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Ivan the Terrible
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Painting by Viktor Mihajlovic Vasnetsov of Ivan the Terrible standing in ornate, gold-embroidered robes, holding a staff, beside a decorated throne. Ivan IV Map showing the territorial expansion of Russia from 1300 to 1796, with regions color-coded by the ruler or period of acquisition. The map highlights the principality of Moscow around 1300, its growth by 1462, and subsequent expansions under rulers such as Ivan III, Ivan IV, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great, extending Russian territory across Eastern Europe and into Siberia. Major rivers, neighboring countries, and cities are labeled for geographic context.
What made Russian Tsar Ivan IV so terrible?
Bronze equestrian statue of Ivan the Terrible in Oryol, Russia, with Ivan holding a raised cross while seated on a horse, set against a blue sky.
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Ivan IV
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Potrait of Ivan the Terrible, Valentin Vasnetsov (1530-84), Ruler of Russia. Painting by Viktor Mihajlovic Vasnecov. (tsar, czar)
Rulers with Unfortunate Nicknames: The Quiz
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Painting by Viktor Mihajlovic Vasnetsov of Ivan the Terrible standing in ornate, gold-embroidered robes, holding a staff, beside a decorated throne.
Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV) A portrait of the Russian tsar by Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov.

Ivan the Terrible

tsar of Russia
Also known as: Ivan Grozny, Ivan IV, Ivan Vasilyevich
Written by
Nikolay Andreyev
Reader in Russian Studies, University of Cambridge; Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge. Author of Studies in Muscovy and others.
Nikolay Andreyev
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Ivan the Terrible (born August 25, 1530, Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, Russia—died March 18, 1584, Moscow) was the grand prince of Moscow (1533–84) and the first to be proclaimed tsar of Russia (from 1547). His reign saw the completion of the construction of a centrally administered Russian state and the creation of an empire that included non-Slav states. Ivan engaged in prolonged and largely unsuccessful wars against Sweden and Poland, and, in seeking to impose military...

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