Галерея российских царей

Ivan became the Grand Prince at the age of three. The intrigues were being schemed around the helpless child incessantly. Exposed to the struggle and violence since his childhood, Ivan afterwards did not treat human dignity and life of other people as values. As soon as he grew up and broke out of the custody of the boyars, he began to take revenge on those who bullied the legitimate heir in his early childhood. Ivan IV turned their painful deaths into a kind of public theatrical performances. Wishing to compensate for the trials of his childhood and rise above all the princes, Ivan took on the royal title in 1547.

In 1554 the newly-baked Tsar arranged a comedy with false abdication. He summoned the nobility, complained that he had found no love to himself in his subjects who, allegedly, did not want him as the tsar, and then he withdrew from the court. In response on the requests from his subjects Ivan promised to return, but with the proviso that, in order to avoid the treason, he would surround himself with loyal people — oprichniki (his personal guard). The new Tsar’s milieu was allowed to deprive the other people of their land, houses, and property. In 1569, the Tsar, together with oprichniki, launched a campaign against the northern cities of his own country — Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Torzhok, plundering and slaughtering the population. Oprichnina reduced many Russian lands to poverty; Novgorod, once wealthy, became deserted.

In 1584, Ivan IV fell ill with a strange disease, manifesting an internal decay; the tsar emanated an unpleasant odor. A few months later this disease caused his death.

Федор Иванович Feodor Ivanovich 1584-1598

Фёдор Иванович — сын Ивана Грозного, последний правитель из династии Рюриковичей. Этот царь был слаб здоровьем физически и умственно, поэтому не мог самостоятельно управлять государством. Отец передал ему власть, но назначил группу бояр для опеки над наследником. Вскоре из ближайшего окружения царя выдвинулся наиболее хитрый Борис Годунов, на сестре которого был женат Фёдор Иванович. Постепенно реальная власть оказалась в руках шурина.

Для Фёдора Ивановича было непосильным даже участие в придворных церемониях, он не смог дождаться окончания собственной коронации — удалился, передав атрибуты власти боярам. День он коротал в забавах с придворными шутами, смотрел бои с медведями, много времени проводил в молитвах.

В правление Фёдора Ивановича усилилась крепостная зависимость крестьян, им запретили переходить от одного помещика к другому, в 1597 году царь подписал указ о пятилетнем сыске беглых крепостных. В 1589 году было введено патриаршество, митрополит с этого времени стал именоваться патриархом.

В 1597 году Фёдор Иванович заболел, у него пропали зрение и слух. Доктора не смогли избавить государя от недуга. При исследовании останков в костях монарха был найден мышьяк.

Feodor Ivanovich was a son to Ivan the Terrible, the last ruler of the Rurik dynasty. He was rather feeble both in mind and body, and unable to rule the state on his own. His father bequeathed to him the throne, but appointed a council of boyars to have the heir seconded and guided. The cleverest of the boyars, Boris Godunov, whose sister was married to Feodor, soon stepped forth from the court circle. Gradually, the real power was concentrating in the hands of tsar’s brother-in-law.

Feodor considered unbearable even the participation in the ceremonies of the royal court, he could not endure his own coronation — he parted, passing the trappings of royal power to the boyars. His days were whiled away with merry-making in the company of the court jesters or watching the bear-fightings; much time was spent in prayer.

During the reign of Feodor Ivanovich, the serfdom of the peasants became harder, they were forbidden to left one landlord for another. In 1597, the tsar signed a decree on the five-year manhunt of runaway serfs. In 1589, the Patriarchate was introduced by the Church, and the Metropolitan became known as Patriarch since that time.

In 1597 Feodor fell ill — he lost his sight and hearing. The doctors could not deliver the sovereign from the disease. A modem-time investigation of his remains has discovered the arsenic in the bones of the monarch.

Борис Годунов Boris Godunov 1598-1605

Борис Годунов — шурин Фёдора Ивановича. При жизни царственного зятя Борис Годунов являлся фактическим правителем. В его руках на несколько долгих лет сосредоточилась вся власть в государстве. После кончины Фёдора Ивановича решение Земского собора вывело боярина Годунова на престол.

Новый царь стремился к мирной внешней политике, старался сблизиться с западными государствами, заключил выгодный для России мир со Швецией. Он приглашал архитекторов, строил Москву, хотел учредить высшую школу, но духовенство не позволило осуществить эту идею.