Ivan the Terrible Facts & Worksheets

Domestic Policies

• In the early years, Ivan wanted to improve the government and help the country. Even though a great fire in Moscow in 1547 caused much damage, he continued with important reforms:
  • He made a new law book called the Sudebnik in 1550, which helped make laws fairer and clearer.
  • He set up the Zemsky Sobor, the first Russian parliament, which brought together nobles and others to help make decisions.
  • He formed a group of trusted advisors known as the Chosen Council.
  • He started a permanent army called the Streltsy, who used guns.
  • He brought local self-government to some rural areas in northeast Russia.
  • He worked with the Church and, in 1551, with the help of the Council of the Hundred Chapters, made Church practices the same across the country.
• In 1553, Ivan opened the Moscow Print Yard, bringing the first printing press to Russia. Religious books were printed in Russian during the 1550s and 1560s. However, traditional scribes were angry and burnt down the Print Yard. The printers, Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets, fled to Lithuania. Printing resumed in 1568 with new people in charge.
• In 1565, Ivan started a policy called the Oprichnina. He divided Russia into two parts: the Oprichnina, ruled only by him, and the Zemshchina, ruled by the boyars. The Oprichniki, his personal guard led by Malyuta Skuratov, wore black, rode black horses, and acted like a secret police. They were given land and power in return for their complete loyalty to Ivan.
• The Oprichniki punished and killed many nobles. Thousands of people were forced to give up their land or were executed. The Sack of Novgorod in 1570 was one of the most tragic events during his reign. Ivan believed the city was planning to join his enemies, so he ordered a brutal attack. Many people, including women and children, were drowned or killed. Historians think between 2,000 and 3,000 people died. The city never fully recovered from the tragedy.
• During Ivan’s reign, peasants were badly affected. Laws were passed to stop them from moving freely. This would later lead to serfdom. The Oprichniki took much from them, sometimes as much in one year as they used to pay in ten. Many peasants ran away, and food became more expensive.
• The Oprichniki did not do well in the war against the Crimean Tatars in 1571–72. After that, Ivan got rid of the Oprichnina and disbanded the Oprichniki in 1572.
• Ivan also built famous places, like Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, to celebrate his victories. In the second half of his reign, things became worse. There were bad harvests, attacks from enemies, high taxes and too many people. All this led to serious economic and social problems.
• In 1575, Ivan stepped down for a short time and made Simeon Bekbulatovich, a noble of Tatar background, the ruler. But Ivan still controlled everything behind the scenes. Simeon followed Ivan’s orders, even taking Church lands. Then in 1576, Ivan returned to power.

Foreign Policies

• Ivan the Terrible’s foreign policy was about making Russia stronger by gaining new lands, improving trade and building important friendships. Early in his rule, Ivan wanted to bring new skills and technology from other countries.
• In 1547, he sent Hans Schlitte to Germany to hire skilled workers, but they were stopped because Poland and Livonia were worried about Russia getting stronger. Even though Ivan built a new port on the River Narva in 1550 to encourage trade, many German merchants ignored it and kept trading through Livonian ports. This kept Russia a bit isolated from sea trade.
• However, Ivan made close ties with England. In 1551, a group of English merchants formed the Muscovy Company to trade with Russia. In 1553, Richard Chancellor sailed to the White Sea and travelled to Ivan’s court in Moscow. Ivan allowed English merchants to trade freely at the port of Arkhangelsk without paying customs fees.
• Ivan and Queen Elizabeth I exchanged letters for many years. While Elizabeth was mostly interested in trade, Ivan wanted to make a military alliance. He even once asked Elizabeth to marry him and later asked if he could live in England if he lost power in Russia.
• Ivan also fought against the Tatar khanates that often attacked Russia. The Kazan Khanate was one of his main enemies. After many years of conflict, Ivan led a big army to capture Kazan in 1552. His soldiers used cannons and special tools to break down the city walls.
• After taking Kazan, Ivan built the famous Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow to celebrate. Then, in 1556, Ivan took control of the Astrakhan Khanate too. These victories gave Russia control of the important Volga River and much new land, making Russia much bigger and stronger.
• Ivan worked with the Cossacks, free fighters living on Russia’s southern borders. He gave them money and weapons to fight against the Tatars and protect Russia’s land. This was important because the Tatars often raided Russian villages.
• In 1558, Ivan started the Livonian War to try and get access to the Baltic Sea and its trade routes. But the war lasted 24 years and was very hard on Russia. Other countries like Sweden and Poland fought back, and Russia lost many battles. The war hurt Russia’s economy and army a lot.
• The Crimean Tatars also caused problems for Ivan. In 1571, they attacked Moscow with a large army and burnt much of the city because the Russian army was busy fighting in the Livonian War. This was a huge disaster. But in 1572, Russian forces won an important battle against the Tatars, stopping their attacks for a while.
• Towards the end of his reign, Ivan also looked east to Siberia. He gave the Stroganov family permission to settle and build forts there. A Cossack leader named Yermak started conquering Siberian lands in 1580, fighting the local Siberian Khanate. Although Yermak had some victories, he was eventually defeated, and only after Ivan’s death did Russia fully take control of Siberia.