Ivan Ivanovich (1554–1581)

Ivan Ivanovich ( Russian Иван Иванович ; born March 28, 1554 in Moscow , † November 19, 1581 in Alexandrow ) was the son of Tsar Ivan IV and his first wife Anastasia Sacharina-Yuriewa . He was the Tsarevich ( Crown Prince ) of Russia from birth until his death .

biography

Tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) had numerous marriages, but only his first was a love marriage. Tsarina Anastassija had given birth to an heir to the throne, Tsarevich Dmitri, in October 1552, after two daughters. In March 1553, Tsar Ivan fell seriously ill and expected his death. In order to secure his succession, Ivan made all the members of the Exquisite Council swear allegiance to the little Tsarevich and his mother and kissed the cross in affirmation. On a pilgrimage made by the Tsar couple after Ivan's recovery to the grave of St. Kirill, Dmitri fell into the Sheksna on June 26, 1553 and drowned. When the Tsarina was released from Ivan Ivanovich in the following year, he became the new heir to the throne.

He lost his mother at the age of six. Tsar Ivan IV was convinced that his wife had been poisoned (tests on her skeleton in the 20th century have confirmed his suspicions, as large amounts of mercury, arsenic and lead were discovered). The tsar, who had long suffered from mood swings, began to express his moodiness and irascibility more clearly and more extreme than ever after the death of his beloved Anastassija. One of the highlights was that for the first time he himself killed a person with his own hand, he considered himself “Lord of life and death”. It was not only individuals who felt his anger, but also cities such as Novgorod , which was suspected of conspiracy with Livonia . On January 6, 1570, Ivan the Terrible, accompanied by Tsarevich Ivan, rode outside the city gates with 1,500 soldiers and caused a pogrom (Новгородский погром), also known as the Novgorod massacre , on the population, which killed thousands.

Ilya Repin : Ivan the Terrible and his son, who was killed by him on November 16, 1581, painting from 1885

Tsar Ivan IV had always had a fairly good relationship with his eldest son, and the young Ivan had proven himself in Novgorod's eyes.

According to the papal legate Antonio Possevino , on November 16, 1581, the tsar was furious when he found his pregnant daughter-in-law, although surprisingly entering her very own room, too lightly dressed in his opinion, and beat her. As a result, she had a miscarriage . His son had a heated argument with his father about it. In a sudden fit of anger, Ivan the Terrible dealt his son a fatal blow on the head with the steel tip of his ruler's staff. The tsarevich lay in a coma for a few days before he died of his wound. Tsar Ivan IV is said to have vented his extreme grief over the loss by banging his head against his son's coffin.

Contemporary Russian sources only reported that the heir to the throne was fatally ill. The chemical analysis of his remains in 1963 showed extremely high levels of mercury, arsenic, and lead, suggesting poisoning.

He was succeeded by Ivan Ivanovich's brother, who ascended the throne as Fyodor I. The centuries-long rule of the Rurikids in Russia ended with his death .

Marriages

Ivan Ivanovich married on November 4, 1571 Evdokija (Eudoxia) Bogdanovna Saburowa († 1620), the marriage was divorced in 1572.

His second marriage was in 1575 with Praskovia Mikhailovna Solovaya († 1621), this marriage was divorced in 1579.

In his third marriage in 1581 he married Jelena Ivanovna Sheremetyeva , the daughter of Ivan Vasilyevich Sheremetev .

All three marriages remained childless.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} studentshelp.de: Presentation Ivan the Terrible ( Memento of the original dated November 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 3, 2012. 
2. ↑ Biography of Ivan IV "the Terrible" of Russia , accessed June 3, 2012.
3. ↑ Панова Т. Д. Кремлёвские усыпальницы. История, судьба, тайны. М., 2003. С. 68, 69, 71.