The personality of the first Russian tsar, Ivan the Terrible, has always been a mystery to historians. No one could determine with certainty either his psychological portrait or his statecraft abilities with the clarity required by scientific knowledge. Some portrayed him as an advanced, not fully understood person, while others saw him as limited—and even insane. Some highlighted the mismatch between Ivan the Terrible’s mental potential and the weakness of his will. Such characteristics can sometimes be witty and plausible, but they are also arbitrary: the nature of Ivan the Terrible’s character remains a mystery to everyone.
Henri Troyat, having analyzed many existing sources, created his own version of the personality and era of Tsar Ivan IV’s rule—presenting it for the readers’ judgment.
Contents:
Chapter 1 Parents
Chapter 2 Childhood
Chapter 3 Tsar Ivan IV
Chapter 4 Reforms
Chapter 5 Kazan
Chapter 6 Illness and its consequences
Chapter 7 Livonia
Chapter 8 Pain and hatred
Chapter 9 The case of Kurbsky
Chapter 10 The Oprichnina
Chapter 11 Metropolitan Philip
Chapter 12 The punishment of Novgorod
Chapter 13 The Tatars burn Moscow
Chapter 14 New wives and the Polish crown
Chapter 15 Stephen Báthory
Chapter 16 The birth of Siberia
Chapter 17 The last days