When Russia had a royal family, the emperor was called the Tsar. Tsars ruled Russia from 1547 to 1917. The first Russian ruler to use this title was Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible.
Ivan the Terrible assumed the throne in 1547 at the age of seventeen. His reign was peppered with battles with foreign invaders, and by a rule of terror never before seen in Russian history. Ivan suspected conspiracies everywhere, and eventually announced he would abdicate because of the lack of loyalty around him. He was only willing to continue to rule if he could deal with alleged deserters at his discretion.
His terms were accepted, and Ivan launched his reign of terror. He hired a large personal army, the Oprichniki, and all potential traitors were cruelly executed. People were impaled and mutilated, while whipping and torture were common. Ivan built a palace in Moscow, and the dungeons were supposedly full of prisoners, of which at least twenty were tortured to death everyday in front of the laughing Tsar. Thousands were hanged, drowned, or deported, while the buildings and countryside were plundered and destroyed.
Despite his cruelty, Ivan improved Russia’s governmental administration, and contributed to the nation’s culture. Ivan was also a good writer, with a talent for biting sarcasm. He was eager to maintain political relations with Europe, and was a devout adherent of the Orthodox Church. Ivan alternated between periods of savagery and piety, often sending great memorial payments and treasures to monasteries- yet nothing could wipe out his reputation of being truly ‘terrible’!