I.

Introduction

Ivan IV Vasilyevich or Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), grand prince of Muscovy (1533-1584) and the first formally proclaimed tsar of Russia (1547-1584). One of Russia’s most brutal and notorious rulers, Ivan oversaw the vast expansion of his country and then brought it to near ruin. He was the penultimate ruler of the house of Ryurik, Russia’s first dynasty.

Ivan was the first child of Grand Prince Vasily III of Muscovy (the official name of the Russian state at that time) and his second wife, Elena Glinskaya. Vasily died in 1533, leaving Ivan fatherless and nominally grand prince. Although Elena became regent, her power was continually challenged by the boyars (nobles). She died suddenly in 1538, apparently from poisoning, leaving eight-year-old Ivan an orphan. Until Ivan was 17, when he was officially crowned, feuding boyars fought each other for control of Muscovy. During his youth, Ivan is reported to have exhibited numerous acts of extraordinary sadism, an inclination toward cruelty that was displayed later in his reign.