Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
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Ivan IV Orders The Massacre Of Welikij Nowgorod
Our picture shows Tsar Ivan IV as he probably really looked (forensic facial reconstruction by Mikhail Gerasimov, 1965).
The "Tsar of all Russia", as they said at the time, had already taken action once before, in 1569 against the inhabitants of the rich, powerful and influential city of Novgorod ...
... because Novgorod, long a competitor of Moscow for supremacy in Russia, was a thorn in the side of the tsar ...:
He had Novgorod surrounded by his "Oprichniki" and slaughtered and burned all respected citizens. Their wives and children were shackled and thrown into the Volkhov River, when they reappeared, Ivan's henchmen killed them with fishing hooks and hatchets. About 10,000 people were killed.
At that time the people began to call the Tsar "Ivan Grozny" (the terrible).
These "Oprichniki" were a mounted gang created by the tsar in 1563, whose members were bodyguards, informers, policemen and executioners - similar to Stalin's NKVD in the 20th century.
The "Oprichniki", whose number soon grew to 15,000, spread fear and terror throughout the country - as soldiers, however, they totally failed!
As a sign of their canine devotion, the black-clad Oprichniki wore a buckled dog's head on their saddles - and above that hianus a broom, which symbolized the "cleaning of Russia" entrusted to them ...:
On the mere - and never confirmed suspicion - Novgorod could go over to the enemy, Ivan leads another “punitive expedition” during the Livonian War against the Novgorodians, whom he suspects of wanting to side with Poland-Lithuania.
With Oprichniki and regular soldiers - a total of 30,000 men - the Tsar marches against Novgorod ...:
The march must be kept completely secret! The Oprichniki have strictly orders to kill anyone who sees the army march. This is how unsuspecting peasants are murdered by the hundreds - usually they are rolled naked in the snow until they die of hypothermia ...:
On January 7th, 1570 Ivan set up camp near Novgorod ...:
When the bishop of Novgorod, Pimen, walks towards the tsar in front of the city gates to bless him according to old tradition ...
... Ivan drops him off immediately, marries him to a white mare ...
... and sends him under guard to Moscow, where he will later be killed.
On January 12th, 1570 the tsar entered the city while the city was already on fire ...
Ivan immediately lets loose his Oprichniki on the inhabitants!
At least 30,000 people are killed within just under four weeks - with Tsar Iwan, who enjoys watching torture and executions, shows himself to be extremely inventive in applying new forms of punishment ...:
In addition, he leaves in the St. Sophia Cathedral, the main church of Novgorod ...
... the precious bronze doors from 1336 ...
... dismantle and bring to his residence in Aleksandrowka Sloboda.
When Ivan slaughtered a third of the population ...
... the rich city has been completely looted, and the Oprichniki have burned down all buildings that are higher than one floor, the tsar likes to give a - guaranteed - speech to the surviving population in which he expresses his own Christian love and Religiousness praises ..:
The speech ends - also guaranteed - with the words:
"Now go and be grateful!"
After Ivan's departure on February 17, 1570, at least 20,000 more Novgorodians died of the famine caused by the looting and devastation of the city.
Novgorod, for me still one of the most beautiful cities in Russia today (far more beautiful than Moscow and Saint Petersburg!) Has never been able to recover economically from Tsar Ivan's blows.
After that, the city was no longer outstanding, but just one of many cities in Russia. Only the proud old name "Velikij Novgorod" has remained ...
Our picture shows Tsar Ivan IV as he probably really looked (forensic facial reconstruction by Mikhail Gerasimov, 1965).
The "Tsar of all Russia", as they said at the time, had already taken action once before, in 1569 against the inhabitants of the rich, powerful and influential city of Novgorod ...
... because Novgorod, long a competitor of Moscow for supremacy in Russia, was a thorn in the side of the tsar ...:
He had Novgorod surrounded by his "Oprichniki" and slaughtered and burned all respected citizens. Their wives and children were shackled and thrown into the Volkhov River, when they reappeared, Ivan's henchmen killed them with fishing hooks and hatchets. About 10,000 people were killed.
At that time the people began to call the Tsar "Ivan Grozny" (the terrible).
These "Oprichniki" were a mounted gang created by the tsar in 1563, whose members were bodyguards, informers, policemen and executioners - similar to Stalin's NKVD in the 20th century.
The "Oprichniki", whose number soon grew to 15,000, spread fear and terror throughout the country - as soldiers, however, they totally failed!
As a sign of their canine devotion, the black-clad Oprichniki wore a buckled dog's head on their saddles - and above that hianus a broom, which symbolized the "cleaning of Russia" entrusted to them ...:
On the mere - and never confirmed suspicion - Novgorod could go over to the enemy, Ivan leads another “punitive expedition” during the Livonian War against the Novgorodians, whom he suspects of wanting to side with Poland-Lithuania.
With Oprichniki and regular soldiers - a total of 30,000 men - the Tsar marches against Novgorod ...:
The march must be kept completely secret! The Oprichniki have strictly orders to kill anyone who sees the army march. This is how unsuspecting peasants are murdered by the hundreds - usually they are rolled naked in the snow until they die of hypothermia ...:
On January 7th, 1570 Ivan set up camp near Novgorod ...:
When the bishop of Novgorod, Pimen, walks towards the tsar in front of the city gates to bless him according to old tradition ...
... Ivan drops him off immediately, marries him to a white mare ...
... and sends him under guard to Moscow, where he will later be killed.
On January 12th, 1570 the tsar entered the city while the city was already on fire ...
Ivan immediately lets loose his Oprichniki on the inhabitants!
At least 30,000 people are killed within just under four weeks - with Tsar Iwan, who enjoys watching torture and executions, shows himself to be extremely inventive in applying new forms of punishment ...:
In addition, he leaves in the St. Sophia Cathedral, the main church of Novgorod ...
... the precious bronze doors from 1336 ...
... dismantle and bring to his residence in Aleksandrowka Sloboda.
When Ivan slaughtered a third of the population ...
... the rich city has been completely looted, and the Oprichniki have burned down all buildings that are higher than one floor, the tsar likes to give a - guaranteed - speech to the surviving population in which he expresses his own Christian love and Religiousness praises ..:
The speech ends - also guaranteed - with the words:
"Now go and be grateful!"
After Ivan's departure on February 17, 1570, at least 20,000 more Novgorodians died of the famine caused by the looting and devastation of the city.
Novgorod, for me still one of the most beautiful cities in Russia today (far more beautiful than Moscow and Saint Petersburg!) Has never been able to recover economically from Tsar Ivan's blows.
After that, the city was no longer outstanding, but just one of many cities in Russia. Only the proud old name "Velikij Novgorod" has remained ...
