Ivan the Terrible

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Ivan the Terrible

Expansion of Russia, 1300–1796

What made Russian Tsar Ivan IV so terrible?

Ivan the Terrible

For Students

Ivan IV summary

Read Next

Charles II (1630-85), king of Great Britain and Ireland (1660-85), entering London on May 29, 1660 after the restoration of the monarchy; undated hand-colored print .

7 Monarchs with Unfortunate Nicknames

Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army

8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century

Discover

Hindu Holi Festival celebrations with colored water, powder and colorful flower petals thrown over celebrants at a Hindu temple in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India on March 24, 2021.

Holi: Festival of Colors

Close up of periodic table, focus on nickel, copper, zinc, palladium, silver, cadmium

When Was the Periodic Table Invented?

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.

10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

Calendar marking march 15th

22 Questions About Time and Timekeeping Answered

Statue of Liberty in front of the skyline of Manhattan, New York City, New York.

Who Was the Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty?

Camel at Khor Rori, Oman; mammal.

Do Camels Store Water in Their Humps?

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Ivan the Terrible: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Ivan Grozny • Ivan Vasilyevich • Ivan IV
Born	August 25, 1530 • Kolomenskoye • Russia
Died	March 18, 1584 (aged 53) • Moscow • Russia • (Anniversary in 4 days)
Title / Office	tsar (1547-1584), Russia
House / Dynasty	Rurik dynasty
Notable Family Members	father Vasily III • son Fyodor I • son Dmitry Ivanovich
Role In	Livonian War

Photos and Videos

Ivan the Terrible

Expansion of Russia, 1300–1796

Ivan the Terrible

What made Russian Tsar Ivan IV so terrible?

See All Videos and Images →

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Russia: Ivan IV (the Terrible)

Andrey Mikhaylovich, Prince Kurbsky

Russian military commander

Vasily I

grand prince of Moscow

Vladimir A. Kryuchkov

Soviet politician

Third False Dmitry

Russian pretender

Anatoly Chubais

Russian economist and politician

Second False Dmitry

Russian pretender

First False Dmitry

Russian pretender

Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin

prime minister of Soviet Union

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin

president of Russia

Peter I

Peter I

emperor of Russia

Nicholas I

Nicholas I

tsar of Russia

Alexander I

Alexander I

emperor of Russia

Catherine II

Catherine the Great

empress of Russia

Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky

Russian revolutionary

Alexander II

Alexander II

emperor of Russia

Nicholas II

Nicholas II

tsar of Russia

Aleksandr Ivanovich Herzen

Russian writer

Nikon

Nikon

Russian patriarch

Mikhail Mikhaylovich, Count Speransky

Russian statesman

Alexander III

Alexander III

emperor of Russia

Quiz

Potrait of Ivan the Terrible, Valentin Vasnetsov (1530-84), Ruler of Russia. Painting by Viktor Mihajlovic Vasnecov. (tsar, czar)

Rulers with Unfortunate Nicknames: The Quiz

List

Charles II (1630-85), king of Great Britain and Ireland (1660-85), entering London on May 29, 1660 after the restoration of the monarchy; undated hand-colored print .

7 Monarchs with Unfortunate Nicknames