On this day in 1533, the three-year-old Ivan the Terrible- born Ivan Vasilyevich- was proclaimed grand prince of Moscow following the death of his father, Grand Prince Vasily III. His mother, Elena Glinskaya, served as regent until her sudden death in 1538, leaving the young heir vulnerable to political turmoil.
Ivan’s childhood was marked by neglect and fierce competition among boyar families vying for influence over the throne. These chaotic early experiences shaped the personality and ruling style that would later define Ivan the Terrible as one of Russia’s most formidable and feared leaders.
As an adult, Ivan IV became the first ruler to formally adopt the title “tsar of all Russia”, centralising authority and expanding the state’s territory. His early reign saw church reforms, administrative restructuring and efforts to modernise governance. But his later years were overshadowed by paranoia and brutality, culminating in the creation of the oprichnina– a state-backed system of terror responsible for mass executions and purges.
Although his rule strengthened the foundations of the Russian state, it also cemented his legacy as Ivan the Terrible, a ruler remembered as much for his reforms as for the violence that accompanied them.
His proclamation on this day marked the beginning of a reign that would transform Russian history for centuries to come.
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