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Ivan the Terrible: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As Ivan IV • Ivan Vasilyevich • Ivan Grozny
Born August 25, 1530 • Kolomenskoye • Russia
Died March 18, 1584 (aged 53) • Moscow • Russia
Title / Office tsar (1547-1584), Russia
House / Dynasty Rurik dynasty
Notable Family Members father Vasily III • son Fyodor I • son Dmitry Ivanovich
Role In Livonian War

Photos and Videos

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.
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.
What made Russian Tsar Ivan IV so terrible?
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