The Oprichnina

The Oprichnina is a stage of Russian history in 1565–1577, marked by state terror and the introduction of an emergency-measures regime. The same word was also used for a special part of the country with separate administration, allocated to ensure the needs of the tsar’s court and the oprichniks (the so-called “Tsar’s Oprichnina”). The oprichniks were the close associates of Ivan the Terrible who carried out the functions of a secret police force and directly conducted repressions.

The term “oprichnina” traces back to the Old East Slavic “опричь” meaning “separately,” “besides,” “specially.” In the Grand Duchy of Moscow, it referred to a “widow’s share”—property that, after a prince’s death, was allocated to his widow.