The reign of Ivan the Terrible

The reign of Ivan the Terrible, which wasThe first Grand Prince, anointed to the kingdom officially in 1547, began in 1533. In many sources one can find negative characteristics of the time of his reign. However, history points to a large number of achievements of Russia during the reign of John 4 Vasilyevich.

Instead of the orphaned three-year-old prince Ivan onThe throne was joined by his mother - Elena Glinskaya. However, five years later, she died. Little John grew up in the conditions of the fierce struggle of the boyars for the government, then alone, then others came to power. Changed and the head of the Russian church. All this was reflected in the character of the future sovereign. At the age of sixteen, the Tsar ascended the throne.

On the reign of Ivan the Terrible in the first periodThe great influence was rendered by the holy Metropolitan Macarius. In this era of the Zemsky Sobor the "Sudebnik" was published. The right to defend their own defense reform of the judiciary endowed everyone, and the death penalty was used only after the case is considered by the Emperor. In addition, local self-government became very important, a system of primary church education was formed. The reign of Ivan the Terrible was marked by the beginning of printing.

The tsar stopped the slave-owning khanates,which then troubled Rus (Astrakhan and Kazan), freeing hundreds of thousands of Russian people from captivity. Was won in 1560 over the Livonian Order. Rus regained the old towns of Kolyvan, Yuryev and others. Unfortunately, in the second period of the reign of John Vasilyevich, they were again lost as a result of the defeat in the war. Under the Emperor, the development of the territory of Siberia was started - in 1581 Ermak's campaign was undertaken.

The death of his wife Anastasia (she was poisoned in 1560year), Metropolitan Makarii, new attempts of the boyars to resist the authorities changed the behavior of the Emperor. At this time the reign of Ivan the Terrible is characterized by historians as cruel, harsh, formidable. The tsar began to remove the suspects and disliked people.

In 1564, in April, Ivan the Terrible betrayed hima close ally, the governor's deputy in Dorpat Andrey Kurbsky. It should be noted that a fairly large proportion of boyars sympathized with Kurbsky. The situation in the country forced Ivan the Terrible to leave Moscow at the end of 1564, and in January next year to announce his descent from the throne.

However, rebelled against boyar powerMuscovites asked the Tsar to return. On 2 February, returning to the throne, John 4 Vasilievich, proceeded to affirm the "oprichnina". This special army with a certain control and territory was to become a cartel against the traitors. The rest of the state belonged to the "zemshchina". It should be noted that the oprichnina could not destroy the boyars, but significantly weakened him.

The Board of Ivan the Terrible was commemoratedsignificant expansion of the country. During the reign of John Vasilievich, Russia joined the Siberian, Astrakhan, Kazan kingdom, part of the North Caucasus and Nagayya. The size of Russia began to exceed the area of ​​Europe.

The consequences of the reign of Ivan the Terrible, undoubtedly,were both positive and negative. Negative phenomena include continuing oppression, violence by the central, local administration and spiritual authorities, as well as the seizure of lands by feudal lords. All this provoked clashes and contradictions. Among the local population rebellions broke out, people refused to fulfill their obligations.

The reign of Ivan the Terrible was an important stage in thedevelopment of the state. Under John 4 Vasilyevich, 300 new towns, 155 fortresses were built, the population of the country increased to 4.5 million people (from 2.5 million people). During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, an attempt was also made to form the first fleet in Russia.