan’s angry outbursts was devastating. In a fit of rage, he struck his son and heir to the throne, also named Ivan, with a metal staff and killed him. Ivan himself died soon after.

Indeed, circumstances molded Ivan the Terrible into a feared leader, but he took the steps to ensure that he was the omnipotent ruler of Russia.

For many years, I watched a Russian movie “Ivan the Terrible” with English subtitles on PBS. The movie is in two parts and it was produced in 1944 by Sergei Eisenstein, with music by Sergei Prokofiev.

I found the movie that depicts the life of Ivan Grozny fascinating, rich in detail, imagery and drama even though it is in black and white.

It remains one of my favorites and I purchased it for my video library. It’s a classic and I recommend it highly. Filmmakers and historians have agreed that this epic is noteworthy, especially for Russophiles that are interested in learning more about this particular epoch of Russian history.




Purchase Ivan the Terrible, part 1 and 2 on Amazon.com