Ivan the Terrible was born in 1530. After his father III. Vasili's death in 1533, thanks to his Turkic heritage through his mother Elena, he ascended to become the Grand Prince of Moscow. In 1547, he officially took the title of Tsar, akin to the Byzantine Emperor, declaring himself the ruler of Moscow. He believed that he inherited the legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire, which was toppled by Mehmed the Conqueror.
At just three years old, Ivan lost his father, and by the age of seven, he was left motherless. Raised in the care of servants under harsh conditions, he grew up as a child with peculiar and irritable tendencies. Influenced by those around him, he developed a disdain for the nobility and favored merchants and laborers. Ivan the Terrible, upon proclaiming himself Tsar, married a daughter of the prominent Romanov family.
In 1522, he captured Kazan and Astrakhan, expanding Russia's borders eastward. This marked Russia's first entry into the ranks of major European powers. During Ivan's reign, Russia initiated maritime trade with England and sought to gain control of the Baltic Sea by invading Sweden and Lithuania. These invasions strained relations with Sweden and Poland in Europe, leading to Russian defeat and the signing of a ceasefire agreement.
In 1560, Ivan's wife Anastasia passed away. Her death plunged Tsar Ivan into a severe illness, which subsequently led to a decline in his mental stability. From then on, Ivan became erratic, spreading terror among those around him. He abandoned his closest associates to languish in monasteries. He developed a strong aversion to religion, but his feelings and thoughts fluctuated rapidly. After reaching the pinnacle of rage, he would suddenly be consumed by profound remorse, spending his days in penance and prayer. In 1964, Ivan left the Kremlin, taking the treasury and servants with him, claiming that the nobles had betrayed him. Due to intense pressure for his return, he came back two months later. Upon his return, he began to judge those he had previously labeled as traitors.
In 1551, Ivan the Terrible secured the support of the Russian Church and the Pope, declaring Moscow as the Third Rome. Fearing the Ottoman Empire to the south, he turned his attention to the east, west, and north. In the territories he targeted, including the Astrakhan Turkic Khanate, he executed numerous Muslims and Christians.
Russians reached the Caspian Sea and bordered Iran. Later, Sokollu Mehmet Pasha proposed a canal project to connect the Volga and Don rivers to prevent the Russian threat. However, this project remained incomplete, possibly due to the reluctance of the local Turkic Khanate, fearing that their land would become a province of the Ottoman Empire.
It is estimated that Ivan the Terrible ordered the deaths of thousands during his reign. His volatile personality, gruesome appearance, and actions earned him the infamous title in history. Ivan branded his eldest son a traitor, ultimately killing him during a fit of rage. Ivan the Terrible passed away on March 18, 1584, while playing chess. Upon his death, Fodor I ascended to the Russian throne.
In 1960, rumors surrounding him led archaeologists to open Ivan the Terrible's tomb. Traces of mercury were found in the samples taken from his remains, leading to the belief that he was poisoned.
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