Ivan the Terrible. Wives and Concubines

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Behind the dark legends about the “bloody tsar” who punished his wives, there emerges a far more complex figure—a person woven out of contradictions: educated, with a rare memory and a mesmerizing voice; whose personal life turned into a knot of passions, court intrigues, and painful suspicion.

According to the official version, Ivan IV had five wives and many mistresses. Rumor says that Marfa Sobakina was poisoned; that Vaslisa Melentyeva suffered a terrible living execution; that Maria Dolgorukaya died in water. But the cause of Anastasia Romanova’s death remains a matter of dispute and speculation…

At first glance, it seems we’re dealing with a mad despot and a cruel killer. However, evidence from contemporaries paints a different picture: many called Ivan the Terrible a generous, attractive man who knew how to charm. It is also known that he was one of the most erudite rulers of his era and had a phenomenal memory.

So who was Ivan IV—an far-sighted ruler and a passionate man, or a tyrant and a whim-driven despot? No matter which answer is closer to the truth, this story will not leave you indifferent.