Today in history: Ivan the Terrible

Hello Steemians!

Welcome to today's episode of the "Today in History" serial, where I bring you daily historical facts and events of the current date.

On January 16, 1547, Ivan the Terrible, crowned himself Czar of Russia.

Ivan the Terrible

He was born Ivan IV Vasilyevich, on September 3, 1530. and was the Prince of Moscow from 1533. till his crowning in 1547 when he took the title "Tsar of All the Russias".

Ivan had 7 wives and 8 children.

His first wife was Anastasia Romanovna with whom he had 6 children of which 4 didn't live to adulthood.

Statue of Anastasia Romanovna

Their son Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich of Russia was killed by his father Ivan the Terrible.

Ivan the Terrible killing his son - Ilya Repin

Their Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich of Russia became Ivan's successor, he was also known as Feodor the Bellringer and was the last Tsar of the Rurikid dynasty

Fyodor I

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, Russia expanded it's borders and was spanning about 4 million km2!
It also became a multiethnic and multicontinental state.

*Ivan the Terrible Showing His Treasures to Jerome Horsey - Alexander Litovchenko *

In 1552, Ivan lead an army to Kazan putting the city under siege and ultimately conquering Kazan and Astrakhan

Ivan IV under the walls of Kazan - Pyotr Korovin

Shortly after the Fire of Moscow in 1572, which was caused by the Crimean Tatars, Ivan was being forced to give Astrakhan back, but then successfully defended another big raid of the Tatars even thou his army was half the size and with that pushed the Ottoman Sultan out of Russia.

Coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire

Since 1555, Ivan had strong desire in the exploration of Siberia, finally conquering it in 1580, when the exploration group under the leadership of Yermak Timofeyevich defeated the Siberian Khan Kuchum.

The Conquest of Siberia - Vasily Surikov